Populate State of the Nation | SO Populate of Karra / Eclipstica

[Darth Empyrean]

Mors Mon​

Somewhere in the Outer Rim...​

900 ABY​

​

The State of the Nation, the Order of Sith built on the conquests of its leader. Darth Empyrean strode into the war room with alchemized boots clicking with every step, a heel clack that announced the coming of divinity, if not death incarnate. He was a cripple more often than he cared to admit, but he would rarely show such struggle, such weakness to the Order at large - a beast, no matter how strong, invited maggots when it showed its wounds. Were he able, he would never let them see his wound fester - no matter how much the Worm Emperor tried him.​

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Physical chairs were arranged around for those that had joined him in his campaign, virtual holo projectors were set up for the rest - to simulate their presence. This was not a formal Assembly meeting, there would be more Sith here that didn't govern worlds - but here would be the powerful among them, those that had shown a keen skill at killing. Empyrean didn't need the politics of his Empire, he needed the strength of their sword arms.​

​

He moved past them as the Sepulchral Archpriest followed nearby, face shrouded in a veil of black - but the decripet corpse like nature obvious through the hard hunchback found beneath the robes. Additionally, Srina Talon - Dread Empress - moved with the icy grace she was known for; as iconic as was her beauty, and the very dangerous aura she gave off. The Dead God, the Dread Emperor, Corpse King - moved to sit atop a smaller, if not equally magnificent, red kyber throne that seemed to glow and yearn for his touch.​

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Dead fingers rested on its rest, and he looked around to the others, either there physically, or virtually.​

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"Our Strength has been solidified. I reign supreme, and none question my rule. Out loud.", he said with a harsh look to the those present.​

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"Cowards fester in the shadows - but they are of ill concern. Their hatred of my strength, of the propserity and glory I have given to our Empire only serves to slow us down. They pull on my legs, dragging me back to deal with them - and you know who you are. Be made aware, I will strike, I will put a hole in you, and you will have no rationality as to why or how. You will only hold the brutal fact that I have done so. Remember that.", he scowled, face crunching as he did so.​

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"For the rest, know this. The Galaxy moves forward, and it doubts our strength. We've done well to hide our ambitions, our conquests, our power. The Fall of the Trade League has proven their doubts wrong - flat and lifeless, like their fathers and sons. Our path to the Core is unhindered, and I have deployed armies to conquer the hyperlanes in that region; but something else must be dealt with first.", he said, pulling a holomap onto the projector.​

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On it, was displayed multiple sectors near the Vassal worlds. Many were shown to be under direct control, the entire Stygian Caldera conquered and fortified for war. Outside, it showed more worlds under our influence, though lacking our direct intervention - worlds of ex imperial warlords, revolutionary autocrats, and republics fearing for their safety. They paid tithes in manpower, taxes, and resources. Outside these, however, there was the problems;​

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Chiefly, the Empire of the Lost, the Mandalorian Protectors, and the Dark Empire.​

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"Cowards and slaves pay us as they should - they fund our war efforts in the region, but their tithes are dwindling. The Mandalorian Protectors offer every world in the region protection, and their expansion has proven themselves capable warriors. They have even raided Dromund Kaas - something that requires direct rectification.", he said with a glance towards Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis .​

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"The Empire of the Lost has taken our research facility on Felucia - and their conquests of nearby worlds has proven them more than ignorant Warlords leftover by the failing of the old orders. They have direct access to our holy worlds, and this must be changed; they must be destroyed, or turned to our cause by force. Their Emperor put to the sword, a puppet placed on their throne - but they can not continue to succeed."​

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And last;​

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"The 'Dark Empire', as they've come to call themselves. A ambitious collective of our old enemies; the New Imperial Order subjected by incompetence and fear to the rule of a false Sith'ari known as Darth Solipsis. He has failed in his ambitions before, I expect to see him fail again - but that doesn't discount the threat they pose to destabalize our plans to destroy the Alliance and our control over the Warlord states. They have already put an impasse between us and the northern Warlords.", he said with withheld anger.​

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"Now they've launched a hard incursion to the deep core - threatening our internal cults, agents, and plans for the region. While they yet subsist, they put our very authority into question."​

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"What you have been called here today to deal with, is the assistance in planning how we destroy each of these enemies - one by one, head by head. I demand blood, and I will have my prize."​

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Holographic particles swirled and danced, finally coalescing into something resembling definite shape and structure. The clarity was striking, far greater resolution than the typical blue holograms commonly utilized by the galaxy. Perhaps it was a statement of the superior technology possessed by the figure whose visage illuminated the air, or perhaps it was just designed to be visually striking for the sake of it. Regardless, the effect was dazzling.

"Great and mighty Emperor Empyrean," spoke Darth Carnifex, Dark Lord and Eternal Father of the Kainate. There was sarcastic emphasis placed upon the Emperor's epithets, the faintest glimmer of a smile curling the edges of Carnifex's mouth. This was the game they played, neither one of them truly acquiescing to the other's authority and working upon plans in contradiction to one another. For the moment, a tentative armistice held sway, and the two did not resort to open war; but rather a war of influence across the vast galaxy.

Carnifex's attention had since turned away from the holy worlds of the Sith, a task He had imparted onto proxies and governors. They were only symbolic in their importance, idols to be wielded by deft hands to control those who placed value in them. Darth Carnifex held no such reverence for the old places, not like He once did. They had outlived their purpose long ago, only the Ark He had so carefully cultivated bore any semblance of meaning. In time, He would supplant all decaying symbols of the Sith.

"The Mandalorians play at a game they have already lost. What losses they incur are meaningless. Their numbers are finite, meticulously trained, and costly to equip. The legions of the Kainate are unending, the time of their doom matters not; for it has already been foretold." They had planned exhaustively for any potential loss of control over the Stygian Caldera, charting out every conceivable possibility and drawing up strategies to contend with any one of them. Any further act of aggression by the Mandalorians could play right into His hands, just as any further expansion by Sith forces in the region would also play right into His hands.

It did not matter what battles were won or lost.

Carnifex always would benefit.

"But, if your concerns over the Holy Worlds is paramount, then I shall assuage them at your leisure." His smile widened, but only slightly. Empyrean would catch it, as he was meant to.

Darth Empyrean ​

 

[Taeli Raaf]

The image of Darth Arcanix would appear contemplative as the meeting was called to order, beginning with the speech and outlining of purpose by the Emperor along with the arrival of other notables in person or virtually like her. She had just arrived on Erilnar to oversee an expedition into the Bryn'adul warped southern hemisphere when the summons came, and she had answered the call. It was no small coincidence that she was in a region recently taken by the Empire of the Lost either.

"Not all of our positions on Felucia were lost," she replied. "Hojo Base remains undiscovered by the Imperials and the work there should continue unimpeded, my Emperor. There also may be a developing situation in the region that we could use to our advantage, if we pursue it with a more... delicate touch."

She would gesture with her hand and data would be sent to the projector, focusing in on Kesh and the world surrounding it known by some as the Scar Worlds after the devastation wrought by the Bryn'adul.

"A confederacy of planets centered on Kesh is starting to develop, and they are no friends to the Imperials. In fact, some of their number have already participated in raids against the Empire of the Lost. The leader of this confederacy is an old friend, and he has insinuated to me in no subtle terms that he means to fight these Imperials even more vigorously once they have consolidated their strength and built up their industry. He has even contracted Aurora and Spaarti for such efforts and to modernize their forces for the coming conflict with a new navy and droid forces."

Solan may not be friends to Sith either, as she would glance towards Kaine, but supporting the Confederacy would be an easy way to keep the Empire of the Lost in check as he trusted her. The cynic within her also knew that a protracted war between the two would open other possibilities to infiltrate and undermine the region for renewed Sith control in the future as they would weaken each other.

"With your permission, my Emperor, I would also like to pursue... other avenues of weakening them as well." She would not elaborate on them at present, unless pressed by those in attendance, but her reputation for infiltrating and subterfuge was widely known.

Darth Empyrean Darth Carnifex @more as they join

 

[Darth Aion]

The call even the gnaw could not deny had been heard.

Even as the whispers clouded swathes of his judgement, echoing their desires amidst his fragments of clarity, he could not ignore the call when it came. The opportunity to meet the being whose name had ushered itself to his ear time and time again as he reestablished his presence in the galaxy. The notion to buy into the emperor's call had been founded in a mix of curiosity and fascination, a chance to conceptualize what he had come to understand was a being that had theoretically accomplished that which he strove so hard to achieve of his own accord. Or so the rumors instructed him as he traversed the gargantuan and, subjectively, beautiful ship where the calls origins made their roots.

Finding the ship had been of very little consequence. While the crew of his acquired vessel had followed careful instruction, he allowed his own reach into the Force to guide him towards monumental power. The whispers demanded to be satiated, the gnaw craved to be heard, yet he used them only as a means to reach the source of the call that his lucid mind willingly saw fit to entertain. This emperor's enemies were his enemies, corpses to be made as he satisfied the void within, and he would gladly allow an engagement of intersecting goals to make purchase as long as it suited his needs. Needs that would, however, only be made known by way of his presence in the Force in place of empty words.

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Empyrean's being was something to behold indeed when his empty, black eyes fell upon him. A gaze he held fast, studying, even as the holograms of other colossal presences appeared by way of hologram within the war chamber of the Mors Mon, unwilling to be distracted until the right moment issued itself. A moment that came only as the dark haired woman finished a presentation that had followed that of a much larger being whose words carried an authority that itched of a rivaling air to even the emperors tone. Before he himself spoke, however, his gaze shifted with a jaunt of his masked face towards the woman that had joined the emperor; her identity unknown but her appearance impossible to deny.

Once a collective of moments had passed, time that he felt was inconsequential, words in the ur-Kittat spilled forth from his mouth as he addressed a single notion presented by Empyrean. While he knew basic viable he adhered to the urging of the whispers to be heard as they saw fit on the rasp of his voice that carried itself to those who sought to hear it.

They were words that ushered forth the notion of allowing their enemies to drown in their ill founded idea of their supremacy over the order in which each of them currently stood. His words continued with insult to the idea that an empire carrying it's prestige behind the additive of the lost was perhaps just as astray of their ability to see an end game against the Sith Order that did not result in their becoming lost to the annals of time as well.

His piece uttered and his presence made known, he shifted his posture back to that which it had been when he'd arrived on jagged, inhuman movements. It was now time for him to hear more of what others more experienced in the galaxy's present state had to say.

Darth Empyrean Darth Carnifex Taeli Raaf​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

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In a bewildering display of technological wonder, beside the Black Iron Tyrant came another figure equally massive. The Elysian Grandeval Mortarch; the Lord of Bones, the Deathless Lord, the Lord of Lies, the omnipresent God of the Graves, the Shadow Hand of the Kainate. Together the Dark Dyad stood united and even remotely their presence was formidable. It was their unified might that refused to cowtow to the power of the Dead God, their vast empire that never broke. All that remained was a tense armistice between them and their respective powers. There was no word spoken as the Dark Titan appeared, no acknowledgement from his presence beyond his silent support of the Butcher-King, and a purposeful grin planted on his face as the words fell. True to their relationship while the Eternal Father spoke his uncle watched everything. Everyone present in person or by hologram, every individual and their discernable expressions, posture, reactions, every muscle pulling and twisting, every subtle game played between the great and terrible Lords of the Sith. After all he was the Great Deceiver in his spider's web, twisting and pulling the threads of fate for his nephew.

In his wake worlds burned and lives ended. But chiefly his mind worked differently from the Eternal Father and in their century long union, they've achieved a level of coordination few could possibly dream of. It was by his hand the Kainate worked like a well oiled machine, the Ark shined brightest out of all in the galaxy and from her came the endless legions that would one day swallow the cosmos. Every intricate piece, every individual, every agency, all of it ran through his mind in its countless thousands, millions of parts. For he was the architect of it all who counseled, coordinated, and prosecuted the word, will, and wrath of the Kainate. "The Mandalorians are a broken people clinging to shards of the past like ash on the wind. They are few and far between their pride demanding a resurgence. Their pride will see them fall, they will spread themselves too far without the ability to defend themselves, far too reliant on the strength of their Jedi allies. They only made it as far as we've allowed them to. The Holy Worlds are quite secure." Darth Prazutis added to Kaine's statement, his eyes locked on the Emperor.

"As for the Dark Empire. They are nothing more than a ravening band of madmen, mongrels, and renegades none would receive. Slaves to the power of the dark side that remains beyond their control. They burn bright like a supernova but extinguish quickly. Do not consider this pretender to our might a threat. Manipulate their base desires like dogs on a leash and drive them at our enemies. Worlds will burn that our troops need never set foor upon." The Shadow Hand contained a scowl at the mention of the Empire of the Lost. All mere imperial renegades from the New Imperial Order, shards from a fallen empire. They would play a dangerous game by courting the fire, and their affront demanded an answer. "Their worth extends in flesh and fodder nothing more. The Empire of the Lost must understand the cost of such action. Burn their worlds, end their people. Make them understand there are but two actions remaining for them: Submission or Annihilation. Our response should come a thousandfold, an example set for the entire galaxy to see what the stakes are in our war. They will understand or we will erase them."

Darth Carnifex | Darth Empyrean | Taeli Raaf ​

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

They said beware the quiet man. For while others speak, he watches. And while others act, he plans. And when they finally rest… he strikes.

Unfortunately, his time of being quiet was quickly leaving him by. There was a time for it, certainly, when he had been but an acolyte, subordinate to his Mistress, for though he has far from the submissive and reticent type, he had been quiet, content to follow, to learn, from a woman far greater than he.

Such had been his experience in knighthood as well, simply doing his duty to the Empire, as it expanded in all directions, its manifest... destiny, ever the watcher as others would lead the Sith forward to fate and all else.

He had followed his Mistress into rebellion, loyally, quietly, ever learning, even as the Ouroboros Crisis crashed around them, and brought them to their knees, as... what he would learn had been his battlebrother's folly, had forced them to betray the one woman that had a chance to bring about... change. It had been Ali- Darth Strosius that had planned the Crisis, the great betrayal of their Emperor, it had been up to Malum to plan their escape... the great betrayal of their Mistress.

The fortunes of raven and bat intertwined still.

Traitors.

Betrayers.

Turncoats.

But here they were.

It was finally time to strike.

After a lifetime of quietness, of watching, of planning...

It was finally time to make himself known, a piece on this Dejarik board.

This is was longer a game for two, if it ever was.

With his personal scribe tapping away nearby, recording everything that was being said by the other great powers, for thorough review after this meeting was concluded, both an audio and written record, Malum finally stepped into the frame. There was no great flourish at his arrival akin to the Zambrano trio of Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis , and neither had he accepted the personal invitation onboard the Mors Mon, like clearly his... friend? Acquaintance? Darth Aion had done. He had no interest in delving into the belly of the beast, when there was still so much to do upon Alvaria.

Indeed, he would be most akin to the presence of Taeli Raaf , alas for the presence of the replica mask of his great and famous ancestor upon his face, alas for the presence of the armour of his Mistress upon his person. What had he become, apart from the greatest parts from those that had come before?

...Who even was Malum anymore?

As he nodded his head, followed by the tilt of his back, a bow towards the Imperial couple, Darth Empyrean and Srina Talon to begin, "Your Imperial Majesties," He breathed out cooly, mentally recollecting all that had been said so far, Rh- the Emperor believed with good reason that his power had been secured, both within and without, so... rightfully confident enough to threaten any with any private traitorous thoughts.

The Trade League had fallen, and the path to the Alliance open.

Yet, concern remained, the sons of traitors of the Empire of the Lost, the heretics of the Dark Empire, and...

... Mia Monroe 's Mandalorian Protectors.

And now, the Emperor called upon them all to... not decide the path forward, but make certain perhaps... that they would be united in that path. A test? No... he had no need to test those fellow Sith of his that shared his title as among the most powerful Sith in the galaxy. Perhaps a test for those like him, like Ali- Darth Strosius, and like Darth Aion... but not them.

...Related to the Dark Council seats? Mayhaps.

Unfortunately, no amount of theorising would do him any good at this point, he could only believe that the Emperor was being serious.

Kaine was next, he mocked, and perhaps unknowingly, spoke the exact words that Malum wished to hear. the Mo- Mandalorians were no threat, they could be ignored, and there was no point in drawing upon the full power of the Sith upon their heads. Those were the words the Emperor needed to hear.

Those were the words the Emperor needed to believe.

For the promise, both Mia and he had made each other.

Lady... Taeli, spoke of how their strength had not entirely fallen on Felucia, of supporting the brimming Confederacy out of Kesh that had caused his battlebrother enough anxiety as of late, and of a so mysterious solution to their Imperial problem.

It would be Darth Aion who to his surprise would speak in Ur-Kittat, a language he had studied, but only to the roughest extent, thankfully as his amulet heard the words, it burned alive, and as if a switch had been flicked in his mind, the ancient Sith language made perfect sense. Allow the Dark Empire to collapse in on itself, allow an Empire that termed itself Lost... lose themselves.

And then finally, Darth Praz-... Braxus. Echoed many of the same sentiments spoken so far, the M-andalorians were not a threat, too small, too insignificant, despite all the evidence to the contrary, despite the fact that though this butcher had attempted to exterminate them, all he had truly achieved was to make an intractable foe.

Yet... when they so harkened back to what they had done to Dromund Kaas... Malum could see the... rageful sense it all made.

Yet, pride doth the fall after all.

Ignore the Dark Empire and watch them implode out of their own excess, while burning the Imperials to ash, was his precepts.

It bothered him to a degree, how much he found himself in agreement with those words.

"Much of worth has been said, and I would echo most of it, yet there remains a key difference." He knew likely at least some of what he would say would cause controversy, a stir, but it would all be a question of how it would be expressed, "As those who govern the Stygian Caldera have noted," Malum grazed his eyes over the Zambrano dyad, "The Moridizinids are no threat to the Sith Worlds, their attack upon Dromund Kaas should be considered as what it is, an anomaly, a pitiful attempt at revenge after Darth Carnifex's own successful attack upon Moridinae, such is the way of their kind, unable to consider the greater strategic picture, for after all, only days after the attack upon Moridinae, without thought, without consideration, they planned to wipe out the Sith colony upon Ordo. They act out of emotion, out of rage, and anger, with no self-control to speak of," He mentally offered apologies to both Mia and Elise Ahana-Gwyneira for this, but... if words alone could save them, he would say it all again, even more vitriol, "Such is not the first time that the Caldera has been struck, nor will it be the last, such is the nature of war, however, under Kainite rule, as I see it there is no threat to Sith rule over our worlds... at least from the galactic west."

It took him an inordinate amount of self-control all unto itself to praise heap upon the Butcher and the Liar, thankfully, such could end, "Though Felucia has not fully fallen," He nodded in notice of Taeli's words, "Most of the system has, where I see no threat from the west, I do from the south, the Tsis'Kaar," Along with the New Imperial Security Bureau that he... might, have in his pocket, by affiliation of a certain Alicia Drey , "have not heard any murmurings of any further advance from the traitors, but it is inevitable they will not forever tolerate a Sith presence to their north. If Darth Carnifex believes there is no threat from the west, then I echo Darth Prazutis' words, we should bring the Imperials to heel, if that is in conjunction with this Confederacy or not matters little, the sons of traitors must be taught that the Sith are not ones to be defeated." There was a simmering in his eyes, hot coals burning underneath, all too eager to accept this course.

For after all... the Imperials had to pay.

He swallowed, clearing the emotions from his thoughts, and now with the last of his words to be spoken, "Yet, such can only remain a distraction to the true matter, the path to the Core remains open, yet has not been bridged, our heretical brothers and sisters, struck first and have stolen the Alliance's attention, the Core has been breached, and a Siege of Coruscant itself not far from their minds. No doubt as the undead... continue their march toward the Core, the Jedi will find themselves on the back foot, and as we strike from the south... well, a war on two fronts is difficult enough, but a war on three? The Alliance must crumble." He gazed around those gathered carefully they could not see his face, not that he imagined they would make out much, he had been taught to make his face as much a mask as a real, but these were some of the most powerful Sith gathered, who had played this game out, again and again.

The perk of immortality he supposed.

Who knew, what they could see from the subtlest of mannerisms, the subtlest of inflections?

"The Dark Empire as they so call themselves, shall likely implode themselves, however, not if they are united still by the Jedi's resistance. While, we might seek to profit from their war as we make our preparations... there is much more we can do." This would be the test, "Coordination is possible, while we have a joint enemy, I suggest not to trust them, nor ally with them, but is it not the Jedi that is our schismatic foe? The Jedi who unlike us, now stand united under one singular Order? I say make common cause with the ones that at least recognise the truth of our Code, and once the Alliance finished, well... it is as all have said, they will destroy themselves, or we shall have the honour of putting down Darth Solipsis' heresy."

 

[Ohois Qhut'eol]

Lord Blepharon the Complacent

Darth Malum of House Marr Darth Empyrean Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis Darth Aion​

Location	Mors Mon Somewhere in the Outer Rim... 900 ABY
Equipment	Lightsaber, Sith Amulet, Cloak of Hate, Shield Tailsman, Sith Regenerator. Concentration Tailsman Borg Construct AJ

The Sith-Imperial Banking Clan had been experiencing a period of significant prosperity following a comprehensive overhaul of the Sith Economy. With more and more worlds being incorporated under Sith control, their markets were being relentlessly exploited to benefit their Sith overlords. However, amidst the rapid expansion of the Sith Dominion, there seemed to be a growing unease within the Sith Order.

The emergence of formidable threats from factions such as the Galactic Alliance, Mandalorian Protectors, Dark Empire, and the Empire of the Lost had put the Sith on edge. The fact that such a diverse array of adversaries was aligning against them hinted at a looming sense of insecurity among the Sith leadership.

If the Sith had truly felt confident in their dominance, it was unlikely that a conference of this magnitude would have been summoned, signifying the underlying tensions and uncertainties that were starting to manifest within the Sith power structure.

Dragsail meticulously delved into the intricate calculations regarding the hypothetical triumph of the Sith in the Core regions. Upon thorough analysis, it became apparent that the substantial logistical efforts needed to breach the Alliance's far-reaching territories would yield little to no advantage, rendering the entire endeavor futile.

The complexities inherent in mobilizing resources, coordinating strategies, and maintaining supply lines across vast expanses were far too prohibitive to justify the potential gains in the face of the Alliance's fortified outer defenses, which were now on high alert after the Dark Empire's victories.

As Darth Empyrean finished the recent threat briefing to them, the floor was now open to the lords of the Sith Order and many opinions now flooded the room ranging from Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis , twin dyarchs of the Kainite and Holy Worlds who were less than concerned with the threats they now face, to Taeli Raaf who wanted to use the Confederacy of the Scar Worlds to their advantage against the Empire of the Lost.

Darth Malum of House Marr spoke rather briefly on many subject areas, although it could be boiled down as an attempt to gain some political points amongst the leadership.

"Despite the doubts some may harbor regarding the strength and resilience of the Mandalorian Culture, history repeatedly attests to their tenacity in evading complete annihilation. Even against the formidable legions of the Kainite and the Sith Empire's before them, the Mandalorians have persistently defied complete defeat. Dismissing them off-hand has inconsequential or emotional will come back to haunt us."

The Sith Lord, with a sharp focus on accuracy and precision, emphasized key details as he passionately argued against the misconception that the Mandalorians posed no threat to the Sith Order. He was determined to ensure that their capabilities and potential danger were not underestimated.

"As for the Dark Empire and the Empire of the Lost, they both will be key players within the Galaxy, although we can turn them against one another due in part to information that I have obtained from my associates. It seems that one Alicia Drey is in league with the Dark Empire, while also having a prominent place within the Empire of the Lost. Should this information be leaked, then we can watch them destroy each other."

He had gained such information from Nute Griimda , the Trade Federation's agent within the Dark Empire.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: xxx
WEAPONS: Ferrum Solus | Blodmåne | Strømafbryder
TAG: Srina Talon | Darth Carnifex | Darth Empyrean | Darth Prazutis | Taeli Raaf | Darth Aion | Darth Malum of House Marr | Lord Blepharon

Gerwald sat and listened. His gaze rarely departed from the stoic visage of his mistress. He knew there would be nothing in her features which would give away what she was thinking, but he hoped for some indication regardless. This kind of meeting was something neither of them were strangers to, though they were more accustomed to the Confederacy of Independent Systems' way of deliberation.

There was one thing about the meeting which was all too familiar. Whoever thought they were of some importance, or simply loved the sound of their own voice, were quick to speak. Srina Talon had taught the wolf an invaluable practice for meetings such as these. She had taught him to listen first.

He took in what the others were saying, starting with Darth Carnifex . Gerwald found him to be a man of few words, but every one of them had weight and intention. Their recent understanding had seen the wolf gain a respect for the Butcher that had not been there before.

Taeli Raaf sought permission to do something about the problem while reiterating that not all of Felucia had been lost to them. This caused Gerwald to quirk a brow slightly as he looked up to Srina once again.

<< “I see why you always liked this one. She seems rather resourceful.” >>

Gerwald shared his thoughts through their bond.

The next voice was one the wolf knew without doubt or hesitation. Darth Prazutis had finally emerged from whatever hell he had been hiding in. Anger rose within him, threatening to leak into his expressions. His mind reached for Naedira Darcrath . << “He is here…” >> Gerwald did not need to send his thoughts, or project them to his mate. She would simply know. His words were typical. Wipe them all out. It was the sentiment he had always carried like a rallying cry. Nothing about him had changed. It seemed death profited him nothing.

Malum would speak next. Gerwald did not expect him to do anything other than what he seemed to be doing. The Sith Lord could not speak about the Mandalorians without some level of bias. He was rumored to have taken a lover from among them.

Another voice, one Gerwald did not know, offered his own opinions. This time the subject shifted to another name. Breathing in, the wolf contemplated what he heard. With an exhale he dismissed it. The time came when the floor was quiet, and it was only after weighing everything he heard that Gerwald stood to speak.

He started with the most recent comment.

“I do not think two nations will tear themselves to shreds over one Sith doing as what many before her have done. Regardless, the Dark Empire cannot be our solution to answering the embarrassment we suffered on Felucia.”

Gerwald turned his attention to the Emperor.

“Perhaps there are those in this room who would dismiss the Mandalorians as a threat because they would rather see them thrive, or are trying to protect them.”

It was an accusation, one meant to flush out any hidden agenda in the room. Whether it would work or not was another matter.

“We should address them in time. The Dark Empire will be kept busy by the Galactic Alliance and the war they wage with each other will weaken both. Let them fight til we are ready to face them.”

The wolf paused just long enough to allow the rest to wonder why they had not considered the Galactic Alliance amongst their list of enemies considering the recent events being called the Caldera Crisis.

“The Empire of the Lost held our state at bay on Felucia. We must not allow that to go unanswered or unchallenged. The full weight of our war machine should be brought down upon them there.”

Gerwald looked to Carnifex knowing he would understand what the wolf would say next.

“There was something we wanted on Felucia, and the Sith take what they want.”

 

[Darth Empyrean]

Empyrean listened to each, unmoving and unreciprocating - even to the mockery Darth Carnifex had attempted. There was no game to be played, he had already set out a path to bloody the nose of the man who dared question his authority before so many. That would come in time - but for now, the issue of the various factions taking his tithe was becoming paramount.​

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"The lack of a concern for the Mandalorians is displeasing.", he said flatly.​

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"They intrude on our worlds, step on our holy lands, and the most the Sith here can muster is a 'they're ignorant', or 'they're too weak to sustain a long threat'?", he said with a bit more vitriol.​

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"Were there ever so many cowards and pacifists in a war council than this?"​

​

Were he able to spit he would have done so. Instead, he simply gripped the edge of the kyber arm rest, pulling himself forward to wash his face in the light of the holograms - a wretched thing that it had become. Metal eyes spun in their sockets, orbs covered in dark sigils findings the features of all that surrounded him.​

​

"If you stand before your Emperor and offer him nothing but cowardice, then your Emperor will fight for all your pride, your status, your authority. Consider me merciful, grand and charitable, for I'll kill a million and more in a day on your behalf. Thank me at your leisure.", he spat.​

​

"If the mandalorian dogs must learn a lesson, it was foolish to assume any of you would try and teach them. The Mors Mon will arrive over there worlds and break them. There will be nothing but ash when I am done. Consider that the consequence for stepping to us."​

​

He was silent for a moment as a harshness fell over the room. It soon broke as he spoke again - quieter than he was in his spat of anger;​

​

"I concur with Gerwald Lechner . Exposing Alicia Drey will achieve nothing - the Empire of the Lost will not wage war on the Dark Empire off a simple spy, no matter how effective. Rather, I'll take Taeli Raaf and Darth Malum of House Marr 's approach; they should be blackmailed, dealt with, diplomacy or by sword I care not. Turn them to our favor and see the Empire pushed in the direction we wish - against the Mandalorians, and against this Confederacy. If they are to be in a three front war, let us be the puppeteers.", he said flatly.​

​

"Still, we need more concrete plans if we are to succeed with minimal effort. The tithes we receive from the Outer Rim and Corporate Authority help pay for our war efforts in the galactic south - losing them will be a hit on our economy no matter the speed at which we conquer. If we are to bloody the nose of the Empire, we need a target, a goal, and the cooperation of our forces to do so.", he said once more looking to Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis .​

​

"For the many of you, give me your estimations; we need targets, plans, invasion infrastructure. Who can achieve what? I also need more of a plan from you three.", he said glancing toward Taeli Raaf , Darth Malum of House Marr , and Lord Blepharon .​

 

[Darth Strosius]

​

Darth Empyrean / Darth Carnifex / Taeli Raaf / Darth Aion / Darth Prazutis / Darth Malum of House Marr / Lord Blepharon / Gerwald Lechner

"Is this what we have gathered to discuss? The rabble of the galaxy?" The heavy footsteps accompanied by the soft and subtle brushing of fabric against the metal floor of the deck heralded the, decidedly late, arrival of the Lord Inquisitor. As usual he was alone, without escort and with seemingly no interest in paying his respects to the Emperor like many others would. Instead he assumed an almost languid stride forward as his visor's gaze shifted from attendant to attendant.

"Are we seriously entertaining these so called 'powers' that we find ourselves at odds with? The Dark Empire, little more than a remnant of what was already a simple collection of marauders, led by a ghost that already failed once due to their heresy and weakness." A hand drifted out as he glanced at the Sith that still bore such a paralleling image to Darth Nihilus, offering Darth Aion a nod of acknowledgement. "The Empire of the Lost, a few warlords that think their collective fleets make them worthy of territory and prestige."

The Emperor's Executioner received tilt of his head upwards as he walked past him. "Felucia was but a fluke, one that would not have happened had our forces in the Holy Worlds been more...adequate." To Lady Raaf he gave a simple glance and nothing more, although her words on the Confederacy arising in the Rim had certainly caught his attention. But to show or acknowledge such concern would give away too much and thus he simply continued forwards. The Sith of the Banking Clan was similarly unheeded for the moment, credits were of little use when raw power and soldiers were what was required.

Then his hand clenched into a fist as he regarded Carnifex and Prazutis with a slight cock of his head, his glare apparent even through his mask. "The Mandalorians who are too concerned with rebuilding themselves due to someone failing to finish the job with them oh so long ago?" He might not have been as informed of more recent galactic history as his battlebrother but even he knew of what had been done to Mandalore by Sith hands. Any threat from them was simply another mistake for the Kainites to suffer for some day in the future. A hopefully very near future.

"Must we even bother with a plan to sweep such pests away? These vermin that dare to claw at our doors and nip at where our positions are vulnerable? Have we fallen so far as to regard them as threats?" Finally Darth Strosius would turn his gaze to the Corpse Emperor as he stopped roughly in the center of the seated Sith. "The Core lies open. The Jedi have revealed how complacent they've grown since their 'victory' over the wretch known as Solipsis the first time. And we are to wage war against the scraps that line the galaxy rather than to forge a path to the prize at the center?"

He clicked his tongue and shook his head as he turned away and crossed his arms behind his back, now fully set on Darth Malum as he crossed over to the other heir of Ophidia. "I recall a time where we did not plan to exterminate the rabble, we simply did so with each step we took. I remember when we did not concern ourselves with thoughts of need alliances or assistance. I know of when we stood alone against the galaxy itself and held back the tides of our enemies for years without sacrifice nor concern."

Darth Strosius briefly circled the Heir of Marr, much like a predator circling its prey, before finally stopping and standing next to him as he looked over the gathered audience once more. "These 'threats' only have as much power as we allow them to have. If indeed their deaths are deemed necessary then we will crush them beneath our boots like the insects that they are. To plan for anything else would be an insult to our Order, to the Sith as a whole, for they are not worthy of our attention."

 

[Charles Castex]

THE ORDER
​

Location: On the Bridge of Phylactery projecting himself with a hologram

Tags: Srina Talon Darth Carnifex Darth Empyrean Darth Prazutis Taeli Raaf Darth Aion Darth Malum of House Marr Lord Blepharon

Dress: His Long black kimono, with a matching robe going around it and white and red flowers decorating it.

Gear: -Hologram Projecting Droid

-Two Lightsabers hidden in his belt

-Personal Surgical Tools

-His Razor Fingernails are firmly in place

-Implants turned on and running

-Darth Udezi's Legacy

Charles was starting to admit how… behind he was. The former admiral sat quietly on the bridge of his ship The Phylactery, and it was through a hologram that his presence would have been transmitted. Luckily for him do to recent developments he had started to devote some of his resources to creating a deeper intel network that gave him an better understanding on what was going on in the Order at least on more tactical level. He never pretended to understand the Corporate nature by which some things seemed to be done… no… he had gotten where he was through the use of military force. It was all he knew. The proper application of violence for the good of the body politic… as well as a little science and the twisted things that could be created from its alchemic nature.

Typing on a data pad in his Captains chair he continued to go over notes, and details that outlined the current military situation of the Order as far as he knew it. What he found did not fit with the 'boosting' of the people in the meeting… underestimating there enemies… foolish. He always considered himself a pragmatist. Realistic Solutions would have been found for their problems, especially considering… they were stretching themselves thin… or were they? He couldn't be hundred precent sure, but he was willing to guess so if they where trying to defend territory on the other side of the galaxy.

These Holy Sites, provided a morale boost sure, but he hardly saw them worth the material and resources spent on their defense. Well, such an opinion wouldn't come over well, but he knew how to soften the blow in order to get what he wanted. If they where going to hold on to these Holy Sites they would need the a quicker way to funnel reinforcements to the area. It was not hard to do with a proper logistical train, if it was built up in a defensive manner around the Hypergate in the Hoth System. Gaining control of both ends of the gate provided many strategic advantages and even economic ones as well… commerce from one side of the galaxy to the other at that speed… it was another way to make his plans that much more sweeter. Yet first,

"A cornered animal will turn around and rip out its enemies throats if we are not careful. Do not underestimate those you call a broken people, nor that rabble… who if I recall has created nice little pocket in the middle of the Galactic Alliance, but not just any part… the core itself. This is not an accomplishment I believe we have yet to achieve ourselves... and so until we do... then you would remember those pest have pulled off something we have not." He had to admit that even a fanatical uprising or whatever had caused the Dark Empires gains was… an interesting development. He did not name anyone with his playful chastising as he had a more important reason for finally speaking up,

"My Emperor might I make a suggestion, one that I think should think about shoring up the defenses of these Holy Sites. Now personally I would suggest the more prudent course of abandoning them as our currently ability to defend them is… untenable at best. Now I understand the military important of such sites when it comes to troop morale. As such I have a plan that should allow us to defend them…" He would have a little hologram of the systems in question pop up next to him, as well as for any interested parties and the Emperor,

"The Hypergates in the Hoth System, and the Hypergate in the Florrum system should provide us with the strategic asset we need to connect these two parts of the Order. Allowing for easy logistical support between the two in order to reinforce these areas. I would suggest building up defenses around them as well as the Hypergate in Florrum is a backdoor right into the Order by the Empire of the Lost." He paused to give his own idea time to sink in as he knew that he a bit of newcomer here into this crowd, and so he did add, "I have heard a system was lost recently in that area. One must wonder if wouldn't have been so if we had been able to reinforce that area quickly through the gates no?" Whatever gains had been made in other areas… they didn't mean as much if this was something the Order chose to focus its resources on… at least they should make sure they won this campaign.

"If the Empire of the Lost knows that we can put fleets at their doorstep in the blink of an eye it will give them a reason to pause. We can then use that as a defensive advantage while we build up an in 'depth' defense around the Holy Worlds. I do know the Order seems to love its industry these days. Do not allow them to take the first step and take the Gate on their end from us... that I feel would be... a problem." At that point he feel silent as he had given his proposal and now it was up to those who had more... weight among this group to argue over it. He didn't yet have the military backing to put the idea into action, but he could pass it along to those who did.

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: Charles Castex | Darth Carnifex | Darth Empyrean | Darth Prazutis | Taeli Raaf | Darth Aion | Darth Malum of House Marr
| Lord Blepharon | Darth Strosius
Location: Mors Mon [Empyrean's Armrest]
______________________________________________________

She loved war.

She was thrilled by the prospect and sheer beauty of it…But the precursor was a necessary bore.

Talking about action rather than acting.

None would know it by the empty expression the pale woman wore, save, her significant other. The seemingly young woman entered the meeting with all the grace and poetry of a falling star. Cold, distant, and inexorable. In complete contrast to the shadow that her husband created the diminutive Echani wore rather plain clothing. A long ivory dress without a hood, bare shoulders and backless, with fitted sleeves that ended at her wrists. She was without any embellishment but a certain phylactery about her neck and a ring that never left her finger. It painted a vision of an almost ethereal being that came to settle with aching sophistication on the crystal armrest of the chair reserved for the Emperor. Srina could have chosen one of the many available seats but always, she stayed close, or right next to Empyrean.

A Corpse King and his very alive, very vibrant, very calculating wife.

What the assembled Sith Lords and Kings might not have realized…Was that it was to their benefit alone that the bones in her posterior often went numb for their unified comfort. Her proximity to Empyrean kept bloodshed and carnage to a minimum lest this informal meeting devolve into a display of ash and bone. She suspected that her husband would not take well to many viewpoints and that notion only proved itself correct when she felt his anger rise. The others would feel it like a lashing whip…But for her? It was passion, saccharinity and steel. She thrived in the arms of his fury. Hawkish golden orbs landed on Gerwald Lechner when his mind brushed her own.

It was no surprise that Taeli Raaf caught his eye, even, with his puppet bride ever at his side. Srina instantly caught on to his reaction to Darth Prazutis and unfeeling eyes would pin her wolf where he sat as if swords thrice her size had nailed him to the chair. There was no compassion in her. No gentleness to be had, because it was not a warning that she issued…But an order.

The first in a very long time.

<<Stay.>>

Stay…Stay your hand, stay your thoughts, your mind, your actions. Sit and Stay…Little wolf. Gerwald would instinctively know that there were greater things at stake but it was up to her to banish the possibility of any deep-seated fury. No matter how warranted, now was not the time.

Srina quietly listened to many arguments over which thorn might gain their ire first but in the end none of it really held much weight. She wished for more information from Lord Blepharon and perhaps even Darth Aion but...The fact that so many threats were dismissed out of hubris was proof that many Sith were living exclusively in the past.

It was baffling.

She was not the Empress that any of them had asked for.

She was not the Empress that any of them really wanted.

But she was the one they had, thusly, they would suffer her perspective time and time again

"I too remember…", her voice was soft when it rose from beside Empyrean, a balm, to the ire he threw across the table twice over. She reached out and took his shoulder. He had no arm on that side of the chair, no hand, for her to take. Nothing but a miasma that might burn the flesh from her bones if she leaned in too close. Her touch would never dull his flame but it brought him sharpness and precision. The ability to remove rot like cutting away a cancer versus setting everything on fire. When he leaned into the holo…They should all have the same thought. Danger close. "A time of prosperity. A time when…The Sith almost exclusively controlled the Eastern Reach of the galaxy without contest…"

"…I also remember when the Sith Empire fell."

Her words were not a slight, nor, were they an insult. Darth Carnifex had become one of her closest confidants in years past and she would never put his reign or that of anyone else to the firing squad. It wasn't a question of his strength, nor any of the other former leaders, but a simple fact. "I remember when the Confederacy crumbled, the Imperials dwindled, and when the Galatic Alliance collapsed twice over. We face what…The third incarnation? The fourth?"

Darth Strosius seemed to have a fairly poor opinion of their competition and adversaries. It made her eyebrow raise, but she didn't comment directly. Not yet. Was it so difficult for any Sith in the room to believe that there was a possibility that there was something or someone out there with more power or influence than they ever imagined?

Or...Did the Order believe they were just too large to fail? That...That was a foolish, foolish notion.

"My point…Is that nations rise and fall. They grow from nothing…From less than nothing…And if left to their own devices they will do more than fester in our weakest points. What we let live today will return with intent to destroy us tomorrow. Charles Castex is correct…No adversary should be underestimated or considered inferior. No amount of besmirching their being will change the fact that one loose brick can bring an entire castle down. A squire can kill a king. If they have the strength to stand…"

Her eyes lingered on Darth Malum of House Marr though it was only for the briefest moment. She did not address him directly but there was something in her gaze that would likely make him itch. As if she saw things she shouldn't see, and knew things, she couldn't know. Could the Dark Empire be an asset rather than a hindrance? Truthfully, Srina couldn't answer that. Not without more information. If Malum wanted to present the Dark Empire as an option for mutual gain over mutual destruction…He would need to present it with more than a hope and a prayer.

The enemy of my enemy…

"They have chosen this fight...Acting preemptively on our terms allows us to measure twice. Cut once."

Just once. One, final, slash—versus decades of wasting resources. Srina loathed Mandalorians with a passion but even that couldn't bend her outward statements. Bringing false bravado to the table, and false imperviousness served no one. Pretending problems didn't exist in dark towers and barricaded fortresses didn't suddenly make them not a real threat. Some of them had learned that waiting for the enemy to end themselves could be the best policy. Letting them destroy each other was only a matter of time…But in this climate? It wouldn't be long before the enemy came to them like a dozen jilted lovers with flames and pitchforks in the shape of world devastators and superstar destroyers.

Occasionally, ironically, singing "give peace a chance" while razing their cities and burning their children in the name of galactic security.

Perhaps...They'd all forgotten...Perhaps they'd all forgotten how it was to rebuild. To lose to hubris? Cowardice? No.

Srina would not abide that.

 

[Michael Hightower]

Tag: Srina Talon | Darth Empyrean | Charles Castex | Darth Carnifex | Darth Prazutis | Taeli Raaf | Darth Aion | Darth Aion | Darth Malum of House Marr | Lord Blepharon | Darth Strosius

Location: Mons Mors

---

There were some advantages to holding a meeting on the Mons Mors, the behemoth that lay at the centre of the first Legion's fleet, it made a trip to this war council nothing more than a jaunt down a passage or two. The minimal amount of time was taken away from the business of actually running the juggernaut that was the Sith military.

When he was younger Michael had disdained politics, thinking it a refuge for the weak, for those who couldn't fight. After all, if you won the battles, if you defeated your enemy, that would end the war and you'd win, right?

He'd been so sure of that, only to find himself caught out on that again and again, winning a battle only to lose the war. He'd had to learn the hard way that you couldn't separate politics from the process of fighting a war, that they were just two sides of the same coin. You had to win militarily and diplomatically, otherwise, you couldn't hope to come out of a war the victor, at best you'd have some kind of weak pyrrhic victory.

So, to be honest, he found it a little…disappointing to see how the Sith War Council operated, focusing on little rivalries and blinkered vision instead of a true strategic planning council. He'd come hoping to see the leaders of an empire making plans, refining a strategy and yet the only one in this room who had impressed him was the emperor and empress to whom he'd sworn his allegiance.

"It worries me that the leaders of this empire are so blind to the exigencies of fighting a war, of the most basic elements of the strategy that even the most raw of my officers would understand. You don't leave an enemy at your back. It doesn't matter if they're the strongest of foes or the weakest. A child with a knife is as capable of killing you as a soldier with a rifle if you turn your back to them."

The man turned to face the stalking Darth Strostius, showing all the immovability of a mountain as compared to the man's constant movement.

"Why would you ask us to stretch ourselves towards the core, towards the deathtrap of the central worlds without first securing our current holdings? The planets of the core need a constant supply of the most basic resources to survive, industrial planets that have to import food to survive, agricultural worlds that have to import basic technology and medicine. To take these worlds we'd need to create supply lines, invest much of our military to the fight and vast amounts of our own resources to supply those worlds we take. All the while, those pests, those rabble would have the freedom to strike our back while we're distracted. If you want to harass the Jedi, to keep them weak then target their supply lines. Send unaffiliated forces under our control, or pirates we can hire against their supply lines while we focus on the enemies on our border. Once we're secure then we can worry about the Jedi. After all the core, the planets aren't going anywhere, are they?"

Dark eyes cut over to Malum as the thryrissian shook his head.

"To claim that the Mandalorians only act from emotion, without forethought or planning is to vastly underestimate them. They have proven their tenacity and their willingness to strike at us. How can we leave such a threat at our backs? While the Kainite forces and Lady Raaf may be enough to hold them, even to retaliate and punish them should they alone be asked to? The Mandalorians struck at us. At the empire. We should answer as an empire. Let the entire galaxy learn of the foolishness of striking at us in such a way that no one can ignore the lesson. The Imperials will act as Imperials, secure planets and expand but Mandalorians are driven by their honour and code. If we challenge then they must answer or reveal their weakness to the galaxy, and to one another. That alone makes them a good first target before even considering their attack on innocent Sith citizens. The Tsis'Kaar threat was beaten down, their teeth pulled by none other than yourself, militarily at least. The war with the remnants is one fought in the shadows, a war of spies and inquisitors, not soldiers and ships."

His gaze swung back to Empyrean with a respectful nod, dismissing the Sith who seemed more driven by his emotion and prejudices than he claimed the Mandalorians were.

"The Legions stand with you my lord."

He'd long ago sworn his allegiance to the throne, and its current occupant lived up to all his expectations and hopes. Michael knew that his ability to drive policy in an empire of the Sith was limited, that his role was to train and lead the military towards targets his emperor gave him, a good thing then that they agreed on their policy, their targets.

"The Mandalorians' strength is in their capabilities as individual warriors and in small units. Ours is as a united organized military, so we need to force them to fight on our terms, not on theirs. Pick a planet and let's draw them into a conflict by launching spoiling attacks on systems nearby. Send in a squadron of ships to destroy a station or raze a colony. A series of attacks that will drawn their forces into the area to answer our aggression so when we force a fight with them we move against them in force we're facing a large group of their forces that aren't used to fighting in that kind of conflict.

If we mean to establish our dominance it will mean learning our enemies' weaknesses and forcing them to lean into those while playing to our strengths. Something for those amongst us with spies, with access to those who work in the shadows to focus on. Winning the intelligence war is the most important first step of the longer conflict."

 

[Domina Prime]

​

The Eternal Flame Fades. The Warlords Go Without Thrones.
ᖭ༏ᖫ
Surrender Your Soulfires, To The One True Heir.
​

ENGAGEMENT: Darth Carnifex | Srina Talon | Charles Castex | Darth Strosius | Darth Malum of House Marr | Gerwald Lechner | Lord Blepharon | Darth Aion | Taeli Raaf | Darth Prazutis | Michael Hightower


Your head is always in the clouds Majestic Azure Monarch, eventually you'll get too close to the sun.

A tickling notion, one the blossoming mind welcomed with an almost morbid fascination. As if she were a moth eager to burn by a light so captivating one couldn't do anything more than just draw closer. An assured destruction, the light at the end of a tunnel that the Primearch had only just begun to enter. It was maddening, the dark, like a cosmic force threatening to twist the soul and mind.

A mind infested with daydreams of incredible destruction of divine destiny.

So many GODS…all in one place…food on a plate.

Prime was simply SALIVATING from behind her Mask as she held her composure during this…ASSEMBLY OF DIVINITY~

Domina knew no other way to describe it. The civilized discourse of those who plotted, schemed and ratted their way about digging through secrets of lost text to bolster their might through…their god?

Dima still wasn't entirely sure how their divine spark worked. And as those five eyes observed their EMPEROR Darth Empyrean Domina could not help but lean into her seat, lower hands folded in her lap while her upper arms crossed over her chest. He was so fascinating! Domina had never seen what a godlings contract with their divine could do to them, she wondered if he was ok...she had hoped to battle him one day but she would not want to engage with him in such a condition! She needed him STRONG and HEALTHY!

Part of her wondered if she could help him in some way...unlikely, the blood of the divine was...hard to decipher even for her genetic perfection.

At least for NOW.

The heavy steel of a…STRANGE Axe standing on it's hilt upright as if a scarecrow of a long bygone age.

And O how it's anguished embers sizzled with despair and anguish at the SLANDER on display as Darth Carnifex & Darth Prazutis began to divulge their expressions towards Dominas...less than steller little kin in the Mandalorians and their...sad displays of honor lately.

If the sun had eyes, it would be the gaze of Prime as she stared down with vicious scrutiny as the name of her kin was dragged through the mud. Mere remnants of a long forgotten age.

What was worse…was they were RIGHT. Domina had seen it long before. When she had witnessed a fellow sister in arms used CHEMICAL GAS to dispatch civilian populations. Domina could not quite pinpoint it then, in the moment but it was in that moment among many others she had noticed it…just how SOFT Her people had become. Clinging to their armor like a crustacean to its precious shell…at least, until it was time for a shiny new set. Finding ANY way to kill their enemies that didn't involve their own hands...looking them in the eye as you committed divine warfare. Many had fallen off the path of Ha'rangir The Destroyer in the civil wars of ideas that caused sickness within her peoples culture.

To these GODS. So above it all it was like the sickness of vermin in the bakery. Pillaging them of their sugar and spice so she could not blame Her Father Darth Carnifex nor her uncle Darth Prazutis for attempting to push them to their breaking point. Because after all O audience mine, that is the path of THE DESTROYER. To push life to its absolute breaking point, and watch it either perish…or EVOLVE.

And who among ANY HERE…had PERFECTED EVOLUTION. Domina NEEDED to know…cause it was so easy to speak down on a people while they were down..but as Charles Castex so LOVINGLY described as if words from biblical text.

Any cornered beast could rip out a throat. And every person in this room needed to know that they spoke this slander among a MANDALORIAN WHO COULD MORE THAN JUST TEAR A THROAT.

Oh how things were so DIFFERENT ONCE UPON A TIME…during a long forgotten age where to hear the name of Mandalorian, was to hear the song of destruction and war on the horizon.

The Mythosaur Axe by her side hissed with maliciousness into the ear of the Primearch, the only WORTHY descendent of The Destroyer. Daughter of the Divine Ember~

"Is this…really what it's come to O sister mine? What our name has been reduced too after all this time? These smoldering embers weep sweet sister of mine. Precious little sister…lost little sister. What happened to us?" The Phantom Flame asked, a spirit beckoning back to a mythic age long gone.

The flame whispered, but could only be heard by her. But oh how the Phantom Spirit PERMEATED the air with radiant dark side energies foreign in it's signature and design as Domina clutched her Beskar as energy crackled throughout her bones.

"It's true, our kin have lost the way soul sister, lost themselves over a conflict of the soul. Cousins often fight against each other more than the true enemies and they hesitate to seize power when presented. Clinging to traditions, but only certain ones they like, yes they FORGET the true path of The Manda." Domina murmured to the spirit, leaning in as if to whisper to the ghost and not disturb the assembly! "Ya know sometimes, This One just thinks they are afraid of the godborn. These…mighty little men. They terrify most cousins although they'd claim otherwise. But Dima sees it...in the way they fight with them in battle...the...disgusting desperation. It's unbecoming of dimas kin but they are...misguided"

"Even so…this cannot be allowed to stand O sister of mine. I wish to provide you, once again, with an accord~" The phantom whispered, its warmth reaching to the Mandalorian Daughter as the godlings went back, and forth back and forth at nauseam.

This was probably the first time Domina had managed to hold her composure for so long without bursting into a ravenous madness frothing at the mouth and BARKING AT THE STARS just a rabid animal that needed to be PUT DOWN.

But Prime was not a thing that could be understood by the human condition. Her primitive and feral design was like starlight, given FORM and EDGE.

And the warmth of the Ancient Sunbreakers blade desired the touch of that warmth to fan it's spark of WAR into a DIVINE FLAME once again as Dima leaned in and lifted an ear as if to listen.

"Domina is listening~"

"My me into thy hand, sweet sister. Embolden thy flame, scorch the earth in Mandas majestic flame and SHOW them..our embers fade…but our fire if fanned can BURN BRIGHT! The Eternal flame of war will NEVER extinguish. As long as WE'RE here…isn't that right, Sweet Inheritor? For to wage war?" The Phantom asked as if posing a question. Dominas bones radiating with electrical energy as those eyes burned from behind that Mandalorian mask.

"For to wage war…is to be divine~" She finished the line, the Phantom Flame broiling brightly, seeking SWEET DESTRUCTION just for the sake of doing so. A TRUE Mandalorian did not need a reason to lay ruin to all before them. They needed a reason NOT TOO. And all Domina saw was food on a plate all for HER. And oh how her GREED FED THIS HUNGER!

"Yes, sweet sister. If respect cannot be put on the names of our little brothers and sisters. Then is it not OUR NOBLE OBLIGATION…to carry the respect of the name upon our shoulders? An Age Old Bond little sister…don't let the flame die out!" The flame cried, unable to stand the complete disregard of her mothers ancient people. They people that in her life, once an age ago, she tried to save from EXACTLY this fate…and it was all for naught.

Unless…something happened. That just…threw the whole order of things out of whack. And Domina wanted to see what it was like…to be a god. To FEAST from the light of STARS. Why not? Apparently it was just SO EASY to be a GOD.

A sweet swan song of divine destruction & DESTINY. Now that sounded like something FUN. Because Dima had been waging war since the day she had hatched from the egg. And like The Mandalorians, her war too was ETERNAL.

Domina Prime stood, if not briefly. Calm, collected…so steady as she just…let the atomic energy sizzle through her core like a fusion battery, taking out her Beskad Kopis and SLAMMING IT down into the arm of her chair as the Phantom Axe remained by her side.

"HELLO! So like, most of you don't know This One, but that's fine! Because we're all gonna be getting real FUCKING familiar now aren't we? So, ya know you guys use a looooooot of big words and stuff and ya know…thats fine. Probably just godtalk or whatever, but Prime is hearing a LOT of slander on the name of her kin and like…that is very much NOT gonna be flying anymore ok…DAD!? Fuckin OTHER GUY Yeah Dominas talkin to YOU!" Domina placed her hands on her hips and stared DAGGERS INTO Darth Carnifex & Gerwald Lechner as Dominas Mandalorian Mask shielded them from what ONE OF THEM knew was a look that could KILL.

"HALF of you know who This One is. This is very very good, because that means there are HALF of you who know what if you godborn so HIGH above it all say one more thing about Dimas little brothers & sisters, lost in a downward spiral as they may be! Then Prime will have to SHRED through this…civilized assembly. Not out of malice or anger! Mainly to prove a point. Their fires may be but embers, but this fire is burning out of CONTROL and Prime bets NONE OF YOU can PUT IT OUT! Because you see, this one AGREES with most of what you all said…that our people are…fading, like how do you say?"


Domina looked to the phantom flame of a long gone ghost clinging to life after death even now.

"Cinders of an ancient flame, toiling in the wind~"

No one else could hear the flame, but Domina clicked her tongue in delight.

"Yeah yeah, that. Poetry and such. Domina weeps for them truly she does~" Domina mused before shifting all five of those eyes upon many within the assembly. ESPECIALLY as Srina Talon & Charles Castex spoke along with Darth Strosius making MUCH MORE reasonable of a case for Dominas beloved kin as Dima lifted her FOUR ARMS up towards them lovingly as if embracing them from afar while blowing them kisses with her four clawed hands. "SEE! KISSES YOU GUYS THANK YOU! YOU GUYS REALLY GET IT! Just you godlings wait, The Manda will burn BRIGHT across the stars again just you give it…maybe a year…probably less now. Can't lie you lot got Domina all MOTIVATED NOW! FUCK IT WHY WAIT!?" She snarled in deranged laughter as her hunger for VIOLENCE could not be SATIATED in a room full of WORTHY PREY! And did MIGHT NOT MAKE RIGHT?

"Sister…sweet sister. Beautiful sister, yes. Show them how your flame rages on! WORTHY INHERITOR!" The phantom hymned.

"No no, Primes got this…because the HALF of you who know the name of PRIME…know that in this room…there are only about…FIVE of you who can stop Dima if people want to keep talking out the side of their necks and get their THROATS CUT! So can we just…shift topics? Ya know talk about killin the lightborn and all that, whatever the HELL you people talk about. But as far as The Mandalorians? Anyone ELSE? HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT PRIMES MISGUIDED LITTLE KIN? HUH!? CAUSE NOW IS THE TIME WE CAN GET DOWN AND DIRTY RIGHT HERE DOMINA PRIME DOES THIS SHIT FOR THE LOVE OF THE FUCKING GAME YOU ALL ARE GONNA HAVE TO COME OVER HERE AND GET A PIECE PRIME AIN'T GOIN FOR THE SLANDER!" She snarled, frothing and salivating at the mouth from behind that mask and she called DIVINE CHALLENGE upon any who dared speak out the name of her kin with such contempt when all Dominas life, all her existence her RESPECT AND AWE for the godborns divine might had always CAPTIVATED her delight.

And to hear them just…handwave Dominas spiritual kin like they were just…done.

It wasn't over as long as Prime drew BREATH. And with the power of the flame whispering to her, calling to an Inheritor to take on a divine spark. To become a god?

Why not? If they couldn't stop her now…how would they ever stop her then?

Domina waited for an answer, either from her father, from ANYONE else even from the BIG MAN himself in all his divine beautiful glory Domina didn't understand half of their madness but that was fine. Domina admired power and strength in ALL THINGS, even gods.

But they needed to understand…some things. Just weren't meant to be provoked.

Prime…was one of those things.

"Annihilation one of you said? Well PRIME STANDS BEFORE YOU. Daughter of The Destroyer, so what's it gonna be!? We are all civilized killers aren't we? We all know the rules! Some creatures are only DESTINED for DESTRUCTION! So whose gonna be the one to do it? A Mandalorian stands before you! Just a withering ember, yes? WHO WANTS TO STOMP IT OUT PRIMES BEEN ITCHIN TO KILL A GOD ALL DAY! AND THERES TO MANY SHARKS AND NOT ENOUGH BLOOD IN THE WAVES!" She ravenously sneered towards any and all in the assembly, that massive thail slamming down in an oppressive destructive yeild completely shattering the seat she was previously residing within. Waiting for the challenge to be ANSWERED...or for the TOPIC of Mandalorians to be DROPPED.

There would be no in between. There was a hunger and thirst for sweet destruction and war that would never be understood by a collective of gods who sought ORDER.

No...Domina would test their spark here and now. And she'd do it for FUN.

So come on...who wants to have some fun?

​

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Quiet, patient and ever watchful, Lina surveyed the council, drank in the subtleties, the jests and jab between words, the gazes that held on members for a beat too long. It would have been utterly fascinating had it not been highlighting their own weaknesses. The Order was fractured, too many powerful heads filled with hubris and not enough foresight.

She rested a hand on her bump, her child would soon be in this world, Lina had a vested interest to ensure the future of the order, to ensure her family survived. With quiet effort she rose to her feet, stepping fully into the light of the holo.

"Lord Carnifex, might I suggest you leash your spawn. She's creating an unnecessary disturbance." Her tone was bored, she didn't even bother to look in Domina Prime 's direction, plucking a fleck of dust from her sleeve before settling it on the Emperor. "The biggest threat that has ever come to any sith nation, has always come from within. The ever shifting tide of power as it passes from on hand to the next, wolves biding their time, waiting for the opportunity to strike. From what I have seen here today, my Lord Emperor, you have far too many people snapping at your heels."

She swept her gaze over Carnifex and Prazutis, a pointed look, deliberately unsubtle before she snapped it back to him. "You are right not to underestimate the mandalorians, reduced though their numbers might be, they have been a thorn in every siths side for a century, the are not easily eradicated and those that lead them today have long memories and older grudges than those created by the purge."

She paused, shifting slightly as her child chose that oppurtune moment to jamb a foot into her ribs. "The Dark Empire should not be our concern, let them test themselves against the Alliance, they will keep each other busy while we remove those thay might stand with either party. The Empire of the Lost should be our main focus, with things shifting to thier south and with tensions also rising between them and the Protectors they will be hard pressed to fight a war on three fronts."

She smiled slightly. "I will not discourage you from striking the Protectors for their slight, but I will warn you that engaging with them in such a manner will likely radicalize them against us. Nothing unites Mandalorians more than a desperate need for vengence. This will start a war."

Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis Darth Empyrean Srina Talon Darth Strosius Darth Malum of House Marr Michael Hightower Taeli Raaf Lord Blepharon Darth Aion Gerwald Lechner

 

[Alicia Drey]

​

"For the present, the more covert we remain, the more influence we can have."
-- Darth Tenebrous.

Tags: Lina Ovmar ~ Darth Carnifex ~ Darth Prazutis ~ Darth Empyrean ~ Srina Talon ~ Darth Strosius ~ Darth Malum of House Marr ~ Michael Hightower ~ Taeli Raaf ~ Lord Blepharon ~ Darth Aion ~ Gerwald Lechner
Location: Undisclosed location somewhere within the territories of the Empire of the Lost.

As Darth Empyrean convened the Sith Order to discuss their plans for galactic domination, in the off-drop of the holographic devices which displayed those Sith who dared now step foot on the Mors Mon, Darth Ayra listened quietly as they spoke. The projector that she was connected too, and was subsequently transmitting the audio of the meeting to her, displayed a hooded figure whose facial features were obscured by the cowl of their robe. Her powers of the dark side had now orchestrated the means to listen into this most important of meetings that was set to decide the fates of untold billions across the territories that Empyrean was set to invade next.

Darth Ayra watched as the connected holographic projectors, which were now, eerily, washing the face of the Corpse Emperor as he communicated his disgust and disappointment with what he was hearing from the Sith who served Him. It was ironic to Ayra that they were debating the recent battle on Felucia given everything that she knew. It had been her and Darth Malum of House Marr who had orchestrated the battle while the pair met in a secret. In the back drop of the fighting, as the Sith and Imperials fought to the death, Malum had recruited Alicia Drey into the Tsis'Kaar: an important acquisition for the head of the infamous organisation which fed intelligence or information to the Sith Order at Malum's own discretion. Now he had access to the New Imperial Security Bureau and the intelligence gathering apparatuses of the Direct Surveillance of Domestic Threats initiative of which Malum was set to be debriefed upon their next meeting together.

Now, as they spoke about retaliation and revenge, Ayra was using her place in the Tsis'Kaar to listen to this meeting and here she had learned much. The location of Hojo Base was of interest, for starters. As the meeting had progress Lord Blepharon suggested that they leak her allegiance to the Dark Empire so that the Empire of the Lost would declare war on them as a reaction to this most hostile of acts. Ayra had anticipated that a leak would occur. After all, her work made her susceptible to the various organisations which served both the Lost and Dark Imperials. So, Ayra had taken the necessary steps to obfuscate her ulterior motives so as to make her seemingly seditious and treasonous acts inadmissible to the Imperial Moff Council and their Lost Emperor who reigned over the Empire of the Lost.

Blepharon hadn't yet come up in her list of interested people, and yet now he had garnered her full attention. The suggestion to expose her to the likes of Velran Kilran revealed a strategy that wasn't entirely forthcoming or truthful to the Sith who had gathered on the Mors Mon. Rather it suggested that this enigmatic Sith- previously an unknown entity to her- had contacts within the Dark Empire who had been leaking him information that presented a danger to her work. The question was why? Who was Blepharon? Was he working for himself, and had now revealed themselves as an unknown enemy to Darth Ayra through her yet-to-be-discovered membership of the Tsis'Kaar? Or was this another rival within the Dark Empire looking to destroy her by using Blepharon as a proxy?

As the Sith Order continued to debate about Felucia, the Mandalorian Protectors and the Empire of the Lost Ayra found herself contemplating who among the Dark Imperials would be leaking information about her. Who among them knew that she was not only a member of Darth Solipsis's New Sith Order but were also aware that she was the Staff Director of the New Imperial Security Bureau? Were they working for Blepharon, or with him to try and destroy her? Or was there an additional missing piece of information that Ayra did not know which make sense of this new discovery?

In her work to obfuscate the truth Darth Ayra had met with the Dark Side Elite to reveal her place in the Empire of the Lost. She had almost been killed by them on Bogan as they discovered a traitor among their midst. The revelation had been done by design, of course. By the end of the meeting, through the power of a Mind Meld, Ayra had convinced them to spare her life after exposing the fact that she had infiltrated the New Imperial Security Bureau as part of the initiatives of the New Sith Order, but perhaps more importantly to serve in her ulterior motives to spread her own influence and power across the Galaxy. Therefore, despite great difficulty, Ayra had left those Dark Jedi certain that her place in the NISB was now inadmissible.

After all, Darth Ayra served the same Master as them. Therefore the seemingly treasonous, seditious act was obfuscated through her powers in the dark side.

But it was also in the twilight of the fallen Tython that those band of freaks and maniacs had also learned of her new affiliation to the Tsis'Kaar. Was this a ploy of Malum's that Darth Ayra did not comprehend? Yet, as Ayra reflected on these events, it did not make sense for the Dark Side Elite to be the cause of the leak. They had the capability, but their devotion to their Master in Darth Solipsis was palpable. Then again their actions on Bogan suggested that nothing they did really made a lot of sense at all. They had almost destroyed an important intelligence asset in Darth Ayra, who, according to the initiatives of the New Sith Order, was seemingly following orders by infiltrating the NISB. It all appeared inadmissible, and yet they had almost killed her anyway. So, had one of them taken it upon themselves to try and undo her work?

As she thought about the others in the Dark Empire other names came up. There was Darth Vinaze , who Ayra had confided in after the Tribunal on Cademimu V. The man had appeared to be a zealot and eager to serve the Sith'ari. Yet Ayra knew that those who followed the dark side were cunning, and a Master could easily obfuscate their real machinations. Wasn't she now doing the same thing by listening to the likes of Blepharon conspiring against the likes of the Mandalorian Protectors right now?

Then there was the Trade Federation of Planets. Ayra had been working to manipulate the work of the inter-galactic conglomerate since the convention on Carlac. There she had invited Aerarii Tithe and Nute Griimda to the Obredaan Peel to negotiate the Federation's involvement into a number of projects. Was Blepharon an agent of the Federation working on their behalf within the Sith Order? If so, why were they attempting to turn the Empire of the Lost against her by revealing she was a Dark Empire spy?

The further Ayra thought about it the more people came to mind. So, as the meeting continued Darth Ayra would listen to the Sith while drawing a datapad into her palm, and there she begun to write the list of people who could be leaking to Lord Blepharon. She took the time to include all possible suspects who either outright knew, or could possibly draw the connection, between herself, the Dark Empire and the Empire of the Lost:

L I S T // O F // S U S P E C T S Who is leaking to this Lord Blepharon that I am working for the Dark Empire in the Empire of the Lost? Ibaris Varanin ~ Aphon ~ Sahar ~ Kaleb Sunwalker ~ Amena Kader ~ Sinestra ~ Veli'ae Ashai ~ Malva'ikh Dralidok ~ Maldor Mecetti ~ Casteban Mecetti ~ Teckla Tane ~ Katherin DuPorcelen ~ Velran Kilran ~ Darth Malum of House Marr ~ Ylvaris of House Marr ~ Aerarii Tithe ~ Nute Griimda ~ Darth Solipsis ~ Darth Vinaze ​

As she finished writing the people who would be able to leak her place in both of the Empire's Darth Ayra found herself reading nineteen people on the list. For most of them it was not in their self-interests to leak the information. Ayra had business arrangements with most of them, or in the case of others, she had made her position inadmissible to them. The more she read the list the more it didn't make any sense. Yet, she had clearly heard Blepharon make the suggestion. Furthermore, now that Blepharon had made the suggestion, the list of people who knew about the connection had risen to almost thirty now that several members of the Sith Order had been present at this meeting and heard what he had to say.

The other members of the Sith Order would have to be dealt with later on. There were ways to keep them quiet. However, someone on the list had a connection to Blepharon that Darth Ayra did not yet understand. Suffice to say, when Darth Malum of House Marr and her got together next the Givin Sith Lord was certainly going to be a topic of conversation. Ayra was going to get to the bottom of the truth and expose the rat.

 

[Ohois Qhut'eol]

Lord Blepharon the Complacent

Darth Malum of House Marr Darth Empyrean Darth Carnifex Darth Prazutis Darth Aion Michael Hightower Darth Strosius Lina Ovmar Domina Prime Srina Talon​

Location	Mors Mon Somewhere in the Outer Rim... 900 ABY
Equipment	Lightsaber, Sith Amulet, Cloak of Hate, Shield Tailsman, Sith Regenerator. Concentration Tailsman Borg Construct AJ

The Givin had expected at least one member to support the exposure of a spy amongst the ranks of two factions, although it seemed the prevailing sentiment leaned heavily towards the rejection of such an idea. There was also a signifcant amount of Sith Lords who expressed concern with dismissing the threat that the Mandalorian Protectors posed to the Sith Order and their territories surrounding the Holy Worlds.

Darth Empyrean was less than pleased with the lackluster response from the Sith-Imperial Banking Clan wanting more detailed strategies that would secure victory on the battlefield.

Such strategies would no doubt include estimations on enemy strength, resources and positions to ensure that the Sith Legions were equipped to overcome all challenges presented to them.

Also there had to be some consideration for logistcs, ensuring that supplies, reinforcements and communication networks were robustly established to support such forthcoming campaigns and that they could hold their own territories with robust fortifications along their borders.

Dragsail maintained a composed demeanor amid the ongoing war council session. Each member present from Srina Talon , Lina Ovmar , Charles Castex , Michael Hightower , and Darth Strosius deeply engrossed in the discussion, shared their unique perspectives on the Sith Order's strategic roadmap for the future.

As the deliberations unfolded, it became evident that every proposed idea and viewpoint, despite its intrinsic value, carried a substantial financial burden that would result in the complete collapse in the military-industrial complex should drastic measures not be taken.

"This war council has many pragmatic ideals, should we decisively eliminate the Lost Imperials for the loss of Felucia or divert our attention to thwarting the further expansion of the Dark Empire before they become a threat. Is the formation of an alliance between our forces to engage the Galactic Alliance on two fronts a good suggestion. Exploring the strategic advantage of hyperspace gates to transport our forces, or is there a way to build an impresisve war intelligence network before we proceed any further."

The Givin said, eager to shed light on the key points of the war council but offering some pause as they lacked consideration for logistical challenges.

"Each of these recommendations provide a certain level of clarity, my Emperor. However it is essential to excercise caution and recognize that the current economic state of the Sith Order may present limitations in its ability to sustain further large-scale military endeavors and adequately protect our Holy Worlds in the case of further enemy aggression. We have yet to fully optimize the economy for such a scale, although we can solve this issue if the War Council approves the emergency Sith-Imperial K1-Series War Bonds, which can alleviate some of the financial strains associated with the military-industrial complex."

 

[Astrid pentoghast]

Darth Empyrean Darth Carnifex Taeli Raaf Darth Malum of House Marr Lord Blepharon Darth Prazutis Darth Strosius Gerwald Lechner Charles Castex

Astrid stood in her nightsister robes listening now she had been on her way to dathomir for a nightsister gathering when she got the call and was nearby sure she didn't have as many followers as most gathered. But she still had a mind for these things she agreed with empyrean they over looked the mandalorians a fatal flaw for any enemy no matter how strong they may be the enemy forgotten or dismissed was an enemy that could kill no matter how powerful. A fact some of these sith forgot even if they where seasoned veterans of many such campaigns it made her think was it such critical errors that caused the collapse of previous sith empires.

She wondered why Carnifex and the kainites where sent to take back the sith holy worlds it was a drain on resources and extra battles that took sith life's. That they could allocate to their advantage besides trying to stop any coups like the tsis'kar did from the kainites besides something between the emperor and Carnifex themselves two beings she wouldn't step between. Atleast not yet even with how the emperor looked currently as she thought she knew what she was gonna say may be seen as heresy as she stepped out of her corner and looked at the Darth Empyrean "if what I speak is out of turn may my words fall on deaf ears. But why always use brute force" she offered standing there expecting the emperor to retaliate.

"Why not use enemy against enemy let the this dark empire fight the galactic alliance and weaken both or atleast draw their gaze away from us while we gather strength and deal with other threats." She said standing there not sure what the rooms reaction would be "lets pursue darth arcanix idea this confederacy or uprising to draw the empire of the losts attention towards something and if this group succeeds let's make them an ally before crushing them at an opportune time" she offered neither plan required them to send troops or engage in battle "if it pleases the emperor of course.

 

[Revna]

Tags: Darth Strosius // Darth Empyrean // Darth Carnifex // Darth Prazutis // Taeli Raaf // Lina Ovmar // Darth Malum of House Marr // Lord Blepharon // Srina Talon // Gerwald Lechner // Charles Castex // Alicia Drey // Michael Hightower // Darth Aion // Domina Prime // @ whoever else I missed, there are a lot of you to tag



Revna couldn’t sit by and miss the opportunity to be involved in affairs that would direct the path of the Sith Order, as well as the Sith Empire - not if she believed herself to be a Sith, and a member of said Order and Empire.

Her master was present for the meeting, and others of great import were present as well, be it in the flesh or via holocall like her cousin Darth Malum. The Sith Emperor, Darth Empyrean and his Dread Empress, Srina Talon, were present as well…but that was no surprise, considering the Corpse had called for this meeting himself.

At first, she was content to just sit and listen to the meeting, feeling that her presence would not be required nor really welcome, seeing as she was just an apprentice, and one attached to a known maverick Sith Lord who was very opinionated and wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. It was something she admired about the man who had taken her on, even if she disagreed with him at times.

And this…was one of those times.

Sighing, she got up and pulled together some items in his ship to make him something to eat (drink?), something she knew he would appreciate, before cleaning up and disembarking and making her way to the area where she knew he was aboard the flagship of the Emperor, the Mors Mon. After dealing with security measures and having an escort, she soon found herself being admitted into the space where the familiar form of her master stood with his back to her, and beside him was the holographic image of Lord Malum. She didn’t announce her arrival, as she knew Darth Strosius could sense her presence. Instead, she stepped up beside him and offered him the container that was filled with some sort of liquid. He would recognize what it was instantly.

Revna moved to stand on the other side of Malum, so that both she and her Master were flanking him. She quietly listened to others as they spoke their piece to the gathered, and she was very much amused by the antics of a certain…alien-like woman who seemed to be another spawn of Darth Carnifex. She did recognize the woman, and her mind was quick to recall a name: Domina.

There were others in attendance that Revna did not know, but this mattered little to her. She would get to know others if she ever needed to do business with them, otherwise they could keep to their little corners. A few she did know…the Emperor and his beautiful, frigid wife; the Kainite tyrant who seemed to have a second with him that was unfamiliar to her, and a presence that chilled her as she recognized it instantly, along with the bone white mask it - he? - wore. Brief memories of her first, and last, encounter with that entity flashed through her mind, but she steeled herself against the prickles of dread that threatened to make her knees quake.

As she continued to listen, she found herself agreeing with a few voices and spoken thoughts and opinions on the topics dealing with the Mandalorian Protectors, the Dark Empire, and the Empire of the Lost. She found it rather …disturbing…that a few Sith seemed nonchalant about the threats the other parties posed, and there were more than a couple voices to push back against such dismissals, including the voice of the Empress herself. The little Sith woman waited for an opportunity to voice her own thoughts, though her heart hammered away in her chest as the idea of doing so.

It was both terrifying and exhilarating all at the same time. Her voice may not be heard, or considered, but she was going to say her piece anyway.

“As others have voiced already - I find the dismissal of our enemies to be very…disconcerting. Yes, we are Sith. Yes, we have powers and yes we have strength…but even the lesser and least of these can slip a well aimed knife into the heart of our Order, our Empire, and deal to us a crippling blow. We are, and always will be, our own greatest enemy - and the bickering amongst you all is an example as to why this is. We would be utter fools to turn our back to those who continue to make their presence known to us, who continually test us, and to underestimate them is unwise. Dismissing them only invites an opportunity for them to strike us when we least expect it, because we were under the impression that they were too weak or insignificant to do anything to us. The Sith do not, or should not, abide by such threats and continue to let them stand on their own two feet. But…I think we should choose our targets wisely.”

She paused, taking a breath to steady her nerves.

“The Empire of the Lost and the Mandalorians stands out to me as a greater threat that should be brought to heel, or destroyed outright if they will not bow to us. They grow bold, thinking that they can encroach on what belongs to us and claim it for themselves. If we ignore them, they will simply grow stronger and strike at us when we think they are weakened or of no consequence. Our failure, our defeat, would be on our own heads then, and we would only have ourselves to blame for it.”

Revna gathering her thoughts briefly before continuing. “I agree with others who have spoken thus far; the Dark Empire is the least of our concerns, for now. But they are not something we should ignore or dismiss in the long term. They themselves are busy with the Alliance, and that has the Alliance divided enough to keep their attention off of us a bit as we deal with the Mandalorian issue, and the Empire of the Lost. My voice, my opinion, may have little to no weight here amongst the rest of you…as I am just an apprentice. But I believe the Empire of the Lost should be dealt with first, and utterly crushed…their assets brought into our control to use as we see fit.”

She tilted her head towards her master, Darth Strosius. This last portion would be directed at him, and she knew it would displease him to hear her voice herself against what he had said, but since when did she ever shy away from voicing her thoughts and opinions to him...even if it wasn't something he wanted to hear?

“While the Core seems tempting, we would be incredibly unwise to strike a blow at the Alliance right now. And you, Master, know better than to brush the vermin off as inconsequential. If you ignore the rats that chew at your foundation and your walls, eventually you will have no foundation left to stand on, and your whole house will collapse down around you. Those we overpower and defeat and bring into our fold, those from the fringes, will add to our mounting strength and power. And we will need that for when we do push for the Core. You say that these rabble are not worthy of our attention. I disagree. Everything should have our attention, as everything belongs to the Sith.”

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Dark Lord of the Kainate was an implacable figure, unmoved and resolutely moored. He let the others speak their pieces, their words echoing throughout the great conclave. But it was all so terribly beneath Him, this mewling of lessers. Besides Prazutis and Lady Raaf, He considered only the Emperor and Empress of this motley Order to be near His standing. Equal was too generous a word, He would not use it. He wouldn't even think it. Approximately was the most gracious word He would gift them.

When a silence had begun to sweep across the congregation, the Dark Lord began to speak. "It matters not," His voice reverberated through the metal beneath their feet, resounding in their very bones. "How acutely the animal may mimic speech, may adorn itself with frightening vestment, or kill and maim in battle. Their minds, primitive as they are, cannot comprehend the span of a year, let alone the span of a month. They fight and they rut with thoughts only of tomorrow, and the day thereafter."

He spread His arms wide, gesturing to the whole gathered assortment. "We are the Sith, our plans are measured in centuries and our might rivaled only by the stars. For seventy years I have watched, for seventy years have I labored. I have seen Emperor, Mand'alor, Sith'ari, and Chancellor come and then pass into dust. These Mandalorians, animals in the shape of thinking beings, are no different from the ones who have come before. They will stumble from one world to the next, causing havoc as they will. They will kill members of our order, they may trod upon grounds most holy. But it is fleeting."

Each word was definitively spoken, without rise in decibel or tremor in voice. He spoke as though every word had already been affirmed, that there was no brokering of truth; for He already spoke it. "They mumble words and call it wisdom, they move their pieces haphazardly about the board and call it clever. They believe it possible that anything they do can escape our notice, that they can act without our knowledge. It is a delusion, no weapon fashioned against us will prosper, whether it made of beskar or stamped with the Imperial cog."

He looked to Gerwald knowingly.

"We are the Sith. By our very actions we legitimize all that we do, our blades fall where we please. There is no soul in the galaxy that lives and breaths without our blessing. For if one does, then it does so without our consent, it is unnatural." But, as to the pertinent topic at hand. "Underestimation is the miscalculation of worth. I do not underestimate those who array themselves as our adversaries, I know the exact approximation of their value. It is little. Our enemies will fight and die as they wish, it makes little difference. They may kill a Sith or even a dozen, but while an individual may die -- the Sith are Eternal."

Darth Empyrean | Darth Prazutis | Srina Talon
Taeli Raaf | Lina Ovmar | Darth Strosius
Darth Malum of House Marr | Lord Blepharon | Gerwald Lechner
Charles Castex | Alicia Drey | Michael Hightower
Darth Aion | Domina Prime | Astrid pentoghast ​