The Next Phase

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Neesa wrapped both hands around the hilt of Thirst. It wasn't meant to be a thrusting blade, but her arms were tired. As she put all of her weight onto it the wounded Jedi didn't even struggle or scream. He just watched her with hollow eyes, mouth opening and closing silently until the last spark of life left him. She mercilessly placed a boot on his midriff and wrenched the blade free to a sickening crunch.

The gore left on the blade was soaked up, leaving it as clean as it had been at the start of the battle. For a moment Neesa stood there, soaking in the scene. Troopers had arrived and were sorting the Jedi protectors who hadn't escaped into those worth holding for interrogation and those to be finished off. A destroyer now hung low in the air over the citadel. Its structure was crumbling in several places but the Silvers had erected scaffolding and started repairs. An enterprising sith officer had sent two drones up to hang a scarlet resurgent empire banner from the metalwork.

It wasn't quite the image of the past when this had been the centre of the Sith Empire, but it was a step in the right direction. Her own quarry might have escaped but she had faced the Grand Master of the Silver Jedi himself and survived. Admittedly it had taken two of them to drive him off and she was every step brought a fresh surge of pain.

She caught sight of Vrak making his way towards the citadel itself. It had been a long time since she had been sent by Lord Sitas to work as his accomplice. It had been a difficult start. But this had been his vision. And here they were. Victorious on Kaas. As she had been then - albeit slowly - she was now drawn into his wake. Neesa limped, the cauterised flesh at her hip pulled with each step, but she started to catch up.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

This. This was what it had been for.

Dromund Kaas had always been Vraks ultimate goal. It wad this world above all other that he had wanted to hol within the palm of his hand. So many other Sith coveted Korriban, Thule, or even Ziost. For him however it had always been about Dromund Kaas.

This world was his families home.

It had been here that the name Nashar had been first recorded. Here that his family came into being and took on their role within the Empire. It had been here that Vraks ancestors schemed and plotted to find their way onto the Dark Council and above. For Vrak this world was home.

It was where he would ascend.

A small smile pulled at his lips.

The Citadel had risen once more, the city around it had been reconstructed and built up. Slowly the world around them was once again beginning to change and twist in all the right ways. The Sith had returned.

 

[Neesa]

Her pace slowed as she crossed the walkway. Of everything here the bridge that crossed the chasm to the citadel looked the most new. But as she walked it was the scale of the building towering overhead that had her tip her head back and marvel. The belly of the destroyer was directly overhead now. The scale of everything made her head spin.

Head back down, her dark, messy hair fell forwards. Her robes had been abandoned at the start of the battle and she had simple black clothes and a solid chest plate on. The fabric around her left hip had a sheen from the blood it had soaked up. Her own. That would need treating soon. She'd drained some power from the Jedi before finishing him and at least started the healing process.

She didn't address Vrak as she caught up. She merely followed off to his right hand side as he reached the threshold.

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

The New Citadel was, as the old had been, the center of government on Dromund Kaas.

Preperations had been made to move the Empire's Capital here to Kaas, though until construction was finished such things were unlikely. A few members of the Council wanted to keep the central government on Ziost, the bureaucracy already placed there was established and moving things would be less difficult. For Vrak however such things didn't make a whole lot of sense.

Dromund Kaas was their home, it was the seat of the Council and it was now where things would be organized from. "The Jedi Lord."

Vrak spoke to Neesa, having been vaguely aware of her presence.

"The One you fought outside the citadel." He gestured towards the distance. "What was his name?"

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"The big blonde one? The old Grandmaster apparently: Thurion Heavenshield. He was a powerful Jedi," she reflected. "Kept shouting slogans at the top of his voice to try and rally his men. Problem was he ran out of men."

She permitted herself a thin smile that became a grimace on the next step. A little pride had to be permitted after what had been achieved today. They stood at the very heart of what they had achieved, what they had reclaimed. No one would take this from them now. After the mandalorians had devestated the surface there was much to be done. There would be a great deal to be reclaimed that still lay beneath the surface. Hopefully the Silver Jedi had not desecrated every tomb and citadel during their tenure.

It was a shame many prominent members of the Order had escaped, but it would have been a waste of words to say it. Many hadn't. That was obvious from the scene back where Vrak had waved his arm.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

He frowned for a moment.

Heavenshield. The Pureblood had been told the woman he'd fought had the same name. It made sense, and from the intelligence reports it was easy enough to piece together that the two were husband and wife. The idea of that confused him slightly, but then again many actions the Jedi took had that affect. For a moment the Sith Lord said nothing more, instead continuing across the bridge towards the Citadel itself. A few of the Red Guard quickly found themselves in tow behind the Sith.

"They are not yet broken." He reminded Neesa.

"The Silver Jedi hold more territory and resources than us." He glanced towards the city. "Still."

For a moment Vrak mused. "It is a victory."

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"They did not seem well prepared, despite some powerful Jedi being present," she replied. "If they don't return I expect they'll at least be watchful. We'll need to work out where their weak spots are." An enemy that was rushing was one that was making mistakes. It was on the Silvers to play catch up now. Neesa couldn't help anyone form.milotary strategy, but she could work on information gathering.

"Not everyone is pleased for the right reasons," she added. As they walked she cast her eyes about. Just in case she used some of the energy drained from a dying Jedi to cast a quick spell with a few gestures. The sound from around them was suddenly muffled as it reached them and more importantly the reverse was true.

"There are several back on Athiss who hoped for victory because they felt it would take the focus away. That it would allow them to send the world backwards when the power moved here."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

"It's to be expected." He commented.

The Sith were ever vying for as much control as they possibly could. By their very nature they wanted power, they wanted strength, and they wanted secrets. That was who his people were, that was what their entire culture was based around. He had no doubt that even now half a dozen Sith were planning his death, perhaps more. It was doubtless that some of them would try to take more power as Dromund Kaas was built up. He frowned for a moment, stopping on the bridge.

"We need names." The Pureblood told Neesa. "Perhaps we can use this to our advantage."

It was always best to turn the blade away rather than stop it. If one man tried to seize power it would be possible to turn him against the other man attempting to seize power. Playing ones opponents against themselves was always far more simple than eradicating them one by one. "Lord Sitas is certainly pleased."

The Pureblood commented, eyeing Neesa as he did so.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Neesa slowed to a halt. There was an uncomfortable silence and she didn't meet his gaze for a moment. In the end she didn't even acknowledge his last comment, finding herself unsure of how to respond.

"I have a few people I trust to collect some names. Or rather get some hard facts on the names already being whispered. Things that can be used. I'll need to head back to Athiss to put some contingencies in place." In case her trust was misplaced, went unsaid. She didn't truly trust, not ever.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

He frowned for a moment then slowly nodded.

"I will not be returning to Athiss for quite some time." With good reason. Though Ziost was the technical Capital of the Empire it was still here on Dromund Kaas that most of the power would eventually fall. That was inevitable.

There were also more...personal reasons.

"They will try to take advantage." He stated the obvious. "Use it to your advantage."

The Pureblood didn't state exactly what he meant, but if Neesa was clever she would see the opportunity he now presented to her.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Neesa saw shapes moving towards them across the bridge. As soon as her keen eyes discerned no one of importance she returned her gaze back towards Vrak. She hadn't seen his mistress on the field. Had it simply been inconvenient or was he keeping her safe?

"That should make this relatively quick. Then onto the future, rather than the past."

Her pale face turned back towards the citadel. This would be the centre of it all. The politics, the intrigue. The power. She wouldn't stray far from that.

"Then my attention goes back to the Silver Jedi and what they prepare. Unless it should be elsewhere."

The two slaves, one human and one sith, reached them. They were deferentially carrying her formal robes. The ones that marked her as Sitas' shadow hand.

"When I have covered my wounds," she snapped at them and then bowed and back away. It wouldn't do to cover them in her own blood.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

Amusement flashed across his features.

He did not control the movements of the Empire, at least not in the way that many people would assume. The Dark Council was what decided the actions of the armies. The Councilor for War had the most sway of course, but that didn't always mean things would go his way.

"Perhaps." He said cryptically.

His gaze cast towards the city.

"There is talk of other targets." His eyes wandered towards on of the Red Guard that had been following them. "The Sith that 'aided' us during the assault of Dromund Kaas."

There was disdain in his tone, knowledge that those that had come had hardly helped at all. "Their schism is bringing more concern than a falling Jedi Order."

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Neesa couldn't ignore the tone of his voice. By contrast her response was level in tone, cautious. She didn't know a great deal about the other factions of Sith. It was a large galaxy. They'd come in their ships to negotiate once, but it didn't seem as if much had come of it. It wouldn't be long before they tried to usurp the Dark Council of they held Kaas.

"How strong are they?" She asked. "The Silver Jedi have almost never mounted an attack of their own. There's a reason they sit at the edge of the disk and keep out of any major conflicts. How can a Jedi even claim to serve the Force if they do nothing with their power?"

That rankled the most. She simply couldn't fathom having power and not using it. That was worse than the Jedi tendancy to use it to protect the weak.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

Vrak shrugged. ”It depends on what you call strength.”

The Sith on the far side of the galaxy were an odd bunch. By all reports they had done nothing of note save a few planetary raids, apart from that nothing much. The Sith frowned for a few moments at Neesas comment.

She was right of course, but it hardly mattered to them.

”Jedi are weak.” He commented. ”No matter their desires or ambitions.”

He glanced at Neesa. ”Remember that.”

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

"Let's for instance call it strength in numbers," Neesa replied. "Do they have dominion over much space?"

It feel to Neesa as if this was a blind spot now. A few names and their reputation didn't build a useful picture of a potential threat. She would need to go to their space herself and start to find new contacts.

She narrowed her eyes. It was hard to fathom the way the Jedi thought for her, to try and predict what they would do. But the decisions the Silver Jedi made now would have to be military ones, political ones. Those were simple enough.

"The Silvers will have to show strength somehow. If that doesn't mean attacking us back it will be a show of force somehow. If only to reassure their people."

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

"Less than us." He stated simply.

From what he knew the Ascendancy had yet to truly expand at a mass capacity, though the Resurgent Empire hadn't exactly focused on their own dominions. Now that they had Kaas however that would quickly change. Things were cycling, moving, and their armies were quickly shifting once more.

"The Silver Jedi will not die yet." He admitted. "But they are a lesser concern to the Council."

Whether or not Vrak included himself in that was to be seen. "There are other, easier targets."

Ones that would allow for greater expansion at a more rapid pace.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

Neesa looked off to one side before replying. Lord Sitas was back again. He'd been on the bridge of his command ship during the battle. Whilst the Force was limitless she'd lost their telepathic connection when his ship had passed into hyperspace to pursue several Silver vessels.

The Silver Jedi weren't known for launching offensives. If there were others to move on then they could probably be kept on the sidelines through any number of means.

"Is this where you expected we would be now?" She asked. It would have been an innocuous question. A status update on progress against a plan. But it was slightly more than that, her tone making the question more candid. Neesa had never thought they wouldn't succeed, but at the same time she hadn't expected the sith to have made such a mark in this space of time.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

It was a good question. His plans had always been ambitious, and he'd been pushing Athiss to drive forward for years but in truth he had never quite expected things to move so quickly. Initially he had thought more Sith would try to strike against them, he had thought the Silver Jedi would put up more resistance.

It was all very...interesting. "No."

The Pureblood finally answered.

"I expected it all to take more time." Though perhaps that was simply what Purebloods were used to, things taking...centuries. "I thought it would be a decade before we held Dromund Kaas once again."

Yet here they were.

 

[Neesa]

[member="Vrak Nashar"]

A decade? She didn't see the big picture. Neesa typically had more manageable assignments to work with. Like Vrak she had expected it to take more time, but maybe by just a few years. Then again, she considered, she was young. Not even two decades old. Years probably seemed short to Vrak.

"The warlike Jedi seem busy right now," Neesa replied. She was normally a serious creature, but the left corner of her lips twitched upwards. "I will talk with Sitas. I think we can come up with a few plots to keep the Silver Jedi guessing and off guard if there is another direction that requires our full attention."

Better to keep those fools chasing their own shadows for a few months just in case they surprised everyone by developing the gumption to launch an effective offensive.

 

[Vrak Nashar]

[member="Neesa"]

"There is." Vrak stated simply in regards to her half question of another situation.

The simple truth was that the Silver Jedi Order was hardly in a state to counter invade them. Perhaps in time they would be, but for now their loss at Kaas had more than shattered their morale. They were moving now to consolidate their own governing forces, and Vrak doubted they would move against the Resurgent Empire unless coaxed to do so.

"We'll focus our efforts on the Dominion." He told her simply. "Serenno."

A noble world. "Break their supply lines and take what we require."

From there they could see to other things.