Private LotS │ Forged in Struggle

[Aspect of Passion]

Wulfngard, Kalidan-Lysenia...​

860ABY​

​

The Empress's halls were, as usual, full and busy with administrators attempting to keep a hold on the nearly endless buearacry of a regime that ruled with an iron fist. Even more with the growing conflicts through the galaxy - notably the rising civil war of the Sith Empire, fractured and broken between Imperials and the some-assume failing regime of the Zambrano Dynasty. Even now, as they failed to stop the advance of the Imperials in a tangible way, the Galactic Alliance had begun to strike out in tandem; revenge against them for their treasure fleets and looting of the Core.​

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It was in this that the Eternal Empire got dragged in - through uncountable diplomatic promises eventually coming back to hold the Empress to a new standard. The Eternal Empire was embroiled in war, but it was not their own; much to the dismay of many. Even now, as the Empress found a single moment of quiet in the grand halls of the Emperor - as they once were called - she would not find solace from the harsh reality of politics, dogmatic rhetoric, or the drama of the Sith Empire.​

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The moment the door to the central planning chamber sealed, a new figure would appear. Without so much as a noise, the air warped and through a wake not disimilar to water; before a black, liquid like, smoke formed in the epicenter. In a blink, the smoke had transitioned into a massive, multi-masked figure with electrum masks and dead eyes behind them - void like and empty, they seemed to stretch infinitely into the multi headed monstrocity before her.​

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Alone with the creature, it offered the Empress a single low groan before a small bow was offered - his voice, thick and bassy, echo'ed on the inside of his mask as though the cloaks were empty;​

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"Greetings, Empress.", the voice echo'ed.​

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"I understand you've been busy."​

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"So busy..."​

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"... So tired."​

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"Always working.", voices of different tone and gender followed up the lead male voice in a slowly descending volume. The last was nearly a whisper, a woman's whos voice seemed both a hundred miles away, and inside Ingrid's mind itching at her skull.​

​

Ingrid L'lerim​

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch; The Night Queen, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Fortress of Solitude, Wulfngard, Kalidan
Equipment: Brynja coat | Hersir Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink || Shield talisman | Empyrean gland
Tag: Aspect of Passion

Work, always just work, she hadn't been home for days, was just buried in work again. Found only reassurance in this, not in anything else. Tubrok tried to talk to her or visit her, but she was so busy that she didn't really realize they had told her, her husband was here. Two days later she realized it all, but by then the man had already gone home. There was enough food on the table for four days that she didn’t even touch, that is, hadn’t eaten anything again for four days. Luckily she was a shape-shifter so always had a perfect look. Had she not been so lucky, then probably would have lost a lot of weight and be in the hospital. So she didn't have to worry about that.

It was dark outside, there was a silent silence in the room, she was alone, the last bureaucrat, officer and official had already left. The guard wasn't inside, just the droids. She couldn’t tell what day it was or when she started working. It was then that someone appeared in the room, the way of appearing was quite reminiscent of what she was capable of in her original form. Got up from her seat and watched the figure appear and take its (their?) form. It seemed pretty special, maybe some demon? Couldn't tell. Her first thought was to have another assassin sent to kill her, just the usual, but the opponent was a special one this time.

She had not yet taken an offensive stance, only taken up the usual military pose; small stretch, stiff hold, hands behind her back. As usual, she didn't show she was worried or afraid. There was something strange about the creature, she didn't know who or what might have sent it. Last, the female whisper is a little uncomfortable. Didn’t like it to have something like that in her mind. What the creature said was true to the last word, she was busy and tired, but she didn’t show these to others.

"Another assassin who was sent to try to kill me?" asked in her cold, military voice.

 

[Aspect of Passion]

Wulfngard, Kalidan-Lysenia...​

864ABY​

​

The figure floated to a more comfortable position in relation to Ingrid - slow and deliberate, not the moves of a killer, and only stopping where it seemed relevant for a conversation. The masks did not look down to meet her gaze, each frozen in their respective positions even as The Worm Emperor spoke; voices echo'ing throughout the room, that even despite the obvious intent seemed to duplicate themselves with every surface they hit. By the end of his words, there seemed to be a hundred voices speaking at once - heavy and overlapping, but their meaning was always clear.​

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"Empress, I am offended.", the male voice mused.​

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"Upset."​

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"If I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have greeted you."​

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"You'd already be dead.", another child like tone quickly interjected.​

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The air around them held still, and seemed to chill by the second. All the energy in the room was slowly falling into the Worm Emperor as though he were no more than a drain; gently having everything fall into the void that was his being. His words came once more, ignoring what the child implied, or the other voices tried to force -​

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"No, I come to offer you a reprieve. And in doing so, strength for my Order."​

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"Make us strong."​

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"Forged in fire."​

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The deep male voice spoke up again, "I want you to abandon your foolhardy alliance with the Sith Empire. Abandon them to help them."​

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Ingrid L'lerim​

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch; The Night Queen, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Fortress of Solitude, Wulfngard, Kalidan
Equipment: Brynja coat | Hersir Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink || Shield talisman | Empyrean gland
Tag: Aspect of Passion

From then was trained as an assassin and an agent after learning to walk; she had always seen a threat in everyone since the day she first had to kill. She was four or five years old. Yes, she was a little paranoid, but this was necessary because of her work. Knew many who were more paranoid than her. In fact, Ingrid did not fear her life, her life was insignificant, but she worried about others' lives. One more thing AMCO has tried to change her view, that the life of a red-haired woman is also important and don’t think about it as if she were just an expendable soldier. But it wasn’t that important if the one opposite her had shown how dangerous, or just a little, it would have been more reassuring to her.

Reached into the Force to try to examine the person in front of her through it. The Empress didn’t like when she didn’t know what she was up against and had no idea who or what the person was. In fact, based on the sounds and reactions, had a feeling the person (couldn’t say it was just a man) wasn’t even physically present in the room. The red-haired woman did not move, the unpleasant feelings she had immediately suppressed, so the unknown man could not feel anything from here. She was like a cold ice sculpture.

"Or not."

Replied coldly after the child-like voice, deliberately unresponsive to the previous ones. She could feel what was happening around them, but still not moving, her face a cold mask that could have been a death mask. Neither her gaze nor her eyes reflected emotion or what she thought of the situation. The other was too confident. Who was this figure? For sure, Nite will have a job after the meeting. Tried to find any sign that told her more about the man, pattern or mark on the dress or the masks, anything.

"A reprieve?" Asked back coldly.

To be sure, it had enough courage in this figure to try to persuade her into an open betrayal. However, the man was knocking on the wrong door, Ingrid was notoriously straight and loyal. At least on issues like this, because the Empress was a great shadow player and had betrayed countless people in her life, but she didn’t usually break her promises or vows. She was an anomaly, mysterious and difficult to get to know her.

"And why should I do that? Because an unknown person comes here and says that? I am not my late emperor." Said in still perfectly emotionless and without moving.

 

[Aspect of Passion]

Wulfngard, Kalidan-Lysenia...​

864ABY​

​

"You mistake me.", the male voice offered her with a deliberate flatness.​

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"Mistakes can be fatal.", the child interjected once more. However, the other voices seemed to ignore it.​

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Ingrids attempts at identifying the Worm Emperor would be met with nothing. She would see a thousand faces, a thousand voices, a thousand souls - an abyss so empty that her mere attention gave the impression that she would be consumed by it. There beneath the cloaks was unknowable, endless, the eternal void - and even looking into the abyss threatened her with it looking back. Whether this was natural or a purposeful usage of the Force could not be known; but it was obvious that she would not have so simple a time to feel the Emperor out.​

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"I am not a stranger. You've known me since you've known the Dark Side."​

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"Since you've known life."​

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"Since you're known death.", a woman dictated.​

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"Look not upon me as a stranger, but as a friend. And know that the reason I ask you this is not because of petty politics, but the revival of a people.", the voice exclaimed.​

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"Surely you've seen how... weak, the Sith have grown."​

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"A cancer brings them to the brink."​

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"Have you not considered the why? That they would lose to the Imperials, lose to the Bryn'adul, and lose to themselves. That their numbers dwindle, their war effort grinds to a halt, and they can not even protect those they claim to serve.", the Worm Emperor chided.​

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"Empress, you have posed your Empire to support the decaying remains of an era bygone; and in doing so, you hurt yourself more than you know."​

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"Where are those you hold dear?", the woman interjected, tears in her voice.​

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"Dead and gone.", the male voice offered in anger.​

​

Ingrid L'lerim​

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch; The Night Queen, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Fortress of Solitude, Wulfngard, Kalidan
Equipment: Brynja coat | Hersir Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink || Shield talisman | Empyrean gland
Tag: Aspect of Passion

"Did I?"

Still asked the same way and didn't answer the child's voice now, because maybe she would have been too offensive about what she wanted to say. That this applies to them in the same way that mistakes can be fatal to them too. But didn't want to look too arrogant, even though she was just confident. When she tried to investigate the person, it was not particularly successful. The last roughly a decade since she was Force Sensitive had not felt like this before. Not even when she fought the Night Spirit, or when she was in the Netherworld, either physically or just her soul after her temporary death on Byss. She didn't know who or what it was. A thousand faces, a thousand voices, as if it were some sort of Force Entity, or an aspect of the Force itself that has absorbed so many different souls.

"No, you are not the Force. What are you? Who are you?"

Did this person know what legacy Tacitus left behind? What is the purpose of the Eternal Empire? No, she was sure the mysterious figure didn't know it all. The Wardens main goal is to destroy the Force itself. The other issue is that the woman didn’t want to do this, not because of the power, the power didn’t interest her. Rather, because of the exorbitant price that she thought would have resulted in everyone’s death. And of course… she wanted her husband back.

"Everything is changing, even today Bryn’adûl and NIO are strong, tomorrow they will lose. This is the order of life."

But had to think about why, after Tacitus betrayed the Sith Empire. She actually thought a lot about this, but she believed that after the current changes in TSE leadership, the Empire would be strengthened again. This whole situation seemed rather ironic, because the creature also spoke exactly like a Sith, no different.

"And since you could offer more, why do you think your way is the future? According to your words, you too are a Sith, a traitor who betrayed or is about to betray its own masters. How would you be better than the NIO?"

When the female voice spoke, she felt that the icy dagger in her heart - that had fallen into her heart at Adrian's death - had been rotated again. Trembled imperceptibly, her hands behind her back clenched into a fist after the word "gone." No, he may be dead, but not gone, she will not give up the hope to bring him back. Or would this be another test where they test by the TSE whether she remains faithful and loyal after Adrian’s death?

"Yet what kind of future do you envision?" asked finally.

 

[Aspect of Passion]

Wulfngard, Kalidan-Lysenia...​

864ABY​

​

The Worm Emperor seemed to pause as she declared that he was not, in fact, the Force. That his being was finite, absolute in its end - that he was simply a pawn for masters unknown. In that, there was quietness between them that seemed to last an eon - though was only a few seconds before the distant sound of metal on metal scraping came clear. It ceased as soon as the Worm spoke;​

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"I am what I am, but I am subservient to none.", he chided.​

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"The Worm Emperor.", a man with a calmer tone offered.​

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"The return of tradition."​

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An unnatural quietness seemed to fill the air between the many voices that spoke now - as though focus was paramount. None of the voices chose to speak until the male tone chose to invoke his dream vocally - to impart it on Ingrid as only an Emperor knew how.​

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"This New Imperial Order is not power, but weakness personified. It is everything the Sith failed to understand, failed to offer, and failed to hold. They abandoned the creed of their ancestors in a vain attempt at worship - to believe their Emperor untouchable, that loyalty was paramount above strength. Even their Emperor did not claim the title by right of strength, but chosen through council. His successor, no different - a man given his title, a man who hasn't earned his position - a product of nepotism, not strength.", the voice seemed to growl.​

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At once, when the monologue was done whispers began to seep in like darkness in a fading light. Like a candle flickering, the voices began to fill the room in a rumble of whispers that could not be made out; but existed nonetheless. A cacophony of the Emperor, the Worm's body made audible - a hundred and one voices too scared to speak above him.​

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"They have chosen weakness, and crushed dissent when the strong rise. They demand worship, loyalty, the love of their people with nothing to show for it. Nothing has changed, Empress, and you are not so foolish as to believe that it has."​

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"A cancer remains."​

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"A cancer kills."​

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"They have known peace too long, known strength and loyalty off the momentum of greater Sith; and now they suffer the consequences. If you truly wish to see them return to strength, to help your Empire against the politic forces of entropy - you must let them fight for their right to survive, or you will forever be the mother to a child who begs you for life."​

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"Forged in the fires of struggle."​

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"Abandon them to find their strength."​

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"It not betrayal I ask of you, but the greatest kindness you can offer. Make them earn your respect, make them earn their place at your table."​

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Ingrid L'lerim​

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch; The Night Queen, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium​

Location: Fortress of Solitude, Wulfngard, Kalidan
Equipment: Brynja coat | Hersir Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink || Shield talisman | Empyrean gland
Tag: Aspect of Passion

The silence did not bother the woman, it had always been her companion, her eternal companion, besides death. The silence was always reassuring as it surrounded and comforted her. She could tell the silence all her sorrows and pains; silence listened to her and never betrayed her. An assassin's best friend in which she hides and lurks as long as necessary. The sound is distracting and telltale. She wished she had been able to talk telepathically with Tubrok and not just with words, but she can only do this with Adrian, not Tubrok.

So he wanted to become a new power; she had seen countless of them, most had fallen before they had done anything. Others disappeared as quickly as they rose. Worm Emperor; interesting name choice, but at least she already knew how to refer to that person. Traditions, maybe he too was dead for a long time and now he was trying to restore order, which used to be? The woman was also traditional, but she had a feeling that the two of them had a worldview of traditions very far apart.

"A worm; interesting name choice. What do you want to chew on? To break into the hearts and minds of others to spoil them there to switch to your side and join you?"

The man seemed to be the strongest of all personalities. Maybe he was the original? The Empress couldn't have known, but one thing was for sure, they had a pretty similar view of the NIO. Although the woman simply considered them traitors, she thought of them exactly as Tacitus what he did with the TSE.

"I didn't claim the title by right of strength, I didn’t demand the throne either, Worm Emperor. In fact, I never wanted to rule!"

Probably the Worm Emperor knew this too; it is true that the Emperor made her his right hand, the Overlord, that is, heir to the throne. It is true because she was one who did not seek power; Tacitus did not have to fear his power from her. The man's speech was unpleasant as he began to climb into everything, into darkness, into light. But in this place was Ingrid, this place was her darkness and she herself was one with the shadows. Expanded her own power, merging somewhat with the darkness and symbolically pushing the Worm Emperor out of there, signalling that the woman was home here. She had no doubt that he knew exactly what she was, not a man, but a Force Entity. She didn't have to play.

"Cancer is curable!" said immediately in a cold military voice after the phrase "A cancer kills."

No, nothing really changed, she knew that, at least in the field of NIO and war. But she still believed the reigns of Joycelyn Zambrano and Darth Prazutis would be different. The parallel between mother and child was very painful and cruel. Ingrid lost her first child, and now two grew and developed on Dromund Kaas in the exowombs, two princes for whom she would do anything now like a mother tiger.

"In them, there is more pride than begging for anything. This is not kindness, but treason. I did a lot to keep the Sith Empire from wiping the Eternal Empire off the face of the earth for what Tacitus did. We are a small empire if I wanted to, I couldn’t help them as much as you think. Our presence is probably not noticeable to them next to their own armies."

 

[Aspect of Passion]

Wulfngard, Kalidan-Lysenia...​

864ABY​

​

The Worm Emperor seemed to sigh at her loyalty, his heavy breath echo'ing against all the masks at once. Whispers rose in his silence, speaking in archaic languages Ingrid could not identify - at least as they spoke over eachother, but notably hints of High Sith existed between them. Or at least, the distant hints of the language.​

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"No, Empress, you did not take the position through strength; but you are not Sith.", the voice offered her.​

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"Are you being used?", the woman shot in with a rabid expression.​

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"We offer you a cure to the sickness that invades your ally; and I do it without condition. Your new Emperor will lose Korriban, will lose Dromund Kaas - and Sith will rise to further divide his Empire. He will face struggle he will not be able to overcome, because he is used to saviors - from the Confederacy, the Concord, from you."​

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"He uses others power to threaten his enemies."​

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"He holds no power, no respect."​

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"And the Emperor Absconded tarnishes his reputation by claiming himself a God when he could not even save his Capital. A coward who runs from the throne, passes on the sickness of his mind."​

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"A god with no worshippers."​

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"A god to a non believer."​

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"Consider who you put your weight behind, and do not think them so strong when they have yet to prove it. Aesthetics and acting may look impressive, but they are a poor substitute for true prowess."​

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"They could not protect your love."​

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"Can they protect your Empire when their enemies come for you?"​

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"Consider what we've said. Meditate on it. If you wish to speak again, we will know; and we will arrange it."​

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With that, the massive form of the Worm Emperor slipped from reality with a subtle snap through the air. Ingrid would feel it like a sharp wave of heat washing over her before dissapearing equally as quick. Leaving her alone once more, with no hint that the Worm was ever there to speak to her at all. Yet she would know that if she thought on him long enough, truly wished to speak - he would know.​

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A quiet, unnerving assurance.​

​

Ingrid L'lerim​

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

Lady Ingrid L’lerim Ragal Terassi Vandiir
Eternal Empress of the Eternal Empire, Lord Commander of the Wardens of the Shroud
The Red Witch, The Night Queen, Lady Stuztala, Head of the House L’lerim, CEO of the HPI Consortium, Archon of the Primyn Group​

Location: Fortress of Solitude, Wulfngard, Kalidan
Equipment: Brynja coat | Hersir Imperial Uniform | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit | G1 OmniLink || Shield talisman | Empyrean gland
Tag: Aspect of Passion

Recognizing shreds from the whisper, High Sith spoke this language, it was necessary for her to be able to read the notes, books she had received from Adrian, or had found and inherited them in Tacitus' locked library. Now she had to nod, the Worm Emperor wasn't wrong, Ingrid really wasn't a Sith. It never was and never will be. She may have been a Darksider, but in thinking she was very far from the Sith. Though she thought of herself more as a neutral Force User.

No war could be won without allies. She saw and understood where the Worm Emperor wanted to go in his words. Maybe, but just maybe, he has been right. Did he go to the other leaders as well? She didn't want to watch everything collapse because Adrian worked and fought for what he gave his life for. Nor could she watch idly by billions being slaughtered just because they had lived in a world inhabited by the Sith in the past and some might think they were the same as them. Maybe Ingrid was a cold soldier who would kill anyone at any time, if necessary, even a child, but work as an assassin. As a ruler and soldier, she wanted to keep civilians away from fighting. The killing and execution of soldiers in a war was different from the slaughter of civilians.

"You want them to weaken and then you take the power…"

Yes, the other words supported that, the Worm Emperor did not agree with Zambrano's rule like so many in the Galaxy. And then came the coup de gráce. "They could not protect your love." There was something wrong with Dantooine, something was wrong with the Force bond, she didn't feel AMCO and couldn't even send him a telepathic message. It was Ingrid's job to take care of her husband, promising to always protect him. She failed and her husband died in it. She felt the icy dagger in her heart and soul again as she crawled even deeper. Her eyes began to burn with tears, but she was still holding herself, showing no weakness.

"I couldn't save and protect him... not them... his death is my fault." whispered hoarsely.

It was the first emotional reaction she had shown since her guest was here. The pain was immediately suppressed so that it could not be felt, but it was there in the gaping space in her soul. She had thought so ever since, which is why she digested herself so much, unable to accept it. She knew that if the enemies of the Sith came for them, they would probably have to face them alone. And they can’t count on any help. Telis Taharin-Zambrano would have done his best, but in the end he didn’t take on the role of military leader because of his traitor’s master. And Ingrid didn't know the new one yet.

Would all talk this to Adrian about what to do, but she couldn't do it anymore. Could Telis help her in such a way as Adrian did? Felt the heat and then the Worm Emperor disappeared. She had endured the previous deep wound on her feet so far, but now she collapsed on her knees and tears ran down her face until she finally sobbed loudly. Minutes later, she could only stop crying. She didn't know how the Worm Emperor had been watching her before, but he probably still does.

"You haven’t even tried to answer what happens if I say no to your offer." Told the air, maybe she could even get an answer…