The Shaper and the Alchemist

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Meeting with a fellow Sith​

Kaalia's personal chambers, Bastion Sith Academy​

Bastion​

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Although the last time Darth Avacyn had visisted the room she was in wasn't all too long ago, the time before that most definitely was. Dust had gathered everywhere while everything had remained untouched as the days went by, but after having been here in preparation to teach a class in lightsabers basics, an order had been sent out to have the place cleaned up. Now there was no dust to be found and the furniture was shining once more- a vast improvement.

The chambers had history. This was where the woman had truly proven she was worthy of the title of Sith Lady by ending the life of [member='Darth Ferus'], the zabrak who had introduced her to the way of the Sith and taught her everything about their code. It was the one death she was proud of having caused, the exception to her rule that if to kill was necessary, the ends justified the means. She had no qualms about going that far, but she found no enjoyment in it. It always left her indifferent, but on that fateful day this was not the case. Walking over to the exact spot where Krest let out his final breath, she knelt down to take in the moment once more.

A mahogany desk with fine details carved into it drew the attention of any who entered the chamber. A classic-looking yet quite comfortable seat was found behind it, and to the right of someone who sat in it the wall was decorated with bookcases filled with Sith literature. All these pieces had belonged to the room's previous owner, but now they belonged to Avacyn. The one addition she had made was the holographic star map on the left side of anyone who was seated in her chair. If one interacted with it to, for example, zoom in on a particular part of the galaxy, there was a chance they would encounter a marked planet, although the reason why was not made clear.

Still, there wasn't much time to linger. Avacyn had come here for a reason, a meeting with another Sith who carried the name Darth Maliphant. After hearing of his exploits as an alchemist, she was quite interested in meeting the man herself. Perhaps the foundations for an alliance that would benefit them both could be forged today. She got back up on her feet and returned to her seat, where a datapad waited in front of her. Now, she simply had to wait for her guest to arrive.

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

______________________

Maliphant sauntered through the Sith Academy, offering a gentle smile to the acolytes as they trained. He had memories of being here, training as a sith so long ago that he had almost forgotten how it all transpired; unknown to him that his presence there was synthetic. This in truth, was the first visit he had to the place, whether he knew it or not. A quiet appreciation littered his expression however, taking it all in as he moved.

As the man moved towards the personal chambers of the Sith he intended to meet, he slowed for a moment to glance back over the dossier, it was something he had looked over a few times, scrolling through it he could see the picture, glanced over the cream colored text, taking it all in once more before setting it back into his coats pocket, pressing the button to open the auto-door.

As he walked in, he glanced to the Sith Lord that sat in her seat, enjoying the faint darkness of the room. Maliphant offered her the same gentle smile he had to so many others as he walked to the room even now, taking the coat off and folding it over his arm. His voice came soft, silvery and charismatic; a trait he never lost despite the brainwashing.

“A pleasure to meet you, Darth Avacyn.”, he said as he rested the coat on the back of the chair.

“My name is Dorian Harper, or more formally-”, he said with a pause as he fully sat down.

“Darth Maliphant.”

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Avacyn could not deny that the man who simply walked into her chambers without doing as much as make his presence known beforehand had quite the character to him. Perhaps she should've found it to be quite the rude gesture, but at the same time she couldn't help but be amused by the almost staggering amount of confidence and charisma that almost oozed off of him. The amusement manifested itself in a bit of a grin as she watched him move towards the chair that had been waiting for him. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Darth Maliphant." Over time she had learned that when a Sith introduced themselves with their Darth title, that generally was the preferred name to be referred to as. "Unless Dorian works better for you."

The woman placed her hands on the armrests of her chair, preparing to get up. "Before we get down to any details, can I offer you a drink?" Another thing she had 'inherited' after taking Krest's place was his collection, which she herself from time to time helped herself to. She had discovered it hidden away behind one of the bookshelves back then, but the fact she was moving to the star map instead gave away the fact the bottles had been placed somewhere else. After pressing a button that was generally hidden from view, a compartment within the base of the star map opened up to reveal a wide choice of drinks. Avacyn took out a bottle with an amber liquid with two glasses to go with it, but began pouring in only one of them after opening the bottle. "Take your pick." A good drink always helped with finding common ground.

After pouring Maliphant's drink of choice and offering the glass to him, or if he declined the offer putting the glass back where it came from, she returned the bottles and closed the compartment back up. With drink in hand, she made her way back to her seat and placed down her glass in front of her. "As I had explained in our communications, I reached out to you because of your impressive background as an alchemist. We both know allies are important in a Sith society, and I think we both have something to gain from an alliance." The woman had no interest in circling around the topic and instead immediately got to the point. "That is why I invited you here."

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

______________________

Leaning back, Maliphant rested in his chin on his palm, and his arm on the arm rest, letting a finger idly frame his face as he watched her speak. The woman preceded her, what with her induction into the Valkyries and later slaying of Krest; she was well known as a warrior, one that likely far surpassed where Maliphant stood now. If nothing else, she was a marauder, someone he could use to help establish a powerbase; something all Sith covet.

“Darth Maliphant will suffice.”, he said as his gaze watched her move towards the the shelf and offer him a drink. While the selection was certainly wide, casting back a number of brewing generations on just a glance, Maliphant simply shook his head and swayed it off with his free hand;

“I don’t drink. Never sat well with me.”

It was the truth, but in part because he liked to keep his wits about him.

Once more the woman sat, always followed by the corruption in his gaze, monitoring every micro expression, every movement she made. It was integral to understand a Sith in every aspect, to see them for who they were before they could ever make a move against another. Trust was hard to comeby amongst those within The Sith, despite the overreaching hand of the inquisition.

“Surely, as all alliances are founded upon…”, he said with a calm undertone.

“I appreciate the thought, however I am curious, what do I seek to gain from this?”

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

When it came to her communication with others, it was rare for Avacyn to lie. What many seemed to fail to realize was that with every lie one spoke, they created an avenue for the truth to one day destroy anything they had built with whoever the lie was directed towards. It was certainly still of the utmost importance to remain cautious and take nothing at face value, but in this situation, in the here and now, the most valuable word to speak was truth. There simply was no point in doing anything else, especially with trust yet to be built.

"A very valid question," the woman responded with a similarly calm tone as the one she was speaking to "In fact, I would have been surprised if you had not brought that up." The drink in front of her had remained untouched so far, instead deciding to wait for a more opportune moment. For now, it would simply wait for her. "No Sith gets anywhere without at least something to offer, after all."

The woman folded her gloved hands together and let them rest on the desk. Not many would ever get to see them uncovered, although it was not for any reason most would think. It was to hide the ring she wore- more specifically, her wedding ring. Although she always had it wrapped around her finger to remind her what she fought for, that didn't mean she was all too eager to share the fact she was married to anyone who wouldn't be above using that knowledge as leverage in any way.

"I have never been able to devote much time in arts such as alchemy, but my title of Sith Lady comes with a level of influence one cannot neglect. I have a voice, for lack of a better term. I am no empress, but I certainly can make things happen." The subtle bit of humor was somewhat spontaneous, but it helped with bringing nuance to the statement. "And, it has to be mentioned, I am a warrior. I can lend my power and abilities when it is deemed necessary." Between the respectable number of conflicts she had taken part in and the skills she had honed, especially her experience with lightsabers and elemental shaping, there was no denying she was more than able to stand toe to toe with some of the most dangerous beings in the galaxy. "I hate to see myself as a brute, even if I prefer finesse, but one should play to their strengths."

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

It was true, on a rather personal level, that Maliphant was slowly pushing his way into sith politics and hegemony; heavily in part because some vague personal goal he had given himself years prior, the result of a staunch imperial brainwashing and constant propaganda. What better way to serve his empire than to be one of the many figures to lead it into the next era?

Maliphant watched Kaalia, never giving a break of his apathetic expression, a stern business expression meant to hold off any indictication what he was thinking. It was obvious she was telling the truth, a rarity amongst the sith, or at the very least she was exceptionally good at lying; but from what she said he couldn’t imagine a reason why she’d lie. Either she was bad at fighting, with no political influence, and she’d only face the blade, or what she was true and she could be of use. Either way, he was well enough in a position to afford either.

“I can see you come with some assets, though I must ask a second question to make sure there is something here to speak of…”, he said with an idle glance to her drink. His fingers tapped on his chin before he broke his closed sitting position and leaned back, opening up slightly to speak;

“What exactly are you looking to get out of me, Darth Avacyn? I’m hardly as famous an alchemist as that of Rave Merrill, or even her apprentice.”

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

While the question was being asked, Avacyn finally reached out for the glass in front of her and lifted it up. The words were left to linger for a moment as the drink was brought to her lips and a small amount of it slipped down her throat, leaving the glass just a bit emptier than before when she set it back down. Although said question wasn't one the woman necessarily expected to hear, it was still a legitimate one that deserved an accurate answer. "Well," she responded as she calmly got out of her seat, "the answer to why I would approach someone like you instead of someone else with perhaps more fame has a bit of a backstory. You see, this chamber belonged to someone else before I... inherited it."

With a slow but steady pace, Avacyn began to walk towards the bookshelf, then pulled out a book seemingly at random. It was clearly quite old and it was written in the Sith language. "Most of the items and furniture you see belonged to its previous owner as well. He was known as Krest, the Lord of Trials. He was also the one who taught me about the Sith. I was his apprentice." While she flipped through the pages she looked like she was reminiscing, but after only a short moment the book was slammed back shut and placed back. "I was hardly the only one he had, though. In fact, he had taken it upon himself to take as many aspiring Sith under his wing as he was capable of. He was a teacher, first and foremost. That is also the reason why he spent most of his time here, in the academy."

The memories felt like they were from lifetimes ago, even though it had only been a handful number of years. "But, he knew too much about me. Too much for me to be comfortable with. When I ascended to the rank of Sith Lady, and finally became his equal, I decided I had to prove to him that I was truly worthy of that title. I killed him, in this room." Avacyn wasn't one to gloat on her achievements, but it was integral to the answer of Maliphant's question.

"When I did, I promised him to facilitate the growth of those who carry true potential. I wasn't going to dedicate all of my waking hours on teaching, but the least I could do was provide those who could truly make it far with the tools to get there." She would then make her way back to her seat, and sit back down. "I am already hearing whispers of what you are capable of. I can use my influence to help you grow further, if you can lend your skill in alchemy when I could use it. If you are as good as I hear you are, of course."

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Flattery was the quickest way to someone’s heart; at least the gullible.

Maliphant knew this, but he still couldn’t help but be drawn into the vague story of his power in far reaching circles; forcing a small grin on his face and his expression to watch Kaalia as she moved about. His voice twisted into something vaguely excited, though still relatively smooth as he spoke once more;

“I’d love to hear what you’ve heard…”, Maliphant said with a quiet regard for the mysterious he had yet heard.

“More importantly, I am as good as you’ve heard; though I don’t have anything with me to prove such.”, he said with a shrug as he recollected himself to the calm demeanor he held prior;

“I must ask however, what is your idea of helping me ‘grow further’?”

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

It seemed Maliphant was beginning to bite. A slight shift in his voice began to show a layer of excitement beneath the surface, telling Avacyn there was a certain level of interest present. As expected it took some effort to get to this point and chances were she wasn't there yet, but progress was being made.

"They were just whispers, rumors," the woman responded. "Sithspawn creation, among other things. But in the end, I would say rumors matter little compared to the facts." Rumors were, at the very least, useful for sparking curiosity, but without delving into what was real and what wasn't it would get you nowhere. The best way to tell the two apart was to get it from the source, which was why she had invited Maliphant here that day. "I didn't expect you to bring anything of the like, but I do wish to see some of your work with my own eyes. I suppose that is something for another day, though."

The woman took another small sip of her drink, then quickly after swallowing it down interjected the topic for the shortest of moments. "I hope you do not mind, it would be a bit of a waste to leave it untouched." There was still another question to be answered by her, however, but it wouldn't be an answer comparable to the previous she had given. "But to answer your question, I don't think my idea of it matters much. You have your own goals, certainly. Depending on what those goals are, I can help you get there." After all, he himself would know what he needed much better than anyone else.

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant waited for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin in a gracious display of thought, leaving the air silent as he seemed to meander through this idea and that. It took him a few moments to respond, never speaking up as she moved through paces of finishing her drink and finalizing her assurance to help. Eventually, he did;

“Well, as a warrior, I’d like to train with you. I’m currently working on perfecting my bladework, and I wouldn’t mind the gracious chance to experiment with an already established master.”, he said before continuing.

“Second, I’d need your political weight as a Sith Lord; as I am not recognized yet.”

The sith paused there for a moment, readjusting in his seat to let her consider what he had said, without coming to the direct point; only then did he continue with his starlit expression and enticing accent.

“I wish to become the Governor of Bastion. Would you be willing to lend me support in that?”

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Avacyn simply nodded along with the two wishes he had, but the full reaction she gave to them individually differed. It was somewhat of a surprise to her to hear that Maliphant wanted to train with her, but that was merely because of the topics that had been discussed previously. She had mentioned it was one of her strengths, but it hadn't been part of the conversation beyond that. Still, her eyes betrayed the fact she was even somewhat hoping he would make such a request. She did keep her words to herself for just a moment longer though, not wanting to interrupt Maliphant.

The second request was one that would be much more difficult to accomplish than the first, but it was by no means impossible. There would be heavily politicking involved, but the life of a Sith wasn't ever easy. The fact he was looking to become the governor of the capitol planet of the empire added another layer of complexity, but in the end it was he himself would have to show himself to be competent. Avacyn, on the other hand, would have to ensure he was brought up in such a way where he would be a strong consideration.

"I see," the woman responded, taking a second to think over what promises were able to be made right this moment, and on which points it was better to not promise any more but the use of the extent of her abilities. "What I can promise to you, is the fulfilment of your first request. In fact, I would be more than happy to assist you in practicing your bladework." Apart from possible conflicting schedules, there was nothing that would leave her unable to do such a thing.

"When it comes to your wish to become governor of Bastion, I can at least promise you that I will do what is within my power. I cannot promise you right here, right now, that you will reach that position, though." There was no point in being dishonest, so she would simply explain how the situation looked. "I can give you my endorsement and ensure you are on the radar of the other lords and ladies, but in the end it does come down to factors that aren't entirely in my control, nor that of another lord or lady. They will need to be convinced of your competence in terms of leadership, so I cannot do everything for you." She had never been a fan of sugarcoating.

"Simply said, I can put the spotlight on you, but it will be up to you from there."

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant beamed at Kaalia’s excitement, even if she moved to hide it. It was tough for Sith to hide their emotions as Jedi, often frowned upon despite the stoic nature they put forth, but Maliphant revelled in enjoyment as much as Anger or Hate; thinking living life is the true purpose of what they do as Sith. Freedom was about enjoyment, and if it came in the chance to spar then he was all for expanding upon it.

Still, he leaned forward, not betraying his nature as he offered her a subtle smile;

“Don’t worry. Support is all that I lack at the moment. Many others have already promised to support me politically, so your agreement will not be in vain; nor will it come back to harm you in anyway.”, he said with a wave of his hand.

“Trust me in this, Darth Avacyn, you’re making a good choice here.”

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Maliphant knew what he was doing. That much Avacyn had already been able to piece together, admittedly, but an abdundance of evidence of anything was nothing but reaffirming. It seemed he had his path towards becoming governor planned out quite well, which lifted quite the amount of pressure from her own shoulders in getting him there. It did send the woman another message that she had to make sure things would truly turn out the way they agreed on, though. The support of many likely meant many deals had already been made. Ensuring she wouldn't be left by the wayside was hopefully going to be unnecessary, but one couldn't be too safe.

"I definitely am very confident this will be a benefit for both parties," Avacyn's reply sounded, "but in the end only time holds the truth of the matter." For as long as there was no reason to pull the plug on the deal they were on the verge of sealing, she would have no issue whatsoever holding up her end of the bargain. "Before I shake your hand and call it an agreement, though, I do want to make sure I get to see your alchemical ability with my own eyes. I'm not too picky on how that is done, but I am quite firm on wanting to see something first before I bind myself to anything. I'm sure you understand." He was most definitely intelligent, leaving her to doubt that he was very different in that regard.

The glass that waited in front of her was then gently shoved to the side as Avacyn decided it was getting in the way, causing waves of amber liquid to crash against the glass that held it. "You did explain that you had nothing on your person right now, so perhaps we could meet again? We could double it as a training session as well, if that works for you."

[member="Darth Maliphant"]

 

[Darth Empyrean]

There might have been a slight lie in the fact Maliphant had infact brought his alchemy with him, that of The Chained Tome that found itself implanted into his body even know; ready to be summoned on a moment's notice, but instead of expose such a secret so quickly, he simply nodded. There was far better examples of Alchemy to show the Blademaster that would likely fit with her ideal artifact, not the endless expanse of knowledge that was The Chained Tome. Maliphant quietly pushed the thought out of his mind as he leaned forward in his chair;

“I think that would be an excellent idea. I live here on Barbatos, if you’d like, have my own arena and training facility. Harper’s Respite; I could even have a taxi come to you, if you’d like.”

Quietly, he moved to stand;

“Whenever you’d like, Darth Avacyn. You’re always welcome.”

[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"That will do brilliantly. Transport shouldn't be an issue, but I appreciate the offer." Avacyn did not lie when she proclaimed her appreciation, even if she ultimately didn't take him up on it. The hospitality would be more than enough, finding her way there through her own means was the least she could do. It may only have been a minimal effort on his behalf to send someone else out, but that did not change much. The message found within, that she too would be pulling weight in their alliance, was what mattered. "And I am intrigued by your mentioning of a training facility. I would love to see it when we meet again, if that is alright."

When Maliphant got up from his seat, Avacyn followed suit. "I have a few more bits of business to handle, which will take a about a week or so. I will be able to meet you again afterwards, if that is okay with you." There was indeed more left to be done, but the claim it was going to take around a week to take care of all of it was a stretch. In reality, she was going to use the extra days to go back to Dromund Kaas to be with her wife. She simply wasn't all that interested in sharing the fact she was married in the first place with someone she had only just forged an alliance with.

The woman then extended her arm to offer a handshake. "I am glad we have been able to come to an agreement."

[member="Darth Maliphant"]