Private Where Nothingness Gathers

[Darth Carnifex]

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The depths of the Emperor's Palace were quiet, almost serene. Cool dull gray walls studded with sterile white illumination strips left enough darkness lingering in the air to conceal portions of the halls in shadow, identical crimson illumination strips in the floor and ceiling covering everything in a fiery pallor.​

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The emptiness allowed for sound to travel for dozens of meters along the winding labyrinth, especially footsteps. ​

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And the footsteps of the Emperor were like a gong ringing out across a courtyard. His pace never slowed as he walked through the bowels of his abode, two of his scarlet-clad Crownguard shadowing his advance. They were the only living creatures for nearly a mile circumference deep below the ground, as these halls contained little in the way of necessitating large populations of workers or guards. Most of it was an endless maze, winding in and around itself with little variation in the environment. It was easy to get lost if one was not familiar with the Palace's layout, but the Emperor was more than familiar with it; he had designed it himself. Those architects who had constructed the inner workings of the Palace had the memories and knowledge of it wiped from their minds by the Emperor's most trusted servants. Now only he truly knew of its intricacies.​

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He rounded a corner, walking up to an apparent blank spot on the wall, the same as thousands of others running either side of the hall, and waved his hand in a meaningful gesture. The wall parted to reveal another hall, shrouded in darkness except for a series of small lights built into the angles where the floor met the wall. He walked past the threshold, and the wall slid back into place at his back. The tunnel went on for several meters, terminating in a large circular chamber with over a dozen meter-in-diameter hologram projection pods arrayed in a perfect circle.​

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Carnifex took his place at the nearest pod and waited for the rings to light up. Three others illuminated, projecting the appearances of Darth Prazutis , Darth Ophidia , Darth Voracitos , Taeli Raaf , Darth Isolda, and Omarest Croscal in perfect replication around the room. The Emperor would be likewise broadcast to their separate locations. He raised his arms in greetings, "My brothers and sisters, it has begun. The congregation has concluded, and the enemies we have known to linger among us have been revealed, the lightning rods have drawn them out of hiding. It is time to move onto the next step, their elimination."​

 

[Darth Voracitos]

Unlike the congregation which had called the attention of Voracitos in his prime form, Voracitos appeared to the Emperor and the others as he was before Rhen Var within the hologram. Half flesh and half alchemical ceramic, a cybernetic eye illuminating half his bulbous face in whatever apparent darkness his hologram found this lesser form. The Triumvir of Knowledge looked upon his peers and the Assassin with a neutral expression, though his fellow Triumvir garnered a slight smirk.

"A long time coming, Darth Carnifex , but well worth it, I feel. I personally reveled in the drama at Ascendant Hall, for what little of it was bearable. Now, for The Kaggath..." Voracitos let the statement hang, to allow the Emperor his opportunity to fill in the details, and Voracitos appeared to grin in anticipation, a hand coming to rest at his highest chin.

Taeli Raaf Darth Ophidia

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Darth Ophidia had been in deep and troubled thought since the congregation on Bastion.

Treason ran like lines of rot, deep into the Empire. She had known it was there, but now that it was beginning to be laid bare, she was disturbed. But in no way was Ophidia deterred from her work; she knew now how much there was before her, and she had an idea of how far it could spread. But she knew not exactly how far, and how quickly their rebellious thoughts continued to seed.

It was fortunate then that she could enlist both her Sith Assassins and argue to sway the Saaraishash in some capacity.

As her hands were clasped behind her back, the fingers of her left hand tapped on the knuckles of her right as she stepped into the holographic conversation.

Ophidia did not revel in this, not for any sympathy toward their prey. Rather, it was like an unwelcome spring cleaning at an inopportune moment. Their enemies were looking for any crack in the Empire's armour. The Silver Jedi would be emboldened by Kintan, and the repercussions of Moridinae were still an unknown.

She looked to Darth Carnifex first, giving a small nod. Then she looked to Darth Voracitos as he spoke. And one by one, to the faces of the others who had gathered there. They were all high standing figures of the Empire, and titans of Empires before.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Location: Unknown Location, Malsheem, Throne Room,
Tags: Darth Carnifex , Darth Ophidia , Taeli Raaf , Darth Voracitos

I R O N C U R T A I N​

They said he was beyond flesh and blood.

Rumors swirled about the mysterious, formidable, and fear inspiring Shadow Hand who loomed like a shroud over the whole of the Sith Empire. While he attended the previous meeting in the attendance hall many found his silence deafening. There was no swift rebuttals, no diatribes defending the Rule of Order, only silence. The Sith Immortal was already struck with word of his conquest in the slaying of a former Jedi Grandmaster in single combat, now this amidst such an event? Rumors circled about how he was so much more than a flesh and blood man that he was an otherworldly demon of secrets, mysteries, and lies. A creature who wore death like a shroud with a mind more efficient than any artificial intelligence, constantly planning, plotting, preparing. They said that the Shadow Hand was prepared every hour, every day to protect and defend the Sith'ari. Others worshipped him as a living, breathing god and adhered to the faith of the Lord of Lies.​

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They had no idea.​

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Deep in the farthest reaches of space well beyond any galaxy map, any known star chart was a planetoid that slowly lumbered through the star lit void. It was a vast construct so well hidden it was entirely undetectable from any known method beyond knowing the coordinates of its exact location at any one time, and only two individuals were gifted with such knowledge. Malsheem. It was a planetoid surrounded by an armada so vast it defied comparison except in only the largest galactic armadas the galaxy had known in its largest empires. Inside its halls were men, women whose entire lives were within the halls of the vast planetoid. It was a place where clones were bred, and where everything was genetically coded with eternal loyalty far deeper than even the greatest child indoctrinated soldier, or family bond ever could. It was the nexus of the Zambrano Empire, the most well guarded secret and greatest bastion of their rule in the entire galaxy. ​

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It was in the very center of this construct inside a cavernous throne room without equal that a pair of immeasurably large thrones loomed. One each for the Sovereigns, one each for the two Zambrano Lords who ruled the stars. In their immediate surroundings equidistant from one another across the room were the Nerean Crownguard. The Iron Guard bred from technology inspired by Spaarti but wholly Zambrano. They were warriors without names, identities, attachments beyond their charge. They were wholly separated from their humanity and genetically and biologically bred through the Zambranos mastery of the arts, imbued with a dark side ritual reminiscent of the famed Gorebound to empower them into fearsome killers who could take on even the greatest of Sith Lords or Jedi Masters in close quarters combat. They were the single greatest warriors that House Zambrano had in their arsenal beyond even the Blackblades, Crownguard, Xendori, and all of the others.​

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They surrounded their lord.​

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The Shadow Hands flesh was pockmarked with fresh silver lined scars healing after his recent battle with WolfMortum . It was his position that ensured that he couldn't remain inactive for very long, which brought him out of the tank and back on the move. The Mountain sat on his throne of black iron, tapping a button on the control panel to accept the call that could only have come from the Sith Emperor. It bounced tens of thousands of times through highly encrypted channels, and shadow nets scrambling and disguising the call to ensure it was impossible to unravel or trace. It projected his image to the assembled group, and them before him. The tyrant listened carefully to the words spoken by his nephew and the puppet master Darth Voracitos. It was nothing he hadn't been preparing for, for many years. Inside the empire while it was distracted by conquest across the stars.​

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The Iron Fist.​

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It started as a simple salute, a movement spread through the crowds that threw up a clenched fist in the air. It was symbolic to the same fist that the Sith Emperor wore the gauntlet of Kressh the Younger on. They would be the Kainenites, loyalists to the Sith Emperor Kaine Zambrano exclusively, fostered in secret by his Shadow Hand. They ranged from the lowly imperial soldier to the highest general and official. "I have already proceeded with a shift in the Sith-Imperial Military after the actions seen by certain...individuals in the congregation. It will ensure that should they walk the perceived path, their impact will be utterly minimal to the whole military, beyond their individual legions. Loyalists will be in position." The Shadow Hand said. It was a subtle shift nothing obvious enough to be noticed, merely steps carefully taken. The actions of Kor Vexen during the congregation drew his attention and therefore elicited a response from the Lord of Lies to minimize any potential impact to the absolute minimum. It wasn't directly aimed at the individual, merely securing them should he tread the wrong path. ​

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[Taeli Raaf]

The image of the Lady of Secrets shimmered slightly as she readjusted her encryption, doubling it for the second meeting of the day. The grand convocation had not gone exactly as had been envisioned, although it had certainly revealed plenty. Dealing with traitors would be important, and there was a certain smugness that the vast majority of the alchemists and sorcerers within the Empire had not voiced support for the rebellious Lords, although there certainly were a few. Her policies on eliminating archaic barriers in experimentation had gone far in ensuring the Sith who practiced their more mysterious arts would remain with the Empire and where the freedoms for their most depraved ideas could continue being developed.

But... that smugness did not mean she was not mildly miffed by the whole congregation outcome and this drive towards a Kaggath. It was a pointless distraction caused by a few rowdy and loud Lords when they should be focusing on punishing Australis for his failed incursion at Moridinae.

"Action will need to be swift and decisive," she said quietly. She would need to marshal her own forces, just in case, for this Kaggath."What concerns me is the inability for the Saaraishash to deal with the growing treachery before it came this far. Perhaps reforms will be needed within that organization, a firmer hand needed."

She was no stranger to suborning and turning individuals. A full third of the Galactic Alliance military and the New Jedi Order had joined the Sith Empire during Operations: Eclipse and those assets had fully been integrated into the Sith Empire since, swelling the ranks of the Sith Order and their military with experienced officers. But that entire process had taken a decade to accomplish of slow movements, something that a more... combative secret police or intelligence apparatus could have detected.

The call from Velok still lingered in her mind, but it was something she would not entertain at present. Her eyes shifted to the avatar for Voracitos, still wondering why he would be gathering followers if his attentions were not on their material galaxy nearly as much as they were the fiefdom he carved for himself within the Netherworld. The corpulent Lord of Gluttony was up to something else, she was sure of it.

Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis Darth Voracitos Darth Ophidia

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He listened to their voices one by one, while Ophidia and Isolda were being characteristically silent as the others spoke. "Your cabal stands ready, Supreme Excellency." Stated the Supreme Admiral, Omarest Croscal, who had remained a firm and loyal servant of the Emperor since the time of the One Sith. There were few others if there were any others, who held more influence and clout within the Sith Empire's military apparatus, and he had worked tirelessly to ensure that the bloc loyal to the Emperor remained strong and deeply embedded in centers of power. "Those of lesser faith will be purged by your command, we stand ready to carry out your will as we had in the old wars."​

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Carnifex nodded approvingly, that was good. Croscal hadn't failed him yet, and he had serious doubts that the elder Tetan noble ever would. "Very good, my faithful. Your loyalty has always been reliable, your conviction unwavering. On my authority as Sith Emperor, I grant you the emergency rank of Grand Marshal. You will stand above all other commanders as Lord of Land, Sky, and Space. Use your newfound authority to persecute the apostate among your ranks, and bring peace to the Empire."​

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He then looked to Darth Ophidia , Mistress of Assassins; "Your assassins have been preparing in anticipation for this moment, my dear. Your watchful eyes have seen the deep roots of treason among the congregation, rip them out and cast them into the fire. Confiscate their belongings, their wealth, their artifacts. The Empire will have use for such resources."​

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Now he looked at Taeli Raaf , the Lady of Secrets; "It appears as though the time to unveil the Eternal has come, I place it upon you to prepare the deployment of the Dzizroqadkut, I want their fleet ready to launch from Sarti at a moment's notice." For sixteen years they had been building this Phantom Army, and now their time in obscurity was coming to an end.​

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Darth Voracitos was next, the Corpulent Lord of the Nether; "Your fiefdom in the Netherworld will be most fortuitous, my old friend. While we prosecute their destruction from the material world, you will reach out through the spiritual and wipe them away. Gorge yourself upon the souls of all who die by our hands."​

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Darth Isolda, Eye of the Dark Lord, looked to the Emperor knowingly, having already prophesized what he was going to say many moons ago. "The apostate Voyance was once considered to stand as your equal, Isolda. We both know the truth, she was but a novice drowning in your shadow. She will attempt to use her powers to gain the upper hand against us, convene with the Vahla and the Voss to ensure that her powers do not interfere with our plans. We will need your prophecies to anticipate their next move."​

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Finally, the Emperor looked to his Shadow Hand, Darth Prazutis ; "We have long since known this day was coming, so I charge you with the cleansing of our house. The wheat must be separated from the chaff, do not hesitate. I place control of the Blackblades squarely under you, they will obey no other for the time being." He breathed in deeply, and then addressed all of them. "We stand on the precipice of a new era of the Sith, one shorn of ideological impurity. The void shall be satiated with the broken bodies of these meager sacrifices. I will be making the journey to Malsheem, the coming conflict will require my full strength. This body has served me well, but it has seen too much injury. It is time again that I make the transference."​

 

[Darth Voracitos]

Voracitos listen intently to the Emperor as he spoke, detailing the roles they would all play in this grand game of Kaggath. In essence, they were to proceed as normal, but there were bits of hidden knowledge that Voracitos became aware of at this moment. The Eternal? The Sith Lord pondered, and also knew the answer. Malsheem... Once again, the Sith Lord heard the word and pondered, and also knew the answer. These were things the Pillar of Knowledge was not directly aware of, but knowing what he would do as Emperor innately understood the meaning of these words in the context they were given. So, you have built yourself a Hidden Empire in the midst of all this public display? Well done. In the Netherworld of Voracitos, two mouths grinned.

The hologram displaying the face of one of his meat sacks, however, merely nodded.

"You are most generous, Emperor, your decree serves me well." The meat puppet placed steepled fingers upon its stomach. "Shall there be a battleground from which the apostate shall be introduced to the depths of hell?"

Darth Carnifex Taeli Raaf Darth Prazutis Darth Ophidia