We Begin Anew

[Cameron Centurion]

((OOC: Events occur simultaneously with Universum Oblivione: Daughter of Malagarr))

Castellum Tenebris
Druckenwell

The night sky was unusually dark thanks to a thick blanket of cloud cover. The only lights that reflected in the bright gaze of Aiden were the handful of burning pyres nearest the fixed guard positions. Having set down just outside the gates of Castellum Tenebris as instructed, Aiden was as close to the sprawling fortress as the stewards of the estate had clearly been instructed to allow.

Once the loading ramp of the aging escort shuttle had finally cycled down into the fool open position, an entourage of mostly large individuals descended from the bowels of the ship. Aiden, at the head of the group was easily the tallest, but the other six men that accompanied him were within mere inches of the first son's height.

Standing sentry just outside the closed gates were five men. The man at the head of the group was clearly very senior in age while the other four wore uniforms apart from that of the Confederate armed forces. Stopping within twenty feet of the old man, Aiden allowed his silver-green gaze to roam the edifice. For the time being, he did not speak.

The Councilor watched the new arrivals with a mixture of apprehension and confusion. There had been no word of an arrival, and the vessel had curiously seemed to skirt all regulations with little more than a simple statement that they would be allowed to pass. Coupled with the rather recent unscheduled arrival of a member of the Obsidian Order, and the Councilor was starting to wonder what misfortune was to befall Druckenwell.

After the seconds had turned to minutes, the Councillor finally elected to address the man in the midnight blue overcoat. "Gentlemen, welcome to Castellum Tenebris. Sadly, His Excellency is not presently in residence."

Aiden's gaze eventually focused in on the Councillor. "I'm aware that Lord Centurion is away," Aiden was sure to emphasize the title that the people of Druckenwell have adopted in reference to their Viceroy. "You will pass him a message."

The Councillor arched a curious brow. "My apologies, who are you again?"

Aiden's only response was to offer a subtle nod to one of the men to his right. In a blur of motion, the subordinate lunged forward and seized the Councillor by the throat. The soldiers behind the Councilor were quick to attempt to launch into action, but two of Aiden's entourage gave a wave of the hand. With extreme force, the fours soldiers were sent sailing into their own stone walls. "My identity is of little immediate consequence. The Viceroy will come to know me in due time."

Bright gaze diverted from the Councillor back to the massive structure behind him. It was an impressive edifice, but it seemed a rather useless venture for a simple residence. The home that Aiden and those that had traveled to Roon with him so many countless decades ago dwarfed Castellum Tenebris in size, sure, but it also at one point accommodated over fifty individuals and their families. It still stood, of course, but Aiden preferred to keep to a more private dwelling.

The sound of gargling snapped Aiden's attention back to the Councillor before Aiden rolled his eyes and directed a command to the man still strangling the elderly politician in the tongue of the Ancient Sith. "Release him and burn this place down. I would hate for the Councillor not to be able to bear witness." Turning, Aiden began to retreat back towards the vessel. As he walked, he called calmly over his shoulder. "And be quick about it. I must travel to Geonosis."

In seconds, the eldest of Caid Centurion's siblings disappeared into the vessel from whence he had originated.

 

[Cameron Centurion]

11 Hours Later
Nearing Geonosis System

"Geonosis is terrible."

Aiden was an incredibly patient man, but he chose not to endure idiocy. Why? Simple, there were very few situations in life where idiocy served to benefit any aspect of his own life. Similarly, there would never be a version of reality where he gave all the information to a subordinate. The vast number of individuals that had followed him from Dromund Kaas so long ago had all either died or moved on. At this point, he was surrounded by generations of their descendants. A few had become powerful enough for Aiden to regard them as more than a tool, watching the develop a warped sense of reality wherein they had the freedom to speak freely around him.

Silver-green eyes raised to meet the bright blue of the eldest of the current group and Aiden's most promising apprentice to date. "Do you have anything intelligent to say or ask?" That reality, however, did not mean that Aiden tolerated his insolence more than any other. Actually, no, that was simply not true. Aiden had certainly removed other irritants for far more benign affronts.

The recently minted Sith Lord shrugged his shoulders casually. "This Confederacy serves no purpose. It's an organization that claims to hold to awkward concepts of equality and fairness. There are Sith in this organization that just...go along with it. Aren't you disgusted with what has become of our people?"

Leaning back slightly in his seat, Aiden's characteristically flat expression remained as he gazed at the young male. "Our people?"

"Sith," came the quick reply with an inflection of increduility.

"Ah. Tell me. Were you born a Sith? Or are you referring to those that proclaim ourselves Sith Lords, masters of the ancient ways of the Sith?"

"The latter, clearly."

"It's a belief system. It would be foolish for any of us to expect the aggregate to behave in lock step. How many different ways have you noted the sentients of the galaxy all, effectively, worshiping the same deity with a different name?"

The apprentice gave no response.

"You bristle at the actions of others when you should concern yourself only with your own actions. Actions that have been decidedly less than admirable, apprentice. I suggest you take care to understand your place in this galaxy and, more importantly, my presence. Now, leave me."

Aiden's apprentice took the hint, bowing respectfully before turning to depart.

"Oh...and this will be the last time I have to address your attitude, apprentice. Do not identify yourself as ineffective, lest you cease to exist."

There was no response from the apprentice, just the deafening silence of complete obedience.

----------

1 Hour Later
Geonosis

The large loading ramp cycled down from the matte black escort shuttle. Materializing from within the vessel was the lone figure of Aiden. Bright eyes swept the landing pad, taking note of the environment and any individuals present. The climate of Geonosis was very warm and arid. It was not the Sith Lord's preference in locale, but he could manage for the short time such was necessary. Regardless of the air temperature, Aiden still wore his midnight blue overcoat as he walked calmly towards the entrance to the sprawling facility.

Some time ago, Aiden had transported the spent body of Exarch Talon to a waiting Confederacy vessel. Though he'd not pried into the matter nor made comment of it to anyone, he vividly remembered watching the diminutive woman get used as a puppet from afar. Aiden neither knew nor cared to know who held such a bond with the small Echani. Were it a situation the woman could not handle, he certainly did wonder why she had been permitted to lead the operation. Why was she leading anything were it she had not the capability to execute the mission in its entirety without external influence.

It just seemed a little bit...unnecessary to Aiden.

However, as a current member of the Knights Obsidian, a position he occupied for a mean's of access mostly, he responded to the summons from the Exarch in as timely a manner as he was capable. Fresh from dealing with a situation on Tatooine in between the operation on Kamino and this day, Aiden had managed to carve out the time for his brief detour to Druckenwell. The Sith Lord was certainly not aware what more needed to be said between himself and the Exarch, but he supposed that he would find out soon enough.

Arriving at the entrance, Aiden was commanded to halt by a sentry. Looking down at the man, Aiden complied. He carried no identification, so silver-green eyes focused intently on the men as he waited for an escort of some form to usher him into these man-made halls of power.

[member="Srina Talon"] | [member="Naedira Darcrath"]

 

[Srina Talon]

Location: Geonosis [Golbah City] - The Crown, The Citadel
Tag: [member="Aiden"], [member="Naedira Darcrath"]
Wearing: X
Weapons: None Visible

---

The silvery Exarch of the Confederacy was still nursing the mother of all migraines. After the possession of her Master, she always felt strange. She felt as if she could feel color and see sound for at least a few days afterward. Tentatively, she rubbed her temple and tried to focus on the documents before her. It didn’t matter that she had only recently regained her full faculties. There was still work do be done. There was always work to be done in Golbah City [The Crown], in the Citadel, and Srina frequently found herself inundated with the proceedings.

She smoothed down the front of her white gown and paced slowly as she reviewed a completed proposal that had recently been sent in from the Minister of Commerce, [member="Alessandra Creed"], regarding the member world of Manda. The young Echani had been present for the combat portion of that venture but she had never entered the capital itself. There was no need to. The Confederate run operating base that had been raised on the city limits, likely, over the ashes of dead Imperial Loyalists required more of her focus.

There were Knights to assign for both security and follow up. Srina didn’t believe, despite the surrender, that the opposing forces of Manda would simply go quietly into the night. The taxation that the Council on Manda had agreed to was in her estimation higher than some. She couldn’t pinpoint why, yet, but it seemed that they were better off financially than some worlds. She had investigated exports and imports but…She just couldn’t make the numbers match up.

Truthfully, it was making her headache worsen. Calculations and contracts belonged to the Minister of Commerce. Srina wasn’t dim when it came to mathematics but it took a particular mind to grasp the full scope of making fiscal decisions. It was the reason they endured Alessandra Creed. For all of her self-indulgence and peculiarities—the half-epicanthix was brilliant. Not to mention that her friend [member="Adron Malvern"] had seemed to take a liking to her. For Srina, knowing Adron fairly well, it made her think better of the raven-haired woman.

If she could sway the former Imperial there must have been something unique about her that Srina did not know her well enough to see.

Regardless, she made her notes, and forwarded the details back to the Office of Commerce. She had a few questions but she had no doubt that Creed would get back to her quickly. As the Exarch tended to the training facilities and frequently monitored the newer Knights, Alessandra, monitored the national treasury. As if it were a child, helpless, and in need of constant guidance.

Before the wintry woman could begin her next task she was alerted that a visitor had arrived. [member="Aiden"]. The Knight that she had never truly met on Kamino, but, one that she needed to speak to regardless. “Please show him in Naedira. There’s no reason to keep him waiting.”

A shadow by the furthest wall moved in response. To anyone who looked briefly into the Exarch’s office it would have appeared that she was working alone. It was a large, industrial-looking room, built more for function than opulence. The walls were a neutral shade of grey with metallic and onyx accents. It was durable, fortified, and there were more than a few surprises hidden in the walls. In theory, it should have been impossible for an enemy to make their way this deeply into The Crown. The sector was heavily defended, scanned, and patrolled because of the influx of Viceroyalty that were constantly on the move—but the Citadel was still extremely well defended. Both with a droid presence and organic soldiers.

A Knight Obsidian by the name of [member="Naedira Darcrath"] passed by her person without hesitation. Srina felt favorable toward her. She was respectful, efficient, and never got in the way. She also made an adept sparring partner, which, was high praise coming from the Echani. “You may remain, unless, my guest requests that this meeting be private. There is nothing I must say that you are not already aware of.”

 

[Naedira Darcrath]

​

Quiet eyes watched [member="Srina Talon"] work in silence. It was curious to see her process details and information, that, up until recently would have been mostly foreign to her. Echani were notorious for their abilities in physical combat but diplomatic policy was something else entirely. The Sith Apprentice that the Vicelord so clearly favored was either a quick study or had learned to act exceedingly well. Naedira had seen her handle Sith Lords thrice her size, with relative ease, and generally without lifting a finger. It was the strangest thing…

Even the Minister of War seemed to concede to her will. Rumor had it that once upon a time Malvern and Talon had been enemies. That they’d even grievously wounded each other during the Invasion of Tatooine. It had been total war and was, unfortunately, before her time. The Knight thought to ask the almost otherworldly Echani but kept her tongue. Exarch Talon never seemed to get upset, rarely showed emotion, and generally speaking, seemed unmoved by anything. No matter how heinous or insulting. She had seen diplomats scoff at her size, take shots because she was a woman, and there was even some tension amongst the pale woman and the offspring of Darth Metus. Nothing elicited a response.

Naedira didn’t want to be the one to accidentally light that fuse. There were far worse members of the state to keep an eye on and she didn’t want any of her assignments jeopardized she’d listened to some Knights gossip during training.

When it came to something as simple as showing someone in? She didn’t complain. Her wordless acceptance of the order wasn’t born of formality. It was well-known that the Echani was rather dismissive of it. Titles, honorifics, and the whole wealth of groveling that came with being in a position of power didn’t mean anything to her. She even scrapped and sparred with the rest of them. To Naedira’s eternal misery, despite her greatest efforts, she could count on one hand the number of times she’d managed to get close to besting Srina in the ring. The chestnut haired woman had gone into the fight the first time, expecting an easy win, and had promptly had her back end handed to her.

She now considered it a learning experience.

Clad in the light armor of the Knights Obsidian she passed through the foyer and made her way down the hall toward reception. There were at least two turbo-lifts to take to get there. She left the hood down, exposing soft features, with a delicately angular chin, but kept her hand readied near her sidearm. It was protocol. “Knight Darcrath.”, she announced herself to the sentries as she passed. They didn’t stop her. She’d been stationed between Geonosis and Relovian for months now.

Her boots were soundless as she approached a tall, broad-shouldered Sith, with silver-green eyes. She hadn’t met this one before. But, that was hardly surprising. Not everyone knew each other, especially, when her rank wasn’t particularly high. Naedira was content to learn from afar. To observe, pick up knowledge, tricks, and apply them when it suited her. She was good at being, for all intents and purposes, a peasant among the nobility. “Welcome to the Citadel.”, she spoke lightly, her voice strong, but not overly high or lilting.

“Darcrath.”, she gave her last name, figuring, that [member="Aiden"] would know what she was by the orange hexagonal patterns on her armor. In this regard, her surname would prove more than sufficient. To most who visited Srina she held little more interest to them than the chairs in the waiting area. She was a chandelier, a pen, a desk. Just an inconsequential part of the scenery. “I will bring you to Exarch Talon if you will follow me. She does not demand that you relinquish your weapons.”

Many politicians did. Her superior did not.

Naedira turned on her heel and waited momentarily for the stern looking visitor to make pace. Her hair was pulled high in a no-nonsense ponytail that moved when she walked, but, it was the only thing on her person that seemed to have any sort of flare. The trip to the Office of the Exarch took time, regardless, how fast or slowly they moved. The lifts only went so fast. She did not engage in small talk. Once again, because most she met, simply weren’t interested.

“One more floor.”, she announced, providing an update, before they were deposited in the right place. Soon enough they reached the office and the pressurized doors snapped open. Through the foyer, where a diligent droid-secretary sat, fielding calls, and requests and into the Exarch’s chambers proper.

“Ma’am.”, she murmured, giving notice of her return, before nodding toward her guest. As always, Srina seemed filled with quiet composure, and the Knight stepped back to return to her place along the wall.

It was as if she’d never left.

 

[Cameron Centurion]

The approach of a new entity registered just barely on the peripherals of Aiden's attention. It was no slight against [member="Naedira Darcrath"], Aiden simply was not actively seeking anyone through the Force, and her own presence was foreign to him. As the smaller Knight came into view, Aiden's gaze focused to regard her with a casual nod. Regardless of what the woman may or may not thought of herself, Aiden could plainly see that, like most women he seemed to meet, she was certainly attractive. The Sith Lord would make no comment on the matter, and there was something about her that betrayed a preference towards her professional abilities over personal looks. That was refreshing.

"Aiden," came the deep response to Darcrath's own concise introduction. The Sith Lord's penetrating gaze diverted in the direction they were to soon be walking once Nae had finished her statement about weapons. A short, clipped exhale escaped Aiden's nose at the declaration, an indication of amusement. He was largely indifferent, but it did often amuse him when politicians and nobles alike did demand him to relinquish his weapon, for he had but one. The Sith's lightsaber was little more than an extension of his being, no more deadly than he alone could be when necessary.

The next words that Aiden did speak were spoken in the long-lost dialect of the Ancient Sith. He did not speak the language to be deceptive, it was merely the language that he'd spoken for much of his developmental years. His heavily accented basic had long since normalized, but it was not always such. "So she's not a foolish politician then, demanding disarmament of those that served as an instrument of death out of some misguided notion it decreased the likelihood for such to befall them."

They would be the last words that Aiden uttered as he followed the smaller Knight through the corridors and multiple lifts to the office of the Exarch. The only part of his body that seemed to take any interest in their journey, in fact, where his bright eyes. As a matter of habit, they rapidly scanned their surroundings continuously, noting egress points, vulnerabilities, and security features.

Once they arrived at the office of [member="Srina Talon"], Aiden's gaze slowly settled on the deceptively small frame. He had, after all, watched her absorb an abundance of raw dark side power. Yet, standing in front of her now she seemed largely unaffected. That level of untapped power should have pretty much killed her, or at least left her a babbling mess. For this reason, she presently commanded a level of his respect. "Exarch," was the simple greeting that he conveyed.

 

[Srina Talon]

Location: Geonosis [Golbah City] - The Crown, The Citadel
Tag: [member="Aiden"], [member="Naedira Darcrath"]
Wearing: X
Weapons: None Visible

---

Srina looked up from her work when the door snapped open. As always, the Knight moved to the edges of the room, a fly on the wall, and the ghostly Echani offered her a pale smile. “Thank you, Naedira.”, she breathed, her voice almost musical, compared to the industrial atmosphere. She waved her hand in the air and the documents that she had been reviewing disappeared if they had never existed in the first place. The Exarch paused. ”I must remind you that you needn’t call me ma’am unless absolutely necessary. You know my name.”

“And so do you—“, she turned to her attention toward her visitor. Very few in the CIS didn't know her name. Certainly, it was expected in most circles but there was nothing the moonlit woman loathed more than unnecessary titles. They were all warriors. All flesh and blood. They knew their tasks, their purpose, and it would not be impacted whether or not she was called “ma’am” or "Exarch". “The droids are already bad enough.”

It was an understatement if there ever was one. Someone, likely her Master though he would never admit it had ordered that the majority of the droids refer to her colloquially as the Dread Queen. It had been threaded seamlessly into their programming and unfortunately, she had not the clearance, or not technological knowhow to remove it. Being the right hand of the Vicelord was a natural progression but it still didn’t mean that she held absolute authority.

She rose from her place behind the desk, an ethereal vision in cream, and crossed the office in surprisingly few steps. The Echani did not so much as walk as she seemed to float. It was effortless, the way one breathed, or a heart kept beating. It happened of its own accord. “I appreciate your prompt attendance [member="Aiden"]. As you can imagine, I would like to discuss Kamino.”

There were two very square couches at the far end of the room. A low metal coffee table sat between them with a glass pitcher of chilled water in the middle. She sat on one and gestured that the dark-haired man also find a seat. Informal, would be the only way to describe this meeting. She was not what most would expect from the persona they viewed on the holo-net. “I still do not know why your friend was in the research lab. I do know, however, that things could have escalated beyond repair if you had not intervened.”

The details of the event had been relayed to her through a variety of other parties. He had transported her to safety after the presence of her Master had dissipated. He kept the Red Shadow virus from landing in the wrong hands. He displayed loyalty, critical thinking, and acted accordingly without hesitation. To what end? She did not yet know. Everyone in the galaxy seemed to be working their own agenda. She would be remiss not to investigate.

“You did many things that you were not required to. It is commendable, however, I do not know you. It is in the interest of this nation that we change that. Both you and your friend have skillsets that the Confederacy can utilize. It was no easy feat to infiltrate Kamino. My AI has followed the trail and the hack was performed with almost surgical precision. I would suspect another AI orchestrated the events if I had not seen a flesh and blood operative.”

The pale woman leaned forward and poured not two glasses of water but three. She had not forgotten her Knight hiding like a bat in the awnings. She would leave it up to Aiden if he wanted it, but for Naedira, she held it out toward her. It was practicality. The Knight would never leave her self-imposed perch if she didn’t encourage it. “The virus has been secured with the Minister of Science. We have no better security than some of our vaults in research and development.”

If their containment protocol wasn’t flawless most of Geonosis would be inundated with a Rakghoul Plague a long time ago.

“Tell me, if you are willing, about your goals in the Confederacy. Pertinent history and your ties to Anesia Jy'Vun would also be appreciated. I asked that you come to Geonosis so that we could speak face to face. My kind can read natural responses far easier in person than through a holo.”

The admission was likely not required, however, she wanted to get to the heart of the issue. Echani felt almost blind when their senses were occluded. Her eyes were keen, trained to read muscle ticks, and even subtle changes in the iris that would likely be missed through a long distance call. When it came to what she had in mind—it had to be in person. This meeting could be conducted no other way.

 

[Naedira Darcrath]

The singular name, with no indication as to whether it was his first or last, was committed to memory. His physical appearance was different and striking enough that it would almost have to take a concentrated effort to forget. For a brief moment, it felt as if he were looking through her, versus at her, but she dismissed once they began to make their way back to the Exarch. He delivered a sound, something that sounded like a snort, or a half-laugh when she mentioned weaponry. Her dark head tilted to the side as a professional inquiry passed unpainted lips. “Have I said something of amusement?”

Her words were light. Far from accusatory, but, her question remained.

Everything about him made her wonder if Srina should have required that armaments be left at the door. There was an edge of something sharp to him that she did not yet understand. It felt impossible to draw a threat level from him. It wasn’t enough to deny him passage, but it did leave her cautious, especially, when he began to speak in a foreign tongue.

Naedira did not speak Ancient Sith. However, she did recognize the uniquely agglutinative aspect. It was a difficult language to pick up and translation talismans were hard to come by. She knew a few phrases, a few words, and tried to piece together part of what Aiden had uttered. “I cannot tell you what she is. Only, that she is not truly a politician….In the future, if possible, I would prefer that you utilize basic.”

Once inside the office, she did her best to evaporate. As usual, the Exarch didn’t miss a thing, and Nabooian almost grimaced from the gentle chastising. There was something about the white-haired woman that left her unsettled. Whether it was the way she moved or the way she spoke, without passion, or emotion, it made her wish that just once she would scream. Yell. At the top of her lungs.

No one was that calm unless they were heavily sedated.

“Yes. My apology, Srina.”

She tried not to wince at calling someone so far above her station by their first name. By the Force—it was painful. The Exarch insisted that she would get used to it. She hadn’t. The details that followed were all things that she had been briefed on. Naedira had been on the team that had passed through after the initial attack to deal with any other elements that didn’t seem to want to die properly. She’d heard about the showdown in the research facility but she couldn’t imagine it.

The Vicelord passing through this slip of a woman? In the form of the Wraith that had terrified half of Maramere? Part of her was a little miffed that she’d missed it. The rest of her wondered how the Exarch was still standing. When the diminutive Echani held a glass of water toward her, dark eyes narrowed, but she obeyed. She hadn’t been lying to Aiden earlier. Srina was the strangest politician she’d ever met.

But, there were worse assignments.

Pulling herself from the thin shadow that coated her so well she quickly accepted the beverage. She wanted to back away, but, something about the posture of the Exarch insinuated that she ought to stay. So she did. Standing, versus sitting, but she remained.

[member="Aiden"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Though [member="Naedira Darcrath"]'s request had not fallen on deaf ears, Aiden did not immediately reply one way or another. Everyone had their requests in life, but the Sith Lord honored very few. He did not expect others to adjust to his standards or personal desires, and he would not require the same of others, lest they be more of a subordinate and less of a peer.

Aiden did not particularly register much in the way of a response to [member="Srina Talon"]'s statement. If she preferred to utilize her first name, that was perfectly fine with him. In parting with their first meeting, the Sith's bright gaze did not linger long on Srina's form. After all, he'd had to attend to her unconscious body for some time, so he was perfectly well aware of how she looked. The decor of the office, however, intrigued him. Aiden was a firm believer that how one kept up their own dwelling spoke volumes about who they were as an individual.

Silver-green eyes returned to the host once she had addressed him by name. Naturally, the Knight had deduced that this meeting likely had to do with Kamino and, more specifically, the appearance and actions of one Anesia Jy'Vun. Tracking the Exarch with his eyes, Aiden shifted his position towards the couches once it became clear that Srina intended to take her own seat.

Taking a seat opposite of the woman, Aiden elected not to respond to any of her statements until she was finished speaking. If any of her words stirred a larger reaction within his large frame, he managed to give any outward indication. The glass of water was not something that Aiden would actually elect to pass up. If there was one thing that the warrior knew, it was simply that dehydration was the biggest detractor to physical and mental performance. It lead to weakness, and weakness was simply not something that Aiden would ever abide.

Seizing one of the glasses in his large hand, he took a long, measured sip. Once Srina's comments had given way to silence, the Sith Lord placed the glass back on top of the table. Leaning forward slightly, Aiden rested his forearms just behind his knee and slightly to the inside of his thigh. His fingers interlocked in front of his legs, and he held the Echani woman's gaze through strands of long, dark hair. "I was merely doing my job, and Anesia Jy'Vun is much more a casual acquaintance than she is anything else."

Pausing for a moment, Aiden leaned back into the cushion of the couch. "You may well have lingering information on her within your databases. She was, at one time, a General within the Confederacy of Independent Systems if I'm not mistaken." There was a slight pause prior to Aiden answering Srina's questions regarding his own motivations. "As for my history..." It was lengthy and the overwhelming majority of it had nothing to do with the Confederacy. It was, quite literally, an entirely independent chapter in his life. "It is largely irrelevant to the Confederacy or my presence within. I have been content to reside on Roon more or less since..." Did he go into detail about this time before and during the Gulag.

No.

"...governments began emerging within the galaxy in the wake of the Gulag Plague. I've done many things in my life, but I have always neglected family or any real connections with anyone outside of a small," it wasn't small at all, "circle of associates. I am here to learn, to experience, and to embrace my role as the current living patriarch of what remains of my family." Tilting his head slightly, Aiden posed his own question. "What are your goals, Srina Talon?"

 

[Srina Talon]

Location: Geonosis [Golbah City] - The Crown, The Citadel
Tag: [member="Aiden"], [member="Naedira Darcrath"]
Wearing: X
Weapons: None Visible

---

Srina waved off the delicate apology from her chosen Knight. Naedira had been raised among nobility and the highest of society on Naboo. It would naturally take her time to adjust to the less formal protocols that the white-haired woman preferred. They were all people. Flesh and blood. No single person in that room or even in the entirety of the Citadel was worth more or less than the individual beside them. There was a hierarchy to be followed to maintain order but that was where her concerns began and ended.

Every person, every droid, that she worked with was considered a resource. Srina believed that it would be a mistake not to use all that she had at her disposal. She would rather hear the thoughts of her peers versus charging blindly ahead.

From there, once seated, Aiden let her have her say. She silently appreciated his patience in the matter and certainly allowed him the same courtesy. Srina had been told that after the monstrous visage of her Master faded back into the ether that the green-eyed Knight had been the one to tend to her unconscious person. She didn’t know what had happened to Aryn Teth in the interim but she could only imagine that he must have been unaware. Part of her was gladdened for it. Her better, lighter half, did not seem to hold the capacity needed for making proper decisions if it seemed that she was endangered.

The warrior within her balked at the lack of self-discipline but the notion of attachments was slow to come to her. She reacted with precision when the tables were turned. Every time he ran into trouble with a particular bounty hunter, Koda Fett, she intervened. But she did so in such a way that it didn’t drain unnecessary resources or place her own nation in jeopardy. There was an emotion that she was familiar with in those scenarios. Wrath. She was incredibly slow to anger…

But once the dam broke? Once her fire burned bright? She became less of a commanding figure and more of a vengeful spirit. The apathetic guise of the aristocratic Echani fell away. Most in the Confederacy had simply never glimpsed this. Srina did her best to keep it that way.

Silence reigned from the Exarch. Even when he paused—she waited. There was a story woven in his carefully worded speech. Silver eyes, a shade of winter, swept slowly over him without shame or hesitation. They sought autonomic responses that would spell the truth if his tongue decided to lie. Her instincts pulled at her as she leaned back in the ergonomic cushion. Her right leg tucked neatly behind her left as moonlit hair spilled in silken waves over her bare shoulder. Aside from that one, small movement, she remained wrapped in an almost unnatural stillness until Aiden stopped speaking to ask her a question.

Rose petal lips formed a pale smile. The male Knight before her was direct. She liked that.

“Either way your intervention was invaluable. You may accept the compliment, or reject it, but the outcome speaks for itself.”, Srina began after a long moment, addressing pieces of his dialogue as it seemed most appropriate, before answering his final question. “You are correct, however, the records on Jy’Vun are outdated. It speaks of who she was. Not who she presently is. Nor does it explain her intentions with any of the intelligence gathered from Kamino.”

Regardless, his explanation would suffice, for now. Acquaintance. Srina would have to do more investigating on her own before making any snap decisions. Gunmetal eyes stared at the much larger man. They were intense, piercing, and perceptive in a way they had no right to be. There were some pieces of the puzzle he had deliberately left for her to assemble. “The remains of your family are here.”

Which meant that for the moment his goals would coincide with the Confederacy. For the moment.

“My goals are quite mundane… The Confederacy has a need for level-headed individuals in high-ranking offices. We need those that are familiar with war and loss. Tactical prowess and distribution of our various forces must be handled by someone who is governed by precision over incorrect emotional responses.”, Srina spoke smoothly, her voice light, almost musical in the enclosed space. There was an airy and highborn lilt that existed even when she was issuing an ice cold execution order. “It may sound like a lapse in judgment to bring you into my offices so early for this discussion. But, I must admit that I am not guided by instinct alone.”

“I receive visions from the Force with or without my permission. As they speak to me—I have learned their value. I have seen you. And not in the guise of a Knight.”

After waking from the momentary exhaustion that had left her prone on Kamino the first images assaulted her. It was not always Aiden as he was now. A warrior, certainly. But something about the edges of the vision told her that what she was viewing was related to the past. There were faces she had never seen. People, which she would probably never meet. It was likely his proximity to her body that set them off. It was a common enough trigger. She had also seen the future.

Adron Malvern would no longer be the Minister of War.

Somehow, someway, she knew it would be Aiden.

To what end? She remained unclear. Srina had come a long way since first arriving to Darth Metus on Coruscant. They were forever connected by an unbreakable Force Bond due to the experience. One thing remained clear. Aiden was part of the picture the Force was attempting to paint for her. There were others…But she had yet to meet them.

Srina glanced away for a moment to the plain industrial walls. There was a deadness to her tone that did not indicate disinterest, but, a deviation of her own thoughts. Her Master had not yet promoted Adron from the seat that she was already planning to fill. Yet, this would be. Adron would become an Exarch before the next moon rose and fell on Geonosis or she would gladly swallow broken glass. She could feel it as acutely as she knew the day was bright and the night was dark. “I would like to observe you in an official capacity while you continue to settle in. If the results are favorable and we can mutually agree…I would wish to name you our next Minister of War.”

The benefits were many. If he wished to learn, if he wished to find, and guide his family? Being a Minister gave him connections and resources to do almost anything. Access, privilege, and the favor of one of the most powerful governments in the southern end of the galaxy. It wasn’t a perfect trade. But, it was a start.

 

[Naedira Darcrath]

Naedira felt entirely out of place in this situation. She stood to the left of the Exarch holding a glass of water that she had yet to take a sip of. Instead, her gaze remained pinned, steadfast, on the mountain of a man that Srina so casually invited into the most secure levels of the Citadel. He was a Knight. Just like she was. Yet, not. There was something different about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

The dark-haired woman gauged his every action. From lifting the water from the table to the casual stance he took while remaining seated. He was comfortable, too comfortable, for someone that had effectively just been summoned to the office of one of the most influential people in the nation. Most of the Knights at least had the common sense to sweat when Exarch Talon looked in their direction. It might as well have been the Vicelord breathing down their necks.

She listened to the details that Aiden provided and filed the information away for later evaluation. Intelligence lingered in her eyes, more than anything, and she knew that the nearly albino woman next to her had to have some sort of point to all this. No one called someone from across the world, across the galaxy, just to say thank you. It was a waste of time.

Slowly but surely the truth did come out. As the words ‘Minister of War’ left the young Exarch’s lips Naedira turned her gaze sharply toward her charge. There was a terse sense of surprise in her. Had she seriously just offered control of the Confederate armies to someone she barely knew? Based on a vision? A sudden tightness in her spine caused her to stand a little straighter as the expression melted back to obedient neutrality.

Despite her reservations—she could not disagree. Firstly, it was not her place. Secondly, she believed that Exarch Talon knew what she was doing. Carefully, she raised the water to her lips, and took a sip. It was cool and crisp. Refreshing.

Nae wished it was vodka.

[member="Aiden"]

 

[Cameron Centurion]

Silver-green eyes held the visage of [member="Srina Talon"] as the woman responded to his statements. He found it curious when people insisted upon bestowing accolades or thanks upon those that executed their jobs to a satisfactory level. It was undoubtedly one of the many things he would have to reorient himself to in the current state of the galaxy. There was more the Sith could have said about [member="Anesia Jy'Vun"], but he hardly saw a reason to drag any of it to light. The reality of the woman's existence was simple. She moved in ways that Aiden doubted even Anesia always understood fully. Most likely...she'd make absolutely no use of whatever intelligence she'd collected. However, she collected it because that was her way, slowly absorbing anything that had even a slight potential of giving her an edge over friend and foe alike in the future.

Allowing his full attention to return to the Exarch, Aiden was puzzled once more as she elaborated on her goals or, rather, what she had called her goals. The more the woman spoke, the more Aiden was struck by a sensation. Intrigue? Perhaps... The Echani's words rolled through Aiden's mind slowly, digested in meter, inflection, and volume. The process, which Aiden's mind completed without thought by this point in his life, did not take long. Yet the unwavering gaze of Knight Darcrath seemed to scratch at the back of his mind. It was like a cross between a nuisance and a delight.

Instinctively, silver-green eyes raised to regard [member="Naedira Darcrath"] for several long moments before slowly lowering back to Srina. "Are you a seer, Srina?" The question might have seemed random, but the Sith Lord rarely allowed words to travel forth from his lips without purpose...even if veiled from whomever happened to be in his company.