Ask Korriban Perpetual Machination

[Darth Trelain]

Per my new OP template, thread is death enabled​

From her office on Korriban, Darth Trelain never really stopped plotting. Manipulating pieces on the board of the galaxy and silently wondering how long it would be until someone figured it out.

No one seemed to be figuring it out. Everyone was far too consumed with their own interests and goals to pay any attention to her or her quest within the Empire.

Most recently, the situation with the "Star Angel" or whatever she was had prompted some more inquiries by Trelain into what had gone on. That had led her to Vahliri. Newly minted Sith Master and someone who - the more Trelain dug into her history - the more questions she had.

She had summoned the woman to her office to discuss several things and continued her work as she awaited her arrival.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t deny that she was surprised to receive a summons from Lord Trelain. For all the things she had heard about the Grand Inquisitor, the woman was an elusive figure - and one that the half-Annfyn had little reason to interact with prior to that moment. Of course, the half-Annfyn imagined that her recent elevation to Sith Master would change things in that regard. The purpose of their meeting was, as of yet, a mystery. With the ISC war evolving by hour, making any prediction was folly.

She was far from nervous - but also knew too little about the Darth to be entirely at ease. None of it prevented her from immediately making her way to Korriban at the designated time.

She marched through the darkly-lit hallways, amber eyes fixed straight towards the office ahead. The half-Annfyn was adorned in her usual crimson-and-black robes, twin sabers clipped to her belt and hair neatly braided down to her lower back.

As she entered the office, Vahliri dipped her head towards the Councilor. “Darth Trelain,” She began, both hands knitting neatly against the small of her back. “How can I help you?” She asked, countenance knitted together impassively, difficult to read.

 

[Darth Trelain]

Trelain looked up from her work as the doors to her office slid open and Vahliri made herself known. A smile pulled across Trelain's features as she stood and walked over toward the other woman.

Ah, Master Kahtal. I'm glad you could make it, she said. Congratulations on your recent promotion, she added. A pleasantry, but Trelain wasn't above flattery. She wasn't really above anything, to be honest.

Have a seat, she said, motioning over to the couch and taking a seat of her own on it.

Your name has come across my desk recently for multiple reasons. Would you care to enlighten me about what's been going on? she asked.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri tilted her head ever-so-slightly, regarding the Councilor for a moment or two. She wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from a Sith Coucilor like Trelain, with her type of reputation. The woman was nothing but smiles and pleasantries, and the half-Annfyn couldn’t help but scrutinize every gesture and pleasantry for a shred of genuinity. On the surface, she merely smiled - her lips tugging upwards into that sideways grin.

“Thank you,” She added with a nod. The half-Annfyn wasn’t blind to the new responsibilities and attention she rank afforded her. In many ways, she relished it - and the influence it provided her.

She glanced over to the couch where Trelain indicated, casually moving to take her seat in the plush pillows. Her gaze swept towards a pitcher placed on a nearby end table, opting to lift it and two cups placed besides. “Something to drink, Councilor?” If indicated, Vahliri would pour for both of them.

Vahliri was silent for a moment or two, allowing Trelain to ask her question. Her gaze lazily lingered on the wine glass all the while, studying the swirl of crimson within. “My conquest and seizure of Thule,” She began, drawing a finger across the rim of her glass. “My plans for a new Academy on that planet,” The half-Annfyn named another possibility.

“I presume that Clove Vanhoop has something to do with it.” She said with a straight face, staring back at the Councilor. Whatever else, Vahliri wasn’t stupid. She knew precisely who Trelain was, and the resources the woman commanded. Even if Vahliri could confidently cover her tracks to the Galaxy or fellow Sith, the ISB head was another story entirely. Moreover, her actions against Clove were among the most likely reason for a Councilor to summon her to a private meeting.

“Do you have a preference of which?”

 

[Darth Trelain]

Trelain smirked as Vahliri offered her something to drink. Offering me some of my own drink? How thoughtful of you, she said with sarcasm, but accepted nonetheless, her eyes ever watching lest a poison make its way into the glass. You see, there was no end to Trelain's paranoia.

Well, I think we'll reach them all in time. Whichever you prefer to start with, she said. And so much more even beyond that. While Trelain was hardly here to grill the young Master, there was a great deal to discuss.

As you probably know, I'm not stranger to academies, she said, opting to start where Vahliri had started: Thule and its academies. And other things about it. Trelain had been the Imperial Warden of Korriban, after all.

Why start an academy there? What does it provide that the others do not? she asked. It was no small undertaking. Competing with the likes of Serenno or Korriban was exceptionally difficult at this point, but Vahliri seemed tenacious. Though she'd also heard the young woman lacked the knack for politics. She wondered what that said about her on a deeper level or if there was something to read into there. Time would tell.

 

[Darth Tempest]

“It saddens me to say, I failed to bring any of my own,” Vahliri said, watching the wine flow and fill both cups a quarter of the way from the brim. “Luckily you seem more prepared in that regard.” She quipped, sliding the glass over to Trelain. Shockingly, there was no poison. Not that Vahliri was above it.. But maybe not quite in that moment. “I am sure we will,” Vahliri said softly, reclining a bit into her seat. She didn’t trust the Councilor or her intentions quite yet - perhaps she never would - but neither did the half-Annfyn have any cause to read into her questions too deeply.

“A couple reasons,” She began, swirling her glass. “Why there? Thule is under my direct control, and I have the resources now to see to its construction.” The half-Annfyn said simply, shrugging her shoulders ever-so-slightly. Control over the flow of credits and regulation meant that her project alone could take priority. “Thule is host to Dark Side Nexus - like Korriban or Dagobah - which makes it an ideal candidate. And I believe its martial traditions can be utilized in Academy training,” Vahliri didn’t need to spell out that the success of such an Academy would bring importance to Thule as a whole - to a planet that she personally ruled. “And it is located deep in the Imperial Core.”

“Then you can understand that the education of Acolytes and the lower echelons of the Sith is of serious importance.” She said in response to Trelain’s statement of her past.

“I believe that there is something left to be desired amongst our curriculum,” She said flatly. “Dromund Kaas is still in ruins. Taris is a joke,” The half-Annfyn had no qualms speaking reality to the Councilor. “And even on Serenno and Korriban, there are far too many amongst our ranks whos allegiances and commitment to the Sith are questionable at best,” Whether it was sympathies with Imperials over Sith, or with enemies of the Empire, Vahliri could name several of her own peers who hardly fit her definition of Sith. It was a career path that few actually pursued.

“An academy on Thule would accomplish a multitude of things. It would expand our facilities and allow for an additional cache of students to begin their training - which is certainly needed in light of recent events. “ She said simply. "It would benefit from my direct purview, and a stricter method of instruction - to weed out rogue elements before they become a problem for the SIth in the long run.” She lifted the glass to her lips, “I intend to capitalize upon the martial traditions of the planet and my own skills as a duelist to specialize training in those fields.”

“If successful, I plan to advocate such methods throughout other academies.”

 

[Darth Trelain]

Trelain watched the other woman as she spoke, not just with physical eyes and ears, but with the Force. She got an impression of what she said and how she spoke, what she believed based on what she said and didn't say. She was quite blunt, which Trelain couldn't necessarily fault her for, but that could be a double edged blade.

But if our issue is training incompetent or disloyal Sith, then it would be better to root out those in the academy to make room for the deserving rather than open a new academy, would it not? she asked. If the problem was that good Sith were being diluted, adding more to the ranks was just going to amplify the problem. Or would it?

What do you make of our current situation within the Sith and the Empire? You think the Sith have become weak and without direction? she asked, fleshing out the words that Vahliri had said and not said.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Deep in her psyche, Vahliri knew that Trelain was getting a read of her - probing for information, without asking very many questions. Perhaps it was her recent rise to Master - and thus, relevant - that prompted the Councilor’s interest. Or perhaps it was something more.. But for the moment, the half-Annfyn didn’t allow any of those thoughts to manifest on the surface. Instead, she swirled the wine in her glass, pondering the question for a few moments.

“To be quite honest, I do not believe the two are mutually exclusive,” She said with a moment of pause. “Rooting out incompetent and disloyal Sith from existing academies needs to occur - and failed perspectives have their own role to play.” Whether or not they had the making of true Sith, trained Force sensitives would always serve a purpose as cannon-fodder in wartime or as examples to genuine prospects. “The process of rooting out failure in existing institutions may encourage their peers to correct previous errors in judgment.”

“An academy on Thule - built with those goals and principles in mind from the onset - wouldn’t exacerbate our problem.” Vahliri intended to oversee the project herself, and put her principles to action. "Moroever, the ability to recruit and train and entire additional academy of students - especially now, with war on the horizon - is a boon." She lifted a hand. “Success there gives credence to implementing similar ideals across the board.” Plain and simple, Vahliri couldn’t just put her plans into action on Korriban or Serenno - least of all with the amount of politicking that went on amongst Sith Masters. She didn’t that level of authority. Not yet, anyway.


The other question caused Vahliri to straighten in her seat for a moment. She knew that they were drifting into dangerous waters - depending on Trelain’s own ideology on the matter. All the same, the half-Annfyn didn’t intend upon dodging the question either. “Some of us, yes.” She said after a moment, voice flat. Some within the Empire had held true to their principles.. But there were far too many who hadn’t.

“I believe the Sith have progressively diluted themselves and lost direction because of the Empire. I believe that we have lost sight of our code and principles - to appease the ideals of the average Imperial or the rest of the Galaxy.” She said, drumming her fingers against the armrest. “I believe that many of our own have conflicted loyalties between being Sith, and being Imperial.” It was a problem that Vahliri had observed for some time - and one that had slowly begun to take root within many.

@Phoenix

 

[Darth Trelain]

Trelain gave no indication of her thoughts about the decisions Vahliri had made regarding the academies. She was unlikely to change the woman's mind at this point, and decided it was beneath her to waste her time in trying.

What she did notice was the subtle flexes of muscle and the split second widening of eyes and flickering of ears that betrayed the follow up question the Warden had posed was uncomfortable. And if there was one place that Trelain thrived it was in other people's discomfort.

You've never considered joining the Inquisition? she asked before waving the question away. Never mind, she said. No, she knew why Vahliri hadn't joined the Inquisition. She was a diva who wanted the crowns and parades and banners. She couldn't bring herself to act in anonymity. Trelain moved along from the question without missing a beat.

Mm, yes. Not even Sith, really. Dark Jedi, she said, the word laced with disdain as she said it. They were soft, pretenders to the Order. Sullying the name of the Sith and barely even grasping at what it actually meant to be a Sith. She wondered if the young woman in front of her really understood what it meant. Trelain believed she could come to understand it if not.

People like your friends, Commander Din and Champion Atrix? she asked inquisitively. She hadn't forgotten the stunt they had pulled on... whatever that backwater planet was. Trelain didn't remember it or the village, but she did remember the decisions that had been made. All the more amplified by the revelation about Atrix's past.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri opted not to verbally answer Trelain’s question about the Inquisition - but instead arched a brow in response to the idea. The simple reality was that.. The Councilor was right. Vahliri had no desire to work in the shadows or for her achievements to be unacknowledged - and felt no shame for that. She wanted the prestige and influence and notoriety that her actions warranted. Working within the shadows had, quite frankly, never been her style. Luckily, the Councilor dismissed the idea almost immediately after it was spoken.

She leaned back in her seat, humming her approval to Trelain’s ‘Dark Jedi’ sentiments. Too many within their ranks didn’t have the makings of true Sith. Too many of them were swayed by the Jedi or allowed sympathy for Imperials to cloud their judgment. It was a flaw that their Order had neglected to address since the death of the Eternal - and had the potential to devastate them from within. It was, in some ways, why the half-Annfyn was as committed to her academic path as she was.

There was the faintest movement of her fluted ears when Trelain mentioned Altair and Varyn. Her own interactions with both of them.. Were complicated - emotions that were still raw within her. She wanted to jump to both of their defenses and deny what the Councilor apoused.. But could she? Altair had always favored his Imperials and soldiers over the Sith. He’d always looked to people like Darth Raze and Andruil as figures of controversy and extreme. And Varyn? She.. Trusted Varyn. Believed that she could forgive him - but that didn’t change his past. He was still a Jedi, and the half-Annfyn had seen him struggle to find his place in the Sith. Could he ever - truly?

Hints of doubt lingered in the corners of her mind, as much as the half-Annfyn pretended they weren’t there. Her eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly, pondering once again what the Councilor had to gain by her line of questions. What was her goal?

“Perhaps,” She said after a moment of pause, her expression as neutral as the half-Annfyn could reasonably manage. “But,” The half-Annfyn added with a clip, “I believe they are loyal to the Sith - if push came to shove.” If a choice was presented, Vahliri wanted to believe they’d both take the right stance.

“Do you believe differently?”

@Phoenix

 

[Darth Trelain]

Trelain watched everything from the way the other woman's ears twitched to the way she tried so hard to maintain a perfectly neutral expression even as her thoughts betrayed her. The faintest echoes of emotion that seeped through the cracks.

Trelain's expression didn't shift in response to Vahliri's spoken answer, but she didn't seem impressed by it.

I believe that Altair abandoned the Sith Order to become an Imperial. And I believe that Varyn used to be a Jedi, she said. She was simply restating facts rather than drawing speculations, watching the Master for any indication that she already knew about Varyn's history. She took the lack of total shock to be telling in and of itself.

The question was, how long had she known?

Your... mission against the Vanhoops. An attempt to drive Altair back to the arms of the Dark Side? she asked. Or simply petty revenge? One was the action of a visionary and the other was... well, still part of being Sith.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri couldn’t help the sharp exhale that flowed through her nostrils. It was a subtle hint that Trelain’s words were finding purchase beneath the surface - despite the neutral expression that she attempted to maintain. For the second time, the half-Annfyn wanted to dispute the Councilor’s assertions definitively. She wanted to put to bed any speculation or thought of disloyalty from the pair - from two people that mattered to her. And yet.. She couldn’t deny that the Councilor’s words weren’t wrong. They were, quite frankly, a restatement of known facts. Altair had all the achievement and experience to become a Sith Master, and had chosen to take the title of Imperial Commander - publicly and loudly putting himself in the corner of the Imperials. And Varyn?

“I’ve been told,” She clipped back when Trelain mentioned Varyn had once been a Jedi. Despite her measured tone of voice, it wasn’t difficult to decipher that the half-Annfyn was still irked by that bit of information. Whatever she felt for Varyn, it was a breach of trust - and clearly a recent one, from her reaction.

Vahliri wasn’t going to protest the conversation moving right along - leaving her only with those seeds of doubt. Instead, her brow arched at the topic that she’d expected from the get-go. She placed her glass down on the table, fingers tapping against the armrest before she broke the silence.

“Towards the Dark Side, and away from a former Jedi.” She said flatly, reclining a bit in her seat. Her motivations for killing Clove had been multifaceted. She despised the woman on a personal note - and knew the type of risk she was to Altair. Would she drive him away from the Sith, or push him to further question his ideals? Association with her in general wasn’t a good thing either - and likely caused room for scrutiny amongst the ISB.

“Vanhoop believed she was untouchable, and attempted to flaunt that protection in Imperial territory. I showed her that she wasn’t,” A hint of satisfaction to her voice? She was proud of what she’d done to Clove.. The effects it had on Altair, less so. “Altair is better off with her dead. She would always be a liability as a former Jedi, and would cause him to question his choices as a Sith.”

“I ensured there was no trace back to myself or the Empire he or third parties could follow.” No one else would have much to go off of. The fact that Trelain - the ISB Warden - had learned the details wasn’t a genuine shock. But it was all the motivation Vahliri needed to address any loose ends back on Thule. Any record, and the men responsible for carrying it out.

 

[Darth Trelain]

To be certain, she didn't miss the fresh wounds that had grown in the young woman's mind. The cracks sewn along the psyche that could be exploited to crack and remold someone into whatever you wanted them to be.

Trelain just nodded when she said she'd been told. He certainly... projects a great deal of trust in you, she said, the words somehow sounding not very much like a compliment, and implying that the "trust" Varyn placed in her was, in fact, simply a sham.

Truthfully, I'm glad to have her gone. She was nothing but a danger to the Empire, she said, though whether she would have said the same thing in another group and another room was a different question. The fact was, she was what she needed to be here and now.

I admire your tenacity and your drive to get the job done no matter the cost, she said. They were very Sith traits, and it was one of many reasons that she had asked the Sith Master here today.

Dead ends can leave lingering questions. A target to blame the attack on will close the book more thoroughly, she advised, a chilling reminder that Trelain had done similar things many times before. It didn't matter who had committed the act, only who was perceived as having committed it. Reality could be whatever the Warden wanted.

A liability as a former Jedi, she repeated the precise descriptor that Vahliri had just used to describe Clove. Vahliri was smart enough to make the leap to who she was talking about now.

I think you have a great deal of potential, Vahliri. Potential to become a real Sith, not a pretender like most in the Empire, but what I can't yet tell is what lengths you'll actually go to in order to see that come to fruition, she said.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri nodded along quietly, listening to what Trelain had to say. Of course, the half-Annfyn didn’t miss the deliberate word choices and the implication of what the Councilor was saying - calling into question the trust that Varyn supposedly placed in her. It was a question that Vahliri had queried herself on multiple times recently, and if she’d come up with an answer yet, she deliberately didn’t express it. She hummed her agreement with Trelain’s sentiment about Clove. It was better for everyone involved that the woman was dead, and could no longer spread her influence through Altair or anyone else. There was, also, the petty revenge aspect of it all - and the fact that the half-Annfyn had hurt the woman simply because Clove tried to flaunt her immunities.

“I appreciate it,” Vahliri offered Trelain a small tilt of her head in acknowledgement. It sounded like genuine praise - not the kind of hollow pleasantries and flattery that the half-Annfyn could see right through. The next things Trelain said, of course, captured her attention quite a bit more. Advice from a Sith Councilor was a rare enough thing - and that was precisely what it was. It was something that Vahliri took to heart, and would likely implement upon leaving their little meeting. She had loose ends to cut and tracks to cover. Someone else needed to take the fall for her actions, if only to silence them forever. "Noted."

Vahliri paused, blinking once or twice when Trelain reiterated her own words back at her. She knew precisely who the Councilor was talking about, and the implication that was being made. The half-Annfyn exhaled through her nostrils, pondering that thought for a moment or two. “One who willingly provided us the key to seizing Korriban, and has worked in our interest for years.” She couldn’t deny that Varyn’s previous affiliation was a concern, but it was a far cry from Clove. Clove had continued to espouse Jedi ideals and effectively was a Jedi in all but official documentation. Varyn? Had turned his back on the Order and its teachings. Had fought for the Empire and nearly died for it, and allowed for the fall of Yavin.

The seeds of doubt had begun to take root. They would fester and whisper at the back of Vahliri’s mind with every following interaction with both Altair and Varyn - if only to probe for validation of her concerns. But for now? She needed more, before she started to see Varyn as a liability.

“I believe my actions thus far have demonstrated that markedly,” Vahliri said after a moment of pause, amber eyes lingering on Trelain without a hint of wavering. It was a confident statement, perhaps an arrogant one.. But Vahliri had no problem being arrogant. As a Sith Master and woman with a proven track record, she’d earned that right.

“You were correct the first time, Councilor. No matter the cost.”

 

[Darth Trelain]

Trelain found it interesting how she jumped to his defense. It wasn't a great sign. Or perhaps she was just being practical.

Yes, he did, she agreed with a nod. She paused a moment. Vahliri was intentionally playing her cards very close to the chest, and it... annoyed the Councilor. Stupid as it was, but she was determined not to lose her cool. She seldom ever did, truth be told.

But all of that won't absolve if he's looking to drive a wedge between the Sith and the Empire, she said. She took a drink of her wine before speaking up again.

You said the Sith diluted themselves and lost their way. You said you wanted to stop those who were infecting the Empire and teach genuine Sith teachings at your academy. And you said you'd stop at nothing to see yourself as a real Sith, she said, pausing a moment to let the words sink in and staring with intensity at the other woman.

So what are you going to do about Knight Atrix? Er, I mean, Champion Atrix, she said. She was asking if she was going to put her reputation and power where her mouth was. It was a hard question. The kind of question that separated the Sith from the Dark Jedi and the kind of question that most people never wanted to be confronted with.

 

[Darth Tempest]

“No, it won’t.” She said in agreement, nodding when Trelain countered her point about Varyn’s contributions. Yavin might’ve absolved Varyn’s actions on Dromund Kaas, but it would not continue to protect him going forward. If his loyalties were truly with the Imperials - if he was part of the very problem that Vahliri was attempting to stifle..?

For a few moments, Vahliri was silent as a crypt - save for the rhythmic tapping of her fingernails. By this point, the half-Annfyn could clearly see the picture that Trelain was attempting to paint - along with all of the implications that came with it. She knew precisely what would be expected of her, based purely upon her own statements and beliefs. She knew precisely what Trelain, without actually speaking the words, was stating needed to be done. Vahliri couldn’t help but consider her own future - and the future that she envisioned for the Sith. There would be no tolerance for the weakness and watered-down approach that many within their Order had subscripted to, especially when those elements risked empowering the trillions beneath the Sith’s control. There would be no room for Jedi sympathies or the Palpatine-esque regime that had, progressively, become the Sith Empire.

What would start on the Thule Academy, Vahliri intended to replicate across the Order. Piece by piece - root by root - she would reshape them all according to her vision. Until they were something befitting the title of the Sith Order. Her Sith Order.

If what Trelain said alone was true? Varyn would have no place in it. She wanted to argue or deny the facts - to jump to his defense out of affection alone. But there was no denying what was plainly obvious, no matter how much it tore out her heart to settle upon that realization. And it left her with a simple question - one that she didn’t really want to answer - and her mind searched for an answer to.

After a moment, she finally plucked the glass off the end table. “..I am going to determine how far he can be driven," Vahliri said after a moment of pause, finally sipping from her wine. She enjoyed the vintage that the Councilor could afford, savoring the swallow before proceeding right along. “Varyn is efficient and produces results,” She began, transitioning to tapping her nail against the thin glass. It was true enough statement - even if it reduced someone she cared deeply for into little more than an asset to be used. “Importantly, he was a Jedi from the Republic - and I believe that he, better than most, understands what it looks like when the government can be turned against the Order they are intrinsically tied to. A fact that can be exploited,” It was little more than an explaination of her thought process.

The comparison wasn’t perfect - and she certainly didn’t enjoy comparing the Jedi and Sith. But it wasn’t inaccurate, either. It was the risk that Vahliri foresaw with any attempt to empower the Imperial elements of the Empire. The risk that the Sith Order could be relegated as little more than ‘protectors’, or potentially cast out entirely. Destroyed from within. Varyn had witnessed that very thing with the Jedi and Republic. Could he really stand by, watching it happen to the Sith? Watching it happen to her?

“I believe that his trust in me is genuine. That whatever ties he has to the Empire over the Sith can be turned,” There was potential, in her mind. "That he can be shaped." The potential that Varyn could truly embrace the Sith Order and the Dark Side - to achieve everything he was capable of. She knew that it was his only route to survival within the Sith that Vahliri envisioned. And it her own twisted way, if she cared about it at all.. Perhaps bringing him to the edge of the Darkness was the best thing she could do. It was worth the effort.

“He has no place, if not. And will be eliminated, if not.” She said frankly, her words frigid and colder than usual. It was the practical and calculated, and it almost sickened the half-Annfyn to her stomach. But it was an approach she stood behind - and one that Trelain would be able to tell she was deathly serious about.

 

[Darth Trelain]

Trelain listened to her response and the emotions that bled just below the surface. Vahliri was uncomfortable again. She'd formed attachments and while those attachments weren't banned, they often led one to become weaker rather than stronger. Particularly if those attachments were to those who might drag you in the wrong direction.

They were strong words that Vahliri spoke, but they were words, and words were often empty. Trelain took another drink from her glass and said nothing for a long moment. She weighed what the woman said, and all their implications.

She thought about where the Sith Master would end up and what it took to become a strong Sith. Not just an average Sith or certainly not a Dark Jedi but a true Sith Lord. Or a Dark Lord of the Sith. She thought about the pain that had to be suffered to transform someone into a vessel of wrath that could be poured out on one's enemies.

And she thought about Varyn. The man had certainly struck a serious blow to the Jedi Order, and there was no doubt he was a useful tool. He had the skills to be turned into an excellent assassin or attack dog, but he would never be anything more because he lacked resolve. He was, ultimately, soft.

You'll forgive me... she began, though the expression was simply a turn of phrase. She couldn't care less what the other woman thought about what she was about to say ...if I don't believe that you see him as nothing more than a tool, she said. Her thoughts - her emotions - betrayed her. Even the things she had said to Trelain didn't sit well in the other woman's mind. Perhaps she truly believed them, but self-deception was the true enemy of the Sith. Because ultimately being a Sith was about full self-realization. It only confirmed to the Sith Lord that he was a weight stunting her growth.

Have you ever witnessed a necrotizing infection before, Master Kahtal? she asked, changing the infection with a hard left turn.

Some of our less fortunate prisoners have fallen victim to it before, she said, looking up for a moment toward the ceiling as if remembering all the details. And they were vivid memories.

It starts subtly, sometimes as just a nick in the skin that becomes infected. Almost unnoticed. But it spreads like nothing you've ever seen: a few centimeters per hour. Agonizing and often lethal even with medical intervention, she said, her eyes swiveling back down to the Vahliri now.

The only hope is to excise all of the tissue. "Copious debridement" I believe the doctors call it. Rip it out from the roots, sometimes even taking good tissue with it because if you don't get it all, it will rip you apart, she said.

You see, you've correctly identified the nick in Altair's skin when he couldn't see it, and you may have saved him even through his pain. But you can't recognize your own, she said.

And by the time you do, it will be too late.

 

[Darth Tempest]

For all the ways that Vahliri had attempted to keep her composure, even the half-Annfyn had a breaking point. To the best of her ability, she had attempted to find a solution to the obvious problem before her - a method that both achieved her goals, and ensured that Varyn wasn’t an obstacle that had to be executed. She wanted to believe it was possible, and that she wouldn’t ever be placed in the position of having to choose. It was an incredibly difficult choice.. And Vahliri knew what her choice would have to be, in the end. The only choice she would allow of herself.

But with every word that Trelain spoke, Vahliri couldn’t help the doubts that began to flood through her mind.

The analogue was difficult to argue with - least of all when the very same scenario had just played out with Altair. She had removed the rot that was Clove before it was too late - even when Altair had been blinded by it. Was she blind to it, even as it destroyed her slowly? Made her weaker?

The half-Annfyn had little desire to please or find the good graces of Trelain. She had achieved every bit of her success and power through self-advancement and her own drive, and had no doubt she would surpass the Councilor through those same methods. But she couldn’t argue with the Councilor, either.

Trelain wasn’t wrong, and perhaps it was that fact that caused Vahliri’s blood to boil. For her fingers to curl tightly around the wineglass until hairline fractures began to spiderweb between the tips of her nails. It was a clear and palpable spike of emotion, and one that the half-Annfyn quickly reigned back in, expelled with the exhale through her nostrils and the clink of her glass being placed back onto the table.

“Perhaps you’re right,” She said quietly.

 

[Darth Trelain]

Trelain let the moment fester. The wound that was now open would become rot, and it would eat away at the Master from the inside until she wouldn't be able to help herself any longer, and she would have to confront it.

I have faith that you'll do what is required to reach your potential, she said, though she wished she actually had the confidence in the statement that she conveyed through her tone. She hoped Vahliri would do what was required, but she was not yet sure.

True Sith are hard to come by. The people willing to make the sacrifices to actually have their chains broken are a few in a generation. Sometimes it makes one wonder if Darth Bane wasn't on to something, she said.

The truth is that while you may not see yourself as in need of me, I like to keep my eye on people who I think have the potential to become true Sith, she said, the ease with which she said the statement would almost make Vahliri wonder if she'd read her mind. But in truth, it was simply a matter of watching the way Vahliri conducted herself whether with Trelain, Draugr, or anyone else.

 

[Darth Tempest]

Vahliri offered Trelain a curt nod in response to the Councilor’s ‘faith. The half-Annfyn was perfectly aware of what was required and expected of her now, even if questions remained whether she would follow through. Perhaps she wouldn’t have to - perhaps it wouldn’t come to that.. But the half-Annfyn knew, deep in her soul, that it was a dilemma she would have to confront sooner or later.

Her attachments to Varyn were far too plain for Trelain to see, but the half-Annfyn deliberately played her cards close to her chest - opting not to question or divulge whatever wasn’t necessary in that moment.

“Perhaps,” She said after a moment, pondering the mention of Darth Bane. “But the line of Banite Sith was too vulnerable. Too easily ended, either by interference or sheer incompetency.” Whatever his successes, Palpatine had overplayed his hand - and his actions had very nearly led to the extinction of their Order.

“We simply have failed to live up to the standard of the Rule of the Strong.” She said, drawing her finger across the rim of the glass. “An error I intend upon rooting out.” The half-Annfyn mused.

“And the rest - the thousands amongst us who fail to meet that standard?” She asked. Vahliri had her own beliefs on the matter, but was curious where the Councilor stood - though wasn’t entirely convinced she’d offer an answer in any case.