Private Vampire Politics

[Sycorax Laveaux]

Alicio’s attempt at diffusing the situation was admirable. There was just one small problem. Lon wasn’t afraid. He appeared nearly as calm as the Count, but inside him a similar hatred to that of Sycorax burned hot. He had lost control of his fire.

“What are you doing?” Sycorax asked, her voice soft yet urgent. She had assured him that there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him of the murder of Indra Djo, that he needed only to go along with the plan, none of which involved pointing a gun at Werdegast.

“What I should’ve done a long time ago,” Lon replied. “What I came to this meeting for. You might be able to forget Victor, but I can’t forget Creighton.”

Sycorax began to understand. “Lon, please,” she pleaded. “Don’t destroy yourself.”

Lon’s sad, ordinary face was drawn, his vision tunneling, thoughts of revenge on his mind. “You set a rabid wolf loose on our property,” he said, his words directed at Werdegast. “It came after us in the dark. I went into the house to get my gun, and when I came back it was dead. Something else was in its place, some sort of feral beast even bigger than the wolf. It attacked me, so I shot it. And that’s when I realized who it was. I had shot my own son. Twenty four years old. When he was born, his skin all dark from lack of oxygen, I dunked him in cold water until he drew his first breath. We went on missions together, sharing a name so that I could always take the fall for him if things went south. I fought to keep him alive—and you made me kill him!”

Werdegast shrugged. “Your son killed my daughter, so I killed your son. We are even. If you kill me, my men will kill you. It will all balance out in the end.”

Clearly survival no longer mattered to Lon. He would rather go out fighting, and take the vampire down with him. Sycorax blinked, trying to think fast of a way to salvage the situation. Three seconds in the future, Lon pulled the trigger.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Oh. Maybe he was mistaken.

Alicio narrowed his eyes as Lon's true emotions and intentions were made clear. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, slowly but surely. The Wolfman was Lon's son. The Wolfman worked for Sycorax. Sycorax used the Wolfman to attack the vampires. Lon hated the vampires...

Lon worked for Sycorax.

There was nothing left to say. Perhaps once, Alicio would have labored over the right way to do this without violence. He maybe even would have found it. But his words would bounce off Lon regardless, so consumed by revenge was he.

It was time for a show of strength. Alicio used the ticking seconds to gather the Force, cultivate his care, his need to save them, and turning it into power.

"If anyone kills him-" Alicio began, superhuman speed rocketing the Count between Lon and his intended target. A quick tap in the Force caused the assassin's shot to go wide, hitting the stones behind the vampires. The hand he'd twitched shot out from his cloak, as he tried to Force push Lon up into the wall, pinning his limbs against the stone.

His blade ignited in his other hand, the dark hum adding emphasis to his continued sentence.

"-I ruin everyone in this room."

- Sycorax Laveaux -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

Lon pulled the trigger. Sycorax could only watch in horror as instead of hitting Werdegast, the bolt pierced through Alicio, who jumped in the way. Lon was thrown backwards by an unseen force, his body pinned to the marble wall of the tomb. Despite being wounded, the Count had seized control over the situation, threatening to ruin them all if anyone else raised a hand against Werdegast.

The vampire laughed. “What a show! This is the best meeting I’ve been to in ages.” His voice dropped to a low snarl as he addressed Alicio. "Never take a bolt for a man you don’t know, boy.”

Sycorax was left momentarily speechless, her eyes fixed on the crumbling hole in the wall where the shot had vaporized the stone.

Werdegast got the attention of one of his enforcers, a young man in a multi-colored cloak. "If he tries to follow through on his idiotic threat, take care of him. But don't kill him outright. He smells delicious, and I'm calling dibs."

“You will not touch him,” Sycorax snapped. “Alicio, if Lon is the man you’re looking for, take him and go.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

They thought he meant ruin physically.

"You misunderstand your situation." He turned his eyes towards Sycorax, even as he increased the pressure on Lon's body. He sent her a silent apology. He didn't like doing this. "I've recorded this meeting."

The Count pressed a button on a small, thumb-sized device, which he surreptitiously stashed in a compartment under the synthskin of his robotic hand.

"Audio evidence is shied away from in the courts, but it is more than enough to begin an investigation from the three Jedi Councilmembers I'm personally close to." His voice hadn't raised, not once, continuing his calm, even cadence, even as his blade rumbled ominously beside him. "Each of those Jedi, including Master Amani Serys-Organa would be rather cross should I disappear at a documented meeting with another Senator and a crimelord."

It helped his confidence that he didn't believe they could kill him before he could escape. Otherwise he never would have tried a risky move like this.

"Have I made my position clear, Mr. Werdegast?"

- Sycorax Laveaux -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

Lon didn’t take kindly to the increase in pressure, but there was nothing he could do about it. In conjunction with the reveal that Alicio had been recording the conversation, and now intended to use said recording to blackmail them, it painted a rather dark picture of the Count. One that Sycorax did not expect, but which was not unwelcome.

Werdegast, on the other hand, was inscrutable. Maybe he believed Alicio’s threats were genuine, maybe he called his bluff. Maybe name-dropping Amani had just marked her for a grisly death. Regardless, the crime lord decided to play along.

“All right, Your Excellency,” Werdegast said. “Now that you have the means of blackmailing me, what must I do to keep that recording out of Jedi hands? What are your demands?”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Perhaps, in hindsight, the Count's leading questions would seem obvious. Speaking little, to elicit the others to say more. Had things not spiraled out of control, he would have kept that recording, submitted it to the proper Alliance authorities. But now that things had heated up... he hadn't really had a choice, had he?

“Now that you have the means of blackmailing me, what must I do to keep that recording out of Jedi hands? What are your demands?”

"I don't have demands," Alicio began, his frown setting like stone. "I have rules. That each of you must follow."

"One. You must find a more ethical form of consumption. I can assist in setting up the infrastructure for you to do so." That, he was happy to do. If there was no way for a vampire to feed, of course they would do so through violence.

"Two. You will not kill. For any reason. If Sycorax Laveaux or the government of Dahrtag suspect you or your kind of doing so from this point onward, an investigation by the Galactic Alliance will be sent, and the truth will be found."

"Three. If you suspect Senator Laveaux of more misconduct," he said, turning his frown to her. "Then you will contact me, an investigation by the Galactic Alliance will be sent, and the truth will be found."

"Do I make myself clear?" His blade hand twitched.

- Sycorax Laveaux -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

Sycorax winced as Alicio listed his rules, before finally bowing her head in solemn disappointment. For all that she hated the Alliance, she had been willing to give the Count the benefit of the doubt. He represented the best of what his side had to offer, and if there was anything they could do that she could not, he would be the one to do it. But his solution was unoriginal, and what’s more, it was probably a bluff.

Werdegast kept them all in suspense for a few moments. Then he tutted. “Is that the best you can come up with? Come now. I was here when your planet was dust and your Alliance was nothing but a moldering old republic. You know you aren’t the only person to blackmail me. It was one of the first things Sycorax tried.”

The vampire leaned back in his seat, crossing one leg over the other as he stared Alicio down. “Your Excellency, the only thing you have bought from me today with your pitiful attempt at intimidation is the continued survival of the ones you love. If that recording should find itself in hands who would seek to so much as bother me, their lives are forfeit.” His eyes narrowed. “I am a vengeful god, but a fair one. If you try to ruin my life, I will ruin yours. That is the tradeoff.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

That was how he knew Han Werdegast didn't know Alicio Organa. He tried to threaten him.

Alicio did not threaten.

Sycorax may not have been happy with his declaration, but Alicio remained steadfast. He didn't particularly care what she thought of it. She didn't know the whole picture anyways. "Understood, Mr. Werdegast," he said, not even deigning to look at the man. "And when the full might of all I can muster comes to Dahrtag, to upturn all that you have built, your underlings will only have their god to blame for what happens next."

How did one destroy a king? Create doubt in the hearts of his subjects. Alicio didn't even have dirt on all of them. Just Han. Perhaps the other vampires, the rivals, the upstarts, would realize this, that their survival could be assured... if Han was out of the picture.

He let his voice lilt in the room. "I have said what sacrifices must be made to save yourselves. That is all." With a dramatic wave of his cape, the Count left the mausoleum, dragging Lon behind him with the Force.

He almost hoped they would stop him. So he could end this now.

- Sycorax Laveaux -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

Once they were outside, Lon took the opportunity to unleash his fury upon Alicio. “I had him! I could’ve killed him here and now!” he snarled. “I knew that you were an establishment prick, but this is a new low.”

Sycorax remained in the mausoleum for a time, eventually exiting along with her guards. Thrust into the cool misty air, she clasped her arms over her chest for warmth, approaching Alicio slowly.

“That was… interesting,” she remarked. “I was curious about what you would do, and my questions were answered.” Just not in the way she had hoped. She did come in with expectations, though she hadn’t realized it until they were disappointed. In other ways, she was glad. Alicio had proven himself a flawed and fallible human, rather than the saint he’d been hyped up as.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her chin. “What now?” she asked.

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

By the time Sycorax exited the mausoleum, Alicio's shuttle had already landed. Senate guards were posted around as it waited, somehow having found a suitable landing spot within the graveyard. Lon was already inside, stun cuffs on him. A small device had been passed from Alicio to one of those guards, to be kept safe along with their new prisoner.

The senator came out with a certain air of disappointment about her, one that Alicio seemed entirely immune to. He just observed her exit, and waved his guard away. "I'm glad you've gotten your answers, but all I have are questions about you, Miss Laveaux."

“What now?”

Alicio extended his senses, to ensure there were no listening ears, before responding. "First, we take a walk."

"Then, we find a rival. And offer a better deal."

- Sycorax Laveaux -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

It was difficult to see through the mist, but she made out the silhouette of a shuttle. Alderaanian soldiers with their distinct bowl-shaped helmets revealed it to be under Alicio’s command. Lon was led into the ship in chains, leaving Sycorax to ponder how she would get him out of this one. Or if she even ought to, given that he had disobeyed her orders and made a mess of things.

"I'm glad you've gotten your answers, but all I have are questions about you, Miss Laveaux."

She smirked faintly at that. “I would be deeply surprised if you did not have questions, Count Organa.”

"First, we take a walk."

"Then, we find a rival. And offer a better deal."

“All right. But it’s nearly dawn. Don’t expect any vampires to come out and meet you in the daylight.” She strode forward, heading for the graveyard gate. "Where do you want to go on this walk?"

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"Here is fine." Alicio looked ahead, to the graveyard, his expression still and cold like... well, a grave.

After assuring his guard that he would be fine, and telling them telepathically that they had to go to Coruscant immediately, he began to walk further into the expansive cemetery, letting mist swirl around his cloak.

Alicio reveled in the silence for a while, before he deigned to speak, a quiet tone. "How did you conclude the meeting?"

His senses were extended, focused on Sycorax's energy for deception. She was a good liar. But that was when he didn't know her as such. Now, she had his attention.

- Sycorax Laveaux -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

Sycorax eyed him for a moment, then she shrugged. “As long as you don’t walk across any graves,” she said. “The fog can make them difficult to see, and I’d rather not receive a curse from the dead today.” On top of a disastrous meeting.

Not that this was the worst encounter she’d ever had with Werdegast. There had been times where the meeting ended with a shootout.

"How did you conclude the meeting?"

“I didn’t say anything to Werdegast. I gave orders to my men. Some of them are following me, the rest scattered.” No deception there. "Now that you've antagonized Werdegast, will you make an enemy of me as well?"

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

Alicio nodded slowly, making sure his footsteps were careful. He didn't want to disturb the dead.

At least, not anymore than he already has.

"Now that you've antagonized Werdegast, will you make an enemy of me as well?"

His face was impassive, hiding a deep suspicion. Instead of answering immediately, he busied himself by glancing through headstones. Svendsen. Marboli. Kasser. "What was Lon doing on Hapes?"

He would not make her an enemy. But he might find one in her.

- Sycorax Laveaux -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

“Is this conversation being recorded?”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"No."

- Sycorax Laveaux -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

She smiled a little.

“Then to answer your question: he went to meet with Indra Djo on my behalf. I knew the Alliance would try to wipe the Se’n Dorrin out as part of their efforts to gain the Queen Mother’s favor, so I offered them an alternative. With money, weapons, connections, and other resources at my disposal, I would help them achieve their goals and bring a new era of equality to Hapes. But when you arrived in typical bombastic fashion, Indra thought he had been tricked. He pointed a blaster at Lon. Lon shot first, to wound rather than kill. Once he realized who you were and how badly outmatched he was, his plans changed. Indra’s goals also changed, as he put his own survival before that of his cause. In the end, Lon killed Indra before the Hapan had a chance to jeopardize our whole operation.”

Heaving a sigh, she added, “I still want to help Hapes, but after what happened I figured I had better hold off for a little while.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

The fact that she just came out and said it was... concerning. Lon was willing to die to keep that information secret. Either this was a sign of deep trust... or a dark tiding for the future.

'Oh, I'd hate for Indra Djo to think you a traitor,' he didn't say.

Alicio stopped walking. Of course that was her goal. "Equality cannot be won through terrorism. Fear only serves to widen the divide between us and them." He kept his voice still, though it had gotten significantly more difficult to do so. "Indra and his people were only making the Hapan people more wary of men, and would have been a severe hang-up in negotiations going forward."

"It wouldn't apply, wouldn't make sense, but prejudiced people hardly care for what makes sense."

"What did you imagine the Se'n Dorrin would do with those weapons?"

- Sycorax Laveaux -

 

[Sycorax Laveaux]

“By that logic, the Rebel Alliance was a terrorist group,” she said, raising an incredulous eyebrow. “The Empire certainly declared them one. The rebels saw themselves as heroes fighting to overthrow an evil, prejudiced, tyrannical government.” She shook her head. “Your words ring hollow in a universe where outcomes are determined by wars and what constitutes a ‘terrorist’ is simply a matter of opinion.”

Where was the cunning politician who had threatened to blackmail Werdegast? When had it been replaced by this simpering hypocrite?

“I admit Indra Djo was no Princess Leia Organa. But he was their only hope, and now he’s dead.” She held his gaze, unwavering. “It’s ridiculous that you think freedom from tyranny, especially tyranny that has lasted for millennia, can be bought without violence.”

"What did you imagine the Se'n Dorrin would do with those weapons?"

“We didn’t have a chance to discuss it much with the Se’n Dorrin, but the plan was to target the regime. Wage war against the Queen Mother. You know, rebel.”

Alicio Organa​

 

[Alicio Organa]

"The Rebel Alliance was not fighting for equality with the Empire." It was bold of Sycorax to try and use his own family's history against him. "It's... surprisingly short-sighted of you to think an appropriate solution to social injustice is total war. Especially when diplomacy within the Alliance, cultural exchange, is right there." He certainly hadn't expected it of her. At least, not until he felt her hate today. "Hapes wants to keep good relations with the GA. You could have leveraged that."

Alicio sighed, his hands falling once more into the obscurity of his cloak. "I'd like to believe you've done what you think is right, but supplying enemies of the Alliance with weapons to kill Alliance soldiers, and then executing prisoners to cover your tracks, is not right." He pressed a button on his datapad, recalling his shuttle.

He was glad this revelation had happened early in their conversation.

"There were other options. Many other options. You have to at least see that."

- Sycorax Laveaux -