Face to Face

[Riamah]

As two people that stayed out of the spotlight, Ra felt it prudent to reach out to Darth Excidium for a meeting. He was one of the few knew of her being involved with Mythos and his faction of the Ancient Eye. While she was not a part of that, but one of the factions that allied with it. Nor was she with the Sith Empire. More of a rogue element, but still had some connections with them since she was an assassin. Falling under the broad umbrella of both the Sith Empire and Ancient Eye, but not part of either. It was how Ra liked it. Allowing her the ability to focus on other areas in her life and not be at the beck and call of somebody else.

One element of her life she kept secret from her sith allies was that she was also a businesswoman. A secret sith within a faction that was very anti-sith. If they learned she was one, it would not only cost her job, but probably many other things she cherished. They couldn't take her home though and it was here she invite Excidium to visit.

Bast Castle on Vjun. An almost lifeless world because of the acid rain that fell. No plants could live here, the native race was primitive and not sentient. The other races here were animals, but they lived on somehow. Here she had made her home and spent her time here when she wasn't being a merchant.

In this place, she could be herself. However, she had invited an almost unknown person into her home. He knew her alignment, so masking that was pointless and Ra didn't bother with that. Their brief meeting had shown to her he was unlikely to be violent, but was quite like her and an observer. She wasn't an evil person and didn't think he was either.

That being thought by her was one thing, actually knowing was different and Ra did not know Excidium at all. That was part of her purpose when she invited him. She wanted to know him. Thinking like a sith though, Ra knew she would have to offer him something. What that might be she didn't know, but hoped to learn what it was.

In her own home, she could relax and didn't wear her business clothes. Instead opting for something more her style and comfortable. She wore a lavender colored shirt with sleeve loose enough to hold her little saber hilts in. It never hurt to be prepared, but to the naked eye, she would appear unarmed. Wearing a copper skirt that went almost to the floor, one could almost see through it if the light shined through.

Informing her servant, Vincent to expect her guest and bring him to the library when he arrived, Ra now waited for him to be escorted in by the old man.

[member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

The shuttle cut through the atmosphere, the environment seeming to darken. Looking out of the viewport, trusting the pilot sent to collect him to do her job, Excidium noted the sizzling bursts of vapor that appeared across the hull of the ship. He was no stranger to hostile planetary environs, and from what he knew of Vjun, presumed he was witnessing one of the infamous acid rain storms. In the distance, a tall spire of a building broke the horizon, which Excidium peered at with interest, even as the shuttle made directly for the structure. It took several more minutes, but the shuttle entered a landing area that was under cover, before the pilot touched down with a gentle thud.

"I will be here to return you to your ship, Lord Excidium," The pilot said simply, powering down the shuttle, and staying in place strapped to the chair.

Nodding, the Sith Lord stood and walked down the lowering ramp, noting the rain outside and the harsh wind that pushed it. Vjun seemed to be a charming place thus far, with such a warm greeting capable of melting ones face. Still, Excidium knew he was arriving later than expected, and decided to forego the close observation of the bay, in favor of meeting with the individual who stood beside a nearby door. The elderly humanoid did a brief bow of the head, before motioning for the Sith to follow - to which Excidium did, pulling his hood up over his head, long robes covering most of his form. Excidium mused that if he wanted to trick anyone into believing he wasn't Sith, he'd simply have to wear brown and tan...

"A pleasure, sir, I am Vincent," The servant said as he walked, leading Excidium through an impressive castle. "Mistress Ra'a'mah is expecting you in the library. We will arrive shortly."

The mention of the library of Bast Castle made the Sith raise an eyebrow. He liked libraries, especially ones that had once belonged to such prestigious members of the dark side in the past. Yet, there was a nagging feeling of unease in the area, as though a vague sense of someone being backed into a corner, though wittingly - not fear, so much as resignation to a decision. Excidium suspected Ra'a'mah was the source, given this was apparently her personal abode presently, but didn't want to presume.

"And here we are," Vincent said stepping to one side of a decorated door, before he opened it silently. "I shall be nearby, should I be needed."

Excidium stepped through the opening, into an impressive library beyond. Green eyes peered around, taking in every detail, before coming to rest on a lone individual in the room. Clearly the same humanoid from the meeting with Mythos, however considerably changed in appearance of clothing. Walking toward Ra'a'mah, the Sith Lord held out a gloved hand and ran his fingers across several tomes on the shelving that stole his attention momentarily...

"Quite beautiful," Excidium said simply, glowing eyes staring. "I appreciate the invitation, lady Ra'a'mah... you certainly own a piece of history, and an impressive library."

Excidium lowered his hand, the Sith's eyes looking at his host, waiting, wondering as to the reason for the summons, as it were...

[member="Ra'a'mah"]​

 

[Riamah]

Vincent knew to remain near in case Ra or her guest needed something, but he did not remain in the room. After Excidium entered the room, he closed the door. If Ra needed him, she knew how to get him to return. When Ra had company, she always offered caff so in doing his job, he went to prepare some for her and the company. Who he was Vincent had not asked, it wasn't his place to question Ra. He had loyality to her and knew what she was, but he felt she could take care of herself in most situations. Certainly better than he could at his age.

This distraction would give Ra and Excidium a few minutes to get through the welcoming pleasantries and he would return when it was ready. After that he would leave again to be summoned if he was needed again.

Watching Excidium as he entered, Ra could see he was dressed in a similar manner to what he was before. Not unexpected. She noticed his touch along some of the items in her library. The fact she had actual text based books hopefully was not lost on him. In these days of technology, texts were getting more difficult to find and keep.

Along with the books would be other artifacts in the room. Some of which Ra didn't know yet what they did or contained. The items she held in high value were placed in more secure locations than open shelves in the room.

"Thank you, my lord. I have maintained this castle for a few years now and turned it into my home. I hope you journey here was uneventful?"

While spoke as a question, it wasn't phrased that way. All part of the welcoming pleasantries to get out of the way. Vincent did return with the caff and offered cups to both of them before leaving again.

"After our brief meeting, I wished to extend an invitation to you to visit. You see, I have very little to do with the Sith these days."

Not living within the sphere of influence of the sith empire was another reason for the lack of contact. However, the assassins she did belong to were all over. Houses established in various places. There she could go if there was a need. Her other option was extending invitations to people to visit her. One thing she did know was if she wanted to return to the empire, she could at any time. Right now though was not the time. Her position as lead of the merchant fleet kept her moving. For that reason, she had withdrawn from the empire, but would not openly war with any of their sith. It worked out well for her since the Coalition had no idea of her ability to use the Force or her alignment.

They were a very anti-sith people and if was learned what Ra was, there would likely be consequences for it. So that was one additional reason she had cut her ties with the empire. If somebody were to dig into her personal information, no concrete ties would be found.

[member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Sometimes it was amusing, perhaps even enjoyable, to go through the motions of pleasantries. So often the Sith tended to ignore such civility and instead focused on demands and direct conversation; such was the nature of the group, sadly, where personal gain and status were often more important than cultivating relationships. Of course, trusting another Sith was out of the question, but maintaining the niceties of interaction and some level of mutual respect would result in far more agreeable outcomes - as evidenced to a very high standard by Emperor Palpatine, when he controlled the Senate to his whim. So it was that Excidium tended to employ a similar method, by speaking and interacting, especially with potential enemies, in an attempt to lead situations to the outcome he desired. As of yet, the Sith Lord remained unsure of his intentions for the meeting taking place, and instead had decided to allow his host to dictate the terms of their conversation.

"Uneventful, yes," Excidium confirmed, nodding. He reached up to pull back the hood, letting it drape down his back. "Your was pilot capable, your servant well-mannered. I'm not usually accustomed to such, so being reminded of those mannerisms has been pleasant so far."

As Ra'a'mah explained her position with the Sith, Excidium believed he grew to understand the nature of the visit, and his purpose for being here. While the exact reasons for her not being involved with the Sith were unknown to him, the implication seemed rather obvious; and perhaps the meeting had now taken an interesting turn, given the place in which the pair stood, and the underlying understanding that was obvious between them...

"And you seek an audience with one who has a lot to do with the Sith?" The Sith Lord smiled, eyes flashing to Ra'a'mah as he raised an eyebrow. "I suspect you felt a similar familiarity in the meeting of our groups, within the glorious and wondrous realm of Mythos, as I? Certainly your surroundings lend heavily to such a similar engrossment being shared, with the pursuit of knowledge and more intellectual lessons being of particular interest."

Looking again to the shelves of the library, Excidium continued to appreciate the tomes and history contained within. It would be a pleasure to seek knowledge and information in this place, of which the Sith would, he had no doubt. It was now simply a matter of how that eventuality came about.

"So what did you wish to speak of, with this involved member of the Sith, lady Ra'a'mah?" Excidium asked, as he turned to face his host once again. "I doubt it's simply a catch up, as they say. How can I be of service?"

[member="Ra'a'mah"]​

 

[Riamah]

"I am a businesswoman, Lord Excidium. Let me assure you, the pleasantries come as almost second nature to me. Would you care for a cup of caff? Vincent will be returning with some soon."

With almost perfect timing, Vincent brought the drink in and left the library again silently. She got up from her chair and moved to get her own drink as she offered him one of his own. Whichever way he answered, she would return to her chair and invite him to sit across from her.

The two chairs were facing the fireplace at diagonal angle to each other so they could look at either place in comfort. Not having to twist or turn physically in one direction or the other to look, just a turn of the head.

"Not necessarily a lot to deal with the sith, but certainly more than me. You see, I am within the assassins, but I am also an information gatherer. Not quite the same as a spy exactly. My role at that meeting was with a group called the Shrouded Republic and they are allied with the Ancient Eye. Even them I am not a part of. Instead my path lead me away from both empires."

Not going into full detail as to what her path was, she felt to keep her business side separate from this meeting. At least to the extent of explaining to him what it was. Not many within either empire knew of her position with the Coalition and that was how she liked it. It kept the two parts of her clearly separated.

"Partially to catch up on the goings on within the empire, but also to establish relationships and maintain at least a small communication to them."

She had noticed his eyes wander around the library a few times before he returned them to look at her. His penetrating gaze not missing a thing. He would do well in a position of intelligence. That is what she was within the Shrouded Republic.

"And to be honest, I love knowledge and I feel you possess more than I do in certain areas."

As equals in rank, Ra knew people had strengths and weaknesses. Her skills were very ground based and she knew very little of the more mystical aspects of the Force. Her feeling of Excidium were the opposite. He would be a far better mystic than she was. If he agreed, then perhaps they could benefit mutually and come to and agreement on certain things. He would also have the freedom to go through her collection and see if she had anything he would want to learn from it or her.

[member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

The offer of caff was appreciated, but not taken up. Being a Zelosian meant that Excidium tended to stick with more natural produce, so as to avoid unwanted side effects to his physiology. He continued to listen, turning Vincent away with a smile and wave of the hand, before his eyes returned to Ra'a'mah. Having taken the offered seat, the Sith gathered his cloak and ensured it was well away from the fire. Some of the revelations she mentioned were intriguing, and filled in more than a few questions the Sith Lord had about the mysterious sentient, while also adding a few questions he would seek out.

"I see," Excidium said simply, as he looked at the flickering flames. "I can understand why maintaining communication and relationships with estranged groups could be difficult."

With a glance back to Ra'a'mah, Excidium kept a faint smile on his lips. His usual demeanor was to act disarming, to speak frankly and to connect on a different level with those he interacted with; while some were considerably more martial or prone to intimidation or threats, Excidium felt that a lot more could be gained from showing something more appropriate - a smile, for example, could achieve far more than a scowl. So, seated in the vast library of the castle of Vjun, reclining before a fire, with a fellow Sith and discussing intrigue, Excidium felt a strange sense of enjoyment. Very rarely did others have as much to offer in return as they demanded of him, and in this instance, Ra'a'mah certainly had information aplenty for the Sith Lord to absorb...

"It seems we share the same pastime," Excidium said finally, eyebrow raised as he regarded his host. "Knowledge is power. Those who claim otherwise are fools, and are incapable of wielding it correctly. I am pleased you are one fortunate enough to see that, and that we are clearly after similar pursuits, which means our working parallel to one another is mutually beneficial."

Sitting forward, Excidium turned toward Ra'a'mah more so in his chair, hands folded on his lap.

"You seek knowledge I can provide, and you in turn have a library I would peruse to great effectiveness," He smiled, green eyes flickering with the fire. "A simple trade, perhaps? Or something more? Clearly you do not belong to any single entity or group, yet to become something more powerful, you must seek others similarly out... I am in a position to offer you that which you seek, as well as a group to further your knowledge and understanding, with all the resources it can offer. Should you wish it."

Excidium continued to smile, ever smiling, as he waited...

[member="Ra'a'mah"]​

 

[Riamah]

When he declined the caff, Vincent provided Ra with her cup and left the room again, closing the door to allow them to speak privately. What went on between them wasn't anything he would ever fully comprehend. What he did know was loyalty to Ra and he would remain that way until they day he died. The thought of his mortality crossed his mind as he walked away and the knowledge his time was passing quickly. He didn't know how much longer he would remain alive and these was a sudden need within him to train a replacement. Something he would bring up with his master the next time they could speak together.

Excidium made a simple statement that he understood at least a little of the position Ra was in.

The demeanor and attitude change within each of them from their first meeting and this one was striking. Each had different roles and positions in their lives, but yet apparently as he observed were quite similar in some ways. He made the observation that knowledge was power and that brought a small reaction out of her. A simple turn up of a corner of her mouth.

As he spoke more, it was obvious to Ra he picked up on her more or less unspoken desire to share knowledge with him. Their eyes met as he spoke and he continued to have that smile for her. He offered a trade. Powers and knowledge she didn't have in exchange he would take what he wanted from her.

"You are correct, I don't belong to any one organization. I would be interested in knowing more of what we can offer each other. In knowledge, power and maybe on a more personal level."

His desire to be slightly to be slightly unnerving was working, but only in the sense she spoke a little more freely. The last part was out of her mouth before she was able to stop it, but the interest she had wasn't going to stay hidden.

[member="Darth Excidium"]