A Thin Line

[Varyn Rask]

The Emperor's personal Nightsweeper-class star yacht, the Arachas dropped out of hyperspace at the edge of the Mandalore system. It's occupants were only three: Varyn and his two pilots: Dav, his lifelong friend, and Turbee the pilot droid. Despite his best efforts to leave Dav behind, the pilot had insisted on coming with Varyn even if this had the potential to be a suicide mission, and Varyn had finally given in. Now that he was here, he was glad to have some support that was more than just a droid.

Varyn Rask wasn't easily made nervous, but he knew that today he was taking an astronomical risk. Coming without protection or support to Mandalore was a fantastic way for an Emperor to get killed, and he still gave himself nearly a 50% chance of dying. He figured that might improve to about 1 in 4 if he could actually make it to the ground.

After a great deal of effort, Imperial Intelligence had located the comlink of Eddard Thul Drast, and the comm frequency he was looking for: one Raz Solus. He had forewarned the Mandalore that he'd like a peace talk, and sent along the access code he planned to transmit: a white flag signal. The Sith reached over and pressed a button on the communications panel, and the ship immediately began broadcasting said signal, and he hoped she had informed the planet's sentries not to shoot him down.

Assuming he was given permission to land without being shot out of the sky by the escort that had slipped in on either side of the Arachas, the ship set down on its landing pad. Varyn's gut practically flipped, and he almost felt physically ill with anxiety. But it needed to be done.

He wondered to himself if Tasha would have killed him for doing this had she found out. She was still confusing, but he couldn't imagine she'd have condoned him doing something this stupid.

If something happens to me, just get out, he told Dav, hoping at least his friend might survive. He'd already made arrangements in the event of his death including a message to Tasha and another to a few of the Sith Lords, but he truly hoped that wouldn't be the outcome of this meeting.

No guarantees. Just like a battle, he told himself, shoving the fear aside and forcing one foot in front of the other. If he died for this, then he would die at peace. One life was nothing compared to the prosperity of the galaxy.

He made his way down the hissing exit ramp. His customary mask, sword, and gauntlets were left behind. He still carried a single saber hilt on his belt, but he recognized fully that if a planet full of Mandalorians wanted him dead, that wasn't going to do much.

Varyn didn't know who would meet him at the bottom, whether a full guard of Mandalorians or the Mand'alor herself, but he steeled himself for anything: including a wrist rocket to the chest. @Sreeya

 

[Raz Solus]

A few years ago, a meeting like this would have been unthinkable. When the message had first come across, she had laughed it off. It took her a moment to realize that this was serious. Varyn Rask had wanted to meet her, and he was willing to come on her planet. Was this a trick? She didn’t answer for a long time, but the idea nagged at her. What could he possibly want to meet about? Their war had resulted in countless deaths. The Mandalorians now owned large enough territory to be considered an ‘empire’ themselves. They had just breached the Core.

Raz agreed on the condition that he and his entire ship would be searched. She half expected him to rig the thing with explosives, and so he would be stopped before reaching anywhere near her and thoroughly searched and scanned. She was fully armored as usual, but she had halted her personal guard from joining her in greeting him.

As he made his way down the exit ramp, Raz was surprised to see him without a mask. She was looking directly at a man, a man that looked like any normal human. A man that looked as if he bled just like anyone else. He was someone she could have seen at a grocery store, or on a beach. She would even go as far as to call him handsome. And yet he was quite possibly the most powerful man in the entire galaxy. Why was he willing to reveal his face to her? It was well known that the Emperor made a point of never revealing himself.

Raz made no move to remove her helmet, but she alone stood at the bottom of that ramp. She said nothing for a moment, standing tall and proud as always. Her T-visor and faceless helmet gazed back at him, her eyes sizing him up as she took him in. Raz crossed her arms over her chest, her voice partially distorted by the helmet coming through, “You are aware of what I did with your predecessor, correct?” She wasn’t known for her polite greetings.

 

[Varyn Rask]

Well, he wasn't dead yet, and that was a good sign. He knew that they were going to search him and his ship, but he couldn't rightly blame them for that. The Emperor had begun as an assassin, and he was no stranger to underhanded tactics, but that wasn't what this was about. They'd find nothing of threat apart from the expected. Despite some appearances, Varyn wasn't suicidal, and was still hoping to leave this meeting alive.

He noted quickly that she met him alone. It spoke something about both of them. It meant she was confident in her abilities to fight - and well founded - and she was willing to meet him on equal footing. Her tact left something to be desired, but he expected nothing less from a Mandalorian or, specifically, her.

I'm not my predecessors, he stated flatly. It was relevant not only to her comment, but also his presence here. His predecessors - and hers for that matter - had made so many mistakes that he wanted to separate himself from that as far as he could. His predecessors had created the monster that was quickly becoming the Mandalorian Empire, and they were stupid enough to let the Empire wither away.

He stared into that visor, but it gave him nothing. The fear had been shoved aside, but ever-gnawed at him just below the surface. If he was going to die, he was going to die well. Thank you for meeting with me, Mand'alor, he said, having enough respect to use her actual title. He wasn't here for belittling, and there would be enough contest over the actual topics likely to come.

I doubt any of my predecessors would have had the... he paused, trying to think of a better word than "balls" to use in a political parlay ..."intestinal fortitude" to come here. Or foolishness, if you prefer, he admitted. He knew what he was doing was radical, but from day one he'd been a radical in the Sith. Looking for reforms in the Empire where no one else did.

But they were full of much worse foolishness than this, he said. He shouldn't have ever been in this situation if the people who came before him weren't dolts. But they were, and so here he was.

I think it might be time for us to use our words instead of our fists, and all the other weapons at our collective disposal. I'm tired of losing people, and I can't imagine you're eager to watch any more people die either, he said. Hopefully she was open to the idea, but the fact that she'd met him implied she was. He doubted either of them wanted to see any more of their people killed. The fact was that the two of them weren't quite as different as it might have appeared. At least he was hoping he wasn't wrong about that.

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz grinned beneath her helmet at his words. She hadn’t expected such a blunt response. She had seen him on Holo giving speeches many times, always under a mask, and she found it hard to believe this was the same man. For a moment, she simply eyed him, and he wouldn’t know whether she was pondering killing him or had simply not been paying attention. Either of those were very likely with her.

She gestured with her hand for him to step up next to her to walk. Up ahead, he would be able to see her basilisk parked. The beast had many markings on it from her victories in battle, and he would notice it had been decorated with armor from the Imperial army. Raz paid it no heed, leading the Emperor towards a building up ahead.

The guards bristled at the sight of Varyn, and he would feel the discomfort and anger everyone around him felt. Raz remained unconcerned, leading him into a private office. Varyn would see right away how fiercely protective her people were of her, and all of them shifted a little closer as they walked, and gathered near the door when she closed it behind them.

Raz walked over to take a seat, not worried about being somewhere alone with the Emperor of the Sith. She gazed up at him for a moment, drumming her metal cybernetic fingers on the sleek surface of the desk in front of her, “We’re not known for using words,” She was aware of how bullish Mandalorians were, “And I know you are not like your predecessors,” Raz brought up her datapad and spun it around to show him, airing a commercial for the dating show he was on. In truth, she had found it beyond entertaining, “You took a great risk coming here, and I trust you have something useful to say. So have at it, and I’ll decide if I feel like letting you walk out of here or not.”

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn took in every sight, sound, and feeling in the Force. There was so much to see and feel here, and while it scared him, he refused to metaphorically look away. Despite her not being a Force sensitive, he couldn't seem to glean anything escaping from her mind. It demonstrated the strength of her will, and he couldn't say he was shocked. She was one of the most powerful people in the galaxy, and that was saying something.

She started walking and beckoned him to follow, which he took as a good sign that she wasn't going to kill him right now. He wasn't sure he should let out a sigh of relief yet, but it was a step in the right direction. He was through the door, as it were.

His eyes swept over the basilisk war droid, and even he had to say it was impressive. He had seen many in the recordings, holonews, and military reports, but seeing one in person was a whole different experience. If he was bothered by the pieces of Imperial armor, it didn't seem to show but he didn't bother hiding the curious and impressed look he threw toward it.

While Raz may have been an enigma, her soldiers... weren't quite so complex or mentally strong. He could feel the waves of hatred and resentment emanating off of them. Any one of them would have been happy to put a blaster bolt through his back, but there was something else he could sense: loyalty. None of them - even the most hateful - would make a move without Raz's say so, and Varyn... well, he'd gambled his entire life on her living up to the Mandalorian rules of honor and hospitality. In hindsight, he was questioning his own decision.

He took a seat across from her and she pushed the ad across toward him. Ah, yes, the things we do for our people, he said. There wasn't a great deal more that he could say. Morale was an important tool, and someone had convinced him this may have been able to raise morale. He only hoped it would or all of this would have been for nothing.

All the more evidence that I'm willing to go to extreme measures for my people. Not like the former Emperors, he said, beginning to warm up to the conversation. Not because she was warming up to him, but because if he was going to die, it might be nice to have an intelligent conversation as his final action. Might as well go all out.

No, you aren't known for your words, but neither are we, he said. But as I said, I'm tired of the bloodshed, he reiterated, pausing a moment to think of the best thing to say. He didn't rush the thought because if she had given any indication thus far, she wasn't going to be interrupting him. She didn't seem eager to speak much at all.

I'm here because I want peace, he said simply. It was the sell that was the hardest, but theoretically not impossible. What started this war? The Imperial Republica - whose Emperor we killed, whose traditions we quashed, and whose vote has been overthrown by us - decided in its stupidity to take away your people's identity, titles, and traditions, he said. It was actually nearly fully encompassing of what had happened. The Emperor who had ruled the Imperial Republica had decided to put the boot on the neck of the Mandalorians. It was the Old Empire that had overthrown that Empire. The Sith Empire - Varyn's Empire - was no more a friend to the old Emperors of the Imperial Republica than the Mandalorians were.

If I'm not mistaken, though, it was your people who were the ones who said the enemy of my enemy isn't always my friend, he said. It was a quote he'd picked up in one of his many biographies he had read, and the truth was that Varyn found the Mandalorian culture fascinating. But to say that here may have been taken with offense, so he didn't broach the topic lest he sound... patronizing.

But... he countered shortly thereafter, ...it doesn't mean they're your enemy either. I have no interest in inheriting the war of fools who I overthrew, he stated bluntly. What he could only hope was that this war was about something more than simple conquest. He hoped that the war was still about what it had always been: the prosperity of the Mandalorian people. If it wasn't, then... well, he hoped that wasn't the case, but Varyn's argument was based on logic. That much couldn't be denied.

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz sat quietly as he spoke. Her metal fingers kept drumming lightly, and she took in his words. However, after he spoke long enough, it was clear she was growing disenchanted with it. Raz wasn’t the type to engage in long, poetic conversation. She had been accused of being a meathead or pigheaded many times by the media, and she had absolutely no qualms with being regarded as such.

By the time he began about who started the war, Raz cut in curtly, “I’m aware of our history, Emperor Rask,” Her tone was brisk and to the point. She stared at him through her helmet, the cold T visor always existing as a layer between them, “You don’t want a war. Terrific. Are you expecting us to pack up and go home? Are you expecting to ask me nicely to go away and keep doing my Mando things in some corner of the galaxy that doesn’t encroach upon yours?”

Raz crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back slightly in her seat. There was nothing threatening about her gesture, and even now she was difficult to read. Her tone was blunt as always, but he would learn quickly that was simply her personality, “Get to the point. What is it that you are hoping to see coming out of this discussion? I have no desire to see you grow and spread like a cancer across the galaxy any more than you like to see me doing it.”

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn wasn't used to being cut off, and he would have lied if he said it didn't irk him, but he wasn't going to back down. The moment of annoyance was there and gone in an instant. He was used to dealing with people more diplomatic, but that wasn't what this was. In some ways, maybe that was a blessing. It meant he didn't have to lace everything with pleasantries... not that he was every great at that in the first place.

He smiled slightly, but the smile was anything but warm. It was ice cold. Enough to send a shiver down the spine of most anyone who crossed paths with him, and while he knew she wasn't going to be one to recoil, he wondered if even she might sense the shift of the room. The subtle movement of the Dark Side, not in any form of attack, but simply it's existence.

Why are you fighting this war? he posed briefly. Simple blood lust or something more? he asked equally curtly. He assumed it was the latter, but she'd made it clear there was no point in him beating around the bush on the topic. If she wanted to be direct, he was fine with that. He'd spent too much time around the dainties of the galaxy.

 

[Raz Solus]

She was getting under his skin, but she was entirely unconcerned by it. He gave her a mirthless smile, and she had an amused one of her own. He wouldn’t see hers, however, just that same expressionless T visor. Her drumming had stopped with his question. He was beginning to cross lines, and she half wondered if it wouldn’t come to violence right then and there. After considering it for a moment, she halted the thought.

“To ensure that what happened to us before can never happen again. We are one united people and we are winning people over to join the cause to eradicate the Sith from being in power,” Raz spoke quietly, but firmly. He had come all this way, and she would at least entertain his questions regardless of how rudely he asked them. He had put all the frivolity aside, and that alone was speaking more on her terms, “No other force in the galaxy can stand up to the Sith like the Mandalorians can. The free people never had a voice until us.”

Raz paused for a moment, glancing at him and pondering about all the Emperors and Empresses that came before him. How did his mind process things? Was he picturing choking her with the Force? She grinned at him beneath the helmet, “It’s also why you are here having a civil conversation with me instead of stamping me out like a little cockroach like you really want to. You can’t afford to do that anymore. So you have to risk your precious, royal ass to come here into my domain and convince me not to kill you. And now you’re expecting me to give that up?” There was no anger in her tone, and he wouldn’t feel it even in the Force. She wouldn’t ask him to get to his proposal again. He knew she was waiting for it. There was no hatred, no jerk towards anger, but a cool detachment.

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn actually snickered when she called him royalty. He was the same person he'd always been: someone who scratched and clawed his way to the top. In fact, he was the same as her, though she likely wouldn't believe it.

I'm no more royalty than you are. You and I are very much alike: radicals in our orders who fought our way to the center and climbed the ladder to make a difference for our people, he said, before waving a hand abruptly through the air. He knew she wouldn't care to hear about that, and would likely have an objection to it. But I'm guessing you don't care about that, he added.

But! he said, holding up a finger to try to prematurely cut off her interruptions. The thought of what he was bringing up had clearly drawn his attention away from his otherwise brooding demeanor. Before we continue with the task at hand, a moment of trivia: Did you know that we've met before? Twice actually, but more specifically long before either of us were... well, much of anything, he began to say before remembering he was probably losing her interest already.

Probably the only moment you've ever stood side by side with a Sith defending a village from wild animals? Unexpected alliance after I killed one of my own... a murderer. Do you recall? he asked.

He almost said something about it not buying him any good will, but he doubted she would have let him say as much. Listening and patience didn't seem to be her strong suits.

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz was about to interrupt him again, and this time to give him a final warning before she hurt him. However, she was shocked when he mentioned they had worked together before. There was nothing but a moment of silence then. He had saved her life, and she despised when she owed debts like that. To think that man back then had been the future Emperor of the Sith. To think that she could have killed him then. She had been a nobody, just as he had been.

The realization was jarring, and she couldn’t help but stare at him for a long moment. The face began to look familiar, even though it had been many years prior. For a moment, it was difficult to tell whether she remembered or not. If she did, she made no signs of it. Her posture didn’t change, though her drumming on the table stopped. There was nothing but a cold silence between them.

“I remember,” She finally said quietly. He had helped her protect a village back then. She knew what he was doing - he was wanting to find common ground. He was playing his cards right. He certainly had her attention now that Raz knew he wasn’t anything like his predecessors. Back then neither of them had anything to offer to one another, and still he came to her aid.

“I want to see the Sith vacate the Core and Inner Rim,” Raz said flatly, “Not for us to take, but to give them their freedom back. The Empress began a ruthless takeover five hundred years back, and I want to see it undone. The planets in the Outer Rim have always been loyal to the Empire, and they will not so easily leave what they know. However, the central worlds never wanted to be a part of this,” Raz looked at him to see what he had to say. If he was hoping to have conversations about their first encounter, she showed no interest in it. But he did get her to start talking about the topic he was really here for.

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn felt a very subtle shift in demeanor, and though he wasn't going to take it for granted, he wondered if he had finally made a bit of headway. He knew that whatever tentative foothold he had wasn't likely to last long if he made a foolish mistake, and he realized that was becoming increasingly likely.

She moved on from that, and spoke of her demands, and they were undeniably steep. Vacating the entire Core was to give up half of the Empire. He wasn't sure he could do that for a myriad of reasons, so he said nothing for a moment. Rather than put more words in the air just to fill the silence, he sat back in his chair and let his eyes drift off as he considered the various possibilities and repercussions of this proposal.

Most of those systems haven't been without a unifying government for hundred or thousands of years. It can be dangerous to be an isolated world, he said, thoughtfully. He knew that the Empire wouldn't be able to remain in sole control of the worlds or even officially have an occupation there, but that didn't mean that there couldn't be a compromise. Of course, she might well immediately throw out any sort of proposal he made, but if he never tried, he'd never know.

What if I proposed another uncanny alliance between us? A... hmm... protectorate for the Core. Joint between the Empire and the Mandalorians that could provide security. With joint oversight from your people and mine - or even yourself if you preferred - you could ensure there weren't abuses and oppressions, he said. It was one of his ultimate goals of this meeting, and it might well go poorly, but he wanted the Empire and the Mandalorians on the same side. It would mean a technical withdrawal from the Core, but would still allow stability within the region and a peace between the galaxy's two superpowers.

He could only hope she was receptive to the idea, but with how their meeting had gone so far, he didn't dare be too optimistic. Perhaps he was too radical in his thinking, but he had always been radical. And as far as he could determine, there were plenty of worlds that may not actually benefit from a withdrawal of the government they had relied on for 500+ years.

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz was more than shocked at the talk of an alliance. She almost wanted to laugh in his face. After everything they had been through, after all the torment the Sith had put her through, after Medriaas….after all that, he had the gall to ask her for an alliance? Her jaw tightened, but she reeled back her knee jerk reaction to lash out at such an absurd claim.

Why would he propose such a thing? He had to have a reason, and he wouldn’t propose something that was outright not beneficial to her. It was true that the core and inner rim worlds were tired of conflict. They were caught in the war right between the Mandalorians and Sith. She knew they wouldn’t want either superpower in place, but Varyn also had a point that they were in no shape to govern without some sort of representation. The rebels were entirely too weak and fractured to fix the problem.

The drumming of her cybernetic fingers began on the table surface again. Raz had never been the diplomatic type, but being the leader of a superpower that could go up against the Sith meant she couldn’t always be an empty helmet. She wished Leandros or Koil were here instead, as they were generally better with words.

“You would cease to be Emperor for the core and inner worlds?” She asked, still surprised at this proposal, “If this were to be a joint venture, it wouldn’t be Mandalorian nor Sith. It would represent the individual systems and worlds within that space. In the Outer Rim, Mandalorians will be permitted to expand as they please,” Raz was thinking out loud. She paused for a moment, “How are you envisioning the governing structure of this...joint venture?”

 

[Varyn Rask]

The air seemed to freeze for a moment as she considered his answer. He wasn't sure what was going on inside her head, and he couldn't decide if the silence was a good thing or not. He assumed the fact that he wasn't being shot or immediately told "no" was a good sign. At least, that was what he was choosing to believe.

She started talking and... well, she wasn't rejecting the idea outright. He knew she wasn't interested in hearing him talk, so he gauged what he should say and how much.

If it gains peace? Yes, he said before pointing to himself. A radical, he reiterated his point from earlier. He wondered if this move would see him assassinated by his own people. He had a brief vision of himself having to flee to Mandalorian space... yeah, that wouldn't work out.

The only problem - or at least one of them - was he wasn't sure how she would feel about his proposed government. He paused for a moment to think about the best system, and didn't rush the thought. If this was going to work out then they needed something they could both live with, and coming up with an intermediary system on the fly wasn't easy.

Each system would have its own governor. The governors would form the legislative branch of the government, he started, eyes gazing off into the corner of the room lost in thought. That would give the actual law writing power entirely to the systems. In truth, he didn't love the idea, but he was pretty sure that anything else would have brought the entire discussion to an end.

The executive branch would be a small council of ten... hmm, no, nine: four of your representatives and four of mine with the deciding vote in any matter falling to an elected member from the governors, he proposed. It allows a bit of oversight so they don't make a grievous mistake, but leaves most of the power to the systems: a Protectorate, he said with a shrug. The idea may have needed amending, but it seemed like a decent enough start to him. He wondered to himself if the two super powers having a mutual "baby" would keep them from ripping each other's throats out.

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz mulled it over, and she was surprised to find herself not finding the proposal that insane. While she didn’t like that it involved the Emperor having any semblance of power, the idea of the main governor official being elected by the people sounded good to her. She knew they wouldn’t be so easily swayed by the Sith or even her people and they would think about their individual systems first.

“And I have your assurance that there will be no Sith pressure or backdoor dealings to sabotage votes?” Raz eyed him suspiciously behind her helmet. Who was she kidding? There was no real way to monitor that, but she knew she would find out if that were the case, “Because if we discover that, I can promise you that your empire will come under far worse attacks than it has suffered already,” Raz never made idle threats. She had proven many times that she could bring the Sith down to their knees, and no empire was in any position to afford to be on her bad side.

She gazed at Varyn for a long moment, and she couldn’t find reasons to find ill intentions. He didn’t fit the profile of a powerhungry and selfish Emperor, and with a pang she realized he wouldn’t last in the job. Raz sighed, looking away, “You are too noble for the job you have taken,” She said quietly, “You will die. You will die by the hands of your own people. This agreement we have will perhaps last only until then…” Raz thought for a moment, “But perhaps it will allow some measure of peace at least in the Core and Inner Rim.”

She looked back at him, thinking for a long moment, “Very well. I will agree to this proposal. We of course have to work out the finer details, but I trust it will at least be beneficial for us in the near term,” Raz wasn’t naive enough to think this was something that could last forever. Both Mandalorians and Sith were entirely too destructive for any alliances or agreements to last.

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn didn't seem overly bothered by her threats, not because he didn't think she could uphold them, but because if they started going into effect, it probably meant he was already dead... or at least out of a position to do anything about it. The politics would be as politics always were. The dark side of politics was one of the very reasons Varyn was so hesitant about anything that looked like a democracy, but sometimes survival necessitated compromise.

He pondered for a moment making mention of the rebels and supporting them, but his better judgments decided against it. He hadn't seen Mandalorians involved in the terrorist attacks in years, and he doubted they would suddenly start now that a truce had been called. Though he had no delusions that they wouldn't still find a way to support their former allies.

And then she made a comment about him being noble. The words struck a surprising note inside of him, but brought with them a much more somber pang. He nodded, not about his nobility but about her prediction of the outcome.

Yes... I probably will, he agreed. He knew what he was giving up, and what he was risking, but he couldn't change his course. For trillions of reasons he couldn't. Maybe in the next few months at that, he said. But these hands have spilled enough blood that it might be justice, he said absently before realizing he had grown far too distracted and let his guard down far too much. There was a feeling of satisfaction though. As if he had completed his purpose that he had been fighting for his whole life, and now that it was done he knew his life would end. But he wasn't ready to give up the fight just yet.

It's a shame... if the cards were different, I think we might have been friends in another life, he said with a shake of his head. But life hadn't dealt them other cards, and there was no turning back the past.

Shaking on it is a bit old fashioned, shall we drink to it? he asked. She was a Mandalorian and he would have bet a frigate that she had alcohol somewhere in this office. Or perhaps she'd simply insist on shaking on it.