Ask We Ryun This

[Karys]

Karys has been summoned to meet with an illusive figure within the Order. Cyutadakyr had spoken of her a fondly a few times in the past but Karys didn’t dwell on those memories. Cyu had been his friend once, but he’d killed that relationship to save face in front of the Order. He’d broken her and gained even more attention from the Dark Lord. While he didn’t regret what he’d done, he still missed their friendship.

The rains of Drommund Kaas felt eternal and so Karys had opted for more traditional Order attire. He wore his black robes, his beskar vambraces with his lightsaber clipped to his belt, and Sadowbane slung over his back. When the speeder he’d rented finally stopped before the penthouse Sith Master Sah’ra Ryun lived in, Karys allowed his eyes to wonder across its surface. Once he’d finished admiring her home, Karys would make his way inside, show his credentials and invitation, and then make his way to the elevator and her floor.

Once there, Karys felt uneasy. He was aware this could be a trap. Cyu had spoken fondly of Master Ryun, which meant she could be looking to avenge her now cursed comrade. It was doubtful but still possible, another reason he’d come armed. Better safe than sorry. However, Karys would knock three times on her door, clear his throat, and then speak.

“I am Sith Champion Karys’ithar iv-Kressh. I’ve come as bidden Master Ryun.”

And then he’d wait to be given entry.

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Much had transpired over the years though few of these developments had held such a degree of interest to Sah'ra than what had occurred between Cyutadakyr, Nevizkas, and the man known as Karys. Loyalty was a fickle, ever changing matter among the Sith. For one to burn a connection so quickly, so completely, spoke to the kind of man this Karys was. One, she surmised, who may prove fruitful with knowing.

Watching the security monitor as her guest arrived, Sah'ra smirked behind a single finger held to her lip. He was nothing short of a behemoth, robes stretched across muscles thrice the size of your average man.

As Karys announced himself, the door slid open with Tren standing on the other side. Her brother, while no minor man himself, still was forced to look up to meet the Pureblood's eye. Silently he stared with determination before holding out a hand for Karys' weapons to be surrendered

“It's quite alright,” Sah'ra offered from the entrance to her study, waving dismissively to her brother. “If his weapons bring him comfort, then he may carry them. Welcome to my home, Karys'ithar iv-Kressh” She repeated back to him, taking note of the familiar surname. Perhaps another rumor had turned out to be true.

Once Karys entered the penthouse, and her brother had moved on from the room, Sah'ra motioned for the man to sit at the dining table.

“I've heard a great deal about you, Karys,” she began, purposefully electing to forgo mentioning his rank. She walked towards a glass cabinet to retrieve a bottle of Adumarian Cabernet and a second glass, placing both on the table. “- but these rumors and stories are not why I've called you here,” she continued while sliding into the chair opposite him. “I'm curious as to what kind of man you truly are. I believe in getting to know those who have shown promise. Naturally, this has led me to you,”

As she spoke, she reached out and uncorked the bottle before placing it back on the table to breathe. Her attention fell back to the Pureblood. “You've accomplished much but I cannot believe that you're satisfied with your standing, honored as it is,” Sah'ra paused, awaiting his response.

@Apollyon​

 

[Karys]

When the door slid open, Karys’ golden gaze fell down onto the man who stood behind it. The man extended his hand to claim Karys’ weapons. There was a moment where Karys didn’t move, then, despite Sah’ra’s blessing for him to carry them, Karys began to remove his weapons.

He started with his blaster pistol, which he tugged free from its holster and clicked the safety on before handing it over. Then came his the hilt of his lightsaber, the Kyber within didn’t scream from being bled. Instead it called to Karys, a sign of his attunement to the weapon. But it would be the massive sword draped across his back that anyone who was force sensitive could feel.

The weapon itself was unnatural an anathema to life and a poison made manifest. Its mere existence made the Force scream around it. It was a blade forged in blood, a weapon of passion made manifest. It was an artifact of the Dark Side, a potent and powerful one made specifically for him.

“Don’t let the edge nick you if you play with it.” Karys warned the man. “You’ll bleed from every orifice and die as your innards liquify.” He continued.

Karys’ gaze returned to his hostess, he pulled back his drenched hood to reveal his face. Karys presence oozed a contradictory sentiment, caution yet confidence. While he’d never admit it, he was concerned this was a trap. However, his pride didn’t let him back down. He’d defeated one Sith master with his bare hands. What was another if push came to shove? Karys then dipped his head beneath the frame of her door to enter the penthouse itself.

“Thank you for inviting me, Master Ryun.” Karys responded to her, his head dipped in respect to her position.

Karys’ eyes danced from his hostess to his immediate surroundings. He wasn’t looking for exits or traps or weapons. Rather he was just taking in his surroundings. It spoke of a Sith who was confident in his abilities, one who was unafraid of rising to the occasion.

Karys’ attention drifted back to the table, he removed his cloak. He called upon the Dark Side to aid in drying his clothes before taking a seat at the table. Karys’ eyes followed Sah’ra as she moved gracefully to the wine cabinet and plucked a bottle and a pair of glasses for them.

Karys smiled as he realized what was happening, he was being wooed. It was something he commonly did with other Sith to gain as much information as he could from them without giving any in return. It was a clever game and it allowed Karys to settle into his seat with a little more ease.

It meant Master Ryun wasn’t going to try to kill him. Well at least not yet.

“You flatter me.” Karys replied slowly once his hostess finished speaking. “What is it that you’d like to know?” He asked. “How I conquered worlds without spilling a drop of blood? Or perhaps it’s information regarding my husband that you’re after?” He continued in a cool voice with a knowing smile. “Or are you interested in how I betrayed my two closest friends in the Order? How I murdered one for trying to disgrace me and broke the other for disrespecting my powerbase?” He finished calmly.

His words weren’t sharp, they were measured and calm. He spoke about the events plainly and without hesitation. It wasn’t boastful but simply the truth. He’d done all those things and more, there was no sense in hiding it.

“Where would you like me to begin?”

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

As Karys elaborated on the basics of his past triumphs, at least in her own view as perhaps some of the latter may have been hard for the Champion to view as such, Sah'ra simply smiled as she listened while running a finger around the brim of her glass.

“Only a fool would expect one to readily divulge information about their husband. Like you, Master Azar is a credit to our Order. Should I seek information regarding him, then he is the one I shall ask. A level of respect that he deserves, just as I intend to express to you,” she replied smoothly, a sweet smile in unison.

Pouring Karys a glass of wine, Sah'ra would then continue.

“You are more than a mere brute. You're cunning. Charming. Ruthless. I believe you to be a valuable ally. One who has proven that he is not simply a pawn to be utilized by others but a force in his own right. I find myself curious as to where you plan to make your next move,”

Sah'ra had plans of her own, to be acted upon in due time, but knowing the minds of others could undoubtedly prove fruitful in plotting her own path.

“Of course, I do not expect you to reveal your secrets so readily. I only wish to establish connections with those who seek to find mutually beneficial alliances. That perhaps we could work together on certain endeavors to further our standing,"

@Apollyon​

 

[Karys]

Karys faintly smiled at Sah’ra’s response to his mention of Azar. Good. He wouldn’t have to leave her sitting at the table. Azar’s secret’s would have to be pulled forcefully from his mind and even then he would end the life of whoever tried. His eyes followed Sah’ra’s hand as she poured his glass of wine. He’d wait until her hand had fully retracted to gently grasp the stem of the glass.

It seemed so tiny in his massive hand.

Karys didn’t drink it yet, instead he simply held the glass. He didn’t know Master Ryun and while he was fairly certain she wasn’t trying to kill him, he was married to Azar. He’d witnessed his husband casually poison the Queen of Zygerria to break the world. He wasn’t about to fall victim to that trick.

Karys listened quietly to his hostess’s compliments and analysis of him. As she spoke, Karys’ mind would focus on the glass of wine in his hand. He focused on the liquid and used a subtle trick Azar had taught him for his own protection. Through the Force he quickly analyzed the drink, hunting for toxins and poisons in the alcohol. He was no where near as skilled at this as Azar was but it would be sufficient for this task, or so he hoped. Once he was confident there wasn’t any poison, he sipped from the glass.

Cautious yet confident.

Master Ryun wanted reliable allies and not simple pawns? If she was being honest it meant she viewed him as closer to a peer than a subordinate. That gave him a lot of leverage in dealings. He settled further into his chair, a smile touching his lips.

“You know a lot about me and yet I’m at a disadvantage. Aside from what little Cyutadakyr told me, I know very little about you.” Karys replied. It wasn’t meant to be a backhand but certain Sith could take it that way. “If you are searching for an alliance, it’s only fair to share in kind.” He stated calmly. “After all, I want my allies to be just as reliable as I am.”

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Sah'ra could not refrain from smirking as Karys took the glass in his massive hands. It was bordering on comical, watching as he took care to not snap the stem and as he carefully analyzed the contents.

”I assure you, it's safe,” she chuckled, taking a sip from her own. While poison was certainly not something she would shy away from, she had only just gotten her home in order once again. She was not keen on spending the rest of her evening disposing of a corpse, after all.

”If you have questions or concerns, then ask them,” she replied, maintaining her smirk though his comment had left a mark. Only another reminder that she was not where she had believed she would be by now. A set back that had caused her reputation to vanish along with her and required resolution. Still, Sah'ra was an expert at masking her true feelings and none of which she harbored would be visible. Instead Karys would only see spirited eyes as she leaned back in her chair comfortably. ”I am, as they say, an open book,”

Nothing could have been farther from the truth but for the moment, she was willing to divulge his curiosities.

@Apollyon

Spoiler

Don't mind the dialogue color change. Came to my attention the read was hard for some to read.

 

[Karys]

While Sah’ra assured him the wine was safe, Karys still didn’t know her and so he didn’t trust her. He wordlessly finished analyzing wine for any traces of toxins or poisons. Once he was satisfied he’d take his first sip.

He watched Sah’ra’s reaction to his comment, he wanted to get a measure of her. He got nothing. If she was insulted by his comment, she hid it well. Instead Karys only found what seemed to be amusement or mirth in her eyes. She offered to answer any questions he had. Karys seriously doubted the sincerity of that but he didn’t bother to express it.

“Where did you vanish to?” He questioned. “What made you opt to return?” He continued. “And how is the Order different from when you left?” This last question was pointedly different than the others. It spoke of Karys’ thirst to learn and understand details of the past.

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

”That,” Sah'ra began, shifting in her seat slightly. ”- is a story I suspect I will grow to loathe,” Indeed it already had become as much. Nevertheless, it was one that would shadow her for as long as she allowed it to weigh her down. She would need to shed her shame, prove she was the same person she was all that time ago. It was not something she could shy away from.

”I'm sure you know it's beginnings. I pioneered an expedition to Arkania in search of the dragons that occupy the mountain peaks. Many faces of whom I couldn't recall if I tried. Your husband stands out, even now. Then, of course, Nevizkas,” Pausing for a moment, Sah'ra took a sip from her glass as she glanced to Karys' eyes, searching for a reaction to the title he had inadvertently given her. One, she had noticed, he seemingly refused to use despite Tempest' decree. Most curious, she mused.

”The storms were growing but we remained resolute. We climbed, higher and higher, until we had no choice but to seek shelter. Yet just as we were about to enter an abandoned mineshaft...” She replayed the scenario again in her mind, staring absently into the heart of the red in her hand. ”Something struck me from within the blinding snow. Cast me off the mountain and down into a frigid lake. Were it not for my capacity with the Force, I'd have frozen to death,”

”A pair of fishermen pulled me from the waves some time later. They believed me to be some common girl who had been swept away by the tides,” Still staring into her drink, a sly smirk began to form as she recalled watching the life fade from their eyes. ”It did not take them long to learn the error of their judgment,”

Finally she finished what remained in her glass, pulling the bottle across the table to her with a wave of her finger. ”The Order has grown stronger since,” she began, refilling her glass. ”We were weak after the expulsion by Altair and the Empire we founded. Promising acolytes have grown, flourished and filled the roles of those we had lost. Yourself, your husband. Operating from the shadows has suited the Sith well,”

A moment passed, her words lingering in the air for a moment, before Sah'ra smiled, shaking her head remorsefully. ”Where are my manners. You've come all this way, are a guest in my home, and I've yet to offer you something to eat. Is there anything you would like? I confess to be something of a poor culinary student but I am sure we can come up with something,”

@Apollyon​

 

[Karys]

Karys noticed the pause at Nevizkas. Sah'ra couldn't have made her intent there more obvious and Karys was equally as transparent. His golden eyes rolled in annoyance, he knew the talk of the Order was how he'd failed to kill the mother of his child. How he'd failed to give the Kaggath a proper end. But no one dared directly say that to his face. They knew what would happen if they insinuated anything about him now.

"Are you here to press me about that failure or speak to me?" He asked bluntly. "Let me clarify. The Nevizkas earned her fate when she tried to touch what belonged to me." His eyes narrowed at that. "And just behind my powerbase in value, is my time." He explained. "Do not waste it on her again."

It wasn't a request, it was a warning.

Karys would listen in relative silence to the rest of Sah'ra's story. He listened to how she had barely survived from being blindsided by something. Karys' expression didn't shift, it didn't reveal how unimpressed he was at this. At least she had been fortunate and powerful enough to save herself by consuming the energies of the fishermen. Instead of speaking, Karys would simply nod his head in absent understanding as she finished her tale.

Karys continued to listen in silence to her explanation of the changes the Order had gone through. Even as she spoke, Karys felt uncomfortable. Not because he viewed her as threat, if she was, she'd have made a move already. Instead it was this situation. Karys was her subordinate and here he was, in her sanctum, being treated like a peer. It was unbecoming.

When Sah'ra brought up dinner and her lack of skill in the kitchen, Karys gave her a dismissive wave of his hand.

"I can cook for us, just tell me where things are in the kitchen." He told her as he stood and moved to her kitchen and began to familiarize himself.

As he began to pull out different vegetables, meats, and bases to a broth he'd speak again.

"You know this isn't usual, right?" Karys asked referring to the situation. "It leaves me with an impression about you, one of two things." He continued. "Either, you recognize my power and so court me as you would a peer." He explained with a gesture. "Or, you are weak and so you view me as a threat and try to placate me." He continued. "If it's neither, lets drop this act. It's unbecoming of a Sith Master to stoop to my level." He stated bluntly as he began to thinly slice meat with a sharpened knife. "What are you needing from me?"

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Karys' spike in anger, his defensiveness in the face of being confronted with the situation revolving around her, told Sah'ra all she wanted to know. It was a wound still raw whether he elected to admit it or not. Like her own situation, it loomed over him. Shackles that would need to be shed so they could not be used against him. It begged the question of not if but when he would clear up such a loose end.

His response was nothing short of scornful, of which the tone did not change as the Pureblood began to make his way around her kitchen, doubtlessly needing to duck his head beneath the hanging pots, pans and utensils that encircled the island counter top, the behemoth of a man that he was. While she was famished, his words were not something she could abide.

”What I need from you, Champion,” Sah'ra began to reply from the opposite side of the counter, observing as the sharp blade sliced away before glaring into his amber eyes. ”- is for you to bite your tongue,”

Karys would feel an immediate suppression of his entire body, invisible forces coiling around him and pinning his arms to his torso, his legs together tightly. The pressure would grow, popping of ribs and joints cutting silence as sharply as the meat he prepared, before the his hand holding the knife was forcefully guided upward, placing the metal tip of its edge into the soft tissue beneath his jaw.

As Karys was restrained, Sah'ra reached across the counter and plucked a few pieces of the meat he had sliced, her eyes never leaving his, before leaning back and slowly making her way around the counter top to stand at his back.

”I pride myself on my hospitality but should you insinuate it to be a weakness again,” Sah'ra whispered in his ear before slipping a bite sized portion into her mouth. Karys would feel the pointed knife dig deeper into his flesh, a droplet of blood descending it's edge. ”You're a smart man. Smart enough to understand that such things cannot be permitted. Especially in my own home,” she continued icily into his opposite ear.

Karys would remain restrained, tighter the more he struggled, as she returned to the opposite side of the counter, glaring at the man across from her. The charade, it seemed, had run it's course. A shame. It was a game she thoroughly enjoyed. ”What I seek is a seat at our Dark Lord's table. I would bring you with me to Ord Radama to play a role. I would prefer someone accomplished; acolytes exhaust me. If I'm wrong in the assumption that you can fill this role, tell me now,” she continued, staring into the amber eyes of her guests as she nibbled on another piece of steak. ”My time is far more precious to me, you see,”

@Apollyon​

 

[Karys]

Karys pushed the envelope, he knew that. But this unknown Sith Master wanted an alliance, she wanted him to work alongside her, she wanted him to risk his reputation. He had to be sure that she wasn’t soft like so many other Sith in the Order. He had to ensure that his allies were with the strong.

So when he felt his body constrained by her invisible fury, Karys felt a little more reassured. It was uncomfortable at first, painful even but Karys had tasted lightning and fire before. He was confident in his ability to weather this storm as well.

His golden eyes watched with pained interest as Sah’ra plucked the raw meat from the chopping board and popped it into her mouth between sentences. Even as she walked behind him and the point of his knife turned up to gently push into the tender flesh beneath his jaw, Karys listened. He was not only Azar’s husband, he was his former apprentice. Sah’ra had unwittingly showed her hand with what she had to say.

She wanted a seat at Tempest’s table, so she came to entreat with her favored. She likely knew Azar’s standing would mean he had no reason to aid her. Her dislike of acolytes meant she likely wouldn’t turn to Vossari and if she did…well she was in for a headache. Which only left him. A calmness settled over him with that knowledge and an assurance that didn’t reach his face.

Sah’ra would find that Karys didn’t struggle against her bonds. He didn’t try to break himself free. He just listened in silence as she made her offer, as a Sith should.

“Could you shift the knife? It’s hard to speak with the tip in my pallet.” Karys projected into her mind.

If she did, Karys would respond aloud instead of telepathically.

“Before I answer that question, answer mine.” He replied “What interests you on Ord Radama?” He questioned.

@Tulos

 

[Sah'ra Ryun]

Sah'ra had not offered Karys more than she was willing to. It was the ambition of any Sith worth their salt to aspire for loftier heights than they currently maintained. To ingratiate herself with the Dark Lord was a simple goal in concept yet to execute required patience, planning, allies. She had the first two. Now all she required was the last.

”Uncomfortable?” she coyly asked of her guest with a sinister and sly smile, her chin resting on her hand, as his telepathic request echoed in her mind. Sah'ra waved dismissively, unapologetically, but her grip on Karys and the knife remained, growing tighter. ”Good,”

She could kill him in a moment, this she knew. Only the briefest half second and she could pull his head down on the blade, slice through his jaw and up into his temporal lobe. His life would fade before her eyes, his own empty as he slipped into the void. Yet he was valuable, and not only to her. To Darth Tempest. To Azar. Killing him would have monumental repercussions and she had not invited him here to spill blood.

The knife remained, point digging into crimson skin, as his question rang again in her mind. Karys was no fool and she knew he would not simply oblige her request because she was a Master and he a Champion. There would need to be recompense. Payment. A man such as this needed not in ways of wealth.

”Knowledge and history,” she replied plainly, unwillingly to divulge more than necessary. ”Power is built on understanding such things. Power we could both benefit from,” As she spoke, her eyes stared into his own. She awaited his response, whatever it may be.

@Apollyon

 

[Karys]

Golden eyes fixed on Sah’ra, they regarded each word she said. Karys didn’t show any signs of fear, they both understood one another finally. Power was her offer. Power is what allured Karys. Interest keenly sparked to life in his eyes.

I agree. Karys mentally replied. Tell me what your planning then…partner.

Then Karys would await for Sah’ra to release him. He would focus on whatever she wanted on Ord Radama. Their alliance would be built on whatever awaited them there.

@Tulos