The Cold Wind Blows

[Darth Empyrean]

“Eloquent.”

A second nod of his head as he listened, only to replace the silence with a second question;

“Why did you name me Tai?”

It was an odd question, but in truth he was extending the discussion. There was a slight comfort in the home now that he’d been there so long. Not to mention the cruel coldness that stood outside, rather daunting without a quick ride back off planet. In all truth, he didn’t expect to find him so quickly, let alone come to an agreement in the matter of a few minutes.

“And another thing, how has nobody else come for this piece before?”

│ [member="Velok the Younger"] │

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="The Slave"]

"I named you Tai because you remind me of a Thirriken businessbeing named [member="Tai Fa"]. You're both careful, precise, refined, haughty, well-groomed, driven, ambitious, audacious, and somewhat flamboyant."

Velok grunted and stood, moving to a bookshelf. He patted the chitinous wall beside it.

"As for your second question, I'll tell you part of the answer for free. I welded together a disparate coalition and ripped this region out of the Silver Jedi Order's hands. I did it for my own amusement, and as a proof of concept for future operations. I acquired fear. Respect, perhaps, if our dealings since have been any indication. Overall: wariness. I took no sides in the current Sith schisms. I've negotiated with Jedi in good faith. I've publicly cooked and eaten one of their war criminals. I make a habit of being unpredictable.

“I have no obvious public agenda. I've made myself someone not worth crossing.” He turned, gesturing at the room around them. “And cross me for what? This?”

 

[Darth Empyrean]

“Oh.”

The answer satisfied his curiosity, and it was as expected as he thought it’d be; but seemed idly hollow. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear, but he supposed that was good enough for the sake of the conversation. His brow cocked as he continued with his answers however, eventually drawing out The Slave’s own vocal reaction.

“Surely, but you obviously hold knowledge, and a loose end to the wrong person. I simply assumed someone would have came for this artifact, or that idea; almost anything. Its how the galaxy runs.”, he said as he stood from his chair, stretching slightly in his fully stanced form.

“And what of the other half of the answer?”

│ [member="Velok the Younger"] │

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="The Slave"]

"The galaxy does run that way, it's true."

Velok turned back to the humanling and folded massive arms. Amusement glinted in his eyes.

"And some have come on occasion. Even fewer have left." He sniffed deeply: back in the kitchen, his grandson was cooking a thick, meaty stew. "You'll be among them, Tai; that wasn't a threat. As for the other half of the answer, I'm afraid I keep that to myself. It costs me nothing for the curious to know what I've told you, but if I went on, you would become a risk solely by hearing what I have to say. Neither you nor I would enjoy that."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

The Slave maintained a respectful silence as the smell of the stew wafted to his nostrils, filling him with the sensation of warmth and comfort before he exhaled. It was a slow breath, one that spent its careful moments enjoying the passive clarity of his senses, only to be replaced by the reality before him. His attention came back to Velok with the same childlike attitude he had prior, one that gave way to his inexperience.

“I won’t ask further then. What of the Darkstaff piece then? Could I see it?”, he said; his tone arching in excitement as the words came to a close.

There was a notable shift in his position as he spoke, betraying any cool behavior he might have held a moment before. It was obvious the young man was anxious to see exactly what he had heard so much about from the ancient spirits he was taught by, and even more so to experience its prowess for himself.


│ [member="Velok the Younger"] │

 

[Velok the Younger]

[member="The Slave"]

"Oh, it's not kept here," said Velok with just a hint of condescending surprised amusement. "Nothing that matters is here. Another time, Tai, once your side of things has progressed farther. I'm certain you have the resources to hold up your end, and when that's in evidence, so will the shard be. And then we can exchange as necessary, once we're both satisfied."

He spread three-clawed hands disarmingly. A Whiphid might have taken it that way, at least; a human might be more likely to think of a lethal embrace waiting to happen. "All straightforward. The usual courtesies and precautions."

 

[Darth Empyrean]

He frowned, if not subtly at the response that it wasn’t present. A soft sigh came forth as his temporary dream was crushed, but as he stood he recovered back to a normal state. With a soft grin and an extension of his hand in a shake, he spoke pleasantly to Velok.

“Then consider it done. Perhaps next time you’ll come visit me on Lorrd instead of… this.” he said, a slightly more offensive glance around the room than he intended following.

“Its a bit warmer. A bit more comfy.”

│ [member="Velok the Younger"] │