The same ghostly smile that oft flickered across her features when Iuuna was about skated over chilled features in the same way a blade slid over ice. There was very little warmth in her. That wasn't to say that she didn't feel anything at all, however, she kept all of it beneath the surface. An Echani did not reveal themselves through undignified acts, nor, did they let their guard down in the stronghold of an enemy. No matter the common ground the Eternal Empire managed to find with the Confederacy—The ivory Exarch would always be on the opposite end of the spectrum.
She knew what they were. What they stood for—And
whom their Empress served. They were not
friends. They would never be, friends.
"Would that I could spar with you, nettë." (*Small one, pretty one.)
It would be preferred over waiting for the night to progress enough that she could excuse herself without inciting some sort of intergalactic incident.
"But—This is not Eshan. There are no firedancers and combat in such polite company, even between us, could be seen as an act of aggression. That is not the impression the Vicelord wishes to provide."
Her words were specific. It was not the impression that
Darth Metus
wanted to give. It spoke nothing of how Srina Talon felt on the subject, nor, did it seem disrespectful. It was
simple fact. The words about the pieces of metal she wore on her fingers drew a faint passing of air from between primrose lips, but, nothing more.
"Your mother had a very active imagination. I do not concern myself with the whims of a boy in any capacity.", she intoned, lightly, but not without a certain sense of finality. Srina spent her time with whom she found worthy. None, could be called a mere "boy" and she wouldn't discredit them to do so.
"These items are useful. Beauty is hollow, without purpose. It must have meaning."
Her niece had the temperament of someone much older at times. Srina could only watch her face while her eyes narrowed and found a dull ache in the center of her chest. Everyday, she reminded her more and more of Tellu. Silver eyes stole back toward the vibrant plumage and silence pervaded for a long moment while she considered what the young woman had spoken.
"Forgive me, Iuuna. A trick of the light does not refer to the Force. It is a "turn of phrase" that describes something that can appear different than it actually is. I do not know who will inherit our line…But I should be so lucky to have your grandmothers' eyes."
She could freeze the very blood within someone that had displeased her without lifting a finger. It was a dead, quiet gaze, that expressed all. It held the secrets of the cosmos but chilled the target to the bone. Through and through. Even the soul, felt cold. Genetics ensured that she would look like Aeris Talon one way or the other, but, perfecting her skills?
That could take an age.
Peace is a lie.
Tellu would have been horrified to hear her daughter speak so freely part of the Sith Code without any true knowledge of it. Was she doing such a poor job at raising the young woman? At providing experience? Slowly, the wintry woman nodded.
"It is.", she agreed, though, she did not elaborate. Her reasons had been built on years of wading neck-deep in wars that made no sense. Resources, or, for petty squabbles that cost more on both sides than it gained. Eshan was no exception.
"Peace can mean many things, however, the absolute form you refer to is an impossibility when the grandness of eventuality is taken into consideration. It does not mean to be a place where there is no difficulty. No trouble, hardship, bloodshed, animosity, or hard work. It simply means to be in the midst of those things and retaining the calmness to endure it. To have focus. Without that…We become slaves to emotion. That leads to errors. Unacceptable lapses in judgment.", Srina uttered in the very same, even cadence, and without raising nor lowering her voice. It was as if the words were etched into something only she could see beneath the flower petals and droplets of evening dew.
"It is a sweet notion to assume that death is the end. That all things, should meet such a fate…"
"But that isn't entirely the case. It is true that all living things, eventually, do die. They simply don't always stay dead."
Iuuna was living proof of that.
Her Master, the former Emperor of the Sith Empire, and even others beneath this very roof had died. Passed into the Nether and returned either of their own volition or outside forces. She listened while her niece tried to find reason for this gathering and she could only imagine how confusing it must be. Politics had always been a game that Srina cared not to play, no matter, her duty. She performed as an Exarch because the Vicelord required it. Not because she wanted it.
"They are here to prove that they can exist in the same sphere and refrain from bleeding one another dry. No one in this building is thinking of themselves, nor, their own personal comfort. They take drastic measures to try and ensure the lives of the citizenry that depends on them. Many conflicts can be solved with a sword, but some, require a delicate approach."
"Which is why you must learn all things. Combat, politics, and yes, even dancing in a social setting. If you would prefer that I not secure a partner for your education, then, you may dance with me."
Iuuna needed, everything. She would have to learn the most difficult parts of the world they lived in without a lot of time to spare because their sameness. The close association would leave the young woman vulnerable. Open, to attack. That was
unacceptable.
Trinity Harris
