To Bastion and Beyond.

[Darth Banshee]

After the battle for Eshan, Sabrina was back on her ship, returning with an unlikely prisoner. The prisoner was the Eternal Emperor [member="Darth Tacitus"], she thought he had died after being hit by star destroyer. Yet the force was making him whole again, she had him taken to a suite on her ship, while he was still regenerating. Then stopped of to get a few Ysalamiri lizards on route, they where going to be used for her prison tower on Serenno. Though for now helping to contain him was the priority, as he proven very skilled in the art of sorcery. She did not want his healing to be disrupted though. So each nutrient tube was placed, in such away that the walls and parts of the room, where immune to the force, but he could still use it to heal. Though if he tried anything, they could be moved forward, to close of the entire room, and he would be aware of that.

She had four combat droids, inside the bubble in the room, to monitor and secure him. Once he had finished healing, her ship was on route to Bastion, the capital of the sith empire. He was to meet her Emperor [member="Darth Carnifex"], but in the meantime, she may as well talk to him herself. So when it was he healed enough, she came to meet him. She was not on ceremony, so she was not dressed up for the occasion. She was wearing her light phrik weave, as she came in. She was flanked by two royal guardsmen, and had a slave girl followed in behind her. The room was a two bedroom one, and was the second best on the ship, hers being the best. She sat on the sofa and smiled at him, the slave had few bags on her. It's a pleasure to meet you, and hope your healing well. I brought her as present for you, as unfortunatly for duration of your stay, you can not leave this room. Though she can get food for and drink for you, and can get anything else you require. She then gave him a short bow, she dressed modestly, and sabrina passed him the controls to her shock collar. He was now her master, and was owned by him permanently. So I give you an update, we are on our way to meet my emperor. As he wishes to see you, so no harm will come to you, unless you try and harm me or my ship. She basically telling him what was going to happen, as she did not want him to feel like he needed to try anything, as at the moment he was a person of importance. Also her grudge was not with him, but his brother [member="Adron Malvern"]. She then continued, Well I am sure you heard a bit about me, so tell me about yourself. She wanted to start a friendly dialog, as the feud that was starting between House Malvern and her was not something she wanted. As it served no real purpose, and she did try and stop it. Though either by her missed judge language, or his arrogance of her start in life, one was starting to happen. This was a second chance to nip it in the bud, before it went much further.

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Darth Banshee"]​

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• HMS Carnia
  On route to Bastion

The first thing the Sith Lord felt when he awoke, was pain. Horrible, soul-shattering pain, the kind which no regular injury could inflict. The pain came through the Force, but with it came life and Tacitus was not unfamiliar with the sensation, having experienced it twice before. So he kept silent as he studied his new surroundings, not wanting to show any weakness that could be exploited against him.

He quickly noticed the Ysalamiri forming a barrier around him to cut off his escape and it did not take him long to figure out that he was a prisoner, though the interior of the room he was held in did not look like a typical Mandalorian ship, so he guessed he must have been captured by the Sith who attacked him on Eshan. He was immediately suspicious of the room's luxurious furnishings, it was certainly not what he had expected. The cage was certainly much more gilded than he would have anticipated, which led him to suspect something else was afoot.

It did not take long for his suspicions to be confirmed, as his captor revealed herself soon after. The setting, her friendly demeanor were certainly not what the Necromancer would have expected and they made him somewhat weary. He had learned from experience that when people showed kindness, it was because of some ulterior motive, though he could not yet guess what her motive was.

She had brought in what he could only guess was a slave, which did not exactly lighten Tacitus' mood, as he was not exactly fond of slavery. Afterall, he had been one, himself, a long time ago. The sands of the arena were his oldest and earliest memories and were not the most pleasant ones and he had worked very hard to make sure all traces of that particular part of his past, were erased, so that no one would know them.

In the eyes of the galaxy, the Eternal Emperor was an enigmatic figure, who's past and true agenda were shrouded in mystery. A disciplined, hard-working man, he appeared out of nowhere at the end of the Sith Empire's war against the Dominion, taking control of a portion of its forces in the wake of the Krayiss II campaign and setting himself up as a warlord who would eventually command the largest of the Dominion remnant factions.

Under his control, those remnants had undergone a drastic transformation, their old ways and traditions replaced with hard, militaristic discipline as their society grew more and more regimented. Today, that faction had become the Eternal Empire, a small, yet infamous nation who's armies were known for their discipline and ruthless efficiency in combat. And for their brutality.

They ruler was an equally hard man, as evidenced by the many scars that covered his body and around him, the Force bore the unnatural touch of the Netherworld. As his captor spoke, his cat-like eyes shifted between her and the slave while the warlord considered his response. He did not trust the sudden display of friendship so soon after she tried to kill him, though he kept his suspicions to himself. For now, he decided to play along and find out exactly what she wanted.

As the device that operated the slave's shock collar, was handed to him, he made an effort to display no reactions whatsoever, nothing that would reveal how he felt about slavery, or the pity he held for the girl, though he would insure that she gained her freedom after he gained his. The non-aggression pact would insure his release.

"Thank you for the hospitality," he responded, his voice hard and raspy, like gravel, his tone neutral. "There isn't much to be said about myself. I'm a soldier. I focus on my work. On running my nation. I have little time, or desire for anything else," he said. That much was true, he wasn't the most sociable individual and he rarely ever hosted any balls or galas, beyond what was required of him by his political obligations. He had no hobbies or desires for comfort and pleasure, always focusing almost exclusively on ruling his people, leading by example and holding himself up to his highest standards.

 

[Darth Banshee]

She listened to him, and smiled as he talked but thought All work and no play, makes you a very dull boy indeed. As he finished talking she replied Well I am sure your people are goods hands, while you are away. Also you never know, you may enjoy the break. She then gave one guards a look to say water please. They got the hint, and went to the sink and got her a glass of water.

As they did she asked [member="Darth Tacitus"] a question, How do I end your brothers pig headedness, that threatens me long term. I offered him a pardon from the my Emperor, his lands back, a ring to give to his steward to look after them in his stead. Though it came with two conditions, that he recognise me as Queen on Serenno, and the empires right to rule that planet. You know just on the planet, not if I meet him elsewhere, then treaties me as a Proconsualte of Serenno which is my job. As without him doing this, he is threatening me, which means I have to end that threat one way or another. Now I rather do it peacefully, hence the offer, but all I got was abuse.

She paused as her drink came to her, and she took a sip of water. She then continued, to put her point across. I have no grudge against you personally, but I do need to defend myself, whilst I am strong. She then pointed to bag that slave brought in, In that bag, you will find a pardon from my emperor, a ring that was fashioned for him, and I left him with datapad of his former holding, minus military assets. She paused and took a breath, and then said something she was not use to saying, What can I do, other than going to war with him personally, to stop him being a threat to me? She doesn't like admitting she needed help, but she did. She did not want to have to fight them, every time an opportunity came to do so. As it was waste of resources, and she only just got Serenno back on even keel. So she didn't want to put her peoples future prosperity in jeopardy, fighting them whenever she could, without upsetting the non aggression pact.

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Darth Banshee"]​

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• HMS Carnia
  On route to Bastion

As the woman mentioned something about taking a break, Tacitus showed no visible reaction, but inwardly, he allowed himself a mental sigh. Oh, how little she knew of him. His work was everything. He was not a man who pursued hedonistic pleasures and comforts. Those were things that made people complacent and weak, a poison that rotted the soul and inevitably brought ruin upon society. He was a man who preferred more productive pursuits. The satisfaction of a job well done, of seeing the product of his careful labor take roots and bear fruit, that was what he enjoyed. Compared to that, everything else paled in comparison.

Yet even as his thoughts wandered, he kept his attention focused on his captor. Tacitus was not a man who missed much, his vast intellect hungered for knowledge and he always sought to indulge it. Her false smile told him his answer had not been the one she had desired.

She also seemed to have a close bond with her guards, as she was able to communicate her intentions to them without having to use words, another piece of information that he filed away. This indicated that her guards were loyal and would be difficult, if not impossible to turn against her, if the situation ever required such a thing. Similar, perhaps, to the loyalty his own Wolfguards had, though likely not as strong, or as voluntarily given.

The topic of conversation finally shifted to the main course, that of her claims over Serenno. Ah, that is what you want, he thought to himself. So that was the reason his cage was a lavish room, instead of a cell in the brig. "For my family, Serenno is... a complicated topic of discussion," he responded. "Of course, Adron has never been the most... pleasant of individuals, even under the best of circumstances, but Serenno is a particularly sore wound for him. Less so for myself, I don't even remember the place as I was forced to depart much earlier," the warlord explained, careful to avoid revealing too much about his past.

"Our family died there, when that planet fell. Most of our relatives were slaughtered and Adron was there to witness everything that happened," Tacitus said. "Fortunately for you, no one wants a diplomatic incident, therefore House Malvern does not challenge your hold over the planet. However, it is best if that particular topic is not brought into the discussion at all, the memories are simply too... unpleasant."

"Let me put it simply," he said, leaning forward as he sat on the edge of the bed. "As long as you do not threaten our family, we have no quarrel with you. We have our own worlds to rule, our own Kingdoms and Empires to forge and neither of us is willing to abandon what we have built to go chasing after a planet that lies half a galaxy away. As long as you do not threaten us, we do not threaten you."

 

[Darth Banshee]

Her smile turned in a neutral look, he was intelligent but naive. She pondered for a moment, wondering how to explain it to him. There was a game a foot, one she was not entirely in control off. As Serenno was a planet of schemes, and nobles with their own ambition. Yes she top dog, and if she wanted too, she could nip it in the bud.

She didn't want to, as it would no longer be Serenno. The planet would just be another imperial world, void of its own character and history. She would have killed what she loves most, the Serenno culture and polite savage nature of it. She then looked [member="Darth Tacitus"] in the eyes, and said "for an highly intelligent and inventive man, you quite naive." She let that settle in, as it was not meant as insult, but it was a blunt fact.

She then took a sip off water, and continued "not dealing with an issue, is to let it fester, and it grows worse." she a short breath, she was trying to make sure she understood, and she was trying to be bigotry to him, as that would serve no one. "There are people on my planet, who see him as a threat, and some see him a saviour from the sith, and me as anointed Queen. I can not ignore him, he is the threat. He is not a threat to me personally, but to my first love Serenno."

She paused, not for his sake but for hers. She did not want him to be a threat, she wanted this lose thread resolved. She then continued, after she composed herself. "I have choices, but ignoring him, is not one of them. As if I do, I give hope to those who wish to oppose me, and fear to them who are scared of power he gotten. This may lead to a rebellion, ether in the false hope he will return and save them, or against me for in hopes of gaining power to put him down." Okay she admitted she weaker than she wants to be, she wants help to resolve it peacefully.

She took a sip of water, and continued "I want options that don't involve me committing genocide, to maintain the peace on planet. As I had to a rebellion down once, and to change the nature a little to try and stop another." As she spoke a tear run down her eye, she can't fully explain but love can't be fully explained. She bent over backwards, to help maintain Serenno character. Though she no real choice about becoming Queen, as she didn't she knew they would rebel properly and her emperor would culled them. She also knows even though she controlled military on Serenno, she did not control their military assets not Serenno. She waited for him to respond, as their dismissal of her, was leading to place she did not want to go.

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Darth Banshee"]​

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• HMS Carnia
  On route to Bastion

Tacitus' response was a slow shaking of the head, disappointment clearly visible on his features. "I would prefer not having to worry about a political rival half a galaxy away, when there are other things closer to home, which require my attention," he said, his thoughts drifting to several things, some practical and others more personal in nature. So personal that he struggled to maintain even his neutral, business-like demeanor he had grown so accustomed to, over the years, that it had become second nature to him. [member="Srina Talon"] had that effect on him.

But this was not the time, or place, to dwell on personal matters. The situation at hand, required his full attention. "You presume much when in fact, you know very little about me," he responded to her, his tone blunt and factual. "You speak of the importance of not letting certain issues fester, yet you miss the obvious solution to your problems. And no, it does not require genocide. Or the intervention of my family," he said.

"Going off into the galaxy to seek the support of a house which no longer has anything to do with Serenno, except some historical ties, would gain you nothing. It would, in fact, be perceived as weakness," Tacitus said to her, taking control over the conversation. "You accuse me of being naive, yet it is you who fails to grasp the truth of the matter, clinging to illusions about how the world should be, rather than seeing it for what it is. You have some of your own nobles plotting against you. If you do not eliminate them and set an example, it will only embolden the others, no matter who's support you secure."

"You see, all things inevitably change, especially on worlds such as Serenno. Noble houses rise and sometimes fall, that is just the way of things. In your drive to preserve Serenno as it is, you fail to grasp the fact that change is part of its very soul. If I were you, I would simply move to consolidate my power, eliminate the most troublesome nobles and break the alliance that your most powerful rivals are forming against you. Perhaps through something like a political marriage, or some other arrangement that makes one of your main rivals dependent on you," the Sith Lord spoke.

"Think it over as much as you like. You know that I am right and sooner or later, you will have to accept that. Besides, it is the only option you have, for this advice is all I can give you. Because what you desire from me, is something that I can not grant and I would very much prefer for this situation to be resolved in a way that does not require me to remove yet another threat to my family."

 

[Darth Banshee]

She drank her water as she listened to him, she realised he did not get it. No matter what she does, she is damned. His advice went against the grain, kill people who can be loyal, to help people who are disloyal. Who in the right mind, wants to help disloyal serpents. She knew who committed murder to [member="Adron Malvern"] family, she grimaced. As she saw this as a negotiation, despite what [member="Darth Tacitus"] said, he simply did not get Serenno. Her duty was to make it stronger, and be able to pass it on. She ignore this issue, she will fail in that task. As she was sure his brother would extract vengeance, if Serenno was weakened temporarily. So she said to him, in her poltist voice, ​Okay I am going to give you a message for your brother, I want this to end. I want to know, that if things fall apart, which inevitably will. He will not come to Serenno, and usurp me, he will not come and destroy it, in act of vengeance. Yes I am paranoid about your brother, as he is strong individual. He has a knack of making himself strong again, no matter what the galaxy throws at him. Lesser men, would have been broken by it. As she spoke there were tears, running down her face. She was not being quite composed, as this conversation threatened her world, if she got it wrong. She continued, ​I will give him the paradon, I will give him his lands back, I will give him the heads of his family murders. I want in exchange, him to accept me as Queen, when he is on Serenno, no where else. Though I do demand respect, as the proconsualte of Serenno off world. She took a deep breath, as she did not believe she was about to say this. ​I am even willing to enter a political marriage with one of his relatives, if it means Serenno is protected, form him. She looked at him, she had not dismissed what he said, as those ideas had worth. She did have things like that in mind, if all else fails. She did not want to help the vipers, over people with misplaced loyalty.

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Darth Banshee"]​

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• HMS Carnia
  On route to Bastion

The Sith Lord barely managed to stifle a laugh. He almost could not believe what he was hearing. This woman was worrying herself because of his brother, when in truth, her far greater threat was sitting a mere few meters away from her. Despite his brother's higher rank, Tacitus was the one who could cause her a lot more trouble. Afterall, his former master held a fairly high rank within the Sith Empire, which gave him the political connections to cause all sorts of problems for Banshee, without risking a diplomatic incident.

All negotiation was conflict and this one was no exception. As much as Tacitus hated court intrigue, he was no stranger to politics, far from it, in fact. He could scheme and manipulate like the best of them. He had built his Empire out of nothing and had emerged stronger out of every confrontation he ever faced, political or otherwise. Above all else, Tacitus was a mastermind, an expert schemer who always thought three steps ahead, planned for the long term and seized upon every opportunity. And right now, Banshee had made the grave mistake of putting herself in a position of inferiority, which altered the balance of the conversation into his favor. It was time to take control.

With some effort, the Emperor of Nelvaan pushed himself upright, taking a few steps as his posture shifted. Even wearing plain civilian clothes, he could still effortlessly pull off a commanding presence. "Let me put it this way," Tacitus said, his tone shifting subtly into that of someone who was in control. "Even if the non-aggression pact makes that pardon completely superfluous, we have the connections to go right over your head and obtain it from people who are much higher up on the pecking order amongst the Sith Imperial hierarchy than you are. That puts you in a position of disadvantage, politically," he said, pausing for effect, as if to accentuate the words that were about to follow.

"If we wanted any kind of revenge against you, I would have simply reached out to my contacts within the Sith Empire and could have made life very difficult for you without risking any kind of diplomatic incidents," he explained to her, omitting the identity of his connections. If she was clever, which he believed her to be, it wouldn't take her long to realize that he was referring to [member="Mythos"]. Letting her figure out the implications on her own, would have a much greater effect than if he said them, himself, however.

"However," he spoke, cat-like eyes fixing themselves onto hers. "I would prefer to avoid dealing with that particular hassle. Therefore, my counter-offer stands: You do not threaten us. You leave us be and in turn, we leave you be. As long as you are not a potential problem for us, we have no reason to challenge your hold over Serenno. Above all, us Malverns are pragmatists and we have no reason to care about a planet which lies half a galaxy away from our seat of power. Feel free to show the recording of this conversation to your nobles and if it makes them feel that House Malvern turned its back on them, I couldn't care less. And yes, I know you have surveillance equipment hidden in this room."

"This is all House Malvern is willing to offer you. Do not ask for more, for we are unwilling to be dragged back into the pit of vipers that is the politics of Serenno. We want nothing to do with it. The petty intrigues of your disgruntled nobles are as insignificant to us as the concerns of insects and bacteria, they are too far beneath us to warrant any notice," he said, his expression somewhere between boredom and dismissive arrogance, the perfect embodiment of proper aristocratic conduct. He knew he was feeding Banshee and her surveillance equipment all the ammunition she needed to turn those nobles to her side, if she was clever enough to use it properly. He had given her this ammunition willingly, a subtle olive branch to serve as an alternative to a political conflict he would prefer to avoid. He could only hope she would seize upon it and not insist with pushing her demands any further.

 

[Darth Banshee]

She was cheered up by his speech, he really did not know who she was. Shame though she did have the place bugged, for the last part it could been useful. She was treating him as guest, hence she had given him a slave to do what he wants with. As he finished she wiped away the tears, and gave him a slow clap, and said I wish I had this room bugged, but you are my guest, and I don't do that to guests. I hope you treat me with same respect on that, if this is ever reversed. Now I have to tell you something, I known my emperor, ooh since I was sixteen, that was over fifty years. I know mythos as well, I fought with him, and by his side. I am Queen of Serenno, because I asked for it, I want that nest of vipers, I love that nest of vipers. Now that pardon, [member="Adron Malvern"] is wanted for crimes not on Serenno, but against the empire. The only Person who can pardon him is [member="Darth Carnifex"], he has broken imperial law. That pardon, is something I asked for, something I did personally. The terms where agreed with him, your brother has not broken Serenno law, and is also thanks to your truly immune form that. So please, try if you want, I am secure in the empire. I am just want to keep Serenno stable, while keeping it as a nest of vipers. As vipers prove to be the best sith, as they worked for it. Now I have bent over backwards in my offers to your brother, and I just bend over forward. She gave a quiet laugh at that, as it been quite a while since that has happened to her. Now rest up and recuperate, if you don't believe me, you ask my Emperor yourself, you do have an audience with him.

[member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Darth Banshee"]​

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• HMS Carnia
  On route to Bastion

The warlord once more shook his head, this time not bothering to hide his disappointment. He had given her all the options he could give. "A pity, really," he said with a sigh. "Do what you must. But know this. Despite everything that happened, Adron is my brother. If you raise your hand against my family, I will have no other choice than to do what I must, as well."

He was not an unreasonable man, but there was only so much he could do without betraying his principles. Whether or not her words were true, were of no relevance. Her actions would determine what his next step would be. He just hoped she would not go down a path that would lead to conflict. He had far bigger concerns on his mind, such as the destruction of the Imperial Remnant group that was even now worming its way around Confederate space, waiting for the right time to strike.

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His captor had urged him to rest, but Tacitus was not a man who had accomplished the things he had by being lazy. So, instead of resting, he would spend the rest of the journey going through a strict regime of exercise, even though he had not yet recovered completely. The pain of his overtaxed nervous system was atrocious, but he gritted his teeth and pushed through it. Excruciating pain was nothing new to him.

Bit by bit he would recover his strength, although it would take him months to fully recover. But he would be in a good enough shape to carry out his duties by the time he returned to Confederate space. Good enough to fight, too, if he had to, despite the subtle, but disturbing tremors that would not go away for what would likely be some time.

The idea of owning a slave disturbed him, as did the need to rely upon the girl's services. Slavery was a thing he despised and as soon as he was aboard a Confederate ship, he would see to it that she got her freedom, along with enough money to start a new life wherever she wanted, but for now he had no choice. For now, he simply avoided any unnecessary interactions with her, though he made sure to share his meals with her, as he had intimate knowledge of the worthless scraps people usually fed to slaves, so he resolved to do at least this small act of kindness for her.

He spent the remainder of what time he had to himself by letting his mind race free, returning to the comfortable fold of his various plans. Project Fenris was due to be completed by now, or at least almost complete, as was the rearmament of the Ultranauts. And with increasing frequency, he found himself wondering how [member="Srina Talon"] was doing, his closest friend and the woman he secretly loved, in spite of all his attempts to suppress his emotions for the duration of his captivity. He hated the lack of information that was a consequence of his current situation, but for now he could do nothing about it, than to wait.

 

[Darth Banshee]

She looked at [member="Darth Tacitus"], and smiled I have no intent on hurting him, despite him insulting me, for my heritage. He objects to me being in charge of Serenno, as I use to be handmaiden, so he called me dirt. She paused took a sip off water, and looked at him. Look we be in Bastion in an hour or so, rest up. Oh she said almost as it was a side note The CIS liberated Eshan, for now and restored its Queen. The word was for now, as they both know Mandalorians are stubborn people, so they may return. I only asking when you return to your brother, let him know my offer. I don't want this to drag on, and become more than what it is. I have made a reasonable offer, death to people who killed his family, his lands restored, and an imperial pardon, and I will marry a family member of his choice if he wishes it. All he has to do is accept the Sith Empire rules the planet, and it is under my jurisdiction, and I am it's rightful queen when he visits it, if he ever wants to. I am not asking much of him, but I am offering a lot. The alternative is, I will see him as a threat to me and Serenno. I not willing to accept that, would you accept it if other way round. She paused and then said Actually don't answer that, rest up think about it. Also don't forget her, she can do anything you wish, get you food, drink or anything else. She then left the room, to head to the bridge.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They came out of hyperspace about two hours later, over bastion they had meeting with the Emperor [member="Darth Carnifex"]. Her prizes was escorted to the shuttle, which would take them down. He was kept inside a force bubble, so not to endanger anyone. They both left the shuttle, and was escorted to see the emperor in his throne room. She was quite chuffed with their prize, and she knew he be let free, hopefully he can talk to his brother then. She was dressed in regal attire, as it was only fitting on this occasion

As they approached the throne room, her palace guard left her side. Then guarded [member="Darth Tacitus"] slave girl he was given, as this was a private audience. They about to meet a living god, and only the ones he wished where allowed in his presence. As they entered she knelt, and bowed before him. She waited for permission to rise, as that was his choice when. She was loyal servant, and would do what he commanded.

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

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Attn: [member="Darth Banshee"] | [member="Darth Carnifex"]​

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• Bastion
  Sith Imperial Capital

In what time he had available to him during the journey, the warlord that ruled over Nelvaan had mended his scarred suit of armor as best as he could, with the limited material he had available. It still bore the marks of war, but it would have to serve for the occasion. Tacitus was not some sycophant who indulged himself in hedonistic pleasure and comfort, he was a warrior. Before the Dark Lord of the Sith, he would not present himself as anything else.

The news of the Confederate victory had lifted his spirits. It meant that the sacrifice of his troops had been vindicated. Indeed, as he would soon learn upon his return to the Confederacy, the Ultranauts had shown themselves to be one of the most effective fighting forces in the galaxy. Grossly outnumbered by the Mandalorians and with a Star Destroyer crashing onto them from above, they held their ground and ultimately repelled the enemy forces and secured victory against those which they had faced, despite suffering grievous casualties of their own, losing over ninety percent of the regiment in the fighting.

They had become every bit the equals of the legendary imperial Stormtroopers and to the Mandalorians, ancient and proud warriors known throughout the galaxy for their prowess in war, they had shown themselves to be their superiors.

He held himself with dignity, despite being put in a force bubble and carted around like a war trophy. He held his head high and his expression impassive and calm, demonstrating his well-known self-control and discipline to his captors. His posture was that of a textbook military officer, taloned hands clasped behind his back, chin up, metallic silver hair swept back and away from slitted, feline eyes that glowed with their own internal, golden light of the Darkside.

He remained silent as his captors took him to the throne room of his host and only broke his stance to perform a deep, formal bow before the dreaded ruler of Bastion. Thus, the Emperor of the planet of Nelvaan met the Emperor of the vast dominion of the Sith.

The cavernous throne room of the palace had been designed to display the Sith ruler's power and project it upon any who stood in audience. It was meant to make all those who stood in his presence feel small and insignificant, like insects under the glare of a god. The Confederate warlord recognized that immediately, as he understood the value of such things. This room was the embodiment of the long and storied traditions of the Sith, of their greatest legends and feats of conquest. This was the center of the Sith Emperor's Rule of Order, the doctrine which held countless worlds within an iron grip.

The warlord's lips parted to speak. "Greetings, your majesty. I thank you and your subject for your gracious hospitality," he said, his voice like gravel, yet calm, collected. He showed respect towards the ruler of the Sith, but held no fear. Not because he believed himself invulnerable, but simply because he did not fear death. He was far too well acquainted with it to ever dread its presence or its threat.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The halls of the Sith Emperor were resplendent in their opulence, a monument to the glory and prestige that his Empire had fought tooth and nail to achieve. The walls were lined with tapestries depicting the various triumphs over the past several years, Krayiss II, Mirial, Thyferra, Alderaan, Coruscant, Ession, and most recently Commenor. Each had been commissioned by the Emperor himself, crafted by the finest weavers in the entire galaxy at the behest of his bottomless coin purse. Bronze busts of Sith Lords, both modern and ancient, were propped up beneath them on pedestals of rich white marble trimmed in gold and inscribed with ancient Sith runes.

A pair of Crownguard watched impassively as Banshee and her captive approached the gates to the Imperial Throneroom, their lightsaber pikes held rigidly at their side as they turned in unison to open the pair of massive wrought iron doors, upon which were carved even more diabolical inscriptions of grand mythological significance. The interior of the throne chamber was even more magnificent than the corridors that led to it, with the floor being comprised of a singularly massive mosaic depicting the Sith Emperor triumphing over the Jedi Order, a ringed halo of red light encircling his head and both of his hands.

But the grand centerpiece of the room was the throne itself, which sat high upon a three-stepped dais beneath several fluttering banners depicting the Eye of Solomon, the crest of the Zambrano dynasty. Sitting on the throne was the Emperor himself, his muscular body wrapped in brilliant maroon robes fastened by a brooch fashioned from bleached bone. He spread his arms wide as they approached, the faintest glimmer of a smirk breaking the placid neutrality of his facial expression.

"Rise Lady Banshee and many welcomes to the Lord of Nelvaan. I do hope Lady Banshee has treated you in good faith, your acquisition was not something we were anticipating from that sordid affair at Eshan."

[member="Darth Banshee"] | [member="Darth Tacitus"]​

 

[Darth Banshee]

She rose as he gave her permission, she was quite pleased with herself. She wanted to please her boss, as he may one day give her permission, to replace the Sector V consulate. As she wanted to pursue her political career, though she did need to resolve issue on Serenno first. She did have a planet of vipers to rule over though, though vipers do make effective sith lords. She stood up, and stepped to the side. This was so her Emperor, could talk to their honoured guest without her being in his site as well. She knew her place, and it was not to ask questions. Though if he lied, she could defend herself. She listened and smiled, as she treated as best as she could, under the circumstances. She was happy to meet an old friend, well he was much as friend as she could truly have as a sith. Hope he had some wine they could share later, as it would be nice to catch up. Though he was probably to busy for that.

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Darth Tacitus"]

 

[Kainan Wolfe]

​

Attn: [member="Darth Carnifex"]​

​

• Bastion
  Sith Imperial Capital

The warlord's eyes swept across the chamber and its furnishings, stopping for a brief moment to regard the tapestries that hung on the walls, silent reminders of battles fought and won, earning the Sith a prize of their enemies' bones, which they had laid as a foundation for their massive empire. The Nelvaanian ruler had seen with his own eyes the devastation that the Sith Emperor's followers were capable of unleashing. He had been there, when Coruscant fell. He had fought on Krayiss II.

The Eternal Empire had its own monuments erected to commemorate Krayiss II, although theirs depicted an entirely different perspective. It had been the war that broke the Dominion's back. And out of those ashes, arose what would ultimately become the Nelvaanian nation, now far removed from its origins. What began as a ragtag fleet of refugees, became hardened and embittered by near constant war and struggle, hammered upon the anvil of hardship and tempered in the unforgiving climate of their frigid new homeworld.

Just like the Sith built their Empire on the bones of their enemies, Tacitus' small nation raised itself out of the dirt upon a carpet of mangled corpses, securing its interests with cold, mathematical brutality, one atrocity at a time.

Thus, in a way, the Sith Empire had been the catalyst that triggered the process which shaped Nelvaan into what it had become, by exposing the weakness in the Dominion's midst and tearing down the Jedi delusions that had corrupted and ultimately doomed their society. It was a cold, hard lesson that Tacitus' people took to heart and had applied it to every facet of their civilization. Dictatorship of the soldiers had replaced government by the people as democracy was supplanted by a ruthless stratocracy which glorified war and elevated its practitioners at the head of its highly regimented hierarchy.

The Sith Emperor spoke from his hard, metallic throne and Tacitus did not fail to notice the Dark Lord's subtle smirk, though he did not react to it, merely filing it away within the recesses of his mind. "Thank you, your highness. Indeed, although the circumstances which have brought me here have been unforseen, Lady Banshee conducted herself with impecable courtesy," the warlord spoke, easily maintaining the appropriate tone of formality and respect that was required by the situation.

"Nevertheless, these circumstances enable me to personally extend my congratulations for your victory against the Jen'ari. The filthy pretenders suffered exactly what vile maggots such as them, deserve."