Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

The ebony transport, sleek and shining in the last vestiges of morning sun, set down outside of the Vowrawn estate, or rather one of its lesser estates in Ziost, what with Dark Councilor Vowrawn having his own palatial home elsewhere in the city. Still, one could not disparage the side and regal nature of this manse. Already several dozen times larger than Jun-Tsu's current residence, it was obvious the moment her transport had landed how wealthy and influential the family truly was. Even if everyone and their cousins knew that fact well beforehand.

A valet from the home opened the door to her private shuttle and offered a bow. Jun-Tsu stepped into the daylight, her traditional robes washing onto the ground behind her with a soft rustle. She followed the servant inside and with a cold, impenetrable air. More to maintain proper appearances and dignity in the face of such a high noble family.

"My Lord," the attendant announced, "Her ladyship, Jun-Tsu of House Farro to see you."

Varn was in the kitchen cooking, it was rather spacious professional kitchen and the aroma of the food was pleasant as he spoke, “Welcome Lady Farro, can I interest you in some light snacks before we brunch?”

Jun-Tsu was not used to seeing this side of a home. Even on Korriz her meals were prepared by servants, and while she was aware of the basics of foraging and survival. These were more to assure that if one had to make it in the wild they would survive, not in a domestic situation. So when she was shown into the kitchen, she was thoroughly confused.

"I-," she tried to gather her bearings and retain poise, "I vould enjoy zhat. I vas unavare zhat any of zhe Zith nobility knew how to cook. Or had a dezire to do zo."

“Sith nobility… there is very little noble about most Sith that I have encountered,” he said in Korriz.

“I prefer to work with my hands and as I told you, cooking is a bit of a passion. Plus sometimes my uncle consumes odd things simply for the experience and I don’t always feel that experimental with my taste buds.”

"Ah yez," she smiled at the memory. Yesterday had been a whirlwind of activity, it was a miracle she had remembered anything of the handsome Sith.

"I convezz, I am a touch more adwenturous vith mein taztez, zhough I enjoy zhe old vamiliar flaworz of home az much az anyvone. But v'one of zhe great joyz of trawel iz to zample local cuisine. I do hope zhat I am to enjoy zome zort of dizh vamous here in zhe core vorldz." She smirked as she stood in the spacious kitchen, one of the large counters rested between the two of them.

“I will do my best to provide you with a meal worthy of a Sith,” he said with a smile as he tended to frying noodles in. pain with sauce and then mixing in vegetables.

“If you feel able, I would not mind having the extra pair of hands?”

"I cannot claim any skill vith zuch zhingz," Jun-Tsu said as she sidled around the counter to join with her host. She slipped into her native tongue easily.

"I I dare even ask how it is you know Korrizian."

“I made it a point before and during my studies at Korriban to study the languages and cultures of many of the peoples within our Empire. Pure chance really that I came upon the language, it was a challenge but I am never one to shy away from such a challenge,” he said kindly in her native tongue.

“Language is the key to understanding or something like that.”

He shrugged and guided her in rolling dough for biscuits and giving instruction along the way until they had a wonderful meal put together by their hands, well mostly his but she helped… sometimes hindered but overall helped.

“The sad part is when a language dies… all that history, just gone,” he lamented.

"Yez," she said with a polite tone, though beneath it a wary sense. Idle conversation or an ominous warning?

She sat and began to partake of the meal, enjoying the tastes. No doubt it was simple fare, but it was a novelty to Jun-Tsu who had rarely partaken of food from the Core Worlds.

"Zhey zhay, on Korriz, zhat our language iz a drift of zhe ancient Zith vith heawy invluence vrom zhe old languages of zhe jen'jedaii. It iz a muddled collection of phrazez und vordz coalezced ower zhe millennia, likely an accident vrom our vorld being a repozitory of much early knowledge on hiztory und zhe Forze. Ve zimply began to fuze zhe languages into v'one."

“A language of mystery, befitting a mysterious woman of power,” he said eating politely.

The food was common Core foods but well prepared with a flair of the exotic and some fusion of flavors from the Hutt worlds. Varn was at a minimum a skilled cook, well versed in this craft.

“These jen’jendaii, are they the dark Jedi that left the Republic worlds?”

"In a general zenze, yez. Ve uze it moztly to zpeak of zhe virzt of zhe je'daii to rebel against zheir order, und come to Korriban. But in truzh it reverze to any of zhe jedai who left zhe order in zhat era. It dependz on zhe zcholar az to vhen ve can no longer call zhem zuch. But zhen, zhe jen'jedaii, und zhe je'daii vere....different zhen zhey vould be today. Zheir dogma vaz lezz revined zhen, zo much clozer to zhe oldezt of zhe orderz. Zhose zhat ztill remember zhe Bogan und zhe Azhla, or vhat mein vamily now callz zhe Umbră-Ușoară und Forța-Vieții."

"But zurely v'one zuch az yourzelv, vith zuch a woracious appetite vor knowledge already knew zhat."

“Perhaps but it sounds refreshingly lovely when I hear you say them, Lady Farro,” he said.

"Mein Lord, you are too kind vith your complimentz." She took another bite of her meal mulling over her words.

"I hope you vill not zhink me ungratevul, but on Ziozt it iz hard to beliewe zhat zhiz iz juzt a zimple brunch. Zhere are a zhouzand or more agendaz being plotted ewery day here. I do not mean to zay you are inzincere in your inwitation, but I veel zhere iz more to zhiz zhan juzt a vondervul meal."

"I had not thought to be so transparent but any intrigues I have are purely personal," he responded.

"Your power and connection to the Dark are alluring."

"Zhey are to many, including zhe Emperor perhapz. I go to zee him avter I leawe here." She made the idle comment.

"Hawe you interezt in zhe zecretz of zhe Forze?"

“The secrets of the Force and your dark affections, Lady Farro,” he responded.

"I vould not hawe zought you to hawe interezt in zome backvoodz vitch vor zuch thingz," a smirk pulled at the corner of her mouth. "No doubt you hawe plenty of Zith ladies here in zhe core vorldz vith more connection, more knowledge, under more myztery zhan mein perzon. V'onez more....pleazing to your uncle."

“I do what pleases me, not my honored uncle,” he replied with a smile.

"Do you zhink it vize to become enamored of a vitch, mein lord? I convezz, ozherz hawe vallen for zhe dark temptations of Houze Farro. Und many do not much care vor zhe sacrifice und pain it entailz. Zuch pleazurez I uzed to invlict in mein dayz at zhe Academy, und each v'one I veel I left qvite changed by zhe experience."

Her smirk grew as she finished a final bite, "Like a crucible."

“I find the darkness alluring and the promise of painful revelations even more so,” he said. He put his fork down and said, “There is no uncertainty, I see what I want and I do not relent.”