Private To Trust a Foe

[Kreslin Westwind]

His quarters were cold. He liked that, it reminded him of Recluse, which was largely the purpose of it. The five bedroom complex that had been made for him was spacious, yet spartan in design. Banners hung along most of the walls in the main entryway and living quarters, each one depicting a Clan that had joined the Union. Every window within his quarters, even those facing the outside world were cold, with water constantly running down their surfaces and freezing, only to be melted moments later in an endless pattern. The library itself was only slightly warmer than the rest of his quarters, in an effort to preserve the integrity of the various tomes and histories on the shelves. Each one written by a Mandalorian, or about the Mandalorian people. It was a small collection, but one that was still growing.

Kreslin sat in the library now, resting on one of the two couches facing across from each other at the center of the room. The two couches were placed in a small indention to the floor, so that anyone entering would have to walk down several stairs to get to the couches, with the various bookshelves and tables scattered around above them at eye level. A small hearth smoldered in one corner of the room, flanked on either side by two Mandalorian Supercommandos. Kreslin paid them little mind as he stared at the entrance to the library, waiting for the arrival of Taa Nul upon his invitation.

The Mandalorian Union held a dim view on Sith given history, and the billions of Mandalorians they killed. Clans had been wiped from history, legacies and history that would never be recovered, and for what? A self righteous belief they were bringing order to another portion of the galaxy. The train of thought brought a fresh wave of anger across Kreslin, and his right hand slowly closed into a fist where it rested on the top of the couch. Crimes against the Mandalorian people would be answered in full, given time. For now, he needed to focus on the task at hand. Darth Setrus was an outsider among the Sith, and had made his interest in supporting the Union's efforts against the rest of his kind clear. What was not as clear, was why. Kreslin needed to know that fact first before anything else was to be done.

Footsteps approaching the library drew Kreslin's eyes up, where a Supercommando entered. The warrior bowed briefly before informing Kreslin the Sith Lord had arrived. Nodding, Kreslin rose to his feet. "Show him in."

 

[Taa Nul]

Setrus had arrived for his meeting with Mand'alor without his usual displays of might this time around. He'd arrived in the system via Lambda-class Shuttle, escorted by a pair of TIE Defenders instead of showing up with a small fleet, touching down at a landing pad just outside the building. He had not wanted to offend his potential new ally, after all, with such displays of power. The Mandalorians were a warrior people, after all. They might take it as a challenge, something he wished to avoid in these critical early stages.

He descended the boarding ramp, tailed by a lone Imperial Officer at the rank of Lieutenant, as well as a small squad of four Imperial Shock Troopers serving as his diplomatic protection detail, the group being escorted to the building by several Mandalorian supercommandos. He was eventually brought to the library where he'd be meeting Kreslin, leaving his escort just outside as he was brought into the room. He bowed his head politely upon entry. "Mand'alor the Reclaimer. It is a rare honor to come face to face with the leader of the Mandalorian people. I thank you for inviting me for these talks.", he said, laying on that diplomatic charm with grace and flare, a skill he had developed over many decades of his life.

Kreslin Westwind

 

[Kreslin Westwind]

Kreslin inclined his head briefly as Darth Setrus entered, his eyes briefly looking the man up and down. With a brief gesture towards the other couch, Kreslin sat back down in his own, indicating for the Sith to do likewise. Kreslin stared at the Sith in silence for several seconds, his mind thinking through all the possibilities even before he spoke. "Darth Setrus, outcast from the Empire of his kind, and killer of Sith. In that regard at least, we have commonality." Pausing for a moment, Kreslin reached under the table set between the two couches, retrieving a bottle of Mandalorian ale and two cups.

"It is no honor to meet me. I am Mand'alor, not Emperor. I lead the Clans because they chose me to, not because I have some pompous self proclaimed right to. Something you Sith know much about." As he spoke, Kreslin poured two cups of the ale, handing one of them to the Sith as he finished speaking. Trying to annoy a Sith was not always the best idea, but Kreslin wanted to see how far he could push matters. Besides, he was not much of a man for subtley. He was a warrior, and that led to him being rather direct.

Leaning back into his couch, Kreslin took a sip from his cup before speaking again, all emotion drained from his voice. "Now, tell me. Why is it that you have decided to throw in with the people your kind sought to exterminate..."

Taa Nul

 

[Taa Nul]

"They are no kin of mine, Mand'alor. Their bastardization of the Sith ideology is not the path I walk either. They've replaced cunning with brutality and wanton genocide. Such reckless wanton acts do not serve the Sith in the long run. Their blatant worship of their leader like some religious cult is equally concerning to me.", Setrus said quite calmly. "I am not your "normal" Sith, I suppose. At least by the standards you'd consider, given what those fanatics have done to your people. I am not mentally degraded like their ilk, however. I studied the ways and history of the Sith myself since my departure from the Jedi Order in my youth. Alone, using my great wealth to gather artifacts and ancient knowledge, I have achieved a mastery over the dark side to rival any of their Darths."

He then took a hefty swig from the ale Kreslin had poured for him, handling the strong beverage quite well. "Strong flavour. I like it. I'm usually a wine man, myself, but I can enjoy a good ale.", he said with a smirk, before placing the drink down for a moment. "To answer your question, for a start, we have a mutual enemy. I despise this "Sith Empire" as they call themselves greatly. They have hurt people I consider my family. Ravaged Commenor, a world I considered a replacement home for Serenno, which I was exiled from by my rivals amongst the other noble houses. I have a great many reasons to wish their empire shattered and replaced with something far nobler in it's goals. You Mandalorians are a strong, proud people. War is in your blood, yet you are not reckless with your brutality unlike the Sith Imperials. A methodology I and my forces too share. We are more alike than you might think, Mand'alor..."

Kreslin Westwind

 

[Kreslin Westwind]

Kreslin tilted his head to the side slightly, taking Darth Setrus in for a few moments. The Sith Lord had a point, though he did not stick to it. He answered Kreslin's question, this is true, but he wanted to know more. "We may be alike Sith, or at least you claim so, but that does not answer why you have come to us. We may have similar goals, similar enemies, and even similar histories with the Empire, but this does not tell me the whole story. The Sith fight one another, this is simple history. As a student of history, I am sure you know that the greatest killer of Sith in the past were Sith." Grunting, Kreslin leaned forward on the couch slightly.

"You have come to me with grand words, but why do you seek to work with the people who wish to see every Sith in this galaxy dead? The Empire is our enemy, yes, but a blood debt is owed. Sith are our enemies as much as this Empire, which makes you our enemy as well. There is a thing to be said about working with the enemy of your enemy, but even that has limits. Limits best defined by the fact that you wish to stand beside the people who would kill you, your people, and all you have built as a simple matter of fact. So, tell me. Why would you work with Mandalorians who will likely kill you once our shared enemy is removed?"

Taa Nul