Vae Victis [First Order x Kaine's Followers]

[Asharad Graush]

[SIZE=11pt]From the depths of Outer Rim came a sizable Imperial Fleet, more or less in the typical shape of wedges and daggers. This fleet was broken down into multiple taskforces after having entered the Pacanth Reach through Bunduki, under the guise of reinforcing the Northern borders against the Ssi-Ruuk threat. Supreme Commander Graush had been marshalling the forces in the following weeks after the Alliance’s invasion of Hoth and the surrounding planets, up until now, they had been on standby. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The systems that surrounded the Panathan System were all systematically blockaded and interdicted, preventing rescue or escape from the homeworld of the Zambrano Family. The force was seemingly unprecedented with no forewarning. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Rumours circulated, and the suspected reasoning for the painfully recent war with the Galactic Alliance had come to light. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The Sith that the First Order harboured, on account of the previous Supreme Commander’s actions had been given sanctuary, rumoured to continue their practices within the borders of First Order Space. Sith constructed infrastructure all throughout Imperial Space was targeted. The Spire of Eternal Night[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] was the first target. The Blackblade Guards at the establishment forced to surrender or to surely face the consequences. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The spire was at this very moment under investigation.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]That had been earlier in the week.[/SIZE]

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[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=11pt]

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Imperial-X Star Destroyer, FIV Raging Storm.​

​

[SIZE=11pt]“Temporary deactivation of jammers. Contact the Palace - Darth Carnifex.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Yes, Sir.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The revered King of all Epicanthix. A’sharad didn’t recognize him as any deity or Arch-Lord. He was merely another infamous Sith that had carved out a piece of the Galaxy and bent the inhabitants will. Of course, this would be no issue of A’sharad’s if it had been in any other part of the Galaxy that wasn’t his realm to protect. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“You’re through.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Lord Zambrano. Long have you been allowed to reign in the Pacanth Reach, unhindered, free to do as you please. The First Order recognizes this autonomy no longer. Your structures and planets are subject to pledging their allegiance to the Supreme Leader, Sieger Ren once again - Without you at their head.” There was a pause. For a long time A’sharad had spent little time with Sith, had held off from journeying to the homeworld of his mother, only to find that, like the One Sith, like the First Order, they worshipped a single man. A mortal[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt] man. Whether it was to be in his lifetime or not, he would see that that was changed. “To you, Darth Carnifex, and the Sith that follow you in the Pacanth Reach and all other realms of Space that you claim within the borders of the First Order - Are to submit to First Order Custody until an accord has been met.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Another pause. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]It was an open transmission, broadcasted throughout the entirety of the Pacanth Reach, to which was likely being showcased throughout much of the First Order’s channels. The fleet had been in position for days. Soldiers on board these ships grew aggravated, they sought purpose instead of being idle for no reason. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“You have ten minutes - Come the eleventh, Panatha will burn.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]An armoured arm raised, two fingers signalling to close the transmission. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]"[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]No ship fires until my order.[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]" [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The Zambranos merely needed to make the steps the Sith Lord wanted them to make. Gauntlet clenched, and fabric within tightened. Rarely did things go according to plan when fighting an enemy as prestigious as the Zambranos.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt][member="Dante Calgar"], [member="Lydia Finn-Camden"], [member="Darth Prazutis"], [member="Darth Carnifex"], [member="Jacques"], [/SIZE]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

This had been long in the making, that much Kaine understood.

He sat now in his throne room at the Hasi’ Sulemi, brooding as he watched the sudden intrusion and then blockade unfold before his eyes with frightening efficiency and with minimal resistance on his part. Perhaps he had been stunned into inactivity by the brashness of the Supreme Commander, but whatever the reason the Panathan defense fleet was either nowhere to be found or had been boarded and overtaken by the lightning fast invaders. The Arch-King was surrounded by only a handful of his most loyal supporters, and only a scant few of them were blood relatives. Most of his entourage had been out of system carrying out various errands on his behalf or were embroiled in the grand undertaking in the Tingel Arm.

Which left the Arch-King defenseless when the First Order finally came a knockin'.

The Supreme Commander's message was broadcasted through all of the Pacanth Reach, with confused citizens hearking every word that traveled through the airwaves. The Arch-King took a moment to consider before he too broadcasted his voice far and wide on all available channels:

"You have some pair of stones, A'sharad. To come into my domain and blockade my people. Why don't we settle this in the ancient traditions... Come down to Canthar and fight me, one warrior to another. The winner decides the fate of the Reach."

It was short and enticing, exactly the kind of message that was to be broadcasted loudly and publically.

[member="Asharad Graush"]​

 

[Asharad Graush]

A'sharad Graush's fists clenched tightly in the stygian gauntlets that he wore. The Arch-King wouldn't sacrifice his entire populace for a war, no one wanted to rule the ashes. Not even Kaine Zambrano, were A'sharad's thoughts as [member="Darth Carnifex"]'s message came over the holotransmitter. A long time coming indeed, the Sith Lord resumed the transmission on his end as the metallic voice from his vocoder distorted his vocals.

"Any tricks will result in all you have built being destroyed." Whether it was in the literal sense, or his very own bloodlines, the Epicant-Hybrid would go no further into the details. Once the transmission had ended, A'sharad glanced to the Fleet Admiral at his side, Akai Mixius, an inhabitant of Mephout that the Supreme Commander himself had saved back when the outbreaks had occurred those short few years ago. Exiting the Bridge, as they entered turbolift that was on a path to the Hangar Bay, A'sharad's black helmet set on his second's face.

"Admiral Mixius."

"Yes, My Lord?"

"Your life was preserved on Mephout when I found you... Corrupted by that virus." The helmet tilted. "And since then, I've saved you from that monstrosity."

"Yes, My Lord... If I may ask, why do you bring up such stories?"

"Should I lose to Lord Zambrano, there is only one allowable outcome on this day."

"Turbolaser fire?"

There was a slow nod. "The death of Kaine Zambrano."

And by the time the conversation concluded, the door to the lift opened, and the young Graush was boarding his personal vessel, as it headed down to the planet below.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The hour neared, and the bell began to toll.

The Panatha military had been deployed to every major city on the planet to keep the King's peace and enforce order in the event unrest became too great. Simultaneously the Adherents had been tasked with preaching the mantras of the Gods to ease the minds and souls of the faithful, with [member="Saeth Zambrano"] leading the congregations in Qocia. Kaine put great faith in his younger sister to ensure that the people stayed calm, she was the most pious out of all of the Zambranos and was fully dedicated to the Gods and their divine word.

Kaine had opted for a different path long ago and as the minutes ticked by he indulged himself in that path. Sacred oils were applied to his pale flesh by robed servants of undefinable gender while incense was burned in great basins that exuded plumes of sickly smelling smoke that wreathed the ceiling in murky shadow. Several weapons were laid out before him, chiefly a spear made from polished obsidian and treated with Sith Alchemy, a single Sith lightsaber, and a shock whip. The other weapons he sent away while leaving the those three behind, for it would be they he used to fight the Supreme Commander of the First Order in sacred combat.

As the oils began to dry upon his skin the next phase of the ritual was conducted, and each individual piece of armor was brought before him likewise bathed in the ritual oils in preparation. A tunic of simple padded cloth was draped over his torso while he slipped into linen trousers. As each armor segment was blessed it would then be fastened to the Dark Lord's body, bit by bit, piece by piece, until he was covered in armor that, while thoroughly protective, allowed him a great deal of maneuverability. The majority of the armor he wore was of basic design, serving no unique function or enchanted by magic except for one piece: his breastplate. It had been thoroughly treated with Sith Alchemy to be completely resistant to the blows of a lightsaber, and would protect the majority of his vitals in the fight to come.

Now all the Dark Lord had to do was wait.

Wait for the end.

[member="Asharad Graush"]​

 

[Asharad Graush]

Death would follow the Sith Lord where he tread.

Unrelenting force at Zarnathea.

Precision strikes on Endor.

The Supreme Commander had slain hundreds on the battlefield.

His opponent... Likely far more. And yet the challenge had been accepted all the same. It mattered not to Sith who the opponent was. Should he win, it would prove that no matter how many years of experience one had, it was the skill and ability to wield that experience that won out. In his short few years as a military figure in the First Order's Army, he had fought in even more battles than the One Sith had against the Galactic Republic and her allies.

There was no tradition on the Epicant-Hybrid's end. Another engagement where his life would be on the line. Another obstacle he had to pass to live on to the next day. There would be those nervous, anxious to coming face to face with the [member="Darth Carnifex"]. A'sharad felt nothing. His emotions were his own to feel. Had the One Sith not fallen, he would've continued to have followed down the path of the Sith Assassin. With those few steps that he had taken, he had learned to control his own emotions, to keep them from being used against him. The only thing he could ever remember feeling in the last few years was annoyance.

Hydrastaff, armour, and lightsabre were all he required today.

Ship shook. It had landed.

And the Sith Lord strode out from the shadowed depths that was his ship's ramp opening.

It was time.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The arena of their battle was a large circular platform overlooking the main thoroughfare of the capital city, cornered by massive stone obelisks decorated with gold and sapphire. The Arch-King was the only individual awaiting the Supreme Commander's arrival, the Dark Side encapsulated in his warrior physique as he went through the final preparations for battle. In his right hand he held a small white cloth and in his left was his spear of midnight obsidian which he continued to shine with slow methodical back and forth motions.

He only looked up from his task to acknowledge [member="Asharad Graush"]'s arrival. "So, it has come to this."

The Arch-King rose, discarding the small cloth over the edge of the platform and shifting his weight to his left side as his hand clutched the spear with the pommel butting up against the ground. Both of them were intimidating in their own right, and both of them were murderers that had amassed an innumerable bodycount.

Yet only one could leave here this day.

"It is a shame, truly, the peace treaty. First Order was too concerning fighting their little war to take full notice of me, the inspectors were nice and lazy. All the national pride in the galaxy can't overcome the power of sloth and greed, it seems. But you're not like those bureaucrats, you're too much like me... This peace will drive you insane, I have seen it in the waves of the Force. And eventually they will turn on you as well, it will only be a matter of time."

There was a sly smile to accompany his words, a subtle toothy grin as if everything unraveling before him was some type of joke. To be honest, it wasn't that far from the truth.

 

[Asharad Graush]

The Hybrid shook his head in response as the Arch-King made his jokes. Of course, A'sharad didn't actually pay any heed to them, but his words had some resonance of the truth. However, it was already a conversation he had had with a certain Vitor Avendahl at the Halm Summit. It was true that the Sith Lord was a warrior, more alike to Kaine Zambrano than anyone else in the First Order. Yet, that was a given.

"There is no illusion in the First Order as to who or what I am, Kaine Zambrano. If betrayed, the Order would collapse." Whether it was due to his ruthless efficiency when dealing with failures, or if it was on account of the battlefield. The fact remained that, in the Anoat Sector, had it not been for the Supreme Commander's Legion, the Alliance likely would've taken Outpost Veers eventually. Digging would've only delayed the inevitable, but the tireless soldiers that fought beneath their Sith Commander for the most part owed their lives, and thus allegiance to him.

The only Order to them was A'sharad Graush.

"I am excited to see the same occur in the Pacanth Reach when I let it collapse upon itself with your death."

Lightsabre hilt found right palm adorned with a gauntlet, and it ignited in a crimson beam as Graush charged for the only other opponent in sight. Left hand tucked into the small of his back as he lurched forwards.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"We shall see."

It was [member="Asharad Graush"] who made the first move, igniting his lightsaber and rushing forward to engage the Arch-King. Kaine staunchly held his ground, letting the Supreme Commander come to him rather than the other way around. Both hands firmly grasped the shaft of the spear as his body tenses and fell into an overtly defensive stance, the Sith Lord channeling the teachings of Soresu as the Commander's blade came in to slice him to bits. Small, close movements were all that were required to create a tight defensive barrier, the Sith Lord need only adjust the angle of his spear to deflect or parry the other Sith's blows as they rained down upon him with the alchemy going into the spear's creation preventing it from being easily sundered by his lightsaber.

But the Arch-King needn't stay on the defensive forward.

He gave up some ground before flinging himself backwards several meters, landing with a solid thud as both hands quickly moved into action to heft the spear over his shoulder and throw it with tremendous force at the Supreme Commander. Kaine never planned for it to impale the man, only to divert his attention away from himself for but a scant moment so he could unsheath the electro-whip and lightsaber tied to his waist and activate both weapons simultaneously.

And with a flurry of power and sparks Kaine cracked the whip through the air in an attempt to ensnare the Commander's right leg.

 

[Asharad Graush]

And the fight began.

The Arch-King's spear parried and blocked the quick attacks of the Sith Lord as he aimed to remove limbs from their sockets. Despite the size of the much older and taller Epicanthix, he was nimble, fast enough tp stop the progress of the Supreme Commander, until there was a temporary lull in the fight, which was an instant signal for A'sharad to summon the Force to his left hand, and then the Zambrano flipped backwards.

As he traveled away from Graush, his left hand surged forwards to release a violent force push which barreled towards the gap of space that he expected the Zambrano's large form to fill. The spear that was launched only a split second before came into contact with the push and was sent far off course and back in the direction of its owner, though not in a hostile manner, likely left to bounce off the earth of the arena before the shock-whip wrapped around the armoured leg of the Commander.

No matter what happened, Graush was certain that he would deliver a good fight, one that would press them both to actually strive to win.

I'll kill you.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Arch-King's spear spun end over end across the arena floor before sliding off the edge and plummeting down towards the city below. Kaine was furthermore slightly buffeted by the Supreme Commander's Force Push, but powered through it as his shock-whip coiled around Graush's armored leg and began to apply non-lethal electricity to whatever the cord touched. Kaine suspected that the Commander would possess armor that could negate such an attack, and thus electrocution was not his true plan.

A'sharad was a big man, but Kaine was noticeable larger in both height and weight, and with a great heave of effort the Dark Lord attempted to use the hold his shock-whip had on the Commander to pull his right leg out from under him.

Whether or not that worked was inconsequential to the Sith Lord as he moved to advance and close the distance between them, his lightsaber held out in preparation to deliver a flurry of ferocious blows to the Supreme Commander, downed or not.

[member="Asharad Graush"]​

 

[Asharad Graush]

The spear was gone.

It wouldn't come into play again. One less thing for the young Graush to worry about.

The shock-whip of [member="Darth Carnifex"] activated however, as the Sith Lord expected. An electricity shot up the cord, threatening to course through his entire body before it came into contact with the armour that shielded his body. Likely, the energy coursed up and down the leg of the suit of armour before eventually dissipating. Not much occurred other than the faint sensation of warmth wrapped around his muscled leg, yet, he wasn't concerned yet.

Tug.

He lurched forwards, left hand brushing against the small of his back as he was forced forwards.

The Zambrano approached, lightsabre raised to begin the assault on the Sith Lord again.

However, with that left hand in the small of his back it clenched something. A leathery something.

His hydrastaff.

And it reacted to his armoured touch, fingers delicate brushing over its coiled body around his waist before his left hand came around, cord like snake arcing from behind A'sharad's back and to Lord Zambrano's right leg, all five heads prepared to strike in as many positions on his leg. All the way from his ankle, up to the fleshy area of the thigh. Irregardless of the armour, his right arm rose, cybernetic it may be, to protect against the oncoming assault.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Zambrano Lord managed to get in a few glancing blows, and even fewer solid hits, on the downed Supreme Commander before he was forced to backpedal away from the creature that he had unleashed. He'd seen such creatures before, had used them in battle and fought alongside those who were proficient in their use before inevitably the whole Yuuzhan Vong caste of the One Sith had to be torn out root and stem for treason against the Empire. During that time and every moment after he had worked to include VT-Disruptor lenses (originally a creation of the Empire's enemies) into each of his lightsabers to ensure that the Yuuzhan Vong could prove no more of a challenge than any other file and rank brute.

Yet as the Sith swept his lightsaber down towards the beast coiling around his leg, the blade had no effect.

A curious development.

The beast's five heads all rained down upon him, wriggling and trying to uncover which parts of his leg were the most vulnerable to their sickening bite. Unluckily for Kaine they got in some solid hits before he was able to reach down and throttle their five heads and tossing them back towards their master with a disgusted snarl.

The Sith Lord twirled his blade, ready to reengage, but there was something odd about him now. Actually, there had been something odd going on with the Arch-King ever since the duel had begun, his movements were not as fluid as previously documented, each step seemed rather stiff and his joints didn't seem to possess much in the way of full articulation. That only seemed to worsen as the venom of the hydrastaff began to course through his veins, visibly weakening him at a pace that seemed all too sudden even for a hydrastaff's bite. Kaine moved forward with uncharacteristic sluggishness, virtually leaving himself open for a counter as he lazily lunged forward with his weapon.

[member="Asharad Graush"]​

 

[Asharad Graush]

Under the assault of the Arch-King, the Sith Lord fought hard, repelling the attacks that sought to remove life from his body, but even if he had been trained with his left hand originally, losing his right had forced him to acquire the cybernetic hand. This cybernetic hand had been put through the rigorous training necessary to adapt, to be able to duel correctly with his right. By no means had he become ambidextrous, lightsabre combat the extent of his skill with his right, but he had trained day in and day out since losing it on Kaeshana. Some strikes passed through, but his armour was resilient enough to protect him. His main attack had been in the hydrastaff, and with them throttled and tossed to the side after delivering their payload of poison, it was enough.

"The great Kaine Zambrano," A'sharad mocked as he finally rose back to his full height. Sulfur eyes glowed behind the blackened visor as he watched the Epicanthix King resume his advance. "Have you grown old, Arch-King?" A moment later, the lazy lunge came and A'sharad's lightsabre sought to knock it to the side, parrying it effectively so that the mid and low guards of his opponent were opened.

Now.

He didn't aim to impale the King, no, the single piece of body armour he wore must've had the strength to repel a blow from a full powered lightsabre.

So, once his lightsabre came back around from the parry, instead of returning to a guard position before flicking out, it passed immediately back to the Zambrano's legs, aiming to cut swathes right out of his thighs, but more importantly, to strike tendons and nerves that would make it difficult, perhaps even impossible for him to stand up straight. At the same time, it also opened up A'sharad in the same fashion as [member="Darth Carnifex"] was a moment ago when his blade had been parried.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Arch-King fell down, the lightsaber tumbling from his failing grip to clatter several paces away with a fizzled hiss as the blade dissipated. It was like a switch had been flipped inside of the Sith Lord's body, his skin began to crack and crystalize as the flesh withered and the bone whittled away to nothing. Flakes of smoldering flesh began to cascade from his body in heaps, decomposition happening at a vastly superior rate than what was considered possible.

"This... Is only the beginning."

The wind swept across the platform, and the rest of the Lord's body was reduced to a black smear upon the wind as it finally gave way with a deep sigh. At the end of it all, not a single scrap of the Sith Lord's body remained upon the platform. It would seem to all who witnessed the fight that he was dead, his body destroyed and scattered to the four corners of Panatha by the might of the Supreme Commander who no doubt stood triumphant as the Pacanth Reach was brought fully under the First Order's control.

But nothing was ever as it seemed.

Far away from Panatha the true Lord stirred from his deep meditation, the link between himself and his crude puppet broken as the latter was cast aside. Brilliant molten eyes shone in the darkness of the chamber, and they swept left to look at the small womanly figure that had been sitting patiently next to him for who knows how many hours. "Did you enjoy the show? I thought I put on a convincing performance."

[member="Asharad Graush"] | [member="Samka Derith"]​

 

[Samka Derith]

Clap

Clap

Clap

The bright smile from the small woman clapping slowly besides [member="Darth Carnifex"] was in sharp contrast to all else around them. It contrasted with the gloomy chamber. It contrasted with the towering and terrible figure of the Dark Lord. It even lay in contrast to the dark attire and sinister aura of the girl herself. While the smile seemed innocent and charming, the darkness of the young woman was unmistakable.

She rose to her feet having seen the main event, the apparent death of Darth Carnifex at the hands of the First Order.

"Convincing enough," the Master of the Knights of Ren said with a sly gleam in her eye. "It won't be long before your death is proven false but the important facts shall remain. The fact that the First Order stood up to the barbarity of House Zambrano."

Derith began to pace to and fro with her hands behind her back and speak in a sing-song tone. "The slaves shall be freed, the bloodying shall halt. The citizens of the First Order shall sleep content in their beds knowing that we do indeed fight for what is right. Our Empire is fair, it is just, it is of upstanding moral fibre."

Samka's smile turned coy as she stopped pacing, cocking her head up at the Sith Lord. "But we know better, don't we? We're not done yet. For the moment we need each other, you and I, your people and mine. Wouldn't you agree, my Lord?"

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He chuckled, "Morality is for children, Master Ren."

He rose, uncrossing his legs and propelling himself up to a standing position. With broad strokes he unruffled the fabric of his robe, smoothing out any wrinkles and protrusions his many hours of immobility may have caused to form.

"You and I are far above such little things. But it is obvious that people like the Grand Moff do not think the same as you or I, but she is convicted in her duty to her government. Let us hope that the over-importance vested in a fabricated ideal doesn't bring about her downfall, that would be exceedingly unfortunate." It had been obvious that the Dark Lord had found himself at odds with the First Order's 'humanist' policies, he didn't place much value in limiting one's self because of what others might think of you. And while he ultimately acquiesced to this course of action he was now taking, it pained him to leave his people at the whims of the First Order.

"But that is something for Fortan to worry about, not me. I have more important questions on my mind..." He flashed [member="Samka Derith"] a rather dubious smile.

"So tell me," he purred, "What was it like murdering [member="Irajah Ven"]?"

 

[Samka Derith]

"And the galaxy is comprised of infants," Samka replied bluntly, the statement and harsh delivery from the youthful Ren, almost childlike in her features, was yet another juxtaposition.

"You can't rule solely through fear, our predecessors tried and they bred resentment. Rebellion. Resistance. It was their undoing," Samka explained, her face impassive. "Give the 'children' something to be loyal to, not just cower from, and you have the ingredients for a far more powerful, longer lasting Empire. I can understand Fortan's game even if I have to bend the rules from time to time," ending her statement with a conniving smile.

The next question however made the smile fade just a little. Not out of regret but of surprise and of curiosity over how the Dark Lord had gained such knowledge. "I think," the Ren swiftly regained her coy expression and tone, "that the Doctor perished in a most unfortunate fire. But if it were otherwise, I'm sure it was a necessity. A pity but a necessity." They both knew the truth, there was little reason to place such a thin deception over it but Samka enjoyed the games. "[member="Irajah Ven"] sold your system to the Alliance, I hope you realise how much her death was to your benefit."

She paused for a moment, her attention turning away from [member="Darth Carnifex"] as she recounted the events. There was regret as Sam recalled Irajah's smile, her compliments, her unyielding attitude, but none of that showed on the Ren's surface and it wasn't regret for slicing the Doctor's throat. She didn't regret killing the woman who had once resembled a friend. She regretted the circumstances that forced her hand. Irajah herself was to blame for her many mistakes and refusal to make amends. The Galactic Alliance was to blame for listening to her secrets. And there was another.

"Perhaps, Lord Carnifex, if you had treated the woman anything like Fortan did, this unfortunate chain of events could have been averted. Food for thought?"

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Perhaps."

She still avoided rising to his bait and kept with the 'official' cause of death, ever secretive even though it was just the two of them alone in the dark. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, "The woman was a passing curiosity, I broke her to see if someone as meek as her could recover from such brutality. And with the help of others, she did. The imprint of many rested upon her soul, some of whom I recognized and was confounded as to why they would waste their time with something so frail and fleeting."

In the hospital he had lied to [member="Irajah Ven"], sowing the seeds that he had been directly involved in her recovery as some sort of shady puppet master when in reality he had hardly even monitored her condition on Maena enough to really take note of the progress she was making. He'd been wrapped up in his own schemes, his own plots, to give her much of his attention. Well, if one was to be honest he was giving her his attention, but then again it wasn't really her he was doting over. The copy wasn't exactly as brilliant as the late doctor, no imitation could ever be, but she had served her purpose well at the Seat armed with the knowledge and research Irajah had amassed for the dark family over her tenure in their care.

"It makes one wonder though, Master Ren. Despite all that Fortan had done for her, given her titles, given her land, companionship... She still didn't have any qualms about betraying your trust at the first opportunity, did she? I suppose that's what drew you there on that misty morning... Vengeance for such betrayals." His tone was insidiously mocking, and he didn't seem at all concerned about the nature of what Irajah disclosed to the Alliance. Whatever plans they had thought to enact were now worthless with this stunning coup d'état by the First Order against the Sith Kingdom of Panatha and the subsequent ousting of the Lord they had used as leverage against the First Order. He would return, he never planned to leave permanently, and he would rebuild his power again.

"But you still didn't answer my question, what was it like? Every murder has a different flavor, and I've developed an acute taste for them all."

[member="Samka Derith"]​

 

[Samka Derith]

"In her twisted, selfish little mind, she didn't betray us. She betrayed you. She expected me to show mercy because she only betrayed a part of our Empire. She apparently grew delusional towards the end. But let's not pretend you care for the specifics of a passing curiosity." Samka understood what this conversation was. [member="Irajah Ven"] was meaningless, the incident was just a tool for the Dark Lord of the Sith to see inside of her mind. To see if she was as sadistic as he.

"I'm here as a diplomat, not to reminisce or talk psychiatry," The Ren offered [member="Darth Carnifex"] an apologetic smile. "I offer my services if and when you need them in exchange for your continued cooperation. In spite of the difficulties, I think we've gotten along quite nicely. To put it simply, you have spilled blood on our behalf and I'm willing to do the same for you."

She gently yet firmly shifted the topic of discussion back onto the reasoning of her visit. She respected the Zambrano patriarch greatly but she would not indulge his curiosities just yet. She remained guarded, any hint of what made the young woman tick locked tightly in the shadows.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He raised both hands in defeat, "Fair enough."

His efforts to probe [member="Samka Derith"] for more information and personal feelings about the death of [member="Irajah Ven"] had failed, and the Dark Lord knew when not to press the subject. Although it was obvious to him that the whole affair had been intensely intimate, the blackest murders always spawned from somewhere close to the heart. His oracle had only been able to catch glimpses of the crime, distant visions of blood and fire, of betrayal and hatred. His scouts had been unable to procure anything else, Blackwater Reach had been reduced to nothing more than ash and tinder by the time they had arrived on the scene. Strangely there had been no body, either the First Order had removed it or it had been completely consumed in the flames; the former seemed the most likely.

"In our war against the Light, the First Order could always rely on my blade when fighting the Alliance, Master Ren. Your peace talks may delay the war, but make no mistake they still hunger for retribution for that terrible thrashing you gave them. And the Silver Jedi and Dominion will have to be dealt with as well, luckily for us the latter's ability to wage war has been crippled by their scuffle with the Resurgent Empire. Shouldn't take too much to put them down for good, but the Silvers will be a completely different challenge."

He looked the Ren up and down. He respected her, she had proved capable of holding her own at Serenno and that was enough to convince the Dark Lord. He had reservations about her ideology, that much had always been clear, but as long as it didn't prevent her from fighting the true war? Then Kaine could bite his tongue a little while longer.

"I hope to see you again on the battlefield, Samka. You paint a beautiful picture with that blade of yours."