[D5 ME Tenebrous Stronghold] Questions Unasked

[Dapper Dog]

“You astound me with how quickly you trust, especially a direct rival to your power,” Valkorian said with a sigh.

“You showed promise, I suppose even I can be wrong.”

[Jaheem Abasi]

Jaheem was silent for a moment studying her eyes, her face, her demeanor for any sense she was lying or holding anything back. "By the force, you aren't lying are you?" He said with a long sigh looking out to the snow covered landscape.

He spent a lot of time looking out there his mind working silently for a few moments "It cant be a coincidence that the night of terrors happened so close to when the emporer first appeared after so long. It makes sense that it was tied to him." He was almost thinking out loud rather than conversing.

He looked to Shaisha after another pause "The question is, what do we do about it?"

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Plan. Prepare. Keep eyes open for potentials that see him for what he truly is," she said plainly. Easily said, not so easily done.

"This is just my hypothesis, but I think Darth Malgus might be wanting to move against the Emperor. He seems to be... positioning himself as a saviour and hero," Shaisha mused, thinking back to their mission earlier that day. "It's only fair that I turn some questioning back at you; what do you think of the colonel?"

[Jaheem Abasi]

Jaheem nods "I had similar suspicions, I believe he wants to take down the eagle and use that to leverage support for himself. That's why I am helping him for now, he could make a powerful ally down the road."

He pondered on her question for a moment "She seems capable but I'm afraid I haven't had much experience with her outside of the mission today. Why do you ask?"

[Lord Tenebrous]

Fingers tapped against her lips in thought. "Maybe. His interest seems to be in the Empire, at least... though I've seen many Sith with misguided ideas about that too." She could probably start a list there.

"Don't you think Malam Gil changed his tune too easily once she showed up?"

[Jaheem Abasi]

Jaheem nodded slowly "Yes he did seem to be rather resistant to my questioning but folded rather easily under hers. I dont doubt her skill but I also do not doubt mine. The question becomes though who was working for which side?"

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Someone is hampering the investigations, that I know. My contacts in Section IX have informed me that Imperial Intelligence is freezing out Public Security and Military Intel."

Though it was a good question of who was working for who in the situation of Malam Gil and the Colonel.

[Jaheem Abasi]

Jaheem nodded "We would be foolish to believe that someone as detailed and intelligent as the Eagle wouldnt have some moles somewhere. Imperial intelligence would be the best place for it, they have the least oversight and most influence. Could be troublesome to root out."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Mm... keep an eye out for suspicious behaviour. Should come naturally to you as an inquisitor, no?" she chuckled briefly.

[Jaheem Abasi]

At that he offered a smirk "I suppose it does, it's always been easier to suspect people rather than trust them. Just comes naturally I guess."

[Lord Tenebrous]

(so sorry I thought I had responded to this!)

"Yes..." she agreed cautiously. "And you better not betray this trust I've shown you with this, Jaheem."

[Jaheem Abasi]

Jaheem raised an eyebrow smirk still in place "Please Shaisha, it won't do for such a lovely mouth to spew such ugly threats." Jaheem seemed utterly unfazed by her words "I have no intention of betraying your trust anyway, there is no need to try and intimidate me. We are partners now, in a way."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Flattery?" she raised one her ridged brows, seemingly unamused by it.

[Jaheem Abasi]

Jaheem shrugged "you dont appreciate my flattery, I dont appreciate your threats. Sounds like we are on even ground. I came to you remember? I'm looking for allies. Besides I turn you in and then what? You could easily throw accusations at me and I am many things but a liar is not one of them. I know it is against our nature as sith but if we want to succeed we will need to...trust, one another."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Trust is a rare commodity," she mused, but did not seem disturbed by his words.

"And well, such accusations at this point in time would've been seen as a move to discredit a rival... we'd probably have to end up fighting eachother to the death or something to see who was in the right. And after today, I think you've grown weary of such." A smirk crept on her face. "A liar is not something I'm terribly worried about being called though, to be honest. Goodness knows I've heard worse."

She chuckled for a moment. "So who else do you trust these days then?"

[Jaheem Abasi]

Jaheem chuckled "I do not mind being called a liar, Force knows I've done far worse things than lie. I simply meant I have no skill for it, I do not know the craft of lying."

At her second question he paused "i cannot say I fully trust anyone. We are sith, it is in our way of of being to cheat and betray. But you seem like you have similar goals to me, Lady Ausar may be on our side of things and I believe a number of people who would align themselves with The Empire over the Emporer if it came down to it."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Ausar is... an unknown to me, one I don't know enough about to trust. And she is Zash's apprentice so my opinion is not particularly high." Not that she herself had anything personal against Dash, but the woman was dangerous and an enemy of others close to her.

[Jaheem Abasi]

"This is true but from what I have seen she doesn't seem to have an overly close bond to Zash but I could be mistaken. She has similar ideals to myself and I think she sees the emporer for what he is. What about you? Is there anyone else that you trust?"

[Lord Tenebrous]

"There are a few others I trust..." she said, thinking carefully about who she fully trusted.

"For now their names will be unspoken, as I've no intention of naming them when they might want to remain nameless."