Notice Me, Not

[Kratacos]

At least in her experience?

Vraukt listened intently when she spoke. She was a Queen, a leader of her people. Drakash was the same. In the latter regard anyway. He had his entire House to think about, and in addition, he had to put the Resurgent Empire in its entirety someplace at the top of his goals. The Dark Council wouldn't allow selfish reasons within their midst, and Vraukt was cautioned this by his Master.

Does she think I too can lead?

Vraukt wasn't certain as to what he was hearing, but he nodded, or rather, bobbed his head all the same in understanding.

"How did you begin?"

Surely not as a common person such as the guards that were her security on this day. Could she?

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

How did she begin? That was a long story and there were parts that she couldn't remember. Bits and pieces of her memories were stolen from her, but the overall narrative was still there.

"I have been in and out of politics since my early twenties. I've been a Senator, a diplomat, a President and now I am Queen. Every time I had left politics, I was thrown back into it. It's like a shadow that I can't escape from. So I've just had to accept it for now."

[member="Veiere Arenais"] had spoken with her a few times over walking away from it all and retiring in a quiet location together somewhere so that they can live virtually stress free. But the odds of that happening was quite small. There were far too many responsibilities to just walk away from. And she couldn't let Commenor fall.

The shuttle soon landed in the Warehouse district. Kay got to her feet and waited for two of her guards to step out first before she followed. Each warehouse was large, and workers eyed them for brief moments before carrying on with their tasks. She led [member="Vraukt"] to Warehouse #9, the other two guards flanking them. The door was unlocked as there was notice given ahead of time. Kay opened the door and stepped inside, her footfalls echoing on the cement floor. Power was already illuminating the empty warehouse.

"Well? What do you think?"

 

[Kratacos]

Since her early twenties she had been involved in politics, and thus, a leadership position. Even being a diplomat held some far of leadership qualities, being capable of persuading and make peace with others... Those were qualities that Vraukt didn't have, ones that he didn't see in himself, not yet.

"You make leadership sound like it is something you wish to escape," he said, something that could approximate as intrigue, or even curiosity ringing in his words as a thick eyebrow stalk rose in question from beneath the hood that he bore. "Why not just turn away? How come you can't?" Perhaps there was an inquisitive being within him, merely hidden below layers upon layers of stone and sealed shut, so to speak.

The shuttle landed in the warehouse district and then they were disembarking from the ship, the guards separating them as per usual as the Queen led the way, and then soon enough, the lone Sith Acolyte was standing within the entrance of an extremely spacious warehouse, lights illuminating as they began walking in.

"This will do nicely." Already, he could picture the outlined blueprints that Drakash had shown him coming into place. "Perfect."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay walked towards the middle of the building, her hands clasped in front of her. Two of the guards stayed by the doors while the others kept their distance, but remained close at the same time. She was glad that the building was suitable for their needs. A little boost to Commenor's economy was never a bad thing.

She was quiet, pondering not on what would be taking place here, but on what [member="Vraukt"] had said and asked earlier. Why didn't she leave and just walk away? Was it really something that she felt that she had to escape? Her kidnapper put her in this position after months of torture, so in a way it was a cage, albeit a rather large one.

"Being a leader comes with a lot of responsibilities. There is no room for selfishness, no privacy. Everyone has need of you. People think that it's all glamorous, but in truth it's a lot of work. I'm not afraid of work, but after my captivity and trying to work my way through the trauma, stress is not an easy thing to deal with."

 

[Kratacos]

Vraukt tilted his head to the side as she walked to the middle of the room. As he watched her, he supposed the Queen was quite attractive, in a way. Most nobles back on Tantorus, and even the Pureblood women of Athiss had given him cause to notice this as well, but when she stopped towards the centre of the warehouse, he pushed his hood back, the first time she was able to truly see his crimson features.

Angular features was the want of most Purebloods, high cheek bones deigning him of a noble birth, and the eyebrow hairless eyebrow stalks. His orange orbs swept across the room as he slowly nodded, but when she began speaking, he immediately turned around to regard the apparent forced royalty.

"The Sith that I know do not strive to make everyone love them," he said. "We Sith do not have no illusions of leadership being glamorous. We simply do. We rule. Our people in turn, follow." Slaves, soldiers, other Sith. Everyone. They followed the rule of the Dark Council whether they accepted it or not.

"If being a Queen in the capacity that you are now is stressful," Vraukt started. "You should change the way you rule."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay turned to look at [member="Vraukt"] as he spoke, now noting that he had removed his hood, allowing for his features to be seen. He was one of just a small handful of purebloids that she had come across.

She shook her head a bit at what he said. "Ruling with an iron fist may have short term results, but in the long term, it doesn't go well. I'm not asking to be loved by everyone and delegation, trust, all of that helps to ease the stress. Commenor is one small planet at the edge of Chaos. It's up to me to keep it from falling off the edge."

 

[Kratacos]

Vraukt walked closer to the Queen, in a non threatening manner, though, who was to say how the guards would react? It wasn't as if Vraukt brought any weapons. Those were still at the Palace and in the possession of whatever security cases they were placed in. Vraukt was unarmed, holding only the Force. To threaten the Queen would be to have come to Commenor for no other reason than to waste time.

Vraukt didn't like to waste him.

And Drakash showcased that in the form of punishment, at least, upon his slaves. Vraukt had up till then been efficient enough to avoid the heavy hand of his Master. He had given no cause to be struck.

"History suggests that any sort of rule is short term," he says. That much he knew from his classes at the Academy on Korriban. And with Drakash. Even if the multiple Sith Empires of the past had collapsed and fallen, they still lived on in the forms of multiple civilizations. Tantorus for example, the Purebloods upon Athiss. Many still lived having stemmed from Vitiate's Empire. She just didn't know about them. "I don't suggest an ironfist," he said.

"Merely to do what -you- want."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded in agreement, now folding her arms across her chest, not in defiance or stubborness, but out of comfort. Unless one found the secret to immortality, one's reign is short. The Elders had ruled Commenor for a very long time, that is until she killed them. But no one really knew that. It was her secret.

To his other comment, she tilted her head to the side a bit as she looked at him. "But I am doing what I want. I have no other telling me what to do. I'm not under anyone's banner but my own. This used to be Sith space, but no more. And even while it was, they paid little attention to it. I am doing whayever I can to keep it safe and prosperous."

[member="Vraukt"]

 

[Kratacos]

The Pureblood was curious to hear the Queen say that she was doing what she wanted.

"Are you stressed in your supposed duty to your people?" His choice of words stemming from the fact that she was indeed their ruler, whether she had changed the way of their living or not, whether she forced them to do as she ordered or not, she was still in the position of authority. Across the entire planet, Vraukt imagined that her word was law.

"Your earlier words suggest that you are." His blatant, straight to the point. Such was the way he enjoyed conducting business.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay raised a brow slightly. She had said too much, or at least touched on her private life a little bit more than she should have, especially with a stranger. But she had always been the honest sort, even if her old Master thought that it was a weakness of hers.

"No. My stress is mostly personal. My duties on top of it are a distraction, but they don't quite aleviate the stress. But you needn't concern yourself with it, nor think that it'll harm your business, in case you are wondering."

[member="Vraukt"]

 

[Kratacos]

Vraukt wasn't heartless, he merely didn't possess the ability to sympathize, or rather, empathize with the Queen's position. When she said that her current state wouldn't interfere with their business together, he merely said, "Good." And didn't think another thought about it, as to how it was rude, or as to how she may take it. To him, he was merely voicing his thoughts.

It wasn't as if they were a couple and he need take care of her every whim.

"My Master would you like to know that we will begin moving in within the week."

That should conclude their business, he imagined.

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay nodded at his short response. It was the correct one, of course. She didn't expect [member="Vraukt"] to be the type to pry.

Another nod as he seemed to have communicated with Lord Drakash without her hearing. It must be a Force bond. She had her own, though it wasn't with her former Master.

"Wonderful. Let's head back to the Palace. By the time we arrive, the contract should be drawn up."

She gestured for him to follow as she turned to head back. The return ride seemed shorter this time and once there, another pair of guards were waiting, one with a copy of the contract and another with Vraukt's weapons. Kay got out of the shuttle, her guards following in tow. She turned and bowed her head. "I hope you have a good journey back and look forward to your security products. We could look into purchasing some of them for ourselves." But not for the Palace, of course.

 

[Kratacos]

The Pureblood nodded.

There was no need to speak any further, and the Pureblood could finally shut himself off from the outside world as they masde their journey back to the Palace. It'd allow him the time to think, or rather, rest, after the long journey to Commenor from Korriban. Commenor may have been the two Sith's first stop, but sitting around and waiting for the ship to get to the planet weren't the only things they were doing.

Training.

Vraukt's lightsabre combat and use of the Force were paramount, as well as his lessons in the Galactic Basic tongue.

Finally, he was beginning to understand the Basic symbols.

Once however, they arrived at the Palace and he received his and Drakash's weapons, contract being accepted and in physical form rather than digital as he bowed his head, heading back to the landing pad where his supposed chauffeur was.

"We look forward to it."

And then he was off.

Thankfully, she didn't insist on shaking his hand like multiple other business figures he had had contact with.

[member="Lady Kay"]