Private Tentacles and High Tea

[Lady Falentra]

The young apprentice opened her eyes to a dimly lit room on a bed, the surrounding foreign to her. The last thing she remembered was being lifted in a choke hold, data flooding her mind space as it was downloaded and then transferred to the mothership. She was brought here... but where exactly. She tried connecting through the networks around with her computer in her head, however, no such luck, there was a firewall that the device could not seem to penetrate through.

More alarming was that as she reached out through the force, she realised that it was silent... there was nothing around her. Empty, in touch with only her physical senses. They did something to her... she couldn't feel the force around. Falentra tried to get up, only to find her right wrist chained to the bedframe. Chit. She certainly had gotten herself in one hell of a dilemma. Srina Talon

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: Lady Falentra
Location: Jutrand
______________________________________________________

The temporary force nullification was working as intended.

Falentra did not see her through the veil of the Force…Could not.

Srina Talon stood silently in the shadows, observing her captive with a cool, calculating gaze. The soft light of the room changed with the moon, casting long, eerie shadows that danced across the walls. The Sith Empress was ethereal in presence, her long, white hair cascading down her back, with golden eyes that reflected the subdued light. Like twin suns in a cold, distant galaxy. She wore a form-fitting outfit that managed to be both modest and provocative, an embodiment of her enigmatic nature.

She watched while Falentra's eyes darted around the room, her panic palpable as she struggled against the chains that bound her. Should she manage to break it? The windows that provided an illusion of freedom held invisible force fields. More than that…There was a greater trap. One that Falentra would never...Ever outwit. Srina allowed herself a small, almost imperceptible smile. The young apprentice's futile attempts to connect to the Holo-Net and reach out through the Force had not gone unnoticed. The Empress took a step forward, her movements graceful and deliberate, the sound of her heels echoing softly in the confined space.

Suddenly—There. Appearing from nothing at all.

“Good evening.”

Srina's voice was a dangerous blend of ice and steel, each word meticulously chosen to convey both authority and calm. "…I trust that the accommodations are suitable."

The wintry woman approached the bed, though, corruption-tainted eyes never left the aquatic creatures face. She stopped a mere arm's length away, close enough for her presence to be felt, but far enough to maintain an air of untouchable command. There was much to be discovered while this whelp slept and lingered in the land of nod for far longer than the Echani had anticipated. Scientists within the Order could determine origin by following the isotopes found in her teeth. They could determine what she was through bio-mapping. The Sepulchral Mystics, through analyzing her presence could see so much more. Where she had been. Who she had been in contact with.

Past, present, and future were all open to their third eye.

“You've been...disconnected.”, Srina continued, her tone almost sympathetic, but with an underlying edge that gave no room for argument. "The Force, the networks—both are beyond your reach for now. This is for your own safety, you understand."

Srina would kill this creature if she turned out to be a traitor or a member of the Lost in disguise. Until it was determined, fully, and the truth revealed she preferred to wait. The seemingly young royal moved to sit down on the edge of the bed with achingly enviable grace. There was nothing she did that was without elegance and lethality. “I will not insult your intelligence. You have taken something that does not belong to you. I require it.”

The holding room was adjacent to the Empress’s own quarters. There were two guards, security, and many measures to keep Falentra exactly where she was. It was nice enough. Windows to see Jutrand through and soft sheets. Food, water, and a refresher with an enclosure she could reach on her chain. She studied her captive for a moment. Seeming to see…More than she ought to. The silence stretched to create an almost palpable tension. She leaned forward and her gaze bore into the hapless spy with an intensity that could have melted durasteel. “Tell me, child, what were you hoping to achieve by challenging me? Surely…Your masters must have educated you on the Sith Order before sending you to steal from it.”

Her demeanor was a seamless blend of gentleness and menace. She had no intention of breaking the young apprentice's spirit—at least, not yet. Information could be extracted in many ways, and Srina knew the value of patience and subtlety. Her goal was clear: to uncover the truth without resorting to the brutality that so many of her peers favored. She still had the sneaking suspicion that something was amiss about Falentra and the mystics had all but confirmed it. Something, that stayed her hand.

“I must implore…That you do not lie. I can see it, sense it, and I will not hesitate to punish you for it.”

 

[Lady Falentra]

Falentra could not deny the fear she felt as the Srina Talon strode towards her. The empress was both strikingly gorgeous with her ashen hair and skin flawless, there was the envy knowing that she herself would never be able to attain such a level of beauty and grace. Despite being in the terrifying presence of the sith empress, the late-teen did not cower.

The empress spoke. The young apprentice would not be allowed the luxury of the force. They must have done much analysing to find out about the device in her head. She could say that she was lucky, that this was not torture - perhaps not yet. Child? A word to her rather condescending. "Challenge you? Your grace, you had my throat in your grasp, I only took what I could to survive. " Falentra was still here speaking and alive. The leverage of the information she seized made sure of that.

"My loyalty lies with my Master who's orders I follow. You will have to call on him if you wish to gain anything from me." There was an air of defiance at her words.

Even if it was much his fault that the mission he assigned her conflicted with the eternalists, or that he was still upset about the device in her head she had installed without his knowledge, Falentra would never want to to tarnish the name of Darth Malum of House Marr before the impression of the dread queen. Falentra ended up here because of his orders, she was on the precipice of losing her life because of it, it would be far from the last time.

Although warned of attempts of deception, a name fell from her lips without much hesitation. " Darth Strosius . That is all." If anyone was to blame for her circumstance, it was the Inquisitor that left a mere apprentice to lead a mission on her own.

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: Lady Falentra
Location: Jutrand
______________________________________________________

Fear.

She could taste it in the air and feel it in the Force. It danced on her senses in such a way that few would ever understand. But, it told her exactly what she needed to know. This aquatic spy had a spine which only meant that she had a strength of spirit. Not, an absence of fear. As long as it existed in an ephemeral state the diminutive Echani knew she would always have the upper hand. It was only those who truly had nothing to lose that posed any sort of difficulty.

This one required…patience.

The milk-pale witch-queen listened to Falentra's defiant words with an expression of calm detachment, aureate orbs narrowing ever so slightly. Yes. Her dread was evident, but so was her determination. Srina appreciated both qualities—they were useful in their ways. She allowed the silence to linger, the tension in the room thickening like a storm cloud about to break.

"…Your Master…", Srina repeated, her voice a soft, dangerous whisper, "…Is Darth Strosius …?"

. . .Lie. . .​

It was a lie wrapped within familiarity and issued so swiftly that she might have believed it were it not for her heritage. Echani eyes were keen and did not miss a thing. If Srina could predict the outcome of a battle months in advance, certainly, a whelp skirting the truth would light up her mind brighter than a bomb. Srina remained where she was on the edge of the bed. Seated and so very still that it would be hard to know whether she breathed or not. "So…You defy me purely for survival…", she murmured, thoughtful, while she considered the situation, "An admirable instinct. We all want to live and yet…It can lead to ruin."

"You must understand, child, that in the Order, lying to me is the quickest path to suffering. I will not warn you again. And you, will not lie to me again. I would rather you bite your tongue and exist in silence rather than endure a work of fiction. Your master, whoever he truly is, has left you uneducated of our world, defenseless, and in my possession."

Srina rose from the edge of the soft bed, her movements as fluid as water, and began to pace slowly. Each step was deliberate, each echo a reminder that there was not an inch of the room she did not control. Not a square foot of air that did not flow at her behest. More and more she was convinced that this youngling belonged to one of the warring, petty factions. She had a master and listed off Darth Strosius with absolute ease. She had many questions. Answers, were coming. Too slowly for her liking but she was beginning to put the puzzle together.

She stopped abruptly, turning to face Falentra with a gaze that seemed to pierce through the very fabric of her being. "…Do you know who it is that you serve, Falentra?"

"If you are the progeny, apprentice, or an acolyte of one of the Sith Order…You are mine and I do not kill my own. I am growing less interested about the information you hold from the Lost and more intrigued by your origin. You were found somewhere; you should not have been and no one has come to claim you."

Srina wanted to know who among them was sending their adolescent citizens alone and most importantly unprepared into a warzone. There were plenty of Sith that were underage but they were trusted and blood-tested through skill and tutelage in the Academy or an independent Master. This creature had none of the markings of that. She reeked of youth and inexperience, despite, her skill with the device in her head and slicing. "…You will cooperate with me, eventually."

"Merely, choose your words wisely. Do not squander my patience. It is long…But not infinite."

 

[Lady Falentra]

In truth, she was terrified for she did not know what to do. The empress sensed deceit. Her loyalty was with Malum - it was only he who she trusted. The young woman's worry barely alleviated even as Srina promised that she would not kill - there was far worse things than death. It ws because she was denied death that she fell into this very order, that was not what she feared. To claim her as possession was odd, as even Falentra would not call herself sith, yet.

Falentra pursed her lips into a thin line as she thought. "I had orders to aid Darth Strosius at IMP-346 along with my task, but he did not appear. I carried forward with my mission, but I was not made aware of the plans of the eternalists." The apprentice admitted, still revealing naught of her master's name. It was dissappointing to know no one had sought her out, she wondered how long it had been since she was forced into that slumber. The tsis'kaar would have relayed the message by now to Darth Strosius - and Malum, but perhaps things on Tion were delayed.

"That is all I can share. Do not waste your time on me, you will only be dissappointed by the deceit." Srina Talon

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: Lady Falentra | Darth Strosius
Location: Jutrand
______________________________________________________

Srina regarded the young apprentice with a mixture of cold calculation and mild amusement. Falentra's fear was palpable, her attempts at defiance both admirable and futile. The Empress had seen and heard quite enough in the short time they'd breathed the same air. She stepped closer to the youngling once more, her inherently regal presence dominating the room, her golden eyes narrowing as she scrutinized the apprentice. "Sometimes…Truth can be found in what remains unsaid."

"You speak so freely of Darth Strosius but your loyalty betrays you…", Srina murmured, her voice carrying a whisper of frost and some dark light that let her glean ever more details about her reluctant house guest. "You would not hold such steadfast devotion to a master who abandoned you at a critical moment. Nor would you give their name so freely. No, I am certain that your true allegiance lies elsewhere."

Srina's gaze bore into Falentra, her hawkish, intelligent eyes seeming to see right through her. "I will forgive your disobedience this once…But never forget, child, that I am not so easily deceived. You've underestimated me at every turn, tying your fate to data, and that…Is a gravely foolish error. If I had not found you before the Emperor of the Order…Your story would be at an end. His patience wears thin when his subjects play…games."

And it was, was it not? Someone in the Sith Order had sent this child on an extremely sensitive mission to potentially undercut the Emperor for the data housed in the military installation. They could fight amongst themselves, as Sith were want to do, but getting in the way of the Corpse King for no valuable reason Srina could discern…Was akin to suicide. Sincerely, they must have wished themselves dead or some sort of trauma addled any notion of common sense. "The Sith have a way of toying with each other…Getting beneath one another's skin. I do not participate in these political squabbles. What I say?"

"I mean."

The Empress turned away briefly, her long, white hair cascading like a waterfall down her back. Braids were strewn through it with little gold pieces. Wordlessly, she signaled what appeared to be one of the silent guards stationed outside the door, and within moments, a transmission was being sent to summon Darth Strosius from wherever he was in the galaxy.

No matter his business, plans, or duties—His Empress (recognized or not) had officially summoned him to Jutrand. He had no reason not to accept, because, at the end of the day?

Little, inexperienced, lost Falentra…Did not belong to him.

Srina paused, just, before leaving the room and her hard expression softened ever so slightly, though her eyes remained as cold as ever. "You mention disappointment, but it is not your deceit that truly dissatisfies me. It is the wasted potential. You could be so much more, Falentra, if only you chose to embrace the path that has appeared before you…Sith are more, always more, than they presently are."

The Empress straightened and her demeanor shifted back to that perfect combination of regality and menace. "…You will remain here until Darth Strosius arrives. Perhaps his presence will illuminate the truth you so desperately try to hide."

With that, Srina turned and left the room, the portal closing behind her with resounding finality. The guards remained vigilant, their presence a constant reminder of the apprentice's precarious situation. Falentra would be left to ponder her fate, the weight of Srina's words hanging heavily in the air. The Empress's promise of uncovering the truth was not an idle threat; it was a certainty.

Truly…Just a matter of time.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius was displeased to put it mildly. To be more accurate however, he was frustrated and bordering on furious. He had been very occupied scouring battlefields and intercepting communications in an attempt to find a certain missing apprentice of his colleague for a good long while now, the lack of any real bits of information having grown as tiresome as it had annoying. Falentra's arrival and initial movements in regards to the battle for Tion, but the latter half of her actions before her capture were a bit harder to discern.

Only a message that had been relayed to him towards the end of the battle provided any clue to her whereabouts. Captured by some Eternalist element, the reason for such being unclear. Empyrean and his ilk weren't ones to make the first moves typically, especially not since their rule became the status quo for the wider order, so the possibility of them attempting to weaken the resurgent Tsis'Kaar before Malum became a real threat was unlikely. Unlikely but not impossible.

The second source of his recent anger was, oddly enough, another message. This one from Empress Srina Talon herself, calling him to Jutrand for an audience. At first he simply waved it off and was about to have it deleted so that he could pretend as though it hadn't been received at all. The self-proclaimed 'emperor' held none of his attention nor any loyalty so why should he bother listening to any missives from his wife? If anything the fact that she assumed he could be called like some servant was more than enough justification for him to send a bomb-laden shuttle to Jutrand in his stead.

But thankfully his wisdom won out over his initial disgust as he pondered on the situation at hand some more. This couldn't have been a coincidence. Falentra goes missing, seemingly by the hand of the Eternalists, and now their empress is suddenly summoning him for no apparent reason. It simply had to be related. Which meant he'd have to storm Jutrand and find whatever was left of Falentra after whatever interrogation she was subjected to. A lightning strike could work but then he had an even greater idea.

They had been foolish enough to invite him right in, no infiltration or overt invasion necessary. All he'd have to do was get the Eternalist empress into his custody, find Falentra, and slip away before anyone became the wiser. It was risky but the alternative of attacking Jutrand outright was even riskier and with far less pay off if Empyrean himself wasn't on the world.

As such it wouldn't be long until a shuttle would emerge from hyperspace and speed towards the capital world of the Sith Order, its only occupant being the masked man himself. Given the nature of this little mission he couldn't afford the added risk of accompanying guards or even other Sith. He'd need to be swift and decisive if he was to pull this off. When the shuttle had landed he would emerge from it in all his usual splendor and adornment, his heavy robes trailing behind him as he marched forward with purpose and intent in every step. He had an empress to interrogate after all.

Lady Falentra / Srina Talon

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: Lady Falentra | Darth Strosius
Location: Jutrand
______________________________________________________

It was hours later when Srina was finally alerted that the rather reclusive Sith Lord had finally made landfall. She could see the lights of his ship from the private spaceport, but, didn't move from the doorway she'd been holding up in relative silence. Her mind was full of unspoken things. Thoughtless whispers that gnawed and nagged at the heart of things. Her private quarters were among the most locked down in the entire building. Filled with understated elegance, and impenetrable security.

One needed to be invited or escorted within the premises. There was no sneaking, breaking in or out unless she willed it to be so. The cold, unyielding stone walls, were a defense all their own but were also filled with anti-invasion measures and curses that were invisible to the naked eye. Even a scanner would have time penetrating layer after layer of nanotechnology…And beyond that?

The imperial couple called it home.

Her golden eyes, sharp and unlinking, watched the incoming figure from a distance. The sight of her newest guest pressed a ghostly smile into the kiss of primrose lips. She breathed and her eyes closed momentarily, sensing his frustration, almost tasting it in the cool air. To her…The bluster meant nothing. The storm cloud that followed him while he walked in full robes was expected. It was not a hurricane, nor, a storm capable of sweeping her away. It was a tantrum.

She pulled away from the wall with fluidity and the dark fabric of her skirts whispered across polished obsidian. Long white hair was partially braided but the rest fell down her back like a waterfall. Beneath the full moon that was rising slowly overhead, she was ethereal, and her heritage blossomed and bloomed for all to see. The soft glow marked her as an Echani if there had ever been any doubt. The Praetorian Guards stood like statues, dozens in sight, but their presence was more ceremonial than necessary. Their Empress needed no protection…But their silent vigilance was a testament to the authority she had earned.

When the main portal opened?

Her eyes trailed up from the floor. From the heavy robes that trailed behind Darth Strosius to his masked face. It would have been empty for everyone…But an Echani?

She could see the silent scream of pent-up fury.

"Welcome to Jutrand…", she greeted, her voice a quiet symphony of command and control. Srina watched his every movement, noting the tension in his stance, the barely concealed rage that for the moment seemed to be keeping itself wisely in check. Thus far…His anger was a predictable response, but Srina felt no immediate threat to her person. Instead, she found herself vaguely entertained by such bold bravado. "Though…I feel the pleasure is more mine, than yours."

Her words were spoken with unyielding calm, her eyes never leaving his masked countenance. He might have reigned supreme in his corner of the galaxy, with the ghost of the snake at his back, but this was her domain. She was a predator in her natural environment and with her nearness would carry the scent of jasmine and rain. It wasn't olfactory—But the subtle node of the Darkside that eked constantly from her pores. Not perfume, no. Just power in its base form. "I require your immediate services."

Srina did not seek to waste his time and turned on her heel to allow the first of many portals to open. The heavy metal doors closed and locked behind them. "Tion was a success…However, the infiltration of the oceanic military installation did not go as smoothly as it should have. We encountered resistance in the form of our own…Which is less than ideal."

"We are at war or soon will be with multiple nations. This form of self-sabotage is something the Sith Order can ill afford. I have a child in my possession that has run from me, stolen data, lied to me, and has not the strength, skill, nor training to do either successfully."

When they finally made it through the labyrinth Srina led Strosius to a viewing portal that displayed Falenta, unharmed, but chipped from the Force with void stone cuffs, and cut off from any network that might allow access to the outside world. It wasn't merely suppressed. It would not exist for her in the modestly decorated room that doubled as a null cell.

He would be able to see the apprentice.

Falentra, would not be able to see him. The portal was currently set up only to work one way. "There were not supposed to be any unmarked forces of the Order in that facility because it always had a diminishing half-life. We always, intended to eradicate it. This was communicated to all."

"Which begs the question why she would name you as the one responsible…For both ordering her there and subsequently abandoning her there. For not including her on the mission details…."

"For not knowing ally from enemy."

Srina's voice had not risen above a certain softness that would feel unusual for a Sith. There was no attempt at disrespect, no expectation that he prostrate himself, no sarcasm, and no accusation other than the statements Falentra had made. She offered only the pale truth. This was the same tone that she had used while saving Malum from her husband's wrath, so very, very long ago. As if she already knew the answers to the questions she posed—But wanted to hear it straight from the source.

"Is this the truth, Inquisitor?"

If he intended to lie...She prayed, he was better at it than the apprentice.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius had never been to the residence of the Imperial couple before, and he had no intention to until he was ready to unseat them from their horrid thrones, so his steps did carry a note of caution. The whole premises could be an expansive network of traps and ambush locations for all he knew. And that was without factoring in whatever forces they'd have guarding the area as well as their Empress herself. He'd need to take his time and check every corner if he was to get out of this place alive, if nothing else.

When he stepped beyond the threshold of the main portal, an experience that was very foreign and which did nothing to settle his nerves, his hidden gaze set to work flickering around the room at once. He took note of the Praetorian Guards, their number and positioning around the room, as well as the layout of the room itself. All before his visor finally settled on the almost ethereal form of the Empress before him. He crossed his arms behind his back and his head inclined slightly as he fixed her with a glare in response.

"To be called away from my work doesn't please me at all I'm afraid, you'll have to excuse my frustration." His tone was dry and almost sarcastic, holding not an ounce of respect nor any real sense of formality to it. There was no effort to hide the animosity and impatience that riddled his words as well as his tense form either. The Empress exuded power in return, undiluted and undeniable even to him. This was her domain he supposed so it made sense, but still. He didn't know her well enough to know if such a presence was simply the default or if she was taking an active stance. The answer hardly mattered in the end but he was still put off by it regardless.

Her remark about needing his services so quickly made him scoff, if it were true then this could have just been a meeting over holo, but he didn't hesitate to follow after her. If she wanted to play this little game of misdirection and vagueness then he'd play along for now as well. Even if it did entail going through more wretched portals. "If she failed in these efforts then I myself fail to see an issue worthy calling upon me for, from the sounds of it you have the matter handled already."

Any doubt that the Empress might not have known of Falentra had been dissipated by her statements regarding this apparent 'child' that had evidently been captured by her. Especially once they had arrived at a display of the aforementioned apprentice in some sort of cell. One that was surprisingly decent given the circumstances. He had been expecting to find her pieces in some dark dungeon below the palace in truth, had the situation been reversed it's what he would have done after all.

The sight made him click his tongue in distaste, idly wondering what Malum's reaction would be to getting his apprentice captured by the Empress of all people. While yes the masked man was responsible for Falentra at the time he would argue that her failure to escape detection and capture fell more onto her master than himself. Then again he supposed that the Heir of Marr was never one for infiltration so it did make sense for it to be a lacking area of expertise for those under his tutelage. Something that they'd have to discuss in the future for certain.

"Lord Inquisitor." He corrected with a slight roll of his shoulders, his gaze never shifting from the sight of the captured apprentice. Her tone was one of assurance and position so he matched it with one of his own. "She was provided enough details in regards to her assignment that she should have been able to complete it without much issue. Provided that she wasn't interrupted of course." A note of frustration was allowed to slip into his words, a subtle yet present reminder of his own anger swirling beneath the surface of his masked visage. That he had to trade words with the Empress at all was nothing short of insulting, let alone the fact that she had captured an operative working on his behalf.

"I wished to see her tested and put through her paces. The coming conflicts will not spare the young and untrained simply because of what they are, as such I felt it better to have her struggle now rather than die later because she wasn't properly exposed to the realities of conflict." A surprisingly honest answer even if it did leave out some important context. Given Falentra's history he was curious to see if she would hesitate or falter in her mission, to see if her past as a Jedi would render her unable to perform as a Sith. Malum clearly didn't think so but the masked man required more convincing.

"And as for 'knowing ally from enemy' I'm afraid that I must inform you that I make no assumptions of loyalty." His hands, still crossed behind his back, shifted ever so slightly. The fingers on one of his hands curling back to silently grip the hilt of his lightsaber hidden in his sleeve just in case the Empress chose to lash out at him. "I am the Lord Inquisitor of the Sith Order. It is my duty to determine who is our enemy and who is truly Sith, no one is above scrutiny nor suspicion. Falentra was well within her orders and right to operate covertly and without consulting you or your forces in the area and as such you have no right to hold her in your custody."

Lady Falentra / Srina Talon

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: Lady Falentra [ | Darth Strosius
Location: Jutrand
______________________________________________________

Her gaze was unyielding.

If there was anything that the Sith Lord before her said or did that unnerved her it would be impossible to tell. The pale woman was immovable as stone, pragmatic, with a touch of otherness that made the burnished corruption in her eyes cruel to behold. She could feel the glare behind the lie of his mask and remained silent for several moments longer than would have been considered conversationally acceptable. She took him in. All of him—In the way only an Echani could.

She followed the autonomic flow of movement that was inherently affected by his thoughts and actions. By emotion and intent. His malice radiated like a beacon and his distaste burned like ash in the back of her throat. It was pointed, specific, and it was that same skill that let the Dread Queen predict the actions of those around her. Beyond the Force…This was the basis of her insight. The things people couldn't change. Couldn't alter, be they immortal, the living dead, or otherwise.

Not to mention that her guest did not attempt to conceal…Anything.

"Being halted in my work by a lost child-apprentice in a warzone, similarly, brings me no delight."

The deadpan delivery offered nothing. There was no sarcasm, no malevolence, and nothing in the diminutive woman that might suggest she was doing anything other than reading the morning paper. Where the heat of his hatred was searing to the psyche her presence was the exact opposite. Cool. Frigid. As if she might not even be human, rather, an HRD unit designed to feign human interaction. Something that it…She…Was inherently incapable of.

The quiet click of her boots on the floor would be one of the only sounds to break the silence. Where she went, the taste of her being, the scent of her power moved with her. Like a storm cloud passing aimlessly over plains and fields…Just following the wind. She did not need to posture, nor hide, in her own home and thus did not think to suppress her signature anymore than it might occur to someone to forcibly stop breathing. It was ever present, however. Jasmine, petrichor, and rain.

As they arrived at the cell…He seemed to take offense. Was it because she hadn't tortured the young female?

Strange.

Some Sith liked torture...A little too fervently. It was impractical and lacked trustworthy results.

Strosius began to speak at great length…And for the moment, she allowed it. Nothing was ever achieved by multiple voices talking on top of one another. The focus on his title was noted but dismissed just as quickly. It was the petty, the weak, who felt the need to remind others of their title when they were both well aware of one another. When her eyes finally turned away from Falentra and back toward Darth Strosius it was with an intensity that could pierce durasteel. "Your position…Lord Inquisitor is acknowledged."

A plain way of stating that she understood what he was attempting to convey through the veil of someone who could scarcely see over the end of his own nose. "However…The authority you wield within the Sith Order does not absolve you of the responsibilities expected within this realm. You claim that you make no assumptions of loyalty, and yet, you question the integrity of those who enforce the very order you are tasked with upholding. We are all tested. No one, is above suspicion or scrutiny."

She paused, though, amber orbs did not move.

"Not even you."

Again—Silence pervaded. It was her preferred state of being but it seemed that so many Sith felt the need to break her quietude with ego and machinations. When she breathed, even slightly, it would almost be startling. From stone to flesh and back again. "…I realize that you do not know me. That we have not met. That I am part of a multi-faced system that you abhor…And with that knowledge I will let it pass. Going forward, it would benefit you to accept that speaking to me in that tone is a privilege. You do not have privileges. Am I understood, Darth Strosius ?"

She would give her expectations a moment to settle, despite, the fact that her presence never rose. There was no attempt at intimidation nor did she raise her voice above the same dulcet tone she had greeted him with. Srina did not expect a response from him at all let alone one that would be favorable but it seemed that a basic boundary needed to be drawn. Whether she held a crown or not mattered so very little that it never occurred to her to invoke it. Merely, treating him as she would any other Sith in the Order regardless their allegiance.

Her eyes finally tore away from him and returned to the subject at hand…As if they had never stopped.

"…Falentra was sent on a covert counter mission to acquire data that would aid the Order in the coming months. It was never intended to be received by myself, the Emperor, or any intelligence unit that would be able to cohesively add it to the war effort. At a bare minimum…It is subversion. At worst? Treason. As the sithling was, by your own admission, following your lead… It is exactly my right, not only that, but my duty to hold her in custody."

Her words were blunt. Statements, not a question, and there was nothing that would be said to dissuade her of that fact. As the Lord Inquisitor, he would well know that he couldn't be the deciding factor in his own orders. The law investigating their own errors was laughable and something she had often witnessed with Jedi seeking to sweep their missteps under the rug. "With that being said…I'm afraid you jumped to conclusions. I wish no quarrel with you. My focus has shifted because my prerogative in this Order must remain fluid. I want to return Falentra, this apprentice, who is so new to being a Sith that I can still smell the weakness of Light on her bones."

"You gave the orders—But you are not her Master. I require a name...Only that. Then, you may freely depart."

 

[Darth Strosius]

His fingers flexed, clenching and releasing as a measure to relieve the tension present in his form, as he stared at the Empress before him. His unseen glare silently battling against her own piercing stare, a slight grimace making its way onto his hidden features as he couldn't help but wince from the oddly emotionless look she gave him. As though his harsh words and harsher demands hadn't fazed her at all. He didn't like that. He didn't like it one single bit, for the lack of an immediate response unnerved him far more than any response that she could have made in that gap.

He was expecting a sharp remark or an even sharper blade but for a few tense yet serene moments nothing came his way in retribution. It didn't take long for him to decide that his dislike of the Empress was entirely justified given the circumstances, if only for how tense she made him by doing nothing at all. A duel would be far more preferable at the moment than this silent standoff.

When she did finally speak again she was curt and maintained that same almost monotonous tone that her expression carried. Darth Strosius felt his gloved fingers dig into his palms at her rebuttal, a quiet hiss of frustration escaping him as she turned his own statement against him. Despite how it made his fangs grind together, he tilted his head up slightly and offered a simple response in turn. "A more loyal Sith than I you will never find, for I hold the Sith Order and its best interests above all else."

An honest statement but one that of course left out so much context and other details that it might as well have been a lie. Whether or not it would be easily seen through by the Empress wasn't too much of a concern, deceit was simply the nature of the Sith after all. If anything a small part of him hoped that it would cause her the same frustration that she was causing him just a few moments before.

There was a noticeable twitch of his shoulders as she breathed after the long silence, as though he had been preparing himself to leap into action and had stopped at the last moment because of it. Her words hardly settled any of the tension though. It almost sounded as though she was scolding him, such a simple warning that any other time he would have laughed at and disregarded immediately. Now though he didn't dare. At least, not yet. Instead he made a little waving gesture and shifted his footing slightly. "We are of the same mind in that regard, Lady Talon."

Despite everything his own pride wouldn't let him simply agree to her statement, yet he simply couldn't bring himself to outright dismiss it either. It was as though she was making careful movements in a game of chess with her words alone, or at least that's how it felt from his perspective, and he had no intention of being outclassed even if this particular arena was far from his area of expertise. Where was Malum when he was needed? He'd probably happily exchange words and pleasantries with the Empress all day if given the chance.

Thankfully her calm yet insistently unnerving gaze finally moved away from him and the masked man allowed himself the briefest sigh of relief before he recomposed himself and glanced back at the captured apprentice as well. The straightforward remark wasn't surprising given their conversation thus far but he nonetheless still felt himself somewhat at a loss for words at first. A common occurrence around the Empress it seemed. He opened his mouth to fire back a response, to argue his point and dig his trench even deeper, but nothing came. All he could offer was a simply click of his tongue, a reluctant acknowledgement of her judgement in this particular instance.

"That is what you wish to know?" For once a genuine emotion aside from anger was evident in his tone, that of confusion as he cocked his head to the side and gave the Empress a look out of the corner of his eye. He was suspicious, it couldn't have been that simple. He refused to accept it. "She was under my orders and thus under my responsibility at the time. Her master's name hardly matters and I doubt that you would have heard of them even if I did tell you."

A rather overt diversion, an attempt to shift the focus back onto himself once more. He sincerely hoped that she knew nothing of Malum but he'd rather not risk it by giving up his name so willingly. There still wasn't a guarantee that Falentra would be let free from her binds even if he did reveal the name of her master. "Since you wish to be rid of her, allow me to take her with me when I make my leave. I shall see her master punished or reprimanded however you see fit the moment that I leave Jutrand."

Lady Falentra / Srina Talon

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: Lady Falentra | Darth Strosius
Location: Jutrand
______________________________________________________

"…Is that a challenge my Lord Inquisitor?"

To find a Sith more loyal to the Order than the mighty Darth Strosius? The edge of her lips twitched briefly upward with something that might have been amusement before her expression cleared back to perfect neutrality. He was unsettled. It didn't take a scholar to figure out why, beyond the norm, such a determined individual might take exception to her. Rather than comment she continued to observe the flow of subtle movements. His disdain was a noxious cloud…But Srina remained unaffected.

Did he assume that she might crumble when he didn't immediately tout her praises? That she was somehow unaccustomed to being thought of as less and ridiculed beyond measure? It was no secret that she was not on favorable terms with the Sepulchral. She was not the obedient brood mare Empress they wanted, and likewise, Srina found the priests lacking in every way.

Ancient and decrepit relics of a bygone era.

At the notion of being of the same mind, he would find her hawk-like eyes burning holes in him once more. Were they? Doubtful. Her warning had been a courtesy that few would extend to a subordinate addressing their superior. Just as Strosius did not know her, Srina, did not know him. She was not quick to judge the character of others but created an opinion based on exposure. How it was that Darth Strosius spoke and regarded her in this moment would hold far more weight in the future over what he actually said. The situation had evolved. It had become about Falentra, her Master, and the Sith Lord that stood so uncomfortably in her wake.

The attempt to deflect had not gone unnoticed.

Once more…She let the silence stretch and fill the space between them. Where he seemed to experience confusion or perhaps uneasiness the Empress was entirely unbothered. She could not be moved. The serene composure that was effortlessly exuded was frustratingly misleading. Should she not fight back? Should she not pick his words apart and leverage her considerable might to make him roll over? Perhaps. These options were simply not her way. She stepped closer to Strosius, her presence moving with her, an icy and inexorable force… "Did I say I wished to be rid of her?"

"I am misunderstood again…", Srina murmured, her voice devoid of any warmth. "I wish to return, her. If I merely wanted the sithling gone, I wouldn't have called for you…"

It would have been easy enough to have her sent to one of the many prisons that existed within the nation. Srina could have sent her to a hole so black and deep that Falentra never saw the light of day again. There were many things she could have done, including, but not limited to snapping her neck for treason against the crown and the people. But…She did not. Why did it make sense that Srina would be willing to send her away with the one who gave her such faulty orders?

It was ludicrous. Even moreso, because Strosius had the same flaw as Falentra.

The detail was hidden in what they did not do. In the things they did not say. In their refusal to name the one person that would set them both free. She paused, her head tilting, and an almost birdlike sound trilled in the back of her throat. He would know the moment he looked at her again that she had come to some sort of conclusion. Clarity. "…This apprentice fed me your name so swiftly her tongue might as well have been laced with quicksilver. And you—"

She breathed, hellfire eyes flickering, while seeking to pin him where he was.

"—A fully realized, educated, and accountable Sith Lord—Also deny what should be a simple request?"

Her soft murmur was little more than a whisper but it would reach his ears without any trouble at all. There was too much coincidence. The nature of the Sith betrayed them both. An apprentice might cover for their Master but one Sith Lord so openly covering for another? Now that, was abnormal. Most would sell each other out faster than a pod race if it meant being spared her ire. She might have looked small while standing beside Strosius…But that was meaningless. Height did not determine power. Width did not determine might. She shook her head, slowly.

Putting the pieces of the puzzle together bit by bit.

"You are bold to assume I might desire anything other than what I've stated. You are twice bold to assume I am so very disconnected that I do not know my people. Or…You are not bold at all.", her thoughts moved over the information she had been presented thus far. Strosius had even already given her a wealth of detail she hadn't asked for. Perhaps, his brash nature hid what should have been plain from the start. "…I understand, now."

Her hands fell behind her back and her hands locked together.

"Who is it that has garnered such respect from the Lord Inquisitor that he would refuse me? Who is it that instills such loyalty in a whelp that she would sacrifice her freedom, her life, for his anonymity?"

This cat-and-mouse game would end swiftly. Srina, did not play the courtly games that Sith enjoyed so fervently, nor, did she play with any set of recognizable rules. The intelligence that sat behind yellow-hewn orbs would have been insulted if she had the capacity to feel that way. For all their efforts…They were both equally poor at concealing motives. "The name, Darth Strosius."

"I cannot be lied to and I would urge that you not try. I will have the information I seek, one way or the other, the only factor is when and how long Falentra will remain in my care. You are the puppeteer of a flightless bird, not, the owner, nor, the one who trained her."

Strosius was a symptom of a system that was sick. Not, the disease. If they apprentice had never been entrusted to him, she wouldn't have been there to execute his faulty orders. If they kept tossing their youth into the mouths of hungry alligators there wouldn't be a new generation to succeed them. Testing their mettle and ensuring they were blooded was necessary—But this was a whole different story.

"But…You are of interest. You offer to discipline the apprentice so swiftly…But for what? For following your orders? In all of this…I've not forgotten, your truth. You've stated twice now that she acted on your behest…So what, then, as the orchestrator, shall I do with you?"

Her question was less threatening and more an honest inquiry. The sin for which Falentra was to be punished was not her own. Her only true—Real error?

Getting caught.

 

[Darth Strosius]

An amused, yet no less sarcastic, scoff escaped him at the question of a challenge. "If you wish it so, however again it would be a futile one so I wouldn't suggest wasting the effort." Darth Strosius shrugged nonchalantly but there was a level of edge to his words, as though part of him was indeed daring her to such a challenge. Finding those more loyal to the powers that be than himself wouldn't be hard at all of course but he could boast over thirty long years of service to the Sith. A lifetime dedicated to doing what was for the best of the Order even if it went against those that ruled it.

Of the few that could make similar claims he was confident that almost none of them could do so honestly. Everyone else had their own agenda, their own needs and desires that they put before the Sith, but he was different. The Sith were the only goal that mattered. The only future that he strode and struggled towards, the only one that he'd need to consider. In that regard there was indeed none other more loyal than he and of that he had no doubt at all.

The first hint of a proper, or at least visible, sign of frustration from the Empress would be her steely gaze that seemed intent to burn a hole straight through his head. What exactly he had said that had incensed her was unclear so he just assumed that his constant lack of adherence to her will was finally starting to dig at her. He doubted that she was used to her authority being defied and thrown back in her face, her husband at the very least most certainly wasn't. Not from what little he knew anyway.

Unfortunately that one heated look was all that he received in terms of potential headway in breaking her composure, as the damnable silence reigned once more and her placid visage ruled right alongside it. Right as he thought to make a comment, more to break the silence that had him shifting his footing in anticipation than anything else, she made a noise that caused him to cock his head to the side slightly in confusion. It seemed like she had been pondering something and had finally found a solution of some sort. Perhaps scanning him and his remarks for potential weaknesses or admissions of guilt? Something that could be wielded against him no doubt.

He couldn't resist a subtle step back as she stepped forward, his hands tensing as if he was ready to draw his blade in self defense. Self defense. As though he was expecting himself to be on the back foot, as though he knew that she would strike before he could. As though the question of which one was the apex predator between the two of them had been decided without so much as a declaration or outright violent display to be had. "You are misunderstood because you speak in riddles. Release her to me and I will see her returned, then you will be rid of us both."

Her words would have been harsh had they originated from any other but still he found an odd and frustrating serenity in them even as she seemed to express her own confusion and irritation at his continued resistance. "You speak as though you expect me to bend the knee like every other pathetic piece of slime that calls themselves 'Sith' in this Order does." Darth Strosius almost sounded insulted from her whisper, as though she was accusing him of something that he was not. "I am a Sith Lord. One that has been serving faithfully long before your husband declared himself 'Emperor' and I will serve long after the failure of his predecessor claims him as well. I have outlived three so called 'Sith Emperors' and I intend to outlast Empyrean as well. Do keep that in mind, Empress." Her title was hissed in the same manner that one would spit a vile insult. Perhaps to him it was indeed a vile insult to be labeled as such.

Another scoff escaped him at the remark about his boldness but even with a mask it was clear that he was eyeing the Empress with wariness. Concern even. She was starting to pick to the core of the issue, ignoring and disregarding his defiance as being simply due to his resistance of her status, and he doubted that it would take long for her to narrow down a list of suspects. Given the nature of his aspirations and goals there were so very few Sith that he interacted with in any meaningful sense beyond hostility and even if she didn't know them at the moment he doubted it would take her too long to figure out just who he might be protecting.

His grip on his concealed lightsaber tightened as he outright growled in response to her carefully worded threats, so elegantly put that they didn't even register as harming or implicative remarks at all. Or they wouldn't have to most at least. But Darth Strosius knew better, he always knew better. Every word that someone like the Empress spoke to him was a threat, an opportunity, an attack waiting to happen. And unfortunately he was backed into a corner. Both literally and figuratively, he had no idea how he would escape let alone rescue Falentra in the process.

The Lord Inquisitor silently cursed himself for not having arrived at Jutrand with a proper fleet to assail the palace outright, instead he had been reliant on his lone skill to carry him through. A mistake that he would have to correct later but at the moment survival was all that mattered. Reluctantly, with all the willingness of rusted hinges grating against one another after a century of inactivity, he straightened up and dared to look the Empress in the eyes. "Darth Malum. His name is Darth Malum."

The name was hissed through clenched teeth but bore no venom towards the man himself, rather instead it was all directed at the woman before him. "He is young, foolish, too soft to be a Sith really. I doubt you've heard of him, but allow me to make one thing very clear to you. He is one of the few Sith in this Order that strives to see us all succeed. I will not have him harmed. Not by you, not by Empyrean, and not by your lapdog of an executioner. Do we understand one another?"

Lady Falentra / Srina Talon

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: Lady Falentra | Darth Strosius
Location: Jutrand
______________________________________________________

Such confidence in the face of potential annihilation.

Not that Srina found it any more off-putting than a cup of cold coffee. But… the way he spoke allowed her to infer that he thought extremely highly of himself. It wasn't atypical of a Sith Lord of his stature. Nothing he had said or done thus far had deviated from what she expected. There was such hubris and naiveté to be found in the mind of one who assumed loyalty equated to doing what they perceived to be the "best" for all involved. That, was a fallacy.

Strosius had his own agenda, his own opinions, on what might benefit the Sith Order. They were exactly that. His thoughts. His wants. His plans. It was not loyalty to their people as he suggested but a hell-bound loyalty to himself that saw him through decades of service, even, through the fall of the previous iteration of the Sith Empire. He stepped away from her…

Srina closed the distance.

He would find that her posture had not changed but the shadows in the room seemed to align themselves differently. Bending naturally for her—Because that was the nature of what she had become. She might have looked rather young, but, that was merely the side effect of entirely unoriginal Echani genetics. To still their species in their prime, keep them healthy, to allow them to continue to fight for far longer than most near-human cultures. More often than not…The people of Eshan did not need to beat down their enemy. They did not need to fight them to the point of extinction.

They needed only to outlast them.

Thusly, their genetic code, was hand-built by the Arkanian's with the intent to persevere. To endure.

"No."

Her singular word was delivered in a sweet breath of frost that crackled with electric tension. He spat out whatever words seemed to come to mind, but her expressions were the opposite. Other. There was no threat of violence and no sense that she was mocking him. It was simply that. No. She would not release Falentra to the one who had used her as if she were a tool to be loaned from a garage. Forgotten in a place that could have easily crushed her bones—Or worse. "Check your tone, Lord Inquisitor. I will not warn you a third time."

The statement was firm but there was something else in her that would be unidentifiable. A cross between a cold, cruel lullaby, and something irritatingly soothing. As if her armor could never be touched, never be ruffled, while her gaze, remained ever standard. Chilling, with an intensity that could freeze a star.

"…Does your anger blind you so completely?"

He had sought insult where there was none, though, he might have been trying to get a rise out of her. It almost reminded her of when Empyrean utilized Dun Möch with his opponents. Did Strosius think she would be so easily unseated, destroyed, when he tried to place her on notice? Her eyes would fall for a moment as if disappointed, but his mask would not save him when they returned to his face. It would feel as if she was slowly stripping every defense he had so carefully honed to the bone merely by proximity. "Do not presume to know me, my thoughts, or what it is that I require. I do not require that you bow. I do not require that you address me with a title, regardless, of what protocol may dictate. I only require what is practical. In this case—Information."

"…We both know that authority within the Sith Order is not absolute. It is conditional, based on our ability to serve without compromise. You are trapped on a lonely island that is sinking faster than you can swim…You've served failing Empire's longer than most soldiers have been walking this world. Nations rise, nations fall—I adapted…But you have not. I will die. Empyrean, will die. But you…My dedicated, determined, Lord Inquisitor…"

"…I feel that you are correct. You will remain. Trapped in an endless loop…With the very definition of insanity, waiting, for the end. I plan to use the time I have to erase the trap you call home…And for that…Such declarations weigh less than sunlight to me."

This would be evident in her various interventions, changes, and alterations in all forms of the Order. The wintry woman never lost sight of the goal regardless of whom she angered to get there. He needn't like her in any capacity. It wasn't a popularity contest and she acted for the pleasure of none. He had opened this door by invoking her title as if it could wound her. He would see very swiftly how unbothered, unthreatened, she was. As if she knew, without a doubt, what he suspected. He had to reach for his weapon. She was the weapon. Every inch of her.

Should they come to blows as his posture repeatedly suggested?

He would never walk straight again.

In the end, Darth Strosius met her empty golden orbs and fell victim to a time-honored adage. He did what all things do, that do not bend, and broke. The name that left the masked man returned her to silence while he made his threats, plain, and passionate. It was the most humanizing moment Darth Strosius had held since his arrival. His true loyalty was laid bare in one violent hiss.

The endless quiet she was so fond of was shattered by laughter. It wasn't the boorish chuckle of a spinster nor the robotic tones of imitation, but something light, airy, and it caused the harshness of the room to momentarily melt. The irony was too much for her to keep it in, truly, amused by several pieces of information that settled into place. Now, it made sense. All of it.

Just as quickly as the sound hit the air, however, it slipped away into the twilight of the evening.

The same shadows that had lessened from the sound of her laugh filling the eaves came rushing back in like a wave crashing against the shore. Returned, was the gaze that could slice him in half and not bat an eye about the bloodied chunks a corpse half blown away might leave behind. "You will never, ever, have control over me in any capacity no matter how you threaten. It is a truth that would be best to learn now rather than later. Do not mistake my patience for weakness. I will do what I see fit—With Falentra and Malum. Do we understand each other?"

She paused, but, only for a moment.

"As promised…You may leave freely, unless, you wish to accompany me...", Srina turned away from the Sith Lord and moved toward a panel that opened a holo-terminal. From there she began to ready one of her fastest ships and made accommodations to keep Falentra both secure and non-problematic. She did not schedule her flight plan, nor, did she make the destination aware of her imminent arrival.

Everyone loved a surprise.

"…To visit the King of Alvaria."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius did not care for her pursuit of him at all. What he found even more concerning however was how the lighting, or more accurately the lack thereof, seemed to pursue him right alongside her. As though they were linked together in some manner, or as though it was entirely bent to her will. Nothing that he hadn't seen before of course but a more than subtle reminder that he was in her domain at the moment. Far away from any ports of call or potential allies should this 'cordial' meeting of theirs erupt into conflict. A fact which not only served to frustrate but also to set him even more on edge.

The refusal was expected but no less disappointing, much like the subsequent threat. Still she managed to maintain that disgustingly peaceful and resolute attitude and tone throughout it all while the masked man only seemed to grow more anxious by the moment in contrast. Surely it had to be a façade but he had yet to find any real chink or weak point in it that he could exploit to prove it false. Not even a real frown or grimace of displeasure to be had, not one that mattered anyway.

"On the contrary, I see clearer than most. I see through and beyond to what must be done rather than being blinded by that which is true in the present." He might have possessed a temper that even he could admit to but his anger was always righteous even still. It always drove him forwards to the future, to the end of the powers that be. Sometimes it was simply more overt than others.

Based on the intensity of her gaze though, it seemed like she saw even clearer than he.

"Better to be alone on an island than on a whole continent full of vipers waiting to strike at the first opportunity." Unsurprisingly Darth Strosius was more than bothered and incensed by her swift deconstruction of what she believed him to be, of his claims to stability and stalwart service. "You want to talk about loops and adaptation? The only new faces to the great game of the Sith are yours and Empyreans, and yet you fall into the same traps that the old faces did. The traps of power and adherence to failures that have long outlived their usefulness. You are mistaken Empress, I am the only one that has changed in this Order. The only one that sees what change must be done and the only one willing to fight for it while you placate tyrants."

The long silence was by now a regular occurrence that he could account for but her response after it was more surprising than anything else she had done yet. And no less infuriating as a result. She was laughing at him. Mocking him. Just as all the powers that be did, laughing and lounging on their thrones because they saw no threat to be had. He felt the claws of his gauntlet dig into his hands as he growled like a beast. Let her laugh, he was sure that his master laughed just the same right up until he and Malum cut her down. The Empress would be no different.

Her returned gaze and presence wiped away any thoughts of retaliation however as his body instinctively flinched and made a faltering step back, her final threat holding that same intensity with all the backing that it needed to keep him second-guessing any thoughts of striking out. He did summon up the strength to scoff during her pause however, the only act of resistance that he dared to make given that his normally quick tongue had yet to recover.

When the Empress turned away he let out a silent sigh of relief and attempted to recompose himself, to limited success. He still had his grip on his lightsaber, she had her back turned, he had his chance. But his body refused to comply. It was as though his limbs had grown into lead, stiff and sluggish when they did respond to his internal calls for action. Action that never came. His hands did eventually begin to quiver with rage at his own weakness in the face of the enemy but her offer and hint of intentions made him pause.

She was inviting him to pay a visit to Malum alongside her. And in that moment she signed her own death warrant. "With pleasure." It had taken both Malum and himself to slay Ophidia, it only made sense that the pair of them could repeat the act with the Empress. Alone they may struggle with such a task but together it would surely be no issue. He almost laughed at how foolish she was to make such an invitation but instead he simply agreed and chose to remain silent otherwise. To return the favor of that damnable silence.

Lady Falentra / Srina Talon

 

[Lady Falentra]

"Sometimes…Truth can be found in what remains unsaid." "You speak so freely of Darth Strosius but your loyalty betrays you…" "You would not hold such steadfast devotion to a master who abandoned you at a critical moment. Nor would you give their name so freely. No, I am certain that your true allegiance lies elsewhere."

The young apprentice remained silent as the Empress unravelled what she found in through her remarkable intuition. If someone who she trusted abandoned her - if Malum abandoned her - Falentra doubted she would give up his name so easily even then. There was a small riff between her and her master as they stood at odds regarding the implant already in her head. Punishment in the form of harsh training was dished out over the span of weeks that had left her muscles aching each and every day. Until he figured she could put the device to use at Tion, to prove to him that it would not be a crutch... and then this happened. Regardless, her loyalty to him remained absolute.

As much as she still had to get to know his Master's colleague, Darth Strosius, was her best bet at the moment, expecting that he would better prevent the Empress' the discovery of who her master was either, and hopefully get her out of here too.

"You mention disappointment, but it is not your deceit that truly dissatisfies me. It is the wasted potential. You could be so much more, Falentra, if only you chose to embrace the path that has appeared before you…Sith are more, always more, than they presently are."

Potential. It was what Malum had saw in her at Myrkr when she was still a padawan. It was not yet wasted, although she at one point had almost threw it all away recklessly, it was potential that she had not yet reached. However, she knew that there was part of her she needed to lose in order to fully and whole-heartedly embrace the dark. And Falentra was not yet willing to just yet. There was alway more power, but Falentra was content of where she stood as a follower.

The Empress departed only after stating that she would call upon the Sith the young apprentice mentioned. In the silence and relative darkness she was left to ponder her own thoughts. Falentra would not find sleep again, she did not know what extent of abilities the empress possess, paranoid of what she might do to an unconscious mind to seek out the information she wanted terribly.

So she waited.

While disconnected from the networks around, the device in her head marked the time, nearing to the 7th hour since the Empress had last visited her cell. It was then where the door opened, not to the Empress but armoured guards. She sat up from the cot where she laid, slight panic arose as they undid her chains, only to put her in another. They moved wordlessly, not answering any of her questions. She was being escorted somewhere that was for sure. Hopefully... not for an execution.

She was quite relieved when she was not taken to what ever spooky dungeon there was in the castle but a rather, a shipyard and into a starship. There were many questions as to what had happened. Had the empress met up with Darth Strosius? Once again, Falentra was secured in a cell to wait. She could feel the rumble and engine of the ship as it took off.


ooc: lol i know u guys are here for srina and spicy stro, but fal needs some screentime too

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: Lady Falentra | Darth Strosius
Location: Jutrand
______________________________________________________

"If you could see clearly…If you have evolved—We would not be having this discussion."

The summation of his accusations was rebuffed with an almost clinical detachment. She had spent a fair amount of time watching a myriad of emotions play through the Inquisitor as if he were some crude musical instrument. Even when she turned away to prepare, unconcerned, with having her back so freely exposed…He would feel her. Jutrand was the centralization of political power within the Sith Order next to the Holy Worlds—But she drew no strength from it.

Anywhere she walked, drew breath, was her domain. The darkness she had learned to embrace through trial and error followed her like a loving shroud, a careful caress, where fear and adoration could be found between one heartbeat and the next. The pads of small fingers danced lightly along the holo-screen whilst a few Praetorians ensured that Falentra was transferred without incident. As the ephemeral sensations of frustration, anxiety, and barely contained rage were still present she could only assume that Darth Strosius was still displeased. If he wanted to hear less from her…

The door was open.

"You speak of seeing beyond the present. Of embracing change…", she paused, rather practically, adding a requisition of fresh clothing for her momentary ward. The voice of the Empress remained cool and steady as ever. "Yet, your actions suggest otherwise. Clinging to anger and isolation is not a path toward transformation, but, a repetition of the same mistakes that have plagued the Sith for centuries."

Power and adherence to tradition, in her opinion, were inherently flawed. Between the two of them, Empyrean was far more "religious" in his ideals than she was. Even, if he was an atheist. When the pale Echani looked at a history that she had largely been absent for or from times before she had even been born…There were so many instances of avoidable disaster. Misuse of power and blind loyalty for failed doctrines that led to the downfall of Empire after Empire….The list went on, and on.

When her hand lowered from the holo-device and her orders were set into motion her gaze remained on the room that held Falentra. Praetorians in traditional armor were likely startling but she couldn't have the aquatic apprentice running off. It would have defeated the purpose of the entire reason for traveling to Alvaria in the dead of night. "It is ironic for a Sith to speak out against tyranny when there are so many in the Order that would very likely give you the same label. Dispensing…Fate…Where and when you see fit and without a single ounce of oversight."

The authority watched the people. But, who watched the authority?

"I do not placate tyrants, Lord Inquisitor. I may become one, as must we all, when the time calls for it but my nature does not allow for…That....", Srina continued, her tone softening ever so slightly. It was almost worse than when she addressed every issue with the sharp simplicity of an automaton. Everything Darth Strosius spoke of only highlighted how small his world was, and how narrow, his viewpoint. He would misunderstand her not because she spoke in "riddles" but because he wanted her to be the wicked, ignorant, woman of his nightmares.

Srina wanted the Order to be strong. United. It was ultimately one of the reasons that Darth Ophidia had been sentenced to death not so long ago. While the woman had been powerful and the loss of her was quite tragic in the overall stratosphere there was an inherent flaw, an issue, where division and self-interest would always claim her actions before all else. She was unwilling to change and therefore was registered as part of the problem. Infighting…Only served to weaken them.

Ophidia would not stop. Thus, she was made to stop by varying means. Darth Malum of House Marr and Darth Strosius had indeed killed the witch. But, on who's order? Who had such a fate into motion?

"If you believe that you are all that you are all that you are…Prove it. You will do what you will do…I will do what I must do. Of that, we can rest in agreement."

Her gauntlet was thrown down as easily as a feather fell from the sky. She waved the terminal away and turned back toward her unwilling guest at the agreement to accompany her. Respectfully, her head inclined in acceptance of the decision. There was nothing in her expression that showed any hesitation at the prospect of having him with her on the Ferocity or tailing her through hyperspace in his own vessel. He could even leave it if he wished and fetch it when everything was said and done.

"…We will depart momentarily."

With that, she turned to lead the way, her presence shifting just as it had before. Pulling on shadow and light in such a way that the diminutive woman seemed to hold the properties of a black hole. The varying Praetorian and Staff that would handle piloting and defense were already assembled and the frigate was being loaded rather swiftly. Heads inclined when she passed but there were no overt comments or overdone displays of fealty. Her people, were her people because she had earned their faith through years of being in the trenches with them. Not because marriage put a crown on her head.

The take-off was handled smoothly and it wasn't until they were safely in hyperspace that she would seek out Falentra. The quarters that the sithling had been assigned were hardly a cell, though, Srina supposed any four walls while being restrained might constitute as such. It was standard accommodations. Not, the brig. Her bio-signature momentarily disengaged the lock and Falentra would once again find herself face to face with the wintry Echani. True to form…Her eyes swept the room, evaluating, before stepping inside. She gestured toward a closet where several air-sealed garment bags could be seen. "I would like to remove your bindings so that you may change, utilize the refresher, and stretch your legs. Do I have your word that you will behave until we reach our destination?"

"That doesn't invite rebellion, the moment we land, either."

Srina had children of her own…Being tested by a young mind was far from new, nor, would Falentra find any wiggle room in her gaze. The ship was state-of-the-art and there was no way on or off it without her command. There was no way for the sithling to utilize any functions she should not be. She could not run, fight, or flee. What was the sense of keeping her bound the entire trip?

 

[Darth Strosius]

Despite their differences, he couldn't help but find himself agreeing with her swift yet surprisingly short rebuttal. Albeit undoubtedly for far different reasons than those which the Empress intended. "Indeed, we would not." If Darth Strosius had been 'evolved' enough then he wouldn't be wasting his time parlaying with one of his foes, he'd simply end her life and move on to the next obstacle. But alone he had the feeling he might come up short should they come to blows, too short for him to risk it now.

What he wouldn't give to have the Obelisk that helped him and Malum slay Ophidia right now. Something to even the playing field, something to secure his victory. The masked man was an ambush predator at heart and being so far away from any comfortable or familiar areas which he could rely on was unsettling to say the least. Far from the only unsettling thing at present of course, the Empress was right before him after all, but it was still a constant warning against any outright aggression in the physical sense. When they got to Alvaria and he had the Heir of Marr at his side however, the situation would be flipped and it would be her subjected to such a disadvantage.

Her words were, as seemed typical of her, cool and collected when she spoke again. Admonishing him as though he was some child. He didn't bother to hide the heat and frustration that saturated his response, not that he ever did anyway. "Clinging to the failures of the past is not a path to transformation either, nor is giving them positions of power and authority and hoping that they don't betray us all like they did the last time. Yet your husband seems so very intent on continually making such mistakes. Perhaps it is him that you should be lecturing instead of me."

Whether or not the Emperor would listen to such counsel he couldn't say nor did he care to answer, no amount of goodwill now would spare Empyrean from his fate. Too much damage had already been done that could only be undone with the severing of the corpse's head. Among many others as well of course. "Those that would label me a tyrant and critique me for doing what must be done are the exact same people that have earned my judgement and wrath. Seeking to hide their own sins and failures and betrayals behind a curtain of accusations towards me." Despite how prideful the remark was it was again spoken with complete belief and intent, as genuine as one could ever expect from a Sith.

"Carnifex lives and prospers in space that he and his ilk were responsible for losing. Taeli Raaf has ascended to the rank of Dark Councilor, again. And Empyrean's kin Drazen has transformed Terminus into a haven for cartels and degeneracy." The Empress's disgustingly softer tone only seemed to infuriate and envenom the masked man's words even more as he fixed her with a glare, his head tilted slightly as though his statement was as obvious as the color of the sky. A clear show of who he blamed. "Tell me, out of those three examples just off the top of my head, which ones didn't you placate?"

Of course he didn't seem to invite an actual answer for his question wasn't genuine, simply a rebuff of what she had said. One made in haste yet no less rooted in a deeply seated hatred. A distaste for the current state of affairs, one that he had held throughout almost his entire career as a Sith. One that would only change once he deemed it so and his demeanor implied that such a change might never occur. Not until he got exactly what he wanted in the end at the very least.

"Oh trust me Empress, I intend to prove myself very correct by the end." The dark implication in his determined words was potent but he still made no moves to harm her despite how tightly he held onto his lightsaber in one hand. It was a wonder that the hilt hadn't cracked and buckled really. Yet he simply followed her lead to the ship without any real complaints or holdups to be had, cowed yet so exhaustingly smug as though he had won something despite the circumstances. Soon he would but for now he just had to nod his head and endure the trip to Alvaria.

As the vessel got underway Darth Strosius found a nice corner to himself and sat down in it, his lightsaber still firmly in his grasp even as he clasped his hands together in a position which would resemble that of prayer. For the task to come he'd need to find the greater strength within himself that allowed him to assist in felling Darth Ophidia, so for the duration of the trip he would mediate. Sink into himself and attempt to breach the darkness to drag whatever remaining strength he had to the forefront. He had an Empress to slay and he intended to see it done.


Lady Falentra / Srina Talon

 

[Lady Falentra]

Falentra sat up from where she laid as she heard the sound of the automated door sliding open. "Took you a while." She mumbled under her breath. The device in her head connected to the nearest network and systems, that being the ship's. From that Falentra would find out that the destination was set at Alvaria. The Empress had evidently obtained the information she wanted.

"I appreciate that." Falentra said as a guard moved to undo her restraints, more words would not get her out of this situation still. Now on their way to Alvaria, certainly to find her Master. Disappointing him was nothing new, a mission succeeded in a way, but had also ended up with her capture.

Aside from the empress's dark chilling presence, she could sense another more familiar within the ship. "He's here." She pointed out with a scowl on her face. She was bold as to ignore the empress words regarding her behaviour as she stood, brushing past her and out of the door. Her behaviour depended on what Darth Strosius had to say.

Falentra moved with purpose, her bare webbed feet tapping against the cold ground. Following the trail of a presence, she was led down the hall of the ship and to a corner where the robed figure of the dark lord sat. Anger simmered within her, a feeling of betrayal. She would not have ended up in the Empress grasp had he been on Tion like he was supposed to.

"My master sent me to join you on Tion along with carrying out my assigned mission. Where were you? Would you do such a disservice to Revna ?" It was a trade of apprentices for a day. Some part of her was envious that Revna had gotten to accompany Malum on his mission - whatever that was. At least she wouldn't have ended up here.

Darth Strosius Srina Talon

 

[Srina Talon]

Tag: Lady Falentra | Darth Strosius
Location: Jutrand
______________________________________________________

"I lecture him frequently. I daresay, he enjoys it."

It would be a shock to no one who knew her in the slightest that she spoke her mind. That often—Her opinion conflicted with everyone around her. Her husband was not spared this aspect of her personality any more than anyone else. It was one of the things that had likely drawn him to her. Her propensity to be as her Master had once stated, with such pride, that she was a "true pain in the ass" when it came down to it. "Bear in mind that your past failures are not mine, Lord Inquisitor. Perhaps time is fluid in your cloud of fury…But I remain rooted firmly in the present. This age. This era."

He seemed to think himself infallible as well as untouchable. His understanding of true tyranny was either woefully inept or he was being purposefully ignorant. All the while…Somehow painting himself the prideful victim? How very odd, he was. Things could be said about many Sith Lords that currently existed within the Order that fell on the side of using their positions for personal vendettas. The only difference? They did not attempt to hide it. Was this creature so beyond reality that he thought actions were beyond reproach?

"Do you not know the name you invoke when you act?"

It was the Emperor, above all, that allowed Darth Strosius to maintain the shreds of power he coveted and held captive in dark corners. He made moves within the Sith Order that most only accepted because they believed he had the backing of a particular kyber crystal throne. In truth? He acted without accountability or oversight…Which…Was just as corrupt as those he hunted. "You have been lucky thus far in your endeavors and remain relatively unchallenged…But that good fortune will eventually run out. Where will your revolution, your inquisition, be then?"

It was strange for one who so openly stood on skeletons to think the pile of bones couldn't shatter.

That there weren't hands vying for his puppet throne already.

Srina tilted her head when he made accusations toward her. Not with anger or a need to lash out as she was leaving the room…But because for all their disagreements? The Empress would tally this meeting up to what some might call "polite conversation" and in that vein…It would be rude not to respond to the very angry, very taciturn visitor. "Do not tell me that you are fool enough to believe that the loss of an entire Empire falls on the shoulders of one. For all intents, those failures, also belong to you and every member of the Sith Empire that failed in their duty."

"The Confederacy was a war machine like no other. And yet…It fell. Was that only the fault of the Vicelord? Was he in a nation of one?"

The obvious answer to that was: No. It was not a nation built on the back of one man. No matter how full of hubris any Sith seemed to be they still inherently depended on those beneath them to keep wheels turning. Countless advisors, soldiers, and people. She shook her head while they headed toward the ship and wondered how it was that someone with so little vision had maintained unilateral authority for so long. "All things have their place in the galaxy, like it, or not. Darth Carnifex is where he belongs and if you think you're powerful enough to tell him otherwise…I shall do you the kindness of preemptively drafting a pleasant obituary. Lady Raaf was voted into her seat by the nation you serve based on her experience and success. Do not forget that she is one of the only living Sith to successfully topple a Jedi-led superpower in any recent history. You bid that I not discount your history...But can you make that claim?"

"And Drazen…"

There was a change in her expression that would be…Scathing. The facts that she gave about his other two examples hadn't drawn any emotion out of her at all. Her voice never rose beyond the same dulcet tone the Inquisitor would have gotten used to but this brought something new to her eyes. It was a promise of death so strong that he would almost be able to smell the rot. "Understand this…Drazen exists in this galaxy on borrowed time."

She looked forward to eating the ankle-biting Drazen whole. Alive. Kicking and screaming.

The Echani didn't bother addressing being right or wrong. The correctness of either of them. She had the advantage of looking at the Sith Order with the view of an eagle. Srina saw the moving parts, people, characters, and events in ways others could not. She was not the same as Sith that had come before. She was unlike them, so much so, that many questioned her place beside Empyrean. The more fanatical Eternalists found her purported restraint to be a weakness. Why didn't she arm her husband as the weapon he was? Why did she not whisper in his ear and unleash his wrath on the galaxy as a whole? Why did she hold him back?

All questions they would never ask to her face…But all could be answered with one word.

Pragmatism.

She let the Lord Inquisitor be when they boarded the Ferocity and prioritized tending to Falentra. The initial barb was met with a wall of emptiness. There was no anger or apology in the Empress…But that was to be expected. It was almost as if a true smile might break the glass-like surface of her face. Crack the mask that she so expertly wielded as a silent weapon. "Actions and consequences, child."

"You refused me. Therefore, it took longer."

Her head nodded at the appreciation offered, though, she didn't mind when the aquatic creature brushed past. It didn't take a genius to understand where the arrow of her ire might be pointed. Srina motioned for the guards to let her pass. Again, there was no need to keep her cooped up when the entirety of the ship could be viewed as a prison in itself. She did not rush to follow the youngling but she did trail after at her own pace. The whisper of black silken skirts pulling across the metallic polished floor was in direct conflict with the sound of Falentra's webbed feet making her presence known.

The question she posed was valid, though, her ears did perk up hearing Revna had also been involved.

Srina took a seat to watch the pair interact. Not out of a need for in-flight entertainment but because for all intents and purposes she had two on her spaceship that had actively worked against her AND the Order as a whole in the last forty-eight hours. They admitted to treason, so freely, even now. As if they had nothing to fear…But should Darth Empyrean catch wind of such duplicity?

She would not be the one they had to fear.

Srina was sure that the Inquisitor would offer Falentra some sort of excuse. He'd been waylaid. Things hadn't gone to plan. He hadn't known where she was when the military installation had literally begun to buckle in on itself due to water pressure. So many, many excuses. But there was no excuse for the Empress but death and destruction of his form that would suffice. That was the only reason the apprentice should have been left in a situation that was so far over her head. That she never, ever, should have been in.

Nothing changed the fact that Falentra was his responsibility and that Darth Strosius had failed her in the most abysmal sense.

Delicate lips pressed into a frown while they turned toward the flashing lights of hyperspace.

Moreover…Malum had failed her.

"Do not forget a change of clothes before we arrive, Falentra."

A soft reminder that they would soon be meeting her Master and that regardless of the transgression—There was no excuse for a lack of respect and ignorance in decorum.

In truth…There was no excuse for any of this.