Private The threads we weave

[Arthos Vynea]

The Academy on Korriban was many things, but safe from prying ears was something Arthos knew it was not. Truth be told he had considered the fact that there was no place the spider's spies were not. Plotting was to be expected, and attempts to aggressively replace superior positions perhaps even more so. Yet sometimes one can find a weakness in the heart of an enemy's defenses, and the Iridonian believed he had found one. Now he just needed to find someone to replace her.

Taking a single sip of wine he savored the taste before swallowing and slowly putting the glass down as he examined the man across from him. Darth Empyrean was already noted within the Academy itself, and many whispered he might even be the one who finally killed the Worm Emperor. With the building loyalty of the Academy's budding Acolytes into knights he might even have the support to do so, but that wasn't where the real power was at here. The real power was in the council or at least two seats of it. The hired muscle he believed might really even be just that, unopinionated hired muscle. The Spider and the Consul though? Those were the key to the budding empire, and Arthos was willing to gamble that Maliphant saw it too.

Willing to gamble enough even that he'd walked into Maliphant's seat of power to bring speak of his plan, a plan he hoped would supplant not one, but both seats. After a short silence he spoke as he ran his finger along the bottom of his wine glass. "You surprised me the other day, Maliphant. I had expected more secrecy from one who works directly for the spider, but perhaps I judged you too quickly at first. Your power among the upcoming knights gave me pause. After all with their strength added to your own formidable strength, and that staff of yours. Well. The crown however, it is heavy, and always desired. In a strong empire it passes between hands like water, and each comes and does his dance. Then another rises and the last is forgotten. The Worm Emperor embraced this, and for that I salute him though. What remains though, and where the true power lies is the council. Those shadowy figures just behind the throne who keep the show running no matter who wears that crown. Wouldn't you agree?"

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant had sipped the vintage a moment before, letting it ruminate in his mouth as he listened to Arthos speak. Floral notes, a touch of arkanian wood from the barrel - Citrus, lemons perhaps. He idled at it as it swished around - before warming to his touch and going down smooth; forcing him to bring the glass to his nose once more, to invigorate his senses once more with the lavish decadence of his own wine.

"You presume I was not secretive in that meeting?", Maliphant said as he glanced up from his glass and set it down.

"I wouldn't overestimate our relationship here, Arthos - you are still just a Consul I do not know."

But he paused as he leaned back, almost testing Arthos with his gaze - narrowing it slightly as he did.

"But one I could know. Yes, the Council does hold strength in ways the Emperor does not - but its simply the way of it. The Emperor is a symbol, and only a strong one can guide the Council, or the High Lords for that matter. I assume you wish to join their ranks?", he said with a cocked brow, curious where Arthos intended to take the conversation.

"You and a thousand others."

Arthos Vynea

 

[Arthos Vynea]

He chuckled softly as he swirled his glass letting the liquid coat the inside of the glass then slide down as he considered the man's words before speaking. "There's a difference between the secrets we keep, and the ones we could keep. The web of the spider is rather all encompassing I find when it comes to which secrets she believes must remain her secrets. As for being a Consul you do not know, well that's my greatest strength at the moment. No one knows me, I've been dead for thirty years and even my life before that is rather unknown. It's both rather annoying to find out how quickly you vanish from memory, and at the same time a comfort to know your enemies don't know your strength."

While Maliphant stared he gave him a growing smile, amused in truth to be playing these games again. Even if Darth Empyrean didn't agree to the plan he'd at least seemed to enjoy the game as well. Sometimes that's all an alliance had to be founded on he found, a bit of mutual respect and love for the game most Sith didn't have the temperament to play.

He knew the insinuation that would come next and as he heard it his smile turned rather cruel in nature as he placed his drink down and leaned into the table. "In time yes, what is life without ambition? However that comes secondary, first I need allies. Powerful allies. I'd like to replace the Spider with you, and from there yes elevate myself. The Consuls spends as much time working against the Spider as he does doing his job, and his orders reflect that. It's inefficient in the most extreme, but it has revealed a weakness."

Refilling his glass he waited to see any sign from Maliphant revealing a desire for such details. He was enjoying the game, but that particular detail he couldn't give to anyone who wasn't willing to invest as well. If it ever got back to the Spider the advantage would be lost forever.

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"That's rather forward.", Maliphant offered the Consul, his own face rather apathetic to the entire proposal.

There was times he appreciated the forwardness of someone, such as Grundark or Srina Talon - but they were not schemers. It was honesty they offered, and he could appreciate that for what it was; but when it came to schemes, plans, subterfuge, he detested forwardness. To him, it was a sign of inexperience, bold assumption, a plan meant to fail. He curled his lips into a frown as he looked over Artho's face.

"And your assumption, is that I intend to replace Qual'Al-Selim?", Maliphant said with a furrowed brow, as though he was offended, on the brink of simply pressing a button and calling her. He readjusted in his seat as he spoke again.

"Not only that I want to replace her, but that I would be willing to openly do so with someone I do not know - who could just as easily be one of her agents within the Consul?"

"Surely, you jest. Messala and Ardana Vorco attempted the same not too long ago, in the hopes I would kill the Worm Emperor for the Sith Empire. I promptly gave Messala a death sentence, and told Xanesh much the same; so what's stopping me from doing the same to you?"

Arthos Vynea

 

[Arthos Vynea]

Taking another slow sip he had to hold back a small smile as he enjoyed Maliphant's feigned distaste. He wasn't wrong it was all a trifle blunt, but time was ticking away. He wasn't wrong though how easily Arthos could have been one of a dozen of the Spider's spies bought and paid for with credits and secrets. Placing the glass down slowly he leaned back into his chair now deciding how exactly he wanted to play this out.

"It's odd isn't it? The Worm Emperor's only request is to be killed, and yet no one seems to be stepping up to the plate. A whole empire on the platter really, or at least the title of greatest among the great. Puzzling really." Almost as if he'd forgotten the question he took another slow sip considering the entire oddity of an unchallenged Emperor who was all but begging for challengers. "It's a good vintage, I don't suppose you know the planet it came from?"

Taking a final sip he place the glass down and brought his attention back to the matter at hand. "But of course, you are a loyal man to Qual'Al-Selim, how very foolish of me to suggest otherwise. No I imagine that masterfully done holographic Spider will be around for quite some time. It's always just a trifle worrisome no? I mean it could be anyone behind that holo image, but I suppose no matter. Why I was just talking the other day to one of my fellow loyal followers of the Consul and he had so much to say about it after all."

The Iridonian knew he stood on that razor's edge, if Maliphant was truly a loyal servant without ambition this body would be done, and he'd be trying his first attempt at essence transfer far quicker then he'd thought. He idly wondered if that safety net had made him sloppy coming in, or he had just hoped to skip the game. Ah well, no use dwelling on it now.

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

"Terminus.", Maliphant offered flatly as he seemed to deescalate his posture. Leaning back in his chair, his fingers steepled on his knee as he watched Arthos carefully.

"Do you know why nobody steps up to the Worm, Arthos?", Maliphant said with a cock of his brow.

"Because they've seen what he could do - or felt it. Judas of Vahl and I had attempted to kill him early in his warpath, when he was still participating in kaggaths with Sith Warlords from around the galaxy. In little more than a minute, he had managed to lay us both low. He has brought down the likes of Darth Vulcanus , stood toe to toe with the likes of Darth Carnifex and Ashin Cardé Varanin and still lives, where many more would have garnered their wrath and been laid low. Coming from experience, Arthos -"

He leaned forward once more and frowned as his weight was shifted onto his elbows.

"- I don't think the Sith of our generation are ready for whatever it is the Worm is."

Maliphant leaned back in his chair once more, exhaling deeply as though all the 'stress' of even talking about the Worm left with him. Muscles relaxed, hands went lazily to his lap once more, and he seemed as relaxed as ever once more.

"When the day comes, he will be challenged again - but I think every one of us requires some growth before we attempt such."

"Still - Qual'Al-Selim is not the Emperor, though she has attempted to spy on his Sepulchral priests before. I doubt she even holds a pittance of his power, likely convinced spies and subterfuge could make her the Empress. A Spider Empress to follow the Worm; how quaint.", he mused.

"So tell me what you found out, Arthos. You were already so blunt, no point holding back now."

Arthos Vynea

 

[Arthos Vynea]

With a wry smile he leaned back and clasped his hands together as he stared out over the table. "Did you know I was once a spy? Actually a pretty good one too. I thought it wasn't a talent that ever faded, but perhaps I was wrong. Still I'll have to remember how to play the game, if you were a less ambitious man this would have been a loss. A loss with a terrible penalty at that."

Clicking his tongue he finished admonishing himself in his head and accepted the point was lost to Maliphant for the moment. He could accept it and learn from it, or play pretend in his head that he hadn't just lost an exchange. As he wasn't one for fantasies he simply marked it as a moment to come back to later and learn from. "The Worm withstanding as honestly I've no wish for that particular job at the moment, yes let's discuss the spy master. I'm sure you'll forgive me if I hold back a bit of the plan. I've lost ground but not my head yet, and I'd rather like to keep that for the moment. New heads are rather expensive it seems."

Pulling out a small datapad he slid it across the table to Maliphant before picking up his wine glass again. "Keep that somewhere safe, it's a virus, or rather the copy of a virus. A very particular virus that will only work on one terminal from what I understand. Anything else and the programmer claims it will simply overwrite itself. I'm no expert on such things, but I put him under quite the duress to be sure of it. Qual'Al-Selim of course has spies within the Will's followers, and we found one a Consul who was relaying back all sorts of information. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how that all turned out with the Will, but it lead to a surprising revelation about her holographic display, and location. It seems the poor girl lives by it completely, and has quite locked herself away according to this spy."

Taking a slow sip he decided he'd need to order some of it soon. Perhaps Ayvari would enjoy some as well? Setting it down he continued as though talking about the weather. "Lets say for a moment the Will had discovered a way to take her signal away and claim it for himself. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that first off he'd be a terrible spy master, and would get caught at some time or another. Someone who knew her though? Her mannerism and wordings? They might be able to maintain the façade for quite some time, perhaps even indefinitely."

Darth Empyrean

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Maliphant watched him, eyes dancing over his features as he waited for the implication that mattered - not the ones to dance around the various 'crimes' they had comitted. Not that it was news to him, he was charged with tracking such things, and already knew long ago about the poor fate of the Consul Qual-Al'Selim had put within the Will's ranks.

When the plan was laid out before him, in all but the most direct way, Maliphant rested his thumb on his chin as the other hand lifted the datapad. A virus that could track Qual'Al-Selim would be an interesting thing indeed - though he found some issues in it regardless.

"She likely has AI and Proxy's constantly surveying her networks.", he offered without looking back up to him.

"I'd have my doubts it would be something she hasn't thought of, and made a contigency for. Regardless of the fact that I do not, infact, know her subtle cues. I'm far better faking a new identity, not her - But I could replace her with an AI. The X-02's my company produces are the most advanced in the galaxy, it would be a simple thing.", he said with a few taps on his chin. Finally, he met his eyes once more.

"So, how do you plan to deal with her very likely stalwart network defenses?"

Arthos Vynea