Private The Reclamation

[Darth Daimen]

Krayiss II had been nearly annihilated by the wrath of The Demon Dima. The Palace and most of the castle towers were obliterated. All that remained was ruins, a poor skeleton to make scaffolding of the new seat of its Lord Darth Morta .

And yet from the ashes an apogee as workers began ro rebuild. Cargo freighters, their thrusters making the ease moving solid black stone weighing an estimated amounted of tons that would have broken the primitive cranes of the Pureblood Sith long ago on Korriba moved about as Twi’lek men from Ryloth and droids began to demolition destroyed structures with explosives. The rest were taking tools, shovels, picts, and beginning work on the Palace which was being constructed to the specifications of The Liege Lady.

Overseeing this scene of reclamation, was a tall and imposing figure, his skin fair and newly adorned with black gnarled marks in bladed knots that denoted his devotion. His eyes were no longer blood red, they were a white with a gray ring aroujd the edge of iris. His hair waa long and as white gold, sparkling when in strands it peeked out of his gray hood.

Daimen crossed his arms as he watched the masses make His Lady’s dream become a reality. Some ‘motivators’ used whips, the black tails cracking at the Twi’lek males and their heads with those twin lekku. There was something poetic about the role reversal, usually the men sold female Twi’leks into slavery, here the men were in bondage to the vision of a female, the most beautiful and powerful Twi’lek Daimen had ever met.

The Aetharian was approached by a black robes individual, a Pau’an Inquistor with those overlapping fangs and white akin made of lines like park.

“So a new kingdom rises from the grave of this world with all do haste..”

Daimen nodded. He was not fond of Inquistors, they tended to look for betrayal and enemies in every nook ans cranny. While his Mistress was tied to the Kainite, there was no telling if this Pau’un would interpret things as loyal or not.

The Inquistor putting his pale long fingers together with the spiked fingernails.
“I am curious about the events that transpired here. Waa Veranus ever found?”

The Blood Elf removed something from his robes and held a ring with two serpents rising in a v shape with a stone of purple amethyst in the middle. Daimen handsd it over to The Inquistor, who examined it in his claw ling fingers.

“I suppose this is sufficent evidence of his demise. With what The Xeno Mando did to the palace with the hyperdrive bomb, I am suprised you found anything at all.” Said The Pau’un who began ro scan it on a purple circular datapad. It rang with, “DNA Match, Darth Veranus.”

The Inquistor smiled with those vampiric teeth.

“Well this is all I needed. I wish you luck in the rebuilding effort. I shall report that evidence has been recovered, Veranus is dead, and the fief and planet of Krayiss cedes to Datth Morta as promised.”

He gave a bow as he stepped away. Pocketing the trinket, The Inquistor paused.

“Perhaps her Ladyship would accept me at table? There is a matter I wish to discuss with her before I leave for Juntrand.”

The Blood Elf turned,

“I will ask her.”

Daimen turned and went in search of his Liege Lady. He knew The Inquisitor was Plotting, they were a shrewd cog in the Order, always enigmatic and unpredictable. He knew declining to invite the Pau’un would be unwise, but he would not speak for Dark Lady Morta. He served her, and her word not his was law.

 

[Darth Morta]

Darth Morta observed the reconstruction work on the Governmental Palace, not long ago it belonged to the renegade Sith, Darth Vesanus, and had been leveled in the fighting by the rogue Mandalorian xenos Domina via a hijacking of one of her ally's fighters and sending it ramming into the palace as it attempted to run up to make a jump into hyperspace. It had been the biggest hydrospanner thrown into her plans that possibly could have been. The fallout from that was still playing out, the lack of a proper clean and clear duel, the pivotal clash of arms of two opponents for one to show superiority over the other had been causing problems. It would continue to cause them for a long time as the more devout Vesanus's followers would claim he still lived, and Morta was an illegitimate ruler with no real strength behind her.

Fortunately, she had a loyal follower of her own, an Aetharian, Darth Daimen who had attached himself to her during the assault, she'd have to find a suitable reward for him in the coming weeks for coming so soon and being so devoted. Even now she watched as he oversaw the press-ganged labour pool worked the massive blocks of black marble, hewing the new palace out of it, she had gotten the plans for the old Imperial Palace on Coruscant from that short-lived empire and had the insides modified to suit her needs while keeping the imposing external design and a utilitarian administration center to control her new planet.

As an inquisitor scurried away from Darth Daimen she strowed up to where he stood, though it seemed that she wouldn't have to go that far as he turned to walk away from the inquisitor as well, letting them meet part way, normally he would have towered over her, but thanks to the rather extreme heel on her boots Darth Morta actually stood eye to eye with him.

"Darth Daimen, I have to commend you for your efforts on my behalf, you demonstrate exquisite loyalty for one who's yet to formally enter my service." She said as they met and stopped to talk, when suddenly a thought occurred to her, thanks to this planet she could give him almost any material reward, but there was something far better that she could provide him, both unique to her and this planet. "Kneel in front of me as Darth Daimen, Sith Acolyte, swear me your saber and your soul, and rise as Darth Daimen, my apprentice.

Darth Morta waited to see how he would react to her offer, the knowledge she could give him both from her own studies and the library temple was far more valuable than any physical object she could ever give him, she needed someone as loyal as he was, and he needed someone to teach him the ways of the Dark Side of the Force. It was as mutually beneficial an agreement that one Sith could have with another without worrying too much about backstabbing that was so common among them.

 

[Darth Daimen]

TAG: Darth Morta

The Devoted Elf did not have to search far for his Liege Lady, she approached in all her adornment. Her red complexion was more resplendent than rubies and more glorious than garnets, her lekku were like two pythons of flesh and a crown of her illustrious nature. He had begun to memorize every stencil of ink that marked her body in thorn like shapes of black, and her gate was the best sound to his ears, for it meant she would appear in his presence. All of these treasures of his Lady he kept locked in his heart, and only she had the key to access them.

When praise flowed from her lips for his unflinching loyalty and dutiful work on her behalf, he nearly lost his footing. He did not relish the assessment of his efforts, nor the esteem, rather it was that she was expressing her own contentment at his endeavors, that she was pleased was a boon to him that made him shake inward, he had to use every ounce of Aetharian fortitude to not rattle in his armor.

Then came the words he had most hoped for, though he never presumed would be uttered. He would have been content to be her knight errant in all things, and now she bestowed the greatest of honors on Him.

Taking a knee, he removed his hood, his silvery white locks draping down in sparkling strands as he bowed his head.
He then made his pledge to Dark Lady Morta, removing his staffsaber which he held out as to her as if seeking it to be blessed,

“I pledge my soul to you Darth Morta, and by this sacred kyber I swear to defend you till my dying breath.”

He then lowered his head once more and raised his Staff Weapon to her with both hands in a gesture of total subservience to her as His Master. Daimen was reborn as a Darth, joining a long line of those who sought to stalk the true nature of the Force as Lord Plagueis so elloquently had said. He would learn all he could from Her, and apply it in Her service.

 

[Darth Morta]

A twitch of a smirk touched Darth Morta's lips as Darth Daimen knelt down in front of her, she was glad to see that she was saved the embarrassment of having her offer to take him on as her apprentice turned down, but also it would have been just as bad to see such a promising and loyal student go to someone else. As Darth Daimen held up his weapon she took it from his hands and ignited one end of the saberstaff, she took the blade and moved it, just shy of actually touching him, as if tapping him on either shoulder with the weapon, the deactivated the blade before putting it back down in his outstretched hands.

"I accept your pledge of soul and blade, rise Darth Daimen, and take your place by my side as my apprentice." Darth Morta said and half a hand down to him, offering to help him up, both literally and metaphorically, raising him from his lesser status of an un-mentored acolyte and his ignorance, teaching him more deeply in the ways of the darkside of the Force.

Having an apprentice would also be useful to herself, both in the practical sense as a status symbol, taking an apprentice was a boast that one was smart and strong enough to have something worth teaching to the next generation of Sith, and as someone to make sure her legacy lived on beyond her own lifetime.

 

[Darth Daimen]

When Daimen knelt he was a Darth only in aspiration, an empty title that denoted his desire to become a dark lord. Now thanks to Darth Morta he was a Darth in waiting, an apprentice who would learn the power of the dark side. When he had completed his training the Darth would be in reign, the cycle complete with him a full fledge Lord.

The Dark Lady marked him, and handed him back his Staff. Taking the weapon he rose at her beckoning, her words now had the force of law over him as Master. Slinging the long hilt over his shoulder and on to his back, he took the place by her side. Before them the fires of industry burning to create for His Liege Lady a city.

Daimen bowed his head for a moment as in prayer, whispering to The Shadow, The Immortal gods of the Sith. The road to where he now stood had been frought with perils and by the grace of Typhojem he had come through the gauntlet. There was no mistake, his destiny was tied to Hers and to this planet. Perhaps it had been Bogan’s hand it was purified by the great flame that had robbed them of fame. That blast clearing the world for a new regime, and a new Regina.

The Blood Elf turned to His Master, His Mistress. He would be her Knight, ready to take up arms in whatever cause. He was pledged to her, a pact that would stand no matter the trials and tribulations. For long as they stood together, Master and Apprentice, nothing could stop them.

In this solemn state, he remembered the request of The Inquisitor.

“Master, The Inquisitor seeks to dine with you. He has verified the Ring of Veranus as authentic. Alas..” He paused, “I sense there is more than the comfort of feasting at table behind him tarrying here.”

Ever the dutiful disciple, Daimen made his mind clear to her. There would be no secrets, she would never need to prob his mind, for anything she wished to know he would freely divulge.

 

[Darth Morta]

"The inquisitor wishes to dine with me you say. Very well, I'll have the Imperial Hotel prepare a small meal for the three of us then." Darth Morta said, including Darth Daimen as well, since as her apprentice it was now part of his duties to accompany her as to learn how a Sith rules and deals with others.

She looked over at the Imperial Hotel, a large building with a stone facade where she had set up her temporary living quarters in the Emperor Suite while the palace was being rebuilt. While it was quite the luxurious establishment Darth Morta yearned to be in her palace once it was finished being built, surrounded by her own servants rather than the hotel staff. The lack of proper privacy where she could train, meditate, and experiment with the Darkside of the Force without the interruptions of some unknowing staffer knocking on the door to the suites with some message to deliver or some minor housekeeping task to do, it was quite frustrating for her.

"It will be good to get this mess behind us and start the task of building this into a proper Sith world. Come with me apprentice, while I deal with the inquisitor I want you to watch him and ascertain if he has any ulterior motives. I trust you can handle that."

 

[Darth Daimen]

---

The Hollow Hotel was built with haste and yet had great finery. Part of storing up some good with with the locals was to have a place for the dispossesed, for a marginal fee of course. Daimen could feel his Master’s angst with being dependent on living out of hotel. The Palace was still taking time to be completed despite “doubling the efforts.”

Darth Morta had agreed to the meal and at the suite at the top level of the citdel part of the hotel. Inside a very spacious room with a long black table with red chairs. A chandlier of thorns of ashen color hung with lights of golden hue. The Apprentice had saw to the chief being exclusively in the kitchen rather than the restaurant down in the lobby.

As His Liege Lady has ordered, The Blood elf was shadowing The Inquistor who remained sequestered in their room. He rang the room 616. The Pau’un opened the door,

“Greetings Lord Daimen, I suspect you have come to tell me when dinner is to be served?”

The Aetharian nodded.
“Six o’clock, in the penthouse.”

The Inquisitor smiled, and ushered with his pale claw fingers.
“Come in then, there is some time before then.”

Entering The Apprentice saw on a half table were jars with red liquid like blood and black slithering creatures. He approached them and eyed them.,

“Those are my leeches, I use them for medicinal purposes. Fascinating arn’t they.. they fed on blood and yet can heal wounds.”

Daimen turned,
“Are you wounded?”

The Inquistor smirked, his crossing front fangs bearing.
“In a manner of speaking.. my condition requires similar sustenance to my little friends.”

He placed his clawed fingers in the blood water and pulled a black serpent size leech.

“Tell me Aetharian, why are you here?”

The question was vague and made Daimen consider his response. Since he had entered into Lady Morta’s service, he was rather stoic, being a dutiful disciple.

“Your silence is as loud as anything Apprentice. You are good at concealing your feelings.. but not to me. You were sent to spy one me weren’t you? And you care for Her deeply.. does she know I wonder? Worry not, I will not tell her.”

Daimen rembered, Inquistors could prob the mind. His every thought was as if spoken.,

“I.. I must see to the accomedations..”

The Inquisitor smiled once more,
“I shall see you at Six.”

The Titan of a Blood Elf left the room and stood outside the door, blood ran down his cheek from his eye. He made hus way to elevator and made his way to penthouse. Meanwhile The Inquistor in his room stood over an empty bowl of blood with a grin.

Reaching the Penthouse, The Apprentice waves his hand and the door opened ans inside was the strong aroma of spices, and the sound of a busy kitchen. Daimen walked over to the great cieling to floor window where the great table was, and crossing his arms he looked put on the world that was their kingdom.