Road to Panatha

[Faith Organa]

The sea is a lonely and hostile place, Captain,' Jansen said coldly. 'It is always best not to make enemies of those who might be your friends. You never know when your ships may cross" - Jocelyn Murray, The English Pirate​

They were in flight on their way to Panatha and the name that kept coming up hinted at warning another trip where the twins stayed at home protected under Alderaan and Mandalorian guards and Blu.

She looked at Draco he wasn't pleased about leaving the children, he hated it as much as she did. Seemed they had waited so long for them to arrive now all they wanted to do was stay home with them. But duty called and when it did they went. He went to care for Clan Vereen and she House Organa.

This trip was for House Organa, the Royal House of Alderaan.

"I've not found much about Panatha it's in the Outer Rim and home to the Epicanthix. It does say it's near the Pacanth Reach, do you know more about this world Draco?" She wanted to get his mind on something else. She had never met an Epicanthix. Was there anyone from Alderaan on Panatha?

She wanted her mind on something else, it never went well to go into any situation distracted could end up agreeing to something extremely costly. So yes she needed to focus and keep in touch with home to check on the children.

They would be arriving on Panatha in 12 hours

[member="Draco Vereen"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"I know that the people that live there are rabidly loyal to their master and zealots of worshiping the Royal Family as though they were gods. And I know that they are ruled by a contingent of Sith, but you already knew that. The Zambranos were staunch supporters of the Dark Lord, and then all of a sudden, they weren't anymore." They were stereotypical Sith, they grabbed for power opportunistically and held onto what power they had gathered with clenched fists and white knuckles.

Draco smiled at Faith as they traveled, already regretting leaving Alderaan behind, though he wasn't about to bring the twins along on trips like this. Kaine wasn't his favorite Sith, Vraggles still held that position, but he was predictable enough. Panatha was close to the First Order, the First Order wasn't exactly Sith friendly, and the Sith Lord could use the addition of Mandalorian Allies to call upon.

Besides, the Mandalorians had several serious problems with the First Order themselves, having been fired upon by the radical Imperials during the Omega Crisis. It was possible they had a common ground, just as the Sith insurgents on the other side of the Galaxy were trying to find with the Mandalorains against the Silver Jedi. The Mandalorians would never ally with the Sith, but a small underground Sith group hidden like roaches in the rubble was much less of a threat than the others, and there was room to shuffle them down on the 'To be Crusaded List'.

"I'm sure we will be fine. Kaine is intelligent and calculating. Attacking you and I would piss off a lot of Mandalorians with access to nuclear weapons. Plus I like to be good friends with Larraq, and he has a tendency for upsetting the ecosystem of whatever planet Kaine happens to be ruling." Draco grinned, but there was a somber truth behind that joke. Draco had no intentions of threatening the Sith Lord, no reason to spark such a confrontation. Kaine was, as he said intelligent and calculating. Enough so that Draco was mostly interested in what the Sith Lord wanted from this meeting.

[member="Faith Organa"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

​

​

Canthar, Panatha

Misty clouds hung ominously above the city of Canthar, capital of the Panathan Empire and official seat of the Epicanthix government, while distant rumblings heralded an inevitable rainstorm frequent to every corner of the jungle planet. A flock of avian creatures flew not far over the city's skyline, their calls reverberating across the smooth domes and terraced pyramids that littered Canthar. High and mighty spires rose up from the more stockier buildings, banners fluttering from their highest ramparts to display the cerulean phoenix that had served as the rallying symbol during the Panathan Civil War between the God-King and the deposed prince whose name has since been stricken from record so that none may honor his defiance. The various markets and bazaars of Canthar were bustling with activity as alien traders flaunted their wares to the Epicanthix citizens who ogled over them with bemused smirks spread across their faces.

Occasionally a dispute might break out between an Epicanthix and an ill-tempered alien, but only rarely were such confrontations broken up by the ever present city guard with their distinctive golden wool cloaks, their black breastplates, and their ten foot tall vibro-pikes. The offenders were generally given a harsh verbal warning initially, but it wasn't uncommon for the guards to exercise lethal force on belligerent individuals. The most heinous of offenders are strung up along the heavily populated streets and courtyards, their decaying corpses a strict reminder of what would happen to anyone who broke the God-King's peace. Such occurrences were commonplace among the warlike Epicanthix, and the sight of blood and death were so ingrained into the social norm that these effigies had no effect on anyone who was native born.

The largest structure in the entire city was the Hasi' Sulemi, a massive ziggurat situated at the very center of the city that served not only as the administrative center for the entire Empire but also was a place of worship for any who adhered to the old faith passed down from generation to generation. Most of the traffic around the structure had been stemmed in preparation for the receiving of [member="Faith Organa"], Royal Princess of House Organa and representative of Alderaan, by their supreme ruler the God-King Kaine Zambrano. A landing pad had been saved for their arrival where a small cadre of foppish aristocrats mingled absently, eyes occasionally turning up towards the gray sky in anticipation. It was considered informal for the God-King to treat with them right after they landed, there was conduct, protocol, and tradition that needed to be followed in order for a proper assembly.

Whenever they did finally make landfall they would be asked to leave their weapons, but not their armor, behind on their ship or have it put in lockup for the duration of their visit. One of the aristocrats would profess that this was not because the God-King did not trust them with weapons, but the removal of such confrontational contraband would perhaps lessen any desire for violence within the hallowed halls of the temple. Kaine would also acquiesce to these terms and would meet with Faith and [member="Draco Vereen"] in an uncharacteristically spartan board room furbished only with a small table and several stark, but comfortable, chairs. Naturally refreshments would be willingly provided by the host as they had been on Onderon by a veritable army of gaudily dressed servants ready at any moment to fulfill the wish of any in attendance.

Once the Alderaanian congregation had settled in, then would the proceedings begin in earnest.

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith tried to practice a breathing exercise meant to be relaxing, she studied Draco's face yeah he wasn't happy still.

"He seemed quite intelligent when we last met, and I still wonder about one of his sons, the one that use to be Minister of Intelligence for the One Sith. I am also trying to think what we can offer one another. I'm sure he has all that he could possibly desire. "

Faith pulled a data pad, "Did you know that he has a connection to Alderaan?" She pulled up the data, "seems his wife was the Duchess over one of the Noble Houses. That would make him a Duke on Alderaan if he so chose to claim that. But I imagine being ruler over an entire planet has more appeal."

She wasn't sure at times that it was appealing, it was a lot of work it was at times taking more precedence than her family, and the few friends that she had. Her mother, Queen Arianna had researchers looking over records to see if there were any other nobles that she could entice to return to Alderaan to help rebuild.

"Princess, we'll be landing soon" Faith nodded, "Are you ready for this Drahr?"

While they discussed was he ready for this, the ship made its approach going along the glide path that they were instructed. Faith had gained much of her figure back after the birth of the twins and would once again begin to wear the styles designed by her cousin Claire that Faith enjoyed.

[member="Draco Vereen"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco grumbled. "I'm not a fan of granting him another title, have you seen his list? If they announce him fully we will have to celebrate a birthday before they finish." And he wasn't big on acknowledging a Sith Lord as a legitimate member of the Alderaanian Houses. It could cause some backlash between Alderaan and the Galactic Alliance knowing that arguably the most notorious Sith Lord and a former Sith Lord had influence within the planet's government. "I would strongly oppose legitimizing any claim he makes for the time being. It could stir up trouble elsewhere."

That's not to say they couldn't reach an accord about other things. It would be interesting to see what the self-declared God-King Epicanthix actually wanted. All Draco could do was speculate and consider what he knew about the man. It was entirely possible the meeting was called just to have company from outside, or just to get the off-hand picture of Faith. If it were Draco he wouldn't mind having more pictures of Faith, even if his helmet had a video recorder.

Draco slipped his hand around her waist, and grinned. "I'm ready, cyar'ika. You are the one with all the hard problems to deal with. Including giving me good reasons to behave on these trips." He pulled her close and gave her a reassuring hug as the ship landed and they prepared to go meet the Sith Lord who held dominion over Panatha.

[member="Faith Organa"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith kept moving forward there was no stopping no show of a weakness she had a feeling that [member="Darth Carnifex"] would take advantage of any show, course anyone would. The gangplank down and Faith with her riduur and the small contingent of royal guards that went with the Crown Princess and her consort made sure they were safe.

They were asked to leave their weapons, Faith rarely carried any on these trips no one wanted to give a show of force by showing their weapons. The Guards halted a short distance from the ship lining the way back, Captain Lindsey and Ana stayed with them as the small group walked along the were met and most graciously treated, Faith smiled each time something of interest was pointed out their trip to meet Kaine now in full swing.

She did not feel the flutters she had the first time she had gone to meet him, no this time she felt stronger, the only thing she did not know what to expect from him. She did wonder about his family, why? Often conversation could be made about one's family.

With the sights and sounds filling their senses they arrived to meet with Kaine, Faith wore the blue dress today it was form fitted as were many of her dresses, they were comfortable. They were all ushered into a room Faith walked slowly now her hand resting on the back of Draco's hand as they moved to where Kaine waited.

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Darth Prazutis"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco walked slowly with Faith, wearing his traditional Mandalorian Armor. It was customary to show a potential ally or threat his real face and skin, the T-Visor and the painted Beskar'gam plates. It was a sign of strength and endurance to allies, subtly reminding them they treated with a culture of warriors where honor ranked high on their priorities. To potential enemies, it was a symbol of resilience. True to that nature, it was the Mandalorian Clans that had outlasted two Sith Empires and the Galactic Republic in the modern age.

The board room the pair was ushered into was very different from the normal all black, obsidian, slate grey throne room filled with spikes and elongated shadows. Draco walked Faith to her seat and settled into one close beside hers, pulling one leg up to rest on his knee comfortably. He knew Faith wasn't as nervous as she used to be. There was less at stake today than there had been then and now they were just sitting around a table with servants waiting to feed them and give them drink. Panatha was home to many members of the servant class, much like Alderaan. These ones appeared more lavishly dressed than the ones in the Palace at New Aldera, but it was still some common ground between the two monarchs.

Not so for Draco whose fellow leaders most often met in a bar or a wooden longhouse, passing around barrels of mead, fire-roasted red meat that had been hunted that morning, and the occasional fist fight to settle disputes. He was a bit more civilized than many of his people, by way of being tamed by Faith, but he still enjoyed getting to cut back and relax in a fire lit room discussing the future of his people among old friends and allies.

Draco ushered the servants that approached him away, "No thank you, I prefer to eat first." Shooing the goblet and gourd carrying servants from him, settling on picking at the occasional piece of meat or fruit as he desired. If there was only one good thing about meeting with Kaine, it was his food.

[member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

It wasn't until after both guests had their desires tempered and their needs fulfilled that the Dark Lord would grace their presence, his being sauntering through the threshold of one of the many auxiliary chambers that ringed the central room that the meeting was to be held in. He wore a gray-green double-breasted utilitarian dress tunic with corresponding trousers, a black leather belt with a silver buckle, a pair of black leather gloves, and a pair of black durasteel-capped leather combat boots all of which had been customly tailored to fit the Dark Lord's tremendous musculature. He wore no rank badge on his breast, and the only gaudy ornamentation was an omegium crown set with square cut rubies that he wore upon his brow to denote his kingly stature. Even before his arrival the seat in that he would sit had already been prepared for him, with a plate of steaming hot seasoned meat and succulent fruits ready and waiting for his consumption while a goblet of vibrant emerald liquid had been poured for him mere moments before he had entered the chamber.

He welcomely gestured to the both of them, and bowed courteously before taking his seat opposite of them. He made sure that he was comfortable before actually speaking, a thin smile parting his lips as his baleful sulfuric eyes settled on [member="Faith Organa"] - "Lady Organa", and then lazily wafted over to [member="Draco Vereen"] - "And the Dragon of Mandalore, I am pleased that you made time to come all the way out here to meet with me, I am deeply humbled."

Truthfully nothing could really humble the Dark Lord, except for perhaps gravity, but he attempted to make himself appear incessantly courteous towards his honored guests. He reached out to wrap his fingers around the neck of his goblet, bring the cusp to his lips so that he may partake in the delicious licorice flavor as it trickled over his taste buds and down his gullet. He pulled the glass away with a content sigh, and moved to carve off a slice of the scrumptious pheasant that had been prepared for the party by his veritable army of cooks. The meat parted easily beneath his blade, and as it came loose he speared it with his fork before gently laying the meat onto his plate and from there carving off another smaller morsel to devour.

He ensured that he had finished chewed and swallowing his meal before he spoke again, "Eat and drink your fill, Lady Organa, then we shall discuss the galaxy."

 

[Faith Organa]

[member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Prazutis"]

Faith nodded, "thank you for meeting with us again." She wouldn't mention that after their last meeting she wasn't sure that they would ever meet again. That last meeting she had felt certain that the Sith were going to be coming back to take Alderaan again, but they didn't. No instead they faded into the darkness and melted into shadows to be no more. Faith smoothed the soft blue fabric out with her fingers as she slipped into her seat, the seam accented the curve of her hip the blue brought out the color of her skin and made her eyes darker.

Faith reached for the glass of wine that had been poured for her, she had missed the occasional glass of wine while pregnant, as much as she had missed rich foods, and bread. The downfall of any woman trying to keep her figure, bread. Once the morsel was toasted and placed into melted cheese she just couldn't help herself. The plate before her aleady held a sampling of everything before her. As she worked her way around it with her fork and knife, ensuring each was cut to bite size pieces before she even lifted one to her lips.

She saw the vibrant green liquid that was poured for Kaine and wondered what it was, she had never seen it before she would ask him in a bit what it was he was drinking.

She turned her plate and cut, turned again and cut. She inhaled deeply each time the smell of the food rich, savory, and enticing her to take the first bite. Her stomach growled rather loudly, as she paused hoping no one had heard she did not look up to draw attention, she waited then returned to her task. Draco of course had seen her do this countless times. Kaine on the other hand, who knows what he would be thinking.

Golden brown eyes looked up to Draco, and then over to Kaine as she finished the last cut. She laid the knife down and began the feast. She took a good draw on the wine, "I wonder would any of your family be joining us?" Laira and Theo were tucked in safely at home waiting for their parents to return.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco cocked an eyebrow as Faith went about her habitual rituals regarding food, ensuring every piece of food on her plate was cut into perfect bite-size pieces before she ever began eating. It was different than how he ate, simply cutting off a bite, or a little more than a bite, each time he lifted the fork to his mouth. He sat patiently waiting for her, never popping food into his mouth before her. When she had been pregnant he had done it out of fear, or fear of upsetting her. Now, he waited because he felt as though if he started without her they wouldn't be eating together, not really. Just dining in the same room.

He looked down on his plate at the array of fruit slices in one corner, a piece of nerf steak seared to medium rare, a poultry breast baked with numerous spices, and some form of porcine meat cooked and seasoned with cinnamon and honey. "As always, you spend a lot of money on food for your guests." Draco complemented their host politely. The selection was grand, and Kaine's cooks seemed to be good at their job. Possibly the former Emperor executed the chefs that angered him or disappointed him, leaving only the best to serve.

Draco heard Faith's stomach growl softly and smiled, placing a hand on her thigh reassuringly, rubbing his thumb against the soft cloth of her dress for comfort, as much his own as for hers. Touching her reassured him that she was there and that their children were safe. The rings on her finger he had made especially for that purpose, for binding them together and ensuring that they could sense each other no matter how far apart they were. Even this far on the outer rim, Draco could still feel the bonds he shared with his children, and he knew she could as well. By now they were asleep and being watched over by friends and family.

Once she had finished her task of carving up the morsels on her plate and Faith was ready to eat, Draco popped a piece of fruit into his mouth, tasting the juices and sweets of the natural sugars. Likely imported, but still fresh and not-synthetic like most food. She asked about whether Kaine's family would be joining them, but if Kaine's family would be coming, they would need several long tables and a much larger room to fit them all.

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Faith Organa"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Dark Lord stifled a chuckle, and gestured dismissively with his hand. "No, I'm afraid not Lady Organa. The members of my family are quite numerous, and most of them are too embroiled in business of their own to attend." It was both a blessing and a curse to possess such numerous offspring, nearly all of them hungered, craved, coveted his attention and praise. They had, on their own volition, cast aside their former lives, fully embracing their surname with zeal bordering on religious fanaticism.

They were willing to go to any lengths, commit any crime, to please him. Often they found such devotion reciprocated with wealth, power, and titles befitting the most noble of princes and princesses. But there were always those who were disenfranchised with their gifts, eternally voracious for more prestige to fill up the void that seethed in their hearts.

Those always proved to be the most disappointing, and the most treacherous.

Even now he suspected that such wayward children still breathed in the wide greatness of the galaxy, plotting their ascendance and his downfall. They would never get so far in life, his was a power that could not be circumvented, only knelt before.

He took another drink, another bite of meat before speaking. "And what of your family, Lady Organa? I hope they are well."

[member="Faith Organa"] | [member="Draco Vereen"]​

 

[Faith Organa]

"My family is well thank you for asking" She smiled thinking we are very polite this evening we are, sometimes though when I look up I think he wants to devour all of us. Faith quickly took another bite chewing as she thought of her next question to ask, you know the very polite dinner conversation that they were all having.

Remember she told herself the order of dinner..politics were...well..oh main course.

"What do you think of the condition of the galaxy right now, there have been so many changes. So much upheaval is Panatha, or yourself affected by the changes?" She took another drink, oh remember Faith don't drink too much. She was nervous at one time this man made her feel as if any moment he and the Sith would once again swoop down on Alderaan and turn it into the home of the wild things again. Or worse...much worse.

She looked over at Draco for a moment, just a moment, you know one more look for confidence for a reminder of why she was here, and why she was doing the things she was. He was part of the reason. She nodded ok...then turned her gaze back to Kaine.

What made him like this? All of this..she tried not to look around too much as her thoughts began to think of other questions.

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Draco Vereen"] [member="Darth Prazutis"]​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

The city of Canthar above all others was one of the most frequented places Braxus Zambrano, God-Prince of the Epicanthix visited. It was both the administrative and military center for the entire Empire and it was always filled with traffic. From the point of view of an outsider the intimidating legions of enforcers, and soldiers who worked in the name of their godly monarchs kept a tight control over the vast reaches of space they controlled. But to anyone who saw the inside they knew how much work the well oiled machine put into maintaining such order. For the past several days Braxus found himself busy working with the military of Panatha at their headquarters: Blackstone Keep. Anyone visiting Canthar would at some point take in the view of Blackstone Keep, the massive walled fortress base situated deep in the city.

Known for the infamous, strong black iron and stone imported from the marshes of Cropis that has an abundant role in its construction, the keeps history is even larger than its walls. For many decades the fortress served as the headquarters of the Blackblade Legion and sightings of the infamous black armored legionnaires who acted as the Butcher-Kings personal legion were that of commonplace. But a few years ago during the period in which [member="Darth Carnifex"] was killed, the Blackblade Guards HQ was moved closer to the new Vain Hollow. Now it served as a stark reminder of their presence, and as the new HQ for the Royal Military. The recent inclusion of Thule back into the fold proved to be a logistical nightmare for the military that worked to stamp out the discord and chaos following the previous governments collapse.

It was enough of a hassle that he personally came down to direct the efforts so the God-Prince was unable to be there alongside Kaine in the initial meeting with [member="Draco Vereen"] and [member="Faith Organa"]. However through his efforts the military finally sorted everything out with Thule, the iron grip of law was tightening on the chaos engulfed world. So Prazutis left and took a quick ride over to the Hasi' Sulemi the escort of Crownguard accompanying him ensured that any and all traffic was parted to make way for him. Once he swept through the halls of the massive pyramid he reached out with he force to touch the mind of Kaine and speak to him using telepathy "I'm here. I will be arriving shortly." Prazutis said. The pair had spoken about the meeting days prior and they didn't expect he'd finish with his work directing Thul's efforts before its arrival. He wasn't about to embarrass Kaine by unexpectedly walking into the meeting without a warning.

The first inclination of a new arrival would be of course anything Kaine said and then the moving of the servants who prepared a plate for the God-Prince, along with a glass of the green, licorice flavored Absinthe. The doors opened then and Prazutis strode in wearing a double breasted black tunic with an array of gold buttons going up the chest. There was a gold belt buckle, gold trimmed gloves and a pair of black boots. Unlike the elaborate omegium crown the God-King wore Prazutis wore one with similarities in design with inset rubies. "My apologies for not being here to greet you Alor Vereen, Lady Organa. Pressing business kept me away." Prazutis said as he rounded the table to sit. Due to the advanced warning he gave Kaine would no doubt have introduced him.

 

[Laira Darkhold]

Draco sat quietly, picking at the foods he enjoyed, not bothering to attempt to try new things. A slab of some bovine creature's filet mignon sat on his plate. Slowly he poured a small amount of melted butter over the piece of meat, letting it soak into the meat and mix with the cut. He let it sit, waiting a few moments to begin eating it, picking at other things for the time being.

He smiled at Faith when she looked at him, watching her absentmindedly while she carved up each little morsel of food, made sure the entire plate consisted only of single small bitesize pieces before she even thought about eating. It was just a little habit she had formed in her youth that he enjoyed watching. He was a little different, eating pieces as he carved it off the entre.

Braxus Zambrano made an appearance, greeting them both. Draco gave him an apathetic nod of the head, acknowledging his presence and turned his attention back towards Faith. He placed his hand on her thigh, reminding her of his presence and claiming possession of his princess, rubbing his thumb against the fabric of her dress. Their meeting with the Zambrano family had some risks, there was always the chance that the Alliance would become suspicious or distrustful, but given the simple nature of the request Faith was making, it shouldn't cause much problems.

[member="Faith Organa"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He noted the arrival of [member="Darth Prazutis"] with a slight inclination of his head, "This is Lord Braxus, Prince of Panatha and my most trusted confidant." A quick and simple introduction, one that Kaine didn't expect to give considering the time consuming nature of Prazutis' work elsewhere, but he had suspected that the elder Zambrano wouldn't deign to purposefully miss this long awaited meeting between themselves and Lady [member="Faith Organa"] and Alor [member="Draco Vereen"].

Lady Organa inquired upon him the current state of the Galaxy, and how it might have affected himself and his homeworld. It was a question that caused his lips to part in a beguiling smile as he clasped his hands together momentarily to regale her with what he believed. "We stand at the precipice, milady. The old powers in the Core have been swept away, and their death is slowly rippling outwards to affect all layers of the Galaxy. The Alliance seems poised to become the new great dominant power, but even now they hesitate. The Imperial Order is advancing Northeast as we speak, while the Silver Jedi are floundering in their own ineptitude while the Mandalorians remain idle. To be quite frank I am completely clueless as to what will happen in the next few coming months, it's all very exciting truth be told."

He purposefully left out the detail of the rising Sith power in the far East, that needn't be so flippantly shared with those morally opposed to the Sith and the Dark Side of the Force. "As for it all affects Panatha, that is more mundane. With the loss of the Empire's Western territories so too was the vital trade routes to the Core blocked by the Alliance, who had consistently harried any attempts at trade with the Empire up until its dissolution. My people have already begun to feel the effects."

 

[Faith Organa]

Faith listened while she toyed with her food it was not that the food wasn't delicious it was, so much so it was a distraction from conversation. Additionally add in one Braxus Zambrano, and you had holy feth silently uttered by Faith.

Was this the One Sith Spin Master. She couldn't help but stare, and looked down hoping it had not been obvious. She had long wondered what he looked like, what he sounded like, and what kind of man was he? She stabbed her food and ate quickly to prevent herself from uttering a fool remark. She looked up at [member="Darth Carnifex"] , "I'm sorry that your people are feeling the effects. That is the problem with politics and change, the few make the decisions but the many live with the decision."

That weighed on her the most that she would make a decision that all of Alderaan would have to live with. What if she was wrong? She stabbed another piece from her plate and ate it. She looked over to [member="Draco Vereen"] did he know her thoughts on this, did he know Braxus. Did both of these men, she knew Kaine did...

She put her fork down, "I agree I believe the Alliance is going to be the next great power in the galaxy, their presence on Coruscant would seem to herald that throughout. The First Order will likely be right behind them in power and they are formidable well organized, and steadily march forward. I think the Silver Jedi may surprise everyone, and as for the Mandalorians they are force to be reckoned with when it suits their purpose. As is well known in the galaxy."

Faith took a drink, "It is inevitable as history has taught us time after time the Sith will rise again, slowly in shadows until they moment they reveal themselves." She didn't know about the sith presence Draco and she had not discussed it.

Faith looked at Braxus, how many times he had sent spies into her network, how many times had she sent them to his? what was he doing now, eating bon bons by the fire regaling his companions with past deeds, or was he lurking in the shadows trying to figure out when to pounce?

"Do you all agree? Or perhaps there is another point of view" She was looking for discussion from all three of the men now seated with her. What did they think? by time they left the table Faith would have laid the ground work, and then she would have to decide based on conversation...the next few steps...

[member="Darth Prazutis"]

 

[Laira Darkhold]

"Oh aye, the Alliance is the next big thing right now. Its the nature of things that these conglomerates of planets come and go with time, and they spark a lot more conflict than the much smaller planetary governments. But, they do a lot of good for a lot of people." He left off the mention about being a key cause of the dissolution of the One Sith. There were some that had left the One Sith that might still call him an ally, though that number had been very small even when he had been with them.

"I'm not sure about the clans. After the Crusade they've been sluggish, but if riled, they might rise again." Though it wasn't of much importance to him. His clan was self-sufficient and had pulled away from Mandalore, he was living on Alderaan with Faith, and without a Mand'alor or a Crusade they believed in, they didn't mind sitting back and resting.

Draco shoved the plate out of reach on the table, indicating he was done, and pulled his cup to the edge of the table so he could sit back and reach it easily. His left hand remain on Faith's thigh, and he sat back comfortable to be the trophy husband while she did most of the talking.

[member="Faith Organa"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​It was a day he never thought would come especially not in these circumstances. [member="Faith Organa"] was sitting at the table just across from him it wasn't a dream, or a hologram. Carefully with the cunning and precision of a mastermind Braxus hid any obvious reactions and ensured he didn't pay any more attention to her than he did [member="Draco Vereen"] to remain polite and courteous. But inside his mind was filled with thoughts and memories of another time: the past. A time when he stood as Director of One Sith Intelligence and a Dark Councilor the apex of power within their vast rim spanning empire. For years prior to his appointment he carefully cultivated and maintained a shadow network for Panatha, it seemed only fitting he organize and lead to dominance the Siths. While brutal wars with the Galactic Republic were waged with bombs and bullets, a savage secret war in its own way was waged between the rival intelligence networks. How many times did he stare at the dossiers of his rival and delve into speculation and thought about what her next move might be? Naturally information on Faith was few and far between thanks to her agency so often he found himself speculating on how her leadership style compared to his. Could she be as ruthless as he was or was she far more laid back?

​How times did he infest her network with agents, and her defile his network with her own agents? It was a shadow war fought not with bombs and bullets but with the familiar cloak and dagger tactics, seeking information that could topple empires? Most of all what was the former Director doing these days? If she was anything like him she was always doing something, never could one catch him doing something that wasn't constructive. "The Mandalorian Clans have been laid low since the disappearance of their Mandalore, but all signs seem to point to their crusade targeting Silver Jedi space." ​Braxus said taking a swig of the absinthe. "The Galactic Alliance are on the threshold of real power. The Imperial Order being in the far south and the Mandalorians in the north they have the potential to claim the whole of the wealthy and industry heavy core worlds with little to no opposition. But the Imperial Order continues to climb higher and higher with each passing day. If they underestimate the threat in the south the Order will make them pay for it dearly." ​Braxus added.

​As for the Sith Order he chose not to mention them in his point of view. The Sith Order suffered a major defeat in the shattering of the One Sith Empire, but in its ashes they've grown stronger for it. The weak of the Empire were purged in its destruction, and its defective elements laid low during the Omega War. Those who remained were survivors, while the spotlight remained off of them they would rise again.

​[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Tis true that the Clans can be a mighty ferocious beast when provoked to action, but they are too prone to lethargy when a clear enemy has not been arrayed before them. However; with the recent debacle over Korriban, I have no doubt that the Clans will turn their full fury upon the Silvers for their incompetence in meting out justice to the woman who had opened fire upon the civilian populace with a Star Destroyer."

The Dark Lord couldn't believe the good fortune borne from the circumstances, the Sith and the Mandalorians had far more things in common with each other than they bothered to recognize. The Jedi? They knew nothing of strength, only pacifism and deflection of blame. They had inadvertently driven some of the more influential Mandalorians into the welcoming arms of the Sith, who at this point in time seemed far more capable and reasonable than the Jedi did.

"I am eager to see what becomes of it all."

[member="Draco Vereen"] | [member="Faith Organa"] | [member="Darth Prazutis"]​

 

[Faith Organa]

There he was the Spymaster of the One Sith, holy FETH! She smiled her thoughts dwelled on the past as well. All the people she had lost into the darkness that he and his network weaved. She took another draw on her drink looking over to Draco as he spoke. No he wasn't a politician he could be, but his temperament was more along the train of smash it before it gets loose.

As the conversation once again rested on [member="Darth Prazutis"] she couldn't help but wonder how did his mind work? What lines of thought had he entertained during all that time they stood on opposite sides. They weren't exactly on the same side right now, she looked to [member="Darth Carnifex"] . She knew to be cautious they were related, feth..and she tried not to laugh but she did not realize the relationship until now.

he spymaster spoke with an eloquence that came from years of practice, perhaps all diplomats should be spies. How long had she tried to get someone to identify him not just by name but his physical person, and bring him to the Republic. Much to her dismay it had never happened.

"Is it really on the mandalorians to be the police of the galaxy?" She glanced to Draco, "I know that the Clans have a clear and definite idea of what is honorable" She looked again from face to face as she spoke, "I'm just not so sure that it is their destiny to impose it on the galaxy, and on anyone that they see as in violation of their laws." Faith realized right now she was perhaps alone in her opinion, and the company around her shared another. "I don't think a war against the Silvers is wise. It would be more prudent to cultivate a relationship with the Alliance, and help them further their goals, with caveats in place for benefits."

She brushed back her hair, whether it was there or not she did so to give her hands something to do.

"I do not know that I am so eager to see War." The conversation had turned serious Faith folded her hands, her brown eyes tried not to show the concern she felt. "It is not war nor the thoughts of war that have brought us here today." She wasn't sure her idea was solid now.

[member="Draco Vereen"]