Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

Jun-Tsu arrived to the estate of Darth Arya, her black private transport setting down outside the main entrance. The witch waited with a practiced air, as her valet came around to open the door. Stepping into the growing moonlight. She took in the chill of the night air with little regard as one of the estate's servants came to greet them.

"Your ladyship, right this way," Jun-Tsu nodded at the servant's words and followed into the main foyer. There she quietly waited to be brought to the lady of the house.

Darth Arya was waiting for her in a garden of flesh eating plants once they were assured to be alone he allowed her face to melt away and said, “I sense you have been very busy, Jun-Tsu… very busy indeed.”

As was her custom, Jun-Tsu offered a low curtsy, "I had not realized in how much dezperate need zhe Core Vorlds vere in need of zhe old vayz. Many hawe been vlocking to mein manse vor zpellz und potionz."

She rose and folded her hands into her sleeves, "But I imagine zhat iz not vhat you meant. I am....avraid I hawe made a clazzic blunder und allowed mein ambition to exceed mein grasp. Und now I am threatened vith deazh along each pazh open to me."

She shook her head, "How I vaz zo naive."

“You saw an opportunity for knowledge and dark power, you are not the first Sith to fall prey to such a lure. I doubt you will be the last,” she said in a motherly tone.

“It affords us a rare opportunity though, you can be close to the Emperor… and be the blade that ends him if you have prepared it,” she said with a dark smile.

"I am cloze," Jun-Tsu whispered to the woman. "Und zhat reazon iz zhe only v'one vhich zpurred mein dezicion. But..."

The witch hesitated. "I hawe zuch doubtz. Doubtz to mein ability to truly vield it, vith zhe zkill und prezicion necezzary to truly zever zhiz canzer zhat zhe patient might ztill liwe. I hawe no dezire to gain zhat kind of pover zhe hungry woid offerz, nor be annihilated in zhe garnering of it. But zhiz woid iz a zhreat to zhe Dark Zide, und I cannot let zhat ztand."

"Vhat zhat I could liwe anozher fiwe-hundred yearz, to hawe zhat time to know zhe Dark Zide, but az zhe dayz tick pazt, I vonder if zhat iz mein deztiny."

“This will not be our end, oh certainly a great many will perish in the conflict but we will persevere,” she responded.

"I am prepared vor zuch a sacrifice, und pray to zhe Umbră-Ușoară zhat I might come zhrough zheze firez of renewal. All I azk, iv it iz zhe vill of zhe Dark Zide zhat I not, I muzt humbly beg you to take care of mein daughter vith all zhe care und diligence I hawe tried to. Zhe iz zhe woice of zhe Dark Zide, und newer zhould her vill be zubwerted by zhe zhoze who vould merely uze her az a pawn. Iv it comez to it, please, protect her vrom zhoze who vould draw her avay vrom herzelf. I hawe zeen zuch gloriez for mein dahrling...wizionz I vould zee come to pazz vor her, iv not vor meinzelf."

Arya tossed some meat to her plant and said, “You know that I would do as you ask, as I have seen these glories that she could bring in time. She will not be a pawn; I can promise you that if I live and you do not.”

“Inaction suited me for a time, but now that the hinge of history approaches, we must gather our forces and prepare to do what many will consider impossible, destroy the Emperor for the good of the Sith. Bring your allies to me, those you trust, and not just those you feel some ill-fated affection for.”

“Tomorrow afternoon, we discuss the future in my garden.”

It was difficult for Jun-Tsu not to have more than a hint of suspicion. She would not be a true Sith nor a True Farro if she did not, at the prospect of gathering herself and her conspirators together. Especially as they grew so close to completion of their weapon. All the same she could only muster a faint uncertainty at the decision.

"Zhere are a....few, but iz zhat truly vize?"

She seemed thoughtful and said, “If we did not need aid I would say no, I trust few if anyone, but we cannot challenge the Emperor alone and if we are working at cross purposes we are doomed before it begins. The Emperor is a power beyond us, and it will take a combined effort to even provide you the opening.”

“It is a dangerous but perhaps needful thing.”

Jun-Tsu nodded, "Ve hawe no choize. I vill gazher zhem. It iz only two I can claim az true alliez in zhiz matter. Zhough....if you've ozherz, perhapz any of your apprenticez whom you truzt vizh zhiz."

She lowered her gaze as she walked through the ravenous flora, "Zhall I bring Vas-Tsu?"

“She is powerful, we might need that power as much as wish to shield her,” she said honestly.

"I had hoped to zpare her vrom zhiz," Jun-Tsu's tone was somber. "She iz ztill zo zmall. Vhat zhat ve had more time, time to nourizh her pover."

"Iv I do zhiz, you muzt promize to do eweryzhing in your pover to keeper her zafe!" Her voice was not harsh, but firm.

“I will do all within my power,” she responded.

The witch took a cleansing breath, allowing her senses to momentarily roam throughout the dark life that grew around her. It gave her calm as she relaxed, allowing her momentary worry to slough from her body.

"Wonoksh Qyâsik nun," she recited in ancient Sith, the words rolling more comfortably from her mouth than the modern variant in the core worlds.

("The Force shall free me.")

“Then we have an understanding on that matter,” she said with solemn authority.

“If we do this, what will come after will be critical, it might be our moment to seize, to place the one chosen by the Dark o at the apex of the Empire. It could be dangerous; many will may not accept a child as their leader.”

“But they may listen to a powerful regent and her retinue.”

"I vould do anyzhing to zee mein dahrling rize to her rightvul plaze, und devend her in her young rule." She stood a bit straighter. "She vill zhow dezenterz zhe true pover und vizdom of zhe Dark Zide. She convided in me zhat zhe Emperor zeez her, but zhat he pretendz not to."

A pondering silence followed, as though mulling over the cryptic remarks again but finding no further clues. "Mein lady, you hawe been mozt generouz to mein vamily, but might I azk juzt v'one more bit of knowledge mozt prezzing to our current goal. I hawe all zhe ozher ingredientz necezzary to craft zhiz blade. Vith your...interest in horticulture," she gestured to the hungry garden, "might you hawe, by rare chanze zhe bough of a tree vrom a vergence of light? It iz zhe lazt piece. I zhought in your rare collection you might hawe zuch a branch."

“I planted this seed nearly a century ago for this moment, I did not understand why… and the vision was unclear but it was important to me and I have nursed it. The seeds are said to come from a destroyed world called Tython or some such,” she replied as they walked and reached a large circular sandy area.

In the center was a small green cactus with purple flowers upon it. It seemed serene secluded from the other plants. Arya said, “It has been waiting for you, I believe.”

As they approached the witch could feel it, radiant as the dawn, and almost blinding to her senses, not just her sight. The Living Force exuded from it, and with her training, Jun-Tsu easily felt the repelling effects of even this small creation. It was anathema to everything of the Umbră-Ușoară. It was it's utter opposite. It was the growth that came from destruction. The life that followed death. The order that arose from entropy.

In spite of the sensation it gave, Jun-Tsu approached and drawing back her long sleeves, to reveal pale forearms, she plunged her blackened fingertips into the sand. As though it wished to be uprooted from this place, it pulled free easily and into the cupped handful of sand. Even as it reviled her, Jun-Tsu could feel its great power.

"Zhank you."

“It serves a larger purpose, and you are welcome,” she responded.