Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

“Not much of a choice is still a choice. She chose poorly.” He replied without emotion as he stared straight forward.

“And now the Empire is deprived of her. She was my exemplar... my course in the sky... and now all is dark. But there is no time to wallow in despair. The pain, fear, and hate she leaves me are all I have. They must carry me through tomorrow... for I do not intend to orphan my girls now in these darkened skies.”

Shaisha wasn't sure if she thought it was a poor choice. To her it seemed better, at least for someone like Kristal, to lose on their own terms, than to be deemed unworthy at the end and disposed of.

Though all she could do for now was to nod vaguely at Sylvain's words. He didn't seem to be in a place to listen to others now.

Silently, she looked back at her now departed friend. How many years would it take before she would eventually lose memory of how Kristal looked? How much would time change her perception of the woman? And how could she best carry on her will...

Sylvain meanwhile stood and walked over to the window. Addison remained in a pleasant mood, running around a servant droid hitting it with a stick. Arymis, however, had stopped and was looking up at his window as he appeared.

She looked up with concern in her eyes as if something within her already knew. Sylvain nodded firmly and pointed to her sister to encourage her to play with Addison again. After a moment of trepidation the little brunette returned to playing with her sister.

“So... who is this Valkorian, sister?”

Why must you ask now? she thought, still looking at the face of her departed friend.

The silence lasted a bit longer before she broke it with a sigh. "It's... a complicated matter. While following the trail of the Emperor on Nar Shaddaa, or rather, my own... it led me to Nal Hutta, and a place of Dark Side power. Probably the same as on Yavin IV, I suspect." She shook her head, trying not to think too much that.

"A spectre appeared to me. A... different face of the Emperor, I believe, calling himself Valkorian. Offering me power as an equal." Her lips tightened and she looked away from Kristal. "Back then I had less... patience, with my ambitions. Still an angry child in many ways, just looking for ways to get ahead." To prove to him...

Shaisha stopped herself from continuing that line of thought.

"We've all grown up some over the past years."

Sylvain paused for a moment as he listened and watched the girls outside. He obviously wasn't acting his normal self and his silence was a bit awkward in the moment.

Eventually he spoke, "I see... Thank you for telling me... Tomorrow looms heavy on my mind... I want to know all the different angles I can before making my decisions... To know that the Emperor was present for that meeting earlier today... is troubling..."

He looked down at his wrist and glanced at the time, "I'll be sending the girls and their mother away with my man Tyron tonight. You are free to go with them mother. Tomorrow there will be an attempt on the Emperor's life... He threatens to destroy all life in the galaxy... and I must choose where I wish to be when this attempt takes place."

Raven replied, "I die a Sith or not at all."

"Even if he was not there because of me, he would've been aware of the meeting. That is how he is," she remarked with some bitterness. The Emperor was powerful and many others have tried before them to take him down, and so far all had failed.

“I’m not pinning blame on you despite your attempt to avoid it. In one sense it’s reassuring, I suppose. At least we know for sure he will be ready for it.” He paused for a moment before turning from the girls.

He then looked over to Shaisha with a calm but hollow face... like one who was exhausted beyond their limit and only inertia kept them moving, “What is the likelihood you will be an obstacle to get through in order to kill him... I’ve already lost a wife... Will I need to lose a sister as well before this is done?”

Raven chastised, “We won’t have time to consider emotions, if they are an obstacle they die. The only thing that matters is destroying the Emperor. This is not a time to worry about friendships when our very survival is at stake.”

He tilted his head, “I’m not saying I won’t... I’m asking for probabilities. Only Shaisha knows the level of her entanglement.”

“And you trust her to answer honestly? If there is doubt remove her now, otherwise live with the situation,” she said coldly.

“There are few people I trust... But she is one of them.”

"Interesting words coming from you, bird," she remarked pointedly at Raven, feeling no need to explain herself to this woman. Not that she didn't agree with Raven's sentiment to a degree, but still... Shaisha gave an appriciative nod to Sylvain for that.

"Think I've overstayed my welcome here for now... you both have your family to see to."

"Shaisha... Tommorw... Fight it. Tomorrow is... You remember my... our father always called days like this the 'refiners fire'. Just as metal is heated and beaten to remove its imperfections, so are those who face challenges. Ore of no use is broken and discarded, but that of quality withstands and grows stronger."

He looked to her with intent eyes, "Don't get discarded. Don't lose."

Aramis Torsin... the man had been a father to her for most of her time growing up. Or at least, a father figure. Tomorrow, she was hoping she could finally reclaim the father she had lost. Her real father, even if he wouldn't be the father she remembered from long ago.

The Emperor had not taken away Aramis, but he had taken all she had before. And she was determined not to let it happen again.

"If I lose, then I'm already dead. Don't forget, Sylvain, steel of the highest purity is surprisingly fragile... and whatever impurities I have will be my strength."

"Or they will be your undoing..." He replied simply.

"May the force make you strong." He said as he bowed his head slightly in farewell.

Raven left the chamber, she had her own preparations to make.

Shaisha let Raven leave first, then gave an appriciative nod to the man who now carried the weight of the world (the world that belonged to two young girls, that is) on his shoulder. "And may the Force ever guide you, Sylvain."

"There's much to prepare for tomorrow." With that, she gave him one last sympathetic look, and walked away.


/exit

Sylvain watched the two women leave down the hallway and out of sight before turning back to the casket of his wife. He knelt down softly next to her and began speaking to her in his mind.

I didn't enjoy being parted from you these last years... Now it's worse with this eternal separation...

You left us right as we needed you the most... And this'll hurt the girls more than anything I can imagine...

I don't know if I can forgive you any more than you actually forgave me for my betrayal...

We weren't perfect... we weren't even good most of the time...

But I swear to you with all that I am... my moon and stars... What we made... those girls... They'll make up for our failings.

They will be strong. They will live. And they will win...

"I will see to it." He said aloud as he stood with resolve in his countenance.

He tapped his communicator and said, "C-5... I want you to bring the girls to my room immediately."

The droid replied with his consent as Sylvain slowly walked over to the entrance to his room and opened the doors...

/scene