Witch's Sabbath [Day 6, Late Afternoon]

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

As seemed to be the custom, Jun-Tsu resided in the vast meditation chamber. The repurposed mandapa, its rows of heavy columns reaching high into the darkness, was a study in shadows and light. A white orb gave off a soft illumination, pushing back the darkness only enough to highlight the circle of meditation mats that surrounded it. Jun-Tsu sat already, allowing her senses to reach out into the Force. She studied its movements and allowed herself to be swept away by its currents. She could feel and see the dark corners and occluded ceiling. Her senses washed through the room and then back to herself.

Quietly she centered herself as she waited for her guests to arrive.

[Lord Tenebrous]

Lord Tenebrous was already becoming a familiar face to the estate, so while her arrival had the usual fanfare the Farro liked to observe it was also much more smoother and routine for both sides.

Though this time she arrived with Lord Rath as well.

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OOC: assuming not dead because of potential fight.

[Lord Jo'ren Rath]

"Jun-Tsu. Good to see you again. Couldn't make it last night. Was off-world." He didn't elaborate. By now news of the monolith fight would have percolated through the city. There waere no signs of any injuries.

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

At the arrival of her guests the Korrizian witch roused herself, her senses pulled back into her body and she took in a slow deep breath.

"Zhink nozhing of it, mein Lord," she said standing to offer a curtsy to the two Sith. "Zhough, unfortunately, mein time grovz zhort zo I muzt get to mein point az zviftly az pozzible."

She took up her seat again and gestured for the two to take a place around the circle. "It iz werly likely, unlezz zome new pazh openz to me, zhat I vill die, of a vazhion, vithin zhe next vew dayz. I vill be conzumed by zhe Emperor'z ezzence, hollowed out to make room for hiz growing woid. I am zacrivice to hiz hunger, az Baraz haz put vorward me or mein zizter az Woice to zhe Emperor."

Her tone was grim, but not despondent. Like one resigned to a course of action. "But I pray, in zhe end, zhat ewen zo I may be annihilated, it vill be mein vitchcravt zhat vill be hiz end. But to do zo I reqvire your help. I vill vorge a blade zhat can pierce zhe woid und can kill zhe cancer to zhe Dark Zide. To vork zhiz poverful ritual zo, I vill need four materialz, rare, und dangerouz."

"Virstly I vill need ore vrom zhe plaze he v'once rezted. Zhe plaze dewoid of zhe Forze. Vhere zhe Dark und Light hawe been picked clean, leawing only zhe bonez of a vorld. To pierce zhe woid, I need a part of it. Lord Tenebrouz, I beliewe you know zhiz place."

"Zecond, I vill need zhe blood of v'one az poverful in zhe Dark Zide, az he iz tied vith zhe abyzz. I know already from vhere I can get zhat."

"Zhird I vill need perhapz zhe hardezt ingredient, remainz of a beazed created und mutated by Zith alchemy. Zhe more potent, zhe more povervul zhe blade. Zhe eye und heart of a Zith creation are traditional, but I may make do vith glandz or secreting organz. Ve need zheir pure ezzence to infuze zhe ingreatientz."

"Und laztly, ve need a branch vrom a place of pure Light. Ve need zhe light to strangzhen zhe darknezz, like a candle zhrowz zhadowz into ztark contrazt." She gestured to the orb in the center of the circle as though to emphasize her point.

"I hawe all the baze additivez und admizturez. Powderz, compoundz, und tincturez, but zhe core materialz vill take time to collect, und I need zhem zoon."

[Lord Jo'ren Rath]

"I killed a couple of Monoliths. Can get you some organs." He didn't seem overly concerned about that part.

"But becoming the Voice? Can't you just turn it down? Sounds like Baras just wants to avoid that fate."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"I am zertain zhat iz part of it. I am zertain I may ztill retract mein name, but....mein zizter Fa-Lei haz been zpoken ov az anozher potential. I...am not zertain I am willing to feed her to zhe abyzz. But," she lowered her gaze.

"It may be zhe only vay I can continue to vork. To allow her to be hollowed out und deztroyed. Zuch a vazte. But vhat iz more...zhe moment to ztrike vill come v'once Lord Malguz choozez to ztrike. I know nozhing of zhe man'z plotz, but....he zetz zhe time. Und it iz pozzible it iz var avter I or mein zizter hawe been conzumed."

She looked to Shaisha, "It iz az ve zaid juzt a few dayz ago, zhere are many moving partz, conwerging, und it iz difficult to zee zhem all."

[Lord Tenebrous]

Shaisha listened in silence as Jun-Tsu spoke, her expression thoughtful and almost grim.

"Baras must be pushing you forward as the new Voice so that he can avoid that fate himself," she added, tone soft yet serious. "He can't keep his machinations going if he becomes an extension of the Emperor's will. Something that might help you is if the matter of the Voice is decided by the Council, which I believe might happen after the seats have been filled."

She looked to the two of them. "We don't know what Malgus might plan to do with the Council though... might not be a bad idea to seek out his apprentice, Acina."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Zo many playerz," she said almost to herself. "But I doubt wery much zhe Counzil can ztop zhe zelection. The Emperor vizhez a zacrivice, to zlake hiz hunger und propogate hiz dark pover. Like a mold zhat owergrowz itz container. He haz grow too vat to be contained vithin a zingle wezzle. He vill zeek zomeone to be hiz Woize, I am sure independent of zhe Council. indeed Baraz iz only bowing to tradition by retracting from zhe role."

She shook her head, "Iv destiny alignz, I might be zhere, able to driwe home zhe blade und ztop hiz zpreading. But it iz too unzertain to purzue zhiz path vith no guarantee of ewen a glimmer of zucezz."

[Lord Tenebrous]

Shaisha frowned. "We'd have to fight against the clock then... round-trip to Nathema, with a ship as fast as Jo'ren's would be a two day trip. There's no way any of us can be away from that long... and as Force Sensitives, it's not a journey I recommend for any of us."

"Those who are not Force Sensitives could make the trip without less spiritual trouble, though it's probably not without danger either." She glanced between the two, but stopped at Jo'ren. "You're the one with the fastest ship I know of to trust with this kind of information."

[Lord Jo'ren Rath]

Jo'ren held up his hands. "Okay. What's all this about Malgus? As far as a 2 day trip goes... Well, if we could upgrade my Hyperdrive I could ask Lieutenant Hin to do it and she'd be back in a day. That ain't so bad."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"I leawe zhat in your capable handz. It vill take time vor me und mein zizterz to cravt zhe blade. Ve hawe already begun our preparationz, und prelimonary ritualz. All zhat need be done iz gazhering zhe proper ingredientz. I hawe two of zhe ozher itemz."

She looked to Jo'ren then back to Shaisha, "As to Malguz....I truly do not know. Mein mazter iz vize beyond all zhingz, able to zee all of time vithin zhe Dark Zide. Und she zeez a moment vhen Malguz ztrikez, I know not when or for vhat purpoze, but zhat iz zhe moment ve muzt kill zhiz blight on zhe Forze. Zhat iz our only chanze, und ve may zertainly vail againzt zuch eternal nozhingnezz."

Conviction returned to her voice, "But I vould razher die to zave zhe Dark Zide, zhen cover from zhe ineweitable end."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Do you even have the funds for such an upgrade now, at such a short notice?" Shaisha asked Jo'ren, eyebrow ridges raised. Sure, she had some funds she could spare too, but that was beside the point.

With the issue of Malgus, she felt she needed to clarify a little. "So your master is predicting Malgus will move against the Emperor, huh? Figured he was planning something along those lines, seeing how he's maneuvering himself in this matter of the Eagle, setting himself up as some sort of saviour for the Empire." She stroked the spur on her jawline in thought.

Jun-Tsu's conviction was admirable.

"Regardless of who moves against the Emperor though, they will have to face my father, most likely."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Und zhe Imperial Guard," Jun-Tsu added with no small amount of contemplation. "Iv I could rely on Darth Malguz to truly be againzt zhe Emperor zhat vould be v'one zhing. Unfortunately, I have no idea vhether he iz to ztrike at zhe Emperor or not. It may zimply be zhat hiz strike, vhatever vay it may manivest iz the moment of greatezt veaknezz."

[Lord Jo'ren Rath]

"If it's the fate of the galaxy then I can find the funds for the parts. What I'd need is a technician skilled enough to do the job."

He listened to their talk of fate and destiny, plans within plans. "Make the weapon. Then we can worry about how and when to use it. Malgus is setting himself up as the people's champion. He's too ambitious to wait for long. Only question is what the moment of weakness is."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

Jun-Tsu nodded, "You are qvite right, mein lord. Patience und zubtlety are our alliez here. Bring me zhe itemz I need und I vill zee it made. Zhen ve can zhink again upon how to prozeed. Vailure loomz large ower our enterprize, az it alvayz doez at momentz of true upheaval. Und ewen iv ve zucceed ve know not how zhe avtermazh vill go."

"In zhe meantime, it iz bezt to vind out all ve can on Darth Malguz' planz, zo var az zhey exizt beyond himzelf. He iz, az ve zuzpected, a part of zhiz puzzle, und ve muzt know hiz role bevore ve can ztrike."

She took a deep breath, "I am to be tezted vor zhe pozition of Woice, avter zhe completion of zhe council challengez, I may be able to manipulate mein vay out vrom Baraz' grazp, but iv not, I vill make zertain zhe blade iz zafe und awailable to zhoze bezt able to end zhiz. But iv I am conzumed....iv I become hiz woice, you muzt kill me too. I vear zo greatly hiz pover, und vorry zhat vhatewer hungry woid exizt vithin him, may liwe on in me avter hiz deazh."

"I pray zhe blade vill zever zheze bondz, but I vill hawe a greater union vith hiz corruption zhan any ozher. It may not be vorth zhe rizk."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Alister Dravvad might be able to do it. Hyuna could go with lieutenant Hin," she nodded, as it seemed they had an idea for that now.

She listened carefully to Jun-Tsu, once more glancing between her and Jo'ren. "It must be done. At some point, it must be done... otherwise there won't be an Empire."

[Lord Jo'ren Rath]

"I'll make arrangements. As soon as the Star is ready to go I'll call you." Jo'ren rose. "Not enough time to fuck around. See you two soon."

He gave Shaisha a long look before nodding to them both and leaving.

/Exit

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

There was reflection upon Jo'ren's departure before the witch turned back to Shaisha, "He iz not wrong."

She smirked behind a raised sleeve, "In zpite of zhe dark hourz, I can't help but enjoy Lord Razh being ewery bit himzelv. He iz a man of zingular dizpozition."

There was a whimsical note to her voice, "Perhapz in along anozher pazh ve might hawe had reason to valk longer togezher."

[Lord Tenebrous]

Whatever Shaisha wished to say to Jo'ren, it remained unspoken for now, but communicated in the look they exchanged.

"Yes..." her thoughts snapped back as Jun-Tsu spoke. "Few things can stop him once he puts his mind to it."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"If he iz correct, I can only hope zhat perhaps ewen tomorrow night I may be able to gazher mein zizterz und begin to prepare zhe blade. Perhapz vith iz vorged I mein mind vill calm, und zhe vay vorward vill be rewealed to me."

She closed her eyes, "Iv only I vere a true zeer, able to more evvortlezzly plumb zhe depthz of zhe vuture. But mein iz an inexact wision. Perhapz I vill zeek out Lady Okatezh to zee vhat haz been rewealed to her."