The Evil Beneath The Sands Has Risen (TAE & Allies)

[Kay-Larr]

Kay furrowed her brows as [member="Mythos"] started up with a cryptic answer, but then went on to the discussion of weapons. Although she had no plans to level entire plains of land, that didn't mean that they shouldn't have the capability to defend themselves against those that do. She eyed the construction, surprised of course at the sheer size of it. Typical Mythos. Everything always had to be so grand.

She raised a brow, giving him a quizzical look as he expressed that he spoke to some sun God. So there was a religious sect, was there? The last time that she had encountered one was on Altier with the Primeval. But at least she didn't fight them. It's rather difficult to go against a cult.

Kay turned to face the construction again. This whole thing was bizarre, but in some ways it felt like Atrisia for her. She was safe there in some respects, but only when she was at his Palace. Elsewhere she was fair game. Would the same apply here too? Although she wasn't so sure of how often she'd be able to get away from home. Not with the twins.

The mention of a Silver Jedi caused her to frown inwardly. What did they want? There was only one or two members that she had trusted with her life. All others she was suspicious of. There was very little trust there, moreso due to past experiences. "When our business concludes, I'll take my leave. I have another stop to make here before I can get back home."

Kay got to her feet, ready to step off the speeder after Mythos, but then stopped as he did. She raised a brow as he began to to play out a scenario for her. As his guards started to display some aggression towards her, she stiffened up. What was he playing at? She clenched her jaw as he continued, playing out some exercise that caused her own ship to be targeted. Her commlink was going off, her small crew wanting to know what to do and wondering if she was okay. Quietly, she muttered under her breath. "You wouldn't...." She figured that he would never betray her. It wasn't in him to do so, not after everything that they've been through. And besides, he was putting too much value on her. The odds of people using that kind of manpower to try to get her was wasteful. There was no point to it. She wasn't a part of the grand scheme of things. But still Mythos did point out a couple of things. One being that her weakness was the safety of her people and the other was that she couldn't visit this sector of the Galaxy without borrowing a part of her fleet and taking them out of their duties just to babysit her.

Moments later Mythos stood down, ending the exercise, which also ended the frantic calls over her commlink. She just stared at Mythos while she brought her commlink up to reply to her crew. "I'm alright...It was just a...security exercise. We'll be on our way soon." Kay's attention turned to him again. "I understand your concern and there are some of my staff that would agree with you. I will do better when visiting here next." She was glad to not be in his service, for she feared that she'd never be able to go anywhere, never have any privacy as though she was a prisoner. At least her home territory was safe.

 

[Mythos]

"You're right. I would't. I would never, that is unless you come up with some preposterous idea like letting that drunken fool Darlyn actually put me in jail and even then all i would do is steal from you and blow up a few buildings." He stated, comically but also a serious bite to his words hidden beneath the guile of a charismatic smile and the tone of energetic words. Once the forces stood down he gazed at the colossal spire, amusing himself with it's massive growth and powerful stature. It was meant to be seen from orbit and even now with satellite imagery one could clearly see the base of the structure. Even through his incredible power at construction Mythos sighed when she heard her state that it was here she would be more careful in traveling. "Kay.." His voice sounded almost defeated, almost.

The bravado of his words gone, the bite of them, the charisma and the bolstering confidence reduced to almost pleading. "Here every canon i have in place will protect you and your escort, everyone you bring here will have our protection and service but even our best efforts as i just explained to you, in vivid detail, could fail. Which is why you must take more care of yourself, you are not a Senator anymore, the loss of you, The Queen of Commenor, could debilitate both politically and economically the state of Commenor. You are the base of which power and stability come from to your people and coming here, with a single ship, even if here is the home of an ally puts that stability in danger." He stopped to turn to the speeder, opening the door for both of them again and using the force to pull a pipe with bota from his cloak and landing it in his lips.

"If you think for a second that the loss of you, even temporarily ,would not have a negative effect on Commenor..... I can illustrate how you are wrong in that too In vivid detail and hear from Veiere later..." He said, his eyes breaking no argument. He was already concocting another "Security Exercise" this time on the scale of all Commenor just for the sake of making a point in his argument. It was better that Commenor feel the brunt of a fail in security as a 'drill' than to feel it in reality when it inevitably would happen if this was the kind of fleet she was bringing.

No, he was not above that.

"I gave you advice like this once before and you chose not to take it, if you had, I would have the head of a certain sith lord in a platter." He said, the smile and the shine of his eyes coming alive again along with the bravado and confidence. "If you are not going to do it for Commenor or yourself or you children... Do it for me" He said, in a familiar tone that dated back almost a decade. Before he could say anything else, his ear rang once again. His expression became worried, whatever warrior the jedi had sent in to see him was coming to him in a shuttle.

"Here we go..." He said under his breath, then glancing over to Kaywith a worried expression. "The Silver Jedi is on his way"

[member="Lady Kay"] [member="Stephanie Swail"] [member="Kainan Wolfe"] @Abyss

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[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie looked at the man and held her ground as the soldiers moved past.

”There is just myself and my pilot, an Antarian Ranger. He is armed but all soldiers are and he is sanctioned under the Silver Jedi Order. He will not present any trouble.”

She turned to look at the cockpit and gave a slow nod to the figure inside. If the Jedi was giving such a command, the Ranger would follow as his professional duty allowed. Then, she turned back to the man.

”For what it's worth, yes, I am only a Padawan and of course I make mistakes. One has been made today. We picked up nothing on our sensors and nobody made contact with us, and we had no intention of landing in a city. We just wanted to explore, and as nobody hailed us, I felt we were ok.”

Glancing around again, she inhaled slowly. Why did she always find herself in these tricky situations. At his request, she took the lightsaber given to her by Master Kitra, a simple black and silver hilt, and handed it over slowly keeping eye contact.

”Take me this God-King, but I would hope you see I am following your requests and not fighting you. I have no desire to fight anyone, and this is my doing alone, nobody elses. Not the Jedi across the galaxy or anyone else, but me. I will take the consequences alone.”

She swallowed, nodded and walked forward ignoring the intimidating looks of others towards the large shuttle in the sand.

[member="Kainan Wolfe"] | [member="Mythos"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay smirked as [member="Mythos"] spoke about Darlyn and jail. Oh she remembered that event well enough. Mythos needed to be punished for the actions that he had done on Kwenn. The heaps of paperwork not only punishment, they had kept him in his chambers and out of trouble too. It wasn't long after that that he had left and gone to do. Well....all of this. It was almost like Atrisia again. But different all the same.

Her brows furrowed, her eyes watching him as he lectured her on her political standing. She remained perfectly still, drawing herself inward as though she was building up a wall to protect herself. It made her feel smaller as he brought up her abduction and captivity, caused in part by her own refusal to use her abilities until it was too late. Maintaining her secret was a double edged sword. Revealing it and not revealing it both carried consequences. And she didn't like either of them.

"Alright...I see your point. My people need me. I'm not doing as much travelling because of the twins. I only came out all of this way because it was for you." Even Veiere usually had them travel in a far bigger vessel than the Free Lady when they visited far away systems. It was all for her protection. And here she was, just throwing it away.

Kay didn't step off the shuttle. She remained where she was. "I should leave you to your meeting. The Lord of Shrouds is expecting me anyways. I just have two requests. One being that when I am prepared to leave this system that you could have one of your fleets escort me home. And second, that you behave yourself." Mythos was fond of two things; fighting and womanizing. Both led him to trouble. Her adopted son Bradshaw was the same way. The Galaxy was their fight club and their brothel. Thank the Force they both had some form of loyalty towards her.

She picked up her commlink and opened a channel for [member="Kainan Wolfe"] . ~This is Lady Kay. I am just at the Spire. Where would you like us to meet?~ Kay couldn't even guess at what the man wanted to meet with her about.

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Mythos"] | [member="Ra'a'mah"] | [member="Kyle Raymus"] | [member="Kiso"] | [member="Sena"] | [member="Roella Arwyn"] | [member="Shaun Irons"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Darth Abyss"]​

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• Desert Near Angramar
  Capital of the Ancient Eye, Nibelungen

Wolfe listened to her explanations, patiently waiting for her to finish as if they had all the time in the world. Once again, he seemed to have no reaction. No anger, or rage, none of the uncontrollable violent urges that the Sith were known for. Neither did the white-robed Wardens which accompanied him. They had a degree of self-control and internal discipline which matched that of the Jedi. And yet, the Darkside surrounded them like a... shroud.

"This is the sovereign territory of the Ancient Eye," he responded in a calm, but cold tone. "I do not care whether or not your pilot is sanctioned by the Silver Jedi Order or not. The Jedi have no jurisdiction here, nor diplomatic immunity. Ill intentions or not, you broke the law. I'm afraid there will be a penalty for that," he said as he took her lightsaber away from her, making it clear that there would be consequences.

One of the white-robed figures stepped forward, the one that was holding the handcuffs. Despite being masked, his stature and the design of his mask pointed him out as an alien, probably one of the Anubians. He took the woman's wrists in a firm grip, closing the handcuffs around them to restrain her. "I am Rath Exigo," spoke the creature in a surprisingly fluent Basic. "Crusader Lord of the Wardens of the Shroud. You are under arrest for violation of customs and shipping legislation, article twenty-three, subsection five: Unauthorised entry into Ancient Eye space and landing without a proper clearance. Your crime is punishable with a fine of up to fifty thousand credits, depending on the severity of your crime and the size of your vessel. Failure to pay this fine, may result in your ship and its contents being repossessed," the alien spoke.

As her pilot was brought out of the ship in similar restraints by the Wolfguards, the Anubian read Stephanie her rights. "You do not have the right to remain silent. Refusal to answer the interrogator's questions can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you are unable to afford one, the state will assign you a legal representative for the duration of the court proceedings. You do not have the right to visitation by any individual with the exception of your lawyer. You have the right to a fair and unbiased trial by a jury of our peers. Lack of compliance with the authorities during the period of your detention, will result in further criminal charges being brought against you," he said, pushing her into the shuttle and seating her beside her pilot.

As the shuttle took off, it was joined by the fighters which had so skillfully ambushed the transport earlier. Wolfe's comlink beeped twice and the warlord opened a channel. "Lady Kay, I am currently on route to the Spire, myself. I have a prisoner to deliver and afterwards, I can pick you up and we can travel to my government residence on Winter, if that is fine by you," he said.

It did not take long for the silver Lambda shuttle and its escorts to reach the Spire and it landed as swiftly as it arrived. Its occupants marched out in perfect discipline and Wolfe greeted Mythos with a respectful vassal's nod. By not bowing, the warlord was making it clear to Kay that he was not a weak, sniveling underling, but one of the most powerful of the God-King's followers. The Anubian Warden and the Wolfguards pushed Stephanie and her pilot forward. Once again, the alien creature spoke, delivering more instructions to the prisoners. "You stand in the presence of the God-King of the Ancient Eye, His Divine Majesty Lord Mythos. You would be wise to bow."

"Your Highness," spoke Wolfe, handing Mythos the Jedi padawan's lightsaber. "I have brought you the Jedi and her pilot, as you requested. My men have not yet found any contraband onboard their ship, but they are still searching," the Warlord said. "She gave us a half-blasted story about coming here to simply see what the Ancient Eye is like, but personally I am not giving that excuse credence. Given the fact that Nibelungen used to be a Jedi planet, she may be a spy or an assassin, out for retalliation."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay got a response from [member="Kainan Wolfe"] far quicker than she had anticipated. Perhaps he was eager to meet up with her for whatever reason she couldn't quite guess at yet. ~That's fine. I'll see you shortly.~ was her response before she once again pocketed her commlink.

He was bringing a prisoner to the Spire? Was it to be a prison? Or did he know that [member="Mythos"] was there with her? Right now that wouldn't surprise her. No doubt everyone talked to everyone here, every movement recorded and documented. Just the thought made her uncomfortable as she had many secrets to hide. What ruler didn't?

As she waited for Mythos to respond, Kainan's shuttle had arrived. Kay watched the people disembark, quite surpised to see [member="Stephanie Swail"] in cuffs. So she was the prisoner? Why didn't that surprise her?

The fact that Stephanie was a girl didn't help either. Mythos surely wouldn't adhere to Kay's words on behaving himself now. The man was a notorious playboy, womanizing every female he came across, it seemed. As far as she was concerned, she is the only one that has turned him down and for that she received loyalty. She figured that she'd never of gotten loyalty from him otherwise. He told her as much. It was better to be valued as a good friend than to be treated as a flavour of the week and discarded. Mythos wasn't the only one that she had ever turned down for wanting nothing more than a one night stand or fling by a playboy. Such things didn't make her any different than some streetworker that got paid by the hour for such things, except that she wouldn't be getting paid. The very thought didn't make her feel good at all.

Kay wondered what brought the Silver Jedi here. Would it be another Atrisia all over again? Although the situation with the people here were different, it didn't change much. Her eyes went to Kainan as he spoke of this being a former Jedi world. What had happened to them, she wondered? That was certainly something that she'd discuss with him in their meeting.

"Might I offer a suggestion? In order to not have the Silver Jedi deciding to blast this planet to oblivion so soon, it might be a good idea to send her back home. She still has much to learn on diplomacy and the respect of soveriegn laws of other worlds. Sending a Padawan out alone is either an act of stupidity or desperation. Unless of course war is what you both want right now...." She knew both men wouldn't turn down a battle or to stop it from happening. Their egos wouldn't allow it.

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie stayed silent the whole time, from the reading of her rights to the near intimidation that she would face a penalty and her intention may be of a much darker nature. While she was pushed and shoved this way and that into the shuttle, under armed guard, she remained calm and didn’t fight them. She may have made a mistake, but this did not warrant bully-boy tactics.

The shuttle ride was quiet, and she looked those who spoke to her in the eyes, but said nothing. She listened to everything and simply kept her breathing calm, slow and steady.

And then, the ride was over, and she was ousted again into the Spire and she couldn’t help be amazed by the size and design of it. Stephanie marched out, flanked by the guards and led by their commander. Yet more pushing, to which she made an evident narrowing of the eyes. Turning back to see another human, evidently the God-King [member="Mythos"] who was waiting for them and accepting a bow here and there as the Warden made it clear what she should do.

Stephanie did not bow, especially after how she was treated.

Her eyes were pulled to the side to see a face she recognised - [member="Lady Kay"] of Commenor.

The Warden spoke, laying out his view of the situation and of the Padawan. Then, Kay spoke. Stephanie worked on her breathing as a few degrading comments were made, and she looked down at her hands for a moment, rubbing her fingers together.

”I don’t know who you are, what you do, or why you are you afraid of the Jedi, but your war is not with us.” She looked up the Lady Kay. ”For a Queen, I am surprised at your comments and assumptions of a state wishing to be neutral – your comments are nothing but rude and insulting. You should be ashamed if that is how you talk to those lower than you, and especially to an Order who have done nothing but try to be there for you.”

Her gut was right about the Queen it seemed. No matter. Stephanie looked to the God-King.

”The Silver Jedi would never destroy a planet. That is something the Sith take pleasure in doing to make a point. The worst thing to happen from this? My Master, far more experienced and adept at hostile situations like this than I, would come looking for the peaceful resolution, for we all know how inept Padawans are, right?”
She tipped her chin to the Warlord .

”The Jedi didn’t send me here. I came on my own to quell a burning curiosity. It’s a shame that someone who has a desire to learn, to see and understand new worlds and cultures is branded a possible spy or assassin. I knew nothing about the history of this world – not every Jedi would know everything – and so my being here is the least of your worries I suspect. As I said to your bully-boy who has a thing for pushing around and intimidating a helpless woman, I am Stephanie Swail of the Silver Jedi Order and I come in peace.”

Finally, she gave the God-King a small nod of the head.

”Young and inexperienced I may be, but stupid and desperate I am most certainly not.”

[member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay slowly shook her head as [member="Stephanie Swail"] spoke. Here she was, trying to get the Padawan sent home, and yet the young lady would rather take her words out of context and insult her instead. For one that talks about how one should speaak to those below or above them, she sure doesn't heed her own advice.

The Silver Jedi Order had done nothing for her people, outside of trying to sign the Systems Alliance up to fight in their wars. Her people were not cannon fodder for foreign governments that attacked others so openly. It was common knowledge that the Silver Jedi were a militant Jedi. Their causes were not always just.

"I didn't say that you are stupid and desperate. Stubborn and naive to how the Galaxy works yes, but not stupid and desperate. However, you should be able to understand their position. Who else would bypass all protocol for going to a planet that is not your own, not contact the port authorities or give your destination and purpose to the BEFORE breaking the atmosphere, but a person with ill intent? Even I, an invited guest, followed proper procedure, contacted the authorities while in orbit and awaited instructions on where to proceed. Had I not done that, something that is expected at every planet from a foreigner, then I too might be in your position."

The young lady hadn't learned much at all after the debacles of the Ruussan Accords and the CSA meeting. She still speaks to others with bite and an air of superiority above them, much like the priests here that made Kay so uncomfortable. "The Silver Jedi, and by extension, you, have as bad of a reputation as the Sith and the Imperials, and that isn't something that is so easily fixed. You claim to be nothing more than a helpless woman, yet anyone would know that a Jedi is far from that, even one that had their lightsaber taken away.

Here I am, trying to have them send you home, yet instead you would rather see to being further detained. It is almost as though you wanted to be captured. That is a tactic that a spy or assassin would use. I urge you to take caution in every moment from here on out."

Kay looked to [member="Mythos"] and [member="Kainan Wolfe"] . "May I also suggest that her Master be contacted so that they know that their Padawan has gone astray and had broken entry into a sovereign world that is not under Silver Jedi jurisdiction."

 

[Mythos]

"The Fleet shall be at your disposal for escort Kay, It does me good to know you will be landing and arriving safe to Commenor but please, remember what i have said and even if you are traveling within your own territories do not let up an inch in security. I will help in whatever way i can, my colleague Kainan will take care of your departure" Mythos said, his smile now returning to a mild natured one hiding the pain beneath it as he puffed away at his pipe. "Let me know when you arrived personally via holocall so i know you arrived safe, send Veiere my best regards, tell Darben if he wishes to come at the behest of Commenor to establish more trade deals for any reason he may do so and finally Brad will also have a wing here in Nibelungen if he so wishes."

Sadly the time for pleasentries ad discussion of mild mannered attitudes came at an end when the shuttle of The Lord of Shrouds arrived. Mythos prepared himself to meet eye to eye with a champion and warrior of Silver Jedi... boy was he surprised. Out of the shuttle came one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen from Mustafar to Korriban and everywhere in between but the way she moved and the power of the light within her he could sense was unrefined... this was no master. He narrowed his eyes but kept his demeanor welcoming and positive. He smiled at Kainan returning the nod, it was a clear sign of respect he had learned in Atrisia, he might be king but respect is a two way street. The Lord of Shrouds made great service and Mythos appreciated his devotion, intelligence, tenacity and resourcefulness more than he would let on but his body language would speak for itself.

Mythos took the lightsaber and examined it in the palm of his hand, turning the blade to judge it's weight, color and grip then turned to regard its owner but he still did not say a word other than to his Lord of Shrowds. "Thank you, as always your example is exemplary to the troops and to your peers. I entrust you now with Lady Kay, Queen of Commenor and my good friend." He did not know the level of trust he had in this man to give him such a seemingly mundane task in words spoken but it was, without a doubt, second only to trusting his only daughter Kida.

Then Mrs. Swail spoke and Mythos' expression changed. He was being filled in about... The Russan Accords? Prior meetings? Kay and this Jedi knew each other? His eyes darted from both to regard each other letting the exchange continue, the more he heard the more he was both confused and intrigued. He lacked context, but that did not stop him from connecting the dots.

Oh Mythos had indeed heard of the Silver Jedi and their loss in prestige and higher moral ground, he was both shocked and disappointed. Thurion, Coci, Theodred and Master Nima Taan had all met Mythos before and even in the face of battle and death Thurion had shown him honor along with his wife, Theodred welcomed him to his home and Master Taan had a dialogue even as to aiding in the ideology of Atrisia. Mythos had nothing but respect for the silver jedi, they were not his enemy... the Galactic Alliance was his enemy.

He let everyone have their say and took a long draw smoke of his pipe regarding all present then waved a hand over his head. "I appreicate your concern Kay but there will be no need to contact her master unless she wants to, she is no prisoner here as no Son or Daughter of Thurion Heavenshield is a prisoner in my worlds unless they are to bring harm and disorder. I am no stranger to the force nor am i a stranger to the ways of the light and dark, i can sense the intentions of a jedi when it is battle and you do not carry that with you today." His voice was stern, strong and filled with authority but also confident and kind. Strange... for a sith... but it was his way.

"Young Padawan, My Name is Animus Malgus, Lord Mythos, King and Sovereign ruler of the Ancient Eye Empire and it's territories. Every silver jedi I have ever met has treated me with honor, even as an adversary and kindness when in their home. Because of this precedent of your order I grant you freedom to stay here for as long as you wish and explore alongside my sentinels" He spoke while taking a step forward, eyes never breaking their lock on hers as a viper on a prey but his body moved differently, as an old friend to an old friend, his voice in the same tone but the skull he carried would broke no argument that he was Sith and the darkside of the force swirled around him like a typhoon of malice and ill intent... just not pointed at her at this time.

His voice softened and his hand extended returning her lightsaber. "I Am no enemy to the silver jedi Mrs. Swail, i do however, feel that the Silver Jedi i once knew was free from many of the horrific atrocities than have tarnished your name in the eyes of the galaxy but then again who am i to judge? Am I not Sith Lord who brought worlds down with my lightsaber while in The One Sith? You do not lie in saying we sith have a worse reputation." His words came with sorrow, truly he believed that the silver jedi were the key to balancing the force in the galaxy, one of light... one of darkness.... but with the Alliance and recent events that might now be impossible or so he thought. Still... she was bold to speak that way before a force that could snap her like a twig and send her body to the Silver Jedi order with a note and tip for the pilot.

He raised his eyebrow and graced her with a smile before asking. "Tell me, is Heavenshield still the grandmaster? Is he doing well? Master Nima Taan is she also doing well? I'm afraid my reputation and kill count deprives me of asking for myself"

He laughed at that, sad to be truthful but he still found it amusing. The sheer body count that he sported made any meeting with the jedi he respected become hostile. Pity...
[member="Lady Kay"] [member="Stephanie Swail"] [member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Twisting her wrists in frustration at being locked up and also at the words of the Commenor Queen who sounded more and more like a supporter of the Dark Side monsters ravaging the galaxy, Stephanie didn’t have chance to speak – which may have been the best thing – because the God-King spoke first and silenced everyone.

She was surprised to say the least at a few things.

The tone of his voice was softer than expected, boarding on understanding and humanity rather than a loud, powerful dominance somebody with a title of God and King combined would have. Also, his stance; it wasn’t aggressive and nor were his words. She didn’t look away from him, and found a quiet relief as he went on that on the surface, he had respect for the Silver Jedi that transcended a time before Stephanie even touched down on Voss itself.

Her back straightened a little as he moved forward, and when she hesitantly took her lightsaber hilt back, she glanced at the skull in his hand - that of a human. And even more the fact he was a Sith. These indeed were dark and dangerous and deceptive times, but as she was learning, there was balance to be sought. Lord Metus of the Confederacy was a Sith by nature, but not their enemy. So this God-King; was he a Sith by nature but also not an enemy? He certainly sounded like it.

And she had been invited to stay and explore?

Maybe this wasn’t going to be a disaster after all. She represented her Order no matter where she was; this was a key moment to try and prove herself, and pay naught to others in the room baying for her head.

”Lord Mythos, thank you.”

Such a weak opening, but one that summed up her feelings for him sparing her.

”Master Heavenshield and his wife support the Order still, but they are no longer Grandmaster and Master of the Order respectively. They reside on Midvinter now, sitting out a little of, how do we say, office politics? But they are certainly still present when we need them to be.” She smiled slightly feeling more relaxed. ”They are a good people and have infused that in those who carry the Order forward now. My Master [member="Valae Kitra"] is the new Grandmaster – she is as beautiful as Coci and as wise as Thurion. She has a heart of pure good and is my inspiration.”

Stephanie caught herself getting too relaxed, and she stood straight again and melted the silly smile on her face as she honest words Mythos spoke sunk in.

”I do not know Master Tann, I’m sorry. And I am also sorry for any misconception of the Silver Jedi Order. It has been difficult. Allies became enemies, but enemies became allies. Propaganda is the most powerful weapon in this galaxy, and those who simply accepted what people said turned their back on us when we needed them the most. We no longer have a home on Voss after the First Order, the Galactic Empire and the Sith Empire itself pushed us to breaking point.” She sighed. ”But we survived. Just. Kashyyyk is our home now, and we have found wonderful opportunities to expand, to educate and support those with us striving for a peaceful future.”

The Padawan gave a half-hearted smile to the God-King. She looked around at her surroundings for a moment.

”You have a majestic establishment here, Lord Mythos. May I ask a question, and probably the only one I ever had coming here – who or what IS the Ancient Eye? We have heard whispers and rumour. I simply came here to see if what they said were true, and it looks like it was.”

[member="Mythos"] | [member="Kainan Wolfe"] | [member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Mythos"] | [member="Ra'a'mah"] | [member="Kyle Raymus"] | [member="Kiso"] | [member="Sena"] | [member="Roella Arwyn"] | [member="Shaun Irons"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Darth Abyss"]​

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• City of Angramar
  Capital of the Ancient Eye, Nibelungen

The Jedi's attitude did nothing to lift her up in Wolfe's eyes and as she went on about her supposedly peaceful intentions and naive motive for coming here, the warlord sighed and shook his head in disappointment. Regardless of why she had come here, she had demonstrated a complete disregard for jurisdictional boundaries and the laws of a foreign nation. Her behavior was typical of the Jedi, acting as if she was the supreme moral authority of the galaxy, as if she had free reign to do whatever she saw fit. Like a typical Jedi, it seemed as if the realization that the Galactic Republic was no more and that the Jedi no longer had free reign over the galaxy, had yet to dawn on her. He realized she needed to be knocked down a peg and he knew exactly how to impress upon her the fact that she could not do whatever she pleased. Despite giving her free reign over the planet, Mythos had said nothing about her ship. Wolfe's troops had impounded it. And he would make sure that when the time came for her to retrieve it, she would have to deal with so much red tape, that she would remember the ensuing headache for years to come, if not the rest of her life.

Wolfe stood silently as Mythos spoke, delivering his thanks and his instructions. His part here was done and it was time to tend to the business of trade relations, which he wanted to discuss with Lady Kay. He nodded gravely. "No harm will come to her," was all he said, but the tone made it clear that whoever attempted to test his words, would face the full wrath of the Lord of Shrouds and all the resources at his disposal. It was not a pleasant prospect.

Heavy cloak stirring in the gentle breeze, Wolfe turned to face Kay. If the desert heat affected him in any way, he showed no sign of it. Hand lifting in a graceful gesture to point towards the shuttle, Wolfe spoke. "Please follow me."

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[-SOUNDTRACK-]​

• Lambda-Class Shuttle
  On route to Winter, capital of the Shrouded Republic

Kay was offered a seat in the cockpit of the shuttle and as the silvery craft gracefully lifted itself out of the atmosphere, the reason became immediately clear. The seating arrangement offered the Commenori ruler a full view of what was outside and Wolfe was giving her the grand tour. It meant that whatever he wanted to show her, would be relevant to the topic of their discussion, but the warlord would remain silent for the rest of their journey to their destination on the frozen moon of Winter, a world known as the Realm of Night Eternal due to its peculiar geological phenomenons.

Joined by another squadron of TIE Reapers and flanked a pair of Chiselhead-class corvettes, the shuttle led the procession past a group of ships, three of them being Admonitor-class cruisers who's white hulls were streaked in places with dull gray. As the procession passed them, the streaks revealed themselves as patches of unpainted hull, the plating replaced where hull breaches once caused the ships to bleed men and oxygen into the cold vacuum of space. Battle scars, a reminder that the cruisers were part of a fleet which had spent the better part of two years without stopping. For two years, Wolfe and his people had been on the run from those who would see them erased from the face of the galaxy. For two years, they did more than struggle to survive. When Wolfe and Kay first met, the Shrouded fleet was not even half the size it was now. Which meant that these ships were more recent, likely built months after the warlord had taken his band of refugees out of Commenori space.

As they passed into the atmosphere of the moon and entered the gloomy, frozen twilight of the world below, the shuttle and its escorts followed the course of an ancient volcanic valley and in front of them, stood a breathtaking sight. Three massive pillars formed a symbolic gateway into the home of the Shrouded Republic. They were not hollow durasteel, but carved stone. Upon them hung massive banners bearing the angular, flaming phoenix wings that were emblem of the Republic and symbol of its mission to rise from the ashes that spawned it. Carved into the top of each pillar, in lettering that was clearly visible, even from within the shuttle itself, were words that embodied the highest ideals of the reborn nation.

PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH​

AND JUSTICE WITHOUT MERCY​

Beyond the pillars, on each side of the canyon that formed the thoroughfare, were thousand upon thousands of faceless statues, each holding a bowl in its hands within which a flame burned bright. These represented all those who lost their lives so that the survivors of the Dominion may realize their dream of a new home. This was how the Shrouded Republic honored its heroes. And the shuttle's occupants bore solemn looks in their eyes as their vessel passed through.

Clearing the canyon, the view gave way to a massive cityscape, the skyline dominated by immense, ominous looking T-shaped towers and a webwork of bridges and causeways connecting them. The foundations of these towers were wreathed in fog and darkness, but every now and then, a light flashed through. A city, built upon another city which now lay within the oppressive shadow of the spires of the conquerors which lived above. Spires like the one towards which the shuttle was heading in to land, touching down on a large terrace that doubled up as a landing pad.

As the shuttle's loading ramp lowered, its occupants were assaulted by a bone-chilling cold and a smell of brimstone from the mixture of snow and ash falling down from below. It seemed that the city's shields were kept intentionally at a reduced capacity, letting some of the foul weather in. A reminder, perhaps, to the city's inhabitants of what they had endured to arrive here. Wolfe did not want his people to grow weak and complacent, resting on the laurels of their victory. In their quest to rebuild their civilization, the people of the Shrouded Republic had sacrificed two of the things which made democracies a beacon of hope in the galaxy: kindness and compassion. What had replaced them, was discipline and an iron will.

Always being the last one to board the shuttle, Wolfe was also the first one to step out. Setting foot upon the cold durasteel of the exposed terrace, Wolfe faced Kay, his eyes beaming with a hint of pride. "My lady, we have arrived."

​

​

 

[Kyle Raymus]

Winter, The Frozen Moon
Northern Hemisphere
Construction site Omega.

The freezing world of Winter. It was most certainly cold. Not a kind world. It was harsh and unforgiving. Cold. That's what the people of the Shrouded Republic were. They gave away their kindness. They had no mercy. Most of them anyway. While they could enjoy a cup of tea and some friendly chat, that was reserved for fellow citizens, in peaceful times. Wrongdoers were immediately outcasted from society, and in times of war, the entire nation turned into a vicious war machine. In one word, the Shrouded Republic was tough.

After quite a bit of travel, Kyle finally returned to the barren wasteland he called home. It was a harbor of hope for those who like him, came here after the destruction of the Dominion. After a while of constant travel, hardships, skirmishes and tough repairs midflight. Finally they could settle down. This world would become their capital and it would have to be well defended. This was why six construction ships from Rinzler-Zetta were setting down towards the surface of the planet. The shipyards are located at Lorrd, so it is a way away, but finally they arrived, the components for a new weapon system. A ground based proton beam cannon, made to shred ships in orbit of the world. Enemies must not be allowed to get close to the capital, and this would help. Even a siege carrier wouldn't be able to hold on for long under such a barrage. This weapon would also be supported by flak cannons, which were designed to take down enemy dropships while they were still in the upper Ionosphere. Long range, set to detonate at approximately 70,000 metres above ground.

This weapon system was finally approved by the Lord of Shrouds, and the Shrouded Republic military department. It was a drag getting the documents through, along with the plans and everything but it is going to be worth it. The main cannons would take some time and effort, but they were a neccessary part of the defense system. These proton beam cannons could even fire at ships attacking the other moons and planets of the system, provided the moon was rotated enough for the cannon to be able to get an angle on the enemy. Range isn't an issue for such a sophisticated weapon system.

The ships touched down on the surface of the planet and began unloading the components of the weapons. Six 3000 meter long cargo carriers. They contained quite a bit of metal and this would require a large work force. Luckily, there was plenty. All the second class citizens (you can't really call them citizens even) would be forced to work on this project, and they would then be kept under close watch, so to prevent them from leaking information on the defense system. For now they just had to start the works, however Kyle heard some comm chatter about an insurgent on the planet. Perhaps a Silver Jedi spy? Anything is possible. Kyle ordered the launch of escort starfighters, 6 TIE/Reapers. They would be launched to intercept any unidentified ship leaving the system. Order or not, this was Rinzler-Zetta buisness, and Kyle couldn't afford losing more money. Or risk the defense system being compromised. This planet will be held.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay's jaw dropped slightly as [member="Mythos"] seemed to bypass any concern brought by both [member="Kainan Wolfe"] and herself, to instead handwaive the breaking of his own laws. Only moments ago was he lecturing her about travelling without a huge escort, imposing drills that seemed to threaten her ship and crew. Now he was thinking with another bodypart besides his brain. Well if his whoring gave the Galaxy peace, who was she to argue? He had probably hundreds of children in the Galaxy and cared for maybe just one or two out of the bunch, having left their mothers to fend for themselves and raise their child alone. Her adopted son [member="Bradshaw Ku"] was much the same way, which was why she limited his authority. He hadn't the maturity. Who knows how many children he had fathered and abandoned? It was one of the things that kept her up at night.

Thankfully she had an exit, no longer having to be in an uncomfortable situation. Mythos was already heavily distracted, so Kay didn't bother to bow her head or anything. Instead she looked to Kainan, giving him a nod as he directed her to his shuttle. "Thank you." She took hold of her umbrella in both hands as she stepped onto the shuttle, somewhat surprised at being put in the front. Such a thing wasn't common place, so there had to be a purpose for it.

Kay didn't expect to be taken off world, yet here they were rising from the surface of the desert world and up into the atmosphere. She looked over her shoulder to Kainan, expecting to hear some sort of commentary or something, but there was only silence. She shifted her weight a little in her seat and turned to face forward again, looking out through the shuttle's windows.

The vastness of the skies were riddled with ships, some still under construction. A new Empire was being born and that put her in a state of unease, regardless of her friend being it's ruler. There was just something wrong about it all and she couldn't quite shake the feeling of being uncomfortable.

Soon they arrived to the wintery moon. Outside of the lights, it looked like a dreary place, a moon almost dead and frozen. Still no words were spoken between either of them, no information on what she was seeing. Her eyes were drawn to the words carved in stone. Justice Without Mercy? Oh no...

The shuttle ride came to an end, landing on a terrace high above the ground. As she got to her feet, the door opened, letting in the cold, crisp air. Kay wasn't quite dressed for it, yet she did her best to pretend otherwise, surpressing a chill that threatened to go to the bone. Her umbrella was drawn open, keeping the snow and ash from falling on her head while Kainan let her know the obvious. They were at his own personal grounds within this new government. "It's....certainly something. Shall we go inside?" Hopefully there was tea. Her own travel stock of it was still on board The Free Lady.

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

​

Attn: [member="Mythos"] | [member="Kyle Raymus"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Darth Abyss"] | [member="Lord Harris"]​

​

• City of Westender
  Capital of the Shrouded Republic, Winter

Wolfe nodded, his hand motioning for the large transparisteel doors that led into the building as he unclasped his cloak and handed it to her. "Forgive me. I hadn't realized you would be dressed so lightly. The weather here is... difficult. Would you like to have a drink? Tea, perhaps?" he asked her as he led the way inside, just as a pair of Lambda-class shuttles, escorted by two TIE Reapers rose from one of the adjacent towers, gliding into the misty undercity below. A patrol, perhaps, or a crackdown against crime. Something which on most worlds, would be handled by local law enforcement, not the military. Here, they were one and the same.

The office immediately inside, was large and sparsely furnished. A massive desk, carved out of a single block of wroshyr wood from Kashyyk, sat at the back of the room, the large windows and doors through which Wolfe and his guest had entered, directly behind it. Once again, a large glass table sat at the center, seemingly hanging in mid air, held there by hidden repulsorlifts. The chairs which surrounded it, were large and comfortable and were made out of real leather. The walls were lined with bookcases which contained real paper books, reminiscent of Wolfe's office on his Star Destroyer, the now infamous Dark Star. It was a tasteful, but expensive setup.

A servant arrived, bringing a silver tray that held a steaming tea kettle and three cups, as well as a jar of sugar and one of cinnamon. All made of porcelain and the accompanying silverware was ornately engraved with stylized figures of wolves. The servant, a young woman, deposited the tray on the table, then left the room as silently as she entered.

"Please, have a seat," Wolfe said to Kay, his tone polite and formal. "We will be joined by a member of my senior command staff, Admiral Harris, soon," he explained the reasoning for the third cup. It was hard to tell, though, if the subject of the discussion was to be military matters. The presence of a high-ranking military officer in a discussion about trade or diplomacy, would not be out of place here on this militarized moon.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay took the cloak in hand, draping it over her shoulders as well as she could while holding the umbrella. It wasn't until she was inside that she lowered the umbrella and closed it, shaking off the snow and ash. "Well I wasn't expecting to be coming here. I'll know better the next time." If there was a next time. With the birth of her twins, it was getting harder and harder to leave her system at all. And now with Mythos' insistance that she travel everywhere with basically a whole army to travel with her, well, it didn't make her feel safe or free. It made her almost feel as though she was a prisoner. One of her old bodyguards had told her that she was a prisoner to her position. Only now was she starting to believe his point of view. But it was the price that she had to pay for the wrongs that she had done in the past. "Tea would be wonderful, thank you."

She followed [member="Kainan Wolfe"] into his office. In a way it reminded her of the office that she was brought to on their first meeting, back when he had taken her hostage for merely stumbling onto his fleet while she was enroute to a different location. Hopefully he had learned from that and wouldn't repeat the same mistake. Only time would tell.

Kay raised a brow as Kainan told her that some other was going to be joining them. She took a seat and poured herself a cup of tea, not bothering to reach for the sugar or cinnamon as she preferred her tea black. She cradled the cup in both of her hands, bringing it up for a grateful sip that brought warmth along with it, breaking some of the chill that the cold air was giving her. "Might I inquire as to the nature of this meeting?"

[member="Lord Harris"]

 

[null3]

Harris' Ship drifted above Westender city. The hanger flickered as two tie fighters and a transport came out. Harris and Commander Wills sat in the back of the transport chatting.

"So sir, what is this meeting about?"

"Not sure yet Commander, we will find out soon enought."

The ship lowered through the atmosphere and glided through the skies towards a landing pad on the Capital. The ship touched down on the landing pad and Harris unclipped from his seat, he and Wills shifted.

"Okay, we are here. From my knowledge, we are to be having some sort of meeting with the shrouded republic''s higher ups. This could be our change to cola borate with them and fully integrate."

"Sir, what of the metal lords?"

"They will soon be of no concern to us wills. Their empire I'd dying, and I'm doing what's best for the Dominion and leaving."

"Understood."

Harris and Wills stood and stepped to the back of the ship. The hydraulics released and the door opened. Harris stepped out with Wills on one side, and a trooper on the other behind him. He toched the landing pad and greeted a soldier standing there.

"Hello, which was is the meeting that I'm going to?"

"Right this way sir."

 

[Mythos]

Mythos nodded to the jedi in understanding and his expresion changed when he heard that Thurion Himself was no longer grandmaster of the silver jedi. That explained a lot, he thought to himself, but he did not voice it. The fact that she did not know master Tann did not surprise her, he had not heard of her in almost a decade. He could feel her relax, her posture and her words giving him the satisfaction of bringing her to a place where she felt comfortable. She was the key to the silver jedi, she was the key to a bridge between them both and pulling the silvers from the alliance, leaving the alliance to fall... Only with their fall could balance be procured... that is what he thought. He knew it to be true in his feelings, in his emotions and his heart.

He spoke no word, he let her speak and nodded, leaning back against the very air of Angramar propping himself up with just telekinetic power enhanced by the skull in his hand which he now placed in his shoulder. It was then, he saw it. The fire of curiosity and wonder of what was around her, around them was the glory of Angramar and what he was building... Mythos loved to build... he also loved to gloat about his constructions.

He smiled to her and looked around him for himself. "This Miss Swail, Is Angramar. The Cradle of the Gods"

The massive buildings around them spanned for miles but the one above them was to be the spire of the city. "If you wish to know about The Ancient Eye it would be my pleasure to be your teacher" He began, leaning forward and hailing his speeder, a personal vessel of one person which was automated for travel... That was her transport... Mythos moved in much more ancient modes of transportation around these parts.

Four hundred pounds of Korriban beast with a songsteel armor and saddle appeared behind him, this was Groom, Mythos' Tuk'ata and his most trusted battlefield companion. There was room for two in the back of the beast and the view was beautiful from where they stood but there was much more than just this to understand the Ancient Eye, it's religion. it's government and it's rigid caste system. "Do you prefer to travel dangerously?" he said, extending an arm to the back of his hound but looking at the speeder. Would she ride with him or in the speeder?
[member="Stephanie Swail"]
​

 

[Stephanie Swail]

Stephanie turned with the God-King to survey the city of Angramar.

It truly was a place like she hadn’t seen before. It seemed to harken design and architecture from the past, but everything seemed to new and modern at the same time. Spires rose from where they stood into the far distance, pyramids of various sizes peaked across the skyline with golden peaks. Steam rose with the intense heat, and mountains cradled the city in the far distance.

She stepped forward and took it all in.

The God-King truly held a title that matched the ethos of the city; a city built by Kings for Gods.

A speeder pulled up in the open air beside them and it caught her attention, bringing her back as a large mounted Tuk’ata elegantly moved out puling what looked like chariot.

Stephanie looked from the chariot, to the speeder, to the God-King, and smiled.

"I’m a Padawan of the Silver Jedi. Danger is what I do best."

She glanced at the speeder and the chariot again, and moved towards the elegant speeder and stepped inside.

”But as I may be dangerous, I’m never without precaution."

With a warm smile and nod of the head she sat down in the speeder and rested her arm over the side, smiling to herself as she lapped up the view and how…surreal this place was, like was a dream or something.

[member="Mythos"]

 

[null3]

Harris walked down the street's of Angramer, past the buildings and lavish furnishings. The city was beautiful, he had to admit. Harris stayed close behind his guard. They stopped at a building and waited for the doors to open.

"Best behavior wills."

The commander smiled and chuckled. He was wearing an old officers uniform from the time of the old Republic, and it fit him nicely.

The door to the building opened and the guard motioned for Harris to follow, and he did. The building was beautiful as well. Harris turned into a perpendicular hallway then stopped. The guard tapped on the door and then moved clear. The door slid opened and Harris stepped in, wills behind him.

"Hello, I'm Lord Harris, Agent of the Metal lords, Emperor of The Dominion Remnant, and Admiral of the Shrouded Republic. It's a pleasure to meet the both of you."

[member="Lady Kay"] [member="Kainan Wolfe"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

​

Attn: [member="Mythos"] | [member="Kyle Raymus"] | [member="Lady Kay"] | [member="Stephanie Swail"] | [member="Darth Abyss"] | [member="Lord Harris"]​

​

• City of Westender
  Capital of the Shrouded Republic, Winter

Wolfe smiled and tapped some buttons on his datapad. A hologram appeared in mid air, above the coffee table. It displayed a rotating image of a Valiant-class Star Destroyer, like Wolfe's flagship. "I wanted to discuss trade relations," he said, hand waving at the image of the warship which abducted her two years ago. "I believe you are already familiar with the Valiant-class and its capabilities. I am willing to share the blueprints with you and grant Commenor permission to mass produce and field this class of vessels, in exchange for production rights. More precisely, I want Commenor to build Star Destroyers for us, at a price of seventy million credits each," he explained. Seventy million was what it had cost him to develop and secretly build his flagship, so it was a generous offer.

The door opened and the guard motioned for the new arrival to enter. Wolfe rose from his seating and shook the man's hand. "Greetings, Admiral Harris and welcome to the capital. This is Lady Kay, Queen of Commenor. We were discussing the procurement of additional ships for the fleet and were awaiting your arrival," said Wolfe. "Please, have a seat. And a cup of tea, should you wish."

"As I was telling Lady Kay, I wish to place an order for several additional Star Destroyers with the Commenori shipyards. In addition to paying for the vessels' construction, I have also offered to grant Commenor permission to field the Valiant-class as part of their fleet," Wolfe explained, bringing Harris up to speed.