"We have a buyer for the Circlet of Saresh, a lot of credits are on the line but I won't lie to you all, it's going to be a dangerous mark." I explained as I held a meeting in the upper level of the Chilling Sound with all my crew assembled. Vette, Emmi, Felli, Yensi and the brothers who decided to take my offer. Though I sensed that they were still a little uneasy abandoning Dalla like that. It was fine, I was hoping to have a nice talk with him after this meeting. I could sense that Qui-Gon was in the elevator listening in on us, while he had sobered up in the last few days of travel he still was quite a far cry from the Jedi Master he was supposed to be. "The Circlet is an artifact of the Jedi Order of long ago. Our buyer is an Imperial noble who likes to collect such things. It's a headband made of unknown metal and engraved with Jedi script, it supposedly has a talisman attached to its front but who knows if that part survived time."
"How do we know if the piece survived at all?" Yensi asked, I sensed that while he was greatly interested in the potential for credits he was not so keen on the danger or risky nature of the prize. Over the last few days I have pegged the Gran as a cautious and skeptical being, one that believed in the idea of credits to the very end. If there was a payday then Yensi would go for it but would weigh the risk vs reward. "If it is as old as you suggest and it is indeed on Taris, than I doubt it could be in any good condition."
"It is a Jedi artifact, those things tend to last." I say and the brothers look convinced but that was too be expected. They were simply minded. Rural boys that hopped on the wrong star ship and now work as crew members of whoever is good to them. Honest but aren't exactly the smartest, but people like that had their uses and place in everything. "Listen, I have intel and a lead so we have a heading. The entire reason I was on that station was to collect the sum of an archeologist's research on the Circlet… who may or may not have been supported by our buyer before he was killed by some monster on Taris."
"Monster, you mean those evil things that can turn you into more monsters." Ah the Rakghouls, I'm sure they have a part to play in the future but for the life of me I don't know what. But as for Hick's fearful outburst I just shrug. I have no idea the status of the Rakghoul on Taris, they could very well have been wiped out by now. But the originator of the virus was in play, another target for me for another day.
"He was killed by some monster of the local wildlife." I said and this seemed to appease the brothers however Yensi narrowed his eyes at my non-answer. I didn't lie but I didn't answer Hick's question if it was a Rakghoul, as they could be considered wildlife at this point. I would have to believe they were dead by now, they can't reproduce sexually and the Republic would never allow such a Dark Side element to remain in their territory. "Now we should get some sleep, tomorrow we will be entering the Taris system and we'll be landing as soon as possible."
At that the elevator doors opened and Qui-Gon walked in. I smirked and nodded for the rest of the room to leave. Vette gave me a questioning look before she followed the others but relented when I shook my head. I'm sure she was worried about me interacting with a Jedi Master given my history but she also knew I wasn't exactly the same man as back then. Soon enough everyone but me and Qui-Gon were in the control room. He looked better, there wasn't any booze on my ship… something he and the brothers bemoaned at first. After a sonic shower and some clean clothes he looked much more like as I knew him in the movies… just a bit younger.
"Is this why you wanted me on your ship, for insight into the Circlet?" He asked as I walked over to the back couch and sat down while he just continued to stand. Odd, that is a subconscious move for dominance not staying at eye level with me. Maybe this Qui-Gon was more different than I expected. "Because then you will be disappointed as I have little to offer you."
"What do you think about prophecies?" I asked out of the blue, I needed to know exactly how different I was dealing with here. The Qui-Gon of canon was intelligent and went about the Jedi prophesies in a totally different way than anyone else. He saw through the nonsense that had blinded the Jedi. He knew that they had become tools of the Republic rather than the Light. But I don't recall any point in either Canon or Legends where he was a dirty drunk.
"Why ask that?" He said, his Jedi training failing him a bit and I was able to sense a crack form in his mind. He was rusty and his current mental state wasn't nearly as collected as it should be. Even in my weakened state I was able to peer a little into his emotions. Startled and worried, I should back off for now. But seeds need to be sown.
"Because Jedi, I once heard a shaman once say that his village needed to kill a great beast or else their livestock would be eaten by the beast in the night. But a priest instead prophesied that they needed to build a great church to god in order to ensure rain was brought for their crops." I explained and Qui-Gon looked at me skeptically. Likely due to the fact I was using such a primitive setting as the basis of my story. But what I was really surprised me was that he didn't see where I was going with this. "The village did not know who to believe. So they did both. They believed that both divinations were correct and sent half its strongest men to hunt a great beast while the other half would make the church."
"And what happened to the village?" He asked as he crossed his arms, he didn't know where I was going with this but at the same time was genuinely interested.
"The church was built and the beast was killed. But when the rain came there was no crops to water as there was no one to plant them. And in the time to kill the beast, all the livestock escaped. It all came true in the end." I lightly chuckled as I suppose the true lesson from this is that he who protects everything protects nothing or something about greed blinding you to the obvious dangers or whatever. But that's not how I spun it. "They didn't see the bigger picture, they were so focused on what was in front of them that they forgot about the very things they were trying to protect in the first place."
"A prudent point indeed, strange to find such wisdom in a treasure hunter." Qui-Gon said as he narrowed his eyes. Half of him was thinking on my words but mostly he was suspicious over my cover story. "A treasure hunter that also can use blades on par with Jedi Knights refers to Kaasens as Imperials." Shit, I should have suspected that Imperials would have changed their racial name in order to better distance themselves from the Sith Era. Probably not by their choice either.
"What? Am I some ancient Sith Lord from eons ago that traveled through time?" I asked incredulously with a small mocking laugh. But then I glanced down and my posture turned a bit more sinister. "Because if that was true, then you better kill me now because it will be the only change you get." The air went dead as we stilled in our spots. Our eyes were locked on each other while a battle of mind tricks were playing out in the Force. On one side Qui-Gon was trying to probe my feelings for any account of truth. Meanwhile I was masking my real feelings in a surface level of stillness similar to what Jedi did while under that surface I was letting some of my amused emotions bubble under. The amusement didn't come from the source Qui-Gon would assume but it would work. And it did, we both started laughing at the same time as the tension vanished.
"A Sith Lord, no I don't think you are." Qui-Gon laughed and while I could tell he found that idea possible he still wasn't satisfied. I better give him something a bit more to sink his teeth in unless I want him sneaking for the answers.
"You must know, I come from a noble house on Dromund Kaas that privately longs for those times. The nomenclature of my upbringing is just persistent." That explanation would also answer why I was so learned and capable with swords. Both were essential to high society of Dromund Kaas, the former was true with most nobility stratums and the latter is a left over from the Sith Era. Likely the normal humans wanted to impersonate the Sith Warriors of old. But this wouldn't be enough, hiding where I was raised wouldn't be a satisfying answer for Qui-Gon. "And before I say anything more, I want to know why you are clearly on the outs with the Order."
"That… I don't believe you need to know." The Jedi said reflexively and I just stared him down. I just admitted to having a secret which will inevitably lead to him wanting to know what that secret is. It's human nature and even with Jedi training it's hard not to be curious. And clearly this Qui-Gon isn't nearly as infallible as the one I'm familiar with.
"If I'm going to trust you, then I need to know your status and loyalty to the Jedi Order. Hell, just bringing you along is risky." I said with everything I was saying the complete truth. It was risky bringing on a Jedi on my space adventures to gather everything I would need to recreate the Empire. I needed him gone but at the same time I needed him fixed or at least not drunk. I watched as he took a breath and I could sense he was refocusing his mind. Actually bringing it into order as a proper Jedi would.
"I am… considered to be on sabbatical, I guess you could put it like that. In the last Hutt War I changed the course of the latter half of the war by winning a battle in favor of the Republic but at a cost." A Padawan, if I had to guess it would be Xanatos but if it is him then it might be possible for further fuckery. Just given the fact in Legends Xanatos was a Dark Jedi and was an important part of Qui-Gon's backstory meant he might show back up at some point. But that might be me using more red string than needed. "I requested a leave for an undetermined amount of time and left before getting clearance. I have no idea what the Order thinks of me at this moment, but I assume it to be shame."
"That doesn't answer my question. I asked what is your relationship, you just said theirs to you." I know I learned a great deal but at the same time it didn't help me know if he would tell the Jedi about me. Of course I wasn't going to tell him the truth, but him telling the Jedi about me at all needs to be controlled. I stood up from the coach and put my hands in my pockets. I gave an air of uncaring unimportance to the topic. "Listen, I don't care one way or the other what history you have with them. What I care about is you running off to the High Marshal tattling to him about me nicking the Circlet of Saresh."
"I doubt that you could find such a lost artifact in the first place. But if you were able to find it, I have no desire for the Jedi of Coruscant to ever have such a powerful artifact that they could pervert into a weapon." He said with a small growl to his voice that I took as genuine. I didn't know how I was going to help Qui-Gon but it needed to happen sooner rather than later. I had a shopping list of things to do and only so many of them could be done with a Jedi on board. And one that I wasn't willing to convert at the moment, maybe later but not now. "If your intention is to fly to Taris then I will remain here on your ship but once we reach a port I will leave."
"And what, go back to drinking yourself to death?" I accused as he turned to go back to the elevator. He stopped for a moment but kept going. I didn't say anything else as the doors closed behind him. The fact he had cleared his mind in the Force was enough of a step in the right direction that I would count this as a victory. The next step was to drag his ass into a pit of Darkness where he must confront his fears and failures. I sighed and walked over to the pilot's chair and sat down, just looked up and turned the hyperspace blinds off and stared off into the maddening realm we were flying through.
"Fucking damn it! I'll kill each of those cock sucking bastards with a rusty spoon!" Jaesa roared as she picked up the third rat that scuttled across her home in Braavos. She had been able to barter a place in the city but it wasn't nearly as nice as she had been told it was. It was in the quote unquote safer areas of the city but it was small, dirty, and apparently infested with rats. She had been living here for about three days now and every day she had killed one of these annoying vermin… it was amusing to ground it up and toss it into that annoying lady's stew. It was what she deserved for calling Jaesa a whore for dressing as she did.
"Such a pretty lady with such a fowl mouth." Jaesa groaned as she heard a familiar voice come from her front door, which had no lock. That was another thing, but Macha had taken it upon itself to provide excellent security and had already eaten two intruders that took advantage of the poor security. She turned around and saw Fiola Forel, along with a woman and a young boy behind her dress. The woman frowned and smacked him lightly.
"You promised to keep your flirts to yourself when I'm in front of you." She said, her accent thick and certainly not native to the city. The woman finished her scolding of her apparent husband and looked at Jaesa and smiled. "Welcome to Braavos, I do hope that the city has been treating you well. May we come in?" She asked and Jaesa shrugged, mentally commanding Macha to vanish from under the floorboards.
"You can come in but how'd you find me… and why did you come?" Jaesa said as she leaned on the back wall as the Braavosi family came in. She glanced at the young boy that clung to his mother's dress, he couldn't be older than five years old. He also made her mind fidgety, just the sight of a young child with his mother and father was making her uneasy.
"You aren't acting very quiet, everyone for blocks around has heard about the fowl mouth Andal woman that has moved in." Fiola chuckled as he looked around, Jaesa knew he was looking for the chest of treasure that Jaesa had brought with her. It was her only means of income for as long as she lived in Braavos so she hid it well and gave Macha express orders to kill anyone that wasn't her that tried to open it. "Andals don't usually move to Braavos and kick up such a storm. I could only think of one such lady."
"And I remember a time when I was new to this strange and wonderful city. And I had my dear husband with me while you are all alone." The woman said as she gave a loving yet mocking glance to Fiola before looking back to Jaesa. "Tirysa Forel, and this little one is our son Syrio. It took us too long to get him to stop playing with the local tomcat."
"Mother!" The young boy blushed and gripped his mother's dress and pulled it to his face. Jaesa just chuckled and bit and slowly lowered herself down to face the young boy.
"You like cats? Good, cats are very smart and like to play with stupid humans. Trick them and make them chase them, then watch as the dumb human gets lost." Jaesa thought back to her childhood to a time when she would chase a cat in the giant palace she grew up in. It was a servant's and had gotten loose one day. It was a happier memory from those days. "Better to learn from them than to get caught up in their games." Jaesa smiled as the boy seemed to warm up to her after that.
"My, that was very good. He's such a shy boy and doesn't warm to people quickly." Tirysa said as Jaesa stood back up. The Sith's smile however faded a bit, she had only done it to try and get some practice in. Relating to children wasn't something she was well versed in. "Have you been able to find your way around the neighborhood? I hope some of the men haven't done anything, the war hasn't had the best effect on the local gangs."
"I know how to protect myself." Jaesa said in a huff as she crossed her arms. She wasn't some helpless lady in distress.
"Ah-ha, I knew you were more than some frightened kitten running scared." Fiola quipped and Jaesa silently cursed herself for forgetting the story she had fed him. Didn't matter, she was here in the city and could kill hundreds before vanishing again. But she rather not, Braavos had nice weather and while her home was tiny and infested with rats the local bathhouse wasn't. "But run you did, and I suspect that it wasn't from Tywin Lannister."
"It wasn't but that doesn't mean I'm telling you who it is." Jaesa said and then felt the urge to bite her tongue. She was really off her game, maybe the pregnancy was throwing her off balance.
"So it is someone. The father of your child?" Tirysa mused aloud and Jaesa shout her a dirty look but the older woman thought nothing of it. "Dear, I have been a midwife for dozens of girls. I know the signs. And I hold no judgment for your choice, many of the girls I helped were alone too." Jaesa looked at this woman, she saw her deepest sorrows and truest joys. And what she found was something that was anathema to everything that Jaesa wanted to be true in the world. This was a woman perfectly content, she loved her husband and adored her child above all else. They wanted for nothing but simple improvements to her life, nothing grand or life changing. It was so genuine that Jaesa had trouble not crying in jealousy. "Are you okay?"
"Yes! I'm fine, just a little emotional." Jaesa waved off as she turned away and wiped away some of the traitorous tears from her eyes. She had made the right choice, she had to keep telling herself that. She had what she needed, a piece of her true master forever. The child she carried was hers and his… or at least that was the idea when she first thought of it. She had meant every word she had said during and after her duel with the new Naraiz, he had changed into a much more confident and complete man. He just wasn't the one she wanted… at the time. Playing the part she needed to play to get what she needed was easy enough. But when she did, it was harder to think of it as detached as she wanted it to be. And now her thoughts and feelings on the life growing inside her were all jumbled up. Was it just now her final memento of a man now lost to her but she wanted back so desperately, or was it the start of a new relationship with a man that made her feel a kind of love she never felt before. "Thank you for coming by but I need you to leave."
"I'm sorry if I said something wrong but-"
"Leave!" Jaesa yelled back and the nearby window was blow out from the Force lashing out from her emotional outburst. The Forel family quickly left out of fear and Jaesa hoped they wouldn't come back. They deserved better than to associate with someone like her.
Dalla was thankful that they had given him at least a rubber ball to toss around, he'd go crazy otherwise. He laid back on the small bed that his room provided and repeatedly tossed the ball at different spots and caught it when it bounced back. Kept his eyes and hands sharp. Every day the Twi'lek would come and drop him off a meal, a real honest meal and not some space rations. At first, he took it as she liked him and snuck off real food for him but dispelled that idea as soon as he gave her one of his lady killer smiles and she just looked at him like he was some disgusting womp-rat. Shame, red skinned Twi-leks were rare and he'd always wanted to taste the entire rainbow before he died.
All and all he wasn't being treated like he would expect out of being a captive. It was certainly better than being stuck in Carbonite. He didn't give a shit what people claimed he hated being put on ice and it did not feel like a cold nap. The guy clearly wasn't a bounty hunter, didn't treat him like a bounty. But at the same time Dalla had no idea who this Ulysses guy was. That wasn't a name he recognized, it was odd enough to be very recognizable. Everything about him stuck Dalla in the wrong way. He had custom armor and a ship that was a high class frame and then super modified on top of that. Those facts combined with the no name recognition screamed rich kid playing bounty hunter. But, the way he handled himself, and just moved… it was something a veteran pirate like Dalla saw as marks of a highly skilled killer. The Twi'lek was also strange, she obviously wasn't the in-flight entertainment like on most crews and was nearly as scary as the captain of the ship they were all on.
"I'll get out of this… I'm sure I am." He snorted as an errant thought plucked into his mind, that all this strangeness were signs that he was doomed. That all his experience would amount to jack shit in the face of these irregularities. He ignored these feelings, he had to.
The doors to his room/cell opened and there stood a human man with short jet black hair, pale skin and a few exposed cybernetics under his chin. Dalla narrowed his eyes upon seeing the face of his captor for the first time. He was pissed, this guy was more handsome than him… and still had his hair damnit!
"We are about to land… on Taris." He added just after Dalla had gotten his hopes up, why in all the hells out there were they going to Taris. That ruin of a planet didn't have anything of value. Nothing, just a bunch of destroyed ruins picked clean. But the pirate shoved that aside as he refocused on the man holding him hostage.
"Why tell me that, and why not drop me off to the Hutts. Yensi told you that they have a bounty on my head." Dalla growled as he subtly glanced behind the man and saw nobody in the chamber behind him. That he could see but he just needed a good shot at freedom. Find a blaster and a corner and you could take on a world.
"Don't like the Hutts much, and I'm not really interested in collecting your bounty when I have my own means of making money." He said as he leaned on the door frame and crossed his arms. Dalla still take sneak peeks at the openings in the doorway, his mind trying to figure out the best path to freedom. "A lot of money." Dalla's attention was divided in two. "A fuck ton of money."
"Spit it out damnit, I don't have all day." Dalla growled as he wanted to hear the offer that was obviously coming.
"Down on Taris is a ancient Jedi artifact that-"
"I don't mess with Jedi craziness." Dalla said as he slouched back, getting excited for nothing. The Jedi and their magic Force nonsense was about as chaotic as one could get, and very bad for business. Then there was the fact that Jedi would kill or worse arrest anyone that was caught with their shit without permission and sometimes even with that.
"You got any kids Suul?" He asked right out blue and Dalla was completely thrown for a loop. He just stared at the man for a long moment trying to understand the question. "I take you for the kind of guy that doesn't have much trouble finding company in bed. Things lead to things and odds are that you might have a bastard or two out there? I'm just asking, wondering what might drive a man like you."
"That's none of your business." Dalla lightly snarled as he was in no mood for some stranger to be asking questions like that. But he couldn't help but let a flash of a memory pass by his mind. Of a woman that wasn't having a good time with her husband, a woman that was so strong but in her weakest moment begged him to take her away. "I'm a fucking coward…" He shook away those thoughts as he glared back at the man who was no longer smiling and that somehow made him at ease a bit.
"Payment is in cash." There was a long drawn out silence between that the man took as a sign to keep going. Dalla wasn't going to stop him, they were back to business and that was as it should be. "Down on Taris is an ancient Jedi artifact that is thought to be lost. But I have an idea of where it is and I have a Kaasen buyer that is loaded and a real freak about things from the good old days." Dalla chewed on his tongue as he thought over the pros and cons of what he had been told. Pro… a lot of money. Cons, a dangerous planet reported to be inhabited by monsters, messing with Jedi stuff and that meant possible madness and Jedi hunting him down, a shady as fuck Kaasen madly cackling over a collection of old era relics, and this guy. But on the Pro side… a fuck ton of monies.
"Numbers?" Dalla asked and the man smirked as he fiddled on his wrist-pad and then showed Dalla a lot of zeros. "I did try and take your ship remember?" Dalla said after he was able to stop drooling over the payout. It would obviously be split among the survivors and Ulysses would need to be one of them given it was his contact paying them. But even if they all survived then his share would still be a good chunk of money. Not enough to get him a new ship but a large part of the down payment would be set.
"Yes I do, but what I need is more bodies. More people that are capable in a fight, the more people on this job the greater likelihood of survival." He said as he put away his wrist-pad and smirked at Dalla. The pirate really hated this guy, he was a nobody acting all big toward someone who had operated as a pirate in the Mid-Rim for at least a decade now. That kind of experience took skill and more than a bit of luck. And he wasn't some War-Vulture, he kept at it even during peacetime when the Republic is hunting down pirates more than ever. "So this is the offer, you work for me until you get enough cash to buy your own ship and be on your way. I'm not a bounty hunter, I track down treasures and oddities for insane rich people with more credits than brains."
"Treasure hunting… not exactly the most exciting ventures. But given your first job you might be different there." Dalla wasn't big in the whole market that this guy was apparently in. But there was something more going on here. Treasure hunters rarely did the fighting if there was fighting to be done, instead they hired mercs to protect them. "The pay… hard to say no to that."
"I thought so." He smirked one last time before tossing a keycard over to Dalla. "Oh, and if you touch Vette I'll cut off your hand and shove it up your asshole." He said with a perfectly friendly grin that gave Dalla chills. He had seen some scary dudes before but had rarely felt so… pointlessly small.
Rathari was disguised as Darth Nagash, and he hated it. The holo-projector did its job at fooling the feudal worlders, but it was up to Rathari to act as his lord would. He had a reputation for wit and humor that Rathari himself lacked. Thankfully he also was known for not caring much for formality and relied on shows of power to get his way. Rathari could use that, and so as he sat here at a large dinner with several visiting noble family he made a few jokes here or there but mostly kept an imposing air of a man not to be disturbed.
"My lord, you might want to restrain yourself a little more." Quinn quietly warned and Rathari noticed that a few of the people at the long table they were at were holding their chests. He took a breath and relaxed. He wasn't one for the games of the nobility. Living a life as a spacer before being taken in by the Sith did not give him an upbringing capable of handling such fancy parties. Even here on a primitive world he felt confined by all this nonsense and scheming. The Sith were different all together as you could get very far on power in the Force alone. "When should we begin the show?"
"Soon, let them drink a little more." Rathari replied in the same amused tone Darth Nagash would. It was difficult to mimic him, their personalities were so different. But he was able to put on the act for long enough for this diner at the very least. Here they would be exposing the nobility of Westeros to the next step in advancement. It would also be a test to gauge their reactions.
"I must say Darth Nagash, your hospitality has been excellent. I heard that you favor the Northerners but I am glad to see their brutish ways have not sullied your manners." One of the Lords of the Reach said with a happy slur in his voice. They were all in various states of drunkenness… except for Tarly. He was completely sober and Rathari didn't know if that was on purpose. "The ravens I have gotten from my boy however, worry me."
"I too have concerns." There were several more voices that came from the group of about twenty nobles. They range from the Reach, Riverlands, and the Crown lands. They had come together as a group to visit their children, while a few tagged along to see the new city being built. Rathari sat back with a smug smile on his face as he soaked up the growing complaints they had for Darth Nagash. The leader, the one that brought this up, was Owen Merryweather and Rathari was already very aware of his issues with how things were being done.
His son, Oris Meryweather was one of the many Acolytes that had been given up on. It was a unspoken policy that any Acolyte that expressed plans on leaving the Order after becoming a Sith would be given… less attention. Not enough for them to notice but slowly they would be faded into the background while the Instructors would focus more on those that would stay. Oris was also part of another group of Acolytes, those noble born that constantly demanded special treatment because of their birth status. Rathari was not surprised that they had written to their parents to complain as well.
"Quinn, delay our show for another time. It seems that we don't have the best audience for it." Rathari remarked to Quinn, quietly but all the nobles noticed that he did indeed say something so they slowly began to quiet down. Once the room was once again silent Rathari stood up and gripped his wrist and cracked it a few times, all the while feeling the tension in the room fill. The Lords and Ladies here were finally beginning to remember that they had little power while in the same room as a man that could snap their neck with a flick of his wrist. "I have heard your concerns." Rathari said simply before sitting back down leaving the rest of the room in confusion.
"Uh… Darth Nagash?"
"Hm? Yes?" Rathari answered as he looked up from the meal he had returned to.
"What… uh… will you do about our concerns that you have heard?" One of the Lords asked carefully and Rathari took a bite of his steak, very rare as Darth Nagash liked but too much for his tastes. He chewed it for a moment before finally shallowing.
"If you have any complaints as to how I handle my Acolytes, please inform the King of them." Rathari said and some of those in attendance looked visibly sick at the thought of doing that. None of them were so brazen to go to the king about this. The King loved the Sith and even they understood that all their children were complaining about were simple things. These things mattered deeply to the elite as it set them apart from the masses but did they sound important aloud and in front of the royal court? No. "But seeing as he is a busy man I guess I can handle this myself. Understand that as Grand Master of the Sith I have total authority over the training and tutelage of those prospective members of my Order."
"But, there are standards that need to be kept. You have our children huddled with dirty peasants and denying them basic privileges that their birth should afford them." It seemed their fear had sobered them up a bit as many were thinking clearly if a bit desperate. Rathari sensed only fear and a tad of loathing coming from the majority of them. The rest were more composed and calculated, and those were of the Lords and Ladies that did not have children in the Order.
"Who do you think provides you with the food on your plate, the clothes on your backs, or builds your keeps. The commoners are the foundation by which you live your lives, you should be more respectful of them. Or run the risk of all those things I just listed and more to suddenly vanish." Rathari said in a bored tone that his lord would use, giving a clear tone that he was talking to ignorant children. Those far lost in their privilege and who bought into the absolute social norms of Westeros looked irate but they held their tongues surprisingly. "I believe that we have had enough-" But it seemed not all were so careful.
"You dare foreigner! You come to our lands and we give you a keep and lands, respect and titles of great honor and you spit on our traditions! Our way of life and threaten to incite rebellion in the lowly masses, filthy peasants that only live because of our rule!" The Lord speaking was Jamie Buckwell, his son wasn't one of those that they haven't given up on and he wasn't a problem child in terms of ridiculous demands. The working theory was that Jarman Buckwell was simply taking the lower living standards as a test of humility for a Knight. But it looked like his father wasn't of the same mindset.
"Lord Buckwell, I could give you all sorts of answers and you will dismiss them all because it clearly looks like you have made up your mind about me." Rathari said trying his best to not create a situation that could spiral out of control. He had a working understanding of the plan that Darth Nagash had for Westeros but no idea as for the details he had for each player in the Game of Thrones. All he can do is act as he would believe his lord would… which is hard given that Darth Nagash for some unknown reason forgives and punishes certain people for no apparent reason. "But as for your authority on this matter, there is none. The King's Law is the King's Law. As I said before, if you have an issue with how I conduct my Order then take it up with the King."
There was a silent moment before a unspoken agreement between the assembled lords and ladies came about to leave all at once. Rathari leaned back in his seat, defeated a bit as the doors closed behind the last of them. The holo-projector turned off and the Sith Lord gave a deep sigh.
"Well, I can see that this went as well as we expected." Quinn said as he continued on to eat his meal in quiet peace. Rathari glanced to his side with a disapproving frown, this entire dinner was his idea. The Sith wasn't used to being told what to do by an Imperial Officer but he understood that Darth Nagash had just that much more faith in Quinn than himself. "Our advancements with the Steam Engine will have to wait until a more opportune point."
"Our Lord described a tourney in the coming years, might that be better?" Rathari asked, tapping a finger on the table as he fought back the urge to go and hit something hard. Those mongrel slobs of lords dared to question the authority of the only true power on this world. He was having flashbacks to the mortal lords of Valyria, thinking that they were on the same level as himself.
"Perhaps, he will be back before then." The two then sat in silence until Quinn finished his meal. "Our Lord has reported that a change in plans has occurred and that his return may be put on hold. It might be prudent for you to travel to Essos. Disguised, at first, as our lord on another trip to learn any secrets of the Force used in the East." Quinn said before he stood back up and then bowed to Rathari. He still gave the Sith the ingrained deference that a Imperial of his time did to a Sith but on serious matters Quinn operated only by what he thought Darth Nagash would like.
"I have duties to teach the younglings." Rathari knew that was a weak argument, with Fay here there was someone to teach them and to watch for anyone delving too deep into the Dark Side. But more to the point, he knew what Quinn wanted him to do. Find Jaesa.
We landed in a clearing near the ruins where I knew the Circlet was hiding. The Vision that Satele gave me pointed here, the Old Republic had found a trail leading to the artifact's final resting place but other priorities drew their attention before they could find it. That's fine by me, I can use it now as the badge of the Grand Master of the Sect of Manwë. But that is not my primary goal here.
"Hey boss, we got all the stuff out of the Sound, anything else you need us to do?" Vette asked as she approached me. I was standing on the edge of a piece of ruble that had fallen from a hanging tower. Everywhere around us were the ruins of the city that covered roughly an eighth of the world. It was a bit more barren than my days, less nature and chemical spills and more gray sand and sheer desolation. It did provide us with better landing spots so good for us.
"Nothing for now, we'll head off for the circlet soon enough." I said as I kept staring out, the sight was unbelievable. It really hit me hard just how different my life was now. Living in Westeros was one thing, it was still kinda familiar to my senses. But the Corellian station and Taris? Those were very different than Earth and it still amazed me to no end. Vette seemed to pick up on my mood and leaned into my side smiling.
"I'm weirded out because it's changed so much since I was last here. What's your excuse?" She asked as she rested on my side, her hand moving down to grasp mine.
"To me, I could only experience places like this in movies or vid-games. Getting thrown into a new universe doesn't get you ready for all the little things." I chuckled knowing how that sounded but then turned my head and smiled down at Vette. "And the not so little things."
"Okay you big softy, we should get back to the rest of the crew before those thugs you brought on decide to start thinking." Vette detangled herself from me but I saw the feint blush on her face, hard to do given her red skin. But she had a point and with one last look to the landscape of Taris I turned back and followed her to the small camp that we had made around the Chilling Sound.
The twins were lounging around and the two rural boys I picked up were lifting heavy things trying to impress the girls. They were but that wasn't going to get them anywhere. Yensi was setting up the border barrier, a ring around the ship and camp to keep animals and the remaining nature of the world out. Dalla was just standing around, half sulking and half trying to look tough. Qui-Gon was doing what I was and taking in the world, but I suspect it was more somber for him than it was me.
"Everyone but Yensi gather around, time to get this job underway." I called and my crew and Qui-Gon walked over to a large holo-projector that had been brought out to the camp. I turned it on and it projected a sonic scan of the nearby ruins. There were numerous dark spots and it only showed the physical outline and none of the important details like stability or if they were occupied. But it gave us a rough outline of the area. "We are here to find the Circlet of Saresh and deliver it to the buyer back on Dromund Kaas. I have data and info from the last guy on the job our client felt was no longer intending to give the artifact to him and instead to a museum. Such as it is for those academic types." I said with a chuckle and the more shady elements of my crew laughed with me.
"And you are sure that this? The Circlet has been lost for many years after countless attempts to recover it." Qui-Gon asked and I could sense a greater clarity and mindfulness in his head, it was getting harder to go unnoticed but easier to understand what he was feeling. He was very skeptical about everything but I don't believe he had any intention to stop me because of his disbelief in the success.
"Then the odds have grown in our favor with each failure of the past." I said with a shit eating grin that spoke to me having an ace in the hole. Qui-Gon eyed me for a bit but I ignored him. I wouldn't tell him the reason was because I had a Force Vision from a Grand Master of the Jedi from long ago. "Myself, Dalla, Qui-Gon, and the twins will be heading inside for an initial scouting mission while the rest of you stay here."
"Hey, why do I have to go into the dangerous ruins while the rest of these guys get to stay out here where it's safe?" Dalla snarked and me and Vette just glared at him for a moment before we returned our attention to the maps in front of us. Dalla then spent the rest of the meeting muttering about how he deserved better and shouldn't be ignored by a bunch of nobodies.
"Our entry point is here, near the southerner ruins and we should be able to find a good route to the central zone of where the Circlet should be." I said as I pointed to a large blasted part of the nearby mega-tower where we could safely enter. The map snaked a bright red path through the blue map until it reached a large green sphere. "That is our goal, our intel suggests that the Circlet should be somewhere there. If its resting place is intact then we will be needing a Jedi to open the doors." I said turning to Qui-Gon who crossed his arms as he understood why he had been brought along now.
"If not then we are going to need to comb through the surrounding area by hand." Vette said knowing that it wouldn't come to that but we still needed to keep up appearances. "Right now we just need to establish a safe way into our target area. That's the job of everyone with decent combat skills."
"Yeah, what about you sweet cheeks? You clearly can handle a blaster if you can strut around like hot shit." Dalla shot an accusing glance to Vette who raised an eyebrow and then faster than Dalla could react she pulled her blaster pistol and shot dead a creeping predator that was stalking Yensi on the border of our camp. A silence fell on the clearing until Qui-Gon interrupted it with a soft chuckle.
"It would be foolish to leave behind an undefended camp of only non-combatants. But I believe that I should stay behind. If I really only needed if there is indeed a Jedi vault of some sort then I would best kept back with little risk to my body." Qui-Gon offered but I wasn't buying that. He still had his lightsaber and I doubt his skills rusted that much. He was sober and while I caught him every now and then looking around the ship for something to drink I knew he was thinking more clearly than he had been in months. He was trying to get out of this simply to avoid being with me.
"Come on Jedi, afraid of the dark?" I asked pointedly and Qui-Gon very nearly glared at me for that slip-up. Obviously he still suspected I was more than I was letting on. Maybe he thought I was a Force-User that had never been a Jedi or maybe someone more far gone than him. Didn't matter in the end because what I needed was for him to listen to me and my little pearls of wisdom. "This is my job and if you want a cut or want a lift off this world then you are going to have to listen to my orders."
I told them all and they all seemed to get the point. I was in charge and the only one that could get them off this wasteland. We finished up the details of what we would need to do, then finished the camp and by the time that was done the sun was already beginning to set. It was decided that we would start the expedition in the morning, the loud roar off in the far distance likely had something to do with that. Whatever monster that had scared the lesser men didn't bother me and so well after the sun had vanished I remained outside. I had sensed that we weren't entirely alone so… I needed to provide an obvious deterrent.
"There they are." Xiade's brain twitched as another errant spark of electricity shot through her skull. She grimaced in growing annoyance as she lowered her scope, then shoved the sniper rifle back in the hands of the Lancer droid she had taken it from. "Let's hurry and kill them all."
"Mistress, likelihood of successful ambush is not currently in parameters of the situation. Recommend waiting for optimal timing." The lead Lancer droid, a prototype IG-99 series meant to act as commanders of normal IG troops. They were controlled and produced by a Muun company shadow controlled by the Banking Clan and through them her master. As such they were used as his agents throughout the galaxy on a mass scale and then there were Darth Plagueis' Tools.
And what Tool was she now? That had been the thought swimming in her mind since she learned of the details of this mission. She ignored the droid and stomped her way back to the ship they had arrived on. It was perched in a nearby ruin that had a great look of the clearing that their targets had landed on. IG Droids swarmed the area and secured it as a base of operation. Their highly advance programing making their efforts normally unnoticeable even for a master at detection. But their work was being unknowingly spoiled by their Dark Assassin's leader. "I want every piece of junk here ready to assault that camp in the next hour!"
"-Belay that order.-" Xiade growled as she heard a very irritating voice. She turned and saw a IG Droid holding a Holo-Communicator with the visage of Darth Sidious above it. "-The blade has been bent and blunted into a hammer but that doesn't mean it has to be used in such a brutish way.-"
"My lord." Xiade struggled to pull out of herself as she bowed. Her mind was a beehive of anger and cybernetically enhanced rage. His words reminding her of her new designation only served to aggravate her even more. She had taken pride in her position of Blade in her master's Tools. But now being regulated to Hammer was an insult. Worse still was the fact that it had been a mortal man that had done this to her, scarring her face forever and rendered her useless in the art of infiltration and seduction. She could no longer be the silent dagger in the shadow for her master so she had been put through hell and pulled out as a berserker only capable of rushing into battle. In a way it was an eternal reminder of the blunder that got her in this mess in the first place but the rage and Dark Side dulled her of this lesson and only fury at the men who did this to her remained.
"-My master sent you to eliminate the Jedi, but see to it that this Ulysses also suffers the same fate.-" Darth Sidious spoke as though he had any authority to order her to do such a thing. She was a servant of Darth Plagueis and no other. This Darth Sidious may today be his apprentice but that could always changes the next day. But, she knew that saying any of this out loud was unwise. Even in her addled state she knew the temperament of Sith and doubted that Sidious would forget any slight she gave him. So for now she bared her teeth as she kept her head down.
"I will complete my mission as my master wishes." She said knowing that he couldn't refute that without saying something that she would report to Plagueis as overstepping his boundaries. She heard the Apprentice quietly scoff at her non-answer which she took as a small victory.
"-Very good, but you might be a more direct Tool but some of your old guile can't surely be completely lost.-" The sneer in his voice was perfectly easy to see even as she stared at the floor. Xiade heard the words but the ticking sparks in her brain roared for her to hurry up and finish this so that they might possibly stop with a done mission. "-IG-99, you and your fellows are not to attack until the target is in a far more favorable spot.-"
"Acknowledged." The droid responded and Xiade wanted to slice it in half then and there but she would be punished later for it. Still… she was sure the ticking in her head would calm down a bit for she did that. "We will wait and observe."
"-Good, see to it Hammer that you do not fail me or my master again. Next time we won't be so forgiving.-" With that the image of Darth Sidious flickered out and immediately Xiade screamed and pulled five Lancer Droids up into the ceiling of the floor they were on before smashing back down. The IG-99 just looked between the Dark Assassin and it's now junked Droids before walking off to perform its mission, now taking into account the volatile and subpar worth of the Dark Assassin asset it had been given command over for the mission.
"We all set?" I asked as I walked over to Qui-Gon, Dalla and the twins. It was early in the morning and the sun was just starting to peek on the horizon. The camp was all set and the scouting team was even more so. Everyone had their gear ready and as far as I could tell they were as ready as they were going to be for this mission.
"Yes khal." Both Emmi and Felli said in unison as they stood before me. Dalla chuckled and the girls gave him a bit of a glare for that but he seemed unphased. Clearly forgetting why he failed at stealing my ship.
"Why do they call you that by the way? Ain't something I ever heard before." Dalla asked as he slung a bag over his shoulder. It was a valid question and even Qui-Gon looked to be interested. I shrugged and nodded for the twins to answer.
"He's our Khal because he is the strongest."
"He's the most handsome man ever!"
"He killed the bastard the kept us as slaves."
"He fucks us good."
"He's has never fallen in battle."
"He really fucks us good."
"He has taken us farther than any khalasar has ever dreamed of going."
"By the stars does he make us scream!"
"Emmi, our Khal's greatness in sex can't be the only thing you like."
"Are you saying he doesn't ruin you every night we spend with him?"
"Well no but-"
"Enough!" Dalla shouted as he clearly couldn't take much more of the twins. Honestly he didn't last as long as I thought he would but I guess he was feeling a bit inferior to me as it was. "Forget I ever asked." The pirate said as he began his way toward the direction that we had set last night.
"Would it be accurate to guess that you two are from a primitive world?" Qui-Gon asked the twins as we all started forward, following the sulking Dalla as he decided to take point. Emmi and Felli both frowned at the Jedi's phrasing, Dothraki tend to dislike being called primitive. Even if the two often shirked many norms of Dothraki culture, anything having to do with horses, there were some things that were ingrained.
"I found them belonging to a slaver in Hutt space, pretty sure he picked them up off a Feudal World of some kind." I answered for them as they continued to glare at Qui-Gon. He gave a weakened smile understanding that he had just insulted them. "They don't know where their homeworld is so I just have been taking care of them since then. They seem to have given me their people's word for leader given I meet the criteria. That being I haven't been beaten in battle."
"You really should take a braid Khal."
"You would look so good with one." I smiled at their antics but I don't think so. My hair is a little long, often I kept it tied up in a small tail but I don't think I would ever want a Dothraki braid. For one if I did take it and keep it up, it would grow so long that it would be silly given my lifespan.
"You two focus on watching our sides." I said and they pouted a bit but did as I told. They would be watching for any danger while Dalla took the front and Qui-Gon would sense for danger. For right now I couldn't sense much unless I focused all my attention on doing so.
Roughly five miles from our clearing we walked besides a long ruined Imperial Walker that was unearthed by the changing tides of gray sand. It was a feat in itself that it had lasted this long. Although not intact, it had been worn down by the sands and time. Only its frame remained so it was a miracle that even I recognized it for what it was. But that didn't make it any less impressive. This humble walker was here by only the power of engineering and unyielding metal. It was impressive and the old fossil had my respect. But I was mentally rambling, it was just an old walker at the end of the day.
"This world has many great treasures hidden in it." I turned to see Qui-Gon standing back toward the fallen front of the fallen walker. His arms crossed in the sleeves of his robe looking very Jedi like. "When so much of a world is picked clear of treasures, that what is left behind truly shine even if they are the most ugly."
"Are you just trying to sound wise and mystical right now?" I asked and heard a small chuckle out from him. "Practicing for when you return to Tython?" He sighed and looked down, I could sense a little from him in this moment of reflection at my question. Now that the booze was gone from his system, not that he hadn't been whining subtly about how dry this mission was, he was able think more clearly on whatever it was that haunted him. But before he could answer my question we were interrupted.
"Hey you slackers! We found the entrance!" We both heard Dalla shout to us and after we looked toward the source of the voice we looked at each other. I could tell he was on to me, he could tell I was pushing him one way and that was good. It threw him off as to what he thought I was. At the very least I doubt he would ever suspect the truth. With the moment done the two of us began our way back toward Dalla and the girls. Today would be the first mission into the ruins of Taris to find an ancient crown that had a deep connection to the Light Side. Oh and there's also a chance of monsters and assassins coming after us while in this shaky and unstable ruins, fun.
Reviews
Madness ad gloriam - Can't say about her as that is spoilers.
DahakStaz - The Foundery is one of several artifacts that Naraiz is after. Cipher Nine simply listed off things he had confirmed. The gene splicing of the Clone Troopers will be done in limited numbers, i do need to power balance this story to a degree for a time.
alertpoet91 - Naraiz will be using the best Star Destroyers and fix several issues they have. The Republic uses Halo ships in this AU.
victorsan12345 - It's not that she's fickle its that she's still trying to come to terms with the fact much of her identity is built on a man that is now two people and now she has genuine feelings for one and is trying to understand that the other was just obsession. And that she made a poor choice in pursuit of that obsession.
Scorcher948 - I will be doing my own battles for this AU's Clone Wars. By the time Naraiz get's his empire involved, the entire plot of the Episodes will be in the trash.
NazgulBelserion - Naraiz is not a Evil Overlord so that doesn't count. He is solidly gray. And buckle up buddy boy because this not the last time Naraiz knocks someone up.
guest - no, he hates the Eternal Empire and will not use their tech.