Ephialtes observed the performance from her seat. The Twi'Lek and the others were trying their best to entertain her with the opera Shanun Le'Ferdia, but she still felt herself growing more absent from it. A sight which made the performers sharing nervous glances with each other. Ephialtes mind began to wander before it quickly found a hotspot on the bridge. Pure sensation of anger, which got her attention immediately. She looked towards the source and found it to be the Invictus captain Baraga. This made her smile as her little test was showing out results before she had anticipated.
Now she knew that the captain was clearly an impatient man, who had troubles accepting situations which weren't a part of military hierarchy. The performing artists on the bridge for example. This made Ephialtes smile even wider. She had all of this information for her use with so little time. So many ways to use the captain's weaknesses opened up before her now. Her smile was interpreted by the captain in a different way as she could feel the sensation of fear bursting out from him. This entertained Ephialtes more than the performance did currently. As the sensation of anger and fear surpassed from the captain, she turned her attention away from him. This was just a first test she had in mind for the crew and their captain, a test which was still underway. Her attention went into the performance once more while her right hand went over the neck of one of her pets.
Fenria felt her mistresses fingers over her the fur of her neck. This made the great canine beast let out a low pleased whine. The beast revealed her large maw filled with sharp glistening teeth, a sight which clearly made the performing artists nervous. Seeing the affection of his mistress going towards Fenria made the other beast, Sigurd growl as he grew jealous. Sigurd snapped his mighty jaws towards Fenria, which in turn made the other beast growl back in return.
Ephialtes was shortly aware of the beasts hatred towards each other, but she didn't gave it attention. After all their hatred was just pure emotion of beasts, not one which would come from an sentient being. One that could be analyzed and used against them. A thought awakened in her mind about the relationship between a master and a apprentice from the behavior of her pets. One would be always jealous and spiteful towards the other. This was often the case between the Sith force-users. Often but not always.
Her attention grew towards the damaged old amulet which she wore around her neck. Her left hand had taken a hold of it without her noticing this until now. The amulet was round, it had a hole in the middle and it was engraved in the shape of an wheel which had sections between different parts of it. In every section, but a few there where markings. Some which she could have deciphered, some which were still a mystery for her. The material from which it was made was unknown to her, but it looked like bronze, even though she was sure that it wasn't made from it. It was old, ancient disc which had the markings of time and countless of wearers over it. Now she wore it. It was incomplete still, even though it was ancient. It's use was still mostly a mystery for her. She knew that it was more than a necklace, but the information revealed itself very slowly to her. Still, that wasn't important just now. Currently it had awakened memories from her past. Memories she didn't allowed to surface. Now they were pouring out once more.
This made her vexed, but she didn't show it much. Appearance after all was everything. Her former master's teachings made sure of that. After a brief moment, it became clear that she couldn't concentrate on the performance, she decided to continue the experiment some other time. Ephialtes lift her right hand from the neck of Fenria and signaled the performance to stop. It did with such haste that the last few notes felt alone as they faded from the bridge. Twi'Lek male looked towards her with an uncertain look on his face and she could feel the anxiety in him as well as the others. She savored the sensation briefly, before talking.
"I do not need you no longer, leave the bridge and await for further instructions in your cabins. Thank you for your performance, it was exquisite" Ephialtes said with an sweet, polite tone and a smile. The singer seemed relieved and took a bow, which the others followed. "Thank you mistress, we try our best to entertain you and your quests in the future". The Twi'Lek said, before they took their leave. It was clear from the faces of the crew that they weren't expecting to be mentioned as quests in this matter. A detail which Ephialtes took in for further use in the future. She closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again. She put the pleasant little smile on her lips and appeared friendly and polite once more, before rising up. She took the glass of wine from the little hand crafted table next to her bench into her right hand and began to slowly walk down the stairs. "Fenria, Sigurd, heel" Ephialtes whispered and the great beasts obeyed, still eyeing each other from the previous encounter. She could hear their claws hitting the stairs, while she tasted the wine.
It was not the best she had ever tasted, but it would serve its purpose here, after all it was pointless to let it air so long if it would be standing on the table for three hours straight before it was enjoyed. It took three hours for captain Baraga and a part of his crew to began show anger and frustration because of the performance. Three hours before the unexpected situation on the bridge began to hinder their own effectiveness. Three hours in which time she knew that the crew on the bridge could be efficient no matter what happened around them. This was another detail Ephialtes storaged in her memory. She glanced at the broken lightsabe on the fourth floor before walking past it. The sight of it, almost awakened her fury, but she forced it down again. No reason to show the crew her reaction towards the object, she thought.
She sipped her wine again instead and concentrated to its flavor. while walking towards the view screen into space. The crewmembers gave her quick somewhat worried glances as they weren't been under her command more than a few days. They haven't grown into her customs yet, nor did not knew her. This all would change with time, but first-appearances where crucial so she took her time with them. Her masters teachings lived in her after all.
Ephialtes could hear captain Baraga giving orders considering the voyage and chose not to interfere. The captain knew what he was doing and Ephialtes didn't felt like giving orders about matters that she knew her subservient to be better than herself. "Use your subordinates experience to your advantage, not against yourself. No-one, not even I cannot be a master of it all. There are always sentients who know their field of expertise better than you ever could " She could hear her masters distant voice from another memory, while she stopped before the view screen. Ephialtes could see Korriban from its orbit. It's not long now before we leave, she thought. She continued to sip her wine, while the preparations where made behind her.
