Private The Emeritus

[Alina Tremiru]

To hear of a Sith Emperor who simply retired was something Alina never thought she would. And yet, such a day came by while she was still a child. The Sith Emperor, Darth Carnifex , choosing to step away from his throne. To put his chosen in places of power. His daughter, Joycelyn Zambrano . His uncle, Darth Prazutis . It wasn't something she ever would of had a problem with. The two Lords left in charge were powerful. Worthy of respect and admiration. Joycelyn especially.

For a young Sith girl grown to be a wife to trade for her mother's allies, there was no better role model on just what a Sith could attain.

Now, however. They were not seen. The horrors of war she faced, the fellow acolytes and knights she saw fall around her while the two who had the throne did nothing. Why were they chosen if they weren't going to lead?

No, that wasn't the question burning in the back of her mind as she ascended the stairs into the palace of Dromund Kaas. Was he even willing to speak with her? Another question formed, this one in the forefront as she looked about the palace grounds. The guards around. If she could feel the Force, perhaps she might of been able to tell. Still, she kept her head high as she walked down the hall to the mentioned room.

If he would answer, she very well might learn what she was hoping to.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The hall leading into the palace was gargantuan, larger than most city squares, and segmented by pillar columns every ten meters. The floor was fashioned from glossy black marble while the far exterior walls were comprised of red-tinted cutglass windows featuring ancient Sith emblems and various other sinister iconographies. Guards, silent and stalwart, watched Alina's movements as she ventured deeper into the Palace's interior.​

​

A Human wearing a dark teal robe would approach Alina as she neared the causeway that leads into the Palace's sanctum, their pate shaved down to stubble and various cybernetic cables protruding from the nape of their neck leading down into the confines of their robes. ​

​

"Hail, Alina Tremiru. The Great Benefactor has been expecting your arrival for quite some time, His Almighty has set aside a room for you to meet with His Greatness." The servant flashed an all too robotic smile before bowing deep at the waist, rising, and then walking towards one of the myriad hallways that crisscrossed the labyrinthine interior of the Palace. ​

​

After several minutes of walking in silence, as the servant would not answer any of Alina's questions nor make any advance to speak with her, they arrived at a large mechanical door. The door split open, spinning as eight separate portions of the door retracted into the partition threshold.

"His Greatness awaits."​

​

Then the servant was gone, disappearing as quickly as they had appeared, and Alina was left to cross into the chamber alone. Once she did, the door would close behind her. Inside was a lavishly decorated room; fine art hanging from every wall with furniture trimmed with gold and sapphires. At its center stood the man that Alina had been seeking, the former Dark Lord and Emperor of the Sith.​

​

Darth Carnifex.​

​

His back was turned to her, his body cloaked in dull maroon robes emblazoned with gold calligraphy. Yet even as his gaze was turned away from her, she could distinctly feel as though she were being intently watched. When he finally did speak, he spoke with booming authority.​

​

"Speak your questions, Alina Tremiru. I do not have patience for formality."​

​

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina followed behind the servant in her own quiet once it became clear he would not answer. She interlocked her fingers behind her back, standing more rigid as they got closer and closer to the source. The fact she was expected earlier brought it about. Not a good way to speak with a Sith Lord of any kind by being late. Let alone one of Darth Carnifex 's nature and standing.

Then, she was there. She had felt herself powerful. Strong. And yet, there was someone always stronger. Now she was before the strongest. Fear, nervousness, she forced that all back as the impatient tone met her ears. She was hear for a reason. And if he wanted to get right to business..

"Why did you leave the throne?"

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He slowly turned around after Alina spoke her question, revealing himself to her gradually. His face was as she had seen in holovids and various propaganda material over the years, though his hair was noticeably shorter, grayer, and his beard had been trimmed down. His most striking features were his eyes, molten and hateful, glaring out from under a brow marked by a tattoo of the Sith Eternal emblem surrounded by the Sith Starburst. Three scars ran down the right side of his face, starting just below his hairline and terminating somewhere down below his neck.​

​

"Because it no longer suited me." He spoke matter of factly, his voice an even baritone. If she were expecting a more grandiose answer, she would not find one here. The former Emperor did not care to mince words, and he did not feel the need to justify himself to others for his actions.​

​

"I had other matters to attend to, ones that were incompatible with the throne." He did not clarify as to what those matters were, nor would he ever in the presence of someone like Alina. He had been monitoring her for as long as she had been under the tutelage of Taeli Raaf . She might have formulated ways to mask herself from his Oracle's sight, but her apprentice had not. ​

​

"If you allow me a question in return," He did not wait for her answer, "What ambitions do you seek as the apprentice of so many masters?"​

​

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

The answer was.. Nothing like she expected. Far too simple. Far too obscure. But what could she do? Her yellow eyes stared back at his. Alina didn't dare look away. If anything she stood more rigidly. She was face to face with someone she once considered a god. The surprise was momentary. She hadn't bothered to hide how many different people she learned from, but for Darth Carnifex to bring it up brought it's own worry.

Why did she matter?

"Knowledge is it's own power. I've found those willing to teach, and took what knowledge I could." Naturally there was more to it, but either he already knew, or she simply chose to follow his lead in avoiding giving out too many details.

"Is the throne empty?" Alina kept her tone level, knowing full well where this could go if she spoke out of turn. He was not an enemy she was ready to face. And yet, it was impossible to ignore that there was no real presence of the Empress. His daughter.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Ambitious," replied the former Dark Lord of the Sith.​

​

He doubted that was all, however. Rarely did a Sith lay everything on the table so easily, and he should know; he had been mired in their ruthless cutthroat politics for over twenty years. One did not reach his veterancy by playing sloppy. He would not press his doubts at this moment, there were other more interesting topics to discuss.​

​

"Oh ye of little faith, the throne is not empty. The reins of the Empire are held firm. The Dark Lord and the Empress work tirelessly to ensure that it continues, despite the many enemies which batter at our gates." This was not true, but the former Emperor was an accomplished liar and his face revealed nothing. Truth was, the Empress had all but disappeared. Prazutis held the power of Dark Lord and Emperor, but to preserve order they had concealed the Empress' disappearance from all of the Empire; even the upper echelons of authority. ​

​

Only Carnifex truly knew where Joycelyn had gone, and he was not at liberty to divulge that information to anyone.​

​

"But if you wish to alleviate your fears on this matter, I can offer you succor." Carnifex smiled, the false grin of a murderer, "I can grant you an audience with the Empress."​

​

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

The assurance did little to alleviate the concern in Alina's mind. Yet, Darth Carnifex wasn't lying. Not from what she could tell. Then again, she couldn't sense the thoughts of others. Just taking someone's word wasn't something she could rely on. Not unless it was someone she trusted. And the Sith Lord who abstained from the throne, a throne that let children fight in it's stead, wasn't someone she trusted.

Seeing him smile with his dead eyes was even more unsettling, however. "No, that is not necessary. If she's been unable to be on the battlefront, I can only assume it's because of something of far more importance that has kept her away. I'd hate to distract her from it." Grant it, that also meant she had gained nothing from this meeting. Her lips thinned for a brief moment. She wasn't as skilled at deception, but she wouldn't let her thoughts betray her here.

"I should leave you to your work. Apologies for wasting your time."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"A pity," replied Carnifex.​

​

It was a disappointment, the girl had come all this way to seek an audience with him with concerns about the throne of the Empire and turned down the opportunity to meet with the Empress herself. Ultimately, it mattered not to Carnifex in the end. Izaszh would assuredly be more upset than him, she had put the time in studying the mannerisms of Joycelyn to perfect her mimicry. She had even flawlessly replicated Joycelyn's physical form down to the last inch.​

​

"If that is your wish, then I will not press you. You may leave." Carnifex turned away from Alina to stand in the same position he was when she was first brought into the chamber.​

​

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

That would of been the end of the conversation. Probably should have been. Yet, Alina was as curious as she'd ever been. Watching Darth Carnifex turn around and stating he would not press her made her all that much more curious on what exactly he would. And more importantly, what he was working on. So she didn't leave, instead standing up straighter.

".. Actually. What is it you are working on? I've seen reports on what you've been doing to worlds."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Ah, unsurprisingly, it seemed as if the girl's curiosity could not be so easily struggled against. He could empathize with the young woman, as rare as a feat as that was, for he too possessed an insatiable curiosity and appetite for new knowledge. The possible difference was that Carnifex was reckless and unconcerned with consequences, and charged on ahead with any given experiment just to see what could arise from his efforts rather than pontificate on the ramifications.​

​

Asation was one such example.​

​

Carnifex half-turned to face her, keeping one side of his face turned at her while the other was concealed. "I strive towards balance in all things, my young Sith learner. The galaxy is unbalanced; broken, weak, divided. It must be made strong, but in order to do that, we must wipe the slate clean. All nations must be torn down and the galaxy reshaped, the Empire was a testbed for the ideals which will eventually govern all life. The flaws have been identified, the weaknesses accounted for, and when next civilization arises from the ashes it will be perfect."​

​

Alina Tremiru ​