The Reunion (Salem)

[Kal Strife]

The flash of cerulean marking the Hand's return to realspace drew Strife's eyes out toward the darkness once more. He'd known of the craft, of course. He was not a stupid man, and had done his research before venturing into this place. Of course, he had been surprised to learn of the power his onetime foe now wielded, yet not a glimmer of that surprise showed on his features now as he stoically watched the Star Destroyer advance upon the station.

"It's good to see an ImpStar again," he murmured, eyes tracing the hard lines of the massive starship appraisingly, seeking out familiar weaknesses he knew all too well both from commanding such venerable craft and leading strikes against them, "They add a sense of permanence, do you not think?"

As he spoke, the Corellian turned over [member="Salem Norongachi"]'s latter words in his mind. The Confederacy? Ah, he'd allowed himself a moment of amusement when first he read of them. It was strange how the galaxy could go full circle, was it not? And for Salem, a man who had held such power within the same Corporate Sector Authority as had absorbed so very much of the first Confederation of Independent Systems, to wield such power over them? Oh yes, the Force assuredly had a sense of humour, albeit a twisted one. And what of he? He too had once controlled that selfsame Corporate Sector Authority. Could he possibly extend that domination to the Confederacy that Norongachi now named as his home? More to the point, did he wish to?

Did he have a choice?

"Alone," he conceeded after a heartbeat's hesitation, "We will likely fail. History has shown us that." Indeed it had, and also it had shown that only when they had stood together did they stand a chance of bloodying the shadow that stood against them. So what alternative was there? None that the Strife could see. "Very well," the Corellian concluded, "You have my allegiance. For the now."

 

[Salem Norongachi]

"Taken straight from the hands of the Grand Vizier himself." The price he'd paid for the ship went unsaid by Salem as he took another drink, which finished the glass. He set it down on the table and then nodded at [member="Kal Strife"]. The alcohol was already beginning to soothe the want from his body, a need that came from regret and sorrow. As much as Norongachi had grown to almost imitate Kalvin Stirfe, he had never been able to fully shed what little remained of his conscience.

When his wayward son had wiped out his brothers in a final act of defiance, Norongachi had felt their deaths. Even now he remembered the feeling of having his soul ripped apart with every scream in the Force. It drove him to drink, although he and Strife both knew that he had always walked the line between excess and addiction on that front. It was that day that had finally knocked him over the edge and he'd been falling ever since.

"Alligence?" Sal said with a quizical look. "I didn't think you had that word in your vocabulary." A smile showed the joke had no real teeth but it also reflected his relief. If what they had spoken of was indeed true, and that something out there was powerful enough to control their lives like they were puppets upon strings, he was very glad that he didn't have to face it alone.