Freedom Is Slavery

[Ilyra Visz]

She was under strict orders from her elder brother and those instructions were very clear; she was to follow the commands of the Emperor to the letter.

This may very well be her mission to get Serenno back within the Empire but the entirety of the Empire was the Emperor's to operate as he saw fit and he saw fit to take command of this mission. Though, considering that this was the final mission, where they were here to push the Countess into swearing her loyalty?

Well it would have been infinitely harder to accomplish this mission by herself or with only some Crusaders or Acolytes to back her up. Instead she had the Emperor of the Sith Empire working with her on this mission.

Or she was working for him directly on this mission.

The terminology was not important in the end - what was important was keeping an eye on their six. Ilyra looked around the area again as she held her hand on her lightsaber. She was using the Force to actively seek out threats as she waited for the Emperor to arrived at the door to the Countess' throne room.

She bowed to the Emperor when he approached, opening the door as she did so.

"Perimeter is secure, my Lord." She reported to him before she would fall into step behind him, "She awaits your address."

Despite speaking, Ilyra was still actively searching for anything that might cause this meeting to go sideways.

She hated to think about what her brother, her Master, would do to her should something slip by her to endanger the Emperor.

@Phoenix @Shax

 

[Varyn Rask]

There were many worlds that had seceded from the Empire after the death, disappearance, and shaming of some of the former Emperors. Of those worlds that had left, Serenno was one that Varyn found most upsetting. He was an avid historian, and the loss of a world that had played such a major role in the shaping and formation of the Empire - even if it was 5+ generations ago - was not something he was happy about. The planet was not going to stay lost on his watch.

He had already authorized operations to bring the planet back into the fold, and being such an important world, this was precisely the type of job that an Emperor was suited for. Oh for the days of hacking and slashing his way through the enemies of the Empire. Now it seemed all he did was political outreach and governing the movements of others. Such was his life, though, and it was a high honor. He had to remind himself of that frequently, and perhaps shove a few more of the administrative aspects to others.

His ship set down on a landing pad on Serenno, and the Sith Lord rose, making his way down the exit ramp. The trip in had not been widely advertised as he had no desire to put a target on his back, and even now he wore only his regular equipment. Simple Sith robes weren't flashy, but decadence and splendor hadn't been what Varyn was raised in. The robes were respectable and clean if not the most eye catching.

He quickly saw the Acolyte who was heading up this particular venture. She must have been ambitious, for still young in the Order and she had already moved to put an important world back into the Empire. Varyn took note of this, and filed it away in the back of his mind as a potential person who would rise in power. Someone whose career he should watch.

Very good, he said as she gave her brief report about the perimeter. He let his mind sink into the Force as he walked, taking in the many spider web-like tendrils that weaved their way through the palace in order to gain a better understanding of the lay of the land.

He entered the throne room of the Countess and his eyes flitted to the guards throughout the room. His own were in the vicinity, but they wouldn't be needed. Merely a formality as this wasn't to break out in violence. That would be a pointless waste.

Countess, thank you for having me, he said, doing his best to play the part of the politician and remember what little of it he had learned in the Imperial Republica. They weren't lessons he'd learned well... @Shax @Nefieslab

 

[The Storyteller]

The day was not going well for Countess Seranilia Dooku. Already, her servants had made poor plans to receive the illustrious Emperor of the... Empire, In what was supposedly a meeting to discuss the reintegration of her glorious planet of Serenno back into the recently less than glorious Empire.

Problem was, Serenno had only recently left the Empire, and it would require something pretty convincing to make not only Seranilia agree to reintegration, but the rest of the great houses as well. It would have to be a deal everyone could agree with and would be mutually beneficial for all.

The Count who had actually brought Serenno into secession from the Empire -Her direct predecessor, the Count Rigismund Comprassi- had quite recently fallen victim of death. Supposedly know one knew what had caused his untimely demise, except for the new Countess. Because it was her. She killed him for his spot, and now she was saddled with dealing with the fallout of his decisions.

But that was neither here nor there. At the moment, she was about to receive the leader of a very powerful state. A man she shouldn't trifle with. And she most certainly shouldn't let her own pride get in the way of what was best for her people, despite how much it would be satisfying to put the arrogant Sith in his place. There was after all, no place better than Serenno.

So, when the agents of Empire strode in, she stood from her throne with an imperious gaze, and nodded as one would when addressing a peer. As if putting herself on par with the Sith lord who had just spoken to her. "The pleasure is mine, Emperor Rask." She turned her gaze to the young woman at the intimidating mans side, "And who is this?" She asked, looking down her nose at the girl.

@Phoenix @Nefieslab

 

[Ilyra Visz]

Ilyra had to admit that the Emperor had a presence about him that went far beyond just his power. His power was greater than hers as was to be expected but there was a gravitas to him that came from something that went beyond just simple levels of power with the Dark Side.

She fell into step behind him without a word.

The way the countess addressed the Emperor was far too casual for her liking... but she said nothing for now. Ilyra wasn't someone to speak out of turn, not after she had taken some training under her brother. If her brother wouldn't tolerate her speaking out of turn then he doubted that the Emperor or the Countess would tolerate it either.

Still, she came to a stop slightly behind the Emperor on his left.

She bowed her head slightly to the Countess.

"Ilyra Visz, Acolyte of the Empire."

And architect of your assimilation into the Sith Empire... was something she thought about saying before immediately clamping down on the thought.

@Phoenix @Shax

 

[Varyn Rask]

Pluck, pluck, pluck. Each thought - and more specifically, emotion - caught a tendril of the Force. Even before becoming Emperor, the Sith had begun to learn the ways of reading tendrils of the Force that ran throughout the galaxy. Like tendrils in a spider's web, they alerted him to many things. Since his ascension, reading them had become all the more important. One could say that they were indispensable to him. He couldn't even imagine how others lived cut off from the Force.

There were many things that plucked at the strings as he entered, and he was alert to them all. He had done his homework on the dubious nature of the woman's ascension, and he wasn't above making her descent equally as dubious if necessary. Perhaps more than anything, though, her arrogance radiated like a beacon in the Force. It told him a great deal about how this meeting was likely to unfold, but Varyn wasn't going to back down. Nor was he here to grovel like a starving dog. The Empire had deserved to have faith lost in it, but that was the old Empire, this was a different regime, and they played by a different set of rules.

Her words and speech didn't seem to match up with the impressions he had in the Force, and that told him a great deal about this meeting as well. The political game, he told himself with an added curse. He didn't care for this, but he knew a thing or two about it nonetheless.

He motioned toward the Acolyte and she introduced herself. Varyn, too, considered what precisely to call her, as he wasn't going to be too brazen about the nature of the work she'd been doing here. There was still a chance to bring Serenno back into the fold peacefully.

She's been assisting me with bringing the diplomatic situation here to a conclusion we can both be happy with. As you know, Serenno's role within the Empire has always been a treasured one dating back to Andraste herself, he said. The world had always been a jewel in the Empire, and its secession, while understandable, was not something Varyn was interested in allowing to continue. The planet and the Empire had been allies for 500 years, and the former-Count had thrown that away. As the Empire could be a valuable protector, so, too, could it be a terrible enemy. But hopefully things would not come to that. Varyn earnestly would have rather avoided such unpleasantness. @Nefieslab @Shax

 

[The Storyteller]

The Countess didn't bow her head to the so called Ilyra Visz. As far as the woman was concerned, she could have been the Emperors personal pleasure slave for all that it mattered. She just couldn't see what she would be adding to the conversation, but she was interested in whatever plan it was the two Sith had in store.

As the Emperor spoke, the Countess made a slight gesture to her servants, instructing them to have refreshments brought in for what was likely to be a lengthy political conversation. She sat back down on her throne with her back straight, looking regal and refined, much like the room she was in.

The servants gently walked towards the guests, offering drinks and snack foods before exiting out the way they came. The Countess meanwhile, allowed herself to acknowledge the shared history the Empire and Serenno had shared. It was indeed extensive, and yet, the Empire couldn't really be called the same as it was back then. Hell, even their sovereign's dynasty had changed. No longer did the founding family hold power, so could this man, who could be called a usurper, really claim that his Empire was the one who Serenno owed its allegiance too?

"I do know of my homeworld's role within the Empire, little more than a Tithe world that you Sith fought over with no regard to her peoples wishes. The Empire was unified under Andraste, but I find it strange that you would use her name considering that as far as I am aware, you have no relation with the late Empress?" Despite the potential invalidity of her statements, that was the way she was spinning it.

 

[Ilyra Visz]

Ilyra hoped that the Countess was going to be a pain about this. She really hoped that she was going to try her best to 'resist' so that the Sith could reveal just how screwed the Countess really was. It was time for her to stop playing around and learn what the rest of the Galaxy would learn for the second time; it was better to bow than it was to allow the Sith Empire to view you as an enemy, an obstacle, in their path.

But she would stay quiet for now.

When the servants came calling she waved a hand to ward them away from herself. She doubted that the Emperor would partake either but she allowed him the chance to decline on her own.

At the blatant disrespect being thrown in the direction of the Emperor, Ilyra's emotions and connection to the Dark Side spiked. The Countess wouldn't notice anything except perhaps a chill in the air while the Emperor would feel that her comments were beginning to anger the acolyte on the emperor's behalf.

@Phoenix @Shax

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn's momentary spike of annoyance at the woman's, frankly, rude comments was gone a moment later. It would serve nothing in this conversation, and there was one very important piece to this puzzle: he was holding the cards.

He smiled slightly, though the smile was enough to send a cold chill down her spine. Almost more a barring of teeth than a smile, accompanied by darkness.

And because I bear no blood relation to the Empress I can't consider her my spiritual predecessor? Oh, but of course, blood makes a good ruler. You'd have rather dealt with Elix Drast? Or Lyanna Drast? Or perhaps Ozias Zameer-Drast, our late Emperor Vrael? he asked, letting the names of the three previous Emperors who had tried and failed to keep the Empire safe hang in the air. They were the ones that had caused the world to leave the Empire, and for her to assert that they were in some way superior because of a name clearly demonstrated her own foolishness.

Funny that you would scorn someone for not being a Drast, when it was the impotence of the Drasts that caused Serenno to leave the Empire, he said smoothly. Varyn had read the declaration made by the former Count, and he knew why they had left: the Count had made it clear in no uncertain terms that they left because they'd lost faith in the series of Emperors who had been exiled or killed.

Or perhaps I should be dealing with a Comprassi if leadership can only be passed on through blood? he asked, before waving a hand through the air as if to dismiss the thought. Count Comprassi, not a Count Dooku had been her predecessor.

But we both know that blood does not give one leadership ability, so there's no reason for either of us to treat the other like a child and belabor that point further, he said, the words a clear but not blatant accusation that if he were not fit to call the Empire his, she was not fit to call Serenno her kingdom. It was a pointless debate for her to bring up.

I've no interest in conducting this conversation with such petty jabs as you've opted to open this up with, so let us speak plainly as to what type of discussion this will be. I want the Empire to bring Serenno back into the fold, and you... what is it you want? he asked bluntly. He had never been a diplomat, but there was no arguing that he obtained results in what he did. Whether she wanted to bend of her own will or not, was entirely up to her. @Nefieslab @Shax

 

[The Storyteller]

The Countess narrowed her eyes at the Emperor, unhappy with his efficient ways of turning her argument against her. She realized damage control was in order, as while she might not necessarily want Serenno back within the fold of the Empire, she didn't want to anger the super-state either.

"I think you misunderstood my point, dear Emperor." She said, in a far more polite tone, intentionally not mentioning the last part of the Emperors statement. "The Empire under the Drast's in recent years has caused my people to want little to do with our former place within the Empire. Shared history over hundreds of years means little when only a few years of misrule can ruin it all. You claim to be better than the Drast's, and at the same time count yourself among them by claiming Andraste as your supposed spiritual ancestor." The Countess took a sip of water provided to her by a servant, giving her time to collect her thoughts.

"An Empire by its very definition is a monarchy, blood is the only thing that is important. Yet we have denounced the Drast Dynasty as unworthy, so we do not recognize their right to rule Serenno. So I must ask you, are you Varyn Rask? Founder of a new Empire? Or do you claim yourself the true successor to Andraste, and therefore Varyn Drast? Man of a family Serenno wants nothing to do with?" Monarchy was a complicated topic. The Empire was stranger still, with how the Sith ruled themselves. Serenno on the other had, was more of an aristocratic republic. As much as each count of each house might like to eventually rule as King over all of Serenno, they only held so much sway of the world, and were always kept in check by each other. The Countess Seranilia was merely the appointed face of the planet, while ostensibly the countess with the most power, she still answered to the other houses if her governance and choices were called into question.

"As for what I want?" There were plenty of things she wanted, to become the genuine queen of Serenno chief among them, but she wasn't going to ask for that. That would involve the elimination of the other great houses, but her people wouldn't stand for that. "I want to know what is going to change, what benefits does my planet receive for returning to the Empire?" The subtext of course, being 'what do I get?'

@Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn's eyes narrowed as well, much like a predator's would before striking. He didn't miss the derisive way she addressed him, and his patience was wearing thin. Whatever interest he'd had in being diplomatic was quickly wearing away. He wasn't a beggar coming to her door asking for scraps, he was the head of what was still the most powerful single organization in the galaxy, and he didn't have to put up with her demeaning behavior.

Let me just stop you there, he said, outright interrupting the woman in the middle of her sentence. The entire room seemed to darken and chill at the same time. His voice was now ice cold as well.

You were being tested, and you just failed, he stated, and there was no doubt from his voice that that was in question. That was your opportunity to enter the Empire willingly and of your own accord. You chose to take your arrogance, so now you get to deal with Acolyte Visz, he said, motioning to the woman who had come with him.

You see, your choice in the matter just ended. Or else I'll be dealing with your successor, won't I, Acolyte Visz? he said, letting her detail exactly what had been done to Serenno to completely destabilize the Countess's reign.

He glanced around the room at the guards the Countess had, and knew that his own were at the ready in case this went poorly. His mind was already tugging at the saber on his belt, but it hadn't moved an inch yet. There didn't need to be bloodshed, but the Empire wouldn't put up with insolence. @Nefieslab

 

[Ilyra Visz]

Either this countess had brass balls smuggled under her skirts or she seemed to think she was in a much better position than she actually was in. It was both amusing and rather striking to watch and when the Emperor decided that he was going to speak it was clear that the royal was not amused.

And now it was her turn.

Bowing her head to her Emperor, Ilyra took a step forwards to address the Countess and she showed no such deference to the leader of Serenno. Instead she stared her right in the eyes and smoke clearly.

"Countess, the Empire has already engaged in the deadly dance of politics without you being present." She declared firmly, arms folded behind her back at attention, "We have supporters within the local nobility. And, as of 0600 hours this morning, our strike teams have made certain that your military is, quite literally, in our hands."

Reaching into her uniform, Ilyra removed a datapad and pulled up a video showing the dead bodies of the chiefs of staff for the military of Serenno, all of them cut down by the Sith. The picture moved, showing officers less senior now under heavy Sith guard. Ilyra floated the datapad over with the Force for the Countess to see for herself.

"In summary?"

She was enjoying this.

"We have allies within your court who can replace you. We have cut the head off of your military and hold it's future in our hands. In short, Countess, you would do well to accept any offer that Our Emperor is kind enough to put forward."

@Phoenix @Shax

 

[The Storyteller]

The Countess did not like being interrupted, that much was clear from the indignant expression plastered on her face, which didn't go away until the girl started talking. She held her tongue, because she of course wouldn't be so rude as to interrupt someone when they were speaking! She was merely trying to illustrate her point so that the Emperor could see why she was reluctant to re-enter the Empire!

Her thoughts quieted down when the girl started speaking, she watched the video on the girl's datapad, while the carefully schooled expressions of her face were forgotten, leaving only raw emotion. Her expression started of course with outrage, then sadness, and then resignation.

She had known those people well those that had died. All of them had families who would never see them again. She knew she couldn't resist the Empire should it launch an invasion without those military geniuses who were either captured, dead, or turncoats. She knew she would never have won to begin with, but she could have made the Empire bleed for every inch of ground they took. She hoped it wouldn't have come to that, but it seemed that hoping for any semblance of decency from Sith was a foolish endeavor to begin with. Best she could do now is try and salvage the situation.

Though it seemed her fears were justified. The Empire hadn't changed at all.

With an impotent and saddened expression that he is unable to hide, the Countess took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Emperor Rask," She began, intentionally ignoring the girl, though still shooting her a murderous glare. She may not be able to get to the Emperor, but she most certainly can get to a lowly Sith acolyte. "I would like to request formal annexation of Serenno into the Empire, and mercy for myself and my people."

@Nefieslab @Phoenix

 

[Varyn Rask]

Varyn fixed the woman with a hard stare, knowing he had wounded her pride, but more importantly he had struck fear in her. Fear for those she knew who were dead or in danger, and even fear for herself. He drank it in, but didn't flinch. There wasn't a hint of remorse in his actions, and his face betrayed nothing. He left her to think on what was said, and didn't press her. She had only two options, and politicians were rarely suicidal, which left only one real choice.

You request is granted, he said. In truth the majority of the people on Serenno weren't in danger, because Varyn had little desire to murder civilians. On the other hand, the life of the Countess was in a very precarious situation, and Varyn wouldn't put it out of the question that she may one day disappear still.

I'll be watching your career with great interest, Countess, but I don't hold you responsible for the traitorous actions of your predecessor, he said, though the message was clear. He would be watching her, and one step out of line would lead to a mysterious death by natural causes. It was also something to note that he didn't hold her responsible for her predecessor's actions, just as Varyn was not responsible for the impotence of those who came before him.

In time, she would accept the Imperial rule more readily. Some things about the Empire hadn't and wouldn't ever change, but some things had. She would see those in time, but the Emperor wasn't going to sit here and explain them to her. Times were changing, and Serenno would change with them.

//Thread @Shax @Nefieslab