Within Shadow

[Darth Ayra]

| @[member="Khantor Ruu"] | @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] |

Darth Ayra was stood upon the observational deck of an abandoned factory, it's occupants long left Coruscant for ventures in the Outer Rim Territories, where there was less tax restrictions and resource limits. She wore the cowl of her Sith robe over her head, concealing her facial features as she watched the Coruscanti traffic pass by. It wasn't unusual for senators to venture to this part of the city. They were known to venture to these parts for thrills and excitement that they couldn't find in the upper levels, such as the Senate District. If the two individuals that she was meeting with were professionals, and they had to be to have pulled off the grand deception that they had pulled, then nobody would know they were heading this way except for them and her.

Nobody knew that the Sith Marauder was on Coruscant either. Her travel from Kalist VI to galactic center had gone unnoticed. She simply blended in with the traffic going in and out of the Republics capital. She had left her transport in a hangar bay nearby. Her contacts in the One Sith had allowed her to utilize the abandoned factory, so that the meeting that was going to take place wouldn't be interrupted.

 

[Khantor Ruu]

Leaving the Senate Tower in a hurry, Khantor held the bottom of his long and elegant robe up so to avoid tripping over the red and orange garment. Ignoring the smirks and stares made by pedestrians, the Togrutan Senator ducked as he made his way into the parked taxi. "Tendrando Arms, as quick as you can." he said to the Duro's driver. As the speeder took off, Khantor finally slouched into the cushioning of the taxi, relieved to feel that his day was almost over. Reforming the Senate was indeed a hefty job, one that held much importance to the Senator and his One Sith brethren. If the true Sith were to return to their rightful place as rulers of the galaxy, then the Senate would need to hold some power for the Republic's demise to reach it's completion. However while the plan was still in its beginning stages, the Sith would need to be of minimum number, patrolling the galaxy in secrecy, as they had done multiple times in the past. And it was for this reason that he made his way over to the abandoned arms factory now, to discuss further the matters of patrolling the Republic sector and its slowly increasing region of space.

As the speeder came to a stop, Ultionis stepped out, now with a large black cloak draped over his body to hide the busy Senatorial garb. Making his way over to the factory entrance, the young Sith was stopped in his tracks as the Duros called out in his croaky voice, "Hey buddy, forgetting something?" Turning around to face the being, he stared at the blue outstretched hand of the Duros, waiting for the allotted number of credits to be placed on his palm. With his frustration growing, Ultionis walked up to the speeder window, bringing his black, lifeless eyes to lock with the Duros'.

"Here you go, sorry about that." he said, moving his empty palm over to the Duros, opening his hand while placing the sensation of falling credits in the drivers mind. Satisfied, the driver turned back to face the lane of traffic, propelling the vehicle forward. Still linked in with the Duros' mind, Ultionis erased all memory of the Togruta Senator from his mind, ensuring the safety of both himself and his fellow Sith that awaited him in the factory. Turning back to face the entrance, the Togruta made his way inside, picking up his pace to quickly meet up with the beings who were present within, their dark aura's blending in with the corruption and fear surrounding them in this sleazy part of Coruscant. Closing in on the dark presence, Ultionis found himself on an observation deck of the factory, a young woman overlooking the flowing speeder traffic, a common sight on the city world. "Darth Ayra, it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." he said bowing his head slightly in respect for the Sith Knight. "So when shall we get started?" he asked noticing the absence of one other Sith.


@[member="Darth Ayra"], @[member="Arcturus Procyon"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| @[member="Khantor Ruu"] | @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] |

"Hello, Lord Ultionis." The Sith Marauder did not turn from the balcony, her golden eyes following the various speeds, cruisers and forms of transport gliding along through the air. Overhead, there was even an Republic Star Destroyer that was rising from hangar bay, heading towards the Coruscant orbit. The air whipped around them at this height. It was a spectacular view.

"Were you followed?" she asked softly.

 

[Khantor Ruu]

Raising his head as she replied, he rested his gaze on the back of her head, watching as her golden hair flew under the winds control. His hood was nearly thrown off his head by the sheer force of the wind, his head-tails being the only thing that held the hood in place. Looking out over the balcony, the sound of igniting starship engines could be heard over the whistling of the wind, bringing Ultionis' eyes over to a nearby hangar where a large warship was departing its docking station. War had ravaged the galaxy, and now with the end near, the Republic wished to swallow up the worlds it had liberated. Better to keep their attention focused elsewhere so not to notice our presence, the young Sith thought to himself, watching the Star Destroyer rise into Coruscant's orbit.

"Of course not, there's a reason no one has discovered who I really am Darth Ayra. My Master has trained me well for this position and the huge task set for me in the Senate." he said, just having heard the woman's question over the howling of the wind. "Perhaps we should migrate inside to continue this discussion?" he said, the wind now starting to frustrate the Togruta, as he brought his hands up to his hood, fighting the gusts of air.

@[member="Darth Ayra"], @[member="Arcturus Procyon"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| @[member="Khantor Ruu"] | @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] |

"We'll give the other time to arrive before the both of you update me on current events. The Dark Lord wishes to know how well your mission goes, you see."

 

[Darth Kentarch]

To put it simply, Arcturus was not pleased. It did not matter how talented he was, or his associates, meeting on Coruscant was too dangerous. None the less the Sith was able to slip away from his normal day routine by claiming he was taking a trip to the Mid-Rim to look at postwar recovery efforts. Really he was taking the time to meet his fellow Sith Conspirators. Spending a day in the under-city, he ditched his Tetan clothes in favor for his Sith robes, and adorned a Sith mask which hid his face. He took the time to make sure no one was watching him or following him. Finally after double checking every possible way the Republic could be using to surveillance him, Arcturus made his way to the meeting point.

He was late, but he did not care. The Sith made his way through the factory and found @Dath Ayra and @[member="Khantor Ruu"] near a balcony on the upper levels. After a quick glance at both he removed his mask. "Next time, I pick the meeting place, cause this is just plain stupid." He said glancing annoyed to Ayra, the so called harbinger of SECTOR I. He never met either of the two, but he could already tell that there was going to be friction between him and the Darth he now had to work with. "Some of us have to keep up appearances."

 

[Darth Ayra]

| @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] | @[member="Khantor Ruu"] |

Darth Ayra turned her hooded frame towards the arriving Arcturus Procyon and lifted her hand. She put the image of her hand wrapping around the Sith Infiltrators throat and found an invisible force gripping Procyon around the neck. The Sith Marauder spoke whilst her hand was raised in the ensuing punishment. "I would be careful who you are speaking to, Arcturus Procyon. Just because you have managed to worm your way into this decadent Republic, does not make you an asset that cannot expire at any moment."

 

[Khantor Ruu]

Sensing the arrival of the final Sith, Ultionis turned as the newcomer made his way into the chamber. Dressed in full Sith garb, including a an armored helmet, the man struck a fearsome sight. However the young Togruta became slightly irritated at the nerve of this new Sith. Ayra and Ultionis weren't the ones giving away their identity, whoever this man was out in the Republic, the Togruta assumed he didn't go walking around in full Sith armor. So really the mention of keeping up appearances made the Togruta's blood boil, his dislike for the Sith intensifying by the second.

However his irritation suddenly turned to pleasure as he watched the newcomer reach for his throat, his airways suddenly closing due to the tight grasp of Darth Ayra, their superior. The Togruta's black eyes gazed at the gasping Sith with hungry eyes, standing in-between the encounter, Ultionis wanted desperately to join in the mental assault at his throat. That'll wipe the smug smile off under that mask of yours, he thought, pulling the hood off his head-tails and resting it limply on his back. His gaze travelled from both Sith, drinking in the icy words of the Sith Maurader as she continued to torment the newcomer. Choosing to remain silent until the ordeal was over, Ultionis continued to stand in the middle, the view in front of him bringing a pleasing smile to his lips.


@[member="Darth Ayra"], @[member="Arcturus Procyon"]

 

[Darth Kentarch]

With a quick wave of his hand, Arcturus dispelled the grip on his throat by his fellow Sith with the force. "And I got news for you. just because Praelior gave you a Darth title does not make you better than me. If you want a show of force, I will gladly cut you up in pieces somewhere where hundreds of Jedi masters won't be able to pin us down with seconds. Maybe if weren't stupid you'll use more discretion on where you use the force." Arcturus narrowed his eyes at the two. "So now lets get this little meeting over with so I can go back to do the real work, ok." His tone snide, he was already about to walk out.

@[member="Darth Ayra"] | @[member="Khantor Ruu"]

 

[Khantor Ruu]

"Of course, let's get right down to it." Ultionis said, relieving himself of the shock of the situation. This man must have great power to have suddenly brushed off the attack of the superior Sith. The Togruta would have to up his game if he was to still show he was worthy of this position, not that it was a bad thing for his colleagues to underestimate him. Seating himself in one of the nearby chairs, the Senator feared that it might break under the weight of his body however it held strong, a loud creaking sound being the only thing that escaped from the object. Resting his elbows on his knees, Ultionis placed his chin on his propped up hands, as he watched the two Sith make it to their own seats.

"So how about we start this off with introductions. I already have met Darth Ayra, but I am still unaware of yours, sir. Do you mind sharing, or are you too high up on your pedestal to even tell us that?" the Sith said, hungrily awaiting the man's reply, staring with cold, eyes into the visor of the infiltrators mask.

@[member="Darth Ayra"], @[member="Arcturus Procyon"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

| @[member="Khantor Ruu"] | @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] |

Darth Ayra looked between the two of them momentarily. She leaned her head to the left, eyes focused on Arcturus. "I'm not going to remind you that I am a Darth, you already know that and you don't seem to fear it either. Your words are empty Procyon, you couldn't cut me down if you wanted to or you would of have done it the moment I punished you. Your insubordination is an act of stupidity, your words hollow, your anger unchecked and your position, petty."

"If we are to maintain the facade that we have created, then you better learn your place, boy. Your semantics could deal so much damage to the cause. Remember your place."

She held her hand up and said, "Now, enough of the pleasantries and follow me." The Sith Marauder turned, keeping her anger in check, for now. But if her buttons were pushed further, she might just lose her temper; and nobody wanted that.

 

[Darth Kentarch]

Arcturus took the moment to ignore @[member="Darth Ayra"]. He turned to @[member="Khantor Ruu"] as he asked. "Senator Ruu I am Arcturus Procyon, lord, viscount, thane, krif I don't remember all my lame titles I inherited from my home world of Empress Teta. They matter little to me." Then Ayra started to go on about following her. "Before we go anywhere perhaps you would like to enlighten us to where you are taking us." While his anger was well in check, his paranoia however was not. And he was not about to go trouncing about the abandon areas of Coruscant for a confab. "You know we can brief you right here." he stated bluntly.

 

[Darth Ayra]

| @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] | @[member="Khantor Ruu"] |

Darth Ayra came to a stop, away from the balcony, meters from the transport she had used to arrive on Coruscant. She folded her arms and said to Arcturus, "I don't like to discuss my business on say, balconies for example." He was irritating her. One more snide comment and she was going to do something about it. Turning to face Khantor first, she asked, "I want to know what you've been up to in the Republic and what world you represent on the senate, first of all."

 

[Khantor Ruu]

Ultionis brought his hand up to his mouth to hide a small chuckle as he continued to watch the pair of Sith squabble, it was truly pathetic. The fact that these two Sith had only just met and already were at each others throats, it really made him doubt the Dark Lords Apprentice's decision. Would these two really be up to it? Or would the Togruta eventually have to step in and break it up? Oh how he could picture the surprise on their faces as Ultionis shut them up with a little shock of lightning, or perhaps the lack of oxygen would clear their mind.

Ultionis was pulled from his thoughts by the Darth's question, asking for his report. "Of course. I'm serving as the Senator of Shili. I am also the head of the Loyalist committee so am quite close with the Chancellor at this point in time. I've been currently assisting with the reformation of the Senate so this should bring me some extra power that I can hold over the Jedi. However apart from that everything has been quiet. Things will pick up of course, as soon as the Senate is up and running again, but until then I'm forced to just mind my own business and stick to my own agendas." With his report done, he returned his gaze back at the pair of Sith, to see if they approved.


@[member="Darth Ayra"], @[member="Arcturus Procyon"]

 

[Darth Kentarch]

Arcturus went from angry to flat out annoyed, taking a few steps forward he went back into the factory. "Okay then, no longer on a balcony." He said to @[member="Darth Ayra"], his tone laced with sarcasm. As @[member="Khantor Ruu"] spoke the Sith listened. "Reformation..." Arcturus narrowed his eyes. "Are we talking administration cuts, or are the Jedi and chancellor reigning in their own government to protect themselves?" Arcturus had no motive to be a senator, first he needed to ascend to the throne of his home planet. "I've heard such things, but I've been working the noble families myself of the Core worlds and deep core myself. Despite some comments here and there, nothing has been happening on my end."

 

[Khantor Ruu]

"Sadly we Senators have been unaware of many of the changes in the Senate. We've been kept out of the loop on many new aspects and such, so I'm afraid I'm as uncertain as yourself." Ultionis replied to his fellow Sith. Listening as the man began his own report, many things made more sense to the Togruta. For one being part of the nobility branch would explain his smug and condescending tone. This man was used to power and the ability to conteol others. However he would be surprised to find that the other two Sith weren't going to obey his every whim like the servants that must serve under him, Ultionis was not going to bow to such a weakling as the man standing before him.

"Do you mind explaining to us how exactly your role will benefit us? How much can the nobles of the galaxy really benefit the One Sith and it's plans?" he asked, interrupting the man's report. Surely this man really wasn't needed. Darth Ayra and himself could handle the patrol of the Republic's dominion just fine.

@[member="Darth Ayra"], @[member="Arcturus Procyon"]

 

[Darth Kentarch]

"Funny that democracies and so called free people keep such things under wraps." Arcturus replied. "As far for us nobles, many of us control planetary governments who send representatives to the Galactic Senate and The Republic. While my personal station does not allow me to appoint or control such things, if a few accidents happened to those in the line succession or power could easily change that. I'm working on becoming the Monarch of my planet, which if it goes correctly, will give us decent leverage and an excellent base of operations." The fact the Republic was playing things so close to the chest did not sit well with him. Technically he was a fugitive, and the Republic was most definitely looking for him and his fellow Sith who escaped the collapse. This reformation was clearly a move of paranoia out fear of the resurgence of the Sith. "But it does not take the force to realize you two don't need or want me here." Arcturus then turned and quickly moved for the exit. "If anything gets off the ground, I'll let you know. If not, you won't hear from me again." Within a few moments he was gone vanishing down a long corridor.

 

[Darth Ayra]

| @[member="Khantor Ruu"] | @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] |

Darth Ayra had remained silent as the Senator and Nobleman exchanged their brief words, prior to Arcturus departing the room for parts unknown. Her hand almost slipped to her disruptor pistol, so as to put the man out of his misery, for he seemed a miserable man. But she was on Coruscant and she wanted to keep a low profile, so she decided to keep her arms on her chest, folded over. She turned to the Sith Infiltrator after Arcturus left. "He might prove to be useful in the future. We will leave him alone, for now."

Her gaze turned to the balcony again. She did not move towards it, merely a brief glance before turning back to her undercover subordinate. "In time, there will be a group known as the Anti Republic Front that will be operating within the borders of Republic space. This will be a terrorist cell, designed to liberate the people under the bane of the Jedi. You will use the attacks that I and the individuals that make up this new group in your politics, putting pressure on the Jedi Order to find the leader and the people that make up the Anti Republic Front for justice and order. When the Jedi fail, you will meet with fellow Senators to discuss a bill that will allow the Senate to create an task force, a response to the Front, with the powers to execute or detain Republic citizens that are suspected of being affiliated or part of the Front. After this bill has passed, I will be in contact with you again to discuss our next move. You will know when to begin, after the third Anti Republic Front attack. Not on the first, not on the second, but the third Lord Ultionis."

 

[Darth Ayra]

| @[member="Khantor Ruu"] | @[member="Arcturus Procyon"] |

With their meeting finished, the Sith Marauder had returned to her ship and made her way out of Republic space, for parts unknown. Her infiltrator, no- the One Sith infiltrator had their orders. Settling in the cockpit of her shuttle, she dimmed the lights and set it on autopilot. She would float in the void for a while, gather some rest and when she woke up again, she would go back to work.

FIN