Ask Korriban Fork in the Road

[Darth Trelain]

Per my new OP template, thread is death enabled​

Things had become untenable. Trelain had been working primarily behind the scenes of this war so far, but the simple fact of the matter was that it was a disaster. While Trelain certainly didn't stand opposed to war and the strength it could bring to the survivors, blindly flailing in the dark as the Empress had done was foolish. The Empress was foolish.

Although it wasn't public knowledge yet to the rest of the galaxy or the Empire, Darth Trelain's spies told her that Draugr was going to be... indisposed for an extended period of time, which left only Trelain to rein in the madness of the Empire. Or render another fate on it.

Things had reached a boiling point, and she no longer had the luxury of slowly waiting and building on the relationships she had begun with two of the most prominent up-and-coming individuals in the Empire today. She had asked them both to meet with her in person despite the war going on because she didn't trust what was about to be said on any communication device no matter how encrypted.

This meeting was going to go one of three ways, and the worst version had her fighting her way out of the building to a ship that was already on standby. That was unlikely, though, and if she thought that was going to happen, she wouldn't have called this meeting at all.

The time was coming for - at the least - a change in Darth Trelain's life, and at most, a shift in an entire governmental body.

@Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri knew that their situation had gone from bad to worse. Seemingly by the hour, reports continued to filter in through Imperial Intelligence - underscoring the multitude of failures and defeats that the Empire was suffering. Tiamat’s defection, and the loss of the Hypergates, was only the most recent loss, and had the potential to be the most devastating for the Imperial Navy. It was no secret that the Empress had gravely underestimated the ISC, and the rest of Imperial leadership had squandered nearly every resource at their disposal.

The writing was clear on the wall, and despite her efforts to strike back against the Consortium, Vahliri had already begun to look into contingencies should the worst come to pass.

She wasn’t entirely surprised by the summons from Darth Trelain, and didn’t waste time before making the journey to Korriban. The ISB Warden had consistently proved to be one of the only effective leaders within the Empire - certainly on the Council - and Altair had the support of a growing number of Imperials and Sith alike. If there was any chance of salvaging the situation, Vahliri knew they needed to work in tandem with each other - and it meant putting their own, personal issues aside.

The half-Annfyn marched through the durasteel doors and into the office - amber eyes flicking between the two individuals already waiting. She was adorned in her signature red-and-black robes, black hair left to flow in loose waves and ringlets down to the small of her back. A pair of lightsabers hung at her belt, swaying with each step she took.

“Lady Trelain,” She said, nodding towards the Darth behind the table. “Altair,” Her gaze flicked over to Altair, a bit of sadness bleeding into her gaze - if only for a moment. She didn’t allow it to linger, and instead turned her attention right back to their host.

She folded her arms over her chest. “I take it Lord Draugr won’t be joining us.” Of course, Vahliri had no idea what had ultimately become of the Zabrak Sith, and only noted that the Councilor wasn’t present for their important discussion.

@Sreeya @Phoenix

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was dressed in his crisp Imperial officer’s uniform when he strode into the chambers. He had expected this summon, mainly because he figured Trelain would grill him left and right for his losses in the South. At this point, he was prepared to face whatever wrath she wanted to unleash. He was growing more and more disenchanted with the war, the feeling of hopelessness hanging heavily on his shoulders. Morale was low all around as Thorne dealt one blow after another, his networks running wide and his pockets deep.

The exhaustion was clear on his face, and he began to sport a bit of stubble when he normally kept his face clean shaven. Altair gave Trelain a formal bow, noting that Vahliri, as usual, considered herself above customary greetings, “Queen Vahliri” He said to Vahliri with a respectful tilt of his head. If there was any sadness in him, it didn’t manifest externally.

Altair returned his gaze to Trelain, bristling a bit at the mention of Draugr. The Sith Lord had gone missing in Hutt space doing Force knew what. Had they been abandoned in their critical hour of need just like with Tiamat?

@Phoenix @Altaris

 

[Darth Trelain]

Darth Trelain wasn't accustomed to being nervous because she rarely approached a situation where the variables were unknown to her, and when she did, she planned for every contingency. Despite having planned for a plethora of outcomes here, she still wasn't certain what the outcome of this meeting would be, and she didn't like it.

As the two arrived in her office, she could sense tension in the air that wasn't just the frayed nerves of the lost war, though that had to have contributed. No, there was something more between the two, but frankly, she didn't have the time to deal with that right now.

No, Draugr won't be joining anyone anymore. It hasn't hit holonet yet, but my spies report that Draugr was either captured or killed during a meeting in Hutt space. I don't know which, and at this point he's out of the picture either way, she said. One more ranking person lost from the Empire. Perhaps Anaris had done a better job of purging the Sith than Trelain could have imagined. She didn't let them digest the information for long before plowing forward. She had a lot to cover and quickly.

Which leaves the Empire directed by only myself and the lunatic and fool Anaris, she said, and if that didn't set the tone for the entire rest of the conversation, nothing would. This was a meeting about treason, though such a word was childish and unbefitting of Sith. There was no such thing as "treason" in the Sith, and the fact that so many believed in it now was only further condemnation of what the Empire had begun.

I'll be perfectly candid, this war was lost the moment Anaris decided to attack Corellia without the proper supplies, preparation, manpower, or even notifying her Council before doing it. This war could have gone very differently, but it would have required months of preparation not a foolhardy attack on a sleeping rancor, she said, cutting herself off before she went on too much of an angry tirade. The honeyed words and smooth talk that they had experienced in their prior meetings with her was far gone now and replaced with eyes that flashed with anger and a glimpse of just how dangerous she could be.

I think both of you are smart enough to figure out that this war is already lost. We're outmanned and outmaneuvered on every front. Anaris has destroyed the Empire, and she deserves to die for that. So I'm going to kill her, she stated, letting the words hang in the air for just a moment.

After I do, one of two things will happen. Either I will vanish from the galaxy and work to preserve the Sith Order so it can be rebuilt when all the ash settles. With no clear successor, Moffs, Admirals, Generals, and Masters will seize whatever they can and the Empire will crack under the infighting and outright shatter under the ISC assault, she said. It painted a grim picture of the future, but it was one that anyone with a brain could see coming. Unfortunately, many Imperials lacked brains, but that was why they weren't in this room.

The second option is that we replace Anaris with a Triumvirate, she said.

The title of "Empress" is an empty platitude when there is no Empire, so I would take the title of Sith Overlord, she said, it was a traditional title that hadn't been used by the Sith for many, many generations.

The two of you would act as my right and left hands. No Imperial Council no Empress, no Dark Lord as it has existed, only the three of us. Vahliri, you would take the title of Dark Lord of the Sith and would be the spiritual head of the Sith Order, managing everything within it as you see fit. Altair, you would take the title of Warmaster and be Vahliri's equal and counterpart of the military with full reign over the other Generals and Admirals to direct the war as you see fit, she said. Those who had studied their history would know that Trelain's idea was derived from the days of the Sith Brotherhood when they had used a structure not so different during their rise to become an Empire.

This proposal, however, doesn't work without all three of us. None of us alone have the power, influence, or resources to do it alone, she said. She hadn't promised them a win because that would have simply been a lie, but sometimes survival and the hope to fight another day could be almost as powerful.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t keep the shock off her expression when Trelain revealed Draugr’s fate. What the fuck had happened in Hutt Space? The half-Annfyn’s jaw went slack for a split moment, only to grow tense once again - anger roiling deep within her. Even if they didn’t have confirmation of it, she could already guess that the Councilor wasn’t dead, knowing the Hutt Clans to be anything but wasteful. No. Draugr would he auctioned off like prized livestock to the highest bidder - to be paraded around to make a statement, and to be interrogated for information. Everyone knew who the highest bidder was.

“Fucking idiot,” She growled, her fingers flexing and causing the leather of her gloves to crinkle. She felt that pulse of rage that manifested through the Force, and released it with a simple exhale through her nostrils. Draugr needed to die as quickly as possible - as he was nothing but a liability, in the present moment. If they were lucky, the Consortium or whoever else would do the deed before anything vital was tortured out of the Zabrak.

Of course, the half-Annfyn drew silence when Trelain continued - going on to state the obvious reality that the war was already lost. Vahliri had seen the writing on the wall, and knew that Emryc Thorne wouldn’t stop until the entirety of their government was in shambles. All that could be done now was to salvage what remained, and ensure their survival through the conflict if possible. What Vahliri didn’t expect, was for Trelain to reveal her plans going forward.

She didn’t seem the slightest bit perturbed by Anaris’ impending death - her expression not shifting whatsoever. Even still.. The half-Annfyn was shocked by Trelain’s suggestion of a Triumvirate. It was similar to how the Sith had operated in the past, and had proven to be an effective model of governance for hundreds of years. It allowed the half-Annfyn - for all three of them - to rise above their peers. All three of them commanded their respective powerbases and had support within the Empire, perhaps all of them capable of holding it together. But that didn’t mean Vahliri didn’t have her reservations.

Her gaze briefly flicked between the two of them. As expected, Vahliri didn’t trust Trelain to pursue anything other than her own ambitions and Sith ideals - which made the Councilor a questionable ally and leader at best. As for Altair? A part of the half-Annfyn would always trust the Tiefling, and she still held onto more loyalty to him than either he or Trelain realized.

But Vahliri also knew of Altair’s pro-Imperial sympathies, and there wasn’t a better time to strike out against the Sith than in that moment. It was precisely what President Thorne had encouraged Imperials to do, and the Tiefling had the support to rally them if he chose. Though she'd never mention it, Vahliri already began to consider her own contingencies if it all fell apart.

“This is our only chance of survival,” She said after a long moment, exhaling through her nostrils. “The Empire will shatter into a dozen rival states, and the Consortium won’t be keen to allow any of them to succeed beyond destroying each other.” She drummed her fingers against her bicep, glancing between Trelain and Altair. “Seamless transition will be the only way to ensure infighting is kept to a minimum.” Her mind immediately went to anyone who would challenge Trelain for the title of Sith Overlord, or herself for the seat of Dark Lord.

“Even if we all agree to this, here in this room,” Vahliri continued, “It will mean nothing if we don’t survive this war. Pinning the conflict on the Empress will be difficult - and the Consortium won’t stop until we are exterminated - dissolved, or crushed beneath crippling reparations and concessions in the event of peace terms."

Her gaze flicked to Altair. "You understand the warfront better than anyone in this room. Do you see any feasible route out of this conflict?"

@Sreeya @Phoenix

 

[Altair Din]

Altair’s face didn’t betray any shock as Trelain laid out everything for them. Surprisingly enough, this was actually the second time someone suggested he become an overall leader of some sort. As he stood there, hearing the concerns and seeing Vahliri look at him, it began to dawn on him just how many cards he held. He was effectively the most powerful person in the room right now, and arguably the most powerful man in the empire. Altair really could just take it, couldn’t he? He could make that bid for Emperor and usher in a new regime. And people would back him. The two women before him severely lacked one critical element he possessed - genuine loyalty. He wondered if they realized that the way he did. Surely Trelain did at least, which is why she wanted to keep him on a leash.

The tiefling looked at Vahliri when she asked her question. His path was the extermination of the Sith. Trelain’s proposal was really placing herself in a position to pull the strings and for Vahliri to be the attack dog. His role would be to bow to them both and carry out their wills with his armies - the armies that day by day grew more disillusioned with Sith. It didn’t matter how she presented it, that’s how it always operated. Imperials under the boot of the Sith.

He briefly envisioned the glorious image of delivering both Anaris and Trelain’s heads in a gift wrapped box to Emryc Thorne. That was how he could ensure the survival of the Empire. He looked at Vahliri. There was still that subtle part of him, buried deep underneath, that would struggle to smash that beautiful face in. Was it that elusive love he had been evading and denying for years? Who even cared anymore. She chose her path and he chose his. When she looked at him, she would see a cold and calculating demon. Not that goofy boy she met on Indupar.

The tiefling gave a nod of his head, “I do not,” He said, turning his head to face Trelain. His visage was impossible to read - thanks to skills she herself had taught him. He would say whatever he needed in order to walk out of this room alive, “You have my support, Lady Trelain.”

Altair would burn them. He would ignite them and he would stand right there in the middle of it because he knew the flames couldn’t touch him.

Music​

@Phoenix @Altaris