In Umbris Potestas Est
"And there may yet be more to come to those who seek."
Onrai's reply to
Ibaris Varanin
was itself brief, yet it conveyed much. An indication, perhaps, that the enigmatic being who had sought to communicate with her was yet willing to offer her more than she had entered into the nascent Dark Empire with alone. The ambition of a Varanin was unmistakable - it practically radiated from the woman, and perhaps to the untrained eye would seem no different from the avaricious lust for power that any darksider drawn to something like this galactic power whose fate yet remained unclear.
Then spoke
Ignacious Korvan
. The words of the Imperial Despot were, by Onrai's metric, par for the course. She found it admittedly impressive as to the falsehood of his care - his suggestion that any of the Imperial or Mawite lives lost in the prior conflicts had mattered. Of course they didn't - not to him at least. There were more than enough survivors of the Maw's campaigns that had joined the Sith-Imperial veterans of the first post-Gulag Empire in her service and whose devotion to her was less ideological and more appreciative of her support. The Maw viewed life as a commodity, flesh as a thing to be traded and expended in support of a goal. A fickle viewpoint, if one were to seek lasting power.
But after all, while Korvan may have been called the despot, he was a mere speck of dust floating through the universe compared to him whom Onrai awaited.
At the time of their earliest reunion, Onrai's recollection of
Darth Solipsis
was particularly distant. Her focus on her own assets, and that of her allies like
Marlon Sularen
, had meant her involvement in what she occasionally deigned to view as pointless atrocities was minimal. Though her ships and soldiers still served the Maw, the new Emperor had yet to stand out before her from the titans of the past who had clashed against the Light and proven victorious.
Yet the meeting she had shared with him prior to this very event did, surprisingly, secure her cooperation. Perhaps it was boredom, or perhaps there was a genuine sense of belief that Solipsis would dive into the forbidden gnosis of the Immortal Gods of the Sith, among other profanities within the galaxy, but Onrai could scarcely resist the opportunity to, if nothing else, see where everything went with the future of the Dark Empire.
As the propagandic nature of the speech continued, Onrai's interest, to perhaps any who saw her from the corner of her eye, remained more curious than focused. If Solipsis succeeded in his goals, then the galaxy would be stronger and better off for it, at least for a time until he was defeated as all mortals were. If not, then nothing had changed, and she would continue to do as she had done before.
"A galaxy reborn..." She smirked at his final words, her own muttered silently to herself. Akala had once lived her life based around such a principle, and he was no Akala, but perhaps he could be in time.
The arrival of
Thomas Barran
, and his statement of support for Solipsis, practically made the twice-false goddess laugh. It was an appreciated break from the sheer focus and formality that the stage had summoned from the populus gathered on Carlac. Onrai made note to meet with him at some point - though the Scar Hounds had been once distant, she appreciated the man's boldness and fervor for his people. Such was, if nothing else, worthy of a sliver of respect.
As the words came to an end, there was something off within the congregation. She sensed the discontent of
Detritus Ren
within the field of onlookers mere seconds before he acted, finding the conflict within the man to be a most curious reaction indeed. His words upon the stage finally broke the silence of Onrai, who couldn't help but audibly laugh at the act of the one foolish enough to attack the focus of attention. Considering the limitless military might on the world's surface, not to mention the dozens of heavily armed and skillfully trained Sith and Imperials in front of the stage, only one thought came to Onrai's mind.
I wonder how he'll survive this.
Onrai's reply to
Ibaris Varanin
was itself brief, yet it conveyed much. An indication, perhaps, that the enigmatic being who had sought to communicate with her was yet willing to offer her more than she had entered into the nascent Dark Empire with alone. The ambition of a Varanin was unmistakable - it practically radiated from the woman, and perhaps to the untrained eye would seem no different from the avaricious lust for power that any darksider drawn to something like this galactic power whose fate yet remained unclear.Then spoke
Ignacious Korvan
. The words of the Imperial Despot were, by Onrai's metric, par for the course. She found it admittedly impressive as to the falsehood of his care - his suggestion that any of the Imperial or Mawite lives lost in the prior conflicts had mattered. Of course they didn't - not to him at least. There were more than enough survivors of the Maw's campaigns that had joined the Sith-Imperial veterans of the first post-Gulag Empire in her service and whose devotion to her was less ideological and more appreciative of her support. The Maw viewed life as a commodity, flesh as a thing to be traded and expended in support of a goal. A fickle viewpoint, if one were to seek lasting power.But after all, while Korvan may have been called the despot, he was a mere speck of dust floating through the universe compared to him whom Onrai awaited.
At the time of their earliest reunion, Onrai's recollection of
Darth Solipsis
was particularly distant. Her focus on her own assets, and that of her allies like
Marlon Sularen
, had meant her involvement in what she occasionally deigned to view as pointless atrocities was minimal. Though her ships and soldiers still served the Maw, the new Emperor had yet to stand out before her from the titans of the past who had clashed against the Light and proven victorious.Yet the meeting she had shared with him prior to this very event did, surprisingly, secure her cooperation. Perhaps it was boredom, or perhaps there was a genuine sense of belief that Solipsis would dive into the forbidden gnosis of the Immortal Gods of the Sith, among other profanities within the galaxy, but Onrai could scarcely resist the opportunity to, if nothing else, see where everything went with the future of the Dark Empire.
As the propagandic nature of the speech continued, Onrai's interest, to perhaps any who saw her from the corner of her eye, remained more curious than focused. If Solipsis succeeded in his goals, then the galaxy would be stronger and better off for it, at least for a time until he was defeated as all mortals were. If not, then nothing had changed, and she would continue to do as she had done before.
"A galaxy reborn..." She smirked at his final words, her own muttered silently to herself. Akala had once lived her life based around such a principle, and he was no Akala, but perhaps he could be in time.
The arrival of
Thomas Barran
, and his statement of support for Solipsis, practically made the twice-false goddess laugh. It was an appreciated break from the sheer focus and formality that the stage had summoned from the populus gathered on Carlac. Onrai made note to meet with him at some point - though the Scar Hounds had been once distant, she appreciated the man's boldness and fervor for his people. Such was, if nothing else, worthy of a sliver of respect.As the words came to an end, there was something off within the congregation. She sensed the discontent of
Detritus Ren
within the field of onlookers mere seconds before he acted, finding the conflict within the man to be a most curious reaction indeed. His words upon the stage finally broke the silence of Onrai, who couldn't help but audibly laugh at the act of the one foolish enough to attack the focus of attention. Considering the limitless military might on the world's surface, not to mention the dozens of heavily armed and skillfully trained Sith and Imperials in front of the stage, only one thought came to Onrai's mind.I wonder how he'll survive this.
