Private Wolves and Woods

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING:
TAG: Madrona A’Mia

The ship hummed as the hyperdrive pushed it toward Korriban. Praesitlyn had been captured, the Wolf and his army proving victorious in the assignment which they had been given. It had been a ragtag group which he had gathered to oversee the various aspects of the campaign. Representation from each of the internal factions of the Order found a place in his triumph. It was the Wolf’s way of showing that the Sith Order was stronger when they opted to lay their differences aside. His mind on the matter was more akin to that of the Echani Empress. Of any Sith she had the greatest influence on his methods and philosophy.

For his own part, the Wolf looked to add to his fold when he could. This last mission the invitation had been given to the Neti which often accompanied those from Korriban. Of all of them, she was the one Gerwald was the most curious about. In his travels he could never recall meeting a Neti. It was a fascinating species, sentient and treelike. The idea called to the Wolf within, though he was unsure what the beast would think.

It was not a short flight to Korriban, even at light speed. The journey meant Gerwald would be unable to retain his humanity without shifting. There was no reason to tempt fate, nor did he need to hide his nature among his own crew. Gerwald had learned a long time ago that showing people what he was would not bring the trouble or danger his mother had once warned about. She had used it to create fear, fear she used to control him and his siblings with. He had not enjoyed watching her die, but he was grateful for the freedom he had found without her firm hand directing his steps.

The soil under his paws felt rejuvenating, even if the forest on his Star Destroyer was nothing more than an environmental terrarium. Everything about it had been made to replicate the sight, sounds, and smells of the forest he grew up running in. His nose could discern the difference, but it was close enough to make him feel at home. Nothing could be done about the pang in his heart which missed his mate, Naedira, when his missions separated them. He often preferred her to travel and fight at his side. He did not feel whole without her.

His run was borne out of more than a need to keep his sanity. It had come from a desire to forget the distance the length of his absence put between him and those he held most dear. Even though he was a Sith, family meant more to him than anything. Naedira was his.

Doors opened and closed, and a new life entered his sanctuary. Gerwald quickly ran to where his clothes had been set aside for such intrusions, and shifted back into the man most knew him as. His robes were loose and basic, black as night which was typical of Sith. He emerged from the foliage to greet his guest, surprised at who it was.

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

A'Mia's presence at the mission was in alignment with the spirit of cooperation. In truth, she had been there to represent the sentiments of her superiors and Lord Master: Sith were stronger when unified. So it had been only natural she accepted the offer that Gerwald Lechner made to expedite her return to Korriban by providing transport himself. Her curiosity took her on a thorough tour of the ship, and because the trip took ample time- she interviewed many of the staff onboard. Any who would put up with her strange, often intrusive or odd questions. Eventually she came across the impressive vivarium and would not resist the urge to understand as much about its form or function as she possibly could.

"Oh-" she seemed just as surprised to see him but her affect soon turned sunny in a way that didn't reach her eyes.
"How impressive this all is- your personal sanctum?"

She wore her simple academy robe and her long vine like hair was secured in a long braid atop her head.

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING:
TAG: Madrona A’Mia

“Yes.”

Gerwald’s answer was straightforward as he looked over the Neti curiously. Her abilities and species were a curious thing to the Wolf. He could not recall meeting a Neti before, though he recalled an acquaintance of his caring for juvenile Neti at one point. He took several steps toward her and smiled.

“You are more than welcome to walk around. If your species needs nutrient rich soil for sustenance I promise you this is the best you will find.”

Gerwald ensured the sanctum used the same ground he was accustomed to. Stewjon soil was what made his sanctum carry the scent of home. It had been imported from the world. With the Neti in his sanctuary some of his curiosities could be satisfied, so he would press the advantage the opportunity gave him.

He motioned to foliage.

“Your assistance was appreciated. I must admit I have never seen anyone do exactly what you did. Was it natural or the force?”

It would be the first of many questions. Gerwald was certain she had some of her own.

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

The strange woman didn't move at his approach, in fact she lacked some of the innate subtle motions that most species exhibit. Her chest did not rise and fall with breath, she could watch without blinking for uncanny stretches of time, and the way she interacted one on one gave the impression that there was constant calculation occurring. But her tone and demeanor were friendly enough and she responded with practiced graciousness.

"An offer I would be foolish to decline, this space is a modern wonder. Though I will share that I generally require only broad spectrum light and water in order to thrive."

She commented politely, considering how next to answer his more direct question. It was to be a game of "getting to know one another" and her curiosity was certainly ravenous.

"Without knowing precisely which action you mean, I can most safely say that it's a combination of the two." She paused, finally moving as if to walk slowly to gaze up and around at the forest as she continued.

"Sithspawn such as the shambling vines used today are possible due to sorcery combined with the incredible versatility of my flesh." She tilted her head to look back at him with new calculation.
"Through darkness and the sacrifice of my own body, I bring into the world the perfect servants of my will."

The Neti purposefully left out all mention of the Murakami Orchid and left her description of the powers she possessed rather vague. Allied or not, she'd been informed that it was unwise to show too much of your sabacc hand at once.

"What of you, Gerwald Lechner ?" She asked after a short pause, "Were your abilities wrought through time and tampering or were you born as you are?"

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING:
TAG: Madrona A’Mia

He nodded at her answer. It seemed she did not need to root herself into the ground. The Neti was plant-like in many ways, but it did not seem that was one of them. Gerwald appreciated the revelation, but it came with her own curiosity. It seemed to be the nature of Sith to trade information. A revelation came at the cost of another, even if the answers seemed to be scratching the surface.

A smile pulled at his lips. She had manipulated the environment around her at her own expense it seemed. In a similar way, Gerwald did not change without a price to pay. Though he had grown used to the pain over time, it was not absent when he transformed. Perhaps she had as well.

"I was born into this, though my kind were once created and made to be this way."

He rarely gave out that information, but the Neti did not seem like someone that could do any amount of damage with that knowledge. In truth, without the journal Gerwald had come into possession of, the location and secret of the workshop where the alchemy took place would never be discovered. He did not fear the knowledge his kind had been nothing more than an experiment would paint the interaction with the Neti.

He motioned for the woman to follow him as he delved deeper into the wood which he had made for himself.

"It is ironic I serve the Sith now. It was what my kind had been made to do as nothing but a common soldier. The project was abandoned and left to nature. We evolved into what we are now. It is something I am certain our creator would have never thought possible."

Stopping at a clearing, the Dread Wolf sat on the grass and offered the palace across from him to Madrona.

"So how was it that you came into the service of this Order?"

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Follow she did, invited to do so but also curious to explore the woods more. A'Mia listened and felt mild surprise at the way Gerwald Lechner divulged something so private about himself. His admission spurred thoughts about her own creations, about what they might become if left to their own devices. She even considered Aramea Bel briefly, her most intricate spawn, but she was not one to get carried away on tangents. So she refocused her mind to the question at hand.

"That is a larger question than perhaps you have time to listen to. If this were a rootmoot and we had a season to discuss it all, that would be one thing but..." she pondered for a long moment, stopping to crouch down and examine a unique cluster of grass.
"Suffice it to say that I was sequestered on Kashyyyk for a time, kept captive by the world itself. Until some great power wakened me. I learned later, after securing passage to Korriban, that it was the razing of the Ashlan peoples and the might of Darth Caedes himself which called to me. There are still details coming clear, still portions of the weave I don't yet understand. But that is an abridged answer to sate your curiosity."

She glanced up at him from her crouched position, assessing him with keen eyes.

"So I would say that it was a calling, the Force itself led me home." She pointedly did not list her allegience to any "Order" but openly shared about the loyalty she had for Korriban and its King.
"And you?" Returning the original question in kind.

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING:
TAG: Madrona A’Mia

“We have the entire trip to Korriban,” Lechner joked as he settled into the grass.

He set his boots on the ground, noticeably remaining bare foot. The sensation of the cool earth between his toes was something which he did not often get when he was away from Stewjon. His choice to follow the Confederacy had taken him much further from the place he called home than he realized it would. It had also kept him away more than wished. The exchange had been the truth. His decision to leave had taken him on a journey where every question he had about who and what he was had been answered.

Life was what he made it now. With his past settled, the Dread Wolf only had his eyes on the present and the future. It was why he was making his way to Korriban. Gerwald could only account for one other time he had seen any from that specific world present in the core worlds of the Sith Order. He had heard of their involvement during Sulis Van, but the Dread Wolf had been on Echnos.

Gerwald debated on whether it would be wise to share his opinion on the Ashlan people. Their presence in the galaxy had not made any ripples. History did not remember them. Silencing them did nothing of any great import. Of all the nations and factions Gerwald had known and observed, they were not mighty or powerful. They had only remained untouched because of their alliances, and when those nations fell out of power, the Ashlans fell from within.

His disdain was not for them. It was for how weak they had been. The state in which they had been by the time the Sith arrived to claim the Holy Worlds once more did not make it a victory to brag about. There would be no songs written of those battles.

“Caedes interests me. I have not had the chance to interact with him. It is a large part of the reason I offered to escort you back. I am the sort to weigh and measure an individual for myself. I wish to see how he fares.”

That was one motive the Wolf did not fear he needed to hide. In fact, as a member of the Dark Council, if he were not wanting to do such a thing it would have been more concerning. Gerwald did not need to share why he wished to measure the governor of Korriban, just that he did.

The question had turned to how he came to the Sith Order. It was a simple answer. Though the Dread Wolf was certain the Neti desired to hear some version of the story which could not be answered in one word.

“After the Confederacy of Independent Systems fell, and Naboo was decimated, I took time to discover more about myself. I met others of my kind, but their war was not my war. I sought out Empyrean and joined myself to his cause, not an Order, not an Empire, but a cause. The directive has become my own, the foundation of it anyway. I remain because I believe in the vision he cast, even if his actions of late make it seem as though he has lost sight of it.”

Gerwald was careful with this answer. It was true he had sought out Empyrean, and it was not a lie he believed in the Emperor’s vision. What the Dread Wolf omitted was that the reason he fought for Empyrean’s dream was because of his life debt to the Empress. Aside from himself and the Echani, only two others knew of it. Gerwald would carry that secret to his grave, especially among the Sith. As long as Gerwald appeared he could be swayed, he was in a better position to do what he needed to do.

“So tell me… since I have not been to Korriban since the ritual. How has it fared?”

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Even as Gerwald Lechner settled in, A'Mia continued to stroll in looping circles. Her large eyes drank in every detail as she glided slowly and listened to the man's answers. What the wolf didn't know was that A'Mia was not a fanatic and nor did she have strong feelings about the Ashlan people per se. Their time had ended as is the way of nature, the sun had set on their time on Korriban while a new dawn arrived for the likes of her and her companions. What was more, her growing power and the refinement of her Sight gave her a sense of certainty that the growing darkness within the Holy Worlds was a power that promised great things for all those who worked together to harness it, to shape and grow it.

"I'll be interested to know your impression of him upon meeting my Master, and I'll not waste our time in the attempt to influence that outcome. I too am one who seeks emperical data above all else."

She paused in consideration, recognizing an opportunity to influence the narrative regarding Korriban itself but chose not to. In fact, she approached her answer as the scientist she was.

"Trade grows, it was perhaps the first major boom other than construction and industry itself. The rebuilding of civilian and military structures alike created much opportunity for prospertity, particularly with the unique workforce we have access to," she said in reference to the undead of course.

"Since the start there has been a great push for a revival of the arts and emphasis on culture. Korriban is rich historically, as I am sure you are aware, but also abundant in unusual resources too which are lesser known. I would say the world is thriving and is much more at balance. The Academy of Kor'ethyr is also thriving. My own personal ambition for the near future is to secure more stable and abundant agrigultural support for future growth and expansion."

The woman turned to finally look directly back at the man, pausing to await clarifying questions or comments.

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

TAG: Madrona A’Mia

He nodded in reply to the Neti. Gerwald was glad she did not wish to influence his opinion of her master. What the Neti likely did not know was the Dread Wolf was not easily impressed. He had once walked with the likes of Darth Metus, and stood toe to toe with Darth Carnifex. His power overcame that of Darth Solipsis' storm. It did not help the man lorded his title about as a King. The Wolf had seen many carry noble titles when he was raised on Stewjon. The caste system he grew up under turned him sower to any who would claim a monarchy. Even his species had once been hunted by such a one to carry the title.

Her master had much to overcome.

"We shall see how he measures."

He nodded once more.

Gerwald glanced away from her pondering the phrase she had used. What could she have meant by a unique workforce? He had remembered the last time he had set foot on Korriban. The experience had left something to be desired. Had Srina Talon not stepped in, he would have. His past would never allow him to condone the actions which had been taken that night. Did they trade in slaves as the Kainites did?

The Wolf released a slow breath.

"Unique workforce?"

His eyes returned to her.

"You are not dealing in the flesh trade are you?"

It was the most pressing question. He knew Korriban well enough to know any agricultural ventures would require terraforming. The world was harsh and unforgiving which was made it a prime place for the Sith. It punished those which were too weak to survive it and rewarded those who passed its trials. Their academy intrigued him, however it would be something he could explore at a later time. For now he wanted an answer. If they were dealing in slaves, his visit to Korriban would not be a pleasant one.

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

"We shall see how he measures."

"Indeed," she agreed simply.

"Unique workforce?"

His eyes returned to her.

"You are not dealing in the flesh trade are you?"

His bearing gave her pause, not because she could not or did not want to answer, but because something within her recognized that this was one of those topics. The kind that seemed to trigger intense emotional responses in most sentient beings. The kind of topic that Elmindra Xitaar had started tutoring her to recognize and navigate with more tact, rather than with her typical somewhat clinical approach. In truth, A'Mia struggled to grasp the nuance of why slaves were such a touchy subject, she had only nature to look to for understanding and much of the cycle of life was dictated by a balance of interdependence and violence. One needn't look farther than the numerous species of ants to see examples ranging from mutualistic behavior, all the way to the capture of rival colony members to serve as salves in a dominating colony.

Her studies of the natural world could not alone inform her however, so she of course sought the example of others to guide her understanding of complex social ideologies. Though she'd not spoken in depth with her own Master Darth Caedes on the topic of slaves, she was certain that he had given policies around the matter much thought simply because of the fact he'd abolished slavery on Korriban. The man she knew and respected wouldn't make such a decision lightly, nor would he do so merely on the whims of emotion. Of that she was certain.

A'Mia considered the man, then approached to kneel beside Gerwald Lechner . Not too close to cause discomfort- another thing she was practicing -but close enough for conversation to fill the space easily between them without need to cast their voices far. She pressed one long fingered hand to the grass, tips of curious fingers sinking into the soil as she respoded.

"I speak of the undead, surely you know the might of Korriban's armies? Our work force is similarly bolstered by flesh of a kind, but not unwilling flesh and bones. Zombies, ghouls, and so on, well maintained in their own right with ample space dedicated just to them. Their forms wrapped carefully and perfumed. Dead all the same and far more efficient than slaves. The King abolished slavery some years ago, before even truly being crowned if memory serves."

​