Night of a Thousand Secrets (Masquerade Ball) - PM for invite

[Corruck Kazen]

Corruck took a nodded in thanks before walking alongside Eugene to the door. After hearing him speak about security, Corruck decided that it might be a good time to see what the bar could offer. His mission was accomplished, the information had been passed and hopefully would become a well known fact fairly quickly throughout the galaxy. As time went on, once he was fairly certain that the information was fully spread, he would begin the campaign. The first few strikes would hopefully be blamed on the unidentified 'thieves'. Of course, eventually he would come out with the truth, however, that was a hurdle he would deal with when the time was right.

As he walked to the bar, Corruck noticed that there were more people of all different types. Maybe some would talk later, but for now he just wanted a drink. He ordered a Corellian Ale. It tasted alright, not the best but well worth the time.

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

He raised a brow as she started speaking, she was smart and good, but he wondered how much she could tell and if she knew a few more hidden details in his mind, including one he himself refused to acknowledge. "Close my dear, close. I am irritating to people yes, and mostly because of how i act. But my reason for flirting is different than you assumed, sure i guess it is part of my carefree attitude but that is not why i do it. I do it because i can or because the person deserves it, i do it because it is interesting to watch how people react to it and in a way i guess i do it because i like to study people like you do me. Though i sorely lack in the complexity of the level in which you are able to."

He moved with her and continued after a few more steps. "You are not the normal kind of your ilk though... you have a distaste for the actions that others of your kind take and prefer a different setup than they take... you are much more like Bane, and that one darth whose name i forget, the one interested in nothing but the Arts. A Manipulator but one who owes her friends and can make such, you are not cold hearted as you want to be and that my dear is why unlike the rest of your kind you are someone i will work with." He smiled as he kept moving. "Would you like to continue fallen Diathim?"

 

[Pyxis Salm]

Pyxis winced as he heard the music get a little louder. His voice faltered a little and a look of annoyance flashed over his face as he got back on track. His songs were more bluesy now that he was going solo again. The Saviors had ditched him, so now he was just Psalm. He still made great songs though, and his sales had hardly been hit.

He continued to work through his song, trying to keep up with the arcing pitch of it as he tapped his foot for rhythm. He had a guitarist and drummer available for a couple of his songs that required the sound, such as Lean on Me and Red Skin, Blue Heart.

He grimaced again at the sound of the band, hoping that they would be done soon. He was getting paid handsomely for the performance, but he was beginning to think it wasn't worth the pain.

 

[Gravis Vasquez]

Finally, after finishing the final song, he falls to his knees. He begins wailing at his guitar with speed that does not seem physically possible. After finishing a nearly two minute guitar solo, he jumps to his feet and throws up double horns with his hands, holding the gesture in the air for several seconds before unplugging his amp. The bassist and Gravis pack up their equipment placing them all in bags and setting it off to the left of the stage. While the drummer, unable to move his drumset, simply left it there, heading down with the band off of the stage. "G-Gravis...our...our equipment is-" However, the drummer was interrupted as Gravis sneered at the drummer. "There ain't nobody playin' after us! We'll get it at the end of the night. We'll just head back up and play the final song at the end of the night and then we can take off, get paid, and that's it. Now, let's grab some whiskey..." He said, grinning wickedly at his bandmates. He then heads over near the exit, and began speaking with his band, contemplating on whether to play an original or a cover song at the end of the night.

[member="Pyxis Salm"]

 

[Pyxis Salm]

Finally, the music ceased. The relief was like a thousand Twi'leks whispering in your ear. Unfortunately, that meant it was time for him to perform. He sighed and signaled to his drummer and guitar players to follow him to the stage.

As he made his way over, he passed by the man responsible for the skinned-wookiee sound. The man was bigger than Pyxis, but he couldn't resist slipping a snide comment as he moved on to stage.

"You sound like a dying wampa, my friend," he said, sniffing deeply for emphasis. "And you smell like one too."

With that being said, he moved onto the stage and set up quickly, finally fixing the mic. He took a deep breath and started to sing, pouring his soul into the song, one of his best sellers: "Red Skin, Blue Heart"

[member="Gravis Vasquez"]

 

[Gravis Vasquez]

Hearing what [member="Pyxis Salm"] had said to him, he spun around, tossing up a rude gesture, directed towards him. He then began to shout "FETH YOU!" Glaring angrily at the New performer. He glanced back to his band, snarling. "What. The. Hell. Is. He. Doing?" He asked his bandmates. "Feth it. I'ma grab some whiskey..." Reaching into his sleeveless denim vest, he removed a flask filled with two shots of whiskey mixed with soda, creating a foul, almost unbearable taste but the metal guitarist seemed to enjoy it. Taking a swig from the stainless steel flask, he glanced back up towards the stage. Obviously not a fan with the man's musical tastes, he headed further away from the stage, muttering profanities underneath his breath.

 

[Alexis Altunen]

The familiar stubble brushed her cheek as Khaleel came in close for a kiss, and Octavia drank it in. Whenever the man got close to her, there was an undeniable electricity that bound her to him. Perhaps it was an indication of the coming storm, when one of them would inevitably betray the two players of their fragile game.

At Malvern's question, Octavia let out a long low chuckle. "A tumbleweed gathers much dirt." she said with a shrug, and leaned in to kiss his neck. Once introductions were made, Eugene tried to position the situation in his favor. Oh, Mr. Leopold, if only it were that easy.

"One on one, you say?" asked the infochant, with an arch of her lovely brow. She turned and took Khaleel by the hand, and with a knowing smile, pulled him into the secrets room. "I will spend my one on one time sharing a secret with Mr. Malvern, here." she said to Leopold. Then, before he could argue, her finger pressed down on the terminal next to the door. With a hiss, it closed on the open-mouthed slicer.

Savoring their privacy, Octavia turned to Khaleel, gently draped her arms around him, and with an amused grin, purred, "I do have a secret for you Mr. Malvern. Concerning Mr. Bane and his birdies.

"Would you like to hear it now," She raised an eyebrow. "Or later?"

[member="Eugene Leopold"] [member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Armand Temi]

Eugene stood there as the door closed in his face which was an all-too familiar scenario. He looked around quickly to see if anyone caught this blow to his pride. Most of the guests were lost in conversation, dancing, holding drinks or holding their ears.

But then he rationalized to himself that the dark-haired beauty was trying to make him jealous. Yes, that was it! Oh my sweet sultana, Octavia. Two can play at that game, he thought. He stalked off into the mansion to find another victim to harass... I mean a willing young lady to flirt with, he thought.

But he would keep one eye on the Secret Room. Oh yes he would. He commlinked his bodyguard [member="Vi'kas Mirtis"]. "Watch the on the door of the Secret Room," he instructed. "I want to know the minute the female infochant tries to leave."

[member="Octavia Dominia"] [member="Khaleel Malvern"] [member="Vi'kas Mirtis"]

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas got the message on his com link, and immediately took action. Still invisible, he scanned the room's exterior for small entry points. Then, he saw it. A small hole by the base of the floor. He reached into a small and removed his Spydor. It would allow him to see hear what went on inside if the room. Controlling it, he made it crawl through the small crack, and into the secret room. He could now see and hear the two occupants. He had the Spydor crawl onto the ceiling, it looked just like a normal insect that would inhabit the planet's swamps. That is, if they could see it. He would know everything that went on inside of the room.

In the meantime, he had a surprise for Mr. Khaleel. He saw the speeder the had arrived on, so he'd make sure the man would only escape the host's permission. Still controlling the Spydor, he made his way to the speeder. He then planted a micro explosive on the engine. It would be a small explosion, but it's proximity to the engine would be enough the blow up the entire speeder. Of course, he'd only use it if need be. Then, he walked back into the mansion.

[member="Eugene Leopold"] [member="Octavia Dominia"] [member="Khaleel Malvern"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Solan Charr"]

"Oh very good, Mr. Shade," she said, her eyes dancing with amusement. "You pegged me for a moderate or throw back immediately did you? Anyways, this is too much fun to stop now. I noticed something, during our little race for that bioweapon, that you didn't care about sparing lives of even the pettiest of criminals. Why? Why do you equate a petty pickpocket with a mass murderer or child violater?"

Twirling for a moment, she stopped and smiled.

"I have a theory at least. You try and impose a sense of absolute justice on people, no matter the crime. Admirable really, but I think you're taking it too far, and that's coming from someone like me. Every action should have an equal consequence, such as a pickpocket is given a good scolding or do something that makes them remember not to steal again. Mass murderers should be put down, child violaters especially be given a long, torturous death."

Another thought struck her, something about why he didn't hit on her before.

"So, how many times has this raven-haired girl rejected you?" she asked, curiously tilting her head. "I mean, you might still be friends or . . . comrades, but how many times so far has she rejected your offer of something more?"

 

[Aithne Charr]

He laughed, a little too loud at both her analyze of his reasoning and her pointing out the fact of the Raven haired girl. "You misunderstand my advances once more, i have never actually asked to start something more. For anyone and this includes you Fallen Diathim. I compliment her more truthfully though perhaps because i want more or not, to tell the truth i don't know if Raven hair would even accept in the wildest of realities so i must say i apologize to disappoint you in this area."

He stopped with her and raised a brow though as he thought about something. "No, a friend already taught me more closely who deserves death. If this conversation had happened a week or two back i would have stabbed you the moment i could and strung you up on holovid before burning you before a Sith audience... but no. You see, a criminals punishment is determined by me unjustly just as they have caused the first acts anyways... what the difference is is that i recognize my crimes and will take the necessary actions once the greatest of these criminals are all destroyed. This includes Sith and Raven alike, as long as they deserve their punishment... you are included on this list but further down it on the severity Diathim. My reasons though are things i don't even have. How many families has your people abused, destroyed or just wiped out in your people's greed... the deaths at Makeb was your and your Vong's fault after all. The deaths at Togoria, your and your 'god king' Zambrano's fault... how long till you do something that will tear apart a family and cause hurt to come to someone's loved one?" He raised a brow, she had struck a cord obviously, but his voice remained low and only to be heard by her. "Perhaps we should continue this analysis of eachother back out in private?"

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Solan Charr"]

"Perhaps we should, struck a chord I take it," Taeli said, keeping her voice perfectly neutral, with an edge of curiosity. She was not going to let him know that last comment almost struck home with her. Moving them out of the room and into the quiet and security of the maze once again, Taeli wondered why they were focusing on analyzing each other so much. Perhaps to better understand things.

Stil, with a whirl and finger up in a warning gesture, she said, "Makeb was something I didn't want to do, but you know who I killed? People carrying a bomb into a building, people who were trying to kill others because they saw the riot YOU people caused as an opportunity. Blame Kezeroth if you want to blame someone for more heinous crimes on Makeb. I ask you, sir, have you ever seen my name attached to any atrocity? any crime? All I'm guilty of is being a Sith, but that seems to be enough for you to judge. You don't have that right, not with the actions you've done in your time. So DO NOT lump me in with the rest of my colleagues."

Taking a breath, she calmed down a little from her short little scolding.

"You know nothing about me, Solan," she said, turning to look deeper into the maze. "You might be able to guess my political leanings and who I model myself after, but you know nothing about."

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

He walked, with each word his hands started shaking a bit more to the point it looked they were tapping on his leg in a spasming fashion. His eyes focusing on her then away and then her again as he tried to speak but found his voice gone and his lips not moving an inch as he just listened to her and when she was done he spoke. "Im sorry..." He began, a genuine tone coming from him as he closed his eyes and the tapping began to go faster as he started walking and instead turned his head to look around the area with closed eyes, resorting to his force sight in the darkness of this place, following the flow of the force as the memories of pain came back and his hands curled up. "Tell me then about yourself and solve my misconception of who you are Arcanix, i of all people know that misconceptions can be quite annoying, especially in cases where i am called a Jedi and not mass murderer."

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Solan Charr"]

Watching him for a moment, she noticed the twitching hand and the closed eyes, and they immediately reminded her of something. Oh what was it . . . Claire and Glyph. No, but it made too much sense to not be true. Solan was an empath, just like those two, and he was almost certainly not within his right mind anymore. So this is what happened to an empath if they . . . well . . . gave into their darker side of things. Interesting.

"Apology not accepted," she said. "I absolutely HATE being stereotyped. Do you want to know why I join the Sith?! Fine! When I was on Lorrd, about to leave on a journey across the worlds to learn more about my emerging Force powers, I got attacked by three boys that were in my graduating class at the university. They almost violated me and probably would have murdered me. I lost control of my powers, so many negative emotions, no training, I killed them. Brutally. Do I regret ending the lives of boys like that? No! I joined the Sith when Balaya found me so I could control my powers and not do stuff like that again!"

Pacing back and forth, her eyes not leaving Solan, she continued.

"I hate the excesses Sith go to, absolutely hate them, because they remind me of that day! Why do you think I abhor genocide? Slavery? Torture? Every person I brought over to be an ally of mine I did so through honest debate or persuasion. I don't torture people, I don't even experiment on prisoners unless they VOLUNTEER for the process. If anyone here is a monster, you are Solan Charr!"

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

"I am a monster, but atleast i recognize it and fight my fellow monsters that you follow. If you hate them so why would you ever support them and fight for them. You let them cause their pain to people's loved ones. Put your place in the position of those that the Sith do this too, imagine a loved one being killed or tortured or turned into one of their twisted experiments... do you love someone so much that you understand just how much your people hurt those that others care about?" He crossed his shaking hands, his eyes still closed and his entire body shifting again before looking up to the side. "You want to know while you are still counted amongst the others, because you allow them to continue with their actions. Complacency does as much damage as the actions themselves and you taking this is not to help your friend because you want to help her. You are doing this out of revenge and my friend has shown me how revenge does nothing but makes things worse. Thats why i ask you now my dear. Are you doing this because you care about the lives it could save and the lives that will benefit from this i or are you doing thing for some petty revenge because your friend got hurt. So accept it or not, i apology for comparing you to them, but know that your revenge while it can be a strength and you should still want to feel it. Should not be the reason you are doing this. It should be out of the love of those that could be in danger. That is what it means to love someone, it means to protect them from any threat and to support them. Take it from someone who has never been able to love a person and is the most petty of all people you will meet." He sighed and opened his eyes, their color pure red now as it was clear the events replaying in his mind were causing him pain beyond explanation. "You know im an Empath..." He recognized the look of dawning on her face, it didn't match her words. "How do you know?" His brow raised, no contempt in his voice only curiosity.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Solan Charr"]

"I have some students who are," she said, her voice instantly quiet as he hit her right where she was vulnerable. He had no idea, none what so ever, about what she had to do. The pained look flashed across her face as his words about asking if she loved someone hit home yet again.

"Yes," she whispered, "I do love someone and would be devastated if they got hurt. Do you know why I keep my head down and don't rock the boat among the Sith? It's to both protect myself as I'm not a leader among the Sith, nor can I stop every Lord, Lady, or Knight going on a killing spree. I do what I can to try and mitigate things, but I'm just one person. My other reason is to protect . . . someone close to me. She's so full of anger and hatred . . . but I try my best to keep her safe and grounded, and not like the others."

"I'm asking you to do this, not for revenge for what happened to my friend. That's just part of it, I want actual justice. I don't care what you do or if you kill him or not, I just want justice for his actions," she said, looking into the red eyes. "I'm a Sith, and yes I believe in plots and plans, but I'm not evil. You can judge me for being complacent towards the actions of others, but then you have to judge each and every person assembled here, even your raven-haired friend. We are all complacent of some atrocity, some act of death or destruction. What makes someone guilty beyond that is if they go out or order someone to go out and do it again. Tell me, Solan, if you feel such, why not give up this path you're on? Try and find some new way to forge yourself anew, to actually make something of your life and feel love? Again, I'm a Sith, and I still feel love and compassion for others."

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

"Because, weren't you listening. Im a Monster. My job is to kill the monsters of this galaxy. In other words the day i stop opposing those that threaten this galaxy and its people is the day i have plunged my blade into my chest. My life is not one for love, not one for a life. I was molded and created, given my empatjy, a witness to Makeb on a degree no one else did. My point is yes, i am a monster, and yes my job is done. But my purpose was never more than that, i was created to be killer, and to die when my purpose is over. You must be ready to die if you are to take a life, and i have taken more than i can count." He smiled sadly and sat down as he held his head and worked to redo the illusion he had over his eyes, their red color dimming and returning to the blue that they were before. "You know, you would make a far better Jedi than i ever could, just as you make a very convincing Sith of old. You have morals but are fearless of all but the thing we all want to avoid fearing. It has been a pleasant conversation Diathim, and i accept your job. Do stay if you wish for another dance once we calm down, or you may leave. It is up to you." He reached up and placed his hand on his forehead as he worked on the illusion and locked away what was in his mind once more, he would not let these memories torment him.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Solan Charr"]

Taeli didn't know whether to glare at him or not for saying she could be a good Jedi. Still . . . maybe she should change the mission parameters . . . just a little bit.

"About the job . . . as much as I want you to hurt certain things . . . please don't hurt the workers there. They're just doing their jobs and making a paycheck. For your pay, you can raid a Krayt convoy along this hyperspace route every so often, they only contain shipments of credits from one area to another. Can't be seen as immune to your attacks after all, people might get suspicious."

Saying her piece, she got up and was about to move away when one last comment struck her.

"You know the greatest gift a Sith can give someone?" she asked, looking into the illusionary blue eyes. "Not power, not ancient techniques of terrifying power or danger, not even the freedom to do as one wants. Our greatest gift is the freedom to choose your path, and I give that to you now, Solan Charr. Think about why you need to be the monster to slay other monsters, and decide if it really is worth it in the end . . . or not. Make a choice to either salvage yourself or . . . continue until you die."

 

[Aithne Charr]

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

He rose a brow and leaned forward as his hands dropped from his head and the pains drifted off, his head turning and staring at her. "Why are you telling me this..." He was confused, the sith was genuine in her words, he didn't even need his empathy to tell that. He almost regretted that their conversation would have to end and for one reason alone and it was that this woman drew a curious interest in him that very few could achieve and it was because of her words and her feelings that he read. "As for your payment and you stipulations on the raid, then very well... though ill be raiding your convoy first, for reasons of funding and to further make sure that it did not appear that you were involved. One last thing though if you are leaving, you know my given name but i do not know yours, would you permit me learning of it?"

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Solan Charr"]

"Because sometimes . . . you have to take a step back and re-evaluate your life," she said, not looking back at him. Flashes of what had caused her to take stock and put her family first and foremost made their way through her mind, including the accompanying emotions. "I did it . . . even if I already wasn't a monster, it just reinforced my desire not to be. You can always make the choice to become something else."

Starting to walk away, she heard him say he would hit the convoy first and then his last question. She was conflicted for a moment about giving him her real name, and she certainly wasn't going to say her real last name.

"It's Taeli Rae," she said, still not looking back. "I suspect this won't be the last conversation we have, Solan. Until then."

Making her way out of the maze, she sighed and disappeared into the crowd to make her way back to her ship. This party might be for the rebels to recruit, but she knew that many here . . . might not make it back for a second party. Brave, but foolish.