Another Meetup

[Onrai]

​Bastion

It had been so long since Vanessa had involved herself in the goings-on of the galaxy. She had done so much so long ago, yet it was not enough to satiate her desires for power. So it was that she made the choice to leave, to disappear for an extended period of time and watch as things shifted themselves around the galaxy. Now, she figured, the time was right for her to return to the place she had once called home, where she had once had a position of influence and leadership. As she stepped through the outer doors of the palace, wearing such a simple robe with a lightsaber concealed within it, she thought of her most recent information. The Dark Lord of the Sith was a man she was very familiar with, one she had once brought back from the grip of death's door.

She could only hope her return would be positively received.

As she entered the throne room, a smile began to form at the corners of her lips. She was... happy? Was happy the right emotion? She wasn't even sure, all things considered. It meant nothing, however - for whatever warmth still remained within her blackened soul was surprisingly strong, moreso than she or anyone around her would likely ever admit to. Upon reaching the throne, she bowed.

"A pleasure to be back, my lord."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The doors to the throne room were guarded only by a pair of the iconic Crownguard that had formed the backbone of the Emperor's royal guard in the months since his ascension. The rest of the palace was uncharacteristically quiet as the day wound down to the final twilight hours before nightfall, and much of the frequent visitors had returned to their homes. The grounds were still somewhat busy, it was a common occurrence for activity in and around the palace to never fully die down. Even in the dead of night there were plenty of officers working or performing some other menial task in the name of the Empire.

At Vanessa's arrival the guards initially moved to intercept her, but backed off at the last second as the large double doors opened of their own accord.

The chamber beyond was simultaneously archaically ornate and modern, towers of polished basalt rising up from the black marble floor while electroluminescence strips kept the chamber illuminated from the walls and the ceiling above. At the far end of the room was a raised throne wrought from jagged black iron upon which sat the Dark Lord of the Sith surrounded by six ruby-red Crownguard. All of them silently watched Vanessa's trek from the entrance to the throne, and only after she bowed did the Dark Lord rise from his seat to regard her.

"Is that you, Savan? It has been a very, very long time if that's the case. What brings you back now?"

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]​

 

[Onrai]

“And what if it is?” She stood, eying the Sith Emperor with what could perhaps best be termed as intrigue. “I suppose I could always say that I simply lost interest in the wasteful affairs of the galaxy and retreated to an observational position so I could see how things planned out. But would you honestly believe me, even with my tongue as sweet and honeyed now as it once was?” He really was someone she appreciated the presence of. “The truth is, I just got bored. Nothing intellectually stimulated me anymore. I didn’t know the answer to life, the universe, and everything else, but I did know enough that for a time I felt satisfied observing. That recently has changed.”

She took another step towards the throne. “And what a position I’ve returned to. You rule a rejuvenated Sith Empire - no more enigmatic “Dark Lord” who remains vague. At least I can... appreciate your style of puppeteering.” She smirked, recollecting how things once were. “Though I wonder what allies and enemies you have now. Certainly you would appreciate being able to throw a spanner into the gears of those who would try to claim your... well-deserved place at the head of this monster.”

She thought for a bit. “I still have technology to be made and dedicated to the Sith cause, if you have need. Certainly you above all others can appreciate inflicting new forms of suffering.”

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"My reign is undisputed."

It might have been a bold claim, but in the months since he had taken the mantle of Dark Lord the resistance to his rule had been surprisingly minimal. Through his unbreakable grip he had shaped the meteoric rise of this new Empire, and with the counsel of his advisors he had maintained what had been claimed. No doubt much of his thanks were owed to Lord Saarai and the Saaraishash, the silent blade that intercepted and removed threats to the Empire both without and within.

"But the Empire could always use more proud sons and daughters, Savan. So long as they remember where their loyalties should lie." Not with any one person, but with the Empire itself. It was greater than all of them, and it would be the instrument through which the Sith would become ascendant.

He approached Vanessa, his imposing frame rising high above her own to such a degree that he had to crane his neck down to look at her. "There can be no delusions of grandeur in my Empire, only dedication."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]​

 

[Onrai]

“No Sith’s reign is ever truly undisputed.” She said. “I’ve seen enough Dark Lords rise and fall to know that. I suppose I’m glad to hear you’ve forced your enemies to kneel before you and submit to your unrighteous authority.” Kaine would know, deep down inside, that the evidence supported her observation. Countless Sith Lords and organizations had arisen and fallen in the time between when Kaine and Vanessa both first walked the dark path and now. The predilection for the Sith was that defeat was an inevitability, a perpetual attempt to hold onto the railing for as long as possible to avoid being flung off.

“I know where our loyalties lie, Kaine. So to as light becomes shadow and the maiden of the morning becomes the crime of the night, shall the galaxy be made dark again.” She said. “I have been looking over the maps. It seems we are in roughly the same position we were when the original Sith Empire was about. I assume there are more subterritories within the region of the Empire that are ruled by Lords - or is it an anarchic free-for-all to determine who controls what territory under your heel?”

She noted Kaine’s imposing figure as she eyed him. This body was shorter than her normal ones, but still she stood face to face with him - even as she was forced to look up. “The same body, or did someone make you a new one after my handiwork expired?”

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

But I am not like them.

He almost spoke those words allowed, but he managed to restrain himself. To think himself infallible was the ultimate pitfall of hubris. Arrogance would be his undoing if he allowed those thoughts to take root. So instead he set his mouth in a firm frown and grunted "Perhaps," in response.

She spoke of maps and of the First Sith Empire, of whom they were both members and advocates of all those many, many years ago. He also distinctly remembered who he left in charge of Dromund Kaas' defenses on the eve of the Mandalorian's sack of the planet, but he decided to keep that bit of old drama to himself for the time being. "This Empire has learned the mistakes of the past. Nepotism will no longer allow the weak to rise to positions of power, those who possess sufficient merit will replace them and the Empire will thrive because of it. The territories are administered by governors appointed at the discretion of my Court, and are healthily monitored for signs of corruption and complacency."

It was a good system, it allowed hard-working and talented individuals to soar through the ranks while the craven, lazy, and deplorable individuals are perpetually smothered at the bottom rung of the Imperial ladder. So far it had worked as intended, and in his eyes this Empire had already surpassed both of its predecessors in efficiency and strength.

Then the mention of his body was brought up.

"Your body was inadequate. It could not bear the weight of my power and began to collapse, deteriorating rapidly the more I tapped into the Dark Side. So I abandoned it for something of my own design, a body that could withstand the demands of my might. I have continually improved upon that design." He recently spliced particularly potent Firrerreo into his own genome, and in doing so gifted himself the ability of rapid regenerative tissue.

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]​

 

[Onrai]

"So no more worrying about coups. No more risks of discord springing up to turn our quenching out the light into an internecine struggle that otherwise would devolve us from imperious victory to pyrrhic glory." She said. "I suppose that's a system I approve of, given how effective it's been from what I've seen. And you even have subdivided the Sith into specialized groups, each with a selective purpose." She had to admit that while it was rather peculiar to have such a degree of micromanagement, she had not seen anything even remotely close to the level of internal deterioration that pervaded both the One Sith and the original Sith Empire. Perhaps this was a good sign, a proper development for the Sith - staving off the inevitability of chaos.

In response to his criticism, she shrugged. "Oh well. I had my doubts that a body hastily forged of the congealed blood of slaves would have longevity - but I'm very pleased for your survival in this... new form." She looked it over once more, noting the relative intactness of it. "A coalescent cocktail of the best of humanity. I believe the term some would use is Homo Novus - new man." She smiled, thinking of whatever boon the development of this superior form of humanity would bring to the galaxy were Kaine to ever further his goals.

She thought for a moment. "Well... I'm in your service, my lord. You know what I can do that is beneficial for the Empire - the question is, what​ do you want me to do?"

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"It is not a question of what I demand of you, is it a question of what the Empire demands of you; and what you can offer it."

In his perception, the Empire was subservient to none while all those who existed within it served at its behest. It would most likely be the Empire that far outlived them if they played their cards right, a shining bulwark against the anarchy and chaos of the wider galaxy. Already the bastions of democracy crumbled under the pressure, the Silver Jedi had already fled deeper into the galaxy to escape retribution for the atrocities committed at Mirial.

They would soon taste the Empire's steel, but they were a minor nuisance now.

"Prove yourself, and then we may see what service you could perform."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]​

 

[Onrai]

"The Empire, while a righteous power in the galaxy with tremendous influence, is still only an organization. It is not alive, and the decisions of what it requires of its members are decided by the leader. What the Empire demands of me is what the leader demands of me - as it has traditionally been, Kaine." She smiled. "I can certainly say that I appreciate the leader of the organization now more than I could those many years ago." She sighed. "And while I was gone, I was developing more advanced armaments for use by the Sith after the civil war had simmered down and we refocused our fight against the light. I will... present examples of those."

She smiled at his last line. "You know I have, and I will again. There are... things to do, after all."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"We shall see, we shall see."

The laurels of the past could no longer be rested on for assurance, too much had changed and Carnifex viewed the Sith old in a far different light than he had before. He could no longer count on what he had thought was camaraderie among the old guard, many of them were just as vain and selfish as an arrogant youth fresh out of the academy and looking to make a name for themself.

They didn't share his vision, they were too caught up in their own short-sighted projects or personal ventures.

"Show me what you have developed, Savan. I will judge its worth."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]​

 

[Onrai]

“Very well.” She smiled, focusing and putting her illusion skills to the test once more in the presence of the Dark Lord of the Sith himself. Shapes of light began to form in her hands, shifting within her grasp until its form became more and more clear, coloration beginning to sink in as it transformed into the familiar form of a gun.

“If there’s one thing I know you appreciate, My Lord, it’s a weapon that can be suitably agonizing against an enemy. Something that causes them to experience extreme suffering. When I was disguised as a senator within the Republic, I had begun a plan to persuade them to use weapons of... distasteful vileness in order to pervert their good intentions into monstrous results. This rad-rifle was one of them. A basic particle beam, within which is embedded a core made of a cocktail of radioactive material, particles of which are chipped away by the beam itself. When the beam impacts a target, a small explosion occurs, spreading powdered radioactive particulate across their body. Did I mention that the dose of radiation received by the target has a one hundred percent tested mortality rate, and that the Force is, from my studies, not able to protect against radiation? How much more effective it can be against ordinary soldiers? Radiation is a terrible thing - I would know - as your body slowly, inevitably begins to necrotize and die due to the potency of the rays emitted.”

She looked at Kaine, a smile on her face. “And I assure you, I have far more where this creation came from.”

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Carnifex watched in silence, letting Vanessa explain her weapon and its capabilities in full before he deigned to reply.

"Radiation is indeed a terrible foe, but it does not discriminate. Use of these weapons would pose significant risk to our own soldiers unless properly shielded, and it would be impractical to create a specialized suit of anti-radiation armor for every soldier in the Legion. If these are ever to be used they would have to be used sparingly and with great surgical precision, against a target that we ourselves do not plan to occupy. It has potential, I can see that, but it does not have a practical use in the Empire as of now."

He waved his hand, "Show me what else you have."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]​

 

[Onrai]

She stroked her chin. "I did have an antiradiation suit developed for use by wielders of the weapon... but very well." She focused as the rotating pseudo-holographic form of a small drone. "I'm sure you recall the old Subjugator-class corvette, and how I headed their conversion to drone carriers after more suitable vessels came along. The TIE Detonator was great and all, but the Scrapmetal serves a wider variety of purposes within the sphere of things. Not only does it serve as a means of delivering a significant amount of high power explosive mass to a target, but it can also function as an exceedingly low-priced training aid. As a basic trainer it provides Sith pilots with a fragile target that is speedy and maneuverable enough to assist in the development of dogfighting skills. As an advanced trainer, it fits significant shielding, a laser cannon, an ion cannon, and missile tubes. This allows pilots to be trained in shields, the effects of ion cannons, dodging missiles and countermeasures, and generally the more advanced aspects of dogfighting. A scouting variation fits a sensor package in the explosives bay, while keeping the shield generator, allowing for a speedy and difficult to intercept means of providing information to fleets. And lastly, of course, is the kamikaze variant - cheap, capable of utilizing whatever explosives are on hand. They were effective at the conquest of Ciutric IV, effectively destroying a battlecruiser."

She had a couple more aces up her sleeve in the event that this piece of technology was not impressive enough.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"I could see the merits of such a craft, especially, as you said, in training maneuvers."

Kaine had been holding on to some droid fighter schematics for some time now, but never found an opportunity to implement them. He could now hold off on finding a use for them while they incorporated these Scrapmetal automatons.

"This is something that the Empire craves, practical application of advanced robotics and alternative forms of attack. What else do you have along those lines?"

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]​

 

[Onrai]

She nodded. "I'm sure we likely have a stranglehold regarding the usage of stygium cloaking technology, but in the event that we come up against any Jedi or well-equipped troopers utilizing stealth..." A new illusion formed itself. "The SVD-97 Surveillance Droid is a fantastic piece of machinery, designed to detect even cloaked troopers through the usage of secondary and tertiary means. Through thermal imaging, magnetic sensors, and a distortion filter capable of detecting the slightest ripple caused by someone wearing a cloaking device, this is a well-designed machine that can prevent infiltrators from successfully sneaking into locations. I would highly recommend it for use in... secure facilities. Places that will likely be targeted by our enemies." She said. "You'd be surprised how few people are actually willing to consider dealing with 'sneaky boys,' as I heard a stormtrooper call them."

It was a valid enough point - to her knowledge, the Sith Empire did not have a rank-and-file piece of equipment for use in hunting down cloaked individuals. This would certainly fill such a void. A need fulfilled, a want satisfied. A pitfall filled in with asphalt.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Good, very good."

It was true that the Empire didn't put much effort into developing a dedicated piece of equipment that could detect individuals outfitted with cloaking technology, they either hadn't gotten around to doing so or didn't think of it as a high enough priority to even warrant research. The truth was that when you were primarily fighting rebel soldiers, republicans, and Jedi, you tended to gear all of your technological advancements into improving your ability to kill as many of them as feasibly possible.

"Anything else?" He asked with insistence, "Or do you have something else in mind you wish to bring up to me?"

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]​

 

[Onrai]

"I'm sure I'll have more equipment for you soon." She smiled. "But if we're discussing things not relating to what my current business interests can provide... Remember years ago? That interest I admittedly had in you?" She took a single small step further towards the throne in question. "You know, I have to admit... it's still there." She smiled. "I only ask for... personal reasons, of course." She thought over the series of circumstances, pondering over whether pursuit of this particular move was one worth proceeding forward with. Apparently it was, as she made the decision to continue.

"I know you've got plenty of love for your many other wives, but... perhaps I could acquire myself a piece of your heart?"

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Ah, I see."

It wasn't the first time she had attempted to worm her way into his heart, nor did he doubt that this time would be the last. The Dark Lord had been particularly cautious of acquiring new wives, new concubines, only choosing those that were incapable of stabbing him in the back like that witch Anaya Fen had done.

He returned to his throne and propped his right arm up on his knee, "And what do you hope to gain, Vanessa? Wealth? Power? Both are abundant to those in my close employ, the rats scurry frantically to find themselves in my good graces. Or is it truly love? You do have a lot of nerve to come back into my presence after what happened to Dromund Kaas." He never forgot that, the stain of that failure like a smudge upon his mind. "Or do you want to get split in half, you know I'm quite capable of doing so."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]​

 

[Onrai]

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

Vanessa listened intently to the Emperor's response to her prodding at interest. When he concluded, she responded. "Wealth and power are things I already have, and were I to desire more of them, I would not approach you with feigned interest in the hopes of somehow acquiring such. My value as a Sith is meaningless if my strength is reliant solely on the power of others." Then he brought up Dromund Kaas. "Apparently it isn't enough nerve to be considered a death warrant, which I'm quite thankful for given I like this body a lot." She thought of how best to put things. "I messed up at Dromund Kaas. I'm not going to deny that. My fleet actions against Larraq and his force of Mandalorians were quite frankly abysmal. That said, I actively remained loyal to you throughout the entirety of your time as Emperor in the original Sith Empire. I provided no support to the usurper who saw what we as Sith had built collapse thanks to the Republic. And so I come back now, desiring to showcase a new level of loyalty beyond that which I originally possessed towards you." At his last comment, she smirked.

"Well, it would be the first time experiencing the touch of divine essence."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"You're incorrigible." He said with a shake of his head.

He bade her closer, to which the guards idling at the edge of the chamber became all the more noticeable. Many of them wielded strange and exotic weapons, all of which were now in their hands; yet inactive. They were prepared for danger, but had not yet sprung into action.

And they watched Vanessa intently.

"And if I recall, there was that small fling on Aza'Zoth. It seems to have left quite the impression on you, I had no idea it was that addictive."

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]​