Private Darkness, It Lies Within Me - The Diarchy

[Ova Ziss]

Objective: Backroom Politics
Location: Grand Declaration Ceremony on Bastion
Tags: Diarch Rellik

Ova took Diarch Rellik aside from the rest of the political delegates at the first moment that he could. He needed to talk about what had just happened: that he had just spat at Marlen Sularen, in front of the entire delegation. Marlen had a reputation as a warlord, and he had genuinely participated in the bombardment and annihilation of non-combatants, but the provocation would cause ripples along the Braxant Run, and even as far as the Mid-Rim.

The reaction in the room was divided: on one hand, the orthodox Sith applauded the move to wipe out the Dark Empire, whom they perceived as pretenders and separatists within the grand scheme of the Sith Empire, Sith Order, whatever they were establishing this time.

On the other hand were the traditionalists Jedi; the aristocratic types; the Banking Cartel folks and the Trade Federation, and even the Confederacy of Systems! They saw this move as unsportsmanlike or unfair, like turning a lightsaber on and off.

It was all the same to him. Corruption. Unbelievable corruption. And he DID spit at corruption.

Unsurprisingly, the force corrupt individuals, the autocrats, and the Confederacy goons from across the galaxy would be coming for Ova's life soon. He'd have to take security measures immediately...and upgrade his battleship to something more conducive to light assaults.

Ova was satisfied with himself, but he felt guilty at the same time. The two sides, the capitulation versus the aggression, battled with each other inside of him, making Ova feel inhuman. He had spent his entire career as a mineral baron and public administrator - hiding his emotions - but he could do so no more. The feelings pulsed inside of him, and that moment of temporary aggression had made Ova feel...powerful. He enjoyed that feeling, more than anything in the world. But he would never tell anyone about that.

"Diarch Rellik, I don't know what came over me. Sularen's a foul man, but...", Ova said to Rellik quietly, trailing off as his friend responded. There had been a lull in the diplomatic conference, and most of the delegates had gone for a break, a drink, or a deathstick. ...But not Ova. Ova couldn't bear to be around other people right now. "I fear I've made a fool of myself and lost myself the election. What do you think of my chances?" The sickly mineral baron stared into the window, seeing himself inside of it.

When they were done with the pre-amble, Ova went right into it. His eyes pled the Diarch desperately to listen. Rellik would be able to tell that Ova has been aggressively shielding these feelings from other people - and now that he was standing with a man he trusted, a man who had saved his life, the feelings simply must come forth. And they did, like a great waterfall. The power of the force wasn't pulsing within Ova: it was practically crashing.

"I wanted to talk to you about the nature of my feelings, Diarch. It's about the "accident". It's caused some changes in me". Ova took a deep breath, and then continued.

"When I'm alone, I can feel...feel...voices. They are talking to me. They are saying things which I cannot quite understand." Rellik began to speak, but Ova held up his hand gently to stop Rellik from talking. Even at that moment, Ova pulsed with the force, and Rellik would definitely feel it.

"Wait. Before you speak...I-I don't mean that I am hearing voices. I am feeling...feeling...voices! Hah!" Ova chuckled, crossing his arms and shaking his head. Ova didn't have the best vocabulary at the moment. The phenomenon was unusual indeed.

"You're a Master Diarch, of course, so you must know more of this than me. What...what do you think it means?"

He looked at Rellik pleadingly. Ova knew how ridiculous he sounded. But he needed Rellik's help. Someone had to know how he was feeling - before something terrible happened.

Ova stared at himself in the window, seeing a grizzled reflection as he lit up a deathstick. Things had changed since Dantooine. Who am I?

Darkness, It Lies Within Us

Image Credits: Hotpot.AI: "futuristic; man; 40s; grey hair; looking in mirror at self; leather jacket"​

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[Diarch Rellik]

Tags: Ova Ziss

There was a lull in the action of the backroom politics and with it came a pull upon the Diarch's robes. Not an invasive one but an urgent one, something he would expect if there was a security issue during the event.

Surprisingly it was Ova. It seemed he took Rellik's words to heart when he said that if he needed him to come to him anytime. There was never anything wrong with seeking out a friend when necessary.

"I fear I've made a fool of myself and lost myself the election. What do you think of my chances?"

"I do not think so my friend. Dantooine needs strength. Its history is one of constantly being abused by the Sith AND the Jedi. I believe they may see you as a Kath hound but it is what they need. They will see that."

Although the Diarch felt confident in what he said it appeared this was not the main reason Ova brought him over. The mans eyes told a tale of a deep urge to put something forward. A whirlwind of emotions and the force pooling up in tandem with the gaze.

The accident, voices, a cypher within the mans own mind. "Ar..." Ova signaling to wait until he finished before speaking.

The governor stated that the voices were being felt throughout his soul and body. "Maleficent spirits within the force." he thought to himself as the explanation came through.

"You're a Master Diarch, of course, so you must know more of this than me. What...what do you think it means?"

A calmness exuded from the Diarch. Although Ova would not be able to feel it keenly, when around Rellik - the swelling of the force around him was slightly quelled. Rellik himself has seen many things. Fighting spirits and the taint of old force users trying to tap into his consciousness. Battles of whills were something he was no stranger to.

"How about you share one of those deathsticks my friend. Lets have a smoke and discuss this."

Ova would turn and hand one to the Lord, holding a lighter up to the Master as he started his smoke. As the two smoked Rellik would use the natural chemicals of the Deathstick and his manipulations to calm his friend as much as possible.

"When you got into your accident, were you around any artifacts or anything similar that would have been altered by the force? There was a time where I was studying holocrons and myself was assaulted by three ancient beings of the force. My initial concern for you my friend is that something powerful is trying to take over your psyche from within... Do not be afraid, that wont happen while you are in my presence. I would go in myself and fight it to the end."

Relliks words were confident, calm and like two friends sharing deep but not drastic circumstances. The Diarch gave no hint that if Ova's whill or power in the force was lacking that he would be mentally destroyed in the battle within his mind. For if he does not get training and does not have the determination to survive - he can be lost forever.

 

[Ova Ziss]

Objective: Backroom Politics
Location: Grand Declaration Ceremony on Bastion
Tags: Diarch Rellik

The duel against Cord Starfall came back to Ova in a flash. It was a moment that he would never be able to forget. The two men moved to a private balcony, where they were unlikely to be heard.

"Ancient Sith...it's funny that you should mention that."

Ova slipped Rellik a deathstick, and then he looked out on the city of Ravalin.

"I don't know who she was. It was a Master Witch, I'm very sure of it." Ova took a drag, and then exhaled deathsmoke. "She was wearing a lot of unusual equipment", the Governor recalled. "All of it was salvaged from Sith. Ancient armor, ancient swords. The weirdest thing she wore was a mask. It was a Sith mask, but...there was something--" Ova hesitated. "--the mask was unusual. I smashed it with my axe, and it came off of her face. Could that be some kind of artifact?" Ova doesn't know much about the Force, or that sort of spirituality. He didn't go to the Sayu Ni Temple to meditate very often.

Ova turned to Rellik with interest. "You've fought the Ancient Sith too, you said? What did it look like? Was it a woman?"

Rellik's attempts to calm Ova work. Ova hears his concern, and his willingness to fight the Ancient Sith himself.

"I wanted to ask you something serious, Diarch", Ova said.

"I...I summoned...the Force...in the cave. I don't know your ways, or if you'd even teach me this, but you have been nothing but nice to me. I have no good reason not to ask you."

He took a drag, and then asked his burning question.

"I want training, Diarch. I want to learn the tradition called Sayu Ni. I want to join the Brotherhood, and lend my engineering to the Diarchy."

"If I am to become a Governor, then the UTA will need to go public too. I will be in training, and I will not be able to run it."

"I'm a rather proud man, and I would not ask for your help if it were not an utter emergency." Ova met Rellik's eyes, his sincerity readily apparent. "But I also believe that if a person like me gets help, he ought to pay it forward."