Where Will The Hatchet Be Buried.

[Darth Ferus]

If there was someone to sit atop the list of marks for the Assassins, it was [member="Taeli Raaf"] . The 'Jedi' had betrayed the Assassins when they first started, posing as their Quartermaster only to give the location of their home, the first and last true home they ever had, to the Jedi of the Republic. The base was destroyed to protect their secrets, and Taeli was marked for death.

Only, the opportunity never arose. Scattered across the Galaxy the Assassins never had the chance to strike against she who had scattered them. Perhaps it was fate however, for none knew of the 'Jedi's' true intentions. A Sith hiding among sheep, where a betrayal only gave her credit to her station. Years had tempered the rage Krest felt, and even he could respect her choice. When it became known he had pondered meeting with her again, and now would be good a time as any.

Sitting within his office within the Bastion Sith Temple the elder man had his cane leaning beside his chair. On the table before him was various notes, most of which research in how to strike Taeli down during her time hiding in Jedi space. He wasn't going to hide the fact he and the Assassins plotted her death. Perhaps this would help them become allies again. Or, at least, able to work alongside each other without tension for the good of the Empire.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

To say she was intrigued by the missive would be an understatement, as she wasn't sure what to expect. Taeli, in her bid to increase her standing with the Jedi of the Republic and in general really, had given information and then assisted on a mission against the Sith Assassin base at Malif Cove. Her gambit had been quite successful as the Jedi had trusted her there after, and it helped that her sister had been the Grandmaster at the time, but sacrificing the Assassins at the time had been a perfect ploy.

It also put her at the top of their kill list, something that also gave her defection further credence in the eyes of the Jedi. After all, the development had been completely organic... even if it served her purposes just as well. The fact she had never actually had to deal with the Assassins afterwards was perplexing to her. Their masters weren't the type to let things such as that carefully constructed betrayal sit and fester. Perhaps they had been looking to strike when she wasn't on guard? When she had possibly forgotten her actions against the Sith? That assumed she hadn't remained a Sith however, one who understood the lesson of never letting one's guard down.

Even as she strode through the Sith Temple on Bastion, mask firmly in place as part of her guise as the Lady of Secrets, she was making her way to [member="Krest"]'s office. She wondered if he had learned anything about the nature of Sith politics when she played her hand against him. On her hip, her lightsaber was visible while she kept her concealed shoto up her sleeve. She might be intrigued, and would like to let bygones be bygones, but she was still going into this meeting prepared for anything that might occur.

 

[Darth Ferus]

With a casual wave of his hand the elder man would motion to a chair for [member="Taeli Raaf"] to sit in as she entered. She looked the same as always, aging gracefully compared to the elder form of the Zabrak. Krest couldn't help but wonder if he had aged unnaturally fast, or if the Sith before him was using alchemy and other such magic to keep herself young. Part of him felt both were true.

"It is good to see you again Darth Arcanix. How many years has it been since we last had a talk? I remember it like it was yesterday, your memories of how you destroyed your families home still runs through my mind you know." Would she remember that last interaction? He wasn't sure, but despite the mood of that last conversation a bit of history between the two should lighten this one. Or so he hoped.

"How have you been?"

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Krest"]

"Oh I remember," she replied, taking the offered seat. He looked old now, but then he had always been older than her to begin with. Whether or not she was keeping herself as she was through natural or unnatural means would be for something for him to ponder. She had been known as a sorceress and an alchemist after all, so it wasn't beyond her abilities to do something such as that. Krest, on the other hand, was showing his age and the scars of oh so many fights.

"I have to say, that was a decent performance on my part I think," she continued, crossing her legs. "I had been practicing all day for that. But I've been well, busy as always of course. Leading a double life will tend to do such. I see you've been doing well for yourself, headmaster of the academy now. Very cushy job that."

That last conversation had been a doozy, but necessary to begin selling doubts about her commitment to the Sith and sowing thoughts that she was edging to a turn. Did she regret killing her family the way she had? Yes. She had never meant to actually kill the woman and man who raised her, but their deaths had served a higher cause... as all deaths caused by a Sith should do.

 

[Darth Ferus]

"The best lies are often based on truth you know." There was a polite smile from Krest as [member="Taeli Raaf"] finished speaking. So far so good, though for how much longer was the real question. "And yes, it's easy on the body unlike most of my other responsibilities. It's nice to be able to sit and do nothing for once. Well, nothing too physical. Sometimes I have to stand up and get myself a glass of water when I get thirsty." A simple joke at his own expense, but hopefully to keep the mood light. "I hear you're to be the Lady of Secrets. Ominous name, but fitting. Playing a Jedi for as long as you had is no easy feat. What are your plans?"

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Krest"]

"Besides keeping the double life going you mean?" she asked, smiling at his attempt at humor. She wasn't ready to give up her position within the Jedi, hence why her rejoining the Sith was as the Lady of Secrets and the mask she had removed upon entering his office. To any but some of the more influential Lords, she was a masked enigma of a Sith Lady. Just the way she intended to keep it for now, she had plans still to carry out within the GA... secrets to uncover still.

"I have a few... rumors to check up on, but if they turn out to be true... well I shall be very pleased indeed," she stated vaguely. She had heard whispers of a holocron that she desperately wanted access to, but the trick was finding the blasted thing. She had been patient and finally her patience might have been rewarded. "And of course, building my own power base and continuing my experiments. You've been enjoying some of my work, or so my apprentice has informed me."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"The Maelridae are a beautiful creature, but its the Disease she had created I enjoy the most. Have you flown on one of them yet? Wondrous beasts." Credit given where it's due. Even though Krest didn't know [member="Taeli Raaf"] was behind the creatures he wasn't too surprised she had made them. "My own isn't in the best of shape, but he still does whats needed. Perhaps I should have invited your apprentice to oversee the changes however." As if on cue Durgen landed on the balcony behind the elder Zabrak, it's eerie green glow flooding the room.

"If you'd like to take a look at it you can. It is one of your creations after all, right?"

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"You know, these were rather hard to make," she replied, giving a pretend exasperated look at [member="Krest"] before she did actually go and observe the Disease that the Zabrak had claimed. It had seen battle, that was clear... in fact, it seemed to have suffered considerable damage. His solution was... an odd choice, crude in a way. A hand traced along one plate, probing the spells that had been wrapped into it. Designed... yes, rather crude indeed. She could sense cybernetics at play now as well, tied into the beast's musculature at least.

"Inelegant," she replied, looking back over her shoulder at the Zabrak Sith Lord. "Crude, but effective. A first experiment in blending metal and flesh?"

She turned back to observe the Disease again, her eyes closed as she observed the spells used more closely. The dark side was wafting off the armor plates, the green glow likely designed to inspire even more fear within those that would see her creation flying towards them.

"There is room for improvement," she stated, retracting her hand and opening her eyes. "Whatever did you do that resulted in such extensive damage?"

 

[Darth Ferus]

"First time doing any alchemic experiment. The gluten here decided to much on a padawan, and a Jedi Master I was fighting at the time used the lightsaber still attached from the half eaten boy to remove it's lower jaw. Shortly after I sent him away only to learn he was shot down by the forces outside. If he hadn't struggled as much as he did to survive I would have left him. But he struggled, and I brought him back here." Durgen remained still as [member="Taeli Raaf"] examined him, very much under the control of the elder Lord. He hobbled out beside his one time hated foe, looking over the green glow.

"I gave him to the first years as a test of their skills in Alchemy. He was on deaths door so I figured he'd be dead. Lo and behold when I arrived he was eating several of the acolytes that had put him back together." He laughed, though he was certain the few survivors of the incident wouldn't be. "Youth does have it's advantages. He can still fly even with all that weight grafted to him. Truly an impressive creature beneath that armor."

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Yes well, I made them strong enough to lift a rancor, armor is no trouble for it," she replied, a barely hidden scoff in her voice as he explained who had done the work on the Disease before them. A first experiment indeed, if she ever discovered which first timers had been present that survived, she would show them what a master alchemist could do to a living being. It would be an interesting series of experiments at least, but that would go on her to do list. The reasons for such injuries... the lightsaber was just dumb pride.

"I do hope those first years suffered, which I'm sure they did, considering these things are not meant to be handled by anyone but a Master," she continued, not bothering to hide the scorn in her voice for these unseen amateurs. She had a feeling she knew what other reason [member="Krest"] had in asking her to meet with him, besides their past... dealings. "To improve on... Durgen, I'll have to undo the 'work' those idiots do as they did such a sloppy job."

 

[Darth Ferus]

"You're welcome to improve him, but I feel I've grown attached to his current design. 'Edgy' is what the young call it, right? As silly as the green glow is I find it rather enjoyable." Green had always been Krest's favorite color, stemming from a young age as a Templar Initiate. For the moment Durgen wasn't so much another request for [member="Taeli Raaf"] as a distraction from the original topic. The two would easily be able to work with one another if they had to, but it didn't make it any less awkward.

"The Assassins will not forgive your betrayal, but we wont bother you either. Our enemy is the Light and those who would believe it's lies. If you ever need assistance we will help where needed. Our problem with you can wait until we've completely won the war against the Jedi."

 

[Taeli Raaf]

[member="Krest"]

She rolled her eyes when he described the current design as edgy, but then it was his mount, he could keep it in whatever condition he wanted it to be in. As he explained his assassins would never forgive her, she couldn't help the smirk that formed on her lips as he stated their problem could wait until the war against the Jedi was finished and their enemies crushed.

"Good, let it be a lesson to them to never trust anyone fully," she answered. "I would have thought you would have taught them about how Sith games work, but then, playing politics and games was never really your forte was it?"

From what she knew of the Zabrak, he was always more of a straight forward individual. He really wasn't one to engage in long games like she or other Sith like her were want to do, he probably just didn't have the patience for it.

"I'm curious about something though," she continued. "It's been eight years since then, and I haven't even had one attempt made on my life by any of your assassins. I confess some disappointment in that, and I'm wondering why such attacks never occurred."