Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

Jun-Tsu sat at a polished jet table held in her private chambers within the People's Tower. A wide-set window took up much of two walls, which curved and arched, rather than worked at right angles. Her dark-tinted fingers held to a datapad as her inky eyes poured over the text being projected before her. A picture of a thin, Sith woman accompanied the file and Jun-Tsu nodded at various points in her reading.

An attendant arrived to whisper her guests arrival, and the Empress Dowager gestured for them to be brought forth but otherwise continued to read.

Raela soon arrived, dressed slightly more lightly than usual (for Ziost), in a simple high necked black dress with an attached cloak. She bowed when she arrived. "Greetings, Empress Dowagar. I hope things are going well for you today."

The queen mother did not immediately respond, finishing the line she was on. The image of Raela continued to play on the projected hologram, the text beside it one of her academic papers. Finished with the paragraph, the woman put the pad down and waved a hand over it to dispel the projection. "It vaz more difficult zhan yezterday, but eazier zhan tomorrow."

"Pleaze, zit, I am about to hawe dinner, I hope you vill join me. I had mein perzonal chef vrom Lord Orethion'z eztate brought here to prepare a meal vrom mein homevorld."

There was likely a challenging air to the words, something between the lines of the academic language in the article. Raela was rarely satisfied with how things were being done. "The challenge is ramping up, then," she noted.

She pulled out a chair and settled in gracefully. "I would be pleased to join you. I don't believe I've had the opportunity to try the cuisine of Korriz before now."

"It iz not zhe vine decadence of zhe core vorldz but it remindz me of home vhen var avay. Und zhiz zhef iz zurprizingly good at zhe cuizine. I azzume it iz becauze zhe vegetablez und meat can make it here from mein homevorld in wery zhort order." She gestured to the attendant to begin serving dinner, so he disappeared out the door to fetch the first course.

"Tell me of your vork, Lady Ausar. I hawe longed to meet vizh you about it vor qvite zome time now."

"Freshness does make a major difference... I'm not much for decadence, myself, but I admit there is something to be said for the core worlds and supply shipping," she mused, sitting back. "I specialize in biology, usually microbiology, and digging into Force lore. Often the intersection between the two."

"Yez, zo I hawe been reading. Can you tell me more on zhiz bridge between geneticz und Forze sensitivity? Iv....I am underztanding you correctly, you zeem to imply zhat v'one could...breed a connection to zhe Forze, yez?" Her voice was passive, but in a feigned way to belie definite interest.

"I was studying whether that was the case," she replied, clarifying. "My current hypothesis is actually more that the bond between the parent and the Force has a stronger influence, as does the environment they're carried and borne in and how strong the Force is there, certain rituals, things like that. That's not to say that there's no interaction or correlation, since in influences living things and they influence it, but it would take a deeper dive to discover the intricacies of the interactions. Neither the Force nor life are as simple as the pattern-oriented sapient mind would like them to be."

The witch-queen smiled at the response with an understanding nod, "Zhen ve are zuprizingly likeminded on zhe matter, but more importantly, zuch hypothezez need prowing yez? Dare I zay, zuch zheoriez, zhould zhey hold true beyond mere anecdotal ewidence, could rewolutionize zhe vay ve look at zhe interaction between liwe und zhe Forze, zhough, in zome vayz to zeparate zhem iz impozzible."

"Yes... That was precisely my thought. They need proving. I believe we individually and the Empire as a whole can make better decisions with better information," she replied, smiling a little bit. She didn't approve of the way she treated Ilar, but they were of a similar mind on this subject. "Laws and theories instead of anecdotes and guesswork."

The witch canted her head, her veil draping over one shoulder, "Do you vish to continue your research into zuch matterz? To confirm vhat you hawe, up till now only been able to poztulate bazed on foundational studies?"

"Very much so. As you might have guessed by now, I'm quite passionate about the subject," she rubbed her chin a little and tilted her own head to the side. "You have something in mind?"

"It happenz zhat I too vizh to know zhe verazity of your claimz, vizh to know zhe connection between blood und enwironment und zhe Forze. I am a disciple of zhe Dark Zide, I zeek to know it az I know meinzelf, und I beliewe zhat you may hold zhe key to a great many myzteriez of zhe Forze."

"Mein vamily haz long had a ztrong connection to zhe Dark Zide. Zhrough ritual, zhrough zacrivice, zhrough practicez meant to draw in zhe dark, ve hawe, vizh minor exception, managed to appease, attract, or ozhervize make ourzelves open to zhe Dark Zide, all of uz. Zhoze who are vound vizhout are offered up az tribute to zhe Dark Zide, zhat ve might maintain our purity. Vhile pregnant ve bazh in invuzed vaterz, Zith poizonz und concoctionz rich in zhe Forze, und zhrough zhem we invuze our bodiez vizh greater connection to zhe Dark Zide."

"But ve hawe ztagnated, ve muzt grow in our underztanding, az muzt ve all, to better ourzelwez und our kinship vith zhe Dark Zide."

"I understand... I would be pleased to help," she replied genuinely, smiling. Do what you were doing, but more wasn't exactly a hard sell. "I will be difficult to expand my research by staying on my homeworld... I suppose it's fortunate I planned to remain in the core, anyway. Do you have specifics in mind?"

"I leawe zhe vork to you. I only care zhat zhey prowide rezultz, confirmation or denial of your theses. I vizh to delwe into zhe myzteriez of zhe Forze zhrough ewery awenue. From myzticizm to zcience. Ve zeek invormation. Vor too long we've rezted on zhe loralz of our betterz, able to command great miraclez of zhe Forze. Maniveztationz und qvalitiez of zhe Dark Zide lozt to time, almozt more myzh zhan reality, but I know zhere iz a vay to redizcover zhem, iv ve but ztudy zhe Forze vith greater dedication."

She nodded thoughtfully. "I was planning on seeking out a position to improve scientific research and healthcare in the Empire. The efficiency right now is pretty pathetic. I can turn my project into a big research push from there - that should give me the resources to pursue the subject thoroughly."

"Yez, zhat might be acceptable. Allow me to zpeak zhiz over wizh mein ozher adwizerz, but I beliewe it iz in zhe bezt interezt of zhe Empire zhat you take up your rezearch. Zhow rezultz, und your ztar iz zure to rize. Und I do not mean petty zocial gloriez, I mean an increaze in zcope, und greater latitudez vizh future projectz."

"Of course. I will await your final word with great anticipation," she replied with a nod and a smile. "Exactly what I would hope for, given my own inclinations. Social rewards would just take my attention away from the much more important and interesting things."

"You ztruck me az v'one vhich vaz more dedicated to ztudy zhan to zocial reward. It doez make me azk, vhy zeek a zeat on zhe Dark Counzil? I admit, it vould hawe giwen you a great deal of invluence, and no doubt you could hawe dedicated yourzelf to your research, but vizh zuch pover comez rezponzibilitiez beyond to your vork."

"I'm aware. It was a necessary evil at the time to secure my data and research facility from someone who potentially had a claim on it," she replied. "I have a... longer view now, and with everything that's happened, that is much less pressing."