Having finished the business her master had summoned her for, Lycuneae quickly left Baras' office deep within the Sith Sanctum. For some strange reason, spending too much time in that building made her feel a bit uneasy; seeing the maneuvering and politics that went on within its walls made her almost nauseous. Sith were better than petty bickering and power plays, she thought.
She smiled a bit as Pierce fell into step behind her, but it was a tight smile that lacked feeling. "Now I see why my mother always preferred her estate," she muttered. "All the backstabbing and petty tactics to get some cramped space in a corner of this building must have given her a headache." She shook her head. "But that is apparently what is done in such a sacred space."
"Sounds a lot like the military, to be honest," Pierce replied.
As they approached the speeder terminal that would return them to the spaceport, Lycuneae's attention was caught by the sound of footsteps hurrying toward them, followed by a voice.
"Lady Ceska!" The unfamiliar voice called out, causing Lycuneae to frown. Only a few people were ever permitted to know her true name, and this stranger did not sound like they were part of that privileged circle. She quickly stepped in front of Pierce and raised her hand, catching the stranger in a strong Force Choke.
Smirking disdainfully, Lycuneae's gaze fell upon the face of the individual. Disdain changed rapidly to surprise as she recognized the girl, and she hastily released her. "You...you travel with my sister, Lord Eneveh, do you not?" she asked. When only a loud series of coughs answered her, Lycuneae swiftly closed the gap between herself and the young Togruta she had caught. "Your name is Ashara, am I correct?"
"Y-yes, my Lord," the Togruta stammered, her coughs quieting as she caught her breath. "Please forgive my intrusion. I...I was sent by my lord to bring you a message from Lady Detasa."
"My lady mother? What does she wish?" Lycuneae asked, her tone demanding.
"She said she wishes for you and my Lord Eneveh to join her for tea at her estate just outside Kaas City. I was told to relay that your companion is also welcome to join you if he wishes," Ashara replied. "She also said something about a gift she wished to give two of you."
"I see," Lycuneae replied thoughtfully. She did not find it unusual to receive such a message from her mother. Like most Sith who made the planet their home, Lady Detasa had eyes and ears everywhere; her network of spies was carefully chosen and inserted in almost every nook and cranny of Kaas City life, from the bartender in the VIP lounge on the top floor of the Nexus cantina to the dockworkers at the spaceport. Nothing escaped her mother's attention for long, including her own two daughters.
After a few moments, she nodded. "Very well. Return to Lady Detasa's estate and tell her I will be there shortly. I have one final errand to take care of before I leave the city." With a hasty bow, Ashara left to deliver this new message, leaving Lycuneae and Pierce alone again.
"Mind telling me what that was all about?" he asked gruffly.
"Normally I would say 'yes', but this is a special case," Lycuneae replied. "My lady mother is a highly respected Sith Lord here on Dromund Kaas. Even time I return to the planet for some reason or other, she always issues me a summons for tea."
"A summons, m'lord?"
"Yes. She apparently feels she does not see me nearly as much as she would like. So her invitations are...rather strongly worded. A mingling of an invitation and a demand of my presence."
"Interesting. And I take it refusal is not an option, m'lord?"
"Would you refuse an invitation extended by a Sith Lord?" she retorted, laughing softly as she saw the Lieutenant shake his head briskly. "I didn't think so. And she does have a point, neither Eneveh nor I seem to find the time to see her as often as we both might like."
"Eneveh?"
"My half-sister," Lycuneae replied casually. "Just as my father raised me on Ziost, her father raised her on some world on the Outer Rim. At least, he did until they were forced into slavery. Were it not for her affinity for the Force, she might still be a slave."
"I see." Both Pierce and Lycuneae fell silent, neither of them speaking more than necessary through the duration of their next task. It was not a difficult task; a merchant who was a friend of Lady Detasa's had developed a new fragrance he wished to give her. So Lycuneae had stopped by his shop to pick up the elaborately decorated parcel the merchant had placed it in. It was clear he had spent more than a little time wrapping and decorating the small box, and she hoped her mother appreciated the hard work he had put into the gesture. One could never really tell with Lady Detasa.
Their errand completed, the pair boarded a small shuttle that whisked them to the gates of Lady Detasa's estate in the jungles outside Kaas City. Once Lycuneae had announced her arrival to the gate guards, she and Pierce were quickly led into the estate's spacious receiving room, where her mother would be greeting them. Though the room's décor was far from ornate, Pierce's expression was one of awe; Lycuneae had been correct when theorizing the Lieutenant was more used to camping under the stars on hostile backwater planets than he was the niceties of a Sith Lord's estate.
Lycuneae inhaled deeply, detecting the faint scent of jade roses. The delicate blossoms were a particular favorite of her mother's, and she had her servants make certain the estate was always full of the plants. Though it was far from the largest estate on the planet, the amount of care and upkeep Lady Detasa put into her home made it the envy of Kaas City. Lycuneae had lost track of just how many people had approached her over the years, begging her to arrange an audience between them and her mother for the most trivial of reasons.
As the large door before them opened, Lycuneae swiftly dropped to one knee, with Pierce following suit. She bowed her head, keeping her gaze focused on the floor a few feet in front of her until the crimson hem of her mother's robe came into view. Only then did she raise her head to make eye contact with her other.
"Ceska, dear!" Lady Detasa exclaimed, gesturing for both her and Pierce to rise. "You know you do not need to show such grovelling when here in my home."
Her mother opened her arms to pull her eldest daughter in for an embrace. Lycuneae returned the gesture, punctuating it with a kiss on her mother's cheek. "Hello, Mother. It's always a pleasure to see you well." And her mother did look well. Although the years were beginning to show in the small wrinkles around her eyes and the fine streaks of silver in her hair, Lady Detasa Gammon was every bit as formidable as she had ever been, with a fierce and powerful air about her.
Lycuneae drew back, focusing her attention on her companion. "Mother, may I present Lieutenant Pierce. A fine fighter and true asset to my crew." Piece bowed deeply, a gesture Lady Detasa returned with a slight nod. "He comes bearing a gift from the merchant Enrys." Having been entrusted with the parcel when they had left the shop, Pierce silently presented it to Lady Detasa, who took it from his hands.
"A gift from Enrys, you say?" She opened the parcel and removed the bottle from it. Holding the tip to her nose, she inhaled deeply, a smile crossing her lips. "What an exquisite fragrance he has developed for me. I shall have to wear it the next time I attend one of my parties. I will be the envy of Kaas City." She turned, handing the bottle to a young servant who stood beside her. "Take this to my room and set it on my dressing table," she ordered.
As Lycuneae's eyes followed the departing servant, she suddenly caught sight of her half-sister. The younger woman stood a few feet behind their mother, hands folded loosely in front of her."Nice to see you again, Aeryss," Lycuneae noted her sister's surprise at her using her family name. "It's been, what, five years since we were last in the same room together?" She continued, closing the small gap between them to offer her younger sibling a hug.
"Seven, actually." Eneveh's tone was as brief and clipped as ever, though she did return the hug. "Mother tells me Darth Baras has been keeping you quite occupied."
"About as much as I've heard Lord Zash has with you," Lycuneae replied. Before he could say anything further, their mother was at their elbows, gently guiding them toward the door.
"Girls, girls. Why are you standing in this drafty room visiting with each other?" she asked with a laugh. "Come, our tea is getting cold. And we have a great deal to discuss."