Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

The Emperor once again allowed the privileged to watch the showcase of martial skill.

From the upper balconies Jun-Tsu cast her eyes down to the aspirants as they each proceed to their challenge. There was no pleasure or enjoyment on her face. With her eyes occluded, it was difficult to say what her thoughts were, but her lips were a flat line of taciturn neutrality. Indeed, the way she did not move at all, seemed to imply she may not have truly been watching the proceedings at all. She simply stood there like a black silk draped statue.

Jun-Tsu's face may have been passive, but Ilar's was not. The last time that Raela had stood before the Emperor, things had not gone well, he hoped today would go better.

Casually swiping through his datapad looking for costume ideas for tonight's party, he waited quietly for the testing to begin.

Darth Hofu looked perplexed as there was still not a chair for him with the Dark Council but Vowrawn saw to it right quick having one of his aides fetch a chair and then drag it across the chamber with a screeching keening sound and set it right next to Vowrawn, it was a rather small chair compared to those of the dark Council but Darth Vowrawn assured Darth Hofu that they would get a real chair one day… soon.

Mahr was in the watcher's section, silent and patient, waiting in armor.

He had an odd pouch at his belt...

With her trial over for now, Shaisha retreated to the audience to watch the others.

Seeing Kristal facing off against her father however, she tensed up considerably.

Sylvain was present and watched with a calm and focused look. A slight sigh escaped his lips as Kristal made her decision, but that was the only emotion that he allowed himself to show.

It ended so fast. Too fast.

Damnit, Kris... why did you have to be so reckless now, of all times?, she thought as her lips pressed into a thin line, her teeth pressing down into her lower lip until she could taste blood in her mouth.

She wasn't sure what outcome she had wanted, or expected, but she didn't want this one.

There would be tears shed over this loss, but it would not be now.

Mahr leaned forward when the metal woman challenges the Sith Emperor's champion

''SHE HAS STRONG WILL'' he commented with a grunt, before the duel...except that said duel was quite once sided. ''BUT HE IS JUST STRONGER.'' He stared at the Wrath for a moment before grinning ''A WORTHY CHALLENGE''

With cold detachment, Ilar drew a line through Kristal's name on his list of aspirants. She joined Hofu on the list of persons no longer a threat to Raela's ascension.

Lord Tenebrous wrote:It ended so fast. Too fast.

Damnit, Kris... why did you have to be so reckless now, of all times?, she thought as her lips pressed into a thin line, her teeth pressing down into her lower lip until she could taste blood in her mouth.

She wasn't sure what outcome she had wanted, or expected, but she didn't want this one.

There would be tears shed over this loss, but it would not be now.

"One would think that having less competition would benefit you," Dayana mused, "But it does not seem that you are pleased." The masked woman turned her cheek to face Shaisha, the expression on her lips without emotion. But it was almost as if there was a glint in her eyes, the spectral ones that saw through the Force.

"Were you close?"

Sylvain stared on as if some non-existent phantoms from another realm were dancing with bright laser batons a short distance away. He saw the blows... but his mind was not where it would normally be... he saw the gold-haired champion go down... the giant red demon stand above her for a moment... then a searing noise which drove home a blow to his heart.

He felt the crackle of the Force between his fingertips... a stinging pain in his extremities that brought his mind back to the world in front of him. He looked to his wife's body... the same body he had revived all those years ago back on Korriban in that freezing research station. The wounds had been serious then... but these were of a different nature. He knew there would be no revival now... Only pain.

The crackling stopped... A sigh escaped his nostrils. And he turned to leave to where they would take the body.

As he walked away he tapped his communicator and waited until it was answered or he could leave a message, "Mother... I will need you at the estate later today."

/exit

For a moment, Shaisha was lost in her own thoughts, not completely registering Dayana's words. She saw Sylvain leave, and a part of her wanted to follow him.

No. Not here. Give him room. He wouldn't want her to make a scene here.

"... We were childhood friends," she said softly after a long silence. "And she was the most worthy of us."

Lord Tenebrous wrote:For a moment, Shaisha was lost in her own thoughts, not completely registering Dayana's words. She saw Sylvain leave, and a part of her wanted to follow him.

No. Not here. Give him room. He wouldn't want her to make a scene here.

"... We were childhood friends," she said softly after a long silence. "And she was the most worthy of us."

The glee, that predatory glee, from finding a point of weakness started to disappear. Dayana shifted back, her "vision" addressing the scene before them. "Such a long-standing friendship is a rare privilege indeed."

She took a breath. "What's done is done. What will you do now?"

What would she do now... it was a question she hadn't even considered yet.

She looked ahead, as someone came to clear away the body from the room, and Dayana was once more left with silence for a few moments.

"Continue her legacy. While I can't be the Champion of Marr that she was, I can still protect her Empire and what was important to her."

Lord Tenebrous wrote:What would she do now... it was a question she hadn't even considered yet.

She looked ahead, as someone came to clear away the body from the room, and Dayana was once more left with silence for a few moments.

"Continue her legacy. While I can't be the Champion of Marr that she was, I can still protect her Empire and what was important to her."

"I see. How noble of you," Dayana said, without a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She lowered her head. "My condolences, truly. To be honest, I expected more rage, more fury. But it is clear that your motivations are more for her legacy rather than your own ambitions."

She smiled warmly. "Admirable."

The sincerity was surprising, but not unwelcome. "Thank you... your words are appriciated." Her own tone remained soft, humble even.

This kind of exchange, was one she knew Kristal would have wanted to see more of.

Jun-Tsu shut her eyes, though did not lower her head nor show any outward change. She thought back to her wedding gift to the two of them. What that it were here now, in this moment, but then the Emperor, she doubted, would ever allow it. Still, the thought of her family's night water, at its full power, drawing back the woman from death. That would have been quite the show for the shrinking minority still not convinced of alchemy's place in the modern empire.

She sighed and watched Sylvain walk off.

She watched and foresaw the conclusion and sighed, the Steel Valkyrie had been a staunch ally and now she was no more. It was a waste but she died as a Sith should, challenging those stronger than they.

Marr would be displeased by this outcome, but it removed one less rival. Silver lining she supposed.

Xyll, as the witness, was there. Observing. Documenting. She saw Kristal go down. It was a pity; she'd warned the woman about her overconfidence, but had still thought that maybe she could've gone all the way. If only she hadn't challenged the Wrath. But then, why should one get to sit on the council without facing such true adversity? One's strength would always be questioned if it wasn't demonstrated properly.

It had been the correct choice. And the wrong one.

A pity.