Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

No sooner had Jun-Tsu made it back from the rigors of court and the thrill of the seating competition, than she was preparing herself for her guest. Never could she recall a time when she had been so busy. And so, before she readied herself for this evenings art gala, she took a small meal in the dining hall. A large, vaulted room with a long obsidian table, rough hewn, as though broken from the volcanic rock that forged it. The polished top was irregularly shaped, like a great blade that pointed towards the large glass atrium that took up the far wall.

She sat, like a tiny specter in the chamber, sipping at a cold puree soup the chefs had masterly prepared. The simple flavors mixed with her drink to provide a calming, almost meditative experience. Jun-Tsu allowed herself a contented sigh as she awaited her guest's arrival.

Jo'ren arrived on schedule and was escorted to meet the lady of the house. He gave her a respectful nod.

"Jun-Tsu, it's good to see you again. Only a been a few hours of course..." A smile crossed his face.

Setting down her utensil, she stood to offer a polite curtsy to the Sith lord, "It iz, az alvayz, a pleazure, mein Lord. Und I am glad zhat you vound zhe time to come. Pleaze," Jun-Tsu rose and gestured to one of the nearby seats at the grand obsidian table. "Join me."

"Zhe obligationz of zhe day hawe kept me vrom mein mid-day meal, zo I am juzt trying to hawe a little zomezhing bevore zhiz ewening. I vill hawe zhe servantz bring up anozher bowl. Zhe chef iz, zuprizingly, wery adept at Korrizian cuizine."

"Please, go ahead." He nodded and decided to join her. "Sure, I could eat. Got to keep these muscles well fed."

He pulled up a seat at the big table. Obsidian, nice. Maybe he could get one for himself.

She signaled to the servant to bring the imposing Sith another place setting, "Und hawe v'one of mein zizterz vetch mein daughter."

After the attendant had left she turned back to Jo'ren, "Vhat are your zhoughtz on zhiz avternoon's ewents? It zeemz zhe court itz wery much opinionated on vhat ve zaw at zhe Azpirant'z Challenge."

The little one enters and is that cake… who gave her cake? Unless she found cake? She smiled and said, “Mama, mein cake iz good. Oh hello Lord Rath, you are quite big, like ze mountain. Vant some cake?”

She held out her little plate for him.

The big Sith took a seat, making its structural integrity seem a touch precarious. He tapped his face doors as he considered his reply.

"Court's always opinionated. Some candidates have things they'd rather hide than risk giving up to the Emperor. That said a lot about them, and him."

Seeing Vas-Tsu approach Jo'ren was momentarily surprised. She was much bigger than Lyria. Couldn't be much older though. As absently he reached for the offered cake.

"Sure kid. Ah, hello there."

Jun-Tsu let conversation slip, as she just smiled at the interaction. With a keen eye she watched the pair, every so often taking a few quiet sips of her soup.

“Ze cake is mein favorite,” she said.

She then pulls keen archaic dagger and plays with it looking at her reflection and singing a Korriz song like a lullaby to the knife. She then added, “Zis knife was used to kill mein great aunt by her rival, zhe vas betrayed, stabbed seven times.”

“Ze memory is still zere. It gives me comfort.”

Jo'ren nodded, seeming interested in the artifact. "Nice. Family heirloom huh? And you can sense the memory from the blade? Why seven times, any significance?"

"Zhere iz alvayz zignificance, purposeful or no," Jun-Tsu spoke in a maternal tone. "Und zhe noble politikz of zhe Rim are qvite different zhan here. Zhe old vamiliez out zhere, ve hawe long memoriez und zharp bladez."

"Heh. Yeah, nice piece of history right there. Thanks for the cake." He nodded to the girl before looking more seriously at Jun-Tsu.

"So. Any further thoughts about our conversation last night?"

Jun-Tsu looked to Jo'ren then back at Vas-Tsu. She took up the little girl and placed her on her mother's lap, "Vhat to you zhink, mein dahrling? Lord Razh haz used zhat pover vhich ve muzt newer touch. Iz zhere any vay to remowe it?"

She hissed, "No, iz a choice... like ze dark you chooze it, it is now inzide... it vill fester."

He didn't seem too pleased about that. Leaving aside that Jun-Tsu was consulting with a child. "Can it be excised? What about drawing it out, like poison? Or destroying the source."

Jun-Tsu mulled on the point. It iz pozzible zhat it vill dizzipate vithout a driwing invluence, but it iz a vound, v'one invlicted by zhe woid. Perhapz vizh time, but zome zcarz vill alvayz remain."

"Ze Void is ze source... ze dark lord, zhat vould be the only vay to be free," she added.

The witch gently pet her daughter's hair, smoothing it slightly, readjusting the little ceremonial trinkets that rested there. An almost serene smile appeared on her face as she did so, "Mein ziztez und I conzult vith our great-grandmuter back home. Ve vill zpeak to her of zhiz. Und ve vill let you know vhat ve vind."

Jo'ren nodded slowly as he took that in. "Wounds and scars are something I know all about. But spiritual wounds, that's new." He gave Vas-Tsu a curious look. "Good to know." How one would go about killing the Emperor was a question he never thought he would need to contemplate.

"I'd appreciate your asking Jun-Tsu, thanks." Perhaps the matriarch of her house could figure something out?

"A zword hangz ower uz all, und ve vill newer be zafe until it iz remowed. But zuch zhingz take time, patience, und preparation. Ztill, do not draw upon zhiz valze pover any vurzher. Who knowz vhat zuch effectz vill hawe. I know zhe temptation all too vell, but ve muzt remain true to zhe Dark Zide, not to zome pretender."