Legacies

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

So she worried for it.

Love after all was her driving force. He frowned for a moment, trying to understand some common measure. He had no idea what she was seeking in that moment, not truly. She had said herself that she wanted to carry his legacy, that she intended to a part of his life, yet the only way to do that was to be Sith. His child would have to learn about his culture, about what he was and what he intended, what his people intended for the galaxy.

She knew this, she had to have known this.

Then he recalled the conversation they had once had, seconds after he had grasped her Lekku, when she had been almost pitiful. She had asked him to accept her, what they were. She had asked him to be content, willed him to be so. A frown pulled across his lips, the touches on her body easing up just slightly as he recalled the conversation.

"They won't be raised here on Kaas." He spoke quietly. "Or Korriban, or Athiss."

Is that was she feared? "Not in sight of The Council or anyone."

No. That was too dangerous, and in truth he agreed with her. There was a corruption within his own people, an insidiousness. If this child was to be his Legacy they could not be raised within the Empire, nor would he allow any contact between the two. That was too dangerous.

But they would be Sith.

"Is that what you fear?" He asked, knowing that it likely wasn't the whole of it. "No one will harm this child. No one."

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

That was more a relief than she could have hoped for. It would still be dangerous, but substantially less so if it were kept away from the empire. Aside from Vrak there was not a single person she trusted. Her eyes were always looking over her shoulders, even among his most loyal servants. His culture inspired fear, bred it.

It was through deception and out-maneuvering of one's enemies that others achieved success and wealth. Vrak was at the top of that list now. His councilors were equally untrustworthy. Just as the two of them had dispatched the former councilor of war, so too would others seek to overthrow Vrak. Threatening the life of his child was a simple and effective means of doing so.

While she would not give her own life to save his, she would for her child.

"Yes." She affirmed, "I don't want it to live every day in fear for its' life. It may be Sith, but I would want it safe."

Sera wanted more for it than a life filled with conflict. It would learn of both its' Sith ancestors as well as Twi'lek. It would learn of all of the places the Sith reigned, conquered, and inhabited. It would learn of Ryloth, Cambria, where her family raised her. It would learn of the slavery endured by her people for millennia. It would learn of a brother she once had that abandoned her family. She would teach it of the the governments that ruled the galaxy, the Jedi, and more.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

The Pureblood smiled for just a split second.

He didn't know everything running through Seraphina's mind of course, he didn't know of her plans to teach his child of everything from Jedi ideals to republic Politics, and in truth he didn't really need to. In his mind any child born of him would not need to be twisted or corrupted. He wouldn't need to manipulate or change wills, for Vrak, he already knew that his child would fall.

That was the nature of his kind. Purebloods were naturally drawn to the darkside of the force. This child would be half-breed, a mix of Twi'lek and Pureblood gene's, but that hardly concerned him. So while Seraphina plotted protection and education, Vrak already knew that he would win in the end. So he told himself anyway. His grip tightened for just a few seconds again, his voice becoming softer, stern, but holding just a little more care than before.

"They will be safe." He told her quietly.

That would happen no matter what Sera and Vrak wanted to teach it. She was right in her assumptions, the child would become a target, as would Sera herself. For now she was seen as a simple servant, but if people learned of the more far flung details? Well it was something else that could be used to harm Vrak.

"There is a world." He told her quietly. "Dead and forgotten."

His tone became soothing. "You will be safe there."

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"And where, exactly, do you propose?"

A lot of planets were supposedly dead and forgotten, yet somehow, some way, there was always something there. Be it a cult, a splinter group, or unforeseen inhabitants from cultures long ago. Other planets were too inhospitable for life to thrive, and that was why they were dead and forgotten. She wasn't entirely keen on spending the next several months in her current state, followed by several years in hiding on some dead, frozen world like Belsavis, or super heated forge world like Mustafar.

A jungle would do, that she could live with. Her own home had been built on Felucia, a place she hadn't been in quite some time. Built above a lake, in the center of a dense patch of jungle, a towering structure built out of the water. It was quite beautiful at both sunrise and sunset. Transparisteel walls surrounded the building, allowing a three hundred sixty degree view outwards.

"I am not entirely helpless, you know."

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He glanced at her. "It needs to be close."

That was important to him. He knew that Seraphina wasn't entirely helpless, he knew that she could fend for herself, but in the end he had a vested interest in this as well. She must have known that he would never allow her to venture too far away from him, at least not for long, and not just because of their child.

"Not in the Outer Rim." He told her simply. "Or the core."

The problem was simply that Vrak had many enemies. Aside from the Resurgent Empire there were others who would be more than happy to see something he cared about killed. The Sith Ascendancy, the Galactic Alliance, and of course the Silver Jedi. There were dozens of entities across the galaxy that wanted to see him brought low, and Seraphina and their child would be a way to do that. She had been right when she'd pointed out the danger.

"The world I speak of is not on any map or record." An old world, forgotten and lost to time itself.

"Occupied by my people Millenia ago, but lost after the Jedi Massacre of our species." He frowned, pausing for a moment. "I will take you there and you can see if it is...suitable."

It was clear that he was attempting to appease her just a bit, though why was a mystery.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera knew of planets that existed off the grid. Planets lost in during the Gulag Plague, others so long since abandoned that they had been uncharted, lost to the creeping of time. How to rediscover those worlds though? That was a troublesome prospect. Without a navicomputer one had to rely on old fashioned manual piloting, plotting hyperspace jumps carefully so that you didn't wind up traveling through a black hole, or a sun, or asteroid field. It was a job for pilots vastly superior to herself, decent as she were at the task.

"Then how do you suppose we find a planet like that?"

The deep core had hundreds, if not thousands of planets like that, but Vrak had said he wished to avoid the core.

Where else that was close could he be thinking?

"What is this planet? And how do you know your people have not found it themselves, or remained hidden there as well, like your caste on Athiss?"

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He kissed her sternum.

"It lays within the Tingel Arm, outside of the Caldera. I don't need to find it." He told her. The location wasn't really as important as one might think, though technically the planet fell into space currently controlled by no one. The world was after all completely abandoned, lost to the ethos of time and its system was of little worth to anyone.

"It was once the fortress world of a Sith, now long dead." He told her simply. "It's landscape is calm, peaceful. Jungles, grand rolling plains, deserts."

The way he described it was almost like a paradise.

"It resides within a nebula. That is why no one has found it." The world had originally function was a hide away, a Fortress. When the Jedi had come there however they had wiped out the Sith Population. Vrak had stumbled upon it within his families notes hundreds of years ago, but as far as he knew no one had ever tried to populate it. Unlike Athiss, the planet was not well known and had no real history, simply a hiding place for a single Sith from the Great Hyperspace war.

"Of course...There is one problem" He placed another kiss on her neck. "Every three months storms roll over the world. Powerful monsoons that can tear away entire villages."

Hence why creating an entire civilization there was difficult, but one Palace? Easy enough.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Silence fell over the room, leaving the two looking towards one another for a few brief seconds. She had concerns for this idea, namely the whole monsoons that sweep away entire villages portion. Would she be left alone while Vrak tended to the empire, and the rebuilding of Kaas that had just been won? How long would she be alone for? And when would the monsoons hit? What if they were ongoing whilst they tried to land?

Before she had a chance to ask any questions she frantically pushed herself up from the bed, the sickly, acidic taste returning to her mouth as she rushed towards the washroom and with a stomach turning groan, vomited from her knees on the floor. If nothing else she was becoming slightly proficient at making it in time, as opposed to the week before where several times she just missed it in time.

Falling back onto her rear she let her head rest against the cool wall, turning only to finally address Vrak from a short distance away.

"And what of you over the next few months? You're still needed here."

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

Vrak rolled off Sera and to the side, letting her rush to the refresher as he slowly leaned back. A sigh escaped him, but only because he realized that the next few months would probably filled with this. He frowned for a moment as she slowly wandered back, sitting on the bed once more and leaning her head against the cool wall.

She was quiet for a moment, then asked her question.

The Pureblood considered her question for a moment, confused. He wondered briefly if she had expected him to be with her, to run with her, to go wherever she would go with their child. The idea was ludicrous of course, he needed to run the Empire, but it wasn't as though he would leave Sera completely alone. Not during times like this. "I will visit when the time comes."

He told her simply.

"You won't show for a while yet." He was almost certain Twi'lek Physiology was the same on that point. "During that time we'll make arrangements."

Vrak certainly didn't expect her to live in a cave, nor would he subject anyone of his lineage to such treatment. "After that, it will be easy enough for me to come."

Part of the bonus of being the Councilor for Intelligence.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

A tightness in her chest bound up the moment he uttered the word visit. It was nearly enough to send her running back to the refresher.

A sneer covered her expression even as he continued to speak, her mood further soured back the displeasing aftertaste left in her mouth from the moments before, and the still topsy-turvy feeling in her gut.

He wants me to be alone for this?

"What arrangements?"

She finally managed to spit out the two words, clearly a little more than displeased with the notion of being by herself, bound to some desolate abandoned and inhospitable Sith planet with nothing, while he retained the freedom to move around however he saw fit. It felt like he was placing her in a drawer for safe keeping until he wanted or needed her again.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"I'm not sending you to live in a cave." He told her simply, perhaps trying to calm her somewhat.

Vrak did not want Seraphina to be alone, for several reasons, but she couldn't exactly stay here with him either. In a perfect world he would go with her, but she was right in that he couldn't simply disappear. This was a crucial time for the Empire, and if he were to simply go...he doubted things would last much longer. That was not simply ego talking either, that was reality. The Resurgent Empire was pushed by the Council, and if one of the Council was to disappear without a replacement?

Civil war and disaster would quickly rise.

"A home will be built." He told her. "Some place where you will be safe from the storms or anything else."

He paused for a moment. "It will also let you remain by my side for now....and make it easier for me to stay with you in the future."

It wasn't like he would just pop in from time to time. He was well aware of what this was, what it could mean, and what it would mean. If Sera suddenly decided one day she had enough she could very easily turn and leave, disappear with his child and become a very real threat. He had to keep her happy.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Excited about living on a desolate, abandoned, forgotten planet she was not. It was unfamiliar, difficult to reach, difficult to leave, and produced lethal storms on a quarterly basis. Building something there would mean that his servants would need to be brought to the planet, and that also meant at the very least some of the empire would know of her location. And while Vrak seemed confident in the loyalty of all of his servants, she was not entirely convinced. Most could be bought by some measure, promised things to talk.

But he seemed adamant about the subject, and there was likely only so much refusal he would listen to before he forced the matter.

Slowly Sera nodded, understanding she couldn't exactly have it both ways, to have him with her yet still perform what he needed to in secret. That didn't mean she had to like it though. The nod was a begrudging acknowledgement to appease him, nothing more. Wherever this planet was, and whatever was on it, she was certain it would not be pleasant. At the very least not until she was rid of the constant sickness.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

The Sith Lord frowned, but at least he had gotten some form of acknowledgement from her.

This would not be easy. Fatherhood was not exactly something he'd ever imagined himself for, even back when he'd dabbled in relations with other Purebloods. The idea of a family had never truly appealed to him, mostly because of the difficulties that arose around such things. Children were a danger in multiple forms, a woman was a danger in multiple forms, and yet so far...things had worked with Sera. Perhaps it was because she could protect herself, perhaps it was because her ambitions were far different than his.

Vrak didn't know, and in truth he didn't care. This child, their child was an opportunity. His Legacy, his plans for what would be left behind were all but broken, but perhaps this was a way to fix it. He knew Sera would insist on her own teachings, her own culture being passed along, but in the end Vrak was confident his child would come to learn his world just as well. It was something, something that would at least allow him to leave behind what he was.

More than a broken and shattered Empire ever could.

A day or so passed, and the two found themselves aboard a ship.

Unlike when they usually took trips, there was no crew aboard. All the servants had been sent away, the Red Guard had been dismissed, and the only other being aboard the vessel aside from Seraphina and Vrak was a single droid.

The Shuttle seemed almost devoid of life as Vrak slowly thumbed through the ships ignition switches, though that had been intentional. Seraphina had made her demands known, and part of that had been to keep this as secret as possible. Though Vrak trusted most of his servants he had agreed to the demand, mostly because he was more than aware that everyone had their own kind of agenda. Thus the ship they were taking was not on any of his logs, and as far as those of his House knew, he and Sera were meeting another Councilor in the outer regions of the Empire.

It was a deception that would hold through, and as Vrak pulled the controls back to steer them into the atmosphere he wondered just how long this secret could be kept. If Sera deemed the world they were heading to acceptable he would need to organize construction, and although most of that could be done through droids there would still need to be some organic element. He frowned for a moment, shaking his head as he punched in the hyperspace coordinates.

It seemed odd to him that he a Sith Lord and Councilor of an entire Empire would be running errands for a pregnant woman, but then again the Galaxy was a funny place sometimes.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

Sera was grateful that the day was faring better than the prior. It had been difficult to stand for any period of time, much less walk about the shuttle without feeling nauseated. Some days were worse than others, while some days she felt like herself. Thankfully this was working out to be a relatively okay day. The woman didn't feel great, but she also didn't feel miserable beyond mention.

She stretched out her legs and arms, looking over from the common area's couch to hear that Vrak had begun the preparations for their trip. Her imagination began to create this world he spoke of, what it looked like, the sounds, the colors of the terrain and trees, even what the storms might look like, should they find themselves landing during one.

As the ship rocked and creaked, her head fell back against the arm rest, allowing her lekku to fall over the backside of the fabric.

A planet empty of sentient life...How painfully dull.

Imagining the next several months in total isolation was dreary. The woman was hardly a fan of crowds, but she did seek interaction now and then.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

Vrak slowly pressed forward the small levers for the jump to hyperspace, the ship lurching forward for just half a moment as they quickly converted to hyperspace.

As soon as the stars blurred to the odd blue lines Vrak leaned back in his seat. It had been years since he'd actually flow a ship himself, almost a decade before he'd met Seraphina in fact. The idea that he was doing it now amused him slightly, though mostly because of the circumstances. He sighed and then slowly stood, undoing the safety belt and sweeping to the left so that he could go and find Sera. After a moment he spotted her lounging on the acceleration couch.

"The trip will only take an hour and a half." That would drop them outside of the nebula, the trip through that? Probably another two hours.

Vrak hoped Seraphina would see that as a bonus.

The planet they were going to was isolated, but it wasn't distant. That meant he could actually travel there in a timely manner and if need be she could leave. It helped that there was a direct hyperspace routre that traveled through the Tingle Arm, linking the Nebula with the Stygian Caldera.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

"Alright." A small nod followed the single word. She retracted her legs, bending her knees so that Vrak could sit if he so desired.

"And what of when we arrive?"

There hadn't been a whole lot of discussion as to what the plan was when they actually arrived. Were they to search for a suitable area? Investigate the wildlife or flora for potentially dangerous or poisonous species? The idea in general was for her to see the planet, and in a way, decide if she was okay with being left there for periods of time. Being okay with it was a manner of speaking. Sera was hardly enthused at the prospect of hiding away, but there was no changing Vrak's mind on the subject.

This was one of those my way or no way moments he tended to have.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

He frowned for a moment.

"I will show you the planet." There were several zones. "You'll decide if it is suitable."

If she said no...well Vrak didn't really have a plan for that. This world was in a way perfect for what he desired and required. Perhaps Sera hadn't quite seen that just yet, but he was hopeful that in time she would come to realize why all of this was necessary. Even if she would much rather just have him there to herself. "Then we'll find a location on the world for a home."

He shrugged.

"You'll pick it. The beach, the mountains, the jungles." Again he was allowing her some leeway, some measure of choice to please her.

"Wherever you choose." Slowly Vrak sat down besides her. "That is where we will build."

A new palace.

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The woman smirked a crooked smile.

"And if I want a home within a jungle at the base of the mountains aside an ocean?"

Always ask for more than you can have, that way you can settle for more than you would otherwise bargain for.

"Will you move the mountains closer to the ocean for me if that is my wish?"

The Twi'lek wasn't even sure that was something that was possible, but why not goad him with the question nonetheless?

"And after this child is born? If you desire your teachings, how will you do such a thing if I am the one raising it in secrecy?"

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Seraphina Shel'tah"]

"Then." Vrak stated simply as his fingers wrapped gently around her ankle, grasping her slowly before quickly pulling her down the sofa and towards him. His grip made it clear that it was not optional, and reminiscent of what he had done to her on the bed the Pureblood pulled his lover towards himself.

"I will." He stated simply. "Even If I must reshape the planet itself."

Wouldn't be too difficult. There had been tales of what Dromund Kaas once was before Vitiate had arrived, and although many considered it to be little more than a flight of fancy Vrak knew different. The histories that he and Sera had found told a great many tales. Though of course, literally moving oceans was probably out of the question, but Sera would get the picture. He was indulging her on this, keeping her happy, and it was all because of the Legacy she was bearing him.

His hands slid up her body and settled on her hips.

The Pureblood remained quiet for a moment, then answered her. "I will take time."

He paused.

"Away from the Council." There was an odd mix of emotion in his expression. "From The Empire."

 

[Seraphina Shel'tah]

The Twi'lek looked towards Vrak immediately after he spoke and willed her closer to himself by the jolted pull of her leg. One fell to the left, the other remained off to the right side of the Sith, darkened green eyes staring up towards Vrak.

"You won't be able to keep doing that much longer, you know. You'll need to learn to be more gentle."

She folded her arms beneath her chest, scrunching her nose. The headtails behind her hung over the side of the couch lazily, swaying ever so slowly.

"You will, will you?" Sera raised an eye. "And what do you see for the future of this child? And what of whether it is boy or girl?"

There hadn't been much consideration as to what the potential of this birth would be, should it be of one gender or the other. Sera assumed Vrak was after an heir, a son, but it was hardly something that she had conscious control over. But the desire to know his intentions one way or the other was there nonetheless. Would it be treated differently? Would it be given a different role? Did he care? Those were just a few of the questions she had.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]