Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

[Matsu Xiangu]

[SIZE=18pt]Phindar[/SIZE]
[SIZE=18pt]Early Afternoon[/SIZE]

It felt as if her entire life now consisted of the sort of day one might come home from, sit down on the couch, and say “well, that was weird”. Truthfully that may not have been such a far cry from her years in the One Sith, but so much of her exploration left her wondering how she’d ever been worried this galaxy might be too small. Perhaps she’d just forgotten what it had to offer.

She’d been exploring and tracking down a few people she’d meant to find before she’d taken her unplanned vacation from the galaxy, and while she was in the Outer Rim…

Matsu rarely heard from Venefica - a woman she sometimes still thought of as Xhexania, an apprentice that had believed so fully in the ancient Rule of Two that Matsu had the scars to show for the moments where she had to prove herself the Master still. It had been a tense companionship, but one that left both stronger. And in-between their planet-wide duels, their brutal lessons, they’d shared a thing or two. From Venefica, the Atrisian Sith Lady had procured a name.

Seraphina.

Matsu had never had any particular problem with Jedi, not even when she’d been with the One Sith. That organization had the pleasure of her membership due to her loyalties to those within it, not because of their ideology. She’d even had Jedi friends once. It had come as no great shock or disappointment to realize her once-apprentice had found herself in the same situation.

It was foolish to reject knowledge simply because it did not coincide with one’s beliefs. There was much to be learned from a Jedi, even if she found them misguided.

She’d always meant to find the pink Twi’lek, more out of morbid curiosity. But when Matsu had returned to the galaxy, it had been only to find no trace of the Jedi’s current whereabouts. That she was alive seemed not to be in question - but where she resided was a mystery. The Atrisian had made friends with an excellent slicer years before - a long story, and one that included a blind date in exchange for information, a tale for another time - and asked him to go to work yet again. And even he could only discern whispers of the planet Phindar as a starting part.

A planet was a large place to search, and she hadn’t immediately thought of bodies of water, but the residence sitting smack-dab in the middle of one was hard to miss once she’d spotted it. Something - be it the Force, or perhaps just boredom after flying over so many miles of open water - told her to slow down. She pulled back on the controls, hovering over the small landing pad attached to the house. Her ship was small enough to fit with whatever transport was already stored, and while she settled the craft down she sent out a small message to whomever might be inside. Something of a ‘may I come inside?’

She figured stating that she wasn’t there to make trouble was merely redundant if she was asking nicely.

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]​

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

An early afternoon sun bath had been abruptly interrupted by the sound of a transport landing suspiciously close to the Twi'lek's home, if not directly on it. Sera kicked her feet from the lounge chair she'd been laying on, placing her bare feet on the warm duracrete beneath her. Raising the sunglasses from her eyes she looked around. It was surprising to see anyone out this way. Phindar was a pretty low key planet for the most part. There were settlements, sure, but nothing anything close to the likes of other planets. There was limited resources valuable to most on world, so many just skipped it entirely. Still, she knew what she heard. It was difficult to mistake the sound of a transport when all around you was nothing but water and even further surrounded by lush forest.

From her position though she hadn't a clear view of the landing pad. Seeing nothing from where she was she wandered through the large pane glass door beneath the massive duracrete archway and into the living space of the large complex she called home. It was definitely not the sort of place one would expect to find a Jedi Master. That whole "live in poverty" kind of thing just didn't jive with her after having left the Order. She ran a business, she had wealth, she planned to enjoy what she had while she could. She heard the voice of a woman inside her mind as she approached the glassed entryway on the opposite side of the facility. The majority of this level was encased in glass, making it a very bright and lively place to be at any point throughout the day. She then saw the craft that had landed, with the exhaust fumes rising from beneath the small ship.

Sera opened the doorway slowly, observing it carefully. Peculiar. She hadn't recognized the voice, nor the ship. Though whoever was aboard clearly knew where they were. Sera leaned against the structure's support outer support beam and crossed her arms and one leg over the other.

I do not know of where you came, who you are, but surely you wouldn't have gone through the trouble to find me out of sport. Come.

[member="Matsu Xiangu"]

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

It was an even warmer invitation than she’d expected. She’d always found most Jedi to be unfailingly cordial - of course, with the exception of a few - but few were so openly welcoming. Though perhaps she should have deduced this Seraphina had an adventurous side considering those she counted as friends.

Matsu landed her small one-seater, the hatch opening with a hiss as she slithered out from within.

Certainly the home wasn’t what one typically thought of when imagining a Jedi’s abode. That being said, Matsu certainly preferred it to her imagination. From what she could see it was beautifully modern and straight-edged with enough glass to make it seem as if the woman who lived within just occupied some open jungle in the middle of the lake. Peaceful.

The Sith didn’t look much different from her time as Coruscant’s Empress, an era in which her face had been plastered on every free inch of ad-space available. Propaganda had been a One Sith mainstay, after all. But perhaps this pink woman would know her best from the battlefield. They hadn’t been close on Manaan, at least not from Venefica’s retelling of that day. But Matsu had seen this Twi’lek from afar on Kashyyyk. The Atrisian was still high-featured, slightly demonic. There was a permanent swirl of amber in her eyes, but mostly they were dark, bottomless. Something tailored clung to her small frame, sharp, pointed shoulders on her blouse setting a baseline from which to read her aesthetic.

She slowed as she neared the Twi’lek.

“I am Matsu Xiangu. Ven told me enough about you to make me think this meeting is long overdue.”

She wondered what her once-apprentice had said of her. There was little love between them beyond the respect of a partnership. But she’d always spoken of Seraphina with a fondness Matsu heard in her voice in regards to little else. What could have garnered that kind of respect?

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]​

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Had the timing been a few years prior, Sera would have likely spoken not a word upon seeing the woman approaching her, instead taking to her pair of lightsabers and striking without warning. That was the past though, she'd done some growing since then. Her time spent after having left the Jedi of the Republic had aided in quelling some of her more rash actions. Though still a firm believer in the corruption of the Dark Side of the Force, she no longer made it her life goal to exterminate each and every darksider she came across. Her relationship with Venefica was an anomaly, something that would have been gravely condemned within the Order, had they have discovered that secret. It had been quite some time since she last saw Xhexania, often wondering where the girl she met on Manaan had ended up.

Still, Sera eyed the woman with a bit of concern, feeling the tug of the darkness the closer she got. It was truly strange to her that a darkside follower would openly seek her out. She hadn't held any key Jedi secrets, nor was she a member of the Jedi council any longer. She held no particular information of value, and to her knowledge, there were no bounties on her head at the time. Then, it hit her. She recognized this woman. She'd seen her briefly on Kashyyyk. On one of the large expansive bridges that connected to the defensive line she had been holding, before engaging another opponent. This wasn't just any darkside follower, it was a Sith Lord. One of the very same Sith that assisted with the invasion of the Wookie world.

Her hands dropped to her sides, a small tremor shot up her back as she eyed the woman. Her words, as they were voiced, surprised her. Venefica? To her knowledge, the only person that had known of their relationship in some form or another was the apprentice that had been on Dorin with her at the time, Sage Bane. Why would Venefica share that risk with another person within the Sith?

"Venefica told you about me?"

[member="Matsu Xiangu"]

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

Suspicion was wise.

Most Sith used secrets to break each other down, feast on another’s destruction borne through double-talk and political scandal.

Matsu despised such practices. She'd always had better things to do than endlessly plot ways to stab other Sith in the back.

She was not opposed to passionate relationships, true trust. It was not something she’d shared to any great extent with Venefica, but she’d fostered something of a trust. At least enough that both could fill the silence on long, grueling missions.

Narrowing her eyes at the Jedi’s reaction, she nodded slightly.

“Very little detail. She told me what happened on Manaan, and I could tell in the interim she became fond of you.” She paused, rolling her shoulders. For now she remained where she stood, unwilling to move and invite further unease. “I believe she knew I once had a Jedi I called a friend.”

Long ago - what seemed decades, but truly had only been one - she’d been a member of the Beast Hunter’s Guild just for a thrill. In their service, she’d met a Jedi Master, Matsu Ike. Funny, how small the galaxy could be. Together, the Matsus had traveled the stars, capturing fantastical creatures - even Exogorths - and transporting them back to their buyers. They completed many contracts and shared a partnership most unexpected. Eventually life had taken them their separate ways. But Matsu had learned the value of another creature’s knowledge despite their beliefs.

“I don’t mean to disturb your peace here. I’ve been...away, and now that I’ve returned to the galaxy I’ve been seeking out those with particular prowess. Ven told me of your skill in telekinetics.”

She paused, realizing it was all strange. She’d never truly belonged within the One Sith’s ranks. She was too free. The Emperor had always been akin to Life Day’s ‘Santa’, a figment made real by collective fanaticism. She hadn’t hated the Jedi simply for being Jedi. She hadn’t lusted for battle so deeply as them. She was made of stars, stars, stars - a head always in the clouds.

She was Death, punishment given form, but she was not mindless.

“I would learn from you, and share my knowledge in return.”

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]​

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Inviting a Sith into her home was hardly at the top of her agenda for the day. The galaxy certainly had a strange way of changing one's plans at the blink of an eye.

"I see." She said, her voice still that of caution. Caution and doubt were two things that had kept her alive since leaving the Jedi Order. She had no relevant allies anymore, no-one to call for backup, no-one to rely on to find her if she went "missing." No, those two things were all she had left to secure her own life, and they didn't subside quite so easily. Still, if Venefica trusted her enough to speak Sera's name to this woman, she would extend a bit of that trust as well.

The Twi'lek lifted her body from against the structure's support and motioned for Matsu to follow her inside. "If Ven put enough trust in you to risk her own life with that knowledge, then I will extend you the same courtesy."

Opening the door gave way to a massive living space with cathedral ceilings. The entire outer edges of the building were pane glass windows, though it could be seen from within slats that aligned the outer wall, slats that would provide a massive ray shield if her home had ever come under direct attack. Given the circumstances though, it would hardly seem necessary to ever enact such a defense, and might be conveyed as a bit overkill. Still, Sera appreciated safety within beauty. The room itself was wide as it were long. A pair of long, white couches with a singular recliner to separate them sat in the center of the room. Along the wall were various artworks depicting Jedi battles from long ago. A HoloNet projector and screen were positioned in the center of the two couches for optimal viewing. But most curious of all was a small Ysalamir that clung to a large, expansive branch that had been built directly into the wall, providing it space to wander about as it saw fit. The small area around it, though Force neutralizing, was calming to Sera, and she appreciated the animal's nature.

Sera offered one of the large sofas to Matsu, before sitting down herself. "So, you've taken a hiatus to embark on a bit of a sabbatical?"

[member="Matsu Xiangu"]