Descent into Darkness

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Taeli Rae"]

Balaya shrugged at that. "Ehhh they are not much in a fight or able to do things. If you go to their sector they will do as you say and follow your commands but they aren't special aside from where they stand in keeping the order needed for the Dark Lords vision to come across the galaxy." She was looking at all of them as they stood there looking at the two of them. Balaya hadn't really taken the time to learn who was who the nobles of the One Sith weren't different all schemed and plotted wanting more power and obeying the ones stronger then them. "THis is my newest apprentice you will treat her proper or I will let loose my beasts, they hunger and fat nobles are their favorite meal."

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli smiled coldly as she watched the various nobles and dignitaries squirm at her master's threat. These sycophants might be coming up to her and professing their greetings and well wishes and respect, but she could smell the fear rising from them. These beings might run the bureaucracy of the One Sith, but they held no real power, she could see that now. The real power laid in the hands of the Sith and the powerful military officers that commanded the armies and fleets in the name of their Sith masters.

But, a purpose could be served all the same by acting gracious and giving these small cogs in the machine a moment of her time. An act of kindness and mutual respect might go a along way towards creating her own power base once she had ascended into the ranks of the Sith.

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Taeli Rae"]

Balaya looked on as her apprentice was greeted and praised for her promise. The large zeltron remaining a giant among them while she listened more and more. Finding it boring above all else, she didn't care that they were here to support them, they feared them. They were scared and knew in a heartbeat they could be deemed useless and wiped out, it had happened before at Alderaan to the houses that hadn't joined the One Sith and could just as easily happen here as slowly Balaya moved standing behind her apprentice and snapping while music came. "Ah there we go, now watch them dance for your entertainment my sweet. We only need be here for a short time, many more things can be done and happen."

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Like what, Master?" Taeli whispered, watching those dancing carefully. She was curious about what exactly her master had planned for, and while she had been okay with not asking before by being caught up in the whirl of becoming her apprentice, she was wondering it now. "What exactly shall I be doing, Master?"

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Taeli Rae"]

"They are doing this for your amusement my apprentce. This is a time of celebration enjoy it because tomorrow when the dangerous part of your training starts, when your life is endangered each moment, when you run the risk of displeasing me or the Dark lord himself You will wish it had been like this night." A smile curled her face while Balaya went to a seat on the dias that was slightly raised and off to the side allowing her to still be over the others. There were more one for each voice then three between them for the hands and the eyes until the highest part looked on. The shadows made it dark but it was obscured by even more while Balaya didn't have to say who was watching beyond the notice of these nobles. They couldn't see him and bringing notice might bring more dangerous things.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Life is not supposed to be easy, Master," Taeli replied quietly, her Mandalorian side bristling slightly. "I'll face every challenge you give me, and I'll prove myself to be powerful." Taeli remained at the bottom of the raised dais as she felt she had yet earned the right to, but she could look on at the assembled Sith and envy their power. Further into the shadows, she could feel something bone-chillingly cold lurking their, watching her and the nobles.

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Taeli Rae"]

"That is the spirit but sometimes it is good to take a moment of pleasure so your task is to enjoy yourself before I lock you in a room to learn how to domesticate and train tyrant rancors. Or bigger things we are going after a gorax for some experiments and you'll want to be ready should anything dangerous come after you." That was more then enough while she continued to sit there and water with a small flick of her eyes at the assembled motioning her hand for her apprentice to go and do something fun.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Bowing to her master, Taeli went and began mingling with the crowd of nobles, even accepting the offer to dance with one or two of them. While she was supposed to have fun and relax, her mind refused to shutdown and just enjoy herself as she listened to conversation the nobles thought she couldn't hear while projecting an appearance of being at ease. Two nobles were plotting the assassination of their immediate superior, but then she could sense surface thoughts of treachery towards the other once their superior was dead. One noble kept sneaking lecherous looks at her, disregarding she was a Sith apprentice and fifty years his junior, he would be dealt with later.

'I suppose in a way this is fun for me,' she thought, swirling out during a dance with a young noble from Alderaan. 'Listening to these fools and learning the game, I just need a book and it will be like I'm back in the university library.'

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Taeli Rae"]

Balaya watched her apprentice in amusement while Elara came and spoke to her. They had skinned the beast, they had the alchemical reagents preserving the hide for when she brought it to use and that would come for a later time. For now she watched her apprentice with interest and was thinking what she could really make her do to train. There was saber and force skills but this one was a mandalorian which meant she had skills and potential few others did. Adapt to survive, adapt to grow and she would prove more acceptable compared to some. "That is good Elara, see to it the hide is transferred to the lab and the black forge with the other parts. We want it to become part of something far greater. Then return here and watch your newest rival."

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli felt like killing someone after being forced to listen to the prattle of a regional governor going on and on about how his system contained some of the most exotic locations and he would be glad to give her a scenic tour. But, she maintained a polite face and replied that she would most likely be too busy in the foreseeable future to visit. She could sense her master's amusement and glancing up at the raised dais where her master sat, she felt a flare of jealousy towards the girl called Elara. The girl clearly held a higher position than she and that wouldn't do at all, but her mother always said it was good to have a rival and a goal.

"Care to dance, my Lady," another dignitary asked her, this one a Chiss in their impeccable uniform.

"I am not a Lady yet, but you may," she replied, but she never took her eyes off her master or the other important Sith.

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Taeli Rae"]

Balaya saw it now, more of her apprentice relaxing or pretending to. The end result didn't matter what mattered was that she was going to be ready for the rest of her time within the one sith. Between her tattoo and her goal she was a powerful allie they had who could come to be part of the empire. Slowly and slowly right now Balaya let her do as she needed and didn't tire there on her seat while a few nobles came to her feet and offered things. Nothing special she didn't care for that but she did care for promises of weapons and equipment as she tapped her finger on the arm to the music and grinned to herself.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Are you enjoying yourself, my Lady?" the Chiss officer asked.

"It is an interesting time, I will admit, sir," Taeli replied. "I must ask, what are your duties?"

"I am merely an overseer for the Copero shipyards, but as a military officer, I am allowed to partake in these events," the Chiss replied.

"I see," Taeli mumbled. While she had been waiting for her master to summon her, she had been reading more about how the Sith military worked and she noticed something that made her slightly cringe a little. The Sith fleets needed a major revamping, in her opinion, but as an apprentice she didn't have the influence to change such things yet. She did have a few ideas already, but she would need to discuss those with her master at a later date when her training was well under way.

"I find myself needing a rest, it was a pleasure meeting you, sir," Taeli said, excusing herself from the Chiss and finding a place to sit down and watch her master and her other apprentice.

 

[Balaya Praelior Zambrano]

[member="Taeli Rae"]

Balaya looked on and when Taeli was done she rose up moving over to her. "Very good, I will retire and tomorrow (make new thread when ready) we shall go and begin everything. The Black Forge and your lessons await." Balaya snapped her finger and walked through the doors letting Elara come wit her while she went for her room to sleep and be ready.