Cruisin' Kruskan [TSE Dominion of Hex AM-22]

[Jacen Vadith]

KRUSKAN

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RUINS

He fell into a moment of thought. Understanding just how right Tsisaar actually was in that moment. In truth, he came here for personal gain with the back drop of the workers, something to justify. Maybe there were too many Sith in here that were after the workers, he might not even need to raise a finger- or maybe they were just like him, greedy in their search for power.

"Hmph." Vadith huffed in response, then continuing. "You're right. I suppose I am looking for something​, I just don't know what. I'm sure whatever it is, whenever I find it, it'll reach out to me. Then I'll know I've found what I'm searching for. Until then?" He offered a sly grin in Taral's direction, "I guess I'll keep to my wandering." His hands finding themselves by his side, wading back and forth with each movement. Allowing whatever chatter there was to die for the briefest of moments.

"Your books. What're they on?" He questioned, casting a glance towards Tsisaar for a moment.

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Objective 1

[member="Tsisaar Taral"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

OBJECTIVE 1: Uncover treasures.
WITH: [member="Cerbera"]
NEARBY: [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] [member="Jacen Vadith"] [member="Tsisaar Taral"] [member="Khonsu Amon"] [member="Lisanne Escher"]

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As Cerbera suggested they whip up something terrible for them to chew on, given the time and materials, Ophidia bobbed her head back and forth. It would certainly be fun to give them something to chew on other than old, dusty hallways.

"When we have the artefacts, perhaps."

Where there were vanishings like these, there were most often strange types of artefacts in use. Strange was exactly what Ophidia needed for her latest alchemical projects. One in particular. She looked up into the sky and focused on a single one of the faint stars peeking through the atmosphere; the first star heralds dusk. In her mind, she picked the star out of the sky and held it in her hand like a diamond. In the diamond she could see the reflection of her ember eyes. When she looked into the fire, she saw everything.

The momentary daydream seized as they moved on down into the ruins' yawning maw. Natural stone and shy patches of grass gave way to crumpled, yet sheer walls with faded murals crumbling into dust. They saw traces of new equipment, a pot of water, a tripod for stabilising macrobinoculars, an inactive scanner laying on a rock. The walls grew taller and taller around them before beginning to arch like the rotted remains of some monstrous beast. Soon the ribs turned into a vaulted ceiling speckled with holes, and gradually the holes stopped appearing, and the sun could not touch them any more.

Lights still stretched through, placed there by the researchers as they pushed into the belly of the ruins. The wind whistled, enough to send shivers down the spines of even the bravest warrior. Yet, these two, these Lords of the Sith, they had seen death and shook its hand. Ghosts would not frighten them.

"The last chamber on record should be just up ahead if we take the left path." "That should be where they disappeared."

That should give them the clues they desired to understand what was going on, and to know what treasures lay within this place.

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Tabigarashu Madara"] [member="Darth Saarai"]

At the urging of various leaders among the cult of Girawn, Velok and the Girawnites excused themselves to the back of the chapel for a quiet chat. They resumed their seats within ten minutes.

"They appreciate your reasonableness as far as the second and third points are concerned, and they also appreciate that you've stipulated to the bulk of the first point -- to wit, protection from raids and so forth. Avoiding the status of..." He looked vaguely pained. "...respawning loot cave is something that the followers of Girawn take seriously. It seems we have an agreement in principle on everything but the question of shared knowledge. The Girawnites understand that the Sith Empire has reasons for the inflexibility of its procedure. They are prepared to offer the entirety of their knowledge to the Saaraishash for review in exchange for the access you offer. I have custody of that knowledge and have verified its completeness, and will hand it over at the conclusion of this meeting. Congratulations, Lord Saarai, Hirou, and congratulations, followers of Girawn: you have a functional consensus."

 

[Tabigarashu Madara]

[member="Darth Saarai"] [member="Velok the Younger"] [member="Zahori Denko"]

The three representatives of the Empire waited patiently. Hirou had returned to the curve of Tai Fa's wing, but otherwise they were quiet for the most part as the cultists discussed.

With a small nod from Tai Fa, Hirou stepped forward again as the group returned, the Whipid speaking. Hirou could feel the vibrations of it through the table.

"Full citizens of the Empire have access to the knowledge available within it," Hirou confirmed with a nod. "And once that has been accepted, free travel within the Empire is also assured, as well as other protections under our laws. By agreeing to this, you gain not simply knowledge, but all of the rights and protections, as well as responsibilities, that come from becoming Imperial Citizens."

They spread their paws.

"The Empire is open to you."

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="Tabigarashu Madara"] [member="Darth Saarai"]

"Wonderful. Then as authorized by the Council of Girawn, I present you with the sum of their legacy, the entirety of their deepest archives, the core of their tradition and the heart of their power, the complete annotated writings and visions of Regera Girawn herself. I do so as a token that the Girawnites will live up to their bargain in return for the comprehensive access you have promised."

Velok reached inside the breast of his robes and pulled out, between two claws, a thin, ragged book the size of his palm. He deposited it daintily on the table and slid it toward the Sith Empire delegation. His grin could have consumed worlds.

"Truly, this begins a new era of shared learning and, dare I say it, wisdom."

 

[Sebastian Thel]

Objective: Non-Com Extravaganza
Allies: [member="Verse Taggart"]

The structure which was well under construction engulfed the orange horizon of Kruskan, leading Sebastian across the shipyards and past the glances of feline engineers. They had only told him that the owner of the company responsible for the construction of the space station was a Zygerrian at the last minute, which tested his ability to remain objective in a professional situation. He only hoped that she was not the type who advocated slavery.

With a clipboard in one hand and his briefcase in the other, Sebastian entered the area holding the numerous employees of the project, where Miss Taggart herself was overseeing construction. He wore a beige coat which was too long for him over a white shirt with suit pants and lace-up shoes. Thick-rimmed, rectangular glasses sat over his ears, which he pushed up his nose as he strode towards the woman in charge of the project.

"Hello Miss Verse, it is a pleasure." Sebastian said in a warm tone, extending a hand Verse to shake. "My name is Sebastian Thel, I'm here representing the Sith Empire." The ends of his mouth dented his cheeks in a smile and he remained reserved in his manner, never raising his voice or suggesting any dramatic nuance. "Whenever you like, we will discuss the statistics relating to this project." As Zygerrian engineers worked around him, Sebastian set his briefcase beneath the table in the center of the holding area.

Clearing his throat, he flipped the first page on his clipboard over the edge and read the project analysis for Meridian Dynamics. Scanning graphs and percentages, he absorbed the information on the page, which he organized into facts which Verse could use. The variables pointed to differing relations between the adaptability and the conditions in which the station would be deployed. Cupping his chin in thought, Sebastian made a note on the figures before glancing upward.

"The conditions in which the station will be deployed display extreme percentages, with high chances of unstable activity in the atmosphere." Sebastian explained while glancing over the chart, then raising his chin to face Verse. "If my calculations are correct, the rate of adaptability will not be high enough to withstand these figures." Making a note on the clipboard with his pen, he underlined the relevant statistic and continued to analyze the remaining information.

 

[Jairus Starvald]

Objective 3:

[member="Tabigarashu Madara"] [member="Velok the Younger"] [member="Zahori Denko"]

Tai looked bemused at the thin fragile booklet placed before him on the tablet.

If Velok had assumed that the move would make the Thirriken annoyed or frustrated than he'd be disappointed. Instead a wing swept across the table and the booklet appeared in his claws a moment later. "The Saaraishash will verify the verity of the claim, but I suspect that every box was checked prior to this meeting." The book was offered towards Zahori and the mission for the meantime, before his attention was pulled back towards the procession.

"Congratulations gentlebeings, you have officially avoided the so-called grave dug by the Empire." Echoing the words of one cultists at his entry. Then Tai pushed himself off the side of the chair, landing gracefully next to the table, holding out his wing for Hirou to jump on.

"Unless there was anything more I believe that concludes the purpose of this meeting."

He met Velok's eyes, amusement transferring from one to the other.

In truth this made everything easier- if it truly was all the knowledge of the cult. After all, it meant that they didn't have to censor a lot and empty brains were always easiest filled with Truth.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Colundra Sector

The noose began to tighten.

Two more of the League defenders had been blasted to ribbons, the remnants of their hulls listing lazily through empty space before crashing futilely against the Behemoth's superior shields. Their defiance against the might of the Empire might seem admirable to some, even respectable. But the Emperor saw their struggle as insignificant, the spasms a body makes before it finally stills in death. The League of Voss had lost the initiative, their incursions into Imperial space had dwindled to practically nothing as they lost more and more territory. Most importantly was their loss of seasoned commanders to command the irregulars they fielded to fight against the Imperial Legion.

These days the Empire typically fought against boy commanders, practically children, thrust into the position of leadership by the League's remaining leaders. General Lodelon languished in an Imperial cell on some backwater black site, his body reduced molecule by molecule as the Saaraishash continued to extract as much information from his herb addled mind as they could. Admiral Oottall had been destroyed over Ciutric IV after a failed attempt to destroy the Imperial garrison and shipyards stationed above the planet.

All that remained were Master Kokkim and Architect Lumohd, but neither were easy to track down. Rumors circulated that Lumohd had set up a permanent HQ beneath the waters of her homeworld, Mon Cala, and Master Kokkim was busy re-establishing the Jedi Temple on Voss in preparation for a renewed offensive. Judging by the hyperspace trajectory of the currently disintegrating League fleet, they had been part of the Voss defensive armada that had taken the Empire's bait. When the time came to take Voss, their defenses will have been diminished by the brash actions of radicals and young men.

Just as the Emperor desired.

But he tired of this meaningless thrashing, and after a moment he commanded that the Behemoth target the Triumphant with its main cannon.

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Energy flowed through the center of the dreadnought, coalescing into a powerful beam of raw power that was then redirected and fire from an energy emitter located right on the prow of the warship. A green beam exploded forth from this emitter, surging through space before colliding dead center with the Triumphant's waning shields. The energy beam sliced through the almost depleted shields like they were paper, continuing on to bore a hole through the command ship's center before finally reaching the power reactor with a tumultuous eruption of energy that broke apart the Triumphant.

With a single blow, the Empire destroyed the small fleet's command ship. The rest of the fleet would flounder without a central ship to command them, leaving them easy targets for the Imperials to mop up and destroy.

 

[AMCO]

Objective I: It belongs in a museum, my museum.
Nearby: [member="Xevek Rakama"] | [member="Lisanne Escher"] | [member="Jacen Vadith"] | [member="Tsisaar Taral"] | [member="Khonsu Amon"] | [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] | [member="Darth Ophidia"] | [member="Cerbera"]
Post Number IV

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At first, it was quiet. Like a dissonant whisper at the edge of his consciousness. He might not have noticed, had he not been looking for something exactly like it. He couldn't tell what it was, but something about it felt wrong. Despite, or perhaps because of this, he headed in its direction. Power was power, after all, no matter how vile it might feel.

As he rounded a corner he felt it growing in intensity, rolling off his mental defences. It was weak, diffuse. Hardly a threat. At least yet. Hearing his companion groaning behind him, he spun around, only to see her clutching her head. Huh. He probably should have seen that coming. Muttering an incantation under his breath, he made a few quick gestures with his right hand, before placing his index and middle finger on her forehead. As she gasped slightly, the pressure fading away, he decided to take a moment to berate her. "Aren't you supposed to be trained to resist these sorts of things? Seems pretty essential, to me."

Before she had a chance to respond, the sound of a blaster firing rang out from further down the corridor, a green bolt barrelling towards Adrian. Throwing himself to the side, it struck the wall behind him. By the time the second, and the third, shot rang out, he had already manifested a barrier. Frowning with annoyance, his gaze fell upon his attacker. It was one of the archaeologists, but his uniform was torn. His eyes wild. With a single gesture from Adrian, his blaster was flung from his hands, fizzling violently as the power cell was crushed. "What in the name of the Emperor do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea..."

Laughing hysterically, the man stormed towards him, arms outreached as if to grab him. Before the man had even traversed half the distance, a short burst of lightning launched forth from Adrian's right hand, sending him to the ground, spasming violently. "Well then, I suppose you can thank me you didn't end up like him." He said over his shoulder, before heading in the direction of the source of this madness, his companion briefly making sure that the fallen archaeologist was still alive before hesitantly following his lead. He would need to keep a closer track on the nefarious influence of whatever was ahead of him. Wouldn't want his companion, or far more importantly himself, to succumb to whatever had afflicted that poor man.

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Toola​

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Construction Site​

Task Force 648; the Nightbloods​

VSS Cirrus​

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The facility was coming along, foundations were in place and construction droids were already established. Prefabrication helped immensely, scouts were watching the whiphids and working to inform the forward base. Undoubtedly once the inevitable occurred the focus would be on defense, "status on our construction?"

"Still in our prefabrication installation phase." Reported the foreman, and Fiolette narrowed her gaze a moment.

"Alright, well let's get a few rooms rented out at the Starport, so we can head back there and finish later on. Let's focus on getting the defenses."

He nodded and turned to speak with the workers, while the Galidraani called to the Colonel and the two women worked to get shield generators and automated defenses up and going. While Fiolette was sure she and her men could hold off some of the whiphids, she didn't feel it was necessary to waste her people's lives. "See if anyone in town has an idea on how to handle the whiphids." She mentioned to Leona.

"Might be good," the Colonel added.

Eventually defenses were set up, location beacons were set down and programmed into the hand held terminals. The research facility was going to take some time to build but at least Primo Victoria had established the preliminary foundations. For now they headed off back to their ships with the idea to head for the Starport for lodging and food.

 

[Lisanne Escher]

Location: Ruins of Kruskan
Objective: Find a place to hide Pray.

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One of the rocks at the entrance of the chamber Lisanne found shelter in rolled off of the pile, followed by another, then yet another, something that as it continued embedded a feeling into her she last felt when she stood face to face with the one who had singlehandedly killed the entirety of the rebel squad she had been a part of, yet somehow she had gotten away.

Fear.

She was about to be found and there was no doubt the being looking to enter the chamber was one of the Sith Empire, a certainty that led to yet another. The woman was a rebel, the outfit she wore revealed it all too easily, and when a Sith found a rebel who was unable to defend themselves, there was only one outcome. An outcome that was the very reason she was frozen up from fear.

Death.

When the silhouette of the person vaguely came in view while Lisanne sat curled away in a corner, hoping somehow she wouldn't be noticed, she realized what a fool she had been. To pick up arms in a fight that was unwinnable from the beginning, and doing so while not even truly believing in it. The Jedi who rejected her were allied with those who would form the League of Voss and somehow she thought they would give her the purpose the Jedi refused to give her. They were all the same and where one outright denied her, the other led her straight into the grave instead. Only when it was too late did she truly learn.

The silhouette went from vague to more clear, then in the palm of the person's hand a flame appeared to light the room. It was a sight that would have boggled her mind if her attention hadn't already been directed towards who the person was. Long, red hair. A scar at her left eye. The one difference was that the piercing red and amber eyes were now a brilliant emerald instead. It was the one she had managed to escape before, but now it seemed fate had caught up to her. In that moment the fear she had felt melted away as certainty settled in, acceptance taking its place.

Lisanne slowly got to her feet, then took two steps forward out of the corner she had been sitting in.

"I escaped you then, but it seems it was merely a matter of time. I have nowhere left to go." As she spoke she slowly but very clearly reached to the blaster that was holstered on her belt, then tossed it away from her. It wasn't going to save her. "I accept my fate."

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

Location: Ruins of Kruskan
Objective: Show her the Dark side

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As the flame crackled in the palm of her hand it was not Darth Avacyn who looked upon the rebel, but Kaalia Pavanos. With the Force she could see through her and inside she saw something that once plagued her own soul; she had never truly been able to fight for something she truly wanted to fight for. The woman in front of her was one who carried so much potential yet she had been denied what she needed to truly make it blossom. Such squander was regrettable, but Kaalia was not letting that potential remain untapped.

The Sith Lady did not react as the rebel reached for her blaster and displayed no surprise as it was thrown to the side, as though she already knew no resistance would be attempted, and even though she then showed a readiness to accept her end, it was instead met by a very different reaction.

"I am not here to kill you. I am here with a proposal for you." Kaalia knew the woman would not simply agree to joining her side, but that patience was going to be a necessity. "What happened last time we met is something some who call themselves Sith would revel in. To me, it was something that was unavoidable. Every war story has two sides and my story is about someone trying to create a safe and stable home for the ones I love, and defending it when danger approaches." She never claimed to be akin to most who shared the title of Sith. Perhaps it was the reason she believed in the goal of the Valkyries over death. "I want to show you my side of the story. I want to show you why we do what we do. If you are willing to listen, follow me outside and we can talk."

 

[Shade of Decay]

Objective 1: [member="Jacen Vadith"]

And nearly as quickly as the discussion over the topic had begun, it was ended. Tsisaar considered the answer he'd received to be a satisfactory one, after all, and it was pointless to press the matter past such a point. Best just to enjoy what had been. A moment of silence passed between the pair before Jacen spoke up with his own question, leading Tsis to remove the book from his pocket. "A history of this planet," he replied, tossing it forward to Jacen. "Specifically about the connection between it and the Sith. How long the Sith were here, who was here, things like that. I figured it would give me an idea for some of the things to look out for; it's remarkably well detailed for what it is."

He walked along further, waiting for a response; as he walked, he caught a hint of something through the Force. A sensation of life up ahead, that was most definitely out of place. He focused on the feeling, pursuing it for as much meaning as he could, before realizing he had stopped walking. He glared through the passageway ahead, his hand falling to his lightsaber subconsciously. "I sense something ahead of us," he warned, as his eyes peered for any visual sign. "Something unintelligent." He knew that some of the Sith lords who had previously resided on the planet had transplanted some animals and experiments to the world; such things as Tuk'ata or Hssiss could supposedly be found, but based on Tsisaar's understanding of what he had read, it was unlikely that there had ever been enough to establish a viable population.

But what, then, might it be?

 

[Jairus Starvald]

OBJECTIVE 1: Uncover treasures.
WITH: [member="Darth Ophidia"]
NEARBY: [member="Kaalia Pavanos"] [member="Jacen Vadith"] [member="Tsisaar Taral"] [member="Khonsu Amon"] [member="Lisanne Escher"]

Head tilted as blaster fire could be heard echoing through the corridors.

The angle, volume and quickness of dissipation suggested that it was quite some distance away from them already. Hm. "Perhaps not all archaeologists died." The Sith Lord mentioned bemusedly as they walked through dusty corridor to dusty corridor. There was madness here, Cerbera could smell it. It was a different sort of scent than that of a phobis device, palpable fear, no... this was something less logical. Something unhinged that had seeped into the very walls of the tomb and that led them.

Because while others might have succumbed to the fear and pain and hysteria around them?

Both Ophidia and Cerbera had made their home in madness a long time ago. They'd walk for longer and ignored the gunfire, it simply meant that the adorable acolytes and knights were getting some kind of opposition in their travel.

Good.

Power could only come through sacrifice, if there was none? Than it was easily taken away... stripped from those hungry, but not willing to pay the price. "Mm, here darling, I think we have it." Entering the room where the archaeologists' feed had cut off? Was a pedestal. On top of it were an assortment of crystals. They pulsed amber, humming their own little tune in the Force. There were several corpses here and the remains of the smol drone that had acted as a feed.

"Now- hrm." Cerbera squinted as she could feel the crystals try to break her concentration, her will, trying to infect her with the same disease that some of the researchers had been put through. "We will see about that."

Long strides until her thin sharp fingers touched the crystals whole.

"Your strength please." Hissed to Ophidia as they went to work.

They couldn't help the acolytes (wouldn't either), but at the very least they would purify this portion of the tomb. Ensure that its corruption worked for the Sith Empire rather than against it. They would trap that insidious corruption within these beacons of madness... and then they would see what would come next. Cerbera still enjoyed the idea of letting loose some Hiss Hiss on the others within the tomb though. That would be a beautiful sight to behold.

 

[Arage Bao]

Objective 4: Non-Com Extravaganza

Oh, dear, advocating was the least of her sins.

When [member="Sebastian Thel"] walked into the room everything noticeably quieted down a bit. Oh, the machinery still wheered, the computers still hummed and for the most part the Zygerrians kept working... mostly. Anyone with enough read of the room would notice that many of them were side-glancing from the corner of their eye. Watching the exchange that was about to enfold as Admiral Verse Taggart rose up from her chair and gracefully strode over to Sebastian with a warm smile (that showed far too many sharp teeth) and her own hand already extended.

"Oh my, mister Thel, we did not expect you so soon!" Some of the engineers leaned in a bit to get a closer look at the exchange. When Sebastian tried to take his hand back... he'd notice that her grip was still holding on and the claws at the end of her digits were rather sharp.

They weren't puncturing, but they were brushing the skin of the hand.

"Had I known the Sith Empire would send such a fine specimen to me, I would have rolled out a red carpet! Your cheekbone-to-jaw ratio is astounding..." That was when the grip was released, allowing Sebastian to get busy with his equipment and reading the schematics. "...have you ever considered a different line of work? I know a handful of beautiful-" if decadent. "-princesses that would love someone pretty to look at. Or perhaps a rich king is more to your liking?"

That grin grew more ferocious as she stepped up next to him and watched him work.

She positively cooed when the human touched upon an issue that she had noticed herself as well. "Oh, good eye. Yes, we have run into a few minor issues with that. We were considering removing much of its armament and focus solely on defenses. Thoughts on that, mister Thel?"

So innocently transitioned into business... as if Verse hadn't just suggested that he could be sold as a pretty slave to someone.

 

[Sebastian Thel]

Objective: Non-Com Extravaganza
Allies: [member="Verse Taggart"]

As Sebastian gripped Verse's hand to shake, he felt the small ends of her claws dent his skin. He tried to pull away, only to find the Zygerrian holding his hand firmly and not letting go. The feline woman bared her pointed teeth at him in a grin which caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on end. The release of his hand was accompanied by a remark about his cheekbone-to-jaw ratio which made him only slightly uncomfortable.

"A different line of work?" Was all the mathematician managed to say in response as he took a step backward. "What do you mean by that?" Just as he asked the question, the realization hit Sebastian and made him go "Oh." There was an uncomfortable pause between them as Sebastian exchanged glances between the engineers, who peered over to listen to the conversation.

"No, Miss Taggart." Sebastian affirmed with a discerning glare in his eye. "I have not considered a different line of work." He gripped his clipboard and stood up straight, struggling to swallow the idea that he was evaluating the project of a woman who bought and sold human beings as a commodity. Her wide grin bore an array of sharp teeth and grew ever more sinister as Sebastian took a further step backwards.

When Verse returned the conversation to the topic of the adaptability of the station, Sebastian breathed a sigh of relief. He flipped over another page of his clipboard and surveyed the statistics concerning both the armament and defenses. "Armaments are functioning at a very high rate, so I do recommend decreasing armaments in favor of adaptability." Making notes beside the figures, Sebastian considered the variables and organized them into facts.

"With the armaments functioning at such a high power output, there is a chance of crippling internal mainframes." Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Sebastian analyzed the figures displayed on the chart and presented the information to Verse. "In this case, an increase of defense systems and sensory equipment at the expense of armaments is a sound solution." Sebastian affirmed as he looked up from the clipboard.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Sebastian Thel"]

His discomfort was palpable and it was tasty.

"Such a bright mind, mister Thel, you impress me." Verse murmured softly as she leaned in, scanning the papers quickly and absorbing the information locked within. "Perhaps being a showpiece isn't your fate... I do know a fine Givin Warlord in the Outer Rim that would gladly take you on..."

She tasted the word before letting it out.

"Retainer."

Quite a polite fellow too, they had shared tea a number of times and he had impressed her with his own intellect. "Do let me know if you ever want to explore different jobs, mister Thel." A soft pet on the shoulder, almost dusting it off before Verse's attention slipped back towards the schematics and the ledgers. "As for the armament, that could certainly done. Thank you for your... eye." The Zygerrian hummed softly to herself as the clawlike digits manipulated the controls of the console.

It didn't take long for the computing system to sync up with the new information feed popping in.

"Mm, yes, that does look better. I am going to leave you in the hands of my capable engineers, if you don't mind. I have other business to attend to. Feel free to discuss things and if you have any questions, I am sure they will be able to assist."

A nod, a grin and then Verse swept away out of the room.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

[member="Cerbera"]

Crystals pulsing amber and power; a madness in the air that would tear the unguarded out of their reality and thrust them into a crazed abyss. This ruin was growing more and more interesting every step of the way.

She reached out alongside Cerbera and touched the crystal with her black hand.

Her ember eyes closed and her head cocked to the side as she pushed her power and her presence into the crystal. It surged in a familiar way, reminiscent of some of her prior creations. Yet different by its very nature.

Together, the two alchemists were able to steer it control it, and slowly shape it into something far more useful.

Useful, yes, and dangerous. Such was the nature of the dark side. The more powerful, and the more useful, the more dangerous and potentially volatile. This was why Sith had to be taught and led along. Without their masters and their guides, they would all fall into the snares of greater and darker cosmic powers at some point, and they would be the vehicle, not the rider.

This was what Darth Krayt had understood. This was what the Emperors of old had seen. This was what Darth Bane had been blind to: Power with a purpose.

The crystals coalesced, solidified in the force and Ophidia opened her eyes to look at the green woman next to her.

"I say we hand them to the acolytes and see what happens."

A sultry smirk played on her lips, wicked by its very nature.