Ask Paranoid

[Darth Stolas]

On the planet colloquially called Junction a certain Queen of Dathomir and now Empress had formed the core of her operations and meetings. It wasn't much of a secret even if she'd tried. That kind of thing tended to spread around one way or another. Her goals were admirable and reasonable but, all the same, trying to form a government from a death cult had its own special little difficulties.

One of which was fanatical loyalists of the prior regime who wanted her to die a horrible death. She might be extraordinarily powerful even compared to most Sith but most in the galaxy were made of ordinary meat when they were sound asleep- or at least the deep meditation Force users required for a bare minimum of rest.

Which was precisely why Renfry would be awoken by the sounds of harsh violence outside her chamber door. When she eventually emerged she'd be greeted by the charming sight of three individuals peppered by deeply struck durasteel spikes and burned by bursts of scorching flame. Morgan, dressed in relatively utilitarian working attire, was going through patting down with his gloves hands one of the very dead person's clothes in the hopes of finding something useful. It might seem strange but the fanciful Firrerreon was at least practical enough not to ruin nice clothes for no good reason.

"Seems you still have enemies," Morgan said wryly once the Nightsister appeared. He'd been trying to root out any pockets of resistance amongst the Sith that may have remained after the Eternal's death. Internal conflict aside, Morgan had a certain amount of pride in his work. "You're welcome," he added as he pulled a spikes out of the dead man's sternum with an irritated frown.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry's sleep was awoken by a fit not of sound but of impending danger. She sat bolt upright, fingers curled up as if to cast a spell but there was no one there. She slid out of bed smoothly, landing on her feet and snatching the lightsaber off of her bedstand.

She slammed the opening for her door and the saber lit at once, fiery vengeance in her eyes before she saw what had happened. Morgan stood there over a body, one of her two guards wounded and unconscious while the other was standing over one of the other bodies.

Her eyes scanned quickly over the bodies on the floor before settling on Morgan. That only lasted for a moment before they flicked back over to her guard who was still on her feet. Get her to the infirmary, she said before her eyes flicked back to Morgan for a second time.

He was rather put together for the middle of the night.

She liked his outfit, always one for the practical over the exotic. She, on the other hand, was far less put together in a loose t-shirt and short shorts that she wore to bed. Her hair was somewhat frazzled and she stepped back into the room to put a robe on over her pajamas.

Who are they? she asked. He knew to be here, he knew they were coming, and that meant he was bound to know more about this than she did. She invited him inside and flipped the light on, deciding that adrenaline was better than any caf for waking up in the middle of the night.

 

[Darth Stolas]

Most unusually for the Firrerreo he was somehow managing to look bored, annoyed, and generally tense all at the same time. The recovered spike was wiped off on a would-be assassin's clothes before being slipped into an inner tunic pocket. This strike had required quick action but not so quick that Morgan needed to show up in his pajamas.

Somehow he didn't think music-themed shorts and tank were appropriate. Plus they didn't have pockets for his stuff. Morgan stood up, now holding a ten-inch vibroblade. The particular model wasn't notable to anyone who wasn't aware of a certain older man's preferences for weaponry that he'd passed down to his students.

Golden eyes slid over to Renfry while the wounded guard was carted off, passing over the bare skin to her messy hair and then wandering off again. This was him being polite regarding her state of dress. Morgan followed her inside and found a chair to sit in, not looking at her again until she'd put her robe on.

"A group who doesn't like you coming to power," he stated matter-of-factly, indulging his habit for just a moment before holding up the vibroweapon. "Suspect Calix. Can't say for sure but the other information leads to him behind it. They're Eternal loyalists from the south."

A good look at Morgan showed Renfry wasn't the only one missing sleep. Based on the dark circles around golden eyes he hadn't slept properly in days, a mix of not being able to and staying up to work on anything he could. "May have internal contacts." Otherwise Renfry could've been warned in advance. Knowing someone is after you tends to spread around and would make stopping or capturing them more difficult.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She let out a sigh as she took a seat on her bed, looking toward him as he sat in one of the other chairs. Calix. The traitor member of the Council still at large. Didn't have the guts to face her like a real opponent or a real Sith. Disgusting.

So it would seem, she said, thinking about the fact that they had even managed to get this far. This wasn't something that she could leave to others. Morgan was skilled and would be able to root them out, but were his contacts trustworthy? No, this was something she would need to see to personally along with him.

She wondered if they were all a lost cause. She couldn't afford to have people trying to kill her, but certainly not everyone in the Sith was "trustworthy." It would be a balance, and it was something she would have to consider.

Thank you. You don't look like you've been sleeping either, she said. Well maybe that wasn't very polite, but oh well. They'd known each other long enough.

Where are we off to next, then? The southern reaches? she asked. Clearly he knew more about the direction of the operation than she did, and her word choice indicated she was invested in not dying.

 

[Darth Stolas]

An e-cig was pulled from a belt pouch and placed between Morgan's lips, end lighting up bright blue. Mint-scented clouds left his lips in clouds. He sat with relative ease in the chair, unburdened by the rank different between the two Sith. He'd always casually inserted himself into others' spaces and this was no different.

"Too busy to sleep," Morgan intoned irritably, eyes moving away from Renfry toward the wall somewhere. "You're welcome." He pulled from the vape again, a booted foot tapping steadily against the floor. General politeness wasn't the highest thing on his priority list just at the moment anyway.

"Pointless. Their attack failed. He'll move." He didn't know that for sure, per say, but Calix had come up on the streets and survived in the Sith until his current age. If he was foolish that wouldn't be possible. "Must have an op point nearby." Goldens found Renfry again.

"Taris is likely. Busy planet, but agents frequent it as a jump point into the Free Worlds."

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry was undisturbed by the fact that he was making himself comfortable. She'd invited him in, after all. A hand went up into her hair to scratch her head as she listened. Something told her she wouldn't be sleeping for a while. Deep trance-like meditation. Or perhaps protective runes.

You have a way of tracking them? she asked. She didn't fancy the idea of being stabbed in her sleep. Maybe she could sleep on her ship in space? That sounded nasty and she hated the idea immediately.

Taris is a big place, she said. If they didn't have a way to track these traitors down, then it would all be for nothing.

She stood and walked over to her dresser, picking up the datapad and starting to look through recent intel reports. Something about this clicked distantly in her mind for the first time.

What do you know about this man? she asked, handing the pad to Morgan. On it, he would see the image of an assassin within the Sith Order. The man was known for his interest in an ancient Sith group that had gone extinct milenia ago. He had submitted a report about a group he was concerned was growing within the Sith. She wondered if perhaps these conspirators against her was what he was concerned about.

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan gave Renfry a look. "Given time, I can find anything." He might not have the Nightsister's talent for magic but the Firrerreo's hyper-perceptive nature and talent for threading things together, combined with the abundance of experience passed down by his teacher, became potent tools.

Goldens watched the other Sith pull something from her dresser while Morgaan considered the many facets of picking out specific groups on Taris. Narrowing down potential areas wasn't hard but it was a city planet, after all. Agents went through as a precautionary measure to lose pursuers.

Eyebrows rose slightly as slender fingers took the proffered datapad, eyes turning down to look at it. Morgan was quiet for a few seconds.

"Vizim. Does good work." Morgan blinked once, his sharp memory running him through other connected information. "I've read his report. If Calix's forces are using Venatori ideology they can be lured." He handed back the datapad.


"Vizim's also too self-serving to be directly involved. He likes being alive," he said with a slowly growing smirk. "We'll work this like on Dathomir. I track, you pinpoint. Easy, no?"

It probably wouldn't be 'easy' but still better than walking around blind.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

I think they may be hunting Venatori supporters, she said. People who believed in the Empire more than the Sith were still rare, and while she'd heard of Vizim before, she agreed with Morgan's assessment: she didn't trust him as much as herself or her Nightsisters. Still, his report had been useful.

I wonder if there's people working out of there to revive the Venatori who might already be tracking Calix and his followers, she said. She wasn't sure that was the case, but he wasn't wrong about finding them. They'd worked well together on Dathomir all those years ago. It felt like a lifetime ago and neither of them were the same people anymore.

Yeah, she said, grabbing her things she disappeared into the other room to throw on some clothes and reemerged only a few moments later, lightsaber on her hip and ready to travel.

We can take my ship, she said. She had upgraded recently to "fancy" with VIP suites and everything, which would make their trip far more comfortable and far more subtle than if they opted to take... say, a Star Destroyer.

How many conspirators are we talking about? Or does your intel say? she asked.

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan's head tilted slightly. Renfry could easily be correct. Old secret societies weren't the easiest things to stamp out, especially ones that involved tracking and killing dangerous targets like Sith. The Venatori had believed in an Empire, but also in wiping out the especially destructive Sith that threatened its image. This entire situation could prove quite interesting.

But the Firrerreo kept that opinion to himself for now, at least until he had more information.

He was midway through another vape cloud when Renfry emerged again in something more suited to going out. Morgan stood without giving it a second look. "Your ship it is." Naturally, he always had a to-go bag for things like this. Dante would bring himself and Morgan's supplies.

"Calix's power base was more loyal than that madwoman Vyrassu's," he answered on the way to Andruil's ship. "He couldn't take all assets." Morgan's looked thoughtful for a moment. "This specific group? Estimated thirty to fourty total." A short shrug. "The Eternal had her own loyalists. Calix fled, they stuck around." They passed through a doorway toward the hangar, where Dante was already waiting. "Difficult to pin down exact numbers until they try to actually do something. Sleeper cells."

Which was why Morgan had shown up himself. He didn't get much advance warning to intercept with a hunter squad.

He stopped outside the yacht. "Upgraded I see. Not bad."

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She thought about what he said, describing the group that they were now hunting. Large enough to be difficult for a secret society to hunt, and small enough that they were not the majority. And yet she knew that thirty Sith were capable of having a massive impact on an entire galaxy let alone an Empire.

Then we have our work cut out for us, she said. She knew that although she was powerful and capable of defending herself, she wasn't truly a master swordsman. The lightsaber was a somewhat crude weapon compared to the Shadow, more useful for defending oneself than attacking. She preferred soldiers as a barrier between herself and her enemies, but that may not be possible.

Yes, I think it was probably inappropriate to be flying around for diplomatic meetings in a rickety hand-me-down, she said with a snicker. Despite having gotten a facelift along the way, the Destiny had been a ship that she had literally stolen on Dathomir after its owner had mostly likely perished. It was not in prime condition.

They headed inside the ship and the engines fired up as she took a seat inside the lounge area. It was not Star Destroyer in size, but it was spacious enough to be comfortable for the pair.

I doubt we'll be getting much rest, so perhaps we should get some sleep in transit, she suggested. Something told her that once they touched down on Taris, all chaos was going to break loose.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

The yacht an appreciative once-over but no further commentary. While Morgan liked ships, his obvious was for starfighters and combat craft more than fancy flying apartments. Sure, he lived in them most of the time, but that just made it all very mundane to him over time. However, it was far better than that disc-shaped thing Renfry'd been putting around in beforehand.

What an entrance for grand parades that would've made. All it'd need were a pair of Headhunters for escort.

Once within he scanned over their surroundings, a habit Renfry would easily recognize by now. Morgan generally memorized what was immediately around him in a new place. Goldens settled on the Nightsister again at her suggestion; she'd sat down and he joined her on the opposite end of a couch somewhere.

"Probably should," Morgan agreed after a second or two. He wasn't likely to actually sleep so much as deeply meditate, but still. Keen ears listened to the engines while the vessel lifted off toward the atmosphere. "All things considered, a relatively smooth transition of power." Renfry hadn't been successfully killed in her sleep yet, which meant she had some degree or lower-level support. Otherwise Morgan would've expected one of her guards to do it by now.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry nodded as he commented that the transition of power had been smooth. It could have been much worse, and hopefully it would be even more solid after this excursion. The Eternal had had limited loyalty of the people, and that was something Renfry was attempting to fix. All in good time.

---​

Renfry had gotten some level of sleep, though others in her retinue might have advised not sleeping under the circumstances. She wanted to be fresh for what was coming.

She emerged from her room shortly before they arrived on the planet, not in her fancy robes or royal attire, but in her combat and exploration suit: designed to be practical and conceal her identity. She didn't want to loudly announce who she was to everyone.

Her helmet was flipped up for the moment as she quickly scarfed down some breakfast and hit a button for a holomap. Despite sleeping, she had still managed to do some reading about what was planned (because these days sleep was for the weak) and she slammed down some caf as she looked at it.

I was reading through some of your ISB reports, she said, mouth half-full of food. She decided she didn't like to be worthless for moving things forward and had done some research about the operation.

Sounds like they're operating out of the Lower City. Rough neighborhood I wonder how long it'll be before someone decides they want to jump us, she grumbled slightly, pulling up the apartment they were supposed to head to.

 

[Darth Stolas]

Morgan didn't really sleep. Unrelated to the situation at hand so much as his own internal strife, he found sleep often disrupted his concentration and focus in the end. Memories he refused came unbidden through his dreams and so, he defaulted to a very deep meditation atop the comfortable yacht bed. It wasn't the most healthy, but it would do.

The Firrerreo dressed similarly for blending in, a fairly generic folding-front helmet covering his head. While it might not do so well for wandering through Taris' wealthy upper sections their attire would do just fine in the seedy undercities of the city planet. Breakfast, perhaps shockingly to anyone who knew him, mostly consisted of protein bars, nutrition shakes, strong caf, and nicotine.

He also ate in silence until Renfry spoke up. Goldens glanced from his meager meal and back down again. "Wear a blaster," he advised. It didn't matter if she had any idea how to use it or not, really. "Swoop and spicer gangs rule down there. Even they're not fond of being shot." A datapad beside his food was swiped over, looking over the details, as per usual, for about the hundredth time.

"I doubt anyone significant has noticed their presence. On Taris, no one cares." After inhaling his food he wipes his fingers clean and stood to gather a few bits of gear from his supplies before heading to the exit ramp, helmet's faceplate flipping down. "Hope you don't mind a walk," Morgan commented wryly, adjusting the Python on his right thigh. It wasn't so much tedious as time consuming to walk through the streets rather than hailing a cab. However, cabs on Taris were also sources of information, both for riders and others who had the drivers in their pocket one way or another.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

She glanced down at her belt as he stated she should carry a blaster. I was just going to carry a lightsaber, she said with a shrug. It's a Sith world, I just don't want people knowing what Sith I am, she said, though if he insisted, she would leave it behind. She didn't actually own a blaster, so unless he provided one it would just be her collapsed energy bow. She wasn't sure that was any less conspicuous.

She flipped the faceplate down on her own helmet, heading out onto the streets and catching a few weird looks from people. In the Lower City no one would bat an eye, but they were still in the nicer portion of town on the upper levels. That would need to be amended.

She crossed the street and took one of the lifts down, packing in with dozens of others who were heading down into the bowels of the planet. When the lift doors finally opened, her face scrunched up slightly behind her helmet. It smelled, and was rundown, and was pretty much exactly what you would expect. There was little natural light down here, which meant it most came from artificial lamps, many of which were burned out.

As the pair separated from the rest of the civilians disembarking, Renfry turned back to Morgan. Charming, she muttered. Motivation to get out of here will be good for recruitment, though, she said. She knew it was something that both of them had worked to accomplish.

They walked on for a ways without issue, and she realized they should probably make some sort of small talk, but really they didn't usually do that. And she wasn't sure she wanted to start asking about Firrerre for... obvious reasons.

So... found any cool artifacts lately? she asked. They had met hunting artifacts, after all, so it was a reasonable inquiry, she felt.

 

[Darth Stolas]

He pulled a spare blaster pistol and its holster, a fairly generic RK-3, from his collection of equipment and handed it off to Renfry. "Sith draw attention. Spacers don't." His tone didn't brook much room for argument. "Just keep the saber somewhere hidden." Morgan's was in a shoulder holster beneath his classic pilot's jacket, well covered but still within easy reach. Nice and anonymous.

"Sith run the government. Doesn't make it a Sith world." People here, especially in the undercity, were more concerned about their own business. Their loyalty to their overlords was tenuous and selfish, different from the Dathomirian loyalty and belief in strength. Being Sith could ward off a mugging but word could also travel. Morgan might be somewhat lackadaisical about some things but when he was working he kept to consummate professionalism. Generally.

Morgan kept himself in a corner from the lift, clearly tensing up whenever someone else was touching him. It bothered him far more than the smells. He'd smelled worse, frankly. Wetwork wasn't a clean career. "I would certainly hope so," he agreed immediately to Renfry's assessment.

Then they were free of the lift and simply walking through the undercity. The silence well passed the point of being awkward by the time the Nightsister spoke up. "No." A pause. "Not lately. Still looking for some old things," he grumbled. "But what I'm searching for I can't find."

Certainly the two got looks as they turned through a semi-busy area into a side path, but, true to Morgan's word, a collection of punks eyed their blasters warily. People down here with blasters would absolutely shoot if one tried anything and no one gave a damn.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

Renfry shrugged and unhooked her saber, slipping it into a pouch and sliding the pistol over her thigh instead. She knew it would be worthless, but it did look scary, and that was the point.

She went along with his plan, and the pair were on their way in no time. She saw people eyeing them, and she eyed them back, suddenly brought back to that first time she had met Tia - then Lyra - in an equally scummy place. Renfry had been literally cracking heads at the time, and though it wasn't something she went out of her way to do, she wasn't afraid to do it again.

Fortunately, they seemed to think better of it and decided that some easier prey would come along at a later date.

What're you looking for? she asked, one part her typical curiosity and the other wondering if she might actually be helpful in locating it. She had a growing wealth of information about things of that nature, but he was being typically cryptic, and she half-expected some silly non-answer to the question.

@Mr. Teatime

 

[Darth Stolas]

At this point Morgan just assumed any information he actually offered up to Renfry would invite specifying questions. He wasn't always cryptic on purpose. It wasn't easy to tell one way or the other if the Firrerreo was being evasive or just not thinking through his answer much. The man was tired, so it could be either or both, really.

Morgan grimaced slightly. What he was looking for was one of the same things he'd wanted the holocron aboard the First Light to find, but of course, that holocron was only a repository of ancient knowledge. Some of it was excellent, but other sections were extremely out of date. It's not as if anyone was actively updating it these days. Goldens glanced a moment toward the Nightsister, then back ahead.

"The Black Library. Or so it's called."

Up ahead was another turn, then yet another lift. This one was even more decrepit than the last, but at least there were fewer people crowding into it.

@Phoenix

 

[Renfry]

The Black Library wasn't something she was overly familiar with. She searched through her mind but came up with little that would be truly helpful.

Korriban has a rather extensive library still. Did you find any mentions of it there? she asked. It was how Renfry had first located the holocron she had about Sith alchemy and magic, and she assumed he had already perused through that area.

As they turned another corner and descended further in another elevator, she noticed that the crowd had thinned. They were making their way into the area that no one dared venture, and she knew that meant that danger waited ahead of them.

As the doors rolled open, there was no longer any light that reached the area. A sickening blackness clung here that reminded her of where she had left Cinere to fend for himself in training. This was why the Sith must have hidden down here: no one else could survive.

She reached out with the Shadow, letting the darkness down here guide her. They had been performing rituals down here, which she could sense and follow. They walked quite a distance before coming to an extremely rundown building. It seemed empty and she stepped through the door without difficulty, noting a door at the far end that was still locked. She guessed it led down into a basement of sorts, but it was difficult to say for sure.