Private Little Secrets

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Valeria Ragal (Ingrid L’lerim)
The Red Witch; sorcerer, master spy, agent, assassin, sniper, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Adrian’s yacht, en route to Dromund Kaas
Equipment: -
Tag: Aren D'Shade

Ingrid still felt very weak and her belly ached - despite the painkillers - but at least she was already able to get out of bed. She had never been a believer in lazing in bed all day, it was more about her husband. But Ingrid didn't, she couldn't stay calm, that was true of the current situation. She had a feeling AMCO wouldn't be happy to do that, but she had to. She could no longer lie in the bed. So when her lover was just leaving the room, the red-haired woman escaped for a walk. Knew she had almost died on the Bastion and that her condition was still severe, but she had no intention of doing anything here on the ship that would make her condition worse again.

It was a pleasant surprise that Adrian was worried about her, she didn't really feel it at Borosk, but now she did. Now everything was different than earlier, even between the two of them, as if everything was deeper, not to mention the strange feeling that had developed between them in the Force. Of course, she was happy about it, but she was only a little confused, just as when she first realized that her Force sensitivity had awakened a few years ago after the ritual. So walk. She had to be very careful, there was no operating room and equipment on the yacht here to take care of her wounds properly. Only if they arrive at Dromund Kaas will they receive regular medical care afterwards.

She will slowly become a regular guest of the infirmary that AMCO maintains in Tower Vandiir. First at Borosk, on the ship, while defending the Sith Lord, then the poisoning case when she was cut with the poisoned blade. And now this. She should take better care of herself. As she walked cautiously on the ship to one of the places she saw the young girl she had already been on the planet. Ingrid didn't know when the girl had joined Adrian, but she was familiar to her. The drugs dulled her consciousness enough, so it took her a few seconds to recognize the girl.

”Hello! If I'm not wrong, you are Aren D'Shade, Adrian's disciple, right? I heard a lot about you. Adrian is really proud of you and your achievements.”

Meanwhile, she leaned against the wall, the pain getting stronger again. Maybe she should have listened to Adrian to rest. She did not show that she was in pain again, nor that she would like to sit down instead of perching. Instead, she watched the younger girl with interest. Hoped she had some time to talk to her before Adrian found her and took her back to bed to rest.

​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

After making her own escape from Bastion, Aren had rejoined her Master on his yacht. She had escaped without injury and teleported herself here. At his suggestion, she had practiced and gotten really good at teleporting different places. There was one issue with this. She needed to make sure she was going to a place she had already been to. Not having to be entirely familiar with a location, she did need a previous connection to them.

So she had a suit of her own on his yacht even if she didn't use it very often. Checking in with the droids she had left behind on Denon, the young woman closed the communications off and turned around after hearing a somewhat familiar person speak to her. Standing up, she offered Ingrid the warm spot on her bed.

Just looking at her slow and subdued movement, she could tell the other woman was hurt more than she let on.

"Please have a seat."

Nodding in answer, Aren waited for her guest to take the offered seat or pick one of the other chairs.

"I am. Aren D'Shade."

Moving over to get a drink, she took two out and handed one of them to Ingrid.

"What has he said? I know nothing about you. Encountering you on Bastion was when I first learned of you. I don't even know your name."

Smiling just slightly, she took a seat and hopefully looked open to chatting with her. Of course, she didn't want to drive her Master's lover away...nor did she want to cause any additional harm. Hoping this wouldn't exasperate the damage Ingrid had taken, she took a sip of her drink and waited for the redhead to answer.

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Valeria Ragal (Ingrid L’lerim)
The Red Witch; sorcerer, master spy, agent, assassin, sniper, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Adrian’s yacht, en route to Dromund Kaas
Equipment: -
Tag: Aren D'Shade

As a matter of fact, Ingrid was really badly injured, only surviving thanks to the life-force of Karza’arana. She also had great pains, yet she did not show this. That is, she tried to do as little as possible. There were few things she would love less than to see her as weak, defeated. She grew up in a society where, if she seems weak, vultures strike and she doesn't survive long.

”Thank you!” she said.

She would have stood by her heart, she was already sleeping enough, which was also the reason she went for a walk from the infirmary. But for sure, after that, she'll go back to Adrian's suite to the big bed, not the infirmary. There she may be more comfortable next to her lover. In fact, she didn't have much bigger needs at the moment. After the offering, she went closer to the bed and sat down.

Her springy, predatory movement was much more cautious at the moment than elegant and smooth. Other times her every move told about how elegant, noble, and deadly it was, now that couldn’t be said about her. Now she was trying not to tear the injury, she didn’t want to bleed out or die here. She grimaced for a moment as she sat down and the pain flashed back into her injury.

Ingrid wasn't wrong, the girl was really who she thought she was. The red-haired woman gratefully picked up the drink and took a sip. Smiled for a moment when the girl didn't recognize her and didn't know who Ingrid was. According to them, she last met AMCO quite a long time ago and did not follow a proper galactic press.

”According to this, you are not following the galactic political news or the tabloid press. I’m Ingrid L’lerim, the Overlord of the Eternal Empire. The second-in-command. Glad we finally met.” she introduced herself.

Smiled a little at the end. The Eternal Empire and the TSE were still at war with each other, she knew that where she came from might sound quite interesting.

”You don't have to worry, he just said a lot of good things. How special is the master-disciple relationship between you. Whether he’s proud of what you’re learning or you’ve just learned without his help. You are lucky to have a master like him.”

​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Perhaps it was negligence on her part for not paying as much attention to the other side of the Galaxy and the news from there. She lived in the center of the Galaxy and that was her main concern. Some things were difficult to not hear about though and the various invasions, small wars, and even some skirmishes she did know about. When Ingrid mentioned she was part of the Eternal Empire, Aren tensed up slightly. They were seriously close to her homeworld and she was suddenly concerned for her parents.

Thankfully when the Eternal Empire had started to rise up, they had actually helped liberate Zakuul from the First Order. Then to her knowledge, they had left the world behind and alone to survive.

"What do you plan to do with Zakuul?"

Hardly hearing the answer she was given, Ingrid might be able to tell she was worried about her home. Of course, Aren didn't even attempt to keep her agitation buried. The reason wouldn't be obvious though. Finally, the answer struck her mind and she returned the smile the injured woman had given her at her introduction.

"Nice to be officially introduced. Adrian has given me so much freedom and granted me so many gifts to accomplish what I want to. Thank you for the vote of confidence."

To know he had said only good things...was good. She would do her best to keep improving and not give him any reason to say bad things about her.

"How did you meet?"

Ingrid didn't have to answer if she didn't want to. In her position though, Aren was curious and gave voice to the question. Wanting to know what the Zakuul plan was more important in her mind. Taking another drink, she waited patiently and was quiet with a sort of tenseness involved.

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Valeria Ragal (Ingrid L’lerim)
The Red Witch; sorcerer, master spy, agent, assassin, sniper, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Adrian’s yacht, en route to Dromund Kaas
Equipment: -
Tag: Aren D'Shade

Zakuul? The question came to her quite unexpectedly, of course she knew it was also called the Eternal Empire, but the two places were completely different. Although from the question she thought the girl might come from there. She tried to recall if there was anything in the plans, but it was so hard that the Emperor shared nothing with her or with the STRATCOM. That's why she didn't think of anything about it.

“Zakuul is quite far from our territory at the moment. Currently, the emperor has no plans with the planet.”*

She said honestly, trying to reassure the young girl with this because she was visibly excited about the response. She hoped Tacitus wasn't planning something like he did on Bakura. It would have been very unfortunate if Zakuul had done the same, because that place was wonderful and beautiful. At least according to Ingrid. The red-haired woman listened with a smile as Aren talked about what Adrian was like. She didn't want to spoil the mood by mentioning that she had been tortured by her own master, instead of being helped. And he threatened Ingrid if she acted again like that, Tacitus will execute her. There she almost lost herself, she didn't like to think back to the case.

“It’s just natural, it’s always good to get to know someone who’s really important to him. As far as I know, there are not many such people.”

The next question didn't come as a surprise, Telis Taharin-Zambrano also had almost that first question, when she first met the Sith Lord at Tower Vandiir. Here she smiled again. Probably because of her injury, she couldn't hide what she thought now and couldn't control her body language perfectly, which made the woman look shining and happy. Even for a complete stranger, it might have been obvious that she was in love.

“We met at Lanteeb. The planet joined the Eternal Empire and for this reason a ceremony was held where I was also official. Adrian was also there as a representative of the Sith Empire. He came to me to introduce himself and get to know me because he had heard of me helping the Sith Empire several times. We danced, talked and flirted most of the evening. It’s hard to believe, but that’s all that happened. Even though we were already attracted to each other and chemistry worked great between the two of us. We didn’t really think we’d ever meet again after Lanteeb. Fortunately, we were wrong.”

Luckily, they were really wrong, and the rest was history. Now that she was telling this, her voice was somehow softer, more human, and she smiled lovingly all along.

“And how did you meet? I haven't heard anything about it yet.”


*Since our game is still when Tacitus was in principle here, I took that state and not the current one.

​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Letting out a sigh of relief when she learned this new Empire wasn't planning on doing anything with Zakuul, it was clear Aren felt a lot better about the situation. Reaching out a hand, unless Ingrid pulled away, she would lightly squeeze that of the other woman. A sign of thanks and assurance.

Pulling her hand away, she sat back in her chair. Trying to get a read on Ingrid, she smiled at the answer and story given to her. When she asked how she and Adrian had met, she almost looked embarrassed but decided to answer her truthfully.

"I was a thief and broke into his tower on Dromun Kaas. He caught me and saw great potential. Instead of having thrown into jail or worse, he opened his door for me. Adrian is a wonderful man and I'm happy for you both."

While Aren worked with droids far better than organics, there was no missing out on the softness and loving smile her guest had about herself and on her face.

"Are you hungry? I can have EL fix up something."

At the mention of her name, a droid appeared and sort of introduced herself.

"What is your favorite food? With the knowledge stored in her circuits, I'm sure she can get it going for you. Besides, sometimes having comfort food helps one feel better and I think it's something you need. Even if you don't know it."

If an answer was provided, her droid would get to work on the meal.

"Were you on Zakuul when your Empire freed it from the First Order?"

Not that truly mattered. Aren was just trying to make small talk, getting to know the partner of her master and the woman behind the professional facade she was trying to wear. Being hurt, recovering, and in a location of security had allowed both of them to be more open to this meeting and conversation.

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Valeria Ragal (Ingrid L’lerim)
The Red Witch; sorcerer, master spy, agent, assassin, sniper, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Adrian’s yacht, en route to Dromund Kaas
Equipment: -
Tag: Aren D'Shade

Ingrid wasn’t really used to such direct things, the one thing she used to accept this immediacy when needed. But otherwise she was aloof from others. When Aren touched her, her whole body tensed, but she let her lightly squeeze her arm. The red-haired woman just smiled, really glad the girl reacted that way, even if she couldn't really react all that.

Now, probably because of the medicines in her body and the blood loss, it was much easier to read in her than usual. It felt a bit like when someone was drunk. She listened with interest as she recounted their first meeting. In the meantime, she smiled involuntarily, lovingly. Yes, it testified so much to AMCO that Aren told her.

”Yes, he is really a very good person. The two of us have something in common, I broke into Tower Vandiir too, though I wasn’t caught until I revealed myself. I wanted to surprise him, even at the beginning of our relationship. True, he was not there…”

Instead, she managed to run into the later Lord Inquisitor in Adrian’s office, and Ingrid caused a few awkward minutes to the Echani woman. At the end of her words, she smiled sincerely, glad that Aren thought so, she didn't even know why. She usually doesn’t care what others think of her or her relationships.

”Thank you, Aren, it means a lot to me that you think so!” she said honestly.

Did she really not understand why this was important to her, maybe because the girl was close to Adrian? She considered all this possible. She had to think about mentioning the food. Ingrid used to be a little hungry at the Bastion, but now she didn't feel the slightest sign of it. Let’s say how many vitamins, immune boosters, blood transfusions and other cocktails she has received for her injury, she wouldn’t be surprised if she weren’t hungry in days to come. So the red-haired woman shook her head gently.

”No, thank you, I'm not hungry. Anyway, I don’t think I should be allowed to eat solid food in the next few days. I just got an emergency solution for my injury so I wouldn’t be in immediate danger to life. I don't think Adrian would be happy if I ate regular food. Then after surgery due at Dromund Kaas. But if you're hungry, eat calmly.”

Anyway, she didn't think the droid could suddenly make roast venison with a berry sauce. But if she had to choose, she would have opted for sweets. She had to think back to where she was then. When the Zakuulian case happened.

”No, I wasn't even near the Unknown Region. I was working with Scherezade deWinter for the CIS, we had to kill a Warlord, I mean a moff on Ichtor VIII. At the time, I was still working mainly for the Ministry of Secrets under the CIS.”

She fell silent for a few moments before continuing to speak. She hoped she wouldn't hurt or offend the girl.

”I hope I didn't hurt you, but you don’t really look like a Sith disciple to me. True, I wouldn't tell about Adrian that he is a Sith Lord. You're both different than the average Sith.”

​

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Letting go of Ingrid when she felt her tense up, maybe she was taking this too fast. Then again it was the other woman that had come searching for her. Aren had never been seriously hurt before so had very little medical knowledge about recovering people. So it was more out of habit that she offered the food.

Chuckling a bit when she realized they had both met Adrian in similar situations. Both of them had tried to break in and gotten caught. Instead of him turning them away or into criminals, he had let them in. The laugh faded but the smile remained.

Nodding when Ingrid said she wasn't hungry and it probably wasn't the best idea to eat anyway, she let the subject drop. Listening to the answer provided, the small ball of tense nerves relaxed. From everything she had heard, Zakuul had been left alone but that didn't mean everything was peaches and cream there. Hoping her parents were left alone, Aren decided she would have to check up on them soon.

When the CIS was mentioned, she got a bit of a soft look on her face.

"My boyfriend is with them."

Realizing she might have said too much to Ingrid about herself with just five words, she closed her mouth. Shrugging her shoulders slightly, the words had been said and that was that. At least, she hadn't given a name and the Confederacy covered so much territory. There wasn't any real easy way for her guest to find out who Aren was talking about. That is, if she was going to try and hurt her in the future. Something told the young woman that wasn't the case though.

Tilting her head to the side slightly, she listened to the comment made about how she and Adrian looked. Looking down at herself, she ran her hands over the clothing she wore.

"What am I supposed to look like?"

While she had a good idea of what was meant, actually hearing it spoken might help more.

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Valeria Ragal (Ingrid L’lerim)
The Red Witch; sorcerer, master spy, agent, assassin, sniper, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Adrian’s yacht, en route to Dromund Kaas
Equipment: -
Tag: Aren D'Shade

Ingrid was not used to this immediacy, only accepted it if it was done by someone close to her, but rather only if she took the initiative. Now she was weak enough to act and play that everything was fine. And she was a little confused; which is rare with her. The Force-bond with AMCO ; well, when they start their relationship of being lovers, it started as a no-obligation thing, between two people who were attracted to each other to feel good and nothing more. In Adrian's case, the woman didn't try to seduce the man, as in Tubrok's case, now she didn't want to get the other one to fall in love. Still, it happened. How did it hurt? No, nor that the man kidnapped her heart. Even then, this view does not change that it will cause endless pain in the future.

Let’s say Ingrid could have walked out of Adrian’s office the day she met the later Lord Inquisitor and surprised the woman, but it was really similar between Aren and Ingrid, they both loved to break in somewhere. At least Ingrid loved such challenges. Watched her reactions as she tried to find the most comfortable sitting position, which was not the easiest in the present situation. Maybe Adrian was right and she should have stayed in bed. But the Overlord was too stubborn to follow such instructions.

Saw the girl's face soften at the mention of the CIS and her boyfriend. Ingrid had no intention of investigating the girl or her boyfriend, so she didn't have to worry about any trouble.

"Your secret is safe with me, I will not reveal it to anyone."

Promised sincerely. She was really very good at keeping secrets, that was part of her job too; last but not least, seriously thought she wasn't going to tell anyone anything about it. Smiled at her reaction and the question.

"You know, when someone mentions a Sith and their disciples, the majority is waiting for a great evil cruel lord who will ruthlessly exploit their disciple. And the disciple usually learns so that they can kill their master as soon as possible or get rid of them. In contrast, Adrian is indulgent, let you go your own way, then and learn whatever you want… I wish my master would have been like him." smiled tenderly and lovingly at the end.

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Even though she could have made a grave mistake, when Ingrid said she wouldn't reveal that she had a boyfriend, the young woman relaxed almost visibly. Aren was not a very empathic person, but she senses the sincerity in the words of her guest. Giving her a smile, she waved EL away when she indicated she wanted to bring them food.

"Go away, EL. I'll let you know when I need you."

Turning her attention back to Ingrid, she listened to the answer and chuckled slightly. She did have a point though. So many Sith did act that way. Wanting to be only herself, the technologically inclined woman did just that. Maintaining her own individuality, she was an eccentric person.

"Adrian is one of the best people I have ever met. However, I think you could be too. What was your master like?"

Chewing a little on her lower lip, she could just imagine what Ingrid had gone through. Just basing this off what she had said prior to saying her wish.

"Is he still alive?"

Almost wanting the answer to be no, she again had the feeling this wasn't the case.

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Valeria Ragal (Ingrid L’lerim)
The Red Witch; sorcerer, master spy, agent, assassin, sniper, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Adrian’s yacht, en route to Dromund Kaas
Equipment: -
Tag: Aren D'Shade

Ingrid glanced at EL when it wanted to bring food, she really wasn't hungry. True, after what happened to her, it wasn’t necessarily surprising. Had another surgery waiting for her anyway, at least one. But in the meantime, she also turned back to Aren so they could continue their conversation. Smiled at her compliment, but wondered why she thought so. Ingrid thought of herself as a monster, even though most people didn't see her that way. True, they didn't even know the woman.

"Why do you think so? Is it because he chose me for a long-term relationship and not just for a single night like he does with others? Because I'm the first one he chose as his lover?"

Of course, she didn't mean to question Adrian's decision, because she found that the Sith Lord was generally a good man-knower. But she was curious. How is her own master? It was a really interesting question, that is, how much she would tell the girl. Adrian knew every little detail that the man didn't really support her, let her suffer, nearly ruined Ingrid and Tubrok's marriage, threatened to kill her, tortured her with others, and then nearly let her die instead of help.

"He is only interested in his own goals, no one else's. He uses anyone and anything, even the Empire, to achieve his own goals, he doesn’t care if the Empire is destroyed, just has what he wants. He no longer considers himself a Sith, but perhaps he is the one I could best call him. And yes, he tortured me with others, exploited me, used me for his own purposes, and threatened to kill me. I wanted to learn, but I learned essentially nothing from him, at most from the books I was given, because he didn’t have time for my education. I learned a lot more from Adrian than I did from my own master…"

Before she met Adrian, she might have been content with so much, but then a new world unfolded before her. Ingrid did not do it for power, did not want to learn for power, but for knowledge; she always considered knowledge important. Looked up at the girl and nodded seriously.

"Yes, he is still alive because he is my emperor, Darth Tacitus… I would never commit treason against the Eternal Empire or endanger them…"

Anyone can say anything, she was like that, too loyal…

 

[Aren D'Shade]

"Because you haven't tried to kill me yet?"

Giving Ingrid a bit of a smile, her tone was joking slightly but she also meant it seriously. It didn't have anything to do with the choice her master made at all. Maybe partially because that is how they met...sort of. Both of them were either providing protection or support for the same man, at the same time. They had escaped...together and that was that.

At first, Aren did not know who her guest was talking about. Adrian shared some of the same qualities as the man that was described but it soon became clear that wasn't who she was talking about. As Ingrid continued though, she couldn't help but feel some additional sympathy for her. Which could be seen as a weakness in Aren. She didn't care what anybody thought of her and expressed the feeling.

"You have my sympathy, Ingrid. I'm glad you have Adrian in your life."

Blind loyalty was poor in some and it gave others power over them. Inside her heart, she wished Ingrid would be able to see how much of folly it was. Aren wasn't going to point it out. Let her figure it out on her own.

"I do understand. There are people I would never betray or endanger."

Noticing the pain the other woman was in, she was lost about what she should or could do for her.

"Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?"

This was a start and Aren offered the branch to her.

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Valeria Ragal (Ingrid L’lerim)
The Red Witch; sorcerer, master spy, agent, assassin, sniper, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Adrian’s yacht, en route to Dromund Kaas
Equipment: -
Tag: Aren D'Shade

"But only because I wasn't in the room when you arrived." she chuckled a little, but it was quite painful. "I felt it when you arrived in the room. If I was there, I would only have asked who you were after I tried to kill you to protect Adrian… Sometimes I might try too hard to protect him, but on an average day I wear more armor than he does in the middle of a war. And of the two of us, he’s afraid of death, I don’t care if I die…"

She said a little annoyed and honestly; she saw no point in lying about it. Neither as far as Aren was concerned, nor as far as Adrian was concerned. Now she wanted to protect him not only because at the beginning of their acquaintance, because the Sith Lord was one of the leaders of the Empire, but because she loved him. The beginning may have been similar, but Adrian cared about the others as well, Tacitus didn't. Nevertheless, she also considered the emperor her friend. Ingrid smiled at the end, honestly.

"I'm glad I found him too. He is the best thing that has happened to me since I met my husband…"

At the time, she didn’t even know that in a few weeks, Adrian would be her fiancé and then her second husband. But that was also true, she didn't care that became a Force User, she didn't care that she was the second man of the Eternal Empire, the confidant of her own Emperor, and nothing like that. What she was glad about was that she fell in love with someone, and in light of what had happened at the Bastion, the other felt the same way about her, even if he didn’t recognize that feeling because he had never felt it before.

"The feeling is mutual, I’m glad you’re there for him too."

Smiled kindly and tenderly, making her look even younger than usual, even though she looked younger than her age anyway. Not to mention that she didn’t look like a strict and stiff soldier or an assassin who didn’t know fear at all. She nodded to the girl again, glad to think that there were those she would never betray. There were few such people in the galaxy, so they had to be greatly appreciated.

"You are a special person, Aren, always try to stay like this and not change for the sake of anyone. A friend and companion like you is rare."

She said honestly again, shaking her head at the next question. Most people would probably be begging for painkillers for such pain, but Ingrid had a high pain threshold and had no habit of complaining. And of course she didn't want to show weakness either.

"No need, I can bear it, I'll be fine. I haven't seen you in the war so far. Why haven't you fought on Adrian's side so far? I guess you fought elsewhere..."

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Being the kind of person to avoid physical fighting, Aren wasn't one to wear armor either. Too much like Adrian maybe but the two of them really were a good pair. She was happy he had found a mate and lover, not just a woman he had for a short time but somebody he really connected with.

Giving Ingrid a nod when she pointed she hadn't been in the room when she appeared. She did have a point.

"Who isn't afraid of death? I certainly don't want to die any time soon. I mean I know we're all going to due sometime but not today."

Feeling like she was just chattering to hear her voice, she smiled as Ingrid continued on. All of them seemed happy that she and Adrian had met and fallen in love. It was also clear she was pleased that Aren was there for him too.

Both of them shared a smile and she wasn't entirely sure how to take the compliment she was given. While she didn't want to admit that was Ingrid said was true, she didn't feel that she was special in any way. When she was asked why she hadn't fought next to Adrian she was silent for a moment or two.

"My life has taken me to other places and locations. So the opportunity to fight together didn't happen. Well, until now. I'm not much of a fighter, Ingrid. More I use technology to wage war. So if you need anything hacked or stolen, I'm the gal to talk to."

Lifting a hand and pointing a thumb at herself, she might come across as being an egoist but Aren did know what her strengths were.

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Valeria Ragal (Ingrid L’lerim)
The Red Witch; sorcerer, master spy, agent, assassin, sniper, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Adrian’s yacht, en route to Dromund Kaas
Equipment: -
Tag: Aren D'Shade

Aren and Adrian may not have been warriors, but Ingrid did. She barely learned to walk when she was given a weapon in her hands. This was part of the culture of their people, in the case of clans who were civilians, even those who received warrior training. Only not those who were physically or mentally incapable of doing so. This legacy could still be attributed to their Midwinter ancestors. She did not mind this, once she had children, she would raise them accordingly, because that was important to her.

"I, for example. Adrian doesn’t understand why I would sacrifice my life for him, either for the Eternal Empire, or for civilians, without thinking, or for those who are more valuable than me. I’m a soldier, it’s my job to give my life for those who can’t defend themselves. I'm not afraid of death… when I should have been scared, I didn't know what it was, and after that it was a part of my life."

She didn't expect Aren to understand, this could only really be understood by another soldier. That's why she was glad to meet Telis, because he understood her. Sometimes the woman may have been complicated, especially for those who did not know both sides. She inherited this half from her father anyway. The admiral was perhaps even worse than the woman. They talked to Adrian about it a few times too, remembering how surprised the man was on their second meeting on Wayland when she told him she would take care of him even at the cost of her life so Adrian could get back to the dropship. At the time, she didn’t think they were going to get into the situation they were in.

"I see, it’s never wrong if you’re not a warrior… I just hope you don’t attract as much trouble as he does. And of course, it’s okay if you don’t want to be right in the middle of a battle, anyway…" smiled at the end. "If I need something like this, I know who to turn to. Do you also have experience in programming? I promised Adrian that next time I would create a virus for him so that he wouldn’t have to delete everything as slowly and manually as he does today.…"

 

[Aren D'Shade]

There was a great difference between how the two women grew up. Aren had been born on Coruscant and soon became an orphan. From there she was adopted by a couple that ended up moving to Zakuul. Then she was an only child and was given so much freedom to explore technology. That had led her to try and lift a ship and that started her journey through the Galaxy. This ended up leading her to try and steal from Adrian who ended up taking her in as his apprentice. To make a long story short, it had all lead her to sit here with Ingrid and there wasn't anything she would have done to change any of it.

"I don't understand why a person could have such loyalty to a government. While I might be a part of the Sith Empire, it is only because of Adrian. My loyalty is to him. If he decided to no longer be with the Empire, then I would go with him."

When Ingrid assumed she wouldn't understand, she was right. Aren was not a soldier and never would be. It wasn't what she was any good at and she probably never would be.

Giving Ingrid a slight smile, she was pleased she understood and did not place her lower than herself. At least, Aren didn't think that was the case. Realizing a question was being asked of her, she nodded.

"Oh yes! Programming is where I started many years ago."

Blushing with a bit of a humorous look on her face, she cleared her throat before speaking again.

"Mostly by me playing pranks on people. Reprogramming refreshers and food processors to do something entirely different. That was always fun. These days I don't do that anymore. Do you need help with that kind of virus?"

As the subject changed into something Aren was interested in, her attitude also changed a little. Before she had been uncomfortable but now she was confident in how she was talking and even in her weakened state, Ingrid should be able to notice this.

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Valeria Ragal (Ingrid L’lerim)
The Red Witch; sorcerer, master spy, agent, assassin, sniper, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Adrian’s yacht, en route to Dromund Kaas
Equipment: -
Tag: Aren D'Shade

In contrast to Aren, Ingrid grew up in a fighting culture where she was raised on the principle that family and clan are the most important, this is her duty. Later, it expanded with the Empire. They came from a different society, a different culture; that was all. She accepted that there were those who were not loyal at all, and others were. For her, this kind of freedom where everyone cared mostly for themselves without loyalty was selfishness. She could understand, she accepted, but she wasn't like that.

"You're misunderstanding me! I am not loyal to a government or a ruler, but to the people of the empire. To my own people and family. Whoever is in power, I will serve my family, my people. I will protect them, from anyone and anything, whether from our own government or our ruler. I am interested in them living well and being well, the whole nation. Governments and rulers change, come and go, but your people are eternal."

That is why she was ready to kill even Tacitus in case the man endangered the Empire. Yet the man was her friend. The future told it that this was not necessary because eventually someone else did it instead of the woman. Although, in light of the previous ones, she wasn't sure Aren would accept that. If she didn’t understand the previous one, she might not understand this either.

After that, the change of topic came great when she brought up the possibility of computer viruses. Here Aren apparently became much more enthusiastic than on previous topics. Now it was Ingride's turn to smile. Luckily, she was able to hold back the laughter because it would have been uncomfortable and painful. For some reason, she found it infinitely cute and charming what the younger girl was doing in this area.

"I was thinking of more serious things; this will not be my first job like this. But I don't want Adrian to get in trouble because of me. I don’t want them to think I’m spying through him. Because it’s not about that, and I don’t want to do it, I want to help him, that’s all. That’s why I need someone who is trustworthy and can check or control what I do. Since you are his disciple and you certainly do not want to harm him, you would be the best help in this."

 

[Aren D'Shade]

She had not intended to upset Ingrid with her words but it was obvious she had. Aren really did need to work more with people than droids. This soon became clear to the young woman. Binary she was natural at using, Basic well that was something else. Blushing a little, she probably looked like she was sorry for saying the wrong thing.

It didn't take too long for the other woman to calm down enough to not hurt herself. Listening to her, it was true that once again Aren had misunderstood her. Her second explanation made more sense and it was something she could agree with.

"I'm sorry for being so obtuse at times. I work too much with technology and forget how to properly interact with organics. See? I'm doing it again. Calling you an organic instead of a person."

Almost planting her hand to her face, she ended up just shrugging her shoulders. She had apologized and that should count for something. At least, to her it did.

"Who are them?"

It wasn't a virus she was asking for but a program to protect him. Giving Ingrid a little bit of a confused look, some things weren't adding up in her mind.

"You want a virus that he can use to wipe the system with one keystroke basically and another to protect him?"

Ingrid L'lerim

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Valeria Ragal (Ingrid L’lerim)
The Red Witch; sorcerer, master spy, agent, assassin, sniper, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Adrian’s yacht, en route to Dromund Kaas
Equipment: -
Tag: Aren D'Shade

"There’s nothing wrong with that, after all, living things are organic creatures, didn't they?"

Asked with a smile. She really didn’t bother, if only because she often objectified those she had to kill. She had no problem killing living people, but as a young girl, it was easier to work like that. Since then, she had never thought about who or what the other was, what their life might have been, or anything like that. A professional doesn't do that.

"Leaders of the Sith Empire. I am the second man of the Eternal Empire, the confidant of the Emperor; and the Eternal Empire is still at war with the Sith Empire. Yet I am here… in secret and I help them. I have to be very careful not to shed light on this. Both sides could accuse me of treason, in this case also Adrian, for cooperating with me. We can both be executed for this."

Somewhere she found it infinitely cute and naive that she didn’t think of such a thing. Sometimes the woman also wanted to live in a world where paranoia or politics and shadow games do not exist. Although without them life would be boring, shook her head at Aren’s words.

"A program, or virus, that can delete systems that Adrian or you want. It can be either an AI or an intelligent virus that can be moved from one location to another on a datapad. And that requires the supervisor, i.e. you, to document and be able to prove that I am not using this to steal information from TSE or Adrian. All you need is documentation to explain to others how the virus works and which code does what."

Ingrid just hoped she wasn't asking the girl too much.

 

[Aren D'Shade]

Letting out a sigh of relief, Aren relaxed more as she realized her careless words had not actually offended the wounded woman. Listening as Ingrid explained to her who the people and groups were as well as what the program should accomplish, she nodded.

Lifting a hand as if to tell Ingrid to wait a moment, the Apprentice stood up and left the room for a few minutes. This room had a small closet and it was there she was rummaging around for the amount of time she was gone. Returning with a datapad, it looked like it might be one of better quality than what one could buy on the street.

Sitting down in the chair, Aren was focused on it for several minutes longer and was pretty quiet. Once in a while, Ingrid would hear her mutter under her breath, and once or twice, she rubbed at her head absentmindedly. Once she finished typing a few lines out, she took another datapad out and laid it on the bed next to Ingrid.

"Turn that on, if you can and watch."

If she did, she would see some generic programs and a few other details about the tablet. After another few seconds and some tapping of keys, it would go dark and then reboot entirely wiped. Leaning back in the chair, she might even have a bit of a smug look on her face.

"That one is the easy one. It'll take me a bit of tweaking to figure out something that can focus on specific programs but it's not outside of my realm of expertise. The other won't be an issue either. I could even make it so you can gain the information if you wanted to and no trace of you would be found."

It was an option she offered and would not feel put out if she was told no.

Ingrid L'lerim