The Return of the Emperor

[Caulder Dune]

“You choked one and threatened the other not ten minutes ago,” Adekos balked, “These are not the signs of a healthy work environment, or of an amicable relationship.”

Darth Adekos could not parse in what sense [member="Darth Maliphant"] meant cared. Would they leap to his defense? If Adekos leapt across the table to strangle his host, and it looked like he were winning quite decisively… Would Jurin intervene? Would Kai?

Perhaps, if they valued what knowledge Maliphant possessed, and were convinced they could not find it anywhere else. But how closely did they value that knowledge? Jurin, with his sulky demeanor, still stewing from being insulted. It didn’t seem likely.

He could hardly fathom what Kai thought of anything. Miserable mute. If it was truly as Maliphant had said – that they were the washouts who could not properly embody his teachings – then there was nothing protecting Maliphant from them outside of fear.

And even fear had its limits.

He picked at his steak warily, appetite waning. “If you are so eager to be rid of them, then release them from your service. If they are inclined to follow me off the Acerbitas after that, I welcome them to do so.”

 

[Darth Empyrean]

It seemed Adekos didn’t understand what Maliphant meant, so he simply shrugged and ate at this food. Manipulation was a dear trade, and one Maliphant excelled at - but often it seemed a task too convincing; to always play the master was a cruel game, and one that rarely made the man friends.

“Unhealthy.”, he repeated as he moved to take another bite of his entree.

“Not eager to be rid of them, they serve me well, but I am eager to convince you to train students. I wasn’t aware you cared so deeply for them - I simply thought you’d disagree with my approach.”

Maliphant idled for a moment before setting down his cutlery;

“Sith teachings are hard, they need to be to survive in the galaxy we do; but I’m no monster Adekos. Simply a -”, the Sith Lord paused in consideration before running a thumb across his jaw -

“A realist.”, Yes, the term felt right.

“Perhaps I’ll show you when the first of my pupils is ready to be seen, witnessed by the galaxy at large. I’ll let you judge my results then.”

With that seemingly settled, he moved back to continue to eat, waiting for whatever else it was Adekos had to say.


[member="Darth Adekos"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

Adekos nodded, nearly solemn. “Ah, of course. Realism is such a rare position to take these days…”

Not that realism had much to do with the merits of maiming one’s students. Yes, Sith teachings were quite difficult. Harder than Jedi teachings, one could say. And yet Jedi still managed to kill Sith with almost as much regularity as the inverse.

Something was yet missing in the Sith approach, for it seemed all the baseless cruelty and malice secured them no real strategic advantage.

The Sith had a new government every ten to twenty years – ones that almost always collapsed violently. And their foes, the Silver Jedi, somehow managed to exist with more constancy than any other government, weathering every concerted attempt to destroy them.

If Darth Adekos were at all a superstitious man, he would call it unnatural.

But no. It was something else. Something in their practice, their bearing. If one could marry Sith ambition with Jedi temperance, then that was the way forward. That was just a pipe dream, though. Ruusan had proved it. The Umbaran sighed wistfully.

“Yes. I suppose we’ll just have to see in time,” he droned, now picking at the mash like a vulture over a carcass. “Hopefully they continue this rich culinary tradition you’ve established here.”

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Kai and Jurin wandered over together, setting down two plates of a small but well designed treat of some desert. It was sugary, a type of dense cake - but despite the weight of it, it melted in ones mouth at the merest touch of saliva; becoming a thick and exceptionally flavourful mess of diabetic lust to one's taste buds. Maliphant slid his own plate towards the two as they offered them both a bow -

“I hope you enjoyed the dinner, Lords.”, they said in unison, with a distinct difference in the genuine emotion each displayed. Jurin seemed intent on service, happy that they would appreciate what he had done - but Kai seemed indifferent. The droid she was.

With that settled, they walked back to the kitchen to clean what was left of the dinners courses - leaving Maliphant and Adekos to finish their meals at their own pace. Maliphant took a bite himself and settled into his seat, wiping what slipped from his fork with a cloth napkin, embroidered with the symbol of the Sith -

“After years of freezing, there is a distinct part of me that hopes you enjoyed this meal, that it was a proper arrival into the galaxy again, Adekos.”, Maliphant said with a smile.

“And don’t worry, I’m sure my next apprentices will serve as the others - I pride myself in quality.”

The Sith Lord laughed before finding himself standing, and preparing to walk towards the back of the penthouse aboard the Acerbitas - yet before he did, he stopped and glanced back;

“One more thing, Darth Adekos. I left a gift in your room, a droid I hope you’ll enjoy. Mind there are only a few in the galaxy - so take care of it.”

And with that, he began to walk away once more, to disappear back into the meditation chamber that kept him comfortable -

“Goodnight, Adekos. Enjoy the trip back to civilization.”

[member="Darth Adekos"]