Two Stones With One Bird [Sith + Ravens]

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

Though she was neither a cohort nor a goon, the Twi'lek was easily lost among those who were. Not that she was so easily overlooked, simply that she was small and other than the brass and Jen, those the Ravens had brought with them tended to.. hulk. Besides, she had been content to watch and listen as was her way, all the better to learn about you my dear, but these Sith were. Apathetic. Other than the speaker. Appreciative eyes took him in again, a pleasing form and well spoken. The others though! The Dark Lord could be forgiven his theatrics, he was after all the penultimate being when it came to the Dark Side. The rest though.. No wonder their territory was barely more impressive than that of the Ravens if they couldn't drag themselves out of their own aristocracy to engage in anything. For now they were useful of course, but it wouldn't be long before the Ravens controlled far more than they did and wouldn't the look on their blue-blooded faces be satisfying then? The Force was all well and good, but ambition took you everywhere. Besides, it wasn't as if they even had the monopoly on the dark side..

She moved forward to stand beside Cryax. He had said he wanted her at his side for diplomatic endevours, well, here she was. The tiger striped Twi'lek offered the Dark Lord a graceful bow.

"Chiasa Kritivaas, Lord."

Pleasantries done, she turned her attention to the speaker. Cryax had dealt with the inspirational speech, she would touch on business.

"Military is a primary concern of course. Both support and non-aggression agreements, but not even we fight all the time. Trade, shared intelligence and either non competition agreements for the more mundane aspects of our businesses or we are amenable to joint projects where there is overlap and competition is inevitable."

Her gaze played over the assembled Sith, picking out a few that their slicers had identified as main players.

"On a more esoteric note, I must admit, I'd rather expected to hear more from the storied Voices of the Dark Lord."

She sent an easy smile in the direction of the shrouded figure.

"Not that we are displeased with the current speaker of course, perhaps he was chosen as best for this task, such a thing could be easily believed but.. had we known this would merely be a meeting of diplomats our leadership could have continued their work elsewhere, and I am sure you have much more pressing matters you could have attended as well. Since we are all here however.. Perhaps we ought to come to a better understanding of each other if we are to be allies? To that end, mayhap a few of those attending would care to share what they would like to see accomplished, or any of their concerns."

Come now Children.. Stop sulking and play nice..

[member="Mordecai Zambrano"] [member="Darth Vornskr"] [member="Darth Carach"] [member="Hion the Herglic"] [member="Vincent Imura"] [member="War'Rain Sekairo"] [member="Darth Ayra"] [member="Avadreia Lacroix"] @Reverance @Ire'Rain Sekairo
[member="Cryax Bane"] [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] @Ice @Logan of Little Coruscant [member="Kezeroth the Malevolent"]

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

"Keep your tongue, lethan," boomed Orcus, voice impossibly deep. "Lest I have a mind to rip it out."

The wide smile on his features seemed at odds with his words, until one noticed the teeth. Large, conical things, made to pierce flesh.

The pitcher in his flipper had shattered, glass crumbling into his blubber. He didn't seem to notice the blood.

She dared to drip honeyed words in their ears with one hand, while undermining them with the other. Giving offense to them in the very seat of Sith power, no less. He could abide such spirit among One of the Many, but from an outsider? Never.

Eyes as dark as the ocean's abyss fixed on the presumptuous twi'lek. Within them were reflected horrors. Images of what he might do, what he could do. Rip her limb from limb until she was nothing left but a flailing torso and a pathetic head. Then leave her that way, alive. Burn the stumps, set her veins alight with poison. Leave no nerves for the cybernetics. She would crawl on her belly the rest of her life, her body now truly fitting her station. A worm. Mmm, yes. That would be a delightful suffering.

Or perhaps he would just snap her neck. So easy. A simple word. Oh ho ho. How he would savor that fleeting glimpse of awe-struck terror in the moment of her death.

But the Dark Lord would not approve.

And so he refrained.

"You question the wisdom of beings who were conquering worlds before you were born. The Voices will speak when they deem it fit."

The slow drip of blood from his flipper followed his words, soft splashes echoing in the brief silence as a small puddle collected at his feet.

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"], [member="Darth Carach"] [member="Darth Vornskr"], [member="Mordecai Zambrano"].

 

[Cryax Bane]

As the Herglic Sith unceremoniously insulted Cryax's diplomatic envoy with the booming sound of a whale's mating call, the Chiss's glowing red eyes narrowed for a nanosecond, then his alien orbs resumed a more neutral expression. Slightly concerned for her safety, Cryax put his arm around Chiasa's waist protectively for a moment and then let her go, giving her a nod. Yes, the orange-skinned Twi'lek had a certain way with words that raised hackles, but she had also voiced what was on other Raven leaders' minds. And for that, he didn't blame her. He decided on "Good Chiss, Bad Twi'lek" as a strategy to diffuse the situation.

Running his fingers through his blue-black hair, the crime boss straighted his tie and spoke again. "Now, now Ladies, Gentlemen, and uh, large aquatic mammals," said the Chiss, briefly moving his red eyes to the Herglic. "I think what our diplomatic envoy here is so eloquently trying to say is that we're simply eager to hear the Voices speak about the treaty, because they've been conspicuously quiet so far. We merely want to make sure if they have concerns about this mutual agreement, they let us know so that we can address those concerns. Perhaps our envoy got a little bit overzealous with her desire to hear an answer, but we would like to hear the Voices speak. Sometime while we're all still in our youth would be good."

[member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] [member="Hion the Herglic"] [member="Mordecai Zambrano"] [member="Logan of Little Coruscant"] [member="Darth Vornskr"] [member="Darth Carach"] [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"]

 

[Ire'Rain Sekairo]

As [member="Hion the Herglic"] spoke, two dozen hands went to grasp hilts. Both of the Sekairo siblings watched him carefully. They found no fault in his words. But if he were to cause trouble and mess up this deal... The women exchanged knowing glances. After a moment the shorter of the two moved her left hand in a simple motion. All throughout the room her kin relaxed. Darth Orcus seemed to understand that violence would not go well. Even one such as himself could not hold up against a dozen of House Zambrano's Bannermen and the other guards present. More importantly the Dark Lord would not approve. Ire looked to one of her relatives and nodded. Quietly the man moved forward to clean up the broken glass by the Herglic's feet. Another servant, not of her family, went to get something for his wounds, should he desire it. With that taken care of the girl returned her attention to the previous speaker. Whoever this twi'lek was... they had guts. Or a lack of intelligence. At least that's what the two enforcers thought. They always seemed to think alike when it came to others. Both found the Chiss', [member="Cryax Bane"], attempts to quell the growing flames mildly humorous. But he had a point. Better was indeed sooner than later. Everyone here had other issues to tend to. War'Rain stepped forward ever-so-slightly and spoke, briefly.

"Your longing for a less one-sided conversation is understanable. But if we are to be allies... we must treat each other with at least some level of respect." Her gaze flicked to the walking whale. Then to the twi'lek. "Matters such as this take a bit of time to think about. I assure you that when the wait is over, it will be worth it." She stepped back once again. Two of her warriors changed positions quietly. One watched the lethan girl, the other watching the Sith Lord. Both would be watched for the remainder of the event. Just in case. Several other figures, those who seemed most nervous or agitated, were offered drinks and snacks. Ire and War may be named after hatred and conflict... but they were capable of keeping the peace when need be. For the most part.

 

[Garza]

Oh the little Fan fair was going well. Large aquatic mamals yelling to shatter glass, Which I now had to clean whiskey from my hands, and my apprentice, though no one else would know that she was, making little quips at the Sith. While the Sith Lord may have taken it a bit far by yelling at her, he could have simply repremanded her by way of giving a little quip of his own. [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"], was a woman who played a very dangerous game. Not a physical battle, but a battle of Drama, Secrets, and Lies. She was good at it too. Hence why she worked for me with her alegiance still in tact with the Red Ravens.

It was also the reason in why I favored them. Speaking up from my little portion of the room,

"Lets try and keep this civil people. No quips, or snide remarks from now on please." I wanted so badly to say no more yelling either, but it was not really my place to say that to a Sith Lord. Nonetheless, I took a hard look at the orange, tiger-striped Twi'lek. Letting her know through facial expresions to not try and get on anybody's bad side.

[member="Cryax Bane"], [member="Hion the Herglic"],

 

[Ice]

The meeting has thus far been a bit of a joke as far as diplomacy went. It didn't take a genius to see what the Sith....well most of the Sith present here thought of he and his fellow Red Ravens. Them as they sat on their pulpits casting downward glances at them and whispering little quips of their own to each other, acting as if they had already conquered the galaxy and the Ravens were here to beg for help. The facts couldn't have been farther from their version of truth. Ice had traveled near and far. He had contacts just about everywhere within the Sith and outside of it, and was very much aware of the happenings around the galaxy. The Sith may have had a very good start in this war so far, true. But they were far from being the almighty conquerors fish man in the corner seemed to believe.

That wasn't to say they weren't strong of course. Obviously they were. Everyone here was standing at the seat of power that once belonged to another strong nation. Still, early victories did not mean a completed war. The Sith were going to need allies if they wanted to survive the onslaught Ice was sure everyone was aware was coming soon. So the fact that they would sit on their comfy cushioned seats while snobbishly sipping at their drinks now and look down on a people who had been growing actually faster than they of late, was beyond Ice.

The silence that had permeated the room after a couple of the Ravens most prominent members spoke was all the more infuriating. Save for the speaker of the Sith and perhaps one or two others, he was finding the whole ordeal a waste of time. Were the Red Ravens seriously going to stick their necks out on the line for this? Ice would support his president of course. But it was seriously beginning to feel like this was a rather bad idea. In fact he was beginning to the think most the Sith had in mind the Ravens simply dieing for the Sith instead of alongside them. If this alliance were to succeed, these "voices" of the dark lord would need to speak soon. They would need to quit their pompous display of superiority and get down to business.

In point of fact, he was just about to say so, though in a more delicate way when Chiasa spoke up. He words brought on a slight smile which tugged at the corners of his mouth. He quickly checked the expression, but he admired her stance. It was almost exactly what he had been thinking word for word as far as this treaty was to go. It was then her legitimate words were answered with a threat. A threat which caused his eyes to narrow and his hands begin to clinch as he resisted the urge to answer with one of his own. Fortunately, and much to his surprise, the Zambrano banner men were ready and about to handle the whale man themselves if he took any further action beyond words.

"Interesting." he thought to himself. Perhaps there was a shred of civility to be found amongst this crowd of Sith. And while the Ravens were continually being told to be patient and that some sort of reply from someone would be coming eventually, Ice was quickly losing patience. Had not the Sith known why they were coming? Shouldn't they have discussed all these possibilities beforehand? Wasn't this meeting supposed to be about hammering out details? Not the Sith mulling over whether they even wanted an alliance? Indeed, for people to think themselves so high above everyone else in just about everything, they needed a big lesson in diplomacy. Well, most of them. There were still a few among their order he had a higher regard for. For now though, he would simply remain silent. There had been enough words from the Ravens in his opinion. It was time the Sith actually used their "voices" and said something.

[member="Vincent Imura"] | [member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Hion the Herglic"] | [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] | [member="Logan of Little Coruscant"] | [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] | @All others I missed

 

[Reverance]

Everyone was in such fine spirits. Between the resounding threats issued between [member="Hion the Herglic"] and [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] and the back and forth between the members of the One Sith and each other, it was somewhat a disappointment that terms had not yet been discussed. Gabriel had about as much as he could, even the threatening overtones of [member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"] to the orca, or whatever he was, seemed to irritate Gabriel. The sitting, the waiting, the bad moods that were near palpable, everything was enough to make his water boil. This was a beneficial agreement between groups, the Red Ravens taken under the wing of the One Sith and the reception of concessions that were expected. But it's hard to make offering when no one was prepared to dictate the terms. Nevertheless, Gabriel wasn't intent on sitting this one out, not anymore. Especially when temperaments were running so avidly away from the point of the meeting. Which was to solidify the alliance.

"Calls have been answered on both fronts." He spoke loud enough for the leaders of the Red Ravens to here, or who he knew to be the leaders. Included in his gaze were [member="Cryax Bane"], [member="Logan of Little Coruscant"], [member="Ice"], and [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"]. "Such actions are the foundations of a strong relationship. Give and take." He spoke as he moved away from the column, pulling his hood down to reveal the haggard one eyed face. He knew Logan would know his face, but for the others, he pinged the image of a man tearing holes in a space station to their minds. He could sense the distaste that was growing in the Red Ravens, a level of impatience that almost came off as offensive. It was a good thing he, on the other Hand, was capable of administering the control necessary to make it through even the most mundane of meetings. "We have much to offer one another...but as has been stated..." He gesticulated with a hand towards the other members who relayed similar thoughts. "If you can't play nice, then it's best to not bother. That goes for everyone." His crimson eye surveyed the room as he smirked, the volatility of the Sith on display in this throne room. But as he spoke, he felt the unmoving gaze of the Dark Lord of the Sith upon his back, practically burning a hole into the armorweave.

"I've spoken with a few of you, some more than others..." He smiled, scratching the scar that sealed his right eye shut. "And I know you understand the notion of relaxing. So...relax." He waved to the table of snacks and drinks. "And when the voice is prepared to discuss the Mandalorians, the Republic, other mutual enemies, and the benefits of our alliance...then she will." He wasn't a Voice of any sector. But he was one of the Emperor's hands. And in this instance, he felt that he would best serve as bouncer. The group was getting rowdy and antsy with the lack of discussion, but that time would come soon enough. Whenever [member="Avadreia Lacroix"] was prepared to discuss such terms, she would. Instead of moving from his position, Gabriel stood with arms crossed before the Red Ravens, head tilted slightly, waiting for recognition of his words.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

The lethan woman had quite said quite the mouthful...and risked becoming such a thing as well. Ever the newborn diplomat, Mordecai merely nodded at her words and shared no such violent antics as his Brother among the Many had. Hion was a warrior, a damned good one, though he even saw the deceit and lies that were sprinkled about the woman's words. He had too much pride, thought Mordecai. He himself had been humbled long ago and craved for only the power to create and alter life, nothing else. But like a good soldier, he would always defend his sovereign, even lay his life down for the being that sat upon the Dark throne.

What more had he noticed was the quickness of his comrades in House Sekairo. They were good folk and the Dragon Lord liked them even more than his true family. Their presence and words allowed him to neither declare himself against or for any of the parties and he silently thanked them for it with a glance of his emerald eyes. Their actions were backed by his full strength and their words were his. They were to be rewarded following this procession.

Lord Reverance's words were to receive much favor from the younger Zambrano as well. He was a Hand and already held much respect from Mordecai and his smooth words only furthered such feelings for the man. It was the first time he had laid eyes upon the man himself and took his features to memory, hoping to recall important details for later.

"Honorable Kritivaas," he picked up as if nothing happened, "While my superiors carry more weight than me, I have been instructed to carry out and establish the policies set in stone by this meeting. My voice is was deemed good enough by the Dark Lord. If it is not good enough for you," a finger pointed to the closed door, "Then you may leave."

His attention returned to the remainder of the Raven delegation. "Now, about the Mandalorians and the Republic?" He blinked, understanding that he was getting better at this whole diplomat thing before continuing. "What are your stances regarding them? Trade relations, non-aggression pacts?"

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"], [member="Cryax Bane"], [member="Darth Ayra"], [member="Logan of Little Coruscant"], [member="Ice"], [member="Darth Carach"], [member="Vincent Imura"], [member="Kezeroth the Malevolent"], [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"], [member="Reverance"], [member="Hion the Herglic"], [member="Avadreia Lacroix"], [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Evor]

His long scruffy hair ruffled slightly as he shook his head at the hostilities of so many that had already spoken. It was beyond him why the Twi'lek was allowed to speak so openly in this situation, why Cryax wasn't telling her to shut up, why the Sith decided brooding the shadows with their drinks in hand was a good idea and why everyone was so damn on edge. This was meant to be an important event that would shape the history of the galaxy. It was a means to an end and he had expected better behavior from all involved. He nodded slightly as he listened to what [member="Reverance"] said, his words echoing what he thought and what he was sure many others beside him thought. He went to stop forward to finally speak up but [member="Mordecai Zambrano"] did first. Finally, he thought to himself, someone means to address the actual issues and reason for coming... nicely. He chuckled slightly to himself and spoke up as Mordecai finished.

"I apologize for the Twi'lek companion. She wont step out of line again." he said as he shot her a sideways glance, the edge in his voice speaking to how serious he was. His eyes turned back toward Mordecai and he spoke freely and truthfully. "The republic does not concern us as much as the Mandalorians. As I am sure you are all aware, the Mandalorians seek power and territory. Given our proximity we fear that they might soon be at our doorstep." He stopped for a moment, letting the idea linger in the air for a moment, picking his next words carefully. "We have no intentions of going to war, but if that is what it comes to, we will fight. Whether that is at the side of The One Sith or alone. But we will fight."

He scratched his chin, the bristles swaying as his fingers pushed them around. He chuckled slightly to himself. "As for the republic, if they wish to trade. So be it. If they wish to fight. So be it. But for now, we do our best not to concern ourselves with those who's presence is dwindling and almost irrelevant." He opened both arms in an encompassing way. "However, we are surrounded on all sides by those who wish to do us and the rest of the galaxy harm."


[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"] -:- [member="Cryax Bane"] -:- @Darth Ayra -:- [member="Ice"] -:- [member="Darth Carach"] -:- [member="Vincent Imura"] -:- [member="Kezeroth the Malevolent"] -:- [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] -:- [member="Hion the Herglic"] -:- [member="Avadreia Lacroix"] -:- [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Lysle of the Hydian Way]

Lysle looked to Hion with a resentful glare. He spoke aloud, "I heard the Sith fed off emotions, but I didn't know some of you could be so emotional." He almost-hissed the words between his teeth. He looked to Mordecai, "The girl didn't speak out of turn, only what is in her heart. I'm sure you Sith know what it is like to speak from the heart. I agree with her wholly. We came here as leaders to speak to leaders, to discuss our future together" he motioned to Hion, "And we receive that." He held disdain for the Orca's outburst, there was no hiding it. He knew their power, but he wouldn't shy away. Lysle was always known as being gutsy, if not a bit too bold sometimes, or brutally honest. "I trust your words are true, and we shall respect the weight in your words," he said to Mordecai after he announced he had been given permission to enact as the voice of this meeting on the part of the Sith. His eyes shifted to Logan, and there was perhaps a notion of pride upon his face, but it was only there for a second and then it was gone. He bobbed his head and allowed Cryax and Logan to continue without interruption. He settled back into his seat and continued to watch the processions, briefly flicking his eyes on Reverance with a hint of recognition.


{ [member="Mordecai Zambrano"] | [member="Reverance"] | [member="Hion the Herglic"] | [member="Logan of Little Coruscant"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] }

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

The orange-skinned female merely arched a brow at the [member="Hion the Herglic"] s outburst. Was he intimidating? Absolutely. Could he carry through on his threat? Most like. Was he way out of her league? No doubt. But, he had also just forced others to engage, and even more importantly whether he realized it or not, he'd cost the Sith face. And shown he didn't know much about Twi'leks. Lethan indeed. She smiled at her Chiss companion and Boss, leaning a hip against him companionably when he reinforced his support and solidarity with a hand on her hip.

The woman who spoke after Cryax caught her attention. She'd noted the way the other watched over those working the room, and that they'd looked to her for direction. Ah.. Here then, was power. Likely not power the Sith would acknowledge, but a power that Chiasa absolutely understood. Very few people realized how much was heard by the invisible servants, how overlooked they tended to be. And the most powerful often forgot that the little mice they let into the heart of their domains and dismissed from their minds could be deadly, with the proper encouragement. An unexpected shot to the head killed most beings, Force or not. This was who Chiasa wanted as an ally.

A hand rose over her heart and she inclined her head, a small standing bow. The only other being in the room to get any such show of respect from the Twi'lek was the Dark Lord himself.

She steadfastly did not look at her clandestine employer, but [member="Vincent Imura"] would feel her regard of him and her amusement with this whole situation nonetheless. She was rather pleased with this turn of events so far quite frankly. Not only had the room been energized, but by their reactions she was getting a better feel for who these Sith were as individuals.

All the better to stay a step ahead if you are enemies and know where you will be of use if you are friends.

Another of the Sith stepped forward to speak, this one she'd not personally seen on any battlefield, but had noted him in the Casino the same way she noted anyone new. He stank of old power, it settled about him like a cloak. But this was power that was not left to stagnate. His repetition of the be patient and wait was less than pleasing, but his approval of the alliance was, so she was willing to accept it. In the spirit of cooperation, she took a glass from one of the attendants and raised it to him with a smile before taking a sip. It was true, the Ravens did know how to relax, though generally on their own turf with friends who didn't threaten to to maim them for a bit of cheek. She didn't see this turning into a party any time soon, but supposed that her goals largely having been accomplished, at the very least she could stop needling them for now. She'd not step back into the hired help though, she did not consider herself chastised. None of the Sith had that right.

The Speaker was.. vexing, but his points were valid. This sort of opposition was entirely acceptable and part of the game. He understood it far better than the Herglic. Verbal sparring was allowed. Physical was discouraged, at least in this venue. Another point in his favour, he again turned the talk back to business, which would hopefully at some point be attended to.

[member="Logan of Little Coruscant"] actually annoyed her more than the Speaker had, if only because one showed solidarity in front of any potential enemy unless circumstances absolutely demanded otherwise. Still, her own rule meant that the most he got was a blank look down her nose. Promoted he may have been, but until he proved otherwise to her, he was just some man in need of a shave. An ally of course. A fellow Raven, and so she'd stand at his side, but she didn't feel the need to be particularly deferential. She rarely did though, Chiasa was a beast who understood hierarchy, she simply rarely placed herself within it beyond identifying who was at the very top. In this room that included [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"], [member="Cryax Bane"] and the Dark Lord.She also wasn't sure about how much decrying forces who wished to do the galaxy harm to the Sith would accomplish. They tended to embody the word harm.

Probably the only true emotional reaction she'd displayed thusfar came when Lysle spoke up in her defence. The Twi'lek thought rather a lot of him, and dropped her chin momentarily lowering her eyes as she schooled her features back to polite blankness.

Chiasa glanced over at Cryax, who nodded, she turned her attention back to the Speaker.

"Your words are good enough, I do believe you to be best suited."

She glanced over at the Herglic, as if to emphasize that if that was the alternative, he was leaps and bounds in the lead for best representative.

"I merely wondered. We did do our research, and this was not what we expected. If we are to be allies, it is best if we understand each other no? It's so sad when friends have.. misunderstandings."

"Logan speaks rightly. There have been.. Incidents with the Mandalorians. Because they are a nation of individuals however, it is hard to pin down out exact relation. We do not deal with the Mandalor, but some who identify as Mandalorians culturally are also Ravens, and we are happy to keep them. If they do not embrace their culture to such an extent that they act against us, then we think of them as ours. I expect we could extend that same understanding in a more formal fashion towards the One Sith. Our Mandalorians will continue to identify as such and be considered loyal to us until they act against either the Ravens or Sith. However they would still be free to stand with their..'vod' should the Mandalorians choose to mobilize against another faction less amenable to either of us."

"As for the Republic.."

She shrugged.

"We're criminals. We make credits off of them where possible, rarely in ways that benefit them. I cannot see their citizens, politicians or Jedi agreeing to any official lasting relationship with us one way or the other."

[member="Mordecai Zambrano"] [member="Reverance"] [member="Ice"] [member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Avadreia listened intently, her blue eyes narrowing at each speaker in turn. She felt slightly disadvantaged, as the only Voice that was, to her (admittedly limited) knowledge, not graced with the gift of the Force. She had to live and die on perception, on intuition, on ambition and study and instinct. She wondered idly for a moment, as the conversation continued, whether or not the others looked down on her for it. Alas, that was all beside the point, and the time had come for her to add her voice to the conversation.

Waiting for a lull, Avadreia finally inclined her head and spoke up when the opportunity came. "You will forgive my reticence to speak, I hope, and take heart in knowing that as a Voice of the Dark Lord, I find it much more important to listen than to speak. This, I hope, should give you some indication of the type of person and the type of administrator you will be working with provided we decide that we will work together. This way, I feel that I am much more apt to understand the issues being brought up by your party, rather than attempting to impose an understanding of my issues on you." She smiled politely, but her voice was firm. She had not been called a Galactic Iron Lady in her former life for no reason, after all.

"That having been said, I feel it is important to establish what really is your relationship with the other factions at issue here, the Mandalorians and the Republic? Not, if you will pardon my bluntness," she said with an almost aristocratic bow of her head to [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"], "Simple platitudes. We must speak frankly about not only current relations but anything inherent in your group or leadership or the intentions of either that might... how to put it? Pull our unified forces into a battle on inopportune terms." She paused and favored her with another chilly smile. "For instance, impatience, impertinence, or simple bloody-mindedness." She let her eyes linger for a moment before sweeping them across the rest of the party; Avadreia resisted the urge to glance over at her fellow One Sith for fear they would be looking at her as if she had just sprouted two additional heads.

"We must look at this as a partnership, not least of all in terms of foreign policy. It would not do for either party to provoke another faction into war without a full discussion with their ally. Would you not agree?" she addressed the question to the Red Ravens as a group before finally allowing herself to glance sidelong at her allies.

[member="Logan of Little Coruscant"] | [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] | [member="Mordecai Zambrano"] | [member="Reverance"] | [member="Hion the Herglic"] | [member="Cryax Bane"] | [member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

Cryax reached out his hand and careful not to touch her sensitive Lekku, gently placed it on the shoulder of [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"], his bold Twi'lek envoy, to signify that he wanted the floor. Then he stepped forward, and met the Sith lady's icy blue eyes with his glowing red orbs. "I would agree wholeheartedly, Lady [member="Avadreia Lacroix"]." said the Chiss, directly addressing the Voice of sector three. "As for our current relationships, the Republic has never been a friend of ours. Criminals and Peacekeepers don't exactly make the best bedfellows, wouldn't you agree? Small-scale scuffles with them are to be expected, and occasionally there is an arrest or two of Raven operatives by Republic forces. Obviously we have no cause to go to war with them, but we watch them closely in case they widen their nets around us."

Furrowing his brow, he spread his hands at the delegation. "Now the Mandalorians on the other hand. The Red Ravens considered them allies until they played turncoat, aiding the Black Sun in Mr. Ash's defense when we invaded Barab I. Our invasion of that planet stemmed from very old and ingrained hostilities we had with the Sun. So for the Mandos to get involved, well, that came as quite a rude awakening. Needless to say our relations with them are currently strained at best. I think it's fair to assume that we may very well be their next target. And at the very least it would be foolish to sit back on our laurels and dismiss them as a non-threat."

Pausing to take a deep breath, the Chiss continued. His voice was devoid of emotion. This was simply straight talk, and it turned out that the newly minted President had alot he wanted to say. "The Red Ravens themselves have no desire to attack either the Mandos nor the Republic without justified provocation. That being said, It's common knowledge that the Mandalorians have put out bounties on everyone from the highest-ranked Sith Lords to the lowliest Acolytes. The next thing you know they'll be putting bounties out on all your Sithspawn," Here he chuckled darkly, hoping that a bit of humor wasn't lost on the icy room. "If that isn't an act of aggression against the One Sith by the Mandos, I don't know what is. We are merely trying to combine the power of two very strong presences in the galaxy. We are not looking to attack, but we would like to consolidate our defenses in the event that either faction finds itself under attack by the Republic, the Mandos, or any other stupid enough to come after both your group and mine. You know what they say, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' Are there further questions, Lady Avadreia? From you or any others in your delegation?"

With his speech finished, the young Chiss cast a steely gaze around the room and folded his hands in front of him, letting a potent silence hang in the air in anticipation of a response from the One Sith.

[member="Avadreia Lacroix"] [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] [member="Logan of Little Coruscant"] [member="Mordecai Zambrano"] [member="Ice"] [member="Reverance"] [member="Hion the Herglic"] [member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"] [member="Vincent Imura"]

 

[Triampheus]

Now things were starting to go as planned. That was good. Tensions had risen far to much for Ire's liking. Her sibling, on the other hand, almost seemed momentarily disappointed. Fighting was something the lass obviously enjoyed. Having none of that didn't quite sadden her... but she did seem to mourn the opportunity. Until [member="Cryax Bane"] spoke of their enemies. Mandalorians were strong. They were tough. To face them in combat would please the Sekairo greatly. It would fill her men with joy as well. The Republic... eh, not as much. But some in their ranks would prove a pleasant challenge. War found herself smiling slightly. These Ravens would bring her to some conflicts, of that she was sure. For them she would fight. Not out of loyalty to them, no, not even close. Battles were simply what she relished. Perhaps it was her Epicanthix blood. Maybe it was just what the hardships she went through had done to her. What the heavy air of Pitann gave her. A thirst for blood. A longing for a good death in battle. The only thing in her heart that outweighed her hunger for combat was her desire to see her wife, Kila, and her daughter, Key, again. But they were long gone. Due to her mistakes, nonetheless. So it was safe to say that war was all War had left. Even her extended family seemed to often mean nothing to her. They simply brought her to what she so heavily desired: Anger, the clashing of blades, and the celebrations that followed. All three were to be the result of this meeting, surely. Especially the celebration part... A servant walked to the siblings, offering them both drinks, as if knowing their current train of thought. War eyed the selection slowly. Some were alcoholic, others were not. Before the tallest could reach for a glass of wine (something the experiment Circe Savan had given her would painfully reject) she found her sister grabbing two cups. Both containing some sort of fruit juice sort of thing. She smiled, softly. Her sister was good for her.

It was then the duo noticed [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] and her slight bow. Neither Sekairo needed to glance at the other. They both knew that they had seen it. To bow to one was to bow to the other. While they couldn't be any more different... they often acted as one body, one mind. Some found it easy to notice. Others didn't realize it. Didn't notice the way that they acted based upon the other's movements. Those who paid enough attention would realize just how in sync they were. To bow to one was ot bow to the other, truly. Each raised a hand to their heart, inclining their heads just as she had. Ire's right hand, her non-prosthetic, was the one to go up, while War lifted her left. Some might have chuckle or wondered if they had planned it. But the truth was that they hadn't. Not consciously, at least. Their gazes were locked with the twi'lek's. That, however, merely lasted a moment. Each of the Raven leaders were looked at in turn... just not for as long. Only those paying a significant amount of attention would understand that their bow was mainly to the orange lady. Neither entirely had a reason to return the gesture. Perhaps they were simply being polite or keeping face. Or maybe Ire considered this lass to be a potential ally. War probably didn't care much. Doing so was not in her nature. However, noting something the others seemed to miss was. She turned her head ever-so-slightly and spoke softly to her sibling. "She's not a lethan. Those are red-skinned. She is orange..." Ire had to stifle a chuckle. Her sister, of course, was correct. It simply seemed like a silly thing to mention at such a time.

 

[Gorba the Hutt]

The Herglic watched all the verbose proceedings with that same unnaturally wide smile. Too many teeth and too much of a darkness in those eyes.

He cared little for the offended feelings of the would-be allies. All that mattered was the Dark Lord's pleasure.

Darth Orcus sustained all the disparaging comments directed his way, basking in their hate. Mmm. It felt good.

 

[Judas of Vahl]

The so-called moderator of this entire meeting listened to both sides with a pensive look upon his features. He really had nothing more to say, especially now that a Voice had really spoken. Mordecai's opinion on the matter was worth that of a penny and speaking his own mind before the Dark Lord would probably earn him a body-sized dent in the wall. He shivered.

"I have nothing more to add, Honorable Bane." He replied, "So far we've established a fully cooperative military alliance with a trade agreement and a non-aggression pact."

He looked towards the crowd of Ravens. "If the Voice has nothing against this, it shall be made law."

[member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"], [member="Cryax Bane"], [member="Darth Ayra"], [member="Logan of Little Coruscant"], [member="Ice"], [member="Darth Carach"], [member="Vincent Imura"], [member="Kezeroth the Malevolent"], [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"], [member="Reverance"], [member="Hion the Herglic"], [member="Avadreia Lacroix"], [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"]

 

[Cryax Bane]

As the uncomfortable silence hung in the air for more than a few minutes, Cryax Bane, chuckling lightly and clapping his hands together once, filled it, his words cutting through the stillness like a shot in the dark. “It seems as though we have ourselves a treaty,” he said with a grin. “The Red Ravens look forward to this galactic partnership with the One Sith.” Here, the Chiss’s voice became almost a growl as he spit out his last sentence. “Let our joint power rise even stronger from the ashes of the enemies we burn.”

With that the young Chiss crime boss stepped forward, his glowing eyes cutting through the murky gloom of the antechamber, and put his signature to the treaty.

It turned out the consolidation of power was not the only reason that the Red Ravens President wanted this alliance to officially happen. He also had his own pet justification to want protection for his Ravens from the possible threat of war from the Mandalorians. The threat stemmed from an issue involving the Chiss himself, a Mandalorian woman, an overprotective brother who happened to be the Manda’lor, and an unfortunate text messsage. Anyone not involved could easily puzzle out what had happened even if he abbrievated the story for the room, but regardless, it wasn’t something the Chiss wanted to share in public. Not only was it not anyone else’s business, but the story also contained a long and convoluted plot that would rival one of those Holo Soaps that [member="Darth Vornskr"] liked so much.

[member="Mordecai Zambrano"] [member="Hion the Herglic"] [member="War'Rain Sekairo"] [member="Lysle of the Hydian Way"] [member="Ire'Rain Sekairo"] [member="Vincent Imura"] [member="Ice"] [member="Logan of Little Coruscant"] [member="Reverance"] [member="Avadreia Lacroix"] [member="Chiasa Kritivaas"] [member="Alicia Drey"] [member="Darth Carach"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Avadreia's lips twisted anxiously as she watched the procedures. She was not convinced about this alliance; the reputation damage could be considerable for a legitimate government being seen aligned with a criminal group -- particularly a criminal group that was so proud of being a criminal group. She chewed the inside of her cheek and narrowed her eyes at the Red Raven delegation before glancing at her compatriots.

It seemed they were arrayed in favor of the deal. Avadreia cleared her throat and took a breath. This whole thing, if it exploded, would explode in her face. Could she handle it? Yes... probably.

"It sounds as if we are all in agreement," Avadreia said finally, her blue eyes darkening slightly before she squared her shoulders and inclined her head. "I have no objections."

[member="Mordecai Zambrano"] [member="Cryax Bane"]

 

[Darth Ayra]

Darth Ayra had remained silent throughout the entire thing. Her status here was merely that as an extended gift from the other One Sith in the room. She wasn't a major player among her peers, at least not yet. A relative unknown, although what she had done to Circe Savan had gained some praise. What she was here for was merely to watch the spectacle and learn. If she had been called for her opinion by the others, then she would have given the Red Raven's a good voice. They showed promise and potential, which was useful for her own enterprises outside of the One Sith.

So the Sith Lord merely watched on, listening.