Private What We Did in the Dark

[Darth Strosius]

Bailiff Station hung over the world of Faldos as it always did, serene in its vigil over the world. What had once been a haven for smugglers of the Outer RIm had now been bent and reshaped into something far more orderly and militaristic, all by the guiding iron fist of a single Sith. Darth Strosius stared out at the planet beyond his office's window, peering into it as though he could see all the way to the surface below. As though he could spot the citizens of the world milling about and making their way in their daily affairs and duties. Faldos was more than just his base of operations in Sith space, it was a shining example of what he was capable of. A world of smugglers had been transformed into the main staging ground and recruitment center for a Sith Lord's forces and had even managed to produce weapons of war for the wider Sith Order as well.

It was especially impressive when one considered that the world was technically, at least as official records were concerned, still under military occupation with no real governor aside from the commander of the occupation forces. Which of course would be himself, the Lord Inquisitor of an Inquisition that was no longer an official entity of the state as it had been before the Ouroboros Crisis. His eyes closed for a moment as he thought of the Crisis, of the Tsis'Kaar's attempted coup and civil war that had resulted in the death of the Pale Assassin herself. It hadn't gone as he had planned, but given that he was still alive and in some position of power clearly his hidden machinations were still very much hidden.

There was only one other being in the galaxy, that he knew of, that knew of just how and why the Crisis truly began. A click resounded from his desk's communication console as a message came through from the station's control center. :"Darth Malum's ship has arrived in system my lord, we are escorting it in to dock now.": Speak of the Sith, and he shall appear. Darth Strosius spun around in his chair with a wave of his hand and sat up to tap on the console's panel. "Excellent. Have him directed to my office the moment that he sets foot on the station." He was about to pull his finger away from the communicator but paused as he considered something for a moment. "And have a bottle of wine from the council's stash alongside some glasses brought to my office as well, thank you." The perks of owning a former smuggler world did come in handy when entertaining guests.

The masked man idly rolled his shoulders and sat up straight as he fixed his gaze on the door to his rather sparsely decorated office, his hands folded on the desk before him. The two former apprentices of Darth Ophidia had hardly gotten a chance to speak yet, even with her death having been some time ago now. They had both been far too busy for idle chatter after all. That was what he told himself at least, but he also knew that Malum hadn't taken the news of his involvement with orchestrating the Crisis particularly well. He could certainly understand the lingering shock and perhaps even betrayal that may have soured their already odd relations. So hopefully a bit of wine and some calm discussion would soothe things enough for the Tsis'Kaar's affairs to be settled amongst its leaders, rather than being dictated to by their foes like in that awful trial a short time ago.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He had not expected the invitation to Faldos, though that was more his fault than the invitees, after all, he should have expected the invitation. After all that had happened in the past few weeks and months, there was scant time for more... casual conversation with Ali, only time to plan and prepare alibis and shared tales to make certain they were not going to be executed by the powers that be, whom only tolerated the former traitor's presence, for what benefit they still could provide the Sith Empire in their newly gained positions.

That they had only gained those positions after the betrayal of the greatest perfidy, was something that no one would forget.

Still as the headache that had begun ever since he had decided on this course only worsened as he travelled ever closer, and closer to Bailiff Station, there was a very key reason that he had not expected the invitation, after all, it was not as if he could not have invited Ali to Alvaria to have this meeting far earlier. Malum was certainly the more sociable pair of the apprentices.

There had been a very key reason that he had not.

Malum wanted nothing to do with the man who in his mind had long ago transformed from Darth Strosius , from Haxim, from Alisteri, to... Ali.

Such were his thoughts, as he was greeted by one of his battlebrother's subordinates, led up some direction that he could not bother to remember, as the headache grew worse, splintering, painful, with every step he took. His breathing seemed to make it worse, trying to calm his mind seemed to make it worse, and doing anything at all, only made it feel more certain, that his brain would be crushed by the force pressing down upon it.

The entity, that perhaps was the only one did not wish to be here more than him.

Yet, he used his years of training and experience, to keep his features relaxed, when every part of his mind was screaming for... him to do something.

It was a relief when he was finally led to the door which he assumed Darth Strosius would be behind.

He fixed a fake smile on his face, as the door opened, barely considering the rather bare office. Closing his eyes, as be waited, begged, for his guide to leave him.

Sighing silently in relief as the door closed behind him.

Opening them, and hissing, his eyes found the helmet that was affixed to his former apprentice.

"You have some nerve inviting me here," His voice channelled a wave of simmering anger and rage, as his fingers were taut and rough, only desiring an excuse to draw.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"All I have is nerve it seems." Darth Strosius replied in his usual measured, almost monotonous, tone. Any hidden meanings or emotions in his words as masked as his visage itself was. He recognized the anger flowing through his counterpart however, an anger familiar to the pair of them and yet foreign in its origin from them. He had dealt with the same such wrath and its voice in his own mind as well. Albeit it seemed as though Malum was having a bit less luck in his efforts to suppress the specter that haunter their inner thoughts.

His hands were folded on the desk in front of his seated form, the large window behind him allowed Faldos to silhouette its lord in an ominous show of domain. The masked man had no fear of ghosts and certainly held nothing but assurance in himself within his own space. No matter how overbearing they may prove to be. "Now get ahold of yourself Heir of Marr, if I wanted to battle the remnant of our master I'd do so on my own time." He had done such of course, many times by now. Each was slightly easier and yet each also hinted that she was far from done in her bid to overrun the mind of her former apprentice and claim it as her own. An internal war of willpower and scheming that proved almost as taxing as the actual one with Darth Ophidia had been.

"The days of our master are over. The days of the Tsis'Kaar are done. Now is the time to discuss the future, not wage the battles of the past." He reclined back in his seat and crossed one leg over another in a show of relaxation and control, as though he had no doubt at all that Malum wouldn't strike him despite the initial hostility. "Our foes have consolidated and united like never before, the Crisis failed. We have to plan our moves and actions very carefully so that we are not expunged from the Sith Order."

The days of the Triumvirate and warlords infighting was done, the Ouroboros Crisis being but the last lash of those days of the Sith Order. Now all were gathered underneath the banner flown by the Eternalists, much to the masked man's frustration and rage, with only embers of independence or rivalry still simmering. Many would consider this a victory and a sign of great fortune for the Sith going forward. Many were also terribly wrong, and terribly blinded by their own quests for power and control. But Darth Strosius knew better. He always knew better, did he not?

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"That is one way to describe failing upwards, I suppose," Malum sneered out, with the voice of a ghost echoing underneath his, marching forward with inhuman speed and palming his hand upon the desk separating them, a visible gash, and crack splitting the construct down the centre, as crimson eyes glimmered with flames he wished to be all too real, the ring he wore glowed with unholy light, all too eager to enable his arsonist tendencies, "I would have killed you on Fiviune that day, if we did not need each other so, if we are not bound in this brotherhood that you so easily turned on," Malum snarled, two voices speaking where only one set of lips moved, "Because after all, between us, I was forced to betray the Tsis'Kaar, you willingly did it!" Lightning coiled around his fingers, lightning of colour all too familiar to them both, the voice was alien to them both, a garish mix of two equal halves.

A scream broke his position of opposition, the lightning disappearing from hands, as they cupped his head and face, crimson eyes burning not in rage, nor anger, but utter madness, turning away from Ali entirely and gazing anywhere but there.

"Kill him."

"No, I cannot."

His knees wavered, almost begging to fall upon the floor.

"He betrayed us both."

"I betrayed you too."

The voice in his mind stopped, a moment of clarity resounding in his brain, as the bullets that seemed to be ramming into it ceased for but a moment.

Only a moment.

"Traitor."

"Betrayer."

"Turncoat."

Another hellish scream broke through the office, as he finally fell onto the floor, his racing up to the top of his head, possessed pulling and tugging, almost ripping the raven locks, in a futile bid to make the pain stop.

His eyes once crimson, shifted to a corrupted orange, for but a moment, as his head leaned down towards the floor and he let out a final unholy scream.

It would be his amulet that would save him, as it had time and time again, during these... episodes, burning hotly against his chest, a voice broke through his deeply embattled and besieged mind.

"Stand."

He found himself following the order, unnaturally trusting the phase without anything more than the familiarity of it, the comfort that seemed to exude its core. Ignoring still the masked figure in the room, as he stared resolutely ahead.

"You are Malum, of House Marr."

"I am Malum, of House Marr."

"You are a worthy heir."

"I am a worthy heir."

The voice dissipated as a dull ease rested across his mind, a still, calming mist settling upon his mind, keeping out what might be lurking in the darkest corners of his mind. He turned towards the masked figure before him, the one which had witnessed perhaps the weakest he had ever been, but the one whom he had trusted with so much more than that.

The one whom he called brother, even if the figure of moniker stood ahead of it.

The only one who had even the slightest chance at understanding what he went through.

"Our Mistress may be dead, but the Tsis'Kaar lives on." He was resolute in that, their betrayal might have been necessary, might have been needed, as Ali threw the dice onto the board, and they needed to move not only to survive, but to advance, but still, he would not give up claim upon the Tsis'Kaar yet. They were the defenders and guardians of the Sith, and they would only continue that duty in their weakened state, "Do not tell me you have forgotten your loyalties, Ali?" It was rhetorical, in this Order, the only ones they had to rely on was themselves. The two sprouted heads of the hydra would never find true trust from anyone else, some would even say, that both Marr and Haxim could not trust each other.

Which is why Malum's trust was thrust into Alisteri, for he had to believe, he was the only man he could trust.

For better or worse.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius actually had to smother a snort of amusement, albeit amusement in the more sarcastic sense, at the failing upwards quip. Now that was something that he hadn't heard before. His smirk faded into a slight glare as Malum marched up to his desk and slammed his hand down on it, the crack receiving a glare and a small sigh as it was born. "You know, I really liked this desk." He muttered under his breath as his masked gaze met the blazing eyes of the Heir of Marr.

He chose not to comment in regards to Malum being able to kill him so easily, only thwarted by their bond forged underneath the Pale Assassin. Perhaps the Heir of Marr could indeed slay the Breaker of Chains, but he had his doubts. Instead he quirked up an eyebrow in response to their 'betrayal." "Forced were you?" Darth Strosius sat back to avoid the lightning now erupting from the other Sith's fingers. Lightning that did not belong to him. "Because I remember you bargained for your life, Ophidia's head for yours. A true Tsis'Kaar loyalist would have rather died than make that bargain." He knew that for certain, given that he was formerly one such loyalist. Oh how the times had changed.

His head tilted up in surprise as Malum clutched his head and cried out in pain, his steady gaze measuring the other Sith but making no move to assist. There was little point in trying to offer aid to an internal battle that could only be fought alone after all. Instead he simply watched as Malum struggled and writhed with himself and the shadow of their master that had taken root in his mind, his body still and controlled in a manner that perfectly mirrored the opposite of his counterpart.

Finally though the struggling stopped and the man that stood up from his formerly kneeling position was far more composed and akin to the Malum that he was used to. The Malum that existed before the Ouroboros Crisis. When their gazes finally met once more Darth Strosius allowed himself to blink before idly gesturing to one of the chairs across from where he sat at the desk. "Your guilt makes her stronger you know." His voice lacked any of its usual bite as he spoke, far more like he was giving advice than simply engaging in the usual fencing act of conversing with another Sith.

"Banish such concerns from your mind and heart. She will find no strength of her own in your resolve then." A feat that was difficult for sure but far easier than having to weather such outbursts on a regular basis. It took incredible willpower and preparation to fully suppress that nagging voice, something that he had yet to accomplish for himself, but steps could be taken to remedy their condition regardless.

Darth Strosius sat up slightly and adopted a more formal posture as Malum spoke of the Tsis'Kaar, his visor's gaze leveled at the Heir of Marr. "Perhaps it does live, but not as it once did. Without the resources and patronage of someone as powerful as Ophidia it is a shadow of what it once was." A fact that he was none too happy about himself in truth, despite his hand in making such a thing happen. "It will take time before it can once again be considered a rival to the other great powers within the Sith Order. Time that may be preciously scarce if our actions are too overt." They did have to be careful given how fragile their position in the Sith Order itself was, especially where the masked man was concerned.

"My loyalties have never been forgotten nor have they been betrayed Malum. Not once." A cold edge seeped into his tone for a moment. As always he had maintained his loyalty and service to the Sith, no matter who or what he had to destroy in order to ensure the survival of their ancient order. Success or death it was indeed. "But to say that the Tsis'Kaar as an institution, let alone as a power, has not died would be blindness on my part. I am simply stating it plainly that our master's order has shifted fragmented into what it is now. Do not think of it as an insult to the Tsis'Kaar, rather as an acceptance of new opportunities that can be explored without the legacy of the old to intercede."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He took the offered seat, not even batting an eye at the crack across the wooden desk that he had made not even a scant few seconds ago, "My guilt, keeps me as what I am, it is not our way to suppress our emotions, our feelings, we are not Jedi after all," Malum spoke with a mocking twinge pressing across his lips, "You have felt her swimming around in your mind as a parasite, just as well as I, you know what she spoke of, of evolution and change, she will attempt to merge with us, to grant us power in exchange for her to live again. She will strike when we least expect it to make it so, unless we cooperate," And it was so easy to cooperate when they aligned, she had been their Mistress, if they did not have some alignment, it would have been an incredibly difficult relationship, and the power that flowed through his veins when they were one.

For all the dangers there were in those moments as well, when he was not sure who exactly he was.

"I doubt you have some method to excise the tumour, while I... only have theories," He could feel something bubble in his consciousness, holding down the skin-blistering amulet even tighter as the essence of his ancestor battled the essence of their Mistress in his mind. She clearly did not like such discussions, which made thinking of a solution to his conundrum rather difficult, when he could not even guarantee control of his mind, "So, we will need to figure out what exactly we intend to do," It was an open question and an answer of which he desired from Ali desperately, after all, as far as he could see, Ali's parasite was not as much of a nuisance, disability, and he desperately needed to know why.

Could it truly be as he said it was? A guilty conscious gave her more to use? Did Ali truly feel no guilt, no remorse, for what he did?

He could not truly believe that.

"You always speak of your vaunted loyalty, loyalty to the Sith, yet remind me, of an Order that is far greater than the men and women within it, greater than Kaine's cult of personality, greater than the Emperor's immortality, and greater than our Mistresses' evolution, what exactly is it of the Sith that you are so loyal, to Ali?" It was a question which had been at the back of his mind for as long as he had known the man, for though for most of that time he had been content to accept the man's fanaticism was simply an extension of their Mistresses' beliefs.

It was hard to continue believing that, considering it was the man before him who had forced their Mistress to take credit for his rolling of the dice, his crossing the point of no return for them all. His original betrayal.

And well, his conversation with Lord Vazz played at his ears, what exactly did this man before him believe?

"And yes, I will not deny that I became a traitor to the Tsis'Kaar, that I betrayed our Mistress just as much as you, but you of all people cannot claim to me that bargaining for our lives when the rebellion was lost, a rebellion you caused while allowing all to believe it was our Mistress, is anywhere on the same scale as what you did," Malum hissed out, the parasite in his brain bubbling forth for a second, before being thrown back into the mists of his mind, "It was our true brothers and sisters who died for your betrayal, it was for the benefit of us, and those that remained that I committed mine."

Yet, in the end, Malum could not escape those labels, those that would be assigned to him, and those that he assigned to himself.

Whether he was less of a traitor, less of a betrayer, less of a turn cloak.

He was still each and every one of those things.

"But you are right at the end, I suppose, those true brothers and sisters of the Tsis'Kaar Order either died on Fiviune, or died in the days, weeks, and months later, at our hands, the true loyalists to the end, butchered by their old mistresses' heirs. So tell me, with the Tsis'Kaar split between us, with us bound in this brotherhood of words and blades, what do you believe the next step to be?" He nodded his head with that, he was the elder, and even if Malum could say much horrid of him, knew that he could defeat him if it came to that, he was afforded the respect of the elder.

Even if something within him seethed at every second of it.

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Suppression and acceptance are not the same thing." The masked man tilted his head up slightly, a show of offense at being halfheartedly compared to a Jedi's tactics. His methods were far more subtle and purposeful than any that a Jedi could manage. "That is why you must give her no room to strike from, put her on the back foot with constant pressure and attacks or else she will do the same to you. And as for cooperation?" He scoffed and shook his head. "There is no cooperating with ghosts Malum. Banish her as best as you can manage, else she will keep gnawing away at you until your mind is made into a suitable vessel."

Darth Strosius sat back in his seat and allowed himself to properly relax with a small sigh as he reluctantly nodded at Malum's assessment. Indeed he had no real ideas on how to smother the last remnants of their master from their minds, aside from sheer mental attrition and hoping that she would just dissipate eventually. Given how steadfast she had been in life though, that prospect was fairly unlikely even if it were possible. "If I knew more of how exactly she did this horrid thing to us, then I may have something concrete to look into. Unfortunately I fear that only she knows the answer, and I do not trust her to be honest." For now they would just have to hope that some cure did indeed reveal itself, focusing on keeping her at bay all the while.

The question on the nature of his loyalty made him raise and eyebrow, his head cocking to the side slightly as he examined the other Pale Assassin's heir for a moment. "Is it not obvious?" He allowed a slight smirk to arise on his hidden features. "You carry on the legacy of a great Sith, do you not? You are loyal to that legacy, to ensuring your house is as prosperous as the patriarch which gave it life in the first place yes?"

He shifted slightly and sat up again, folding his hands together once more. "I am not so different. The Sith Code promises freedom and strength for those that follow it. It does not make false promises of peace and grandeur like the Jedi tell themselves, it does not pretend to have some noble reason for existence like many Imperials delude themselves into thinking they embody, it offers the chance to be more." Reverence and his trademark zealous undertones slipped into his words, ever the preacher. "To be one of the torchbearers of a legacy thousands of years old. To be a servant of the greatest power that resonates in all corners of the galaxy and even beyond. That is what I am loyal to Malum, to the Sith."

An admittedly vague answer but the conviction in his words was too genuine to ignore, a far cry from the riddles and half-truths that their master enjoyed. "As for my 'betrayal' as you say, had it all gone to plan then very few of our true kin would have died unnecessarily." Venom of his own seeped into his tone for a moment as he continued. "I did not account for that wretched corpse to be so...proactive. Nor did I account for you being forced to bargain with him, leaving us to face our mistress alone rather than letting the two of them have a duel that we could then exploit."

Finally his gaze, which had been idly drifting around as he spoke, met Malum's once more. "I shall not make the same miscalculation next time. Not ever again." Next time the Sith would have their total victory, he would make sure of it. No matter the cost.

Speaking of the next things, he sighed and rolled his shoulders for a moment to relieve the tension that had appeared in the muscles there a short few moments ago. "Our next step is simple now. We have watchful eyes on us and those who would see us dead, yet our foes are foolish enough to believe us nonthreatening. Their hubris, their pride and arrogance, is our shield. Even if it is temporary." Darth Strosius nodded to the planet looming behind his seat. "I have already begun making plans and organizing my portion of the Tsis'Kaar into a new Inquisition. One that will maintain the duty of the old by ensuring the continuity and security of the Sith. Temples and ancient sites will be turned into outposts, militias and lords that can be convinced of our cause shall be done so, forces will be built up, and before they know it Jutrand and the Malsheem alike will be surrounded by enemies on all sides. Then we strike, and the Sith will be set free. At long last."

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

"Are you so certain there is no room or benefit of cooperation with her? I recognise the risk, certainly but do you not see the boons too?" Malum's hand suddenly went alight, the same white lightning he had shown off earlier, brightening the room before it darkened, the rippling lightning which curled around his fingers disappearing, "That is her lightning, and that is not the only thing, you have received her memories too, have you not? You too have felt the power that courses through your veins when you are not resisting her. You have been able to tap into her skills, her abilities, and her power," How he felt when she was not attempting to overwhelm him, overtake when, when they were standing in unity... it was a wondrous feeling, the most powerful he had ever felt, "If we are to fight a war with the most powerful living Sith, chaos, some of the most powerful Sith the galaxy has ever seen, it will be better if we are not fighting within ourselves as well." The ramming in his brain was calming, as he thought, actively moving away from the discussion of its demise was being rewarded.

He chuckled as Ali relaxed back on his seat, Malum doubted he would need more than a pair of fingers to count how many people Ali could lean on his seat around, such was simply not a thing done among Sith, yet they were the next generation of Sith were they not? Things could be different with them, "I believe she would be honest, we knew her purpose, evolution. We are her heirs, whether we betrayed her or not," He made certain his fingers were gripped tightly around his amulet at that word, his eyes gazing away from Ali and out the window to Faldos below, "She seeks the perfection of the Rule of Two, to not simply allow her apprentices to kill her and move along, but to make sure we know all that she did, to make sure we were as powerful as she was... even if it means embedding herself into us permanently." It was a scary thought, but he could not deny it was the perfection of her teachings, the Sith were to evolve, so how better to guarantee that than to make sure every generation was given the previous' power so that the new could grow even stronger, and then do the same.

He was oddly reminded of the Worm, its desire for all the melding of all the great Sith Lords to achieve immortality in host after host. It was the same, was it not?

Apart from the very key difference.

Evolution against immortality.

Progress against stagnation.

The ability to break their chains, against their slavery to the Force.

Malum tapped his fingers against the cracked desk, the answer was illuminating, and it was so Ali, "The Force is our true enemy, Ali, that is what our code preaches, to break our chains, to attain our freedom against that greater power. You are right, the Sith are the only power in this galaxy that can make that happen," He touched by talking of carrying on that greater legacy, but what was their legacy? A great one certainly, but a confusing one, there were many interpretations of their code, many of those who may have been called heretics and schismatics, he considered Kaine and Empyrean among them, so how were they separate from that legacy? "To be loyal to the Sith is a great thing, it is loyalty that we need in this Order, unity and strength, yet why do you not consider Empyrean or Kaine part of the Sith? I believe their obsession with immortality troubling, the stagnancy that our Order must resist, I consider Kaine's rule of the Sith to have been an utter failure, with our Empire gone, yet his continued belief of his necessity, being farcical, I consider Empyrean troubling in his own right, battling something within, yet I cannot deny their strength, I cannot deny they are Sith. Why do you think differently?" Kaine would die at his hand, he knew that much, the man had committed too many sins to be left alive, his rule of the Empire had brought them ruin, and his immortality would leave them only in stagnation.

Yet Empyrean... it was hard to say such things similar about Empyrean, as a new headache broke over his mind. Empyrean was his Emperor, the man he had bent his knee to, the man who had given him the amulet around his neck, the man who... Malum had already signed his soul to, after all, how could he call Ali a traitor when he had signed the Tsis'Kaar's fate so long ago?

After all, whether it had been a bluff or not, had not the exact things which he had agreed to on that rainy down on Jutrand come to pass?

Ali may have pulled the trigger.

But Malum had accidentally laid out the groundwork.

It would be with Empyrean that he would have what he so wanted, to become the Champion of the Lord of Duty.

Could he turn on him so easily?

The answer was yes, but the fact he had to consider it so, troubled him dearly.

The fact that Ali was so sure of defeating that Corpse King, only filled him with dread, as he idly nodded his words.

They were not ready.

He was not ready.

"I shall continue rebuilding the Tsis'Kaar then, rebuilding the broken networks, recruiting capable agents, spreading themselves out to once again be the terror of Emperors and Lords alike. Yet, Ali, I must make something very clear," Malum's eyes glimmered with madness, for but a moment the fragment had seemingly broken through, "We will not get another chance at this if we fail again, it is the end of any legacy of the Tsis'Kaar, it will be the end of us," His eyes returned back to the Lord Inquisitor, "We must make common cause with Empyrean, we must target Kaine first and foremost. I have made common cause with a sect of the Moridinazid who will aid us in this, a former Mand'alor joining a new Mand'alor," The tapping on the desk suddenly stopped, himself deep in thought, "We lost many worlds in the Eternalist counterattack, yet we have even less influence out in the old Sith worlds, we will need to make new allies, Darth Caedus, Lady Tremiru, we will need them if Kaine is to fall." One at Korriban, the other at Dromund Kaas, the Malsheem would be surrounded then."

He did not admit his biases for any of this, yet he would not need to, of all the troubles of their Order, Kaine was the first and foremost, Ali would have to agree.

Right?

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"There is no boon worth the risk." His dismissal was quick and harsh, another remark only interrupted by the sight of the lightning. The sight was enough to make her presence within his mind stir from inaction and rest, dredging up memories and reflexes that were not his own. His fingers briefly curled as if to ignite lightning to match that of Malum's casual display, but a tense and violent shudder wracked his body before that could happen. Darth Strosius was not one to be puppeteered so easily. "I never stop resisting her!" He shook himself as though it would turn away her claws from grasping at the edges of his mind. "I know not what power she can offer, but you would be wise to do as I have and cast her from your being at every opportunity! To accept her dominion over your mind, over your very soul, is the same foolish weakness that so many fall into when they attempt to grasp at power which can never belong to them. Do not make that mistake Malum."

It was a warning just as much as it was an insult, a combination made all the more potent by the sheer disgust dripping from his words. To those that knew him well enough, they would know that the masked man was at his core very prideful. Even if he would deny that accusation with every breath. That pride made him lash out against his master, it was the very thing that drove him to believe that he knew better than her after all. That he could do better than her, that he was superior in his morality and goals than she had been. And to some extent he had proven that assumption correct, at least in his own mind, and now he did the same with his master's remnant that lurked in his mind. She would never gain ground, never grant him her strength, never to be anything but an annoyance and a flash of foreign memories. He would make sure of that.

He went rigid, as though he had been physically struck, by Malum's remark. "The Force?" Darth Strosius scoffed and shook his head, almost pitying the man across from him. The nobility continued to prove their ignorance he supposed. "The Force is our greatest asset, our only hope and strength, those that would claim its power but use it for their own will and gain are our enemies. Do not give in to heresy like they have, the Force blesses us with its power even now and yet you would call it a foe." Had it been anyone else he probably would have thrown them into the depths of space for such a remark, but he knew what Malum meant by it.

He just didn't know any better. Yet.

Of course after making such a statement though, the Heir of Marr just had to press about his opinion of their foes. What else was there to say that hadn't already been said? That wasn't already widely known? "They may be strong, but they are most certainly not Sith. Given all that they have done, I'd hardly say that they were ever worthy of such a title at all." Despite his supposed acknowledgment of their strength the utter disdain in his voice told a different story. The pair of them had managed to fell Ophidia after all, if she was as much of a match for Empyrean and Carnifex as they had been lead to believe then surely the other two weren't as unassailable as originally thought. They just needed the right moment to strike.

"Kain-" A twitch of his head, one that happened so quick that one might have even missed it if they blinked, before he continued. "Carnifex, and his sins are innumerable. The Twice Failed Emperor who did nothing but gather enemies for us to defend against. The only threat he ever did any measure of lasting damage to was the Mandalorians, and there are still plenty of them running around is there not?" He sneered and clicked his tongue in disgust. "A tyrannical coward that leaps at the first chance to compromise and flee just to cling to his precious power. His death will be the greatest victory for the Sith the likes of which hasn't been seen in centuries." A day that he could not wait for, one that he had dreamed of since he was Malum's age at least.

"As for Empyrean? The only good thing about him was his making slavery illegal." At least the Eternalist leader did have one redeeming quality he supposed, the same could not be said for his Kainite counterpart. "The inheritor of a wretched throne that should have died with the Worm that crafted it. He's only in power because of our master's mistake and is only kept there by his rule being the current status quo. Not every Sith has ambitions or realistic chances at becoming Emperor and that is why Empyrean is still in power at all." The masked man himself certainly held no such ambitions. To be a Sith Emperor was to at once be the best and the most hated Sith, hated both within and without of the Sith Order. "Perhaps his sins and failings could be forgiven, but he made two fatal errors which have sealed the fate of him and all of his ilk." Finally the anger which had been simmering began to boil to the surface, Darth Strosius sitting up slightly as his fangs ground against his teeth. "That bastard had the gall, the ineptitude, to spare Carnifex and even reward his treachery with the Holy Worlds!"

A growl ripped from his throat at the thought and his hands balled into fists as he barely resisted the urge to put another crack into his desk. "They're just the same Malum! They both claim to be so powerful but they only ever wield such 'power' against their fellow Sith! It falls to us and our fellows to do the real work, to conquer worlds and fight against the enemies of the Sith. Their complacency in their own tyranny is almost insulting as it is heretical. They are nothing. Nothing but reputations and legends given form with just enough power to make them seem true." After a moment to catch his breath and steady himself he leaned back once more, although the previous ease in his shoulders was not present. "But we know better. We have peeked beyond their illusions and torn them down, have we not? One of their supposedly 'great Sith' has been slain by our hands Malum. If Ophidia can be killed, then so can they." Not without difficulty of course, but killed nonetheless.

He idly nodded at Malum's words about his next moves and the dangerous situation that they found themselves in. It was far from ideal but all things considered if picking up the pieces of their master's work was all that they had to do then he considered it more desirable than most other alternatives. They still had power and positions of their own and so long as they were careful that wasn't going to change. The very moment that the words 'common cause' left the Sith's mouth though, his nodding halted and his body tensed. A spring of sheer wrath and hatred that seemed to wind tighter and tighter with each word. He barely even heard half of what the Heir of Marr was actually saying as his body began to subtly quiver, right up until he heard a familiar name. Lady Tremiru.

The crack that Malum had made earlier expanded, now arcing halfway across the entire desk, before the Lord Inquisitor even moved. He stood with such speed and force that his chair was thrown back, his hands slamming against the desk as he spat out his furious response. "Alina Tremiru is a traitor!" For a moment he was practically frothing at the mouth as he began a new tirade, renewed and rejuvenated with all the conviction that any of his sermons held. "She sold herself to Carnifex for power and position and so did Caedes! They are both to be counted amongst our foes Malum, not anything more!"

He seethed as he rolled his shoulders and pulled his hands away from his desk, little arcs of lightning crackling between the digits. Unlike Malum's earlier display though this lightning was the typical blue, without a hint of their master's influence to be found. His composure was slipping. "The Kainate can only be destroyed through conventional means. Even with Carnifex dead that pathetic bunch of mass-printed armies will fight to their deaths. We need fleets and armies of our own to destroy the Kainite menace, things that only Empyrean possesses!" The masked man's fingers clenched into fists in an effort to stifle the arcs flickering between them.

"And if you think for a second that Empyrean is going to break off ties with Carnifex then you're a damn fool! The only reason that they were so eager to go after our master was because she could be replaced. Neither of them can and they both offer what the other wants! So unless you've got a spare Malsheem of your own sitting in your manor somewhere then you can forget getting that corpse to do anything worthwhile!" He had tried to come up with plans to pit the two of them against one another in the past, but they already displayed that even in outright war they wouldn't kill the other. Birds of a feather flocking together he supposed. "Empyrean must be killed and the throne claimed, for only a Sith Emperor can wield the resources needed to slay the Kainites and their horrid leader. The Eternalists have to die first to ensure our victory."

Darth Malum of House Marr