"This is outrageous." Padme snarled in her stoic Royal and Sith voice.
"outrageous you say?" Nute Gunray retorted. "If you ask me it all but makes perfect sense. You believe the Republic's lies that we somehow killed your king, and in retaliation you have your senator create this Summit so that you can assassinate us all."
"My people had nothing to do with whatever that disaster of a trade summit was."
"And the trade federation had nothing to do with the death of your father."
the various parties started to thunder in an uproar. It wasn't until Adephagia and Jobal raised their hands that the noise started to soften. it was here Sio Bibble took his turn to speak.
"Viceroy Gunray, according to Republic investigations the Nebula Front were the ones responsible for the assassination attempt. I'm afraid your wrath is being directed toward the wrong. people."
"So you say." Gunray muttered as he put his slimy hand toward his chin. "I have said my peace for now, but know this. You have not heard the last of me. I do not trust you or your senator."
With that Gunray walked away. Queen Amidala found herself seething under her breath. biting her lip she grabbed a metal junk sculpture and crushed it with the force as if it were a tin can.
"Peace your highness." Bibblo softly said.
"Peace is a lie."
"You know what I mean your highness.
"I want nothing to do with Republic affairs, yet Gunray has the gal to accuse us, accuse me of being in bed with the Republic like some common whore."
"Soon the time will come your highness but for now we must hide in the shadow and keep appearances."
"When? When does our to show ourselves come? When The Republic has finished walking over us? when we're dead and nothing but forgotten artifacts remain? When Inquisitor Sio, When does our time come?"
Padme's eyes widened as she noticed that Sio had his hand on his lightsaber and she looked down to realize that she had a hand on hers as well. though Padme recoiled a bit to cut the tension, the silance was so thick it would have taken a lightsaber to cut through it. As always though it was Adephagia who managed to make the cut.
"Perhaps it would be best if the queen and I had some space?"
Padme nodded. "You are temporally in charge."
the two walked in silence with the only thing that could be heard being the mechanical movement of The Sith Lady's walking throne. Oddly enough Padme had never seen the woman walk a single step before under her own power and frankly given just how large Adephagia it wouldin't suprise her if it turned out that Adephagia was incapable of doing so.
"Is that the only thing keeping you capable of moving.
Adephagia could not help but smirk. "Perhaps I do, but perhaps I don't. Maybe I'm so powerfull I don't see the need to walk.
" her facial expression changed from a smirk to a full fledged grin. "Why not face me in battle and find out?"
Padme didn't say anything.
"I know the frustrations Lady Amidala. I don't like staying in hiding either. But think of it this way, if the Seer is correct. Then you will live to see the Sith come out of the shadows.
"What about you lady Adephagia?"
The Lady of the Sith just shrugged. "I'm a member of the Sith Council I'll be one of the first people the banites will be after. Chances are I'll die sooner than later."
"Don't say stuff like that."
"Why not, It's the truth is it not?"
"I suppose..."
"To die in battle is no shame Lady Amidala. Besides death is not the end. Not for the Sith. There are plenty of ways for a sith to come back from the dead."
Padme cocked her head to the side. "I know about the ancient Sith rituals, but...why are you telling me all of this?"
"Darth Qarr and I have been working on a ritual to preserve our legacies. You are aware of the Sith teachings to transfer their essence correct. Are you not?"
Padme's blood ran cold. Force Essence or the Dark Life ritual as some called it was a ritual that did grant a sith lord eternal life, but at horrific cost. The ritual was fraught with danger. and just attempting would kill the partaker regardless of health. What made it worse is that it would often involve destroying the mind of the attempted host, and if the partaker failed to overpower the mind of said host, the consequences were said to be worse than death.
"Why would you attempt such a ritual like that?" Padme asked.
"I will not, but Qarr and I have developed a similar ritual powered by the dark side of the force but is tempered by the light."
"And what is this ritual supposed to accomplish."
"It can accomplish many things, but unlike the dark life essence it does not consume the partaker. Instead it bounds them to the host so that when the partaker dies, he joins with the host from there, the partaker chooses whether to take over the host outright...or give themselves over to said host."
"What do you mean by Give themselves over?"
"Meaning they merge themselves with the host, mind and soul."
"But if you do that, would you not cease to exist?"
"From a certain point of view yes, but from a certain point of view you continue to live on through the host, see what they see feel what they feel, and vice versa."
"Why tell me all of this lady Adephagia?"
"Is it not obvious? I want you Amidala to carry be the one to carry on my essence. If you are willing I wish to bound with you. So that when I die whether by battle or by nature, my powers, my knowledge even parts of my own being shall be yours."
"Why me though? You are a woman of great wealth. You could easily commission a vessel that you could merge with outright. Why choose to give yourself to another when you can live forever? Does the thought make you uncomfortable?"
"Of course not. I do not find fault for those who wish to live forever, quite the opposite, but I did not walk the same path that you will. I have no lover. Many suitors yes but not one to call my husband. I have no children. I have no reason to live forever, and wandering as a ghost shares no great appeal to me. But you, you are destined for greatness. Qarr and I have seen it. You are strong in the force. You will marry a man who is every bit your equal. You will give birth to many children and the sith will live your bloodline for all time. Perhaps you and your lover will live forever. If I give my powers to you, you will be more powerful than you can possibly imagine. Please Padme. Let me do this this. Let me give myself to you."
Padme found herself to stunned for words. Adephagia one of the most well respected people in the council, a woman Padme herself greatly admired, wanted to merge with her. She couldn't help but question if Adephagia truly knew what she was asking, but at the same time, she didn't feel like she could say no.
"As you wish."
Adephagia let Padme into a dark chamber lit by dark blue torches. Padme found herself squinting her eyes as she just barely made out the outline of Darth Qarr who got up from a meditative position.
"So you have agreed to do the ritual?" Qarr asked as she looked to Padme. Padme nodded her head afraid to say anything.
"Then why waste time? Come.
Padme and Adephagia sat across the adjacent sides of a dark cauldron. Adephagia then took the lead with the ritual. "Now, join your hands with mine." Padme did so. Qarr began to speak some words in the sith tongue though she chanted in a low enough tone that Padme could not understand.
"Now," Adephagia began. "I want you to chant these words with me. Asarsi an asarsi kata an kata. kam tuti yun datar tadti."
Padme nodded and proceeded to chant with Adephagia "Asarsi an asarsi kata an kata. kam tuti yun datar tadti"
The blue flame cracked and roared widely as the two sith lords kept repeating the mantra. Padme suddenly felt raw force energy force itself into as if it were powering her like electricity. She didn't know how long the ritual last. All sense of time seemingly vanished for a bit. Padme let out a cough as she felt herself collapse to the floor.
"Are you alright Lady Amidala?" Qarr asked as both she and Adephagia offered their hands.
"Yeah I'm fine, but what was that? I feel as if I absorbed raw force energy itself.
"In a way you have." Adephagia said. "The ritual has caused a bound between us. If I die, we become one."
Padme let out a sigh. "I don't know why you did this, but if something does happen I will do whatever it takes to honor your legacy."
Adephagia smiled. "Never let your chains bind you. If you can do that, then you honor me well."
"Yes Lady Adephagia."
"Good now go. I think your subjects need you."
As Padme left the room, Qarr looked to Adephagia "Does she know?"
Adephagia shook her head. "I did not have the heart to tell her. I would be too afraid she would try too hard to save me and doom herself in the process."
"It is possible that the future can change. Nothing is set in absolute stone. Perhaps if we…."
Adephagia raised up her hand. "While I appreciate the thought. I am not afraid to die. Besides, If nothing else I will continue to live on through Lady Amidala."
"What all do you think she will inherit from you?"
"She will most certainly gain my wit. That much I am certain."
"Maybe she will gain your appetite and bodacious physique as well."
The two Ladies chuckled amongst themselves for a bit before settling back down.
"Did the force tell you anything about the warrior that will slay me? I want to be able to give him proper hospitality before we battle."
"Only one thing. His name is Darth Maul."