Lucky Red Ruby: 5

[Hakon Tenau]

​

Location: Sarka Capital City
Time: Afternoon
Participants: @Darasuum as @Hakon Tenau , @Faded Truth as @Alexandra Marris , @Xorism, @Nefieslab as DM.
Theme: Revolution <> Dr. John

Power was the ability to get what the user wanted. Some people thought it was from by singular means but Hakon was far from such simplistic thinking. Money was one, but there were those that were fanatical that could not be swayed by greed. Religion was not all powerful, there was the power of simple strength and prowess that could overcome even the most devout of faiths. None of these were the ultimate powers though. That was why the Sith utilized all of them and would make him far more effective for this mission than a simple minded brute.

He had grown up in the lap of luxury, in the houses of nobility on Onderon. He had astute knowledge of how to conduct ones self with etiquette. Choosing to pursue a life of medical interest he had graduate top of his class thus making him a scholar. His docterate in cybernetic engineering was a testament to that. Then his experience among the mandalorian mercenaries, eventually becoming one of them made him a warrior, capable of defeating his enemies mercilessly. Then there was the Sith, he had expanded on every single one of his previous facets of life in the Empire. Now he was open to so much more.

Hakon disembarked the shuttle, his helmet still worn as part of his armor. The darkness of it in the hot overcaste sky made him feel rather warm but he had felt more discomfort. Soon they would be in side in temperature controlled. However the Sarkans that inhabited the planet preferred heat. Either way he had come with intent to be diplomatic. Violence was a last resort for him. He had some pride and wanted to prove he could get what he wanted without violence. Not that he had a problem with killing, maiming or burning his enemies.

He was accompanied by someone he had not met before now. He hoped she would not hinder his own attempts at this diplomacy. He did not trust anyone and this woman was a simple acquaintance at best. Still she was better than the Queen and her court.

 

[Alexandra Marris]

This was quite the turn of events, though she'd be lying if she said she wasn't pleased with the outcomes. Ever since her arrival in Korriban several weeks ago, it appeared that her and her sister were delegated only to boring duties in the valley of the dark lords. An opportunity to travel the galaxy however and inflict her cruel passion on outsiders was never one to pass up on. It was the first time she had visited Sarka capital city. She kept to herself, her lithe figure shielded by the dark cloaks that she wore. Single crimson blade lightsaber slung at her waist as she slowly exited the shuttle next to her companion. The Sith Knight was someone she had never met before, though by judging by his force presence, he should hopefully prove to be a valuable associate on this assignment.

She remained in silence, walking alongside Hakon as the duo slowly entered into the Queen's royal court. A small bow was given alongside her usual wicked smile. A flash of beauty laced with carnal promise. "Greetings your grace, I am Lady Marris, representative of the Sith Empire. Thank you for extending your welcome to us.."

@Nefieslab @Darasuum

 

[The Storyteller]

Queen Gloriath was enjoying her pipe, bedecked in her regal purple robes as she so often was, with some of her fellow Sarkans speaking around her as she just stood by the balcony that opened up to a view of the interior of the mines. To Sarkans there was only one thing more beautiful to them than seeing a beautifully managed mine or cave system and that was some lovely, long-held, traditional being honoured.

The Sith who entered the court chamber would find her looking away from them with an elderly Sarkan male leaning heavily on a staff, her adviser Mado, speaking to the captain of her guard, Trandosh. There would usually be some guards around the edges of the room but this meeting wasn't usual - it was already against tradition for the Queen to be meeting with aliens who hadn't gone through preparation and training in their ways.

They were being more accommodating because of who they represented but still... the Sith here would have to mind themselves, unless they wanted the Queen of the Sarkans to decide that she would rather her people resisted all attempts by the Sith to gain from their planet.

Already there was tension in the room.

"Tell me Knight Marris..." Mado spoke softly, his voice very raspy with age, "Is it customary when meeting your Empress to declare yourself? Or is it customary to wait to be acknowledged by her royal person?"

Trandosh twitched, his hand hovering over a panic button that would call in the royal guard, a squad of six highly trained, heavily armoured, Sarkans who would be in the court within seconds. The Queen herself took a puff from her pipe before turning back around,

"Mado... Knights Marris and Tenau are new to our customs." she eased her adviser's ruffled feathers before gliding further back into the throne room to sit upon her throne, her adviser to her left and captain of the guard to her right, "Greetings, Sith Knights. We would ask you to formally introduce yourselves, as tradition dictates."

She knew who they were already but that didn't matter... tradition had to be upheld.

@Faded Truth @Darasuum

 

[Hakon Tenau]

__________

The Onderon native resisted the urge to smile for a moment. When other people got into awkward situations of social etiquette he found it amusing. His helmet would have protected his expression either way. Technically the queen before them was not on the same level of the playing field as the Empress but Hakon had no urge to make that observation. He stood with both hands clasped before him as he had seen the nobility of his homeworld do at meetings. He was more of a Mandalorian now than Onderonian but such things were irrelevant when doing the work for the Sith Empire.

Mado had been correct, when dealing with royalty, even if one was of a superior title and position, it was tradition when visiting to wait to be presented to the local authority. Due to this Hakon waited silently until the queen requested to hear his name. He would reach up and remove the helmet he wore before placing it in the crook of his left arm "Greetings Queen Gloriath. I am Knight Hakon Tenau of the Sith Empire. Apologies for our ignorance and any offense we may have caused." The man did not push further with dialgue. If the queen desired for the discussion to move forward in any manner he would have it be at her pace. Trying to rush a monarch was not good advice.

 

[Alexandra Marris]

The young sith sorceress gave a fiery look towards the elder Sarkan male, almost as if glancing at him in full contempt at questioning her traditions. She was not a very respectful one, perhaps her privileged upbringing had made her forgot some nuances or perhaps she knew them but just didn't care enough to acknowledge them. A slight chuckle came to her lips as he spoke of the Empress, thinking similarly to her comrade regarding the status of Andraste versus this pathetic excuse for a matriarch. She would be gone within minutes, while the Empress' rule would solidify for centuries to come.

Regardless, she was as artificially sweet as she could be, rose colored cheeks lighting on that pale flesh as she responded. "Greetings Queen Gloriath. I am Knight Alexandra Marris of the Empire. And I must say, you look quite riveting in those purple robes." She was always one for flattery but never one to apologize, especially not to these lot. If she had offended them, then so be it, her dark magic would be their reckoning anyways.


@Nefieslab @Darasuum

 

[The Storyteller]

Mado had a rather sour first impression of Knight Marris and the woman seemed intent on making it worse for herself - she seemed to resent her failing being brought up, as one would expect, but seemed to be utterly unrepentant for her attitude and breach in conduct. The chuckle was slight but it was noticable and both Mado and Trandosh tensed at the blatant lack of respect for their traditions and the customs that they held so dear.

Trandosh's hand hovered over the panic button behind his back, unknown to either of the Sith and unable to be intercepted by their use of the Force should he use it as it was unknwon to them and unseen.

In the end, it was Hakon's apology and Alexandra's (barely) polite greeting that stopped the situation from escalating at this point. Queen Gloriath herself leaned forward slightly in her throne as she looked over the Sith Knights who were currently visiting her home. She was, understandably, more receptive to Hakon so addressed the two of them but her gaze was more on him than Alexandra,

"Tell me, Knights of the Empress Andraste, how have you enjoyed your time on our planet?" she enquired, wanting to get the measure of these aliens before they got to the serious matters, "We are curious as to what you think of our people and our home."

Speaking in the royal 'we', Gloriath was still a little bit on edge but less so than her attentive subordinates. That hit from her pipe had done wonders for her nerves.

Spoiler: OOC

Just a note of warning - sassing royalty rarely ends well.

@Darasuum @Faded Truth

 

[Hakon Tenau]

__________

The man's expression was blank, waiting to be addressed. He glanced over at his cohort. He did not need the force to know she was faking her happiness. His experience with other hot blooded Sith told him what to expect. The mandalorian was rather easy to rage if pushed properly but his desire for the success of this mission far outweighed any slight at the moment.

When addressed he turned his gaze back towards the Queen. "Queen Gloriath, unfortunately we have not had a great deal of time to spend on your planet. It does interest me though and it is quite unique. If given the opportunity I would very much like to spend more time here, with your permission of course." They had only just landed and Hakon was indeed interested in the planet. On the other hand it would be ideal if the Queen came to govern the planet under the Sith Empire. But it would take some effort to get such an victory to come. Hakon had emphasized the Queen's power both to satisfy the matriarch and her court. The locals did hold the chips for the talks, and were afraid of violent confrontation. Hakon would have been a fool coming to the talks not ready for either means of success. But the Sith would prefer to not devolve into blood shed if possible.

Politics, that was what this was. Pleasantries and formalities that were expected in this sort of setting. His family had been killed due to such bureaucratic processes. However he was not bothered by such methods at this time. These were not life or death situations where anyone or anything was at such risk as far as he concerned.

 

[Alexandra Marris]

It was odd really, the queen being the nicest of the foreigners that were gathered in this room. She expected some attitude from the highness herself but not from the hired help. They must have grown quite comfortable in their positions, no worries and no one to challenge their fabricated authority. The reality was that all of them were seated on borrowed time, a paper made fantasy world which Queen Gloriath had decorated with her essence. They had no idea of what was to come.

And so, the crimson haired beauty turned towards Hakon as he spoke, a sly smile coming to her face though one that was riddled with irritation and contempt at his efforts of politics. His pleasantries had their place but at this time, he was just being a bore. And so as he finished his sentence, Alexandra couldn't help but simply tag on with her own two cents.

"Your highness, we have enjoyed our stay to say the least, and as my associate mentioned, our time has not been enough to formulate a proper understanding. In our short time however, I must say, your home is quite unique and your people adore you, an admirable quality. "

She simply said, a delicate smile coming to brush against her features. Natural blush came across those cheeks, as somber but yet sinister green eyes twinkled upon the Queen.

@Nefieslab @Darasuum

 

[The Storyteller]

The advisors were still on edge but at this stage, almost nothing would change that. In the end though, it wasn't the advisors that the two Sith Knights had to convince but just the Queen herself and Queen Gloriath was a much more understanding woman than her subjects, than her advisors.

As her advisers readied themselves to react to almost any twitch or motion, Queen Gloriath decided that she wanted to cut to the chase as it were. While she abides by the traditions of her people, she was more practical that her advisers - she knew when to dispense with the flowery words so that they could move on.

"Very well Knights of Andraste's Empire... we have a question that you must answer for us." the Queen declared, staring at the two Knights with an intense frown upon her face, "Without the games... without the lies... what is it you wish to do with our planet?"

She held up a hand to forestall her adviser's complaints,

"Do not believe that we are blind to the rest of the Galaxy. We see how the Sith believe themselves both conquerors and diplomats. That you are here speaks of one of those outcomes - which leads us to believe you want something from our planet, something that would be easier for you to obtain with our co-operation." the Queen observed with a sly smile, "So please, Knights... indulge our curiosity."

 

[Hakon Tenau]

__________

Aloof was probably a good term, or at least the perception of Hakon's expression. He had grown up as the orphaned noble on Onderon. Forever seen with either pitty or disdain. Among the mandalorians he was an outsider, then brother, and now had developed a small reputation as demagol. The term meant flesh-sculptor, but also butcher, earned for his ways of interrogating opposition. All of this and more had made him different. Overtime he had stopped caring about the looks people gave him, instead choosing to use it to his own advantage or just not bother with it at all.

Listening to the queen's words he kept his expression blank for some time before smiling candidly. The queen wanted an honest answer, or at least acted as such. "With all honesty it would not necessarily be in the best interest of my cohort and I to answer such a thing. In our defense it has not been unheard of for someone of your...authority to not look kindly on those that speak the unwanted truth. But as long as I have your word Queen Gloriath then you have mine." he bowed his head to emphasize his point slightly before waiting for a response. Of course his comrade could just botch it all with a few simple words of her own.

 

[Alexandra Marris]

It was almost comical to watch Hakon blabber on with his pleasantries and attempts at diplomacy. If he was more pleasing on the eyes, then perhaps he would have made a serviceable politician. She on the other hand, crimson haired and vanity driven, actually glistened in this pale light of Sarka, but diplomatic relations were far from her primary directive.

And as her cohort spoke, she focused her pristine green eyes and their accompanying piercing gaze upon the Queen. Face delicate and gentle, though features sparkled with a certain, sinister appeal. "Queen Gloriath, for as lovely as your planet and its culture is, it is our genuine feeling that the realm of Sarka would be better served as a vessel for the Empress." The statement itself was delivered with a certain confident demeanor, though not violent enough to warrant it as a threat but rather a pure and unbiased statement of personal conviction.

@Nefieslab

 

[The Storyteller]

Queen Gloriath had asked for the candid truth as to why the Imperial Knights were here and one of them, Hakon, had become concerned that she would react poorly to what it was they wanted... but then didn't go onto explain why she shouldn't feel that way or to explain what he meant by that either. So, effectively, he had expressed concern about telling her... but then done absolutely nothing to actually put any concerns to rest.

The Captain of the Guard had his finger over the button at this stage but the Queen hadn't given the order just yet. Instead, she turned slightly and listened as Alexandra explained what it was the two Sith knights wanted.

There was silence in the throne room for a moment before Queen Gloriath merely tilted her head to one side,

"No... Sarka joining as a vessel state would better serve you and yours." she countered smoothly, "I'm still waiting for someone to give me even one reason why my kingdom joining the Empire serves us in any way. Surely you have a reason?"

There was another pause before the Queen raised an eyebrow,

"Or are you the brutish kind of Knights who only know how to wave your lightsabers and declare 'or else'?"

@Darasuum @Faded Truth

 

[Hakon Tenau]

__________

The man's brow furrowed for two reasons. One was the incorrect pronunciation or knowledge of vessel. Perhaps they had meant vassal and not vessel. But he saw no point in conducting any corrections considering one was his, already bothered, associate and the other was a matriarch of the planet they were on. The other reason his brow had furrowed was due to queen not understanding his statement. He had said as much to make sure she had really wanted to know the truth. Many a time there had been people who had asked for something an then been displeased when what they requested had been delivered. Essentially he had said "Do not ask questions you do not want to hear the answer to and do not kill the messenger." but it seemed that in his mind he had given the matriarch too much credit.

The man's eyes cast down to the ground for a moment in thought. An analogy popped into his mind but then he thought better of it. That analogy would also probably go over the woman's heads so he thought of a more direct approach. "Queen Gloriath, I'm sure you and ... your company is awaiting some sort of threat to form on our lips. I assure you we are not brutish knights. While we are skilled in combat, such forms of renown are the types that are spoken of far and wide. However few people speak with the same enthusiasm of the business deals and diplomatic treaties. It is understandably far less ... exciting. I assure you that we are not here to upset you or wage any sort of conflict." He would let his own pause hang in the air for a moment, raising a single finger up to point towards the ceiling. Prior to this his hands had been still and were now just used for emphasis on his point. If he ruled this planet he would have already summurized the benefits of joining or oposed such an alliance. perhaps they needed such obvious subjects brought before them and spelled out. He thought to himself for a moment as his own mind strayed for a moment towards the more stereotypical sith before returning.

"Safety for one. Corsair raids are probably an issue for you. Logistics to and fro would not be such an issue as they are now. Aid in opposing future threats. The Jedi for one are just weak and have been for the past five years. While you call us ... brutish knights ... we still are very good at what we do, brutish or otherwise. As a result the jedi support is dwindling. We are not here to say or else. We are here to ask why not."

 

[Alexandra Marris]

The crimson haired beauty remained silent for now, allowing Hakon to finish with his speech before she would voice her own opinion. She had disliked her companion in the beginning, feeling he was too much of a politician to be a true Sith. Though, her feelings were slightly changing, and while her method was considerably more bloody, perhaps it was advantageous to have someone with a differing outlook. Though as he kept on providing examples and lures as to the benefits, she realized that matters such as these would never be solved so easily.

Perhaps it was because Hakon didn't understand the female psych, but she did, and she knew that Queen Gloriath would never submit to a foreign ruler at least not deliberately as to prevent any unsavory reaction from her followers. No, this had to be done her way, she was confident enough of it.

Those green eyes remained fixated upon the Sarkan royalty, almost piercing her soul with that gaze. "Queen Gloriath, I am sure your advisers have already given you word, otherwise, you wouldn't have agreed to meet us. Your spaceport is no longer functional, the general of your defensive contingencies lay slain, you have no further supply of life saving water, and you only retain a fraction of your mining operation." She had been crouched respectfully this entire time, but now she stood to her full height. Delicate fingers slid upwards to lower the hood of the ebony cloak, allowing the luscious red locks to be fully visible. "You speak to emissaries of an empire who eliminated your defenses in one nightfall. Accept our offer, bring peace and prosperity to your world, and reside over it as a delegated representative. Alternative options, I'm afraid, are limited..."

@Nefieslab

 

[The Storyteller]

Queen Gloriath listened to both Hakon and Alexandra.

Hakon was rather eloquent and got his point across rather well. She particularly liked the part at the end... the part where he explained that it wouldn't be "or else" but rather "why not". It was a good little bit of word usage in her opinion, even though she knew it was designed to twist her thinking to be in line with what he was thinking. It made an awful lot of sense she had to be honest and she liked his candour.

Alexandra wasn't being candid however - she was being insufferably arrogant and almost gleefully undermined any and all progress that her partner had managed to do. The Queen glared at the woman hotly,

"Your partner explains why assisting you is in the interests of our Kingdom. He works hard to win with logic." She scoffed, "And you undermine it all... with a slightly longer way of saying "or else"... the two of you are clearly working at cross purposes here. One of you offers incentives, reasons, while the other is nothing more than a brute and a fool, blundering her way through talks with the belief that her might is supreme."

The head of the guard pressed the panic button behind his back, unseen and unobserved by either of the Sith Knights as they had no way of knowing that "supreme" was the code phrase. From side doors in the throne room, the six heavily armed and armoured royal guards burst into the room with their weapons raised, three from the left, three from the right.

On each side of the room was a warrior aiming a light repeater at the Sith Knights, with two more guards aiming semi-automatic rifles at them, stood roughly three meters away from each other so that they wouldn't be able to bump into each other without a lot of power. With their armour (which was incredibly expensive but worth it), these royal guard were no more than a second away from tearing the Sith Knight apart... Their fingers were on the triggers and they were looking for an excuse.

"Alexandra Marris - your presence offends us in more ways than one. Hakon Tenau, you may stay and continue the negotiations as you are a man we find to be agreeable."

Any move for Marris to stay, or motions to incite violence, would mean the repeaters would open fire on the Sith Knights (one for each of them) at chest height; One of the riflemen from each side would also fire two shots at the closest Sith Knight, aiming for shots to their heads; The last rifleman from each side would fire at the Sith Knight opposite them, at their backs, so the Sith would be attempting to block three sources of blaster bolts from two different directions with one source of fire each (the repeaters) being faster firing than anything they would have ever deflected before.

Any moves to attack as the guards were entering would have the same resulting fire as if they had moved after the ultimatum.

If only one Sith Knight attacked or moved in a threatening manner to the Queen or her advisers, they would be fired upon by all six guards.

Spoiler: OOC

I told you not to sass royalty, didn't I? Thread can still end without violence if Alexandra exits the thread.

Spoiler: Royal Guards Weapons and Armour

Armour
Repeaters
Rifles

@Darasuum @Faded Truth

 

[Hakon Tenau]

__________

The man's jaw visibly clenched as he listened to his cohort speak. The woman was not only undermining the Queen but his own word and in turn risking the mission for the Empire. Hakon did not tolerate failure and did not expect Andraste to either if it devolved into such a status. Guards burst into the room from either side, violent intent wafting in like an unwelcome scent through an open window. Both of Hakon's hands balled into fists and he breathed in sharply through his nose, eyes darting over to the nearest group of three. But he stayed motionless. The tension of the meeting had already been building up this whole time and he did not want his own actions to be the spark that set it ablaze. His sclera turned black and his irises went from hazel to gold for a moment as the force flowed through him. However the matriarch seemed to see through the ignorance of Alexandra and dismiss her and he in turn calmed himself as it was apparent it was just the female that would be removed from the present company.

This was Alexandra's chance, to commit suicide by guard and take Hakon with her. He did not want his visage to antagonize the guards nor the queen and so closed his eyelids. Eye contact could provoke but he did not exactly look non threatening. The bowed head and closed eyes hopefully gave him a non-threatening appearance. Perhaps if his cohort provoked the guards they would not fire on him or at least not as quickly and give him time to evade an attack. Hakon would build up the force, focusing on the soles of his feet for quick movement if necessary. He did not have too much faith in his companion thus far. She had done an atrocious job as a diplomat and he would likely have words with her if they survived this without conflict and likely something more violent if combat ensued. He waited patiently for Alexandra to leave peacefully so he would not need to take any unnecessary action.

 

[Alexandra Marris]

Well...Kriff. She was well aware that her tongue and sassiness had gotten her into trouble in the past, as an young and inexperienced knight, it soon followed her on her first official Empire mission. This did not go as she anticipated, eyes glancing from side to side though unnerved but rather a slow horizontal saccade. She realized that showing fear or pleading would get her nowhere at this time and would likely undermine the political prowess that the Empire displayed. In the back of her mind, a little part in her wanted to test the Queen further, call her on the bluff, but it appeared that doing so would require a gamble that meant losing her life.

Sadistically, she gained some pleasure from this, not from jeopardizing the mission but rather from pushing the buttons of the Queen and her royal advisers. The Queen must have realized that all that Alexandra had spoken was true, but even in moments of loss, prideful individuals show no hesitation or weakness. To that end, the young sorceress must have given some credit to Queen Gloriath's strength of character.

Remaining standing, a rosy smile grew on her lips as her frame displayed impunity rather than fear even in these dire circumstances. "Your highness, these hostilities are not necessary. You requested that your curiosity be indulged, I was merely satisfying that request with honesty. Please accept my humble apologies. I must say that I absolutely admire your resolve in these difficult times. If you wish to conduct discussions with my associate alone, I understand. It has been a pleasure being in your court." Bowing lightly, she lifted the cloak hood above her head and turned. A delicate hand touched Hakon's shoulder as she walked by, exiting through the doors that she entered.

// Exit Thread

@Nefieslab @Darasuum

 

[The Storyteller]

The guards all kept their weapons raised, half of them following Alexandra's path as she left the throne room. With a nod of her head, the four riflemen followed Alexandra out of the doors to make sure that she did not come back into the throne room. She was no longer welcome there and that was plain to see.

Once the doors were closed on Alexandra however, there were still the two guards with repeaters in hand and Hakon with the royal party. There was a tense silence for a moment before the Queen waved her hand and both of the guards nodded before shouldering their weapons and standing at attention.

Clicking her fingers to her two advisers, they nodded before fetching a small table and two chairs from a small side room. They set them up in front of the throne, setting two glasses, a bottle of wine and two calligraphy pens. The Queen descended from her throne and sat upon one of the chairs, gesturing for Hakon to do the same thing the other side of the table as wine was poured for them both,

"Knight Tenau - you have conducted yourself well. We would like to believe the Sith Empire had many more like you, not many more like her." the Queen declared before beckoning for her chief adviser to begin writing something, "We are not stupid, Knight Tenau. We know we could kill you and your... friend... but it would gain us nothing. So instead, we shall discuss with you..."

The Queen let out a small sigh,

"The terms of becoming a vassal of the Empress Andraste. Name your key terms so they may be discussed and added to the official treaty our adviser is drawing up."

@Darasuum

 

[Hakon Tenau]

__________

If it had been Hakon in Alexandra's shoes he would have just stopped talking, bowed and left. But she had the boldness to continue to speak. Some of her words made him wonder. Now she's deffinitly lying. he thought to himself silently. The sound of her feet making their way to the exit and departing. Only when the four guards and his own cohort finally left did he relax and stop channeling the force. His eye lids opened as his eyes returned to their normal color, regaining his previous composure completely. With the return of his posture his eyes glanced casually over to the two remaining guards, letting them know he was aware they had the upper hand and he was aware of it.

When the Queen clicked her fingers his attention returned to the woman. Hakon watched the table set before them and his curiosity grew. An eye brow arched with intrigue letting the woman know she held his interest. Only when she gestured to the seat would he move and accept the place across from her.

Keeping his mouth closed he would listen to her. Her statement about killing them was definitely a possibility but he felt he could stand a chance if such a confrontation occurred. However he dared not utter his own opinion. The situation was just coming back to a positive direction and he would not wish it to change over something as simple as a differing of opinion that would end with negotiations going south and turning into a test of prowess. Such an event would be childish and myopic.

Once the Queen gave him the opportunity to speak he would nod before speaking understanding he had the floor. "Thank you, Queen Gloriath. You have been more than tolerant of my colleague's... etiquette. You seem to possess a supernatural level of patience." he said the compliment, adding a smile at the end before continuing. "I do not want this to sound like a list of demands. Unfortunately there is no amount of honeyed words that can make the terms wholy desirable." He spoke with a tone that was akin to one letting a friend know a member of their family had passed away. "But I'll say it anyways, because it does need to be said. The Empress wants to put into place a military leader. Primarily I believe this request for abdication is due to the value of the nova ruby mines Sarka holds. That is primary what the Empress desires. She does not want to bother with local affairs, or change the way of life you have fought so hard to provide. Things will essentially remain the same. I can do my best to speak to the Empress and her advisers, let them know that it would be in their best interest to head you and your advisers on local matters, even possibly give you a position of your own in the governance of Sarka. I believe it is indeed best for the planet if you continue to take part in the governance of the planet. Unfortunately it won't in the same position as what you have now. The Empire wants you on its side. I want you on our side, Queen Gloriath." He looked with hopeful intent, waiting to see the hint of the matriarch's opinion on the matter.

It might be difficult to be granted an audience with the Empress herself. She was busy and so far the woman probably did not even know the Mandalorian Sith existed. Not even the other Imperial Council had probably heard of him so he would have to try his best to make good on his word. Hakon also expected some questions. Ones he was happy to respond to. But he did not want to speak too much all at once. Such a thing could be equally detrimental to the pitch he was making.

 

[The Storyteller]

Queen Gloriath was very happy to be dealing with just Hakon - he was a much more reasonable person than Alexandra had been and she appreciated that in the people she was dealing with. With the two of them sat at the table in a show of equality, the Queen drank from her glass as she listened as Hakon explained.

It was... well, it made sense.

As much as the Queen still had a lot of power in this room, in this palace... she didn't have anywhere near as much outside of the palace as she once did and she knew that it was down to the Sith. They had been undermining her support and her assets in an attempt to soften her kingdom up for takeover.

Well, as much as she could dislike that they were doing it, she couldn't help but admire the fact that it had been done rather well on the hole. The Alexandra woman not included, the Sith had even had the decency to win gracefully as well, which was appreciated greatly if she was honest.

"We imagine you will must have the same level if you put up with her before." she admitted with a small smile before nodding, "I understand, Hakon. Some things cannot be avoided - merely warned about. Please proceed."

Listening to it laid out like that, the Queen felt a heavy burden rest on her shoulders as she realised what she was being asked to agree to. She was being asked to agree to a military occupation of her planet with no guarantees or assurances that her people would not be exploited til death by their new overlords.

But sometimes there was very little choice.

"We understand your Empress' need for their to be a military presence here... and we know that our people lack the capability to resist if we chose to refuse." she admitted at length before reaching up and taking her crown, encrusted with nova rubies, and placing it on the table between herself and Hakon, "Take this crown to your Empress and tell her that Sarka's fate is her's to command. And let her guiding hand be gentle, please. We..."

The Queen paused before dropping the royal 'we',

"I would request something of you, Knight Tenau." she decided at length, "People will stir trouble in the name of the royal line. They will harm my people and bring down the wrath of the Sith, claiming it all to be in their benefit... please... remove me from the equation."

She looked him right in the eye as she signed the agreement her assistant had drawn up before passing it to Hakon,

"Kill me so that there is no royalty to challenge the status quo in the future... please."

@Darasuum