True Sith

[Darth Nihil]

She had sent the last week on Ossus, waiting for something that never happened. Waiting for a call that was never sent out. She had walked through the ruins of the Library, what remained of the Mandalorian assault on the planet. Had this scared him? Was fear of the Mandalorians what had brought about his insanity? She had killed Mandalorians, and she did not fear them. Would not fear the.

She had hoped that someone would rise up to reject the so called Emperor's foolishness. A Darth, a Sith Lord, a Governor, anyone. Someone who still believed in the Empire. But no one did, they were all playing along with this charade. Well, she was done waiting. If no one else would, then she would do it on her own. Someone had to step up and put things in order, and if no one else would then she would force them to, one way or another.

Standing in the ruined courtyard of the Ossus Library, she nodded to the droid standing off to the side and the holorecorder sprang to life, broadcasting her words across the Galaxy.

"Citizens of the Empire, my name is Kaye Antares, and I speak to you now to reassure those left in fear by the words of the Emepror not so long ago." The recorder didn't capture the ruins behind her, but she let its presence all around her fuel her determination. "The decision to dissolve the Empire, to leave all our citizens without the protective arm of the Empire, is one I cannot agree with." There was no anger on her face, just disappointment, and pity. Pity that the Sith had fallen so low to let fear rule them so.

"I had hoped that some would rise to oppose his ill fated choice, but it seems like his Council is as lost as he is and will not do what needs be done. I am here to tell you that you do not have to fear for the future. The Empire is not going to turn its backs on you. We will protect you like we have for centuries."

The sincerity and determination in her eyes was there for all to see, as much as it could be conveyed over a holoprojection. But whether or not it was evident did not change the fact that it was there as she continued, her voice now showing hints of sadness. "The Emperor and his advisors seem to have lost their way, a true Sith does not flee with their tail between their legs just because things aren't momentarily going their way." They were cowards, one and all, there was nothing else to it. And if no one else would put them in their place then she would do it on her own.

All her life she had served the Empire, its people. And she wasn't going to turn her back on them at the call of one fool. She had killed, she had she sweat and blood, she had chased down legends to serve the empire. This was but the logical next step. "I hereby renounce the Emperor, Council, and any that would stand with him. We are Sith, we are not cowards, we do not run from a fight. I am here to tell you that the Empire is very much alive, and till even one true Sith draws breath we will fight to protect the Empire and it’s citizens. I will fight to protect you, one and all."

As the projection would cut off, she opened herself to the Force and let the word go out. She called to them, true Sith one and all. Called them to her. To fight her, to stand with her, or swear allegiance to her she did not know. But she would not let things end on one man's whims. If any Sith believed what she did then they would come, and they would stand with her. She did not think of the possibility that none would show up, because then the Sith were truly lost.

[OOC: Open to all Sith and Imperials, lets try to avoid shenanigans and fights.]

 

[Darth Tagus]

Tagus hadn't been called Emperor for very long so it felt a little strange to address something that targeted him as thus but he supposed calling him the Emperor validated Kaye's point that there was even still an Empire for her to declare herself guardian of, whatever that meant.

Did that mean she was going to hold onto the Empire by her lonesome? With her band of allies and all the crew of all their ships and anyone who could be paid to assist?

If she was half as good at organisation as she was at running her mouth then she might actually have a shot at defending a world, or a system, from tearing itself apart for a few years. Or a Mandalorian invasion for a month or two if she really put her back into it. Stepping into the courtyard without pomp or ceremony, Tagus had come without his mask but was otherwise presented as he usually was.

He noted her meditating so he knew she was aware of his presence. Wasn't as if he tried to hide it at all. He moved over to a stone bench that was mostly intact and sat down on it.

"Kaye Antares." he greeted her with a small smile, "Still got a sharp tongue in your head I see. Last time I got to see you actually use it was at Victress' little speech back in the tombs. Seems like a lifetime ago doesn't it?"

He laughed.

"It's a few lifetimes ago actually - a few Sith Emperor's lifetimes in fact." he grinned a little bit, his teeth showing now, "But now you stand against me. So... wanna talk about it? Or do you want to try and take your shot? It'd be very Sith after all."

@Wit

 

[Darth Nihil]

She sensed Darth Tagus before he approached, she would have been pretty bad at what she did if she hadn't. Though she was surprised to see him here, not having expected him of all people to show up, his presence did provide an unique opportunity for learning some things she could only speculate. What had driven him to make the decision he had taken, it was often the reasoning behind a decision and not the decision itself that told you more about a man.

"Fight you?" she replied to his question, "no, I have no intention of taking my shot, Darth Tagus. Many faults thought I might have, ambition has never been one of them. I did what I did for the people living within the Empire, and if words will find a way to resolve this situation then I am all ears. Neither of our deaths will serve the Order, or the Empire, in any way." Her mention of the Empire was an intentional one, reiterating her refusal to accept his decision to turn their back on the Empire. The onus was on him to convince her, and any others who might show up for that matter. Provided they didn't show up feeling more trigger happy than the Dark Lord had.

"My only purpose in life, for as long as I can remember, has been serving the Sith Order, and through it the people of the Empire. And with a few words you turned your back on them. Even know there are words still loyal to the Empire, still looking to us to protect them, to rule them. So tell me Darth Tagus, why would you turn your back on them?"

She wanted to hear his reasoning, understand why he had done what he had. She would do this on her own if she had to, but if she there was even a slight chance of turning him back to the true cause of the Sith Order then she would have more than done her duty to the Empire.

@Nefieslab

 

[Darth Tagus]

Well at least they were going to be civil about this - well, about as civil as the two of them ever were. Neither of them was known for being very good at keeping a civil tongue for too long after all. They had met while badmouthing a woman who was supposed to be their superior after all.

He hummed lightly.

"Some would call challenging my edict as ambitious but I take your point." he admitted as he took out a small cigara case and lit one of the sticks before offering the case to Kaye, "I can respect your reasoning at the very least."

Taking a pull on his cigara, Tagus let the question linger in the air for a moment before answering.

"Because I've seen nothing of what made the Empire great in the first place in the Empire we grew up in, Kaye." He told her bluntly, "There is rampant slavery. Devotion to the ideal of an Empire that never existed. The idolization of the Drast bloodline despite repeated and inexcusable failures and betrayals. Because we are beset on all sides by enemies created by the Empire, by the system we both swore our lives to. The Mandalorians? Their anger stirred up by the Empire's repression of their culture and the massacres when that didn't work. The Galactic Alliance? Barring the Jedi, every member bar none has been wronged by the Empire as a system rather than the Sith, the Imperials, as a people."

He waved a hand.

"The Empire was founded to give people a sense of belonging and protection - but we haven't done that for decades at least. We repressed and we tormented and we made ourselves into the very thing we sought to destroy; a corrupt institution that brutalizes it's people as a matter of routine." He scowled a little bit, "We were the enemy to so many of our own people that they hope to see freedom under the boot heels of Mandalorian zealots - literally religiously crusading Mandalorians for Force's sake! When Mandalorians land on worlds they attack and our people? Our people welcome them because what we were was not what we should be; and what I would have us never be again."

@Wit

 

[Amur]

Off in the distance concealed by Shadow was a lone Sith viewing the spectacle. A used-to-be emperor and a crusader who only seemed to wait until the crumbling fall to actually try to do something. Funny. Amur had been sitting upon a wooden shelf, one leg hanging off drifting idly in the air, a hand propping her chin as she she watched the two curious what would become of it. She was wondering what sort of response Kaye's declaration would get. Would droves of people assembly stirred up in to the wails of change and defiance? Would she see tens or even hundreds of people assemble together? A plan be hashed out, a new order to rise a new chain of command. None of that was happening and quite frankly this was just sad. Watching Kaye pour her heart out while most people just walked by.

Oh well another Idealist trying to force her will on the world only for it to push back and deny her. Still she wanted to see if there would be people she would be able to meet up and talk to and get a sense of the air for these 'true sith'. But no it was just two people arguing ideals. Still I guess she would like to weigh in on this matter. Maybe hearing someone who was actually wanting to break free of that antiquated system would help her see her point of view. Amur had been keeping her presence and signature hidden from the force preferring to just be a fly on the wall. That however was getting boring. Still staying in the shadow but revealing her presence to the force. She would reach out and telepathically communicate to the two.

"I would like to point out that you gave a call, and almost no one answered. You can see this as a sad allegory for the Sith will. You think you can undo that with one speech? That we just need a pep talk to rise up again. No, this order has quite frankly been turned into a pathetic shadow of itself. Look at the dark council, it's most powerful Sith consisted of a madman who disappeared off the map, a stupid twit in a mask who would rather bask in her sense of superiority than actually do anything with it, and a snake who only cares for herself and is now cowering away from her responsibility. You want hold on to a corrupt system that produced those as our most powerful agents, an institution that is constantly on the brink of civil war, that's continually destabilizing, losing territory and cannibalizing itself? Keeping it alive will not bring order. That's not a safe secure empire for the people it's a failed state of chaos."

Anger was slowly flowing into her with each new word as she decided to voice her view on the Sith as a whole. It was sad, weak and most certainly would have the ghost of andraste screaming at them. For once she really didn't care what the the lord of the Sith, they were here and if they wanted a open dialogue and someone to speak their mind then so be it.

"We live a adapt or die universe. We can hold on to this pass construct or... let it die. Burn down that rotting foundation that has enslaved us. Move on and adapt to survive. After all, look at the territory we lost to the Mandalorians, our failure to squash the Alliance and resurrection of the Jedi, the united protectorate crying out and demanding to form a republic. The people don't want us as we are. If we continue on this path we will be extinct."

The Sith decided to drop down from her view and walk towards the group. She was staring at Tagus now with a look that may have been trying to burn a hole into his skull. Rank didn't matter, heck not even his personal strength. Amur didn't care.

"Now you Tagus. Are you truly trying to reform the Sith. Are your words sincere? Because I'm looking at a person who backed the rule of Aadya Drast. I'm looking at someone who may have realized that the attack on Mandalore would do nothing strategically other than giving the Mandalorian people a rallying cry and excuse to merrily slaughter. Throwing away a fragile ceasefire, the United protectorate which had potential to be a hidden proxy war for us to wage. We had a chance to convince our enemy into believing the illusion of peace. Why should I or people like Kaye listen and follow you?" A bold challenge to the two, maybe not the most diplomatic and it could result in her getting her head cleaved off but, being a pandering yes-man wasn't the Sith way.

@Nefieslab @Wit

 

[Darth Tagus]

Interesting.

Someone else had actually come forward.

Honestly, Tagus wasn't sure if they were a man or a woman to be fair. They seemed so very... bland. As though the reason why they liked to slink around in the shadows was because they lacked any kind of flair or strength to actually step out into the light and be taken seriously. But as amusing as it was to think such things about people in the privacy of his own mind, Tagus couldn't help but smirk ever so slightly as she addressed him.

"Because people like you and Kaye don't want to die a pointless death." he told her bluntly, "At the end of the day, people want to stand behind something bigger than themselves so that when they die, they can feel as though some part of them will carry on. It's the reason why Kaye is devoted to the Empire as an institution and why you are so driven to follow the laws of the Sith."

He scowled.

"And the Empire is dying a slow death - it's end at my hands is a mercy compared to being picked apart by Mandalorians. We leave the Empire behind us and we become a Sith Order with some of our Imperial friends and allies and followers with us; and we melt away. We become the shadows and let them strike blindly around in the dark until we are ready to return. To return for revenge, for power and for the chance to destroy a wicked and corrupted Galactic system that keeps the Galaxy at bay, locked down, in fear and pain."

@Wit @Caught in Strangereal

 

[Darth Nihil]

She was about to answer when a newcomer arrived and began speaking. While his words at first made her raise an eyebrow in amused surprise, it turned into a full fledged chuckle as he continued speaking. It was sad how true some of his words were, while at the same time funny in a deprecating sort of way. He was right though, her little speech had been a hail mary, a final attempt to shame, motivate, or inspire the Sith into action. But they were both right about the state of the Empire. Maybe it really was dead, and no one person could change that. No, she was going to have to take a different approach.

"Looks like this is it boys." she finally said with a shake of her head and a slight chuckle, "I tried, I failed. The fact that it's just the three of us having this argument is all I need to know. Maybe I have been living in an imaginary empire," those last words were directed at Tagus, the mirth now gone and a melancholic smile on her face, "but it was a good dream. And I'm not giving up on that dream, I still believe we can be that Empire, that Order once more. And I won't stop fighting for it. I've lost this battle, but I won't stop fighting the war."

She began walking away, even more determined and certain of her path than she had been before this entire charade. She stopped a few steps away, turning back to look at Tagus. "Lead the Order well my Lord," she said with a serious expression on her face, "sooner or later I will find a way to make things right, and that day the Empire will be reborn. With the Sith leading it."


@Nefieslab @Caught in Strangereal