Heavy Machinery || CIS Dominion of Shadda-Bi-Boren

[Azura]

Well so much for a friendly encounter the short blueberry thought to herself, and for the fact that it probably wasn’t a good idea to t do what she just did. Thinking the obvious, it wasn’t a good idea to make enemies on an unknown planet. While in her own thoughts she glanced over her shoulder watching the wookie-like creature burn up in flames. Azura felt a change in their surrounding environment as though the whole forest change from being peaceful to outright menacing.

They two of them had become surrounded by an unknown threat, a few minutes ago the forest itself held no ill will towards them, Azura’s actions and possibly her knew counterpart had awaken a fury concentrated on the two of them. Not only could she feel the red eyes of fury, she could see them honed in on them. Azura rose surveying their surroundings, analyzing the situation looking for a strategic advantage. Azura couldn’t help the excitement, the adrenaline flowing through her.

This is going to be the most fun I have had in months.

“Looks like we awoke the demon, I bet it will be fun slaying his little minions I am glad you didn’t shoot me I would have missed out on all the fun” Azura chuckled. It would not be long until the fieiry red eyes advanced on them.”Hopefully will come out of this blaze of glory”As azura blurted out one of her cooky random thoughts.

[member="Krystal Estain"]

 

[Ashara Evanaris]

The Red twilek was somewhat of an introvert keeping to herself, this would be the first time she had been out with multiple people in the same place at once. Ashara usually kept to herself locking herself up in some sort of study or ritual. Throughout her life she had been called a lot of things and being called pretty was near the bottom of the list. Her lust for power over the years had nearly pushed everyone away. Ashara had lived had fairly lonely life, she viewed people as disposable only to further herself as a Sith knight. All that changed when she became a Obsidian knight with the Mandragora her sisters.

Ashara wasn’t the type of person for small talk and rarely talked about herself, or others for that matter, she was experiencing a flood of emotions at the moment. In the same breath she was shocked that someone actually wanted to talk to her. Most strayed away from her; over her lifetime she had put up this wall and shut people out.”As you can tell almost everyone here is per-occupied. And that I don’t mind” Furrowing a brow”Ashara is my name if you were wondering?”Ashara was terrible at small talk

[member="Lyra Laurs"]

 

[Paragon of Virtue]

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[member="Alden Akaran"] | [member="Nathan Vance"] | [member="Nyx N1X3"]​

The man sat behind a large mahogany desk, for it was always mahogany desks that were present in such situations. His beard reached several inches, white as snow, and very well taken care of. His eyes were pale, like lightless gems, looking at the three as they entered.

Two men, one droid that seemed female. They had ascended the stairs. They had entered. They were in the tower.

"Please, have a seat," the man motioned for them to take the three lavish seats that were on the other side of his desk, all comfortable and suitable for important people. "I have sent invitations to many governments in this galaxy. The Confederacy is the only one to accept it," his fingers combed through his beard as he looked at the three there. Neither of them was at the top of the Confederate pyramid. But neither of them had to be. "Why?"

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: [member="Darth Metus"]​

Status: "There is a dark place calling to me, but, I will not go just yet. I know I can't return from it."​

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The diminutive warrior did not respond when her Master corrected the language that had flowed from her. He claimed that she had not been a poor student. Then—Or now. She disagreed, but, it was not her place to voice that dystopian way of thinking. Srina had questioned him then. She had demanded that he not spill blood beneath floor of the place they both called home. At the time she had only wished for a refuge. A place where war, death, and blood could not touch them.

Now—Her world was drenched in it.

The disaster that was Kuat could have been avoided if she hadn’t sought to negotiate with the enemy. Her heart was gentled by her connection to a former Jedi. He had changed her, without meaning to, and she had allowed that perception to seep into her decisions. It was the only explanation. She was a soldier first and foremost. She always had been. She was not fit to be a politician. She didn’t even know if she was fit to be an Exarch. “I will do better.”

She would outshine the rest of his students, simply, by being the most effective of them all. She would crush them. Kill them, if he required it. She would take what belonged to her. She would take what she needed, to prove herself, to be the Apprentice, to be the Sith, that never lost. The pale-skinned beauty would bend their enemies until their spines snapped, until their cries rolled through the heavens, and then, when necessary—Obliterate the remains. She would make it as if they never existed.

Srina could feel him searching through her. She did not stop him, though, the urge to do so was strong.

He did not need to feel it. He did not need to see it. He did not need to know.

When his fingers tightened on her own her jaw clenched. [member="Darth Metus"] called her by an epithet that only a fair precious few dared utter. The glass that her face was made of seemed to crack when he called her on the status of her recovery. She had done her best to make certain that her physical form returned to normalcy. She missed nothing, not a single training session, and hadn’t shirked her duties in the slightest. Yet—He still unraveled her secrets.

Words would not be able to describe the color of her eyes while her Master demanded to know what it was that cut so deeply into her being. She tore her eyes away from him when the tongue of her homeland met her ears. Rather than bring her comfort—It burned like fire. For a long moment she remained quiet. Her control had increased since she had first met him on Coruscant. By this point, she would have been freezing the area, causing crystals, and frost to tear across every available surface.

Now there was only a cold silence.

Her hand withdrew from his. Her mind closed while fury roared in her being and pulled at the edges of her sanity. Her eyes began to bleed. It was slow. From perfect mercurial mirrors to a burnished gold that seemed to boil and burn on the edges with each passing heartbeat. Her eyes closed.

When they opened it seemed that control had once again been found. Equilibrium.

“There are some things…Even you cannot do. I will adjust.”

 

[Alkor Centaris]

It seemed like such an obtuse request. For all the things going on, for all the blunders and awful circumstances surrounding their current situation, all she wanted was to be called by name? The woman seemed to worry about the most insignificant things at the most impractical times.

But who was he, to be upset with her? It was his fault she had lost her life at all. He swallowed the heavy, dry, bitter throat full of pride and exhaled slowly. "Fine," he iterated cooly. "Naedira."

Conceding at that point was the easiest thing he could do, yet as he turned to face her, she seemed to hang on the simple statement of her name. There was some difficulty in finding yourself alone, trapped, on a path that didn't diverge. Alkor had been there many times. He'd only ever kept going forward.

Now, at an actual crossroads, he shied away from a proper decision. He had freedom, and he found himself not wanting to take hold of it. The very responsibility felt heavy. It felt smothering. All that time he spent craving nothing else-

What had it been for?

He knew she didn't have an answer. She was already in steady denial that someone like Alkor could struggle so much with things she believed were simple for him. How far could he drag himself through the mud before her faith cracked?

"I have so many unanswered questions. So much work to do," Alkor stopped at the edge of one tank, where it was walled off from another. At the convergence of the two, smaller fish were kept free from more massive ones by only a thin sheet of transparisteel. "And so many decisions to make."

He touched the corner where the tanks were split.

"If you want to live, you're going to need a Sorceror. Someone as powerful as the one who trapped you like this," he looked down to his palm, where lay the ring.

He couldn't bring himself to say more than that. To tell her that she had lived a fine life, and that the spells and magic involved in cheating death changed a person forever. He didn't think she deserved to live on like that, a fragment of the person she was.

And yet, she was free to choose.

[member="Naedira Darcrath"]

 

[Zahra Arcturus]

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[member=Taramaz Laurs]​

'I have no idea, but I'm sure it won't remain there forever.' Zahra couldn't have guessed at how long the rainbow of carcasses would last, and she wouldn't be sticking around to find out either. When his hand came to slip around the Mother of Nightmare's waist, she tensed. Yes, it had once belonged there, but in their sixteen years apart Zahra had come to realise that he was a distraction. He was a weakness. Neither he nor the child they shared housed the same... thirst. Just as it had on the very day as he had abandoned them, Zahra was swallowed by the overwhelming sensation of panic. Followed by the desperate desire to run.

But she didn't, not this time. The Mother of Nightmares remained firmly in the grasp of her ex-lover.

A thin smile formed over her expression as Taramaz dove into explaining their daughter. It only widened when he mentioned Lyra's preference for the force over any other weapon. 'Well, it seems like she's doing wonderfully for herself. My little bug.' She interjected as he continued, voice rising in tandem with the rather morbid nickname she had given to the daughter she'd never seen. While he spoke, she absently wondered if she'd ever come across Lyra's dreams unknowingly, whether she had ever weaved her a nightmare from the darkest threads she could find, and whether or not her daughter had appreciated it. 'How much does she know of me?' The question was eeked out with curiosity, but akin to the curiosity scientists had for a new strain of disease. Zahra wanted to know all about her but from a distance, and once her curiosity was sated she would return to the shadows.

Before she could get a chance to answer the question he posed in return, his hand waved it away as though it were smoke lingering in the atmosphere. One of her thinly pruned brows lofted as she found her gaze searching for the familiar lines etched into his face. That look he wore, she could have recognised it anywhere. 'A dance, hmm? It's been a long time since I've danced in your arms.' The last time she could remember doing it, it was a moonlit night. Not at all similar to the bright sun they stood in today. Zahra couldn't say she liked the setting as much as she had that night, the sun made her pale white skin burn and become so see through you could map the veins on her face, but it would do.

A lithe arm came to rest around his neck, the other she used to entwine her fingers in his, and the shadowed woman began to sway them slowly around the rainbow she had created. Though she was sure the forest was just as silent as it had been moments ago, she could hear the faintly eerie notes of the very song that had been playing on the night they were wed.

'Power.' Though he had already attempted to render his question void, Zahra found she couldn't ignore it. 'The chase for it is never-ending. You and the child only would have slowed me down. You'd already made me feel so... vulnerable.' She could barely say the word, the smooth milk flesh on her face creasing as though the very taste of it was sour upon her tongue. 'You couldn't have provided anything that I would want. You know me by now, Taramaz. Keeping me by your side would have been like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands. Shadows can never be imprisoned.' He wouldn't like the answer, Zahra already knew he wouldn't before the words even formed in her throat, but they weren't spoken for his approval. They were simply the truth. 'But you both seem to have done just fine without little old me.'

 

[Faye Malvern]

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[member=Eternal Virtue]​

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The tower. A crumbling structure in the middle of a metal world. Faye craned her neck in an attempt to spot the top, but all she could see was fluffy white cloud and the bright blue sky above. A soft sigh saw a strand of raven hair fly free from her vision. No matter how much she didn't want to climb to the top of it, she was there for a reason. The only sign of life on this planet was living in the brick tower, and Faye had been given the task to figure out exactly what was going on here. As though the tower had read her mind, Faye came face to face with the door leading into the atrium.

With a shake of her soft ebony curls to clear her mind, she reached out and turned the handle.

Inside a poorly lit room was presented, with a spiralling staircase leading up to the top of the tower. Faye didn't need to guess at where this life form was, she could sense it. She could hear the thump of their heart as if it were her own. She could feel his emotions. First surprise, then curiosity. He was aware of her presence. At the top of the seemingly never ending staircase, the man behind the curtain waited.

The office was a little more homely than she had expected, but it was a pleasant surprise. As was his demeanour.

'Why not?' Faye spoke as she approached the desk. Confident, and with a bright smile on her face, Faye lent forward to address the old man directly. 'Who in their right mind would pass up such an interesting invitation? The cornerstone of the Confederacy is curiosity, though I'm sure you've figured that out by now.' Her slender form slipped naturally into the chair facing the old man, as though she had practised the act religiously day and night. Diplomatic relations were the bulk of her job, and she was more than used to graciously handling the most difficult of politicians, but this old man? He was different. He projected no air of malice, or any secretly harboured hatred. He just was. Faye liked him.

'My name is Minister Malvern, I oversee diplomatic relationships in the Confederacy.' A sun kissed hand stretched out over the vast expanse of the mahogany desk, an act of friendship offered out to their mysterious host. 'But I'd prefer Faye.' Her last words she coupled with a warm smile that brought her features to life. 'Might I be so curious as to ask for yours?'

 

[Paragon of Virtue]

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[member="Alden Akaran"] | [member="Nathan Vance"] | [member="Nyx N1X3"] | [member="Faye Malvern"]​

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Looking at the fourth person to appear in the room, the old man snapped his fingers. From the corner of the table, little pixels of metal began to move, flowing almost like water as they fell down to the ground and then built themselves up again, forming a brand new chair that look exactly like the other three. It would not do to be rude and not offer a newcomer a seat; that was not how things were done on Shadda Bi Boren.

"Welcome, Minister Malvern," he answered, though he made no move to the hand that was offered. Hands were not always as clean as a well wiped machine. It was an act of self-preservence more than anything though, and he gave the woman a nod, wishing not to offend.

"They call me the Tin Man these days," he said gravely as his hand went for his beard, his fingers touching the curly edges of it, "And I wonder… Why does the Confederacy claim curiosity as a cornerstone, when it is well known through every corner of the galaxy that you have become blood thirsty in your conquering? That you would rather come in with guns and weapons rather than peacefully? Where is the Confederacy of several years ago, that held technological advancement as its top priority, that worked on liberating planets rather than swallowing them, that was part of the Great Alliance and not a murderer of hospitalized children?"

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[Faye Malvern]

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[member=Eternal Virtue]​

'There is a fine line between a harmless curiosity and an aggressive one, and perhaps we may have crossed it. But just as you have adapted to survive here, so too must we adapt to continue surviving in the Galaxy. Unfortunately the Galaxy isn't always as simple as right and wrong.' Faye nestled back into the plush seat as she spoke, placing her hands in a neat pile on her lap.

'Light and dark are ever present here. I've once heard them described as oceans. It's easy to point out where they separate, but many forget that in the end all oceans flow into one another.' Faye sighed and took a brief moment to glance down at her palms clasped together. 'So it is with light and dark. Finding the dark in the light is easy. When your actions are full of light dark deeds are like a shadow on the sun. So plain any would be a fool to miss it. But finding the light in the dark? A different story all together, and most are simply unwilling to see it.' Finally, she returned her raven eyes to the old man in front of her. 'The Confederacy does many, many good things. We still free worlds, we still rebuild the chaos we're sometimes forced to leave behind, and we still take unavoidable tragedies to heart. I'm very much certain that the rest of the Galaxy choses to see only the dark in us, and perhaps you feel they're right, but I live and breathe in this community and there is light if you're willing to look for yourself. I know because I see it everyday.'

She paused in her speech to narrow her well pruned brows slightly. 'But I feel we've rather gotten off topic. You sent a signal out to us, and many others so you claim. Why?' Her tone wasn't threatening in any sense of the word, but it did house a deep and genuine curiosity.

 

[Nyx N1X3]

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Location: Shadda-Bi-Boren​

Objective: Convince the Creator​

Tag: [member="Alden Akaran"] | [member="Nathan Vance"] | [member="Faye Malvern"] | Open​

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Nyx turned her cranial unit to one side as a fourth entered the room. The embers of her eyes regarded this new comer for a moment before they turned back to the unnamed man before them. He had posited an inquiry, but Faye had taken to answering it. At length.

People presumed long-winded explanation was a habit of droids. Creatures that might share entire encyclopedias in a second. Some models did have an unfortunate tendency to ramble; models that did not understand brevity was just as important and thoroughness. Nyx was not entirely sure if Faye's explanation in its thoroughness was entirely necessary, but then they hardly knew the one that had begun the interrogation. Perhaps it was.

Nevertheless, the metal woman spoke of her own accord, "Tin Man, I am Nyx. You asked why we are here. While you are correct the Confederacy possesses significant military capability, and has engaged in several conflicts, it has done so to deter others capable of wide scale destruction." They had certainly claimed a great deal of worlds in recent time as well, but they did not seek to oppress them. At times military force had even mobilized to dismantle such oppressive regimes. "Despite how others view the Confederacy, we are here and they are not. You asked why, but the answer is all around us. Your creations are masterworks, and we have come to humble ourselves in your presence."

Nyx at least was certainly most intrigued by the man's abilities. She was certain there were many in the Confederacy would no doubt be eager to learn from him. Not every droid had to be made for war. While it was true his knowledge could be put to use even indirectly toward that end, their society relied on droids more than most. How could they possibly ignore such a treasure trove even if the contribution were minor toward any military effort? The Ministry, at least, could stand to learn a great deal. Her optical units had captured the layout of several incredibly small, expertly crafted mechanizations, and a host of ideas had registered themselves in her memory banks immediately.

All that before even considering how his skill might be used to improve her own design. What might droids of similar construction herself look like? Would they essential be a different species, wholly dissimilar in nature? Perhaps they could smile, or accurately simulate and feel the emotions of organics to better interact with them. Nyx would not like to be obsolete, but she could not ignore the possibilities and how it could better society. Not that she had a personal stake in the betterment of organics. But it was a lofty goal she imagined would be written in a holonovel; so it must be worth pursuing.

 

[Paragon of Virtue]

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[member="Alden Akaran"] | [member="Nathan Vance"] | [member="Nyx N1X3"] | [member="Faye Malvern"]​

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The old man continued to run his fingers through his beard as first [member="Faye Malvern"] spoke and then [member="Nyx N1X3"]. The former was good with words, no doubt. That was, perhaps, why they had made her a politician. The Tin Man knew what a minister meant, even if there were no such on his planet. The droid further strengthened her claim, though with a much more humble approach.

"Machines do not care for light or dark unless their creator makes them care for it," he pointed out, hands at last leaving his beard to come to tap against the table instead. What did these people want? They had received the same invitation as any other large government he had sent it to. He had no false pretenses about what he had to offer – but he did not know what it was these people saw that the others did not.

"I am an old man," he began to answer the Minister's question, "Unless I choose cloning, which is against my religion, my days are numbered. I wished to find someone to leave this world and the technology it holds to. And while it is true that only you have answered my call – I cannot help but wonder if choosing the Confederacy is the right choice. After all, between that and nothing, it is currently the only choice."

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

"Whoa!...." Karlie found herself tipping a bit off balance.

Ok yea, she had just gotten up from examining what at first looked like a snake, but had in fact turned out to be a root. She had thought it moved when she spotted it off her peripheral. As it turned out, it were nothing more than part of the tree. One of the many trees here that had been mechanically rendered. Now obviously down to the roots. Nope, no snake there.
She were wondering as to how deep they went before she straightened up. It were then that she found herself tipsy.

"Commander.." one of her droids sounded as he and the others were now seemingly congregating towards her.

"What's up?" She asked as it were quite out of the ordinary for all of them to approach on their own initiative.

"Many system components are converging." one of the droids reported.

"What's converging?-
GASP!.....OH!.." The ground heaved underfoot.
"Did...did the ground just move?" Karlie once more found herself regaining her balance.

Yes, the ground started to heave and the trees began to rise. The very same root she had first mistaken for a snake had indeed actually moved before, now it rose up like a finger to a hand that came up out of the ground. All of the tree's roots came up in the same manner. The trees ...most of the trees at least started to move, while others remained where they stood.
The same with many of the mechanized creatures and wing-dings...some seemed to follow the uprooted trees, while the others remained with those not on the move.

Karlie finally lost her balance as all that which were taking place felt/acted like an earthquake underfoot. The might of the mechanized forest sounded like thunder as they began to march in unionson. One of her battle droids caught her and moved her out of the way of the trees.
"What the frak?" She couldn't believe it, much less understand as to what or why it were happening. It at all been serene just moments before.

"What is your command?"

"I...I don't know..." Karlie was taken back trying to asses the situation. It seemed a good portion of the forest had taken to move..going someplace.

"I guess...we follow.." She then said as the last of the mobile tree passed them.

"By your command." The battle droids responded.



Following the march of the mechanized trees...

Karlie and her 10 battle droids followed the trees for some time. It were rough terrain for her as the metal roots which acted like many legs to the heavy metal trees scored the earth beneath. It weren't something which seemed to happen often, she noted, as the grounds before the trees were un-interupted. If the trees moved like this often, the entire planet would look like one huge plowed farm. Something or someone had caused these trees to uproot and walk. But to where?

That was soon revealed as for one reason or another, one by one the trees halted their march and started to root themselves again deep in the earth.

"Whoa..." Karlie finally saw as to where they had gone.
It were a structure...a tall one at that. It were not constructed of metal as what all seemed to have been in the forest and of the creatures. This was old..hand built by man or his kind.
It were a bell tower.

"Halt..." she raised her fist in the air, eyes taking in the detail from base to what looked like a belfry.

"Remain here..." She then ordered.

"By your command." Her lead droid responded.


Up the winding never ending goddamn stairs...

"Pant...pant...Oh thank God... " Karlie finally came up to the last landing.

Taking a moment or two, to not only catch her breath but to size up the party, she were bracing, propping herself up after that long winded climb up.
"Whew...pant..pant..." She finally caught enough wind to manage the short walk to the three people she at the moment could spot.
She did a quick survey...much like the test 'which does not belong' and determined the old man had to be the odd one.
Ok, well there was the droid next to the younger woman, but Karlie were certain she had come across that design through the CIS files she had familiarized herself with.

"Hello...hope I'm not intruding....pant pant..." She were still breathing heavily.
"Hate to butt in where I don't belong..." She looked over to [member="Nyx N1X3"] and [member="Faye Malvern"]
She definitely recognized the woman...CIS representative. Karlie gave her a nod before turning to the old man.

" Your...pant pant..
Ahem..." She cleared her throat before managing to fully catch her breath and speak.

"Your handiwork out there, grandpa?"






[member="Eternal Virtue"]

 

[Luca Donskoi]

[SIZE=12pt]

[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]Location:[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] Cog Tower[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]Objective:[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] Talk With the Old Man[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]Equipment:[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] [/SIZE][URL="http://starwarsrp.net/topic/54941-asheran-armorweave/"][SIZE=12pt]http://starwarsrp.net/topic/54941-asheran-armorweave/[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]’]Asheran Armorweave[/url], [/SIZE][URL="http://starwarsrp.net/topic/67753-vt-kinetic-impact-gel/"][SIZE=12pt]http://starwarsrp.net/topic/67753-vt-kinetic-impact-gel/[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]’]VT-Kinetic Impact Gel[/url], [/SIZE][URL="http://starwarsrp.net/topic/130606-kc-95-ace-of-spades-blaster-pistol/"][SIZE=12pt]http://starwarsrp.net/topic/130606-kc-95-ace-of-spades-blaster-pistol/[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]’]KC-95 ‘Ace of Spades” Blaster Pistol[/url], [/SIZE][URL="http://starwarsrp.net/topic/142332-alden-akarans-lightsaber/"][SIZE=12pt]http://starwarsrp.net/topic/142332-alden-akarans-lightsaber/[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]’]Lightsaber[/url][/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]Post:[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] 3[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]Tag(s): [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt][member="Faye Malvern"] || [member="Nyx N1X3"] || [member="Nathan Vance"] [/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]

[/SIZE]​

[SIZE=12pt]And so there they were. The three of them had become four and then eventually five as the latest edition to their fellowship joined then. The mahogany decor seemed old, almost antique, but it demanded a presence in its own right along with the well kept gentleman that occupied the largest of the chairs seated behind a massive desk of the same make. It was his lofty beard that first drew Alden’s eye; it was well taken care of as there appeared to be no flagrant stragglers of unattended hair protruding from it. It was grayed by this stage of the otherwise venerable man’s life. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Alden peered around the room, taking in the exquisite site, with it ancient architectural marvels that sprouted out from within. It was long before his gaze shifted to the Minister of Influence as she strode in to join the four already assembled. He felt a bit of a reprieve with her arrival as it meant he wouldn’t have to delve so deeply into his lessons of diplomacy. Diplomacy was certainly the Minister’s arena whereas military command was his own. She was far better suited for any kind of diplomatic negotiations and/or relations. But even with all that said, it didn’t mean that his role here would be completely negated. [member="Faye Malvern"] represented the government of the Confederacy and what it could offer and afford, whereas Alden would now represent the military side of the equation as the senior most officer of those gathered here. Still, in this instance, he would happily concede the lead to the Minister who arena of expertise this was. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]He cast a warm smile in her direction and gave a bow of his head as a greeting to her. Her image demanded attention in its own right. Regal and it carried an authority along with it. “Minister,” he said in an acknowledging of her arrival. His voice was hushed, however, it would be clear enough that she would be able to easily hear and understand his acknowledgment of her arrival. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]But then came the words from their host. A rather blunt a straightforward challenge to their acceptance of his invitation. As to why [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]they[/SIZE][SIZE=12pt] had accepted when all other governments had declined. It was an appropriate enough question, but the one that spurned within Alden’s own subconscious was slightly different. [/SIZE][SIZE=12pt]‘What was it that had driven the others to decline?’[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]But then without a break to mull over a diplomatic answer, the Minister chimed in. Her answer was brief and she quickly moved to establish a kind of rapport with the man, something he’d learned from his time in the service. Rapport was crucial to establish across all levels. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]So as the Minister took lead on the unfolding situation, Alden stood by and listened. Awaited for the moment his voice might be needed.[/SIZE]

 

[Faye Malvern]

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[member=Eternal Virtue] | [member=Alden Akaran] | [member=Nyx N1X3] | [member=Karlie Lynn Destat] | [member=Nathan Vance]​

Upon her arrival she hadn't recognised the two figures sitting in the other chairs. Sitting beside them now she still couldn't place the droid, but she knew the other. [member=Alden Akaran]. One of her brother's apprentices and High Marshal. Plenty of files had crossed her desk with his name attached to them. While this was the first time she'd met the man himself, she'd read enough and heard enough to feel familiar with him. In response to his whispered greeting she offered him a warm smile and a nod of her head, before she dove into answering the old man's question.

Once she was finished Faye remained quiet for the next few minutes, allowing the droid beside her to speak. It was clear she felt a little closer to the world than Faye did. While it truly was a marvel and she was sure the technology held many practical uses, Faye had never really been interested in any of that. It made Faye all the more appreciative of her droid companion's presence, and of the High Marshal's too. Part of her job was recognising when she didn't have enough knowledge on a subject to discuss it. Both of her companions offered a point of clarity that Faye just couldn't see.

'Yes, we are your only choice.' Faye confirmed with a nods. Some people required the subtle dance she could perform with words, and others just needed it slapped down on the table, no frills. It seemed this old man was the latter. 'Seeing that your desire is to pass your marvels on, I officially extend you an invitation to join the Confederacy.' There wasn't any grandeur to her words, they were spoken as simply as a request to join her for dinner, or for a walk in the park. 'What do you say? Will you entrust the care of your world to Confederate hands?' This time she wouldn't make a long winded speech about the benefits of being part of the Confederacy, he only needed to look at the worlds under their influence to know it would be properly looked after.

Before there was any chance of a reply the silence in the room was shattered by the sound of a door slamming against crumbling brick. Faye swung round to come face to face with the blonde who was attempting to catch her breath. Faye returned her nod with one of her own, but her expression was plastered with mild confusion. What was she doing here?

 

[Paragon of Virtue]

​

[member="Faye Malvern"] [member="Alden Akaran"] [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"] [member="Nyx N1X3"]​

​

And there it was. He had been expecting it, from the first moment the first Confederate stepped food on his planet. Touched his machinery. Enjoyed his food. While almost entirely void of organic life, a planet such as he had made, had been made to be enjoyed. Not to gather dust in some forgotten corner of the 'verse.

And that was exactly why he had sent messages out to all of them. The Confederacy, the Coalition, the Sith, the Silvers, and all the other ones. Yet none had answered.

Would it truly be such a shame then, to give his assets over to the one who had been the only one to answer his invitation? And what if perhaps, the message had simply been lost on its way to delivery with the other governments? So many variables to consider, so many thoughts…

He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't even noticed another was approaching. But when [member="Karlie Lynn Destat"] entered his office, so out of breath, the Oldman frozen in place, his pale eyes focused on the short blonde.

How… brazen of her, to enter like that! To be so completely lacking in basic manners and respect! To call him… grandpa! If the Tin Man would have followed protocol that he had been raised on himself, he would have had her beheaded for her insolence!

But instead, he just looked at her.

And looked.

And looked.

And suddenly burst into laughter.

Waving a hand, more particles separated from his desk before building into a chair for the one with the chutzpa to sit on.

Looking at each and every one of those gathered in the room, the Tin Man nodded, firstto himself and then to them.

"You may have access to everything that I have built on this planet. I will have paperwork drawn up so that your Ministry of Science has access to my R&D. In return, I expect your forces to keep this planet safe from potential invading forces. It has not interested anyone in a long time, but this planet was not meant for fighting. It was meant for simply joys and pleasures. Keep it safe. And as I know you also hold Kamino within your gasp, I would ask that all preparations for my cloning happen prior to be looming biological death. Once that happens, I shall gladly join your Ministry of Science myself."

​

​

A bit of this was given, a bit of that was taken, but the first draft of the paperwork had been signed that very evening. The Minister of Influence worked every bit of her charm as the fine print was hashed out and argued over, supported both in spirit and in any other way that was requested by those who had been there with her in that chamber within he cog tower.

The Tin Man joined the Confederacy, and would enjoy three years in his biological body before it at last gave out. His clone, young and agile, with a mind that was sharper than the Tin Man's had been for decades, gladly joined the Confederate's Ministry of Science, happy to learn of all their advancements and help them continue to improve and develop as well.

Shadda Bi Boren was placed under the protection of the Confederacy – with extra care in security measures against smugglers and pirates, for there was no second to it anywhere else in the galaxy that was, perhaps, not so far away.

​

​

The faction's story of how Shadda Bi Boren was added to Confederate space ends here, but everyone is welcome to continue posting their personal stories and having fun! ​

 

[Karlie Lynn Destat]

Well, apparently he were. The creator of this world...

Karlie did a double take on the CIS officer she had for some odd reason or other not noticed before. Then again, he were comfortably sitting on what was an odd looking chair design and had been blocked by the droid [member="Nyx N1X3"] .
Before she could give the man a heads up, the old man broke into a chuckle. Apparently he liked the reference to grandpa. Well, what other name could she have called him, not knowing who or what he were? Old people were odd..in funny ways. And this one reminded her of her father. For the record, Karlie loved her father.

"Hmm..." Karlie managed a friendly smirk in response to his amusement of her. She were of that nature...friendly to most. Although somehow coming off as prudent, which she were not. But whatever it was, it were a byproduct of her sith mother..genetics. Only Karlie was far from being a force user. In truth, she had no more midi's than a small ground squirrel. And that were by her own doing...by elective choice.
"Well then, nice to- " She were about to open her mouth again when..

"...Oh.....Ok..." A similar chair took to assemble before her eyes. Now if that weren't an invite or a confirmation that the old man was indeed the orchestra leader to the mechanized world...

Yes, Karlie appreciatively took a seat. But not without first cautiously affirming that it were solid since she did just see it assemble itself from tint pieces of mechanical thing-a-ma-gigs. To which of course the chair were. And to her surprise, although it should have been expected; the chair took on to shape it's seating surface to her contours.
Oh wow... wasn't it the most comfortable chair..EVER, she thought.
It even reformed itself for max comfort when she crossed over her leg. YES..after that arduous climb up those million steps (they certainly felt like a million) the chair rewarded her with a most natural seating comfort for her to recoup in. She had to see if the old man could part with one of these. maybe she'd ask him later. Right now she seemed to have walked in on some kind of negotiation. Recognizing the CIS rep [member="Faye Malvern"] , Karlie remained seated, listening to what was taking place and why.

"So...I take it, the CIS is aquiring this gig because no one else was interested?" Yes, she leaned over to the man, whom she picked up was named [member="Alden Akaran"] through the conversation between their elder host and the CIS rep. Of course Karlie was only representing a portion of her home world of Castagne and not the CIS. But Castagne were part of the Confederacy and they had gotten pretty much the same invite as the whole of the CIS. So she were here partly on an exploratory mission and one of field testing her acquired battle droids. Droids that as far as she had them, had never been battle tested. She had brought a small detachment over to Shadda-Bi-Boren to test their ability to develop self awareness...empathy. Karlie were for the most part a pacifist. Of course that came after the fact that she were born to a sith mother, whom she had detached herself from. Well, that was still an on going struggle as the old witch still wanted to posses her. But that's another story.

Well, it were a good question. The one she asked Alden, whom she just happened to be sitting next to now...as that's where the old man had assembled the chair for her.
She'd ask the old guy herself as to why in Heaven's name he so readily would hand over a marvel of a world to 'first come first served'
So the only thing the old man wished in return besides keeping this wonderland intact and free from scavengers was immortality?..a cloned body?
Karlie took in a deep breath as it sounded very much like what her mother had wanted. only that her mother had wanted to posses Karlie's body...like that of all the daughters she had given breath to for countless Millenniums.

A lifetime were never enough for some people...






[member="Eternal Virtue"] / [member="Faye Malvern"] / [member="Alden Akaran"] / [member="Nyx N1X3"]

 

[Malok]

Tag: [member="Srina Talon"]​

Status: "The pain you feel, I know it well. You aren't alone inside this Hell."​

---

I will do better.

There were only a handful of instances over the course of their relationship where the Sith Lord could see true doubt. Though she was not the mightiest in the Force - yet - the alabaster woman always carried herself with certainty. Unlike most, she stood upon a foundation of militant experience. Molded, was she, by the finest Echani warriors. Keened, was she, by numerous battles undertaken in the name of her home. Before she had stumbled upon her Master that fateful day, she was already a deadly being to be reckoned with. Before she could even control her power, she could best Darth Metus with the blade.

Therefore, to hear her utter such words - to hear such doubt in the fact that she had never been a poor apprentice...it drove the Sith's eyebrow higher. His mind became an ocean of confusion, for what calamity could have befallen her on Kuat that would have resulted in such a mindset? "There is no better for you to do, Srina." His tone was even. Kind. Laced with concern that she would feel reverberating through their bond. Yet even his words - uttered in Basic or the tongue of Eshan - made not a dent in her faculties.

In fact, as he reached, she slammed the door shut.

There were moments where they had quieted their bond for the sanity of the other. Moments of intimacy or extreme duress - but never had the Sith ever entirely closed out his apprentice. Never had she in turn. The silence was...deafening. So much so that his empty hand instinctively recoiled into a fist as she did so. As the corruption filled her eyes, the Sith blinked against the void. Sulfur gazed upon sulfur until she uttered her nugget of truth. There were some things that even he could not do?

Doubt once more. A wound that cut so deep that it had sent his Apprentice - the one who at one point hesitated before the abyss - sailing headfirst into the Dark Side. Leaning forward, the man drew a steady breath as he racked his mind. Things he could not do? Lies. He had given it all on Kuat. Subjected himself to the whims of the Primordial One. He had made sure she lived. What price was so high that his life was not enough to pay? Was that not how the Deep Arts worked? A life for a life? She emerged, bruised and battered - but alive.

So what was it, then? What could have been so precious to cause the woman before him to fall so easily? What could he have failed to do? What reality was there for her to adjust to? Was not all she cared for intact? Were not her family and homeworld prospering? Was it...was it a rift in her relationship? The Sith's head tilted at the notion. No, there was no fight that would have caused this. But, if not that...then what could have been so great...what could have been so terrible that subjecting himself to the so-called Mother of Darkness was not sufficient.

Wha-

Ice formed in his stomach. Dread settled mightily upon his shoulders.

His dominant hand rose, covering his lips for but a moment.

For a life - no matter how mighty - was only worth one.

"Two." the word was as ash upon his tongue and a blight upon his soul. "You...weren't alone on Kuat...were you?"

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: [member="Darth Metus"]​

Status: "Hell is empty and all the devils are here. There is no good and no evil. Only power and those too weak to seek it."​

​

---

​

---

Srina couldn’t see it. She couldn’t feel the soft praise, no matter how truthful, because the notion of not being able to do better was heinous. For the longest time she had been content in herself. There were few things that could stand before her and evoke any sort of response. She feared nothing, and no one, but the grief that ran through her being had no end. In the young hours of morning, when the first fingers of the sun stretched through her window, when she first woke, she could forget what she had lost. It was hazy. She could feel nothing.

It ended when her mind caught up with reality and her insides began to twist painfully. There was an ache in her chest that never left.

The Exarch had to do better. She had to be everything. There was no choice. How could she protect the people of this nation without perfect, utter, control? Overwhelming strength? Absolute power?

She could hesitate no longer. The white-haired Echani could not bend for her betrothed as she had in the past. He had softened her, changed her, and the result had left him cut off from the Force. She had spent so long with the belief that she could stand tall with one foot in both worlds. That sensible compassion could outweigh the atrocities that the Darkside required.

Srina, had been wrong.

There was no in-between. There was no way to be anything but what she was. The Apprentice of a Sith Lord. A Child of Eshan. A Daughter of War. She had deluded herself into thinking that there was any sort of natural order or justice that could be perceived without forcing it to be so. An enemy was only well and truly gone if they were burned from this existence. Wiped away—And turned to ash in every world thereafter.

The young woman remained still as stone while her Master tried to analyze what lay before them. She had never pulled away from him in this manner before. Not physically, not mentally, and even now it felt foreign to have done so. She could see his mind working through the problem. Step by step, piece by piece, she could see him solving what it was that had driven her to the Dark. Everything within her begged him to leave it alone. To stop. But, she couldn’t say it.

With her mind locking down—He wouldn’t feel it either. Yet, he would see it. In her eyes. In her face. She was tired and angry. For the loss of something so pure…Shouldn’t someone be?

[member="Darth Metus"] would see it eventually. No matter what others thought, or felt, he was far more intelligent than most gave him credit for. He knew loss, pain, and suffering far more acutely than the average individual. He knew her, inside, and out. When he knew the truth…She could see it. When his hand rose to hide the lower portion of his face—She knew, that he knew.

Silver eyes closed. His words, though carefully stated, drew her fury. It pulled upon a wave of vitriol that threatened to cause her calm exterior to crack and break. If he could see her in his mind’s eye the Sith Lord would know what she wanted to do. He could see the sheer violence that every part of her yearned for. To freeze this garden, to make it cold, lifeless, and barren. Then? To call about the sonic abilities of her sisters and shriek until everything shattered. She wanted this world to be nothing. To exist, only, as a memory. Why?

Because it existed.

Her child, did not.

Teeth ground together while a low rumble pulled through the area. It would feel like an earthquake to those that walked the fabricated greenery. The words that she was finally able to utter were accompanied by the return of burnished golden orbs. They did not bleed, slow, as they had before. The corruption was simply there. Full. Complete. “No, Master. I was not alone.”

For the first time—He would hear her seethe. He would hear that blind hatred had consumed her. There was no direction for it, no target, but it oozed from her every pore. It colored her soul, turning it black, and spread through her system like a virus. It shut down softer feelings, stilled empathy, and became central to her life. It was the intent of her person. She felt it so deeply that it was almost as if it had been ingrained in the very tissue of her flesh. Coded, into her genetics.

When she stood from the table the world seemed unnaturally quiet. For how many screams rolled in her chest, that never saw the light of day, it seemed wrong. She kept her mind closed. Loathing had claimed her. Pure and abject hatred had possessed her. Devoured her.

She let it.

 

[Naedira Darcrath]

Tag: [member="Alkor Centaris"]​

Note: This character is a Force Ghost. Dead as dead could be. Sorry not sorry. ​

The Mountain had taken everything from her. The work she lived for, the people, she cherished. She could not feel. She could not affect the real world. She could only watch, through her small window, while everything she knew passed by. The galaxy kept moving. Nothing stopped. Her death was as inconsequential as the loss of an inspect. The only thing she had left, now, were her fragmented memories.

Memories—and her name. She didn’t want to forget.

When the Knight Commander assuaged and acquiesced to her request the ghostly woman passed him a smile that could only have been described as forced. It was blissfully painful to hear him, finally, call her by name. Not her last name. Not Knight. Ghostly eyes, flickering with light, shot away from the dark-haired man. She didn’t want him to see. She never wanted him to see. “Thank you.”

Her request cost him nothing, but, it was a gift nonetheless.

Naedira knew him well enough to see that he was struggling with something. She couldn’t say what it was. Few, that she knew, could read his mind or follow his line of thinking without becoming irrevocably lost. Being dead hadn’t changed that. Instead of pestering him with questions she simply waited for him to speak, or, to hide away his inquiries for another day.

She wished he knew. Wished, she could tell him.

Wished it would mean something.

It didn’t.

“Everyone has questions. Everyone has decisions. Ask well. Choose carefully.”, she intoned, as if he were one of her students, and truthfully, the reply arrived on auto-pilot. The galaxy had been unkind to Alkor for the moment he had been brought into it. His ways were less and less a mystery as time passed. It was too bad that her time has run out. The clock had stopped—Just when she thought she’d made some sort of impact. “We are…Only human. Even with the Force, we’re still at the mercy of basic, static laws. We either learn our faults or die—”

She swallowed hard.

“—Young.”

Naedira hadn’t learned. Not truly. She had served her intended purpose, even still, she should have been stronger. They began to walk and she continued to orbit around him. Like the moon to the tide, she followed him, taking soft steps that caused light to bend around him. Through her. He said she needed a Sorcerer to live again. Was it worth it? Every time she saw Darth Tacitus return from the beyond, he was changed, and made anew. Would she even still be herself? “…[member="Darth Metus"]. [member="Darth Tacitus"]…”

“Or…The witch coven.”

On their own it was unlikely that the Mandragora would have enough power to do anything. But, together? Perhaps. Perhaps, it would be enough.

 

[Malok]

Tag: [member="Srina Talon"]​

Status: I. Shall. Save. You.​

---

It did not take a tremor for the Sith to understand.

In what seemed an eternity ago, a scared, lost woman wandered into his life. She was soaked to the bone from the afternoon rains. She had no direction - only the inclination to run from whatever past was behind her. And, in the instant of his questioning, she had turned his offices to ruin. Later, her lack of control had frozen over his quarters. When the Echani before his burning gaze began her journey in the Force, control was something that she lacked. Yet, with each passing day, she seized control over the reins.

Regression by grief had eliminated that progress.

Darth Metus could not blame her in the slightest. Though she had shut her mind and muted their Bond, he was no longer blind to her agony. This Hell, he knew better than most. His own soul had been cut to ribbons by loss - by his own flesh and blood perishing before they could live out their days. By his children dying, despite all the power he commanded. He, too, struggled with the calamity that was his existence. For, what was the point of commanding such might if those he cherished most could do?

Even now, as he witnessed the plight of his apprentice, the question burned in the rear of his mind. What was the purpose of wielding dominion over Death itself...if he failed to prevent this from transpiring in the first place. The alchemist in him ruminated for only a second - entertained the notion of what horrors he could commit to right this wrong. But he dismissed the thought almost as quickly as it came. There was nothing to be done to right this injustice. But. There was a way forward. As her Master...no...as her closest friend, it fell upon him to guide her forward.

His hands pressed flat upon the table as the quake of her wrath rippled through the garden space. Ascension gripped him as her seething words reached his ears. Silence ruled him as he drew near, with the sole exceptions being the light ruffle of his garments as his hand raised. His index finger then graced her brow, and with it? Peace. How often had she done this for her betrothed when he was teetering on the edge of Darkness? How often had she drained the very midnight from his soul to the point where it marred her flesh? Secrets she dared not utter to the world - he knew.

And just as she loved him enough to grant a momentary reprieve, in this moment, he did his best to devour the wildest of the flames. All the while, reason was at his lips. "Hadashah. Riggs. Adela." he breathed. She would know these names well. Know the names written in bloody script upon his soul. Children lost - his stars in the midnight sky - after just getting to know their sire. Each of them, buried by his hands. Each of them, robbed. Each of them, a source of fury greater than the mightiest Sun.

"You are not alone. You never have been."

When she looked upon him, she knew that he understood. That, among all the beings in the Galaxy, he knew what it felt like to carry that pain. To suffer the madness of seeking to never again feel the same agony. "Hear me. See me. We have, and are, suffering the same. The pain...it never goes away. I will not lie to you and say that it gets easier - because it does not. Ever. You will want to destroy everything. To cut a bloody path through everything and everyone because they squander the gift of life." The same gift that was robbed from their children.

"But if we succumb...We are no different than those who burnt Coruscant to the ground. We are no different than Mirvaak. We become slaves to our rage and our suffering. But the Dark Side exists to free us. I cannot right this wrong...no matter how much I wish my life was enough to save you both. But what I can do is show you two things: How to turn your sorrow into the weapons I wield. And how to live on their behalf. If ever there was a moment to trust me Srina, it is now."

"Amin will leitha lle."