An Un-Common Inquiry

[Kay-Larr]

[member="Vereshin"]


Kay knew a lot of people. Being the head of a neutral government that had allies on all sides certainly had it's advantages. If a problem arose, then she knew that help, if required, wasn't out of reach. She could get plenty done outside of the public eye, as there were some that wished to keep their involvement a secret. That was fine by her as some of the people that she had gotten in touch with didn't have the best of reputations.

But nothing was ever done without the safety and prosperity of her people in mind. They kept out of the Galaxy's squabbles to protect their own territory. Governments rise and fall while others like her own pick up the pieces.

A threat was looming in the north. At first Kay had just heard whispers, but now evidence had been produced of the threat being more than just a ghost. History likes to repeat itself, and she hoped that this part of history, the Crusades, would forever be just a memory. But deep down she knew that she was clinging to a false hope.

Through various channels and contacts, Kay sent out an invitation for one with knowledge of Sith sorcery to come to Chasin City on Commenor. Given that she was past the halfway mark in her pregnancy, she was having to limit her travel away from home.

Kay waited in her office inside the Palace, sapir tea in hand while she stood gazing by one of her office windows. The cup that she used was a special one and would be most useful in this meeting. Kay had a habit of being too trusting and she had the uncanny ability of drawing trouble to herself. Hopefully today wouldn't be one of those days.

 

[Vereshin]

A speeder taxi pulled up outside the iron gates of the Commenori Palace and Vereshin opened the door promptly. The fresh scent of rain damped the far reaching city and contrasted against the industrial thick of smoke and fumes. The Sith Sorcerer swallowed a gulp and pulled on edges of his lapel to straightened his coat. He carried a contact inside the of the pocket baring the details of one Lady Kay and an audience with her majesty. He wore his usual black coat with the standing collar over a waistcoat with glistening silver buttons. A chain hung from the pocket in which he slid his hand and pulled out his watch to assure himself that he was not late for summon.

Guards watched the little mage cautiously as he nodded to each of them before quickening his pace and avoiding the bubbling fountain. Having very little experience with nobility, Vereshin spent his years as an Acolyte in poverty and the gaudy filigree and spacious halls were alien to him. He passed through the palace doors by a further standing of guards and displayed his summon to one of them, who swapped his post and guided him to the height of the palace. Thin doors reached the height of the ceiling and opened to reveal the face of Lady Kay seated before an ornate table covered in tea-ware.

"I answer your summon, Your Majesty. Greetings from the Sith Empire." Vereshin spoke quietly as he placed a hand on his diaphragm and delivered a short bow to Kay. A servant offered to take his coat, to whom he politely refused with a swift gesture of his hand. He strode forward and sat down as a servant pulled out his chair. "According to your letter, there is a dark anomaly you wish investigated?" He smiled coyly and struggled to look her directly in the eye, his gaze shifting cautiously to each curious splendor in the room.

"Do tell me more. I'm very intrigued!" Vereshin stated as his eyes widened in curiosity. He smoothed over the front of his coat while he made himself comfortable. A servant prepared a teacup at his place and filled the china with steaming liquid.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay would normally get up to greet her guest, but her pregnancy was starting to make it a little awkward. So she remained sitting and bowed her head. She raised a brow slightly as [member="Vereshin"] stated that the Sith Empire sent their greetings. There was very little that she had to do with them. No trade agreements, no non-aggression pacts, just a few friendships that she had with some of it's members. But, it was far better to get greetings than it was to get attacked.

She nodded as he spoke of her request. "Yes, I'm doing some research with a friend and it was suggested that certain dark techniques may have bern used. But I'm no expert in that field at all."

Kay sipped her tea and waited for the staff member to leave before she continued. As usual, her meetings were conducted privately. As the door closed, she leaned forward a little, not staring at the man's eyes, but studying him a little. "How difficult is it to bring someone back from the dead? I have no wish to do it, so I don't need any details. But is it possible?"

 

[Vereshin]

As the Queen dismissed the servants, the young lady pouring Vereshin's teacup finished and set down the pot before gripping her skirts and swishing away. One eyebrow raised in curiosity over Kay, noticing the pregnancy he failed to congratulate or mention. Vereshin did not recall seeing an expecting woman so closely, apart from the odd fleeting site in cities and hotels.

"I believe my congratulations are due." He blushed slightly and smiled, his interest partially genuine. "Who is your husband? I have never been this far away from the Empire." The notes of a harpsichord played from a speaker and he gripped the china milk jug, the handle thin as lace and carefully poured no more than two drops of milk into the black tea. He gripped a cube of brown sugar with silver tongs and placed it into the cup.

"I am honored that you contacted me." With the small talk over, Vereshin pressed on to the matters of ghosts. He did not mention his expertise in the field of dark forces. "Without boring you with the details, yes, it is possible via a variety of different methods." Gripping the tea spoon, he stirred the milk and sugar until the liquid in the cup was just shy of dull brown. "Very difficult, yes." He mentioned further. "Only master sorcerers are capable of such a feat." Vereshin watched the steam float from the top of his cup as he waited for the tea to cool slightly. He did not mention his own theoretical work behind cheating death through time distortion.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay gave [member="Vereshin"] a small smile as he congratulated her, followed by a bow of her head. A brow was raised slightly as he asked who her husband is. His explanation of not being out of Sith Empire territory was a sound one. There was little reason for others to keep on top of the goings on in her government. "Thank you. My husband is [member="Veiere Arenais"] . I'm not sure if you would have heard of him."

Vereshin took to preparing his tea like a traditional tea adict like herself. Whether or not he was one remained to be seen. Kay was known for her love of tea and she almost always had it black. That all depended on the flavour though. Sapir tea was her favourite.

"Is there...a set limit of time from the moment of death to when the being can come back alive and look as healthy as though they had been alive all this time?" No doubt she would have to get into the specifics of what she had wanted to know. But it was hard to say how much she could trust the man. If word got out of her investigation to the wrong people, there was a chance that she could get into trouble.

 

[Vereshin]

"Forgive me, Your Majesty but I have not." Vereshin shook his head slightly in response to the Queen's answer. That he pursued his work as a recluse was no exaggeration. He remained veritably out of touch to the happenings of the wider galaxy. The harpsichord lilted away as he lifted his saucer and cup, holding the edge to his lips and sipping the fine tea. He preferred white tea under usual circumstances. Black tea always aided in combating fatigue when a nap was out of the question.

"All rituals to bypass or cheat death take time. A sorcerer may assume a nebulous form for decades before he is strong enough to possess a new host." The eldritch physicist spoke in a voice monotonous and eloquent, yet soft as air. He lifted to cup to his lips and savored the lusty taste. "That said, the elapse of the spell as well as the effect depend on the method and the potency of the Force user. These feats are highly diverse." He explained while reaching over and plucking a cupcake from the stand. Pausing to bite the sponge, the icing rubbed off on his nose and left a pink spot which he did not notice as he set the cake down.

"There is no limit to what can be attained through the means of the Dark Side." Vi continued to speak while not noticing the spot of pink icing on the end of his nose. "Or how it can be attained." He sipped his tea again while smiling slightly to the Queen. "Erm, do you mind if I smoke?" He asked following a pause, becoming increasingly anxious after going without his morning cigarette.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded. It was alright that [member="Vereshin"] didn't know her husband. There was an advantage to not being popular or top of mind. It kept them safe. Bith them and the planets under their care.

She sipped her tea, swallowing the soothing liquid as she listened to him speak of some of what it took. However it seemed as though he was talking about someone performing the ritual on themselves. But Ra wasn't a Force user, was he? Crazy yes, but a Force user? She wasn't so sure.

The spot oficing was noticed on his nose. Kay had to think of the best way to let him be aware of it without embarressing him. She took her finger and tapped the tip of her own nose. He might get the hint then. "Is it handled differently if performed on another person? Is not as much strength required?" To his request to smoke, she shook her head a little. "No, I don't mind at all." The room was large enough and vented well anyways. Besides, sometimes the smoke had a pleasant smell to it.

 

[Vereshin]

Vereshin's eyes fluttered in response to the Queen as she raised a finger to her nose and tapped the end. He creased an eyebrow in confusion and a lifted a hand of his own to touch his nose, feeling the spot of sticky icing beneath. With a small bout of laughter, he blushed and reached for a napkin to clean the end. He folded it down and gripped his teacup once again to sip deeply and return to the matter at hand.

"Resurrecting a being from death typically involves the practitioner transferring life energy from themselves or another organism." As he spoke, Vereshin nodded in an expression of thanks towards the Queen and a slid a hand into his pocket to find his glistening cigarette case. He flipped open the lid and plucked a cylinder filled with cloves, set it between his teeth and snapped his fingers to create a spark of electricity to light the end. He held the cigarette tightly in his fingers and inhaled, turning his head to blow smoke away from the direction of Kay.

"That is only if the death has been recent. If the body of the deceased has decayed, the essence must be transferred to a new host." Crossing one leg over the other, Vereshin puffed away on his cigarette and stirred the tea. He reached over to grip the teapot and refilled his cup, adding a slight amount of milk and sugar to the added tea. "This is the most common method of bringing another back from the dead. It does require less strength than cheating death for oneself." He stirred the tea and set down the spoon, lifting the cup to his lips in a moment of pause.

"The other option is to summon the spirit of the deceased from the netherworld and resurrect them as an incorporeal entity." Vereshin continued his explanation while holding the cigarette between two fingers and the cup in his hand. "This method is slightly more simple and requires less strength from the sorcerer." He finished and sipped again, recalling his own feats of ripping entities from the Void and creating demons from energy.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay was glad that her subtle cues had worked. [member="Vereshin"] didn't seem too embarassed about the icing on his nose, which was a good thing. He seemed a bit timid. She was the same way after returning from captivity, so she could relate.

She listened to him speak, trying to picture all of the different scenarios that could bring someone like Ra back. There were rumours that he died in an avalanche, but she wasn't sure how true that was. Kay couldn't recall anyone boasting about killing him, but she was well away from galactic affairs. So the whole thing was still a mystery to her.

Regardless, he appeared to be alive. Though she hadn't seen him in the flesh. Only in the holo-transmission that he broadcasted his threats over. Which method was used would be hard to figure out unless she was face to face with him, and that was something that had to be avoided right now.

"If someone were to bring another back from the dead, in any of those methods you mentioned, would the two be bound together, in the way of one of those Force Bonds?" Although she didn't know if Ra was Force Sensitive or not, it wouldn't really surprise her if he was. The power that he held over others was deadly.