Dominion &nbsp; Luxury and Usury (SO Dominion of Eliad)

Arcturus Dinn · Dec 15, 2022

All things considered, that could have gone a lot worse.

Arcturus wasn't the type to stick around and chinwag, so he made his departure rather swiftly with a respectful bow to each of the gathered Lords. He sent ahead a message to the men waiting with Beholder to get the ship primed, and then wandered out into the hall where Rhiannon and Pharus awaited. Much to his pleasure, Alisteri was there too.

He dipped his head toward the Knight. "Long time no see, Brother," he said, before his eyes drifted over to the boy he'd inadvertently made a ward of. "We should catch up properly soon, maybe we can grab a bite to eat. For now, this one needs a little tending to." Kissing Rhiannon on the cheek, he rested a hand on Pharus' shoulder to direct him away from the pair of Sith.

"I'll be on Beholder once you're ready, Rhi. No rush. I'm going to get this one in with the jellies." He nodded down to Pharus, as if it wasn't obvious who he spoke of, and then led the boy out to where his ship was docked. A dunk in the healing waters would do him good too, no doubt. Now that there weren't such pressing matters to tend to, he was really feeling the effects of that scream on his lacerated form.

Rayden Helonus · Dec 15, 2022

A R B I T R A T O R

OBJECTIVE - Noble Nuisances

TAGS - None

LOCATION - Grand Duke Haske's Mountainside Estate

The Arbitrator strode into the estate as if he owned it.

For all intents and purposes, he did. Such was the dominion of the Sith, of the Eternalists; acquisition was rarely a question of possibility as much as it was a question of plausibility and practicality. Eliad had belonged to them the moment it entered their vision, now it was just a question of whether it would be given or taken.

Marching through the front door, Rayden was hardly surprised when another contingent of guardsmen announced their presence with the stamping of their too-heavy boots and the clacking of their rifles. Expecting a hostile reaction given how clearly he had bypassed the exterior guard, he did not give them the chance to pull the trigger as he yanked the rifles from their hands as well.

Stunned from having their weapons scattered on the ground, the guard scurried like womp-rats for cover. He did not object, merely passing by them as they looked on in confusion, evidently surprised to see such a... docile Sith.

Continuing up the grand staircase, the Knight reached out briefly with the Force. While he hardly had the skill to search for a particular individual, or discern the difference between a humanoid or a rancor, the large assortment of guards surrounding a specific corner of the third floor gave a good indication of where Grand Duke Haske was likely to be.

Indeed, he found his prediction to be quite accurate. Stepping onto the third floor, Rayden hadn't the chance to round one corner before reflexively sidestepping a blaster bolt. Drawing his saber, he ignited only the single, crimson blade as he deflected three more bolts into the walls around him, before slamming the offender into the wall with the Force, the impact against his head knocking him out cold.

Finally turning the corner, five more guards confronted him; the two closest made the mistake of bringing a blaster to a close-quarters lightsaber fight, their own shots reflected back into their chestplates, downing them. Stepping forward as he outstretched his offhand, the Arbitrator let loose a torrent of purple lightning, catching the three remaining guards and frying them to the ground.

Lowering his hand, he walked forward, standing before the door to the Grand Duke's office as he slid his lightsaber into the center. He cut upwards, the lock melting away and letting the doors hiss open. Stepping into the room, deactivating his saber and clicking it back onto his belt, the Knight stared down the Grand Duke.

"Grand Duke Ortega Haske, I presume." Rayden stated, plainly, as his crewman joined him from wherever he had taken cover during the brief confrontation. "You and I have much to discuss."
​

Darth Strosius · Dec 15, 2022

Alisteri was quick to make himself and his guards scarce now that the meeting had reached its conclusion, leaving his master and the Kainites to handle any finer details that may have arisen now that the agreements were being signed. He was of no more use and he definitely had no intent to overstay his welcome with Carnifex himself still in the room.

His Legionnaires had a earned themselves a break from politics anyway.

As he stepped out into the hallway he heard his name being called and quickly dismissed his escort to return to the shuttle, turning to face the familiar pair with a slight bounce in his step. "Arcturus and Ishani, what an unexpected delight to see you two again!" The Knight returned the respectful nod and glanced down at the boy, apparently a lord of some sort, before looking back at his friend. "Indeed we must Arcturus, I have a few projects that I think you'd be interested in seeing sometime. Feel free to drop by Formos if you're ever looking to visit."

Then his attention turned to Rhiannon with a slight bow of his head. "I would hardly say that I've made anything worth noticing, my master merely wishes for me to be...more involved in Sith politics. For better or worse." Thus far little had been gained for so much headache. But more was still to come he supposed. "Maximilian has had some...difficulty adjusting to everything. Thankfully though the boy is resilient and resolute in his spirit. Finding him a family to join was another matter entirely but one of my most trusted advisors is caring for him now without incident. What about you though? I see you and Arc reconnected."

Ishani Dinn /

Arcturus Dinn

Ishani Dinn · Dec 15, 2022

Blushing a bit when Arc kissed her cheek, Rhi seemed in good spirits. "You're still an apprentice? I never would've guessed. You carry yourself like a Knight." In other words, he seemed to have grown up some since their last meeting.

"I'm glad to hear he's doing better," she said. For all his arrogance and brattiness, she still felt sorry for little Max. "I don't suppose you think he has a shot at becoming Emperor after all?" She meant it as a joke, but who knew? Everything seemed up in the air when it came to the Sith these days.

Alisteri Haxim said:
"What about you though? I see you and Arc reconnected."

"We're engaged," she replied with a smile. "Things are looking a lot better than they were. I have high hopes for the future." Not just in her personal life, but in the Sith Empire as well.

Darth Strosius · Dec 16, 2022

He chuckled at her remark and gave a small shrug. "Well I have advanced to a Knight level yes, but I have yet to fully advance my skills and abilities alongside that title. For now at least." Focusing on his cult and his master's bidding had taken more precedence than anything else in recent days, what with such a fragile peace between the Sith.

"Max as emperor is unlikely, very unlikely. But, far more preferable than Empyrean or Carnifex." The thought of the arrogant boy occupying such a coveted throne made him chuckle again, although Max would have gotten annoyed by the joke had he been there. Dreams of grandeur and power had not yet left his mind, for better or worse.

The news of the engagement was unexpected but the masked man did seem a bit impressed by the news nonetheless. "Engaged hm? Well I am very happy to hear of it! It's been awhile I've seen such good fortune. Your arrival was even more of a blessing than I had first thought it would seem, do tell me how you found a young lord in such a timely manner. Dystra his name was, yes?"

Ishani Dinn · Dec 17, 2022

"My guess was right, then," Rhi said. "At any rate, I'd prefer to see someone like you sitting on the... Dark Council, or whatever governing body the Sith Empire has these days." She'd even support him as Emperor, though she thought it prudent not to say that out loud here.

On the other hand, criticizing the likes of Carnifex and Empyrean was hardly dangerous. "Yes, I couldn't help noticing that those two are still running the show. When do you think those old geezers will finally kick the can, or at least step down and let somebody new take the reins?" She sighed. "I just wish they weren't so bloody entrenched. Nobody even thinks of mounting a Sith Empire without their involvement. I sometimes wonder if they only stick around because they think they can't ever retire gracefully. It's sad, really..."

She inclined her head, adopting a more joking tone. "I hope you've taken precautions to ensure that neither Carnifex nor Empyrean attempts to possess little Max. He is young, after all, and he does have a blood claim to the throne, no matter how tenuous."

Alisteri congratulated her on the engagement, and asked about Lord Dystra. "That was Arcturus' doing," she explained. "He suggested taking matters into our own hands when it came to the little lord's loyalty. We didn't know how young Dystra was until we saw him in person, though. It was quite the surprise. I think Arc's taken a bit of a shine to him. Orphan solidarity, and all that." She didn't mention that the boy was also Force Sensitive, and that she suspected Arc wanted to train him. Instead, she simply said, "He could use a guiding hand rather than a tyrant's iron fist."

Darth Strosius · Dec 17, 2022

"You must be out of the loop if you believe they're organized or united enough to be called a council." His remark was rather light, meant as a joke if a bit of a teasing one. "We are not so lucky as to have such stable leadership I'm afraid, not at the moment anyway." The Triumvirate wouldn't last forever, that was certain, it was merely what form the new order afterwards would take that concerned him.

Alisteri was more than glad to hear that his remarks about two of the Triumvirates were welcome though, a noticeable tension seeming to leave him as Rhiannon spoke of them. "It seems only direct action can remove them, waiting for their own tyranny to crush them appears to take too long." Too long indeed, for something that was more than overdue in his mind. "Perhaps one of these days some sickness or stray blaster will finally relieve us of them, and we can be free to build a proper Sith Order without the stains of their involvement. But that day is no time soon I'm afraid."

The idea of Max being recruited by, well any Sith really, only made him laugh. His ego could certainly rival that of a Dark Lord.

He nodded as the young lord was discussed, finding it almost amusing how seemingly both he and the pair of Sith had found wards to look after and instruct. One of the many signs he was getting old he supposed. "Do keep a close eye on him then. I don't envy anyone having to live under the rule of one of Carnifex's servants." Or under the Kainites in general for that matter.

"I am curious, if you'll entertain me, what have you and Arc been up to until recently? It feels as if I haven't seen or heard from or about either of you since the early days after the fall of the Sith. Did either of you have to go through the...growing pains I suppose is a decent term."

Ishani Dinn · Dec 17, 2022

Alisteri Haxim said:
"You must be out of the loop if you believe they're organized or united enough to be called a council."

"If I'm being honest, no, I don't think they're organized or united enough." She shrugged. "I'm a bit concerned that this train chugging along from star system to star system will run out of steam, too. So far progress has been exceptionally swift, but if we have no stable leadership, how long can it last?"

They seemed to share many of the same political opinions. Rhi wasn't too surprised. Alisteri seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, or at least he wasn't as hedonistic and glory-seeking as so many other Sith who wound up being used as pawns by the more ambitious minded. In other words, Alisteri wasn't a tool.

"It may not be the common cold that's killing him, but from what I understand Empyrean is dying," she said. "He has to fight to remain among the living even now."

Rhi took a deep breath and sighed. "Growing pains is a good word for it. Arcturus disappeared into the Netherworld. I don't know the full extent of what he did or experienced there, but he says he wants to stop running from his problems. As for me... Tython was the turning point." She flexed a wing. "Everything changed then. I stopped trying to please others, and decided to just be myself. Once I was liberated from the expectations of others, it all clicked into place." She smiled. "More or less."

Darth Malum of House Marr · Dec 18, 2022

Objective 3: Business or Pleasure

Many names were heard and noted down for future inquiry, 'Black Hssiss Order', ' Lord Jarin Retsinis', 'Alex StormWolf', all of them seemed rather important organisations and people, one which if indeed were dead and gone, would make for interesting research, and indeed if they were not, and they made for threats, he would have the knowledge necessary to handle them. Still, by the looks and by her own admission, it seemed that was unlikely to be the case, the Order was gone, the Lord was dead, and this StormWolf if still living seemed to be more the Lady's foe than his. It did seem to have the hallmarks of romantic tragedy, and he even found himself sympathising with both protagonists, the one before him and the StormWolf character, both of who had lost their families in the struggles that had occurred, one which had lost their memory and the other who had lost her purpose. He hoped that this last piece of her Order would provide her with something even if small to plug the whole of the tragedy.

He could hope.

Coming into view, with the Lady's hands still grasped around his arm, Malum could see what had gotten the Lady so excited, indeed the Holocron she sought was here, but far more importantly for Malum personally, all the artifacts and relics which he had sought were here too. The cosmic eldritch staff that seemed to ooze nether energies, the ring of fire which may enable him further proficiency in the realm of fire magics, the lightsaber crystal that still called out to him, where all others had said it was dead, the skull staff which though impossible still remained icy cold to the touch, indeed there were other items of his firm interest as well, some rather normal, others far more interesting, there was a blaster pistol that some said had a great propensity to hit targets, a smithing hammer which had apparently been owned by the greatest smith of Eliad, a pack of ancient scrolls written in an unknown language, finally a dry skull of a long-ago beast master that some claimed still whispered secrets to those that would listen.

Malum could almost cry in relief, it was all here, it was all untouched, and it seemed that his luck had swung positively today, wherein before he thought it so very likely that there would have been competition he would have to wage over the Museum to take all its plunder, instead, all he would have to leave behind was a Holocron, one which he would likely be seeing the contents of regardless, he was sure he could convince his Mistress of the imperativeness of that.

Of course, it had not come to Malum's attention that the true competition had been occurring elsewhere, one in backroom negotiations to make a new governor, and the other a very bloody campaign to secure the planet's starport.

Pressing forward, he leaned down onto the glass, and willing the Force to his hands, he breathed out, as the glass shattered in front of them. Shatterpoint was a useful if unsubtle skill at times.

His ears flickered to life as he heard the final words of the Lady.

Perhaps his day was going to get better and better. This was a Sith Lady, one which had honed her skills and craft for years, if he would indeed both be able to secure the Museum almost entirely for himself, and too recruit a Sith master for his Mistress?

It would indeed be a good day.

"I am afraid to say that I can not say much for the Triumvirs that currently rule the Order, indeed I only have met two of them, however I am certain I could arrange an audience between my mistress, Darth Ophidia and yourself, I am certain you would be welcome among the Tsis'Kaar, and be placed highly among them." Malum said, turning to face the Lady Venge.

Some wished to rule, others wished to be loyal, Malum had a feeling he knew who this woman was, but would a high place at his Mistresses side be enough for this woman's ambition for now?

That was the question indeed.

Lady Venge · Dec 18, 2022

Malum of House Marr said:
"I am afraid to say that I can not say much for the Triumvirs that currently rule the Order, indeed I only have met two of them, however I am certain I could arrange an audience between my mistress, Darth Ophidia and yourself, I am certain you would be welcome among the Tsis'Kaar, and be placed highly among them."

"Darth Ophidia. Hmm. I've heard that name somewhere before."

Seeing that the display case had been breached, Venge removed her gloves, folding and tucking them behind her belt so that they wouldn't be misplaced. Reverently, she reached for the long lost holocron, which began to pulse with an otherworldly red light. Placing the holocron in the palm of her right hand, Venge closed her eyes and hovered her left hand about the holocron as she recited words in the Sith tongue required to activate it. Suddenly, the transparent visage of an ancient looking robed figure appeared above the holocron, as Venge finished her incantations.

"Ah! Venge!.....," the figure spoke. "It has been a long time since we've spoken. Far too long."

The figure turns to look upon Malum. "You...I do not know."

"He is an ally. Malum of House Marr. I vouch for him, Lore Keeper. The holocron containing your wisdom and the wisdom of our Founders has been lost until now."

"Guard us well, now that you have recovered us, Venge," the Lore Keeper said. "Now, what wisdom do you seek? Speak."

Venge holds the holocron out to Malum, looking for all the world like a sorceress from a fairy tale offering the lost and weary adventurer the fabled forbidden fruit.

"Speak. Tell him what you want, and he will teach you how to achieve it," Venge whispered.

Darth Malum of House Marr

Darth Malum of House Marr · Dec 19, 2022

Objective 3: Business or Pleasure

She had heard the name somewhere? That was one way to consider his Mistress, the Queen of the Shadows, and leader of the Tsis'Kaar, proclaimed Sith'ari and Dark Lady of the Sith. It was hard for Malum to simply say such words were born of ignorance, of being far from the Sith space these past few years, or if need, they were born of insulting implications.

Malum did not have long to ponder the question, as he gorged himself on the relics that were now covered in glass. The ring of fire was placed onto his finger, and he felt a warmth protrude across his body, he would need to later test how much Convection was affected by the ring's ability, perhaps too now he could use Pyrokinesis? He would certainly need to do some reading on the matter. For the other relics, he crouched down as he put down the large duffel bag he had brought along when he had first infiltrated the Museum, taking out canvas pieces, he wrapped up the Nether staff, alongside the kyber crystal, smiling slightly at the heat that emanated from it when it touched his fingers, most definitely was not dead as all had told him. the icy cold skull staff, the blaster, the smithing hammer, the scrolls and finally the speaking skull, which for now did not speak, but Malum could feel... life, emanating from it. All of them were carefully placed into the large bag, which now seemed far bigger, with the items placed carefully inside. That were all the big-ticket items that he would have to handle himself, but looking about there were quite still many pieces within the Museum he would have to take. Perhaps it was finally time to ask his father for aid, a detachment from the Marr Household could easily secure the Museum, and then unload all the artifacts, relics, and art to a safe place, where then, he could decide what he would do with it.

His musings were broken as Lady Venge began interacting with the Holocron, dark energies erupted out in waves, as they suddenly hit him. He closed his eyes as he basked in the waves as a lizard or a snake would bask in the sun, it was always a rather satisfying feeling to be within the presence of the darkside, that pulsed outwards so.

He opened them again, as an alien voice filled his ears, seeing that a small figure stood atop the holocron, a hologram from the looks. One which seemed to know Lady Venge. Was this Lord Retsnis? Malum was not quite sure. He nodded his head, but otherwise remained silent as the figure turned to consider him, content to allow Lady Venge to speak.

Which is why he was slightly shocked, his eyes widening as she turned the Holocron towards him.

"Speak. Tell him what you want, and he will teach you how to achieve it,"

To have him be the first to speak to the Holocron? To take of its knowledge? That was quite the honour.

The issue unfortunately was that he had nothing to ask, well... that was not quite true, he had much to ask, but as he had not been expecting such a question, he was rather stumped on what to say.

There was one school of Sith knowledge that he had yet to press down. Sorcery he had discovered a small amount from Alina, but Alchemy, he knew very little of that, and though he might ask Sicarius or even his own Mistress of it, he was not sure if it was the best of ideas to owe either of them any favours, he still was not sure what the goals of her and her master were after all, and of his Mistress, would it not be better to learn the basics independently of her, should she ever wish to teach him?

So was that to be the question?

May as well.

"How do I master the arts of Alchemy?" Malum said simply, to the Holocron, curious if it would give an answer.

Lady Venge · Dec 19, 2022

Malum of House Marr said:
"How do I master the arts of Alchemy?" Malum said simply, to the Holocron, curious if it would give an answer.

"But ask me the secrets of Sith alchemy, and I would ask you for three measures of blood: one from a person you love, one from a person you hate, and one from yourself." These are the words of Naga Sadow, a master of Sith Alchemy, and Dark Lord Of The Sith," The Lore Keeper intoned.

Venge was impressed to say the least. Of all the things Malum could have asked for, such as power over others, he simply wanted to know the secrets of Alchemy. The image of the Lore Keeper disappeared, and in his place visual images of book pages began to scroll, a complete copy of Naga Sadow's Yavin 4 writings.

"Even among my sect, in its golden age, Naga Sadow was considered chief among the greatest masters in the arts of Alchemy, so his writings hold a place of high esteem in this holocron," Venge explained. "Alchemy can be quite useful. Through Alchemy, we Sith can do many things. We can enhance the strength of armor and weaponry, twist species to make them deadlier to our enemies, but easier for us to control. We can even awaken the dead and bind them to our wills as servants. The technique is called Tsaiwinokka Hoyakut in the ancient Sith tongue, which means 'Reanimated dead'. "

Darth Malum of House Marr

Darth Malum of House Marr · Dec 20, 2022

Objective 3: Business or Pleasure

So it would take blood then? One he loved, one he hated, one from himself, well the latter and former were easy enough, he could stab himself at any moment for the blood for himself, while he was certain he could gain the blood of a loved one if he only asked his kin, for the middle, the blood of one he hated? That was a hard question to answer, though there may be many he disliked, both within and without the Order, he could not easily say there were any that he hated. He recalled the day that hate flowed through him in his duel against his Mistress, yet would he ever say that he hated his Mistress? No... he could not say that was true.

A question for the future then.

His ears flickered as he listened attentively to the words of Lady Venge. He had heard the powers of alchemy to be powerful, though he had never ventured far into themselves, the closest he had been perhaps was to listen to Sicarius speak of them. Still, enhancing the stream of armour and arms? Create species from nothing, playing the Force like never before? The veritable purpose of their philosophy? It was an attractive proposition no matter how he considered the matter. To think these teachings were passed down from the great Naga Sadow himself, he felt himself grow giddy at the thought. A man who predated the great Darth Marr by several centuries, what was more exciting than to be learning from his own writings?

Perhaps recovering the Holocron of Darth Marr, and learning by his words.

His deliberations stopped almost entirely as he heard the final words said. Necromancy, pure and simple, necromancy. The magic that most of his fantasy and fiction novels painted as pure evil, as forbidden, but would they not say the same of the Darkside and of the Sith? Yet pressing onto knowledge beyond mortal kith, knowledge beyond the Force in many ways, dealing with death, when the Force was so very alive. Was it not the breaking of chains, the mastery of the Force?

"Could you teach me?" Malum said simply, his red eyes glowing in anticipation and among the torchlit rooms of the Museum, his bag of artifacts, long forgotten, as the temptation for knowledge began to shine through.

Darth Strosius · Dec 20, 2022

"Oh they're all well aware of what will happen when any serious questions are brought up, when someone has to be denied for the good of the other two. They're just waiting to see who feths up first, and who's the least prepared when it happens." At this point Alisteri had no illusions that the Triumvirate wouldn't last, his main concern was what or who would replace it when it all broke down and fell apart. Such was the state of Sith politics these days he supposed, just waiting to leap upon the first corpse before anyone else did.

"Is that so?" The masked man did his best not to sound too relieved to hear that news. The idea of anything ailing such a powerful Sith was hard to think of but he wasn't going to dismiss it if it were true. "Perhaps all this traveling and warmongering will finally put him down then, I hear stress and disease are a frightful combination." He supposed that he could always do his part to speed up the process in that regard. In one way or another.

He wasnt too surprised to hear of Arc and Rhi's escapades, everyone he knew seemed to have a habit of getting into trouble. How Arcturus managed to get into the Netherworld of all places was another question entirely but he figured that he could ask the man himself about it later. "The Netherworld and Tython hm? And here I thought you two would have been relaxing on some beach this whole time. My condolences for having to be near the Maw."

Alisteri nodded at her assessment and crossed his arms behind his back, such a statement and realization was one that he could respect. "The discovery of the self is not an easy path to tread, I'm relieved to hear that you've reached the hardest part already." He knew many others that had plenty of the journey left to go.

Ishani Dinn · Dec 20, 2022

"If you've seen him, you know he's rotting away before our very eyes." She nodded grimly. "I don't think it will be long now for him. As for the other two... one keeps to the shadows, while the other wastes time on his cult of personality. Empyrean is the brains behind the operation. When he falls, the others will be easy to topple."

Alisteri Haxim said:
"The Netherworld and Tython hm? And here I thought you two would have been relaxing on some beach this whole time. My condolences for having to be near the Maw."

"Well, hopefully we will at least have time for a honeymoon soon." Inclining her head, she asked him point-blank, "Would you like to be Emperor, Alisteri?"

Lady Venge · Dec 20, 2022

Malum of House Marr said:
"Could you teach me?" Malum said simply, his red eyes glowing in anticipation and among the torchlit rooms of the Museum, his bag of artifacts, long forgotten, as the temptation for knowledge began to shine through.

"Yes, I can teach you what I know, as long as your Master has no issue with you delving into such studies," Venge said with a slight nod. "But be warned, the secrets of Sith Alchemy are not something that can be learned in a day. To master these secrets will require time and dedication."

Darth Malum of House Marr

Darth Strosius · Dec 20, 2022

"I can't say I have, I do my best to stay away from the powerful and sinful alike. Better for my health that way." Despite his personal disdain and hatred of two thirds of the Triumvirate Alisteri was no fool, he knew that they couldn't be touched or trifled with too much without the backing and power to handle their retribution afterwards.

"I wouldn't be so hasty Lady Ishani. Carnifex is nearly unchallenged in raw military power, and all of it fanatical and devoted to his will at that." Toppling the tyrant would be among the greatest challenges to any new Sith rule, and that wasn't even factoring in killing Carnifex himself. "As for my master...well a blade from the shadows is often more effective than an entire army if aimed precisely. And I've yet to see her miss."

The question made him pause, a very blunt yet very loaded question it was, and for a moment he thought that it was some sort of joke. But it wasn't, and he carefully planned his response just in case prying ears were around. "I believe every Sith wants to head an empire, perhaps some even make strides towards that goal. I wish to see the Sith prosper, to reclaim our lost sacred worlds and have our revenge upon those that destroyed our last empire. And if I had the chance to achieve that, I would. No matter the cost, no matter what I needed to do, for the Sith and the Dark Side I would do whatever was necessary for our survival and victory."

Darth Malum of House Marr · Dec 20, 2022

Objective 3: Business or Pleasure

Would his Mistress have an issue with him delving into these arts? He was not quite sure, on one hand, this was knowledge to be learned and gained, something the Tsis'Kaar valued heavily, the assassin scholars they were. On the other hand, it was common knowledge that Sith were rather... possessive when it came to their apprentices. Would Darth Ophidia be of the same opinion? Malum could not quite say, perhaps something to ask her when the time came.

"Nothing worth learning comes easy, does it?" Malum quipped, a soft smile playing at his lips, "Perhaps when I arrange the audience with my Mistress, the question can be posed?"