Faction When Dark Minds Gather - [The Dark Court]

[Malyssa moddol]

Objective 2: the price of silence
Wearing clothing
Tag: Madrona A’Mia Darth Virelia Delsin Shaw Adean Castor Lysander von Ascania Vakhari Lutris

Malyssa entered quietly without showmanship or ceremony she wasn't here for the taking of the planet she was taking part in the raid on kattada at the time. But she would offer her services and the services of her businesses to help finish the temple. Sitting down on a chair she looked over at everyone else she appeared unarmed to the untrained eye but she was ready to fight at a moments notice being trained in both echani martial arts and teräs kasi from the time she could walk. The half zeltron was more than able to defend herself ontop of her force abilities she figured she could pose a challenge to most if not all those in this room. She remained silent watching those in the room reading their movements and reading their surface emotions through her zeltron traits. She wouldn't prove herself to most here even if she was a large unknown.

 

[Kito]

//: Objective 1 //:
//: Valaine Valentine //:
//: Attire //: Oni Mask //: Odachi //: Wakizashi //:

Kito looked down, watching the Sangir begin to climb out of the vent. Tilting her head, she watched as her hands were the first thing that showed, and then she looked up. Kito smiled at the familiar sight of her, caught partway in the vent. It was apparent she was stuck, which, if Kito was here to fight, would not have been suitable for Valentine.

It's... Kinda quiet isn't it? For a battle?

"Mm, yeah, it is." Kito didn't reach just yet for Valentine; selfishly, she wanted to enjoy the view just a little longer.

"You're stuck, aren't you?" Kito's grin widened as she bent at the waist and rested her hands on her knees. It was hard not to relish in this moment, knowing that the Sangir had taken her saber after their last meeting.

Standing back up, Kito grabbed Valentine's hands and tugged.

She didn't budge, but Kito stopped as she heard the PA system and the girl's explanation as to who that was.

"Hmm," Kito looked around, seeing that they were protected enough for now, but not knowing Pandora's plan did put the Shaper on edge. Looking back down, Kito dropped Valentine's hand that she was holding, embarrassed.

Oh, that's uh... Pandora, another apprentice. She's good with the Force from what I understand but... I don't know much else about her combat abilities... I think I could take her if I got close enough.

"This is important to you, hmm?" Kito asked, not fully understanding the point of throwing all of the apprentices to fight each other. Sith were a different breed, but Kito did wonder what it would be like to fight other padawans and knights. Shaking her head, she moved closer and stood over Valentine's head.

"Don't get ideas." Kito teased as she dug her hands into the vent to get a better hold of the Sangnir's body. Squatting slightly, Kito exhaled and then pulled the girl free.

Stepping back, Kito removed the Oni mask from her face as she wiped some of the sweat collecting just at the edge of her hair.

"So, is Pandora the one we're off to fight first?" Kito smirked as she placed the mask back over her forehead.

---

//: Viscountess Pandora //: Darth Virelia //: Iskera Valest //: The Lost //: Marcus Dinn //: Qyssiyana //: Tamsin Starfall //:​

 

[Iskera Valest]

The girl's threat was not surprising. Fear always clothed itself in aggression when cornered. Iskera stopped at the edge of shadow where the machinery dipped low, and she let the sound of her steps settle before she spoke.

"You would not kill me," she said simply. Not boast, not mockery — fact. "Wasting strength early ensures you die before the strong tire themselves."

She lowered herself to a crouch, tilting her head enough for the mask's respirator to draw a steady hiss between words. "I am here to make us less obvious targets. If someone lunges at me, you cut them while they are distracted. If someone lunges at you, I dose them. Neither of us survives alone."

Above, light cascaded through the wreckage. Iskera turned her head sharply — recalibrating. Floodlights burned away the comfort of shadow, and the voice over the fortress speakers carried not bravado but structure. She listened, measuring cadence, listening past the words. Another apprentice ( Viscountess Pandora ). Intent on spectacle, yes, but intelligent enough to manipulate terrain. Turrets already shifting the battlefield into choke points.

Iskera stood, glancing upward into the fresh brilliance and then back at the girl with the knife. "Do you hear her?" she asked, tone still even, almost conversational. "That is the right instinct. She is drawing eyes, forcing fights where she sets them. Clever."

She straightened her shoulders, scanning the newly lit avenues of wreckage. "There are three ways to leave this Trial with something intact. First, win outright — rare, bloody. Second, survive long enough for someone else to distract the Dark Lady's eye. Third, attach yourself to someone who can take the hit for you."

Her eyes narrowed, violet cast glinting in the harsh floodlight. "I would speak to this other. Align briefly. You could do worse than follow me into that conversation."

The respirator hushed again, masking the weight of the suggestion. She offered a structure, a path in which survival was laced with mathematics.

Viscountess Pandora , The Lost , Darth Virelia , Marcus Dinn , Qyssiyana , Tamsin Starfall , Kito , Valaine Valentine

 

[Darth Anathemous]

OBJECTIVE II​

Wearing: Armor
Tag: Darth Virelia Vakhari Lutris Lysander von Ascania
Nearby: Madrona A’Mia Adean Castor Delsin Shaw

Darth Anathemous entered without fanfare.

The loud * thunk, thunk * of armored boots against the obsidian floor, denoting her inorganic heft, was enough to herald.

All the while she thought on recent events, and how they'd shape her place among them. Her crash landing on Brosi, her duel with Valery Noble on Kattada, her acquisition of what may become the crown of their new dynasty...

It's decided then, she thought, knowing where she'd sit.

While Virelia's other "loves" bickered and fought for her attention in the ashlands below, Anathemous wandered to the table and sat beside the Dark Lady, setting her signature mask down on the table with a ring of finality, obsidian on Darksteel. Unlike last time, Golden eyes shone bright in the dim chamber for all to see, and though her signature was hidden out of habit, she made no attempts to conceal her face. Silken hair spilled over broad pauldrons from which a host Dathomiri talismans hung, and her freckled features pulled into the intense focus for which the Lord of Blades was known.

She gave Vakhari Lutris a nod, having caught the tale end of her uncanny display, a raised brow indicating 'I am impressed' before she turned her attention to Lysander von Ascania , who received another brief nod and a curious glance.

So the boy has ambition, she thought.

Finally she leaned on her elbow to look upon Darth Virelia , the faintest curl of her lips said enough.

​

 

[Darth Virelia]

"Dark Becomings." - OBJ 2: Darth Anathemous , Delsin Shaw , Lysander von Ascania , Vakhari Lutris , Madrona A’Mia , Adean Castor , Malyssa moddol

Virelia. Power radiated from her in languid waves, the way heat ripples off volcanic stone. She remained standing at the head of the table, claws resting lightly on the blackened obsidian surface, as if she owned not only the table but every word that would soon be spoken over it. Six violet eyes glimmered in the mask's sheen, each slow tilt of her head assessing the arrivals.

However, those in the fight are not safe. Virelia, from her HUD, watched on at the display. Everything was recorded. Everything was seen.

Nothing escaped the spiders' web.

Vakhari's display had amused her. The imitation, the reveal, the mask offered like a trophy — all of it a clever introduction, bold enough to make others shift in their seats. Virelia accepted the gesture without moving to take the mask. Her silence was a form of possession; acknowledgment that she had seen, understood, and could claim it if she so chose. A faint curl of her lips ghosted beneath the helm.

"Curious," she murmured at last, her voice velvet and edged, carrying through the chamber like smoke curling through flame. "Tools that blur the line between shadow and flesh are never without cost. We will inspect it, yes. But more important is the intent. You seek to bring the Court weapons that can pierce veils, break trust, and rewrite perception. A fitting prelude."

Her gaze shifted, lingering on each that had taken their precious time and come to sit at the table of the Dark Court. Each was weighed not as individuals, but as resources, as notes in a symphony she was conducting.

As Kaila's elbow was felt, Virelia's own smirk worked its way up behind the spider's gaze.

"Some of you arrived with sharp words." The mask inclined toward the one who had dared to correct her command with a smirk. "Please. A word meant to soften authority, to make demands palatable. Yet here? Softness is weakness. If you want courtesy, you mistake this chamber for another." A pause, deliberate, drawing tension like silk between fingers. "But… I will indulge you. Please, speak freely. Speak boldly. That is why you were invited."

She straightened, letting her claws trace slow arcs along the table. "This is the First Council of the Dark Court. You were not summoned to echo pleasantries, nor to sit idle while power gathers dust. The mines bend to us. The ore flows. The first stones of the Spire are set. But Malachor is a carcass fat with scavengers. Its warbands and guild remnants must be chained or culled. If we leave them unchecked, they will bleed us from within. If we bind them, they become our claws and teeth."

Her words tightened, voice like a clasp closing around the throat. "Decide who among you will command them. Tell me who hungers for the burden, who dares to shape chaos into obedience. Claim it, if you have the strength."

Then her tone softened again, sultry, suggestive, a serpent's whisper beneath the thunder. "Beyond Malachor, whispers stir. Already the galaxy shifts, sensing something is being built in the ash. They will pry, and they will lie. We must decide what truths to feed them, and what silences to enforce. Which rivals to misdirect, which to seduce, which to bleed quietly into the soil."

She leaned forward, violet light washing her helm in glimmers. "The Spire is no monument. It is a blade. Each of you will tell me where it cuts. Each of you will show me why your voice deserves to shape its edge. And do not fear if your words wound another at this table. Wounds remind us we are alive."

Virelia spread her hands across the table, indulgent, inviting, every syllable licentious with control. "So speak. The Spire listens. And I, too, listen. How shall we achieve your desires?"

 

[The Lost]

Shit.

"Shit."

She thought and spoke it aloud, her fear already betraying her ability to keep herself collected and calm. Not that she had much skill with it anyway. Another voice called out as Viscountess Pandora hijacked some kind of speaker. Everything was a spectacle with the Sith. The more they had to gain from others watching, the more they'd do.

It was absolutely crazy.

Begrudgingly she stepped from her hiding place, dagger in hand, eyes narrowed. She didn't want to be here, she didn't belong here. But she had to be here anyway.

"You all are crazy." This was why she hated the Sith. Already this woman had just accepted what they were being made to do. A damn culling game, and she was just fine with it. "But fine. I don't think I can hide here anyway." The pressure in the back of her mind had tripled already. More people already knew she was here, if that prickling sensation meant anything.

She was going to die. If they could find her this easily, none of what she'd learned was going to save her now.

"What's your plan?"

Iskera Valest

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Objective 1: Trial of Ash
Equipment: The Ashblade, Perseverance, Katana Style Lightsaber (Stolen from Kito )
Tags (Focus) - Kito
Tags (Nearby) - Tamsin Starfall The Lost Iskera Valest Marcus Dinn Viscountess Pandora Qyssiyana Darth Virelia

"You're stuck, aren't you?"

Valaine thinned her lips as she stared up at Kito in silence for a moment, it was enough of an answer to her question as her hand then grasped towards her in gesture for her to help. After grabbing the Shaper's hand and being tugged she found that she had somehow truly wedged herself in the vent, probably due to the weird angle she tried to leave it in...

"Ow-! Ow ow...!" came the Sangnir's words of discomfort as she felt herself being pulled against the metal of the shaft she was stuck in. They'd need a different approach to get her out it seemed... And it looked like Kito had the same idea as she released her hand.

"This is important to you, hmm?"

"Mm, kind of..." came the response as she watched Kito move to stand directly over her head. Valaine glanced aside for a moment in some level of embarrassment before the Shaper knelt down to reach into the vent itself to try and grab a hold of the Sangnir to pull her out. "You're enjoying this..." she huffed in response as she felt herself being tugged once more.

Finally Valaine was freed from the trap that was the ventilation system of a destroyed machine, and she promised herself she wouldn't so willingly climb into one again. As she stood up she brushed herself off of the dust and rust that had collected on her robes before regarding Kito with a nod of light thanks.

"So, is Pandora the one we're off to fight first?"

Another nod was offered as the young Sangnir briefly checked to make sure she hadn't lost of any of her gear, it was all there thankfully! "Yup. If she's making a show of herself then she'll be the easiest to find. It sounds like everyone else had the same idea as me, hiding..." she sighed gently before looking towards Kito once more. "Just... A couple things first, alright? First... I'm gonna ask you to try go for non-lethal strikes. I think Pandora's nice, so I don't wanna see her die. Secondly..." she began as tired eyes glanced towards Kito's neck.

"It'd really help to top myself off, give me the boost in strength and agility I need. Do you mind? It won't be much, just a nibble, and then we'll go find her right away." she spoke as she was already pre-emptively moving towards Kito to deliver onto her neck a brief bite to energize herself with.

 

[Kito]

//: Objective 1 //:
//: Valaine Valentine //:
//: Attire //: Oni Mask //: Odachi //: Wakizashi //:

Kito watched as Valentine dusted herself off. At first, her eyes sought the stolen lightsaber, but instead, her gaze lingered too long where it shouldn't. Catching herself, Kito cleared her throat as she looked away to force her attention back to the predicament they were in. The lights had been switched on by this Pandora — whoever she was. Kito didn't know her power, only that she was like Valentine and belonged to this mysterious mistress.

When Valentine spoke again, Kito glanced back. Her expression soured. Already, she had to restrain her fire shaping for the girl's sake. Now she was being asked to hold back from killing Sith. Her lips pressed thin, ember eyes narrowing before she looked away — but still, she nodded.

"Alright. Non-lethal." She exhaled, though the idea made little sense. From what she knew, Sith clawed at each other for power until only one remained. With this many acolytes, she assumed Valentine simply wanted to be the last one standing.

She was an interesting girl.

Kito listened, though she'd never admit she could listen to Valentine's voice for hours. Her second request caught her off guard. Following Sangnir's gaze to her neck, Kito felt her breath hitch, heat creeping across her cheeks.

Now this she understood. But still, the way she asked left Kito's voice caught in her throat.

Valentine drew closer before she could answer. The closeness pulled a soft, nervous chuckle from the Shaper as her hand moved to loosen the folds of her tunic, tugging the tight collar free from her throat.

Her other hand shifted instinctively, pushing aside the hilt of her odachi so it wouldn't press between them. "Careful," she whispered between them. It carried a concern she couldn't hide. "The blade's imbued with the light. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Her gaze flicked away, but when she spoke again, it snapped back to Valentine's face, ember eyes burning with a request.

"Could you…" She faltered, exhaling hard to keep her voice steady. "Could you do it like last time?"

The words were awkward, but what she wanted was hopefully clear. As Kito tilted her head, her neck bared to Valentine, faint marks lingered where she had refused to heal them.

Her fingers toyed with the blessed cord, pretending not to care, but the angle of her neck told the truth.

---

//: Darth Virelia //: Viscountess Pandora //: Iskera Valest //: The Lost //: Tamsin Starfall //: Marcus Dinn //: Qyssiyana //:​

 

[Her]

---

---

"For the present, the more covert we remain, the more influence we can have."
-- Darth Tenebrous.

---

Malachor V, Outer Rim Territories;
The Dark Court.

Tags: Darth Virelia | Delsin Shaw | Lysander von Ascania | Adean Castor | Madrona A’Mia | Malyssa moddol | Darth Anathemous

[ DEVIANT ]​

Integration into secret societies, organisations, or groups within corporate entities, political factions, or galactic superpowers had been the blueprint passed down throughout the eons since Bane first took his apprentice on the ruined lands of Ruusan several millennia ago. Woven into his tapestry, fifty-one years following the consecration of a revived Rule of Two upon the harsh sands of Kalist VI over a half-century ago, the enigmatic woman stood within the Dark Court had integrated themselves well into the upper echelons of the Confederate-Imperials COMECI, N&Z's Section C branch, the disbanded Five Wings conspiratorialists responsible for the economic collapse of the Empire of the Lost, Wend Maricon's Five Veils Initiative in the so-called 'southern systems' of the High Republic, and the non-profit organisation Vūm that were set to bring about a certain dystopia upon the Liann people.

What could also be accomplished with the likes of these new conspirators within the shadows Malachor V's new spire as Her found their place in another secret society founded this time by the tyrannical Darth Virelia ?

"Beyond Malachor, whispers stir. Already the galaxy shifts, sensing something is being built in the ash. They will pry, and they will lie. We must decide what truths to feed them, and what silences to enforce. Which rivals to misdirect, which to seduce, which to bleed quietly into the soil."

"The Spire is no monument. It is a blade. Each of you will tell me where it cuts. Each of you will show me why your voice deserves to shape its edge. And do not fear if your words wound another at this table. Wounds remind us we are alive."

"So speak. The Spire listens. And I, too, listen. How shall we achieve your desires?"

The NullSuit is a sophisticated piece of engineering brought through VesperThread (a subsidiary of VesperWorks) whose owner-- the tyrannical Darth Virelia -- opened up the first proceedings of the court while it's wearer ( Her ) stood to the side of the meeting blended into the walls to obfuscate their facial features from the view of those who had joined the Dark Lady upon Malachor V with thanks to the programmed perimeters of the technology, which allowed herself to be almost indistinguishable with the walls, and the esoteric Art of the Small, for it was The Nomad who had taught his apprentice that no Sith Master should reveal him or herself.

Beneath the veneer of these dark proceedings, as the members of this first council convened to conspire with one another under Virelia's leadership, betrayed the tension between these new found associates in the Dark Court, as Her stood in their midst in stark contrast to the likes of Darth Anathemous and the others who wore themselves here freely without disguise or obfuscation unlike their new associate, who hid under the violet gaze of the dark tyrant standing in their midst as the enigmatic, undercover Dark Lord of the Sith-- who had been hiding within Imperial space since the turn of the new ninth-century, wreaking havoc upon Bastion and Brosi through their plot-- joined the court with the intention to bring them all into her own machinations of lies and deceit.

"Let us begin with developments concerning politics in the Mid Rim systems," Her stated, her voice carried like a ghost from the darkened walls surrounding the obsidian table found in the centre of the meeting place.

"The upcoming elections for the new Monarch of Naboo coincide with a developing situation regarding the Ukatis system. A delegation of Ukatish, led by Jedi mystic Corazona von Ascania and the new King, Fabian Albinac, attended an arranged dinner with Nabooian aristocrats invited by Aurelian Veruna , with the latter a candidate to succeed the former Queen-Regent of Naboo, Kalantha , following a successful campaign victory which saw her become the new Chancellor of the High Republic..."

Was it a mere coincidence that a Ukatish male, and relative of that same, certain Jedi mystic, was in attendance of these proceedings while news regarding his homeland was mysteriously brought up this far out in the Outer Rim systems by a woman he had never seen, or heard of before?

As Her revealed the Ukatis connection to House Veruna and their nominated candidate to become the next King of Naboo to the Dark Court, the hidden woman concealed by the walls of the meeting did not eye Lysander von Ascania while she spoke for their gaze maintained itself upon the transfixing glare of Virelia's six-eyed mask as her co-conspirator Her elaborated on the next stage of the conspiracy which had been brewing along the Outer Rim for the past two years, and which was now in concert with the Dark Lady's own machinations, that had seen them come and claim Malachor V in order to create this new, peculiar sect of Sith that were set to become Virelia's newly established powerbase following their exile from the Sith Order.

"It is believed that the Ukatish are seeking negotiations to arrange a secession from the Galactic Alliance following the loss of the Core Worlds to the invading Dark-Imperial bloc which usurped them at Kuat and Balmorra to take Imperial Centre. If these negotiations are successful it has been rumoured that the planet Ukatis would become a new star system that would join the High Republic..."

As the Dark Court Sith and their Dark Lady listened to the outlier within their group-- an enigmatic woman none of them knew, save for the six-eyed masked tyrant in their midst-- Her was acutely self-aware of the burgeoning questions that these cunning few would have when taking into consideration that the High Republic, and politics concerning the Mid Rim systems, that were so far away out here in the Outer Rim.

What was it of consequence to the Dark Court in regards to these political developments when they had their own problems concerning the creation of a new powerbase here on Malachor V?

"Far away from the reach of the Order of Shiraya, who have merged into the newly re-founded Jedi Order, awards the likes of us leverage to cast our reach far out into these regions filled with the foundations for advent of the next Star War," Her explained to the Dark Court as she took these revelations and turned them into answers to dull the alleged blade wielded in this Shadow Spire which had been awarded to them all through the self-proclaimed Queen of Darkness that was set to be brought to the Dark Lord's throat and cut it less they quickly move to making her point known.

"It should be of interest to the Sith gathered here today that Veruna's political opponent concerning the Nabooian-Monarchy elections is a Shiraya-Jedi now known to us as Bastila Sal-Soren ," Her continued to explain as she revealed insights into High Republic politics that were set to be waged in earnest upon their capital planet which revealed the potential of a fully trained Jedi becoming a powerful, political entity and nevertheless natural adversary to the likes of the Sith stood in these proceedings.

"If Soren is elected over Veruna and becomes the next Queen of Naboo, it would be to our disadvantage, and a mistake to be allowed to materialised, if we were not to intervene while the opportunity is there to stop them, given that Aurelian Veruna has spoken at length, within their High Assembly, regarding the recent conflicts with the cartels from Nar Shaddaa, the attempted assassination of Republic delegates at the recent botched negotiations at Wielu by a member of the Sith Order, and the implications of allowing a Jedi to influence the political affairs of a galactic superpower such as the High Republic..."

As Her elaborated on these developments and their implications concerning the likes of them, she recalled that Malachor V was the site of many instrumental battles between the forces of light and dark epitomized by the Sith and Jedi, and whose conflict throughout the eons had been encapsulated through the Ashlan Crusade who had conquered this star system and took it from the late Tenth Sith Empire. Could this Dark Court allow a Jedi to become a prominent political opponent when they had the means to stop them from attaining such an influential position within the High Republic?

"If we were to intervene and make arrangements that would see Veruna become the next King of Naboo, then war between the High Republic and Black Sun Syndicate will escalate in kind, given that it was Veruna who pitched a bill calling for the Republic to be placed into a state of emergency following the attack at Sepan-Eight, and the aforementioned crisis at Wielu. Let us help this warmonger before he is defeated by his Jedi opponent whose pacifism would rob us from opportunities to maximise the potential of the escalating Black Sun-Republic war..."

As Her's explanation hung in the air, which had been expertly crafted into a pitch designed to entice these Black Court Sith into joining and consequentially influencing the escalating conflicts between the Black Sun Syndicate and High Republic along the 'southern systems' located in the Mid Rim, alongside the revelation of the Ukatis connection between the nominated and preferred candidate from House Veruna, the Dark Lord finally diverted her gaze away from the six-eyed glare of Malachor's new tyrant to look upon the faces of the other members of the council.

The implications were severe, and sinister to say the least. Could this burgeoning, peculiar sect of Dark Court Sith become a tertiary player intermixed between the Republic defenders, and Black Sun aggressors, as they came into rule out here in the Outer Rim systems?

---

 

[Iskera Valest]

Iskera tilted her head at the girl's question. "My plan?" she repeated, respirator flattening her voice into something almost mechanical. "Not to die making noise."

She straightened, gaze flicking up to where floodlights carved the wreckage into harsh geometry. Pandora's voice still echoed faintly from the PA. The move had been decisive — crude in its hunger for spectacle, but decisive. That mattered more than polish.

"Listen carefully," she continued, tone clipped, meant for focus. "There are three predators in this arena: those who hunt alone, those who cluster, and those who control the ground beneath our feet. Alone, you are the first type, doomed to bleed early. With me, you are the second. With her—" a faint tilt of her chin toward Pandora's lights— "we may shape the third."

She let that linger, measured silence punctuating the point. "I do not promise safety, rather structure. You strike when I point, you fade when I signal, and you do not panic when chaos closes in. In return, you live longer than you would without me."

Her eyes narrowed, faint violet catching the glare. "She wants an audience. Fine. Let her draw every stare. We slip along the edges of her light until we stand close enough to make her hear us. Then we align, briefly. Long enough for the Dark Lady to notice efficiency in the noise."

Iskera adjusted the strap at her hip, where a vial shifted quietly in its case. "That is the plan."

She turned, cloak brushing ash, steps deliberate as she angled toward the light.

The Lost , Viscountess Pandora , Darth Virelia , Marcus Dinn , Qyssiyana , Tamsin Starfall , Kito , Valaine Valentine

 

[Darth Virelia]

"Dark Becomings." - OBJ 2: Darth Anathemous , Delsin Shaw , Lysander von Ascania , Vakhari Lutris , Madrona A’Mia , Adean Castor , Malyssa moddol Her

Virelia did not interrupt. She never did, when someone thought they were unveiling brilliance. She let them speak. She let them weave threads until the web threatened to collapse under its own weight. Then, only then, did she tilt her mask toward them, and the chamber shifted to her cadence once more.

"Politics," she said, softly. The word dripped like oil, coating everything Her had laid bare. "Naboo. Ukatis. The Mid Rim, their monarchs and assemblies, their gilded dinners and trembling aristocrats. A Jedi in one seat, a warmonger in the other."

She raised a clawed hand and made a small, slicing motion, reducing the grand recitation into parts.

"One. Naboo crowns a new ruler. Either a Veruna who loves war… or a Shiraya-bred Jedi who preaches peace."
"Two. Ukatis teeters between masters, its bloodline scattered between mystics and opportunists. Their alignment may tip with Naboo's."
"Three. The High Republic is distracted, fending off cartels and conspiracies. They are staring somewhere else, but not blind."

Each point landed like a nail struck against stone. Then her voice dipped lower, wrapping the Court in a velvet coil.

"And now, the question: should the Dark Court entangle itself in this web? Do we nudge Naboo toward Veruna, the warmonger, to hasten bloodshed and destabilization? Do we bleed the Jedi candidate quietly, denying the High Republic a voice of restraint? Or do we leave both to their little pageant, while we build our Spire undisturbed?"

Her six violet eyes swept the table, lingering on Lysander's ambition, Anathemous' poise, Vakhari's smirk, the inscrutable quiet of a stranger's mask, the verdant calm of A'Mia, the watchful gaze of Malyssa. Every pause was deliberate, a hook set into their silence.

She didn't look at Delsin, she knew he was ready.

"Malachor is ours. That is truth. But we are not bound to ash and stone alone. Already, our shadows reach further. Already, whispers of our hand stir fears in systems we have never touched." She leaned forward, claws tapping a slow rhythm on the obsidian table. "The High Republic is ripe with fracture. If we strike, it must be with precision. If we wait, it must be with patience. Either path, the blade must be honed."

Her tone turned licentious now, warm as a lover's whisper yet edged with hunger. "So tell me, my Court. Shall we seduce the Republic into war, by lending weight to Veruna's ambition? Shall we strangle their hope of peace by cutting the Jedi's throat? Or shall we let them choke on their own indecision, while we grow fat and inevitable here in the shadows?"

She reclined once more, violet fire flickering in her mask. The silence that followed was hers, a silence meant to drag confessions and ambitions out of those who shared her table.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Objective 1: Trial of Ash
Equipment: The Ashblade, Perseverance, Katana Style Lightsaber (Stolen from Kito )
Tags (Focus) - Kito Viscountess Pandora
Tags (Nearby) - Tamsin Starfall The Lost Iskera Valest Marcus Dinn Qyssiyana Darth Virelia

"Careful,"

Valaine gave pause just briefly as she noted the blade that she was warned about, her tired eyes regarding it silently. Perhaps it was like her Ashblade? A weapon that'd simply attack anyone else that tried to wield it? She should make note about that to Kito at some point she thought, just in case she had ideas for it in the future... But as she neared closer to the Shaper to lean in and pierce her neck with her fangs she paused again.

"Could you do it like last time?"

A light huff from the young Sangnir was given, "Uh-... Like last time..?" she briefly recalled and pouted with a gentle sigh. "Now who's getting ideas..." she muttered softly. She paused to glance at her surroundings and in her entirely oblivious nature confidently stated; "I sure am glad there's like, no cameras around here." (There were very much cameras).

With that she leaned in to place a firm bite upon Kito's neck, the short fangs piercing her skin with ease as she put pressure upon her throat with her teeth. She fed upon her very briefly before she pulled her fangs away, only to let them sink back in immediately as she delivered multiple swift bites. A drop of crimson trailed down the corner of her mouth as she fed on the Shaper, arms wrapped around her firmly as she felt the surge of strength that her blood granted her.

As her mouth pulled away she gasped quietly in delight, taking a second to pause and gaze upon Kito before she remembered where she was. With a step back she gave a shake of her head to wake herself up. "Okay- Okay. Enough... We uh... We've got stuff to do so..." she gave a little shake of her arms and stretched her legs.

"Pandora's good with the Force, like I said, so my plan's this; we run straight at her. If she hits one of us, the other can like, close the gap and mess her up. Sound good?" asked the young Sangnir. Her plan was extremely simple and straight-forward, in fact it was barely a plan at all, she didn't even know about the turrets... but she was assured that it'd work. "I'm terrible with the Force so you're gonna have to pick up my slack if it turns into an extended fight... but, let's start moving, huh?"

With that Valaine would finally depart the shelter of the wreckage, into the bright lights that Pandora had turned on. There was nowhere to hide out here, and so she'd have made herself plainly visible by doing so, and Kito too if she followed.

Her tired eyes scanned around for Pandora, and surely it wouldn't take long to spot her, and in return Pandora would no doubt see her too... Along with anyone else emerging from the shadows.

 

[The Lost]

Wait they were planning to align with the craziest one of them all? The realization that the plan was absolutely to try and reach Pandora, to speak with them and solidify some reason not to kill each other when they seemed to be the one most likely to kill everyone else, it sent a chill down the Lost's spine. She was weak, incredibly so compared to the others.

It was more likely she was to be killed because of it. What other option was there, though? She bit her lip, hard, before she gave a very shallow, very hesitant nod. Surprise was her only weapon, and Iskera was right that she would bleed and die alone without such an asset. Having another to hide behind for her surprise attacks would work.

The paranoia never left, though. It could all end in her death if she messed up or trusted blindly.

"Alright, then." Her grip on her dagger didn't lessen. The only good thing right now was that the other woman seemed to understand the Lost's skills, if they could even be called that, were about being in the shadows. "I'm keeping the first lightsaber that drops, though."

Iskera Valest

 

[Viscountess Pandora]

"HOW LOVELY!"
Obj-1 Trial Of Ash
Equipment- Red Lightwhip ,Cortosis Vibroblade
Tags (Primary) - Iskera Valest Valaine Valentine Kito The Lost

Tags (Non Focus) Qyssiyana Darth Virelia Tamsin Starfall Marcus Dinn

Pandora stood up as she finished placing the last turret. Their sensors were active, and automatically scanning the chokepoints. Excellent, now time to lie in wait. Then, Pandora would scale up a rock formation that gave her an aerial view of the arena. Something she can watch while the floodlights flushed out those who hide. She constantly looked at the turrets, none of them firing yet. Pandora narrowed her eyes, as she watched for the slightest movements. Something did catch her eye though. Valaine. That shy and timid pale girl. Moving towards her with purpose. Behind Valaine, another figure also following her. But Pandora couldn't make it out who it was. 'Are you running for help? Or running to come fight me with a friend?'


Out of the periphery of her eye, another thing caught her attention. Another combatant, with a possible ally. Also closing in on her position from an angle that she didn't expect. Pandora softly cursed to herself. It would quickly become four versus one. A part of her felt honored that so many consider a threat. Another part also wondered if they just found her easy prey. Pandora once more glanced at the route that Valaine was taking. Luckily a turret was placed along that path. Hopefully Valaine Valentine , the airhead she is, will run right into its path and she will get hit with painful stun bolts. Whatever the outcome might be, Pandora had other things to worry about.

She turned back to that other pair, running along. Pandora will go to engage them. Maybe she will get those two to submit before Valaine and the other mystery person comes after her. Pandora closed her eyes taking deep breaths.

"Mistress, enjoy the show." she would say before opening them as she ignited her red lightwhip.

Pandora then backflipped off the rock formation, with a crazed smile before slashing at the rock. The red lightwhip cut through the material easily, causing chunks of rock to fall down below onto Iskera Valest and The Lost . Pandora let gravity take her as she fell down, the rocks impacting the ground first. Pandora used the force to slow down her descent, as she looked to the affected area to see the result

 

[Lysander von Ascania]

Objective Two: The Price of Silence
Tags: Madrona A’Mia | Darth Virelia | Delsin Shaw | Vakhari Lutris | Her | Malyssa moddol | Darth Anathemous

The chamber hummed, a constant pulse, the violet torches hissing between every scrape of armor. The sounds, so small, could’ve been swallowed by the obsidian walls around them.

Perhaps, that was why he claimed the table's heart; Lysander wanted to be where every eye could find him.

His back was straight but far from rigid, one arm resting lightly on the table's edge, the other in his lap; a Sith, a bounty hunter, an entrepreneur, he was clearly someone of many faces. Yet at his very core he was a courtier. This was why he naturally carried the stillness of one, aware that movement drew the attention so easily, and that sometimes.. the most dangerous thing you could do was nothing at all.

Darth Virelia 's control was effortlessly catalogued, especially with how she filled the space long before her words did. No doubt, she was dangerous, and in a way he understood.

Armored boots drew his focus to a figure just as she registered in his peripheral vision. Darth Anathemous . Golden orbs found him, and he held that look steadily, but not so long that it turned into a challenge. The younger blonde’s chin dipped the smallest fraction, in courtesy. It was Lysander’s way of saying I’d rather have your blade beside me, rather than at my throat.

And that was more than he offered to many, even in his current stage as an apprentice, a fearlessness the Force could not teach.

Another faint tilt of his head marked the recognition of Vakhari Lutris next, from Jutrand and among the Tsis'Kaar. A strange, random encounter to be sure, but his remembrance of her was not ill, for they had worked alongside when the time arrived.

But then came a voice from the wall. Her.

Or rather, the absence of her.

A ghost without a face. This could’ve been an irritation; after all, a table was for seeing and being seen, and this one chose to hide.

Such a fixation on Ukatis and the Mid Rim felt oddly constrained, as if the rest of the galaxy’s fires were irrelevant.

This was why their mention landed like a small stone in the water.

“Ukatis is not a name I hear often in any room. There is no doubt that its mention here is coincidence. I will not feign ignorance. It is indeed my homeworld. Nor will I feign sentiment. The day my father died, so too did the Ukatis I knew. When the Sith Order’s presence became known there, it was Lady A’Mia and I who personally saw to the removal of its king. That was not an act of loyalty to any crown, but a calculation, to sweep the pieces aside and prepare the next play.”

He let the silence breathe a moment longer, then spoke, voice smooth.

“Naboo’s pageantry and playing in their gardens has not been a concern of mine, lest I begin to care for the Mid Rim’s aristocratic.. theatre. But I do understand leverage. If Naboo’s choice tips Ukatis toward a position that serves the Court’s interests, I shall consider it.”

Had there been an ache lingering in his heart at the mention of his homeworld, it was not for the planet itself, but for his sister. His love for the eldest, Corazona von Ascania , could've been an open wound in the Force. Furthermore, through the Weave, a connection which left him exposed to A'Mia's mind, he was like a book with pages torn, easy to read. Surely, she could feel it clear as breath. Were she to speak, she could attest that Ukatis' politics, and its people, were already nothing more than a corpse to him.

“My concern is not the preservation of a people who would not preserve themselves. My concern is the shaping of conditions in which our designs ..here and beyond ..can take root without interference. If that means lending aid to the Court, so be it. If it means removing a Jedi before she can wield her influence and summon others into their pacifist orbit, it will be done." A pause. “The blade cuts where it must.”

Lysander leaned back, but it wasn’t retreat. Instead, it was an invitation, for the room to respond.. daring them to question his loyalties should they be so curious.

“I did not come to Malachor to be a spectator in another’s theatre. I arrived to connect our worlds.” He angled himself toward the Neti, directing the room's attention to the newly appointed governor.

“Beside me, sits Brosi’s new voice, a world we have both have already touched through ventures seeded on Korriban and nurtured in the wake of the recent invasion from Imperials. Different soils, both fertile for what the Court may intend to grow."

A moment was afforded to scan for reactions, traveling from face to face. “If you are to shape the currents of any region, then you must weave everything into a single tide."

The curve of his mouth straightened, and the hand resting upon the table lifted, palm open. “Brosi’s commerce. Malachor’s teeth. Together, they can both cut deeper than one world alone.” At last, his attention returned to Darth Virelia. “That is why we are here.”

 

[Kito]

//: Objective 1 //:
//: Valaine Valentine //: Viscountess Pandora //:
//: Attire //: Oni Mask //: Odachi //: Wakizashi //:

The pressure of Valentine's fangs made Kito wince, though she was used to it by now. Each bite left its mark, slow to heal, and tonight was no different. She loosened her collar with ease, giving the Sangnir free rein of where she wanted to feed. When she caught the trail of blood at the corner of her mouth, she reached out without hesitation, brushing it away with her thumb.

The closeness lingered. Her face softened, and she leaned in before catching herself. Valentine steadied first, leaving Kito to clear her throat, step back, and tug her tunic back into place. Her hand brushed her neck where the sting still burned, hiding the warmth that flushed her skin.

Thank Ashla there were no cameras. No one could see this weakness but Valentine.

"Alright then," she said at last, nodding as she listened to the Sangnir's plan. It wasn't tactical — not by Jedi standards — but it was something she could work with. Kito felt the pulse of borrowed strength flowing through Valentine. Part of her almost told her to feed again, to take more, but she swallowed it down. If it came to it, she'd bolster them both with the Force. She was still a Jedi.

She followed Valentine into the open, where the shadows thinned and danger sharpened. The other acolytes had run — typical Sith behavior. Wait. Hide. Let the enemy err.

Kito sighed, a brief ache catching in her chest. Her hand brushed her blessed odachi; she knew it would remain sheathed tonight. A single tear stung her eye.

The whir of metal caught her attention. A turret. Her danger sense screamed an instant before fire. She reached out, grabbing Valentine by the cloak and yanking her close, pressing her tight against her chest.

Flames roared from Kito's hand, attempting to melt the turret's muzzle before it could line another shot. For those that fired, they met nothing but air — the Shaper's barrier of Force surrounding them both.

Her grip on Valentine was loose, protective but careful. She kept her own fire licking outward, never inward — never toward the woman pressed against her heart.

"I got you."

---

//: Darth Virelia //: Iskera Valest //: Marcus Dinn //: Qyssiyana //: The Lost //: Tamsin Starfall //:​

 

[Delsin Shaw]

|| Objective II: Dark Court ||
|| Tags: | Darth Virelia | Vakhari Lutris | Lysander von Ascania | Adean Castor | Madrona A’Mia | Her | Darth Anathemous | Malyssa moddol ||
​

The tone that Darth Virelia took towards me produced a soft chuckle for a moment. That my snide remark for pleasantries was weakness. A slight tilt of the head and shake was all she received from me. Of course she would see it that way. Someone who wanted to get right down to business. In which it did. Many spoke quickly about Utakis and the High Republic. And without hesitation, I knew that this was a more personal agenda. The High Republic was still getting its toes wet on the galactic scale. Yes, they absorbed many of the other worlds that the Alliance had not been able to, and they were forming the Jedi Order. Standing it in place and to supplement their other order. This was common knowledge. However, the aspect of it being tied to a world that a newer face here was intimately connected to, made my eyes pierce over to the face.

Lysander I believe his name was. The students of Kor'ethyr were names I have heard before with my contact within the Sith Order. Namely, knowledge that one particular A'mia was one who was not to be mess with in a battle. As she could shift her form. Her exploits on Brosi was proof of such. That was, the Sith Order and their two Titans that fought over the planet at that time. A soft nodding came from me as they went back and forth. Trying to play the cards right to get in with the High Republic and have their war with the Black Suns keep them occupied. So their eyes did not fall upon us. Virelia even recondensed what was taking place.

However, Lysander spoke eloquently of what some of my own thoughts were. We should not be so focused on other factions and their wars, when they weren't even looking at us in the first place. That we should build ourself to be stronger, so that the blade of the court, that the Lady Virelia spoke so much about, would actually be sharp enough to cut. As such, I followed his voice.

"The High Republic do not see us as a threat currently. Let their ignorance blind them for now. Potentially drawing their ire over an election that would have very little consequence to us at the current time, would not be wise. Would it be beneficial to do so? Yes. However, the costs outweigh what we should be doing. Focusing on the Court to gain its power of influence, before we go after personal agendas of political intrigue."

I stayed sitting with my hands clasped in a cable grip in front of my mouth. Eyes playing over all who were here and their reactions to such things. My palms rubbed together for a moment before releasing and relaxing on the table. Fingers intertwining.

"Brosi's industrialization and their resources will be a valuable asset. and of little consequence to acquire. As the Princeling stated, Lady A'mia already has that connection. Bolstering our resources means more strings we can pull when they are needed to be. Already we have eyes and ears within the Black Suns, Mandalorian Empire, Sith Order, and even some within the Kainate. Having access to any worlds behind the Blackwall that the Order has formed would be a leg up over other Galactic powers."

My eyes turned to Her. The personage that she produced forth at this time. Last time a Hologram, now in person but wearing clearly Stealthy measures. Hiding who she may have really been. I had done many aspects of the same in the past. So seeing that she was doing so, did not produce a desire to work with Her. She had her own agenda, and it may not be completely aligned with the Dark Court. She already spoke of teaching Virelia how to do as such. And that is what drew my attention now.

"The Dark Court is not a personal tool to be wielded by one. Its a formation of powers and structures to reach an absolution. Even if from shadows and dark spires. Galivanting off to influence others when we have little influence currently will only stretch us thin. You may be the face of such a thing Lady Virelia, but all of this would fall should even a small number of us abandon you."

Leaning back into the seat, arms crossing with fingers rapping upon my upper arm. A subtle shake of the head.

"Do not forget, to have power in the shadows, you require power to be hidden first. We, the court, have neither."

 

[Iskera Valest]

Ash hissed as stone split overhead. Iskera did not look up until the first shard broke free — timing mattered more than panic. One sharp tug on the Lost's sleeve pulled her a pace sideways, boots dragging her into the shadow of a twisted girder just as the first boulders smashed against the ground. Dust sprayed, metallic and choking, but the bulk of it fell where they had stood moments before.

"Observation one," she said, voice steady even through the respirator's hush, "she wants spectacle more than kills. The rocks announce her entrance."

Red light flickered in the dust, Pandora's whip. Iskera's eyes tracked its arc with unhurried calculation. The weapon was erratic, yes, but also predictable: a net that demanded space.

She crouched, one hand brushing the small case of phials at her hip, eyes narrowing. "Keep your blade ready, but do not lunge. She is measuring our reflexes. Let her see control."

Her gaze shifted through the dust toward Pandora's form. "If she meant to kill us, she would have cut stone down upon us unannounced. She wants to test. That makes her open to dialogue."

Iskera straightened. "Follow. We move forward."

Viscountess Pandora , The Lost , Darth Virelia , Marcus Dinn , Qyssiyana , Tamsin Starfall , Kito , Valaine Valentine

 

[Malyssa moddol]

Objective 2: the price of silence
Wearing clothing
Tags: Darth Virelia Delsin Shaw Lysander von Ascania Darth Anathemous Her Madrona A’Mia Vakhari Lutris @

Malyssa sat there thinking "while I agree at some point we should begin pulling strings to our favor" she said calmly as she looked around the room. Her look was calculating as she crossed her arms "I agree that we shouldn't draw the attention of the high republic yet to do what try and elect a leader who will go to war and drain the high republic of resources how do we benefit fully from that at the cost of potentaly exposing us to a large Galactic power" she offered blantly as she sat there. Watching what the others did and listened to what they said.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Objective 1: Trial of Ash
Equipment: The Ashblade, Perseverance, Katana Style Lightsaber (Stolen from Kito )
Tags (Focus) - Kito Viscountess Pandora
Tags (Nearby) - Tamsin Starfall The Lost Iskera Valest Marcus Dinn Qyssiyana Darth Virelia

Naturally Pandora's assumption that Valaine would literally just run straight into the path of the turrets was accurate, and as she came into range of the first one she blinked and watched as it spun towards her. To the young Sangnir's efforts she did ignite the katana saber in her hand and ready to try and deflect the bolt, but it was a type of training she hadn't yet completed.

Thankfully allying herself with Kito had been the right call.

With a light yelp the Sangnir was suddenly pulled aside before she could make her blundering attempt to deflect the bolt fired by the turret, the stun projectile just barely missing her as she was pulled away into Kito's hold as she was pressed against her chest. For a moment she thought that the Shaper was being just a little too protective, but then she heard it, the roar of flame.

As Sangnir; fire was her bane, but the fear of it ran deeper with Valaine, it was a primal type of fear she couldn't explain, something that tormented her. Kito would've felt the young Sangnir suddenly shaking in her grasp. She knew that the fire was right behind her, she could hear it, she could feel its heat, and she could see the light of it upon the Shaper's form. She stayed where she was, frozen in place against her until the fire died down, and even then she was still shaken by it.

By the time she was able to pull away from the Shaper the turret was melted into slag and it seemed Valaine was trying to steel herself against the fear of flame as she choked down a breath of shuddering air. "R- Right, that's... G- Good job." she spoke, and despite being as fearful as she was she turned to see the remains of the turret. She gulped down another breath and pressed forward, "Sh- She's close."

The young Sangnir pressed on; aiming to reach Pandora before she could be met with offers of allegiance by the others. With any chance a big fight could break out before more teams were formed and give herself and Kito a much needed edge.

She'd soon arrive in sight of Pandora, and whoever else was present that she was about to engage with. Valaine raised her voice to try and distract, to get the first provoking word in to draw her back to herself and Kito. What would get the Logikosa's attention? "Pandora...! I ripped up one of your dresses! I've got another one hostage right here and I'm gonna shred that one too!" she called out. She had done neither of these things, but hopefully it'd work.