Star Wars OPEN Lords of the Empire: Episode I – TIDES OF DARKNESS

OOC: Been meaning to release this all week.

IC: Walce Quia-Vis
Nouane system
"Communications link established." one of the lesser officers announced and proceeded to project the image before him at the Sovereign Protectors command. At this moment, and even before the good Admiral could begin his speech, Walce felt a shutter down his spine. A warning he knew, but of what? For now he played it down.
"While usually loathe to submit myself or my crew to Imperial stereotypes." The man on the other end began at once. "in this situation, I find myself feeling downright nostalgic." Walce had a split-second debate with himself whether the concept of niceties was an imperial stereotype as well. In the end he concluded it hardly mattered.

"The Triumphant can more than handle this rabble alone. They'll more or less be thinking the same thing. I then propose a simple solution to our predicament. The Triumphant will push forward and demand the release of Hel. If the proper measures aren't taken, we obliterate their fleet." He said matter-of-factually, as if there were no other possible outcomes.
"If these malcontents are pirates first and foremost, then the promise of our feigned ignorance for their current looting of Nouane will be accepted with an acceptable amount of suspicion. For what more could a pirate want than the promise of unrestricted access to a world's riches?"

What a pleasant fellow, the other imperial Knight considered with a smirk. Maybe they'll have a drink at the cantina when all was said and done.

"If they refuse, I propose this. We call upon Pellaeon's bluff. Directly, if possible. If he disavows this group, then they'll be destroyed. If not, he admits to trying to provoke a war."
Donvoy smiled thinly. "If my estimations of him are correct, if he is in fact involved, he doesn't want it to be known publicly. That puts the odds in our favor. Comments or concerns, Sovereign Protector?"

At last, a word in edgewise. "Hello to you too." He began with a yawn.

"It does strike me as somewhat implausible that pirates alone would have caused such a ruckus." He glanced over his own data report quite quickly. "Then again, it would hardly be the first time the underworld has punched above its weight."

A simple shrug, and the data pad vanished from his hand as he casually tossed it to a nearby officer. "I trust you are alert to the prospect that these actors may not necessarily want to play politics with you?" At this he signaled his own command staff to begin scanning the area and launching scout ships. Something was coming, and while panicking wasn't his style neither was sitting back and waiting to get shot.

"As Sovereign Protector, I am loathed to put such assets on the line casually, but something is happening, here and elsewhere. Perhaps a coincidence, perhaps a conspiracy. But if I can sense it, others must as well." For the first time he allowed some gravity into his voice. "Perhaps care for the men under my command doesn't fit with the typical Imperial ideal, as you say. But quick and decisive action does. For now, these are one in the same. Less talking, more acting. Maybe some of us will make it out of here alive."

Tags: @Sinrebirth, @DarthIshyZ, @Silvertough

 

Will Tyrell
Sisphean Task

While he waited in the system for an update on his situation. When he received no reply he set his mind to figuring out what to do with himself and his crew. While yes he could loiter in his sector and deal with this Shadow Council, or any other issues that could occur while the Moff was indisposed. But that was just waiting for something to happen, when one could take direct action. He was left to his devices and he was about to make his superiors regret that decision.

"Darargarr," He started messaging his tactical advisor, "I leave the ships in your care, keep an ear out for anything to do with this Shadow Council. I will be summoning the Vanguards and we will be deploying towards the core." He smiled, "We will be going hunting for a threat to the throne. If you require anything, reach out to Vestara, and we will do what we can to assist."

"We will muddle through without our director I'm sure." Darargarr replied with no trepidation in his voice. Will knew he was far from necessary to command his forces, he was merely the figure head put in place by the Emperors. "Will you be taking a shuttle?"

"No, I will be taking the Whisper." He was referencing the ship Vestara had acquired through dubious means and outfitted to her particular tastes. It would be inconspicuous and allow the team to make entry to the core without notice.

"Excellent choice, be a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"That is the plan."

After summoning his Vanguards to the Whipser a YT-2400, not that Will cared what it was just that it wasn't emblazoned with the Imperial Crest. There his team met him. In his message he'd already told them to dress inconspicuously, as if one was a bounty hunter. He for himself had left his crimson armor behind swapping it for something more rugged and worn, though not lacking in protection. His shield gauntlet was hidden within a bracer that might contain rockets. His lightsaber was secreted upon his person, his new primary weapon would be the Siang Lance. The lance was a bladed blaster that he was trained on long before he ever learned to wield a lightsaber.

The rest of his team was suitably dressed looking like a gang of brigands looking for trouble.

"Welcome Vanguards, we are going hunting. A usurper has made herself known and we will be going after her to remove this threat to the throne."

"It shall be done sir." Edward Kroft replied in a laminate breastplate with a scarf in his house colors over top of it. At his side a cutlass, still used in some systems as a mark of office. At his back a similar Siang Lance to Tyrell.

"Finally some action." Pon Gill rumbled setting his heavy blasters that looked like they could bring down a monster, or bathe an area in blaster fire.

"Will there be much call for my skills?" Visage changed from a blonde hair bule eyed femme presenting human, into a masculine aqualish in a flash.

"I'm sure there is some call for subterfuge."

Jyn smiled shouldering her rifle, "Been a while since I've done some bounty hunting." Her grey skin complimented her white body suit with an orange blast vest over the top.

"Whiper's ready to go." Vestara replied sitting in the co-pilot's seat in the cockpit. Her she didn't seem to be wearing armor, though it looked more like regular clothing though a little stiff around the chest. At her side was no weapon, at least not one that fired lead or laser, but her bright red datapad. He'd seen her bring down whole space stations with that device. While it wasn't apparently deadly, in her hands it was more dangerous than a hundred soldiers.

"Then let us be off."

Jyn set her rifle to the side taking up the controls of the Whisper.

While the team was readying to depart Will sent off a quick message to Arthur.

Dear Arthur,

Now that my system is pacified, I have set myself and my small detachment to hunting down this usurper. My ships are left in the care of my tactical advisor and are of couse at your disposal. If you require me, please contact me through the usual channels. We will do our best to comply.

You humble Servant

Will Tyrell

TAG: @Sinrebirth @HanSolo29 @Lady_Belligerent @Silvertough

 

IC: Soliloquy Combo with Sinre ~ Lady Kalieva K'ntarr & Moff Caerbellak
Private Residence

Soliloquy walked with his simple tap and coo of his down turned umbrella. Servants, guards, and droids acted as if he didn't exist. A willful blindness. The fear was tinged in their eyes from the aura he was letting out, and some feared him for actual reasons. It was impressive how many wouldn't fear him, and the gossip that he was sure swirled here and there of their Corporate Princess' conquest of the new alien overlord! One she had brought to heel better than their prior human overlords in the old Empire.

Thinking of which, a certain lichen was exhibiting its bioluminescence. It took a moment to see which micro clump, and which color it was displaying, but a certain someone was in his house. Hunting animals have amazing noses, and lichens and mosses could have such fine tuned sensitivity, not to mention his own fungal hobby. Mix in the Yuuzhan Vong and a couple other biotech species and having a list of specific individuals coded in was as simple as obtaining a sample to prime it. This one was his wife's ex-lover and patronage that helped her arrange the death of her father the king.

Of course his wife likely knew he was here, she was too clever not to. So why was he here? Was he her choice?

Coming to the door he waved a finger and brushed it open. Smiling madly he strode into the room. Bringing his arms up to waist height to stride forward to grasp her own. "My Love." he simply stated with a sigh as he moved in for a sensual kiss. Seeming to ignore the Moff panicking who would find inexplicably that his feet seemed pinned to the floor. Which unironically they were, living shadows taking form grasped his feet, then ankles, and calves - right up to the knees, but did no harm. A gentle touch with something that otherwise could make paste of human bones and a grand jelly of everything else.

The amused tint to his wife's eyes gave him a warming sensation. "Now, our mutual ravishing will simply have to wait it seems. A gaggle of guests and an old. . .actually I am unsure of the proper adjective? Flame seems to impassioned, lover seems off, tool too unspecified." he added with a chuckle he snapped a finger in the air. "Is he the one you have chosen?" He asked, turning a questioning glance to the man and his current state of dress.

Was this who his wife had chosen to be a donating gene sample? So many angles for her to play at here, he was curious and curtailing his own thoughts to give her the rope to play and have fun. To see and try not to guess too far nor too thoroughly at the why's.

The Moff spluttered, and his wife, kissing Soliloquy deeply, smiled even more broadly. "You do have to admit that he is rather... fetching. He would be a useful vessel, too, when I bring my sector into the Empire Proper."

"Otherwise, no, he undressed himself of purely his own volition..." a smirk. "Did I lead him on? Arguable. Is he taking advantage of your perceived absence?" Kalieva looked devious. "Absolutely."

Caerbellak was too busy spluttering, and he fell over trying to pull back on his pants.

This, this was why Soliloquy didn't think too hard around his wife. It made the banal seem, if not fun, at least amusing. "Vessel?" he stated with a raised brow ridge, "Not Shell?" he added with some amusement. Stepping towards the sprawled man he let the shadows and lift the man up with tendrils and hands to better be able to converse with him. "What do you think of my wife's plans for you?" he asked with a small glimmer of his eyes.

The man was belting himself up as he regarded Soliloquy. “I’m no pawn in your… sex games, sir. I am an Imperial Moff of the Galactic Empire - appointed by Palpatine himself.” He straightened, now his attire was indeed replaced, notwithstanding that he was being lifted to his feet. He brushed aside the tendrils, refusing to be intimidated.

“I should have you shot.”

Kalieva chuckled. “The Empire has fallen, my dear Moff. Palpatine is dead, for good this time, it seems. In the last four years all that remains constant is the territory that remains within the Core and Inner Rim, holding the line as the Rebels lazily annex the rest of the ceded galaxy.”

“I say lazily as they cannot even be bothered to take out Pellaeon or Daala,” a sniff; Kalieva despised the red header Admiral. “And they could, we all know it. The stature of an Imperial Moff is merely measured by the size of your…” A smile. “Imagination.”

“And I assure you,” she reached a hand out for Soliloquy’s. “My husband is the most imaginative man I have ever met.”

Reaching aside he grabbed his wife's hand in return. Giving whatever kind of grasp it was in return. "Forgive if I'm wrong, recent history can often be a touch of blur if it doesn't concern oneself. You were the Moff for an area of space, which includes here? Yes. Pretty sure you were Moff here, before me. You even shared my wife's bed and helped her ascend."

The look of confusion melted with another smile. "Only I'm Moff of it now, and instead of a mistress for whom I hold delusions of controlling and bedding, terrifying death name given by my own staff behind my back, and trusting mercenaries instead of Imperial personnel? Instead. . .I have a wife, self-actualized, powerful, and independent. A ruler in her own right not reliant on me or anyone else to prop her up, and free to act and rule with her own agency. I have many names I have been given, surprisingly a majority are rather nice, but none nicer than what my wife calls me behind and infront of my back." Head tendrils twitched towards his wife as his eyes danced with a wholly unhinged mirth at the man as he leaned in. "I also trust my own people more than those bought with money. Granted, I also make my own people. Speaking of which, you wish to shoot me? I already was stabbed today so I'm tempted to grant you your wish. Only if you do, a version of you will leave here tomorrow, only it will no longer be you. You would spend the rest of your life in a delightful garden vault, where you would be force fed excrement and treated with a delightful bacta waterfall to keep you regenerating while creatures periodically nibbled at your body. Keeping you in a state of perpetual torture your ragged nerves could never adapt to, and your healing body keep in perfect order. So my wife could enjoy your screams or ramblings whenever suited her fancy, ramblings you would happily provide for merely the sake of another living soul to speak with in your perfect isolation."

Here he stepped forward and held up a small stinger pistol out in his palm. "Try to aim anywhere besides me and what I just described will sound like a holiday compared to the torment my staff and I will employ upon thy miserable soul." Soliloquy ground out through clenched teeth with words of soft ground venom, before stepping back with a pleasant smile. "Now, you have choices three. What will it be?"

"You fool!"

He took the blaster, eagerly, almost, and he pointed it at Soliloquy, hand steady, and then not, and then, finally, Moff Caerbellak paled.

"My Lord, please," he dropped to his knees. "I merely wish to serve the restoration of the Greater Empire! I am - I have contacts, resources, I beg of you."

"Close. So close." Soliloquy stated with a sigh as he turned to his wife. "I told you. She rules here, not me. It is her choice, her imagination that will now decide." with a small bow of his head to his wife Soliloquy stepped back to a side, hand turning from a companionable grasp to a lifting subservient cup outstretched to her own. Showing her the deference and ownership of this meeting now.

Of course if the Moff if the Moff tried anything now Soliloquy was more than ready to prevent anything untoward from happening. Especially to his bride.

Kalieva smiled, evilly. "My dear, please fillet him out. I don't think we can trust his... initiative."

The Moff rushed to point the blaster at his own neck -

"Long live the Empire!"

A sad smile graced his lips as a finger twitched. Being a master of Force Barrier he simply made one conformed to the weapon. Waiting for the man to try and squeeze the trigger a couple times before he spoke.

"I might have been inclined to speak of it with her about if she was sure. Give you time to reassure us, try to woo us. Unfortunately you just sealed your fate beyond any negotiations." reaching forward he took the blaster back. Soliloquy made a gesture for the door to open before performing a tritone whistle. Calling a security shadow to quickly come into the room. "I warned you, do not point that blaster anywhere but me. I thought I was clear on that, and I am a man of my word. Which means I will do as my wife chose, unfortunately for you - you won't die from being filleted. Not the first time anyway." with a dismissive wave the security shadow would take the man away to a secure and well equipped vault room. Where every morsel of knowledge would be drained from this 'Moff'.

"Try to transcribe his mind before we are done with entertaining. I would like him to be recovered for the procedures." he nodded before turning to his wife. "If that is agreeable? A final course before we see to desert?"

The shadow took the screaming man, desperately trying to commit suicide until the blaster gas depleted.

Kalieva watched him go. "A shame he didn't appreciate that pointing the gun at himself was to break your instructions." A slight tsk, tsk.

"Well, a final course, indeed." She placed a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Do let me know about this Shadow Council, when you find out about it. It sounds like fun."

Soliloquy raised an eye at his wife, "Speaking of finding out things. What have you gathered for tonights entertainment to keep me at arms length?"

"Moff Tavira of the Invids, and her new fiancé, Admiral Sykes of the Zann Consortium, and the Prince Consort Sulnerea... possibly one other, if they turn up for dinner."

A shrug, as she stretched, standing. "Not sure what he is the Prince Consort of, but I've been told to keep him happy."

"Apparently he has access to Palpatine's money," she indicated the Moff that had left. "All of it."

Soliloquy laughed gayly for a couple moments, "Oh, he is going to be filleted alive so many times! Do you want me to teach you how to properly do so on a human? Of course that will be a lot of money to transfer if it's not just a boast. Might actually get to build a skyhook for you here, and one at the mouth of my valley. Make them planetary defense structures able to withstand and shelter. This world is practically a minor redoubt position." he said with his eyes twinkling before looking at his wife. "What do you think of living jewelry?"

His wives' eyes sparkled. "I like the idea very much. A skyhook would be beautiful, and the writhing parts of the Moff on show would amuse without end."

She stepped forward and sought a kiss, her hand firm on his attire, clutching.

"Perhaps, before you teach me to fillet, we could go over some old ground here, in private."

The thoughts of the plots and plans and opportunities around him were racing through his mind, but he let them still and slip to the corners of his mind. Moist, warmth, cellular adhesions, molecular attractions, and filaments of chained essence drawn from within fertile soil instead took their place as he luxuriated in the forceful, needing, drawing kiss of his wife. Soliloquy did know how to say no, but why? Nothing that pressed could be as pressing as this present desire to draw something beautiful, desirous, and selfish out of life. With hands reflexively moving to hips, he pulled her to him in kind.

"Life is uncertain, dessert first. Just a little." Soliloquy added with a wry chuckle before lifting a hand to insure the room was sealed and secure. They might be a few minutes late to dinner, but he did have his standards and quality of care for his wife to consider.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Serapis Along with @Sinrebirth as Leia. Thank you!
Meeting across GFFA Signal

"What do you want?" Leia had said. "The 'Grand Moffs' have clearly not informed you on the decorum surrounding your office, so I imagine this is pointless at best... offensive, at worst."

Serapis sighed. This is why she didn't like politics. Sales were so much easier. Politicians were always so prickly. It was like doing business with someone always on guard for attack. Now she needed to backpedal. She smiled sweetly at the hologram.

"Ma'am, I feel like I've caused some concern with you. None was intended. I have nothing but respect for Anakin Skywalker, your father, his... hmmm... alter-ego, shall we say, of Darth Vader, and for your mother. They were in a very difficult situation. The Old Republic was dying. It needed to die. Mainly because it allowed an authoritarian like Palpatine to rise. Now, you and I have another Palpatine threatening us. That is why I bring up Vader. We, you and I," she pointed back and forth between Leia and herself to emphasize her words, "can't allow a person like Ederlathh to come to power. We need to be as brave as Vader was. Please don't take my address negatively." She hoped she had gotten out of the hole she'd made.

Leia scowled. "I have gone to a great deal of lengths to ensure that the dark side does not seem like an easy out for young Jedi. If you intend to advertise that my father was Darth Vader - an open secret, at present - then we will not get on, Regent."

Her tone was cutting, but then softened as he mentioned Ederlathh. "Vader would have hunted her across the entire galaxy and then snapped her neck. That isn't how a modern democracy works. When and if she breaks the law, then, yes, I will have her arrested. But unless you can supply me evidence of that, then I can't do much..." More softness, thoughtful, more than anything. "Is that you are suggesting?"

Hole successfully dug out of, it seemed.

"Or a behind-the-scenes investigation, joint pooling of resources?"

Serapis nodded. "I have no desire to use your parentage against you. What I'm proposing..."

She was silent for a few moments while she considered how to express herself. Once or twice she opened her mouth only to go back to thinking. Finally, she said, "When I was young, I was a fan of theater. Acting and slight of hand magic. I enjoyed watching them trick people. I used to do a trick or two myself. But I was honest that a trick is a trick. What I didn't like was people who would say that they actually had powers when they didn't. I mean, the Force is magical, moving stuff with your mind and such. But to take advantage of others with fakery is just wrong. Say what you will about the dark side, but we're honest about what we can and can't do." She paused for a moment to let that sink in.

She leaned forward in her chair. "You and I both know that this Ederlathh is just a shyster. She's trying to pull a fast one. A con, if you will. I want to expose her as the fraud she is." Another pause as she considered her words. "Does that make sense?"

Leia narrowed her eyes. A deal with the proverbial devil? Or merely having the divided Empire fight itself again.

The Imperial Civil War was over, but between the Regent here, Daala, Pellaeon and Sloane - among others, no doubt - the remnants of the Empire were not cooperating. Many of them were illegal… and challenges to the legitimacy of the Regent, and to the peace… they were one of the same.

“What do you need from me,” Leia said, carefully. “Resources? A liaison?”

Serapis paused. She thought for a minute. She knew one thing she wanted, but considered going for more. She knew she couldn't take too long, so she made a quick decision. "Two things. First, there's some... hmmm... confusion surrounding this whole thing happening at Nouane. They're likely going to call you. A bit of breathing room would be nice. Certainly, help them out, but slow-walk it, if you don't mind."

She paused a bit to read Leia's expression. Good to go, it seemed, she continued. "More intel would be help us take on our mutual enemy. Access to what you have on Ederlathh, however you'd like, directly or indirectly, would likely give us the ability to... get her out of your way." She tried to hint strongly at the last part. Say it, but not say it. Let her know that Serapis intended to assassinate the woman. She also had a pang of sadness. She wished her former apprentice were here. She'd be perfect for this mission.

Leia nodded, slowly. "If it helps you get to the bottom of matters with Ederlathh, then I'll slow things up. Admiral Drayson will understand... General Cracken, too." Her eyes narrowed.

"I'll send you what I have about Ederlathh. I expect you to reciprocate."

Serapis nodded. "You've been a good friend to Ithor over the years. I appreciate it. I'm sending your information to my Admirals to coordinate information sharing." She finished typing information into a pad and finished with a flourish to indicate it was sent.

She continued, "Thank you, again, for this. Perhaps this will start some kind of diplomatic cooperation between us. Stranger alliances have existed."

“The New Republic cooperated with the Empire against the Ssi-Ruuvi, Tofs and Zsinj.” Leia smiled, slightly, as if in memory.

“Did you know, Regent, I met Ederlathh when she was eleven?” A slight smile.

“As an initial exchange of information,” Leia said, slowly. “She was going to be made Empress in a top-secret deal between Mon Mothma and the Imperial Ruling Council, in exchange for the Empire being handed over to the Senate...”

"Was..." she noted the past tense Leia used. "How's that going for her?"

"It didn't happen," Leia said, drily. "Thrawn had killed the Admiral who was responsible for the plan, and Ederlathh disappeared into one of his black bags. We assumed he had liquidated her too, but apparently he kept her alive and tortured her, if she is to be believed."

"And now Thrawn and the Emperor are dead, she resurfaces," Leia shrugged. "She was nothing remotely special back then. Her benefactor placed a bled kyber crystal in her tiara to distract me, but I could concentrate through it. I sensed the kyber and pulled back my senses, as my brother had shown me."

Which meant she hadn't used the Force on the eleven year old Ederlathh, in-theory. Half-trained Jedi were as dangerous as half-trained Sith.

"So, she resurfaces like a bad cred-chit." She nodded acknowledging her words. She then looked up squarely into Leia's brown eyes. "It sounds like you regret not taking action on little Ederlathh. I know it's not the 'Jedi way,' but regret can be a poison in you. And, your father's history with Palpatine, Senior, proves that sometimes the non-Jedi way is better for all involved. Imagine how much bloodshed would have been saved across the galaxy if he'd allowed Mace to take out Sheev like he'd wanted."

Leia shrugged. "Most historians think it was too late. That he'd already found Byss in the Deep Core, was already making progress with cloning projects - that the Empire was in existence already, just unnamed. Mas Amedda would have called Order 66 and it would have happened much the same but considerably more messier with the Separatists still in play." A twist of her lips. "My mother might have still been alive, mind you, so I take your point."

"I appreciate that things need to happen in the shadows, Regent, but if it does, it needs to stay in the shadows. If I need to blame the Empire for a public farce, then I will do." Her lips pursed, and Leia's eyes narrowed. "Are we understood?"

Serapis nodded. "Completely understood and appreciated. Our own spin-doctors will want to put their own shine on it, but our *ahem* project will be ours." She paused a beat. "So, we have a deal?"

"An understanding, is what we have, Regent." At that, she cut the channel.

Tags: @ConservativeJedi321, @Silvertough, @darthhelinith (mentioned), @Sinrebirth, @Lady_Belligerent, @HanSolo29

 

OOC: A very fun combo with Sinre and Tia

IC: Tia, Wapoe, and Darth Iudex
Coruscant Undercity

She didn't notice at first, she was too busy trying to weave through the traffic at a quick pace while trying to simultaneously remain inconspicuous. Suddenly, the warning alarm activated, the sensors showed a TIE/rb heavy starfighter pursuing her.

"Won't this day just end??" Tia sighed to herself. Before she could plan her next move, there was a high 'ping' sound on her comlink, She grabbed it, relieved, thinking it must be Ike...he had escaped...or luckily eliminated the Palpatine woman "Master??"

Darth Iudex accepted the offered commlink from Cronal and returned his handshake with a respectable nod. The contract was sealed. He otherwise remained neutral on the conversation between Cronal and Wapoe. Their mention of a "Shadow Council" was interesting, but only so much as it confirmed his already present suspicions. The breakup of the Galactic Empire had been too.. easy to be fully believable.

It stood to reason that many top level Imperials would seek to stitch it all back together. Many, Iudex supposed, had their names on his hit list. Something to work on another time, perhaps.

Instead, following along behind Wapoe as he was, Iudex's attention fell upon his personal commlink. It had abruptly began to chime incessantly in warning. Exiting the laboratory, he read the priority alert, his eyebrow raising fractionally with every read of the automated text.

"Plan's changed." He said to Cronal, raising his head to look down the passageway they themselves had flown down earlier via Ship. "It appears as if Ike has misplaced his apprentice.. Or she's misplaced him. Regardless." Iudex increased his pace.

There were so few Sith apprentices within their Order these days, promising ones even less. He wasn't about to stand by and let whatever happened to Ike snag his apprentice as well.

A somewhat panicked voice exploded from his commlink the moment he accepted the call. Iudex's brow furrowed. He had made it a personal policy to stay as far away from Ike as he could manage, safer for his mental state that way. As a consequence, there hadn't been much opportunity to interact with his apprentice. He vaguely remembered it being a human female, but that was about it.

"Apprentice." Iudex responded calmly to his commlink as he walked, "I'm sending my coordinates. Explain your status."

Tia looked down at the comlink, with a puzzled expression. What's happened to your voice? It quickly dawned on her that recipient wasn't her master, Ike, at all. And it was a voice she did not recognise, at least not one she could recall in this tense moment. "Who's this?" she demanded, almost crashing into a speeder.

Iudex frowned at the question. Her communicator should reflect his name and title. Either she was being obtuse or was otherwise too busy to check herself. Judging from the amount of background noise he could pick out, it was most likely the latter. Still, her tone left something to be desired.

"You address Circle Lord Iudex." He replied bluntly. "I would expect that Ike has done the bare minimum and at least explained the hierarchy of our Order? I.." He cut himself off, saving that particular rant for another time. "Regardless. You're in danger in some way. Explain."

Tia was only half paying attention, between checking the sensors, making sure she didn't crash into buildings and controlling the ship. She glanced down at the commlink, confirming his identity "Oh...". She had seen Iudex on special occasions, and observed he was a Falleen male and had been told he was a circle lord. The highest achievement one could have in The True Sith Empire. "My master and my daddy may have mentioned something.." she mumbled into the commlink, checking the sensors once more. "Master Ike may have been captured by some woman calling herself Ederlaath Palpatine, I have the capstone and he told me to flee. And now I have a great big imperial starfighter up my---uhh on my tail", she glanced at a monitor punching in the co-ordinates given on the panel, and performing a U turn to his location.

Wapoe listened in. “So, we go save the kid? Then we can get on.” He waved a hand. “Don’t worry about Ike. I never have.”

At that he began to head to their ship.

As for Tia, the TIE Brute began to fire its heavy turbolaser, blowing huge chunks out of the buildings she was dodging behind. A chunk of flaming debris slammed into her ship, and though the damage was minimal, the gyrating would send Tia briefly tumbling from her seat!

The ship was without a pilot until she got back!

Iudex's expression darkened. An apprentice of the Sith was having trouble with a single starfighter? How embarrassing.

"Yeah, we save the kid." He grumbled in response to Wapoe. "But I posit that this pervasive thought of 'not worrying' about things is what so consistently puts all of us into these situations. A little long-term planning goes a long way." A sigh, as he ascended their ship's boarding ramp.

"Apprentice, I can sense that your route has changed. Good. The undercity of Coruscant is plagued by crisscrossing valleys and junctions and thoroughfares, each being a prime location for an ambush." Iudex explained, already in the process of getting the Ship ready to take off. "We will meet in the middle. Your actions will determine the when and where. Demonstrate the fruits of your training."

With that said, he took a step back, fully submersing himself withing the raging currents of the Force. He could now better sense Tia's location, along with the foe chasing her around. In fact, the more he concentrated, the more confidant he felt that he could easily snuff out the life of Tia's pursuer with a single thought.

It'd be simple, and doing so would let him get back to the task at hand.

A insincere smile spread across the Faleen Sith Lord's face as he took control of the ship and plotted an intercept course. If he solved every one of Tia's problems, she would never learn. So, for now, Iudex did nothing, and allowed the foe to live.

The acolyte heard the words of the Sith master, "oh I hate this planet!" she said through gritted teeth and swayed and swerved through traffic, many of horns blaring as she did so. Tia turned sharply round a corner hoping to out maneuver her attacker, but was no use, The Tie brute followed with ease and now started to fire at her, a bolt just missed her, hitting instead part of the Coruscant Corporate Bank. Debris from the slammed into Ike's ship causing the girl to fall forwards, hitting the panel and knocking her from her seat. She gritted her teeth once more, She was quitting this life, she decided. She quickly pulled herself back up. Ike's ship falling...falling. She took a deep breath and steered, pivoting the ship into position. The TIE fighter still following her as she made her way to a location that looked good enough for a Sith take-down.

Iudex's smile held firm, sensing the struggle between Tia and the enemy pilot escalate in risk. It was an interesting position he found himself in, allowing himself to be but a bystander to their battle. The young apprentice, mentored by Ike as she may be, was doing well by his estimation. On at least seven occasions she had escaped what would have been certain death for a non-force user. Seven times she had squeaked out a victory.

It was.. refreshing to see, even if he doubted that Tia was fully aware of the innate abilities she was displaying to him.

Iudex maneuvered Ship through the incomprehensibly dense Coruscanti traffic with ease, shifting through the vast skylanes without a hint of disruption. The force guided his hands and in turn Ship itself until finally, he brought it to a silent stop below a busy junction entrance. It was only then that he was afforded the ability to watch the dogfight in person, rather than through the Force.

An eager grumble reverberated within his reptilian throat as he watched the two ships engage in their deadly dance. Iudex could feel the telltale warmth of adrenaline begin to trickle against his outermost senses. The urge to get involved, to fight prickled along the length of his spine. But no, he fought the feeling back, just as he watched a section of wall belonging to the Coruscant Corporate Bank collapse under a barrage of blaster fire.

"You sell yourself short, apprentice of Ike." Iudex said into his commlink, counting down the milliseconds as Tia angled into the ambush point. "Your frustration.. your fear, is your source of strength, and what a source it can be." With an extended hand, he reached out, aligning his vast focus solely upon the enemy pilot's mind. In an instant, the pilot's mental defenses were shattered, and Iudex forced his way inside, his own will attempting to dominate the smaller mind.

Tia exhaled deeply in relief, hearing the words from the comlink and listened to his teaching, Ike, had taught her this, but now two Sith Lords, ones experts in all things dark-side no less, now it was validation. She watched in amazement through the sensors, she felt...something, something strong through the force. One day...one day I'm going to be able to do that. "Roger that, Lord Iudex" she replied in the comlink, trying to sound like a grown-up. She slowed down, hoping to not draw any attention to herself, she obviously didn't have any landing permits to hand, and didn't want to travel too far out of range. So for now all she could do was wait.

The TIE Brute swung into view of Iudex, firing again, a heavy blaster shot slipping by Tia yet again -

Wapoe was absently tapping his datapad, not even looking, strapped in, disinterested in Iudex and Tia's fight.

The TIE pilot, to his credit, did see the ship bearing down on his and began to move into a dodge and waggle -

Iudex's brow furrowed somewhat as he observed the TIE managing to fire off another shot at Tia whilst still under his mental assault. Perhaps he had not been as thorough as he had originally thought in breaking the pilot's mind. Or perhaps the vessel was being aided by an astromech droid of some kind. Either way, it mattered little to the Sith Lord.

Not finding anything immediately noteworthy within the pilot's mind, Iudex drew back and thrust a shard of concentrated malice deep into the hostile's brain stem. It would have a similar effect of taking an ice pick to the skull, albeit far less messy. Iudex reoriented his focus towards the cockpit itself. Taking a play out of his old vampire collegue's playbook, he then pictured a great mental fist surrounding the cockpit that immediately began to squeeze inwards, crushing whatever life remained into dust.

A TIE, no matter how advanced, was still but a single snubfighter. Insignificant compared to the strength of the Force.

The blaster shot just skimmed the left wing causing Ike's ship to shift slightly in turbulance causing the alarms to blare again. "Eeek" Tia grimaced as she hit a switch to the control panel, a few seconds later all was silent. But then a robotic like voice came from a speaker "Diagnostic test complete: Damage minimal". Tia wiped her forehead, "phew, that was close"

The pilot seemed to have been trained to resist Force users, which was a surprise, and told Iudex that whomever had sent them meant business.

Not that it made a difference to the crush.

The cockpit compressed, and the TIE exploded.

Tia's diagnostics, though telling her it was fine, didn't play out in reality. Her ship began to drift lower, and lower. Apparently the diagnostic system had been shot up too! It was telling her everything was a-okay when it had no idea!

Oops.

Tia was terribly confused at the turn of events, she certainly seemed to be falling, or the surrounding buildings were growing, which, if she was a few years younger, would certainly have been a possibility she'd be on board with. She punched in a new diagnostic test, again the same almost cheerful like response "Diagnostic Test Complete: Damage minimal"

The young Sith scowled, hard. "Lord Iudex, the ship is going down, I'm going to try and land it" she said into the comlink.

Iudex, satisfied that the TIE had finally been rendered inoperable, turned his attention back to Tia's position. Or rather, where she had been. Instead of the apprentice he had decided to save, he found merely empty air. Following a suspicious whisp of smoke within it, he observed Tia's ship dropping in elevation at a rather concerning speed.

He sighed, choosing at that moment to lower the volume of his commlink in time with Tia's report. "I'd recommend not damaging Ike's ship, apprentice." Iudex said. "I gather that he's vain enough to care about every new scratch and ding." He could have offered the poor girl some helpful tips, but he chose otherwise. Crashing was as natural to Sith as was questing for more power.

Iudex squinted in a rare moment of self-reflection as he watched Tia's ship continue to fall. Maybe it was just him that was always crashing ships..

He sat back in his seat. She'd be fine. Probably.

This would be easy! or so Tia thought, all she had to do was find the nearest landing platform, explain the situation...maybe with a few white lies thrown in, and then wait for the rendezvous with Lord Iudex. Tia listened again to the voice of the comlink. Yeah right! this flying piece of trash is already for the scrapheap. "understood, Master Iudex" she replied sweetly. A smug Tia turned the switch on for the autopilot, but nothing happened. The ship was still falling. She tried again switching it off then on again. It was definitely broken. With a heavy sigh she again took control of the ship, and only just managed to keep it elevated and in a horizontal position, she scanned with her eyes, there was a clear landing platform ahead of her roughly five hundred yards away. The girl took a deep breath and focused "I master the force, I am invincible". She let the force throw through her, the ship had all but completely shut down, and she was no longer flying this ship. The force was. She was just the conduit. The ship made its way to the landing platform, and landed with an ease greater than any autopilot. The young Sith took another deep breath.

The ship settled, almost as light as a feather, at a ledge in the depths.

The TIE Brute wreckage fell deeper, nowhere near.

The ledger was sturdy, and large enough to Iudex too.

Wapoe leaned forward in his seat, face still concealed, black robes, black gloves, black boots.

"We should probably check on the waif. Ike is almost as possessive of his apprentices as he is his stuff."

A pleased hum reverberated within Iudex's throat. Ike's apprentice had done well in landing her ship. For a brief moment, he had almost felt the need to intervene for her safety, but ultimately there was no need. Tia had proven her abilities to be adequate by his estimation.

"Of course." Iudex replied, shooting an amused glance towards Wapoe, who he had ignored up to this point. "I'd have stepped in if things got out of hand. Your distrust wounds me Sir." He chuckled as he began their own descent.

The ledge Tia had managed to land on wouldn't have been his first choice for landing platforms. It was a skinny thing, its construction being far too rushed or far too cheap for his liking. Still, Iudex set to angling Ship about to land without too much difficulty.

The boarding ramp lowered with a dull thunk against the platform. Iudex descended it without fanfare, leaving the theatrics to Wapoe if he so wished. Instead, he came to a stop halfway between their two ships, crossing his arms across his broad chest as he waited for Tia to dismount.

"You survived." He said, a hint of pride somewhat undercutting his gruff tone. "You did well."

Tia saw the Circle Lord's ship approach and land, and with a satisfied smile, pressed the button to exit Ike's own vessel.
The small Sith apprentice kneeled on one knee as they met on the platform smiling again at his praise "thank you Master Iudex, the force is with us"

She lifts her head to look at him "We need to get my master back, this Ederlathh is strong in the force. She knows I have the capstone. It is of grave importance I give it to Bellorum. Ederlaath told us what it was for, something about it being the key to the location of...uh... something called the Daritha Soa's Infernal Fleet, she said that it would bring her closer to becoming the new galactic power "

Iudex absorbed the information dump with a weary frown. Ederlathh's name had been ticking upwards on his list of concerns over the past month anyway. This recent move of hers wasn't doing anything to ease her upwards trajectory.

"I take it then that Ike was captured by Ederlathh?" He asked. "Alarming, considering his reported abilities."

Iudex sighed. "I confess to know little about this.. 'Infernal Fleet' of yours, but if it's anything like the Katana Fleet, it cannot be allowed to fall into her hands." A lie by omission. "Wapoe." He called out. "You're an expert on matters which frustrate me. How does this 'capstone' work?"

Iudex had made his opinion on the state of the Sith's forces well known in the past, to the degree of outright hostility against other members of the Circle Lords. Even before the truce with the New Republic, their fleets were in a pathetic state, over-extended and overworked through a series of near apocalyptic pyrrhic victories. They had never had the time to rest and rebuild, and now, bans had been put in place against rearming at all.

So yes, the possibility of gaining an entire fleet, free of charge, was exceedingly intriguing to the Faleen Sith Lord.

He turned his attention back to Tia. "Did she say anything else? Any hints to a greater plan?"

Tia shook her head at the last question, "no Master Iudex, only that she was heir to Sheev Palpatine. As for whether he has been captured, or even dead I am not sure" she hung her head, sadly. She didn't want to admit that, she, although often frustrated with him, was fond of her mentor. "But we have to try...right? "

Iudex, noticing Tia's sour mood, eased off on his questioning for now. "He'll survive." He said confidently, placing his hands on his hips. "I give him grief, but to achieve what he has says enough about his abilities." He looked her over with a critical eye. "But you've taken the wrong lesson from your plight, Apprentice. Dejection weakens you. Use that uncertainty of yours to instead fuel your anger. It'll give you focus. Enough to burn a clear path forward to your goal."

He glanced back towards his ship, surprised to find Wapoe still inside. Iudex hated to admit it, but he had grown amused at his companion's cryptic foreshadowing. Will everything that Tia had said, such foreshadowing could be helpful. Or infuriating, one of the two.

"Unfortunately for your Master.." He said, placing his hands on his hips, "I am weary to abandon my current mission to save Ike at this moment. Ederlathh is a threat, yes, but a public one. A figure that attracts many eyes. My targets are more illusive, yet with the potential of a great boon to our order if they're turned to our side." Iudex took a step closer and placed his hand apologetically upon Tia's shoulder. "I can continue your training. Forge you into a proper Sith, but I will not save your Master. Not yet. Not when so many other threats remain."

Tia heeded his words, she knew her sorrow for her masters well-being was not the way of the Sith, sentimentality, afterall, could be a weakness. The youth continued to listen, but she was not prepared for what he was about to say next "I can continue your training. Forge you into a proper Sith" she looked again at him, her expression slightly mystified, "I am to become your apprentice?" she asked with caution.

Wapoe spoke up. "The Infernal Fleet would be an armada of Rakatan battlecruisers that belonged to the Red Rakata, Soa. He discovered Korriban, joined the Sith, killed his master, Adas, and then turned on his kin back home, in the Infinite Empire - taking two-thirds of the Rakatan territories before his ultimate defeat and imprisonment on Belsavis, in an underground prison."

A shrug. "He's dead, killed by the Outlanders about four thousand years ago, but his fleet was lost. His bio-weapons and droid monsters were what he was captured with."

The black-coat regarded Tia. "A capstone is one part of a Holocron."

"Important first as a power source, and secondly, though equally important, to capture the creator's gatekeeper essence within the device..." He hesitated. "I would ask to see it, but it might vanish up one of my sleeves." A dry chuckle.

"We'd need to know the shape of the original Holocron to reconstruct the lattices involved, to interface with..." Wapoe stroked his chin, in an exaggerated fashion - his gloved hands didn't actually touch his chin, or expose it. "Doable, of course, but there aren't many people around from that time that aren't Holocrons themselves."

"The Infernal Fleet could be found by other means, too. There are another two or three Holocrons that exist from that time which may complete the puzzle." A slight smirk. "One of which is in the possession of Darth Bellorum... the Holocron of Soa himself." A piqued tone. "Hasn't it mentioned this before now?"

"So, High Lord Iudex... do we pursue Ike, or do we deliver the capstone and the apprentice to your superior?" He tapped at his wrist, indicating a chrono. "Time is against us, and on Rydonni a path to a threat grows stale." Wapoe shrugged. "I could make my own way there, of course?"

Iudex cocked his head to the side, picking up on Tia's confusion. "Not as such. You are Ike's apprentice, and will be until he sees fit. It would be an opportunity to see how another Sith Lord operates.. Think of it as a.." He frowned somewhat, remembering that he was talking to a practical child. "A.. Field.. Trip? Ah, Galactic Basic is a.. language without nuance, I apologize. I will not take Ike's place, out of a modicum of respect, and more importantly... because I don't want to."

He offered her an easy-going smile, a reassurance that was somewhat defeated by the deep, horrid scars that criss-crossed his face.

Iudex turned to Wapoe, listening to his report in rapt attention. "Bellorum is, as I understand it, not available to us at this moment. Her and Aryan are publicly playing politician, and are therefor under the watchful eye of the New Republic. It would be difficult to drop by without blowing their covers.." He stroked his chin in thought. "This capstone will fall under my protection for now. I will arrange a drop with Bellorum over an encrypted frequency.. Yes."

Other than that.. he found himself at a sort of crossroads for what his next move should be. It had become somewhat of a reoccurring truth that his missions tended to go under the radar of the other Circle Lords, let alone the Emperor. If he were to save Ike, it could be a foot in the door to finally break into the inner circle of Lords. But was he vain enough to truly care about such things? Would rescuing Ike or investigating Rydonni be better for the Sith as a whole?

"I am unfamiliar with the movements of our other Lords or Imperial Knights.." Iudex said with a low growl, fighting the inner urge to begin pacing back and forth. "But if Rydonni is as concerning as you've alluded to.. I imagine someone else is already investigating. If not..I dislike it, but I will take you up on your offer Wapoe. Find your own way there and investigate. If other members of the order are present, I urge you to link up with them and provide assistance" He stared hard at him. "You've so far earned my trust. It would be a shame for this relationship to sour, no?"

Wapoe glowered at Iudex. “I will make my own way to Rydonni, then… and you can save Ike.”

The Black Coat folded his arms. “I’ve no desire to delay thwarting Ederlathh.” He waved a gloved hand. “I’ll make my own way, and I’ll check in if you want.”

Tia lifted herself from kneeing on one knee. So they were going after Ike, now?. Tia was very confused by what was going on, and the topsy-turvy, somewhat indecisive way things were happening, but held her tongue. She didn't want to be learning the ways of the Sith just by observing, that's what inquisitors, or "dark-siders" not worthy of being called Sith did. Tia wanted to be taught...and every single day was vital for that end to grow stronger in the force. She didn't want to feel like a pest but didn't want to outright reject Lord Iudex's proposal, though Tia being Tia, what she thought of his offer was probably pretty clearly written on her face.

Wapoe looked over at Tia, sensing her concern. “We have to discuss matters to come to a conclusion. Ike, the capstone, Ederlathh, or my own business on Rydonni.”

“Which do you believe we should prioritise, apprentice?”
Tia did not register at first that the question was addressed to her, only when she saw Wapoe looking at her directly did she ponder quickly, it's true, The Graul's were probably too busy to directly deal with them, something that Tia had come to grow accustomed to. She had not spoken to either her father or Step-mother in quite some time. She had no idea what the Rydonni situation even was, more politics she guessed. "Going after my master" she said looking up at him "that way I can be out of you people's hair...what there is of it" she mumbled the last bit under her breath.

Iudex offered Wapoe a shallow nod of his head, the decision made. "Ike will be a temporary diversion." He said. "Once he has been rescued, I will join you in the Rydonni system." That was that.

He ignored Tia's juvenile behavior. She was, as he had to repeatedly remind himself, an actual juvenile, and human adolescents were known for their disrespect. At least, that's what he had picked up over the years through the Holonet.

"Let us depart then, apprentice of Ike. I'm curious to see how he's taught you to fight." There was a hint of derision in his tone, if only slightly, as he began to walk back towards Ship. "Perhaps next time, you will not need to seek out someone's help, hmm?"

Tags: @Sinrebirth , @Tia , @Lady_Belligerent (mentioned), @HanSolo29 (mentioned) @darthbernael (referenced)