Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

“I could do fairly early in the night hours tomorrow. I have a busy day of politicking unfortunately before that.”

He then added, “The following day is my wedding. I do hope you’ll be able to attend. Perhaps in the morning then?”

"Hmm, I am to meet vith Ser Thalalaz, unvortunately. Und I vould not azk you to ztay out into zhe vee hours juzt to valk zhe hallz of mein home. Time vill reweal itzelf. Bezt to zimply put azide any dark talk until avter zhe joy of your nuptualz. All of Houze Farro vishes you many blezzingz of zhe Umbră-Ușoară."

"I thank and welcome its blessing. Without it I do not think I will be married long. For my wife-to-be walks a dangerous path towards the Dark Council." He said with a nod of thanks.

"I hawe heard zuch rumour. She takez her live into her own handz vith zuch ambition. Though," Jun-Tsu trailed off slightly, "zhere iz nozhing zhat demandz zhat zhe ozher candidatez be put to deazh. Perhapz, ewen iv your belowed doez not prewail, zhere are zhoze zhat vould zee zuch deazh, in the vace of zhe coming tide, az a vazte."

"Lord Tenebrouz, for example. Do you beliewe she vould zeek out zhe deazh of Lady Serasai? I know zhat truzt iz not a Zith virtue, und comradery ewen lezz, but zhoze yearz ago, you vere all cloze az I recall."

"If she remains the woman I knew then, I do not believe she would 'seek' it. But the Emperor does not tolerate weakness. And to him and members of the Dark Council, sentimentality is perceived of as weakness. Were one not to kill the other in such a contest... I doubt the Wrath would sit idly by and allow them to spare one another. Even if he had to slay his only daughter." He replied.

"But to be honest I do not know what kind of person my sister is now. She has placed distance between us since the peace accords. A distance I respect as a personal courtesy... but as a result I know not who she has become. Power and influence can change people for the better or for the worse. Shaisha has great capacity for both."

"Iv I may azk, vhich zide of zhe debate did you vall on at Nar Zhaddaa? I hawe no ztrong allegianze to eizher, but I am curiouz. You are a eminently practical man, who vould zee zhe pozzibilitiez in peaze. But you are alzo your vater's zon, und heir to hiz role."

"The peace was a logistical necessity at the time... as it remains because the Council has not seen fit to secure our gains in the Outer Rim. It is as you say, I am my father's son and I wish to see our armies once again successful and the Republic destroyed... But my father was an exceptionally prudent man as well. We should not fight when we are not prepared to win." He replied.

"Once we have dealt with the division and contagion that weakens us, I am in favor of resuming hostilities."

"Zhey are inewitable. Like zhe Dark und zhe Light, zhey are ewer oppozitez. Vhat iz live vithout deazh? Deztruction vithout reneval. Vith or vithout convlict zhe Repulic vould vall. Zhey are zedentary, inert, vithout zhe vill to change. Zhey zhould zhank uz for injecting convlict into zheir peazeful zlumber. Only zhrough zhat vould zhey grow. Vithout a var, zhey vould zimply collapze under zheir own complazenzy."

He tilted his head, "Perhaps... though for over a thousand years they have stood without a serious threat. They are resilient... but not unconquerable. Our presence changes things... but I ultimately feel that we can be the catalyst to their destruction. If we do not destroy ourselves in the process."

"Zhe Empire haz vallen bewore," Jun-Tsu smirked with her back to Sylvain as she took in another piece of art. "It iz hard to beliewe vrom juzt zhree Dark Lords in zhe dayz of zhe Triuverate, to now hawing dozenz, or hundredz. Perhapz ve could uze a culling. Not ewery Lord or Darth in zhiz decadent era deswerves zhe title"

"Prezent company excluded, of courze."

He nodded, "Abundance breeds all sorts of complications."

"Mein vamily haz newer cared much for titlez of zhe Zith. Zhere haz alvayz been Qveen Ka-Tai, und zhen zhe zewen Lordz of Korriz. Zhe rest of uz are but minor noblez. Our titlez on Korriz come more vrom accomplishment in zhe vorce, und not az a mere revard vor zerwice."

"We truly do need to instill a greater sense of meritocracy in our system as well. The excesses of so many 'Sith' and the nepotism of parasitic nobles who place their children as commanders without any skill in the military... These things make us weak." He nodded in agreement.

"It is my understanding that some of these things are on the docket for discussion in the next couple of weeks."

"Mozt excellent. At leazt az ve approach zhe abyzz, ve may vell be prepared to vace it. Ztrengzhen zhe Empire zhat ve might zee zhe day aveter." She sighed softly to herself.