My Friend the Anzat

[Caulder Dune]

ANZAT
ABANDONED OUTPOST

@[member="Menoetius"]

Something was rotten in the planet of Anzat. It was a rot Tyrin was all too familiar with, attached to an enigmatic Anzat Tyrin had run into while ransacking a psuedo-Jedi conclave. That had been a good day. Still, if his old acquaintance Menoetius was lurking on the outskirts of newly-acquired Republic space, he was worth paying a visit. Menoetius had been missing for some time now, vanishing around the time after the Battle of Metalorn. Tyrin couldn't blame him. After that catastrophe, he wanted to vanish into oblivion as well. But he had expectations to fulfill. Or fail to fulfill, as the case would be.

Even with his subsequent disappearance, Menoetius had been imperative in driving the Republic from Metalorn. Now that the Empire was gone, Tyrin wagered that he was without a cause to fall behind. Tyrin would rather the Anzat fall in line with the Confederacy than anyone else. Tyrin had no fond feelings for the Fringe, nor the simpering, brainwashed masses of Moross. He did not expect Menoetius already shared those sympathies, so it was important to instill them upon the Anzat.

Which brought Tyrin, and two of his MagnaGuard escorts, to the planet of the same name. Menoetius was lurking around an abandoned Sith outpost off in the wastes that Tyrin was presently riding towards in a small landspeeder. Eventually the already decaying structure came into sight, and the speeder slid to a stop. Tyrin exited the speeder, suspecting Menoetius had already sensed his approach. His automated escorts exited the vehicle as well, taking up position on either side of the Umbaran.

He opted to wait a moment outside before going in. Tyrin had no desire to step into that health hazard if he could avoid it.

 

[Menoetius]

Since learning about the dissolution of the Sith Empire, Menoetius took it upon himself to scour the remnants of any noteworthy facility previously occupied by the Empire in search of anything of value. He'd scoured a vast majority of abandoned and not-so-abandoned facilities once garrisoned by Empire folk and hadn't found much that was noteworthy. A Sith artifact here and there, but nothing substantial. Nothing that could expand his knowledge and subsequently, power. Disappointing.

And now, he found himself on Anzat. His species' homeplanet. A lovely world, brain-sucking residents aside. He'd witnessed its so called integration into the Sith Empire firsthand, the only act of war to make his black hear twitch. Yes, he felt some loyalty and patriotism to the planet, though he'd admit it to nobody - not even Darth Kryptus.

By himself, Menoetius entered Aurebek Outpost, a small facility that once oversaw the operations of Anzat's northern hemisphere. The outpost was abandoned and ransacked, looted by the garrisoned force that had found itself without an Empire to rally behind. Its corridors and walls were marked with the burns of blaster fire, with a few lightsaber scars etched here and there. They obviously fought over who got what.

I doubt there's anything of interest in he-

Menoetius' own train of thought was interrupted by a familiar sensation. A hair or two on the back of his neck stood on end as the faint force signature of someone from his past was made known to the Anzat. The sensation was becoming more noticeable, indicating that that familiar signature was getting ever closer. Could it be?

Closer, still.

Can't be.

Closer.

"It is."

Menoetius turned on his heel abruptly and began marching out of the facility, straight towards the familiar force signature which was lurking at the entrance. Tyrin. The previous Emperor of the Sith Empire, the one who was still in control the last time Menoetius affiliated with them.

Gripping the hilt of his lightsaber tightly in his left hand, Darth Erebos strolled slowly out of the doorway. His cloak was tugged randomly by soft wind wind as he adopted a rigid, balanced stance. He expected a duel, I mean why else would a former Emperor seek him out? Despite his apprehensiveness, Menoetius maintained a clear state of mind, focusing himself expertly in preparation of a possible confrontation.

The Anzat's face, like always, was hidden from view by his physics defying hood that denied any and all light access to the area it covered. It didn't muffle sound, though, it seemed to amplify it.

"Tyrin...," Menoetius began in his signature drawl that somehow boomed throughout the surrounding area despite the poor acoustics. "... What brings you to my planet?"

@[member="Gerion Ardik"]

 

[Caulder Dune]

@[member="Menoetius"]

Thank heavens. No clambering through rotting buildings today. Maybe in his younger years, perhaps as a Knight, he would have just waltzed right in. Now he was much more important and couldn't be seen doing such things. He waited passively until Menoetius appeared in the doorway, meandering out slowly. As always, the Anzat's face was concealed by an intense mystical darkness. It was an interesting use of the Force that Tyrin didn't quite understand. A very interesting application, to say the least. Tyrin himself preferred masks. It made things simpler.

Tyrin looked bemused when Menoetius said his planet. He wasn't thinking of setting up shop as a ruler here, was he? The Republic was a stone's throw away. That was more likely just the manifestation of some lingering feelings of attachment to the place. Tyrin couldn't fault him, he himself held sentiments for Umbara. "Your planet? I don't recall appointing you governor during my reign. Perhaps Dranok or Kaine saw to that."

He chuckled mirthlessly. "I figured you were in or around this sector; wandering aimlessly. Possibly looking for a government and cause to attach yourself to. Is that right?"

 

[Menoetius]

The names Tyrin mentioned hardly rang a bell in the Anzat's vast mind. It only spurred him to ponder on the longevity of his journey into the void. Two emperors had succeeded Tyrin's reign in his absence, that could only mean extraordinary instability within the Empire. No wonder it had collapsed so fast. With a hidden smirk at this revelation, Menoetius shook his head. He decided against informing the man before him that it was Menoetius' own arrogance that lead him to proclaim Anzat as his own. You see, Anzat belonged to the Anzati collectively, and Menoetius was the most powerful Anzat on the face of galaxy at this point in time. In his mind, Anzat, in a way, belonged to him.

No matter, it wasn't on his list of places to subdue and rule, so nothing would come of his arrogant train of thought besides a small filler within this chunk of creative writing.

So instead of explaining himself, Menoetius decided to inform Tyrin that he was wrong.

"No," he said simply. A few seconds passed before he sighed softly and began to circle around Tyrin, stopping once he'd reached the side directly opposite the entrance of the facility. It was better to have the open world at his back rather than a possible tomb.

He took a moment to gaze at the two MagnaGuards in Tyrin's company, pondering briefly on their capabilities and visible weaponry. Always on alert, always prepared, that was Darth Erebos.

"Perusing the ruins of your dead Empire for anything of use is why I find myself on home soil this day... Unfortunately, your previously loyal subjects have taken everything that could even be of slight use to me." Another seconds-long pause scrambled to rake up some tension before Menoetius talked once more. "You were hoping for me to be searching for something to attach myself to, that is apparent. It is also apparent that is why you are here. I take it you have an offer?"

[member="Darth Janus"]