For Thine Is The Kingdom [TSE]

[Darth Carnifex]

"I see."

The Emperor steepled his fingers, a sign that he was thinking even while his face betrayed nothing. "I will allow you time to ponder your decision, Lady Vantai. There are others here who require my attention, and I must see to their wants as well." Vanessa would be allowed to descend the dais while the stranger, Lord Clarmore, would be allowed to take her place on the lowest rung of the dais steps. The guards would indicate that he could go no further, not unless prompted to by the Emperor himself.

"Lord Clarmore of Hapes, what brings someone from the lofty Consortium to the edge of the galaxy? Certainly not for something rivaling the beauty of your homeworld, Bastion is rather austere in comparison." He had never been to Hapes, their culture did not integrate well with his Epicanthix traditions. On Panatha all were allowed to rise high, so long as they possessed the strength needed to take it.

"So tell me, why have you come?"

[member="Vanessa Vantai"] | [member="Osiren Clarmore"]​

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

The life of Kaalia Pavanos and the life of Darth Avacyn rarely intertwined. It was a concious effort to ensure they were not to bleed into each other, for they required the woman to adopt a vastly different state of mind. Kaalia was able to let her guard down without the worry of a thousand eyes that admired, envied, or opposed her. Avacyn, however, had no such luxury. She was the Sith, the warrior, the Triumvir. A show of weakness meant death. Kaalia could be the loving and caring wife and mother, but only because her life as a Sith remained seperate from that. But today was one of the rare days where those two lives did intertwine and the reason was the fact she was accompanied by her wife Ishana, and their children. Introducing to the Empire her newest daughter.

The gathering marked Kaalia's first public appearance since giving birth to her youngest daughter Azarin, who was currently being held in the woman's arms as the family unit made their way through the halls of the palace. In the meantime she made sure to keep a close eye on Xariah and Xarielle while Ishana kept herself busy with them. The twins had become more and more of a handful as their second birthday already passed by, but when Azarin arrived it was like they were set on taking back the attention Kaalia gave to her youngest. The redhead dearly hoped they wouldn't cause trouble while in a setting such as this. The last time they had been brought along they were too young to do so, but both Xariah and Xarielle had grown to be quite the little rebels.

"I can't wait for everybody's reaction," Kaalia admitted to her wife. She had purposefully remained silent about the fact Azarin was being brought along beforehand, leaving it a surprise. "Especially since this will be the last time."

One of the many not-so-subtle comments she had made since Azarin's birth that she was more than content with keeping it to no more than three children.

[member="Ishana Pavanos"]​

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

Fiolette arrived later than she would have liked, it had been quite some time since the Lord Admiral had made an appearance. Her white and gold uniform looked rather sharp in the light, and her pauldrons seem to shine under such brightness. Typically she would have been early and already sipping on the latest offering of wines and ales. Tonight was different, this was Taeli's evening and more importantly, it was Nerralyn's evening. Nerralyn would be introduced to the Sith-Imperial Court, the daughter of a Triumvir and inheritor of quite the legacy. Lofty titles, a large estate and more than any one person could want. For now, the infant rested comfortably in a sling. She was snug in her wrap, content with nap time even if the world around her was as loud as ever.

She could see her wife and someone trying to her attention. So she waited a moment or two before deciding to head in that direction. "Pardon me," theGalidraani mentioned to the man beside her wife.

"There you are," Fio remarked upon seeing Taeli. She knew Taeli had been, well, agitated since Rhen Var although agitated was quite the understatement. "She's been asleep since the moment we stepped in, Lucy and Calvin came along in case we needed any help." Fio's oldest Lucinyia and her boyfriend Calvin a fellow officer in the Sith-Imperial Navy were often the go-to caretakers for Nerralyn when neither parent was around. Fio took the moment to pull her hair back and up into a bun. Hopefully, with Nerralyn's presence, Taeli might be able to enjoy herself, although something told Fiolette that wouldn't be the case. No, if anything having Nerralyn here would only make her that much more anxious.

Taeli was a Triumvir and a powerful Sith Lord. Nerralyn's presence only made the child a target of those who wanted Taeli's position or those who simply wanted her gone for one reason or another. Still, the hope was there that her wife could enjoy herself. "I'll most likely head home with her once the introduction to court has been handled." She informed the Lorrdian of her plan. Initially, Fiolette wanted to stay longer but experience told her it would be best to get the infant back home as soon as possible.

[member="Taeli Raaf"] | [member="Darth Ledgermayne"]

 

[Onrai]

[member="Darth Voracitos"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Mythos"]

Vanessa, unable to come to a consensus as to what she desired, nodded in response to the Emperor as she descended the throne. Her thoughts regarding coming to a solution soon dimmed for the moment as she spied the holographic avatar of the associate she had worked with - the fallen Emperor himself, Voracitos. She would overhear Mythos's comment to Voracitos as well as his response, a smile on her face and a change in her mood quite visible.

"Ah, Lord Voracitos. Good to see my old associate has joined the party." She silently wondered what the rationale was behind not arriving in person, but figured it was likely due to the Lord's girth. "How have you been?"

 

[Tehkyram]

There was a great and terrible disturbance in the force, one that shook Tehkyram dearly. His blackened eyes darted around the room, desperately trying to identify the source of his agitation. Something- no, multiple somethings, multiple somethings were creating an aggravating and malignant presence. But what? Where? Who? He looked, trying to remember his training, feeling and seeing simultaneously. And there, in its malignant horror, he saw the aberrations causing him pain.

Infants.

The presence of youth was tolerable to Tehkyram- a child of even a few years had made itself known to the world and immersed itself in the filth of existence. But a newborn, a youngling of such acute freshness, they radiated such insufferable purity of essence! The innocence of their own existence was an affront to Tehkyram. Lacking the contamination of existence, a newborn is merely a reminder of life's continued propagation, the abhorrent rejection of death and the grave. There was nothing beautiful about an infant, they were cancerous abominations lacking any sort of redeemable aesthetic. They were vile, perverse, disgusting.

He finished his glass of wine. Alcohol numbed the pain, he supposed. It made the sudden agony of the occasion significantly more tolerable. Back at the casks he refilled his glass- perhaps it would be best if his connection to the force was slightly dampened tonight. While there, he noticed another man, [member="Tatsu"], in a similar state of unease. He appeared to be a soldier, a military man, someone equally out of place in such a decadent environment. He took a sip, and turned to the soldier. "Verminous, isn't it?" he asked.

 

[Osiren Clarmore]

A moment passed before Osiren registered the Emperor’s words, having been unsure if the Dark Lord would even know his name. He silently moved through the crowd, feeling the heavy gazes examining this new stranger in the court. He had worn his lean sets of golden steel armor, a white robe with red hems flowing behind as he walked.

“If it pleases, my lord, I’ve heard many songs about beauty,” He was stopped before the Emperor and bent down to his knee, “but never beheld power like on Bastion.” He looked at the Dark Lord of the Sith, Osiren feeling the strong pull of envy and desire in his chest. “I am the heir of my father’s lordship, successor of House Clarmore and dominion of his keep, and sworn sword to speak for him. I lay the banners of House Clarmore at the call of your Empire, humble as it is, but with the command of a thousand able bodied men and women, their riches, and their loyalty within the Hapan Cluster.” He paused, looking back to the floor. “And if pleases my lord, I submit my own self for tribute.” Osiren looked back at the Sith Lord. “With your own power, I am sure you know my own skills, but I shall place my blade under your eternal rule. I know there is power within me, the darkness of the Sith, I hope in my family’s service, I may take my own path in the Sith to learn to ways of the Dark Side.” He remained on his knee.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Sekhet-ka-nefer]

The sudden influx of Sith and Imperial officers did not go unnoticed by the newest Anubian addition to the Empire. Each person of interest that her piercing gaze rested upon was noted in the back of her mind, subjected to her silent judgement, then promptly dismissed once the next distraction came along in the gala's throngs. Even the newly interested party that stalked her in all of his gluttonous glory hadn't gone unnoticed, as easy as he is to notice. It still hadn't garnered her attention enough to truly address the matter, not like the stranger's words that were directed towards her in blatant Ankhyptian.

Yes, that was a surprise to be sure. Chilled Sith, death-obsessed sharks, and other beings were all suddenly out of sight and out of mind. Sekhet was much more interested in finding out just who that fair-haired human was and why he knew her tongue so well. But the presence of Voracitos overrode this curiosity with revulsion; a clear sneer drew across her muzzle before she turned her attention elsewhere. Humans, humans, more humans --

'Oh? A predator of the seas walking the land?' Her intrigue fortunately returned, this time in favor of one specific Karkarodon. Long-legged strides, punctuated by the soft 'scuff-click' of canine paw pads and claws, swiftly brought the dark priestess to the same casks as the broken men, both of whom she looked down upon from over her black nose before she spoke. "What sort of creature rises from the seas to walk amongst the land, hmm?"

[member="Tehkyram"] [member="Darth Voracitos"] [member="Mythos"] [member="Tatsu"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Ledgermayne"] [member="Fiolette Raaf"]

"I normally eschew such events, but I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage as I'm not familiar with you, sir" she replied politely to the red crystalline Sith that approached her garbed in a concealing robe. She recognized the species of course. The initial experiments into the Creeping Lignan had involved the dissecting and experimenting with Gutretees, Tsils, and other sentient crystalline beings to see which might be suitable hosts for the initial substance. Not that he needed to know how many of his species had been... sacrificed on the alter of discovery and experimentation.

A smile broke across her face as her wife, splendid in her uniform, emerged from the crowd with their newborn daughter. Seeing them always brightened her day, especially seeing Nerralyn. Already, she could sense just how powerful the girl would be in the Force. Today would be her first appearance at court, a christening of sorts. While she would rather not reveal Nerra to this many Sith-Imperials, it needed to be done. But they would know from her reputation what likely awaited anyone who attempted to harm either the babe or the redhead holding her.

"They're getting serious if they're going to these functions together," she said, taking Nerralyn out of the sling and into her arms for a moment to hold her. "What is Calvin's latest assignment?"

She wouldn't detract from the Dark Lord's current business, but she was sure he would have sensed the girl's arrival.

"My apologies, " she said to the Gutretee Sith, "I did not mean to ignore you there, Lord..."

 

[Ishana Pavanos]

Ishana wore her dress uniform to the event while Xariah and Xarielle wore nearly identical dresses. Gifts from Empress Invicta to be exact, adorable red and maroon gowns that complimented the girls' skin tone. The Balmorran smiled when her wife mentioned the reactions from everyone, "we certainly have our hands full as it is." Ishana agreed three was quite enough, the twins thus far were behaved. Although they were more shy, nervous and a little scared of so many strange people in one room together. Both had seemingly upped their antics lately, mostly in a drive to garner attention from Kaalia. Attention that was now typically focused on baby Azarin, "and it looks like we weren't the only ones to bring baby."

The pilot motioned toward the Lord Admiral. "I suppose every Empire would need a new generation of leaders and powerful force users to carry on the torch." Ishana checked the twins, the girls were situated in their stroller and at the moment they were asleep. How long the two would remain asleep - well - that would be seen. "So where or who to mingle with first mhmm? What about your fellow Valkyries?"


[member="Kaalia Pavanos"]

 

[Fiolette Fortan]

"They are indeed, she wants to have him over for dinner again." Fiolette had to think on where Calvin was currently stationed, "believe he's currently stationed on the Goliath though he's on temporary duty on the Behemoth at the moment." Which gave him time to arrive with Lucy at this particular function. "Honestly, not entirely sure if I'm more nervous about their being out together or if Josef is." A small smile spilled along her features. The uniform was a little snug though she supposed that was due to the lack of excerise lately. Nerralyn demanded a lot of attention and could be carried around easily enough but also needed time to develop the simpler skills - like discovering her hands.

Fiolette went quiet when Taeli diverted her attention to the crystalline gentleman in their presence. The Galidraani readied the sling for when Taeli passed the newborn into her arms. She happened a periphal glance of Marshal Pavanos the woman who typically led the Elidibus's fighters during combat engagements. It seemed Nerralyn was not the only infant present this evening.

[member="Taeli Raaf"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"A thousand swords are better than none."

An old saying, one that he heard plenty of times from both his father and his uncle. It was something that he had taken with him across the many decades and the hundreds, if not thousands, of battlefields he'd witnessed. He'd come to know another truth as well, but this one he had discovered on his own.

A thousand swords are better than one, but the Dark Side of the Force renders all irrelevant.

"I accept your fealty and tribute, Lord Clarmore. I have no doubt that you and your bannermen will serve the Empire well. For your oath of loyalty, I will grant you a considerable plot of land on any world in the Empire of your choosing; to house you, your family, and your soldiers. Your children will be tutored by the Empire in prestigious academies, groomed for inevitable service once they come of age. A tithe will be collected in accordance with your overall wealth and income, and you will be expected to sire more children for the glory of the Empire. As for yourself, you will prepare yourself for service within the military; an advanced rank will be granted to your in accordance with your skill in arms, strategy, and organization."

Such terms had been laid before many noble houses before, and a good majority of them had accepted and were an integral part of the Sith Empire's military aristocracy. Those who had resisted or refused had forfeited their one chance, and thusly no longer existed once the Empire had ground their house and lineage into dust. The Emperor was considered to be a just ruler, rewarding to those who prove their loyalty, but unrelenting against those who fought against him. With one hand he rose up others to magnificence, and with the other he salted the earth of his enemies.

"Openly make the vow; I swear this sacred oath that I shall render unconditional obedience to Emperor Zambrano, to exercise every power in service to the Tenth Sith Empire, and shall, whensoever I am asked, be prepared, as a loyal servant, to surrender my life for this oath."

[member="Osiren Clarmore"]​

 

[Ellie Mors]

She flashed a sly grin as she stepped into the grand hall, her piercing violet gaze sweeping across the entertainment, admiring that, in spite of their differences, the musical taste of her partner's nephew was not quite so dissimilar to her own - albeit separated by more than an age of lyrical progression. Her two-toned hair seemed to shimmer as she turned her head to take in the crowd, picking several familiar faces out of the lot of them without much difficulty. The garb she had chosen was quite close to something she might have worn in the time she came from, before the decidedly abrupt slumber and awakening in this new and different era. Tightly spun silk hung loosely around her wrists and elbows, clinging tightly to her body, which possessed a simple silvery hue with a tinge of blue.

"You wanted to go out more, didn't you?" The Firrerreo asked, her voice softer than it had been in years. "What better than a little music and drink, I am sure, in spite of his ego, your nephew would be happy to see you." She noted.

"Even if I wouldn't mind avoiding it." She muttered under her breath, doing little to hide her disdain for Braxus' kin.

[member="Darth Prazutis"]

 

[Osiren Clarmore]

Osiren closed his eyes. This was a day he long awaited. In a single move, he had created hundred times more power to the Clarmore name than anything his father had done. They were in world so far beyond the squabbles of Hapan lords. Osiren was there in the midst of that power.

“I swear this sacred oath,” Osiren began, hearing some of the conversations in the chamber quiet as some of the nobles turned to them. “that I shall render unconditional obedience to Emperor Zambrano, to exercise every power in service to the Tenth Sith Empire, and shall, whensoever I am asked, be prepared, as a loyal servant, to surrender my life for this oath.” Osiren looked upon the Dark Lord. He couldn’t help but grin at the thought that he would have his own hold, which he would use to renounce his inheritance of Rylore’s Keep and it would pass along to his brother Cain. Osiren was making his own place in the galaxy. And it would certainly upset Vixent Clarmore.

“If it pleases, my lord,” Osiren said. “I will take up my banners on Serenno, where I will build a great fortress in your name. Let me serve, my Emperor, where it suits your wishes.” Osiren began to lower his head, but stopped. “Let me hold the north of the planet, in the name of the Empire, so that the cold will make strong men and women for the glory of the Sith and my lord’s wrath against the Jedi.”

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Ledgermayne]

" I am Darth Ledgermayne. But ranks and titles can be set aside here and now. You may call me Ledgermayne if you would like." Ruby red eyes flashed alongside a smile of questionable genuineness. Opening his mouth to speak again the Gutretee continued before stopping short. " I have had the pleasure of fighting beside you on-." The words were taken away from him with the presence. For a momment Ledgermayne looked around with a pause as if trying to locate this new addition. It was right in front of him. It was the child.

Sparring a tilt of the head down to gaze at the newborn, Ledgermayne raised a brow. " Remarkable. You are blessed truly. This is cause for celebration and feast enough." The crystalline Sith lords eyes took in the expression of happiness that the child and the arrival of [member="Fiolette Raaf"] themselves had brought [member="Taeli Raaf"]. A family all together, it was beautiful truly and as much as it brought joy to the Sith Lords non existant heart to see in front of him, it also ached him subtly. Deep down this lovely sight was a reminder of the one that was supposed to be by his side and soon would be and it pained him that his vision and legacy had not come sooner.

As the child was passed to Taeli Raafs significant other Ledgermayne broke his gaze away from the child and back to the Sith Lady. " No need for apology. I understand the importance of family. Matters that are more important than parties." Ledgermayne said briefly before nodding and looking away. Something bothered him and a it the observant person would notice it.

" I fought beside you on Rhen Var." He finished his sentence from before. " Even from the center of the Jedi city, I could feel the power of your magics. It is a honor to meet you in person." He hand extended forth as a gesture to take hers gently. A lords formal greeting to a Lady. If such a gesture was allowed though more than greeting would be exchanged. Her memories would also with the simple sensation of a tingle apon contact. Such was the Gutretees inherited gift by nature.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"It would seem so," Kaalia responded to Ishana's remark that they were not the only ones to bring along a child for a first introduction. She too had noticed Lord Admiral Raaf carrying with her an infant and the sight of the child being handed to Taeli caused her to let out a smile. The couple had not been congratulated in person yet, but she would do so when they were less busy. At the moment they seemed occupied in converation and Kaalia saw no reason to interrupt them. The night was still young.

The redhead then nodded, showing her agreement with her wife. "We make sure our children have a safe home today and they one day will provide the same thing for their own." She did the things she did, both as Valkyrie and Triumvir, to create and defend a stable and powerful nation so that her family would always have a safe home to return to. Hopefully Xariah, Xarielle, and Azarin would one day do the same in their own way. Until then, Kaalia would always watch over them and provide them with whatever they needed. "I am sure they will become even greater than us one day."

The audience hall was filled with people from all sides of the Empire. Some the woman recognized, but with how expansive the nation was it was no surprise that there were many she had not met before. Who exactly she would end up making conversation with this day, however, did not matter too much to her, whether it was catching up with someone she knew or getting to know someone new. "I don't see any fellow Valkyries at the moment, but perhaps we'll bump into them later. Shall we go see who else has come here tonight?"

[member="Ishana Pavanos"]​

 

[Darth Voracitos]

[member="Vanessa Vantai"], [member="Mythos"]

"I am as well as I can be, Rhen Var being what it was, there is change in the air. I, like you I'm sure, do what I can to remain prepared. It is why I do not attend these pleasantries personally, I am too busy as we speak to make an appearance... in the f̰̺͈̬l̵̟̬̠e̷̼s͘h̺̻̲͜," Voracitos' holographic simile smirked slightly, now giving attention to his associate. The last word in his audio transmission seemed to be garbled again, as before. Where this was a technological failure or something else was difficult to tell... though it might make one wonder how a Sith Lord typically known for extravagant use of wealth how there could be failures in his transmission devices. Or perhaps, it might make them wonder just what was it the fat man was working on, and whether or not it was the cause for the static in his audio transmissions.

"And you, Lady Vantai?"

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Serenno shall suffice, I shall grant you this request." A great deal of land on Serenno had been rendered unused since the Empire came and subjugated the planet, primarily because all of the Houses that had raised their banners for the Dominion or later resisted the Empire's occupation had been destroyed. Their ancestral homes torn down, and every family member the Empire could get their hands on put to the sword. This coincided with a great purge of all former Dominion officers and civil officials. Those who had proved loyal and true were granted seats or renowned privilege in the Empire, their names lauded across the Empire's great expanse.

A new era had dawned when the Empire came to Serenno, and now new houses have clawed their way from the muck and grime of past obscurity to stand as tall as any of the ancestral houses on Serenno. "My stewards will be in contact with you shortly, to finalize what lands you shall receive. I give you leave to partake in the festivities with the rest of these honored guests, go with my blessing." Once Lord Clarmore had left, the Emperor resumed his vigilance of the party. His eyes roaming the throngs of servants and companions, noting such legendary individuals such as Voracitos' holocron, Lady Raaf, and many others.

He would not partake directly, it was not in his nature.

[member="Osiren Clarmore"]​

 

[Onrai]

[member="Darth Voracitos"] [member="Mythos"]

"Well enough." She said. There was a degree of disappointment in her voice at lacking the ease with which she could be provided with what she ultimately desired. "I have aspirations of acquiring a dreadnought and utilizing it against our enemies for longer campaigns, particularly against the Silver Jedi and the miscreants in the galactic south." She continued to ponder the device - it made her curious as to why Voracitos was not here. certainly his gluttonous form had been showcased even to a degree the last time she had worked with him, so clearly such was not the reason he wasn't here... She was very much curious as to the rationale for his holography.

"There is much preparation that needs to be done, both for the future within and the future without. I suppose I can rely upon your assistance if necessary, Lord Voracitos?"

The fact of the matter was, if the Empire degenerated into infighting, Vanessa would very much be hard-pressed to bring the warlords to heel without assistance, regardless of the resources she controlled. Having Voracitos as an ally in such a struggle would be beneficial, all things considered.

 

[Darth Voracitos]

[member="Vanessa Vantai"]

"Of course, Lady Vantai, so long as you should remain useful and maintain our present and continuing dealings. Though I would not partake in detailed conversation here, have you any updates on our little... project together?" Voracitos referred to, of course, the time he had lent his Girth of Gluttony to Vanessa for a series of upgrades. He had aspirations of generating stellar craft that would attach to his mighty if antiquated vessel, so as to keep it competitive to the modern galaxy. Historically, the ship-sized Abominor came to mind, as well as various other famous piece-meal amalgamations of ships, when he thought of those sorts of designs, a ship that just grew with the ages, constantly upgrading, constantly acquiring. His current aspirations were of a more... lofty demeanor, but he never forgot a deal he had made, no matter how mundane.

 

[Onrai]

[member="Darth Voracitos"]

"Enhancements for your project are more than complete." She said. "You can come to pick it up whenever you need to." She said. The Girth of Gluttony's upgrade was finished and Voracitos would be able to pick it up whenever he desired. The vessel was made to suit his tastes, while still being improved compared to the previous iteration. The work the two of them had put together was beginning to put together an appropriately sized or developed bloc that would ensure safety for at least a portion of the Empire in the event the great collapse Vanessa expected ever occurred.

Hopefully, such would not happen.