Battle of Ryloth: Aftermath

[Andraste]

To say that Andraste was angry was beyond an understatement. She was absolutely livid. She had gotten the initial message from Siris about the Hutt betrayal, though it was shortly followed by a clarification. Nonetheless, the explanation wasn’t good enough, and Andraste knew someone would pay for what happened. She was seeing red, and she had left Kravos in charge as she immediately made her way to Ryloth from Sith Space.

The journey took them a few days of travel, and Andraste was seething the entire time. Cregan had offered to accompany her, and he was the only thing keeping her from flying off the handle. She was healed from her wounds, but the rage she felt was not doing any favors in her pregnant condition.

A Mischance-Class frigate jumped out of hyperspace above the atmosphere of Ryloth, descending down towards towards the city of Lessu. Andraste had been pacing back and forth the entire time, and it took everything in her power not to do something destructive that would jeopardize both her and Cregan.

With the ship hovering into view, Andraste opened up her comms, spotting Nem’ro’s ship, “Nem’ro,” Her displeasure was very clear in her voice, “This is Andraste. I’m coming aboard your bridge now.”



OOC: Death/capture disabled

@Nefieslab @Malon @Orbit @Insalius

 

[Darth Evandrus]

Cregan wasn't close to Siris - he really wasn't - but he had to admit that the actions that had handed the guy some injuries were enough to make him stop smiling for anyone but Andraste. The idea that someone would betray him, betray the Drast family, was enough to have him smouldering with rage on the inside. Because if they thought they could attack Siris, it meant that they thought they could attack the Drast family and if they thought that, how long before they got clever ideas about attacking the kid? The future children?

No - this could not stand.

He had come with Andraste and while she might be the most angry, it wasn't to say he was calm or serene by any stretch of the imagination. Cregan was acting as a stabilising element only because he wanted to have their rage directed where it should be - on the Hutts.

Standing perfectly still, Cregan made sure that he was there if she needed him, if she needed to vent or whatever, but didn't move to speak to her right now. When she called Nem'ro he stood by her side,

"We shall expect Siris to be there when we arrive." he added bluntly, "Hutt hospitality has not been what we were promised so we shall expect him there to confirm nothing further has occurred."

He nodded to the helmsmen for them to approach and begin the boarding process with Nem'ro's ship. Delays right now would probably result in dead bridge staff and they knew it so they were not idle.

@Malon @Orbit @Insalius @Sreeya

 

[Nem'ro the Hutt]

A Hutt's hospitality. Now there was an oxymoron if Nem'ro had ever heard one. A Hutt's hospitality was a blaster bolt in the back. A Hutt's hospitality often found you gagged, bound, and left for dead in some godforsaken slime pit in a forgotten corner of the galaxy. A Hutt's hospitality got you fed to sarlacc, rancor, and other horrendous beasts for the amusement of anyone with enough credits to pay to watch. Clearly, this one had not been taught as much in Jedi school.

But, as nonsensical as the statement was, for once, that had not been the intent. Nem'ro had considered Siris an ally. Parvis going rogue after Blythe's death had jeopardized that alliance. Fortunately, Nem'ro's right-hand, Seyfer, had managed to save the Warlord and offer him medical aide. Siris was currently aboard Nem'ro's ship, being cared for and treated of his injuries—the majority of which was damage he had taken from the enemy. Parvis's attack had cost the man precious little. But that meant very little to his mistress.

Andraste was a scary sight when she was angry. She was a scary sight in general, but particularly when she was angry. Nem'ro didn't fear much in the galaxy. Jedi, he certainly disregarded. Even some Exiles—who were now calling themselves "Sith"—failed to truly intimidate him. But she did. Not because she was now the Empress of a mighty Empire. No. She was scary because she had unfathomable dark power and a temper that was legendary for causing complications for all those on the receiving end of it, which, today, happened to be him.

Nem'ro felt his heart quicken at her transmission. Hutts ultimately caved to two things: credits and self-preservation. And he was in full self-preservation mode. Let her be angry, he thought. Let her scream, writhe, and make her threats. He just needed to survive. That singular thought was what drove his actions. He feigned control for the sake of his men, but inwardly, he trembled like the slug he was. Slime, the human equivalent of sweat, pooled over his slug-like body, but he nodded towards Seyfer, who was still on the bridge.

"Bolla an baumahka Siris. Koose jen bai bu canka." And, after giving the order, he opened a direct transmission to Andraste's ship. He spoke in Basic, as he always did when addressing the Sith. "Your man is being tended to and has been treated with care—I am having my lieutenant bring him up to the bridge to be returned to you as we speak. In the meantime, you may board when ready. I have dispatched an escort to see you to the bridge."

He was going to need a lot of booze and a fresh Twi'lek man when this day was over. He could already feel it. @Insalius @Orbit

 

[Andraste]

It didn’t take long for Andraste to make her way over to the Hutt’s ship, and she made no moves to mask her emotions. Her displeasure was clear in her face, the dark side of the Force whirling within her so every living thing would feel its essence. It was a frigid chill that would suddenly befall the bridge to the point where Nem’ro’s men would see their breaths escaping in a fog.

Her yellow eyes were narrowed to slits, and she made her way directly towards Nem’ro. Her black dress dragged on the ground behind her, and despite being a tiny, pregnant woman, she was very terrifying to behold at the moment. A man stepped up to greet her, and she casually used the Force to toss him to the side, keeping her gaze fixated on the nervous slug. She could smell the stench of his slimy sweat.

“I demand an explanation for this,” She hissed at the Hutt as she came to stop before him, “Whoever shot at Siris was under your command. This was your operation ultimately, so explain to me why some ingrate shot at Siris on your watch. I delivered a Jedi to you on a silver platter and this is what you have to show for yourself?”

As she spoke, Nem’ro would begin to feel the Force coil around him till it started to become uncomfortable. Andraste made no moves, but the pressure around him didn’t stop. Her fingers were curled into fists, her knuckles white from rage.

“I am not someone to be trifled with, Nem’ro.”


@Insalius @Malon @Orbit

 

[Christopher Harlow]

"Understood. We'll be right there." Turning off his commlink, Seyfer Quasar turned to look at the man he had been tending to personally ever since he'd saved him down on Ryloth. Parvis had tried to kill Siris, for reasons that the Elensalite would never be able to truly prove, but the man's actions had nearly destroyed their alliance. Hell, even right now there was a high chance that it wouldn't survive this visit. Or that they would survive this visit. He gave Siris a small bow before speaking. "Lady Andraste and Lord Cregan have arrived. They would like to see you up on the bridge. Please, allow me to escort you." Thanks to the combat medical training that Seyfer had gone through while in the Juranno Academy, Siris' wounds would be able to make a complete recovery now in just a matter of days. Even now it was just some scrapes and bruises, even for the arm that had been damaged badly.

This was one of the days that Seyfer was glad that he didn't have a face that could emote like an organic's usually could, nor could his mind be read or affected via the Force. It wasn't because he was afraid, far from it. He was more curious than anything, to see how Andraste would react during their visit to check on and pick up Siris. If he had to guess, based on what he'd seen and what he'd learned from his father she was probably going to be irrationally angry and start threatening Nem'ro and himself for what happened. They were blameless in what happened, both of those who would be at fault having now died on Ryloth, but he didn't expect her to see this kind of reason. She was a child, one that had never fully managed to grow up from the difficult life she'd been forced to live. Seyfer would be quiet, unless asked a question, but he would be watching and judging all of them the whole time. He didn't even have any feelings for Cregan's visit, despite the man being a former lover of his. That was a different body's sentimentality. Maybe Seyfer would be able to drop a bomb of information on the man during their visit.

The door to the bridge opened, Seyfer gesturing to Siris before giving a small bow. "Here he is, Lady Andraste. He was recovering in the medbay, where I've been attending him this whole time. Barring an actual doctor, which this ship doesn't have on staff, it's the best care he could receive." Once he was done speaking he moved to stand by Nem'ro, arms crossed as he waited for either the yelling or the threatening words to start. Internally he couldn't care less, yet his face would be mechanically stoic as it always was. He'd pretend as needed, if pressed, but for the moment he just wanted to get this farce over with. There was work to do, and unless they wanted to kill them right now, he had better things to be focusing on. The only weapon he had on him was the lightsaber he'd inherited from his father, hidden on his arm and disguised to look like a part of the metal on his body. He wouldn't need it, unless someone attacked Nem'ro with the intent to kill. With how emotional the Sith would be, that should be simple to ascertain.

@Sreeya @Malon @Orbit @Nefieslab

 

[Siris Drast]

Siris was in the med bay of Nem'ro's ship, Seyfer examining his left arm after Siris' hasty bandaging of it on the streets of Ryloth. Besides that major wound, he wasn't too seriously injured despite a couple of gashes and cuts along his body from the building collapsing and some of the debris striking him. The droid continued it's work, carefully cleaning out the wound before applying the kolto and expertly wrapping it. Siris glanced at his arm before lifting it up and down, testing out its movement as the droid waited to see what his reaction was. He was livid as well despite the Hutts helping him in order to maintain their alliance, the whole situation with Parvis leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

Siris knew Alais was coming, having received the message even after he deleted it. As a reward for helping tend his wounds, Siris clarified what actually happened on Ryloth to Alais but that didn't hold down her anger one bit. Siris knew how his wife was, having been the target of her anger more than once and she wasn't something you wanted to stand in front of when she was mad. But that's when he felt it, her presence suddenly appearing in the atmosphere as his eyes instantly trained towards the direction of her. That's when Seyfer confirmed it even though he didn't need to, letting him know Alais and Cregan had arrived on the bridge. He wasn't expecting Cregan but he soon also felt his signature but he pushed it from his mind before standing up to his full height and rolling the shoulder of the injured arm.

Siris followed the droid through the ship, his jaw locked as they continued to walk before finally reaching the door to the bridge. He felt his wife on the other side and it had been a few months since the last time he had seen her. What a happy reunion it was, huh. When the doors slid open and he followed Seyfer through, the first thing he noticed was the immediate chill in the air as he could see multiple Hutt mercenaries shiver and bask at the sight of the Sith Empress. But Siris ignored every single one of them, his gaze immediately locking onto his wife. "Andraste," Siris murmured softly, reaching out with the force only to her so he could convey that he was indeed alive and well despite the throbbing pain in his arm. Her bloated stomach was even bigger now and it made Siris' heart flutter slightly, their child safe and alright. He could see Nem'ro was already starting to get a warm welcome, able to sense the force and see the massive slug's throat slowly start to constrict. Siris had wanted to do that personally after the whole ordeal with Parvis, but Alais doing it was a good enough replacement for him.

Despite Seyfer having helped him, Siris' hand slowly went to his saber that was still on his hip and rested it there. In case the droid wanted to interfere, he would quickly find Siris' blade near his throat and prevent him from stepping in.

 

[Nem'ro the Hutt]

Hutts had one advantage that never ceased to frustrate Jedi or Sith: their minds were impenetrable. Even if the Empress and her two lackeys combined their powers here, on this bridge, they would exhaust themselves before the Force ever prided a single secret from Nem'ro's mind. But the Force's physical aspects? They were still venerable to that. A fact that Nem'ro was presently being reminded of as he felt an iron vice close around his bloated windpipe.

He had heard of this trick before, and it never ceased to amaze him. She wanted answers, yet she cut him off from his ability to adequately do so. His arms were too tiny to reach his throat, not that it would alleviate him in any way, so, as he struggled for air, his eyes wide and bulbous, drool leaking out the side of his mouth, he also struggled to give her the explanation she had requested.

"...not... on... orders. Went... rogue!" he squeaked. Beside him, the Force-sensitive Taltori, who had previously acted as Colimma's security, tensed at the sight of Siris reaching for his saber, but did nothing. He would only act if needed. "Investigation... proved... he took... advantage... of... enemy attack... ambushed Siris. Not sure... made... him snap. Could have... Blythe's death..."

That incoherent babble was all he could manage at the moment. But Seyfer, who had no throat to constrict, could likely convey it better, given the situation. For now, though, Nem'ro stopped speaking and focused on gulping down as much air as he could. Oddly enough, his only thought was that, despite the situation, he had to admire how alike the two of them were. She had those two powerful men beside her chasing after her like akk dogs with their tongues hanging out. They both had powerful people at their beck and call, because they were both ruthless in their own way. She just had an invisible power and a temper that made it worse... and kriff her for that. @Sreeya @Insalius

 

[Darth Evandrus]

Siris seemed to be fine and the worst thing that had to deal with right now was the stench of Nem'ro. The living droid introduced Siris back to them and Cregan's eyes snapped to the droid with a piercing stare... living droids like Ark were rare and to see another one here, serving Nem'ro, was something that Cregan hasn't expected.

Considering the droid was like nothing to them in the Force, Cregan would keep his mouth shut for now but he kept his senses alert for any kind of movement from the droid. Though he might not be able to sense the droid he would be able to sense the atmosphere around it to see if it made any sudden movements.

"Siris." He nodded to the other Sith and Drast husband, eyes narrowed as he split his focus between the droid and the bodyguard, "You knew the attacker, didn't you? How likely is it that the man would have acted without the aegis of his superiors? That this was a case of the man going rogue?"

After all, anything that Nem'ro said would be to save his own skin and anything that Seyfer said would be to protect his boss. But Siris? The man had experience with the attacker and he wouldn't be sugar coating it just to save themselves like the others were.

While he was speaking he was channelling the Force to himself, readying himself to crush the bodyguard and draw his lightsaber if he needed to defend his heavily pregnant wife. He refused, after all, to allow anyone here the chance to betray them again.

 

[Christopher Harlow]

And this was getting boring now, thanks to how predictable the Sith were being. As he'd expected, they were here to threaten, not kill, which is why Seyfer didn't draw his lightsaber. He stood there, arms still crossed, face still stoic, about to speak in a neutral tone to deliver the facts. "Parvis wasn't 'our' man, he was Blythe's. She brought her own personnel without informing us. As I told Lord Siris, if I had any knowledge of prior bad blood between Parvis and him not only would I have not included him on this mission but I would have dealt with him myself. This alliance is too valuable to let an insignificant speck to risk it, but unfortunately that wasn't within our control. I'd guide you to the late Blythe, but from what I understand she turned into so many meaty bits."

In the time since the battle, Seyfer had ordered a variety of actions to have taken place in order to find out what had happened. As a Tactician he thought outside the box, having what remains that were able to be found rounded up and analyzed. He'd thought perhaps spice of some kind had been involved, yet an interesting fact may have come to light. "Blythe was obviously pregnant by her form, when she entered the battlefield. I did NOT recommend her participation, but I didn't have the ability to stop her. She was...headstrong. When we recovered what was left of her and Parvis after the battle I had tests done to see if perhaps some kind of spice or drug were the culprit. The drug result didn't find anything. Current, anyway. The DNA test was more interesting. In the rushed test we did, which we would need more time to be more sure, but it looks like the child Blythe had been carrying belonged to Parvis."

Seyfer gave a small sigh before continuing. "From this, I can infer any number of things. From the details of Blythe's will, all of her assets are to be turned over to Siris in the case of her death. She must have had some kind of falling out with Parvis before this, meaning there was already strained tensions and it gave Parvis a motive for his actions. She probably brought him along to keep an eye on him, so that he didn't do anything sabotage or steal her business while she participated in the battle. Unfortunately, a battlefield isn't something that you can always navigate safely. She died, and perhaps a combination of seeing not only his boss but his child die in front of him, knowing that Siris was now the owner of everything else he had in the world, caused him to snap. The second I saw what was happening I hurried down as quick as I could. Luckily I was able to make it in time. Parvis is dead, Siris will make a full recovery. I intend to go through the men once Ryloth has settled to peel out any more dissidents in our ranks. The lives of these men, as I said, are not worth this alliance." Not having been privy to the details, Seyfer had to fit in the blanks with what seemed logical. There was a chance he was wrong, of course, especially since he was not only dealing with organics but emotional ones as well. It was all he had, though, and it WAS true that neither Nem'ro nor Seyfer had been involved with bringing Parvis along. That had all been on Blythe. If she hadn't died, she'd have had a lot to answer for.

@Malon @Andraste @Nefieslab @Orbit

 

[Andraste]

Andraste let Nem’ro choke out his words, her grip on him growing only tighter. Though he was massive in size compared to her, he was being slowly elevated into the air, the Force making him sputter and choke. She could see a little pool of slime left behind as he hovered a few feet above the ground, his stubby little arms wiggling and attempting to reach for his throat. It was a disgusting display, and at the same time, oddly satisfying.

She heard others join the bridge and her eyes flashed briefly only when she heard Siris speak. Andraste could see he was injured, and the sight made her jaw tighten, her grip on the Hutt becoming more painful. That was when the strange half droid began to speak. Andraste kept her gaze on Nem’ro as he did so, calmly explaining the entire situation. When he mentioned Blythe being pregnant, Andraste’s eyes flashed over to Siris again. For a brief moment, a whole new spark of rage went through her. She knew Siris had been spending a lot of time with the Toasted Twi’lek’s owner, but was it possible…Thankfully Seyfer clarified things a moment later.

Andraste’s grip on Nem’ro loosened, and he would plop to the ground with a loud, squishy thud. She narrowed her eyes at the Hutt, “I don’t care who Parvis ‘technically’ reported to. This was your operation and you were in overall command. This means you didn’t have control of everyone out on the field under you. This kind of action jeopardizes an alliance both sides have worked very hard to build.”

She closed her eyes and slowly breathed out, finally calming down before opening them again, “I know what your ambitions are, slug. It is in your best interest to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. Expect me to keep a closer watch on you. And I’ll be especially involved when you set your sights on Svallos.”

@Malon @Insalius @Orbit @Nefieslab

 

[Nem'ro the Hutt]

Nem'ro's throat was terribly sore when he was finally released. He gurgled a bit as he tried to to fill his massive lungs with enough air to recover. And when he was done, he turned his cat-like eyes on Andraste. His tone was weak as he spoke, but he managed to regain his voice enough to say, "Your anger is justified, my lady, and forgive me, but do remember who it is you made an alliance with when you put Svallos in power—not trained soldiers or—" He resisted looking at the two men on either side of her "—obedient dogs. The Hutt Cartel is composed of mercenaries, bounty hunters, and the other sludge of society. Their loyalty is to credits, not to some arbitrary deal made between kingpins they've never met. Mercenaries are notoriously vengeful, as your... husband just discovered."

He patted the part of his bulbous neck where she had choked him. He was almost certain he was going to need a neckbrace after this. His skin was oily from sweat. Drool was pouring out the side of his gaping maw. She knew what he wanted, or so she said. But did she really? Perhaps it was time to let her know. He coughed a few times, then continued, "I can only do so much in my position, my lady. Once the Hutts were a glorious empire, and those who served under us were much more... obedient. The Supreme Mogul you removed from power changed that, and the one you helped into power has only allowed the degeneration of our society to continue." Now, he was, at least, somewhat recovered. He drew himself back up. "The truth is, I cannot ensure anything like this will happen again, because the Hutt Cartel is composed of gangs with their kingpins, some which fall outside of my control as the head of the Besadii kajidic. But... once I am in a more favorable position, I will ensure a more structured approach to things, if you catch my meaning."

He was sure she was smart enough to catch his meaning. The Hutt Cartel, as it was, was not a state. It was a collection of criminal families and clans. If she genuinely expected all of them to fall in line just because she secured the power of the Mogul, then she hadn't learned how criminals worked yet. But... somehow, Nem'ro suspected that wasn't the case. She hinted that she knew he was gunning for Svallos, and that meant she had to know that Svallos was becoming a liability. All the better for him, he supposed.

"In the meantime, rest assured: Seyfer and I will ensure that none of the people in our gang repeat Parvis's mistakes—they will know the consequences if they do." He paused a moment, then added, "I look forward to continued mutually beneficial business between our two great empires moving forward." @Sreeya

 

[Darth Evandrus]

Obedient dogs?

Did the Hutt truly think that now was the best time to test them? Now when their emotions were running high and they could feel completely justified in attacking? Well, the Hutt was either braver or stupider than he thought then. Maybe it was something that came from always been assured that you were at the top of the 'food chain' as it were... this inability to keep their mouths shut when they really should.

Did... did he hear this correctly?

Nem'ro was angling for a karking promotion out of this? Out of this utterly failure on his part? Cregan narrowed his eyes at the Hutt but otherwise didn't react. Instead he just pushed the anger down inside for the moment and looked between Seyfer and Nem'ro... they both made him sick to think about.

They thought of nothing but their own advancement and that blind ambition sickened him.

But it was not his decision to make - the Empress of the Sith would decide their fates and he turned to her slightly so that he would be able to see her command.

If she commanded it, they would die.

If she commanded it, they would live to continue being the wretched filth they were.

 

[Christopher Harlow]

Seyfer could see Cregan bristle at Nem'ro's comments. It wasn't something a normal person would notice, only one who had an intimate knowledge of him. Oh, after all that had happened, especially with the Jedi, NOW he got offended? Of course it would be over something like this, too. He realized now that he had only seen Cregan through the lens of youth and foolishness, allowing his emotions to overcome him to create a night full of passion. That was the human's trick, it seemed. Enough charisma to get people to believe in him, but not nearly enough leadership skills to let him keep them. When he couldn't charm his way out of whatever he was doing he would fight, and even then only until he got bored with whatever cause he was working for at the time. The only thing he seemed truly loyal to was Andraste, his wife. He probably viewed it differently, but the man was one of the most selfish in the galaxy. It sickened Seyfer now to even think they had been together. He never meant anything to the man, just as now the man didn't mean anything to him.

As for Andraste? Again, exactly as expected. She tried to put on a charming face to the people she wanted to serve under her, but the second something happened that she didn't approve of all the glamour just went out the window. Seyfer wasn't afraid of her, not because he thought he could take her on but because if she chose to kill him there wasn't anything he'd be able to do. He knew she was more powerful than him. He didn't have time to waist on useless fear, nor on pointless posturing at pretending to be sorry for a problem he didn't cause. He'd apologized enough to Siris already as it was, the incident was over, it was time to move on. Her seeming inability to do so, to keep trying to find a way to make it Nem'ro's problem even though she knew it wasn't just went to show what her true character was: incredibly lacking, in Seyfer's mind. Oh well, at the very least this reaffirmed suspicions that he had about her. She was emotional, a slave to them, in fact, and while in her case it gave her power, it also made her predictable.

He really wished they would just get this over with now. Already part of his mind was working on the next steps of their plans, considering what planets they would work to take over next and what resources they would need for future expansions. Already he was redesigning Nem'ro's old palace in his head to turn it into a military academy, that way they could train their own dependable stock of officers. No more of this mercenary or bounty hunter bullshit, like what had cause today's little meeting to kick off. If he could have yawned he would have, yet throughout it all he was just silent, waiting for the next words to be said. Hopefully those would would be "We're leaving", then these three would be off his ship. Then he could get to actual work