Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

When the Aspirants' challenge had ended for the day, the Korrizian witch had taken her personal transport to the expansive estate of Darth Arya. Allowing her chauffeur to open her door, she took a step out into the sunlight and sighed. She had not expected the day to weigh so heavily upon her so early. The days to come would be a trial in and of themselves. But taking a deep breath she let it out slowly to calm herself. Agitation would do no one any good.

Jo'ren was there already. He leant up against a solid pillar looking at one of his hands. As she stepped out he smiled.

"Hey. Never been here before. Figured I'd get here nice and early. You ready for this?"

Shaisha arrived soon enough, whatever mixed feeling she had after the trials today masked behind a stoic expression.

"Jo'ren, Jun-Tsu," she nodded to both of them, her tone slightly tense and business-like.

Sylvain also arrived. His demeanor was dark and he spoke nothing as he arrived but this was a request he felt he couldn't turn down no matter the circumstances.

Given the events of the day it wasn't surprising that very little was forthcoming from the others. He nodded to them as they arrived and turned to Jun-Tsu. "This is your show. Lead on."

"Zhank you all vor coming. I hardly need zay zhat az much az I may truzt Darzh Arya, varinezz und zupzicion are ewer a Zith'z alliez. Be on guard." Jun-Tsu stared at the massive edifice before them as a servant approached to lead them in. In a somber, sober group they walked through the doors and into the manse, waiting to meet with the lady of the house.

The group is brought through the darkened manse into a garden of various and exotic plants many of them reacting to the presence of the people and they feel like prey in the midst of predators as bulbs and razor sharp leaves adjust themselves just waiting for one of the Sith to get closer.

An unknown dark haired woman stands on a bridge overlooking a pond of razor toothed fish like creatures swimming lazily through the clear waters.

(Oh Vas-Tsu should be here too. Just remembered)

Taking up her daughter's hand, Jun-Tsu made her way through the voracious foliage. While the specimens were quite unlike her homeworld, she remembered her training in the wilds of Korriz, where any number of things in the dark thirsted for your blood. She allowed whatever trepidation she felt to wick of off her like water, though that did not stop her from holding perhaps just a bit more tightly to Vas-Tsu. Drawing her away from the flora.


Coming to the base of the bridge the witch offered a slight curtsy, "Mein lady, ve do not mean to dizturb."

There was one other person there, on invitation of her master. She smiled and waved to the others, but was otherwise silent.

“I am just guest here, Jun-Tsu, surely the old tu’kata of a crone called us all here for something important, she isn’t one to simply waste time,” the woman said turning. The voice was eerily familiar, it sounded like Zash but that was not her face.

“I have my suspicions but…” she said looking down at Vas-Tsu and added, “I will hold them for now.”

Vas-Tsu smiled sweetly saying, “Darth Zash, I have a new blade… just vor you.”

Jun-Tsu said nothing in reply. She had come to know a great deal about the woman and her studies into these horrid practices that fueled her immortality. Instead she just beamed down at Vas-Tsu, patting her hand gently.

Noting Sinea the witch nodded. It had been unfortunate that their paths had not crossed more in the intervening days since her arrival, but it had apparently not mattered. They were in the same place at the end.

“She is strong… in mind and the Force, I can feel it from here, there was a time I had schemed to consume her power but those days have passed into shadow. Now we have a much more important business to focus on,” Zash responded dismissively.

"Agreed," Jun-Tsu said simply. There was no need for further acknowledgement. Zash might have been more powerful than her, but as but a zygote Vas-Tsu had possessed enough power to utterly destroy Jun-Tsu had she tried to absorb it herself. After almost five years of nourishing that power, she was confident that not even Zash would have been able to stand against it. At least, she prayed that was true, if her little girl was truly ready to face a far more vile wound in the Force.

Darth Arya cackled from her hovering chair, “Indeed we do my children, indeed we do.”

She was craggy and small in her hovering throne as she focused her dead eyes on those gathered. Behind her was a small retinue of blind warrior women. Darth Arya was parked near the water so she could feet her fish-like pets fresh and bloody morsels.

“What shade of black are you now Zash? Sinea… Jun-Tsu, ah and I see my dearest Vas-Tsu is here too. Lord Jo’ren Rath, what delicious secrets you try to keep. Lord Mordax, welcome, a bright shade of dark…”

“And of course, daughter of Valkorian,” she hissed bitterly.

“I trust we all understand what it is we plot in this garden, I do not like to repeat myself,” Darth Arya said.

Valkorian arched a brow and said, “Interesting… I never considered her more than a curiosity. Surprising, if only midlly.”

Sylvain's eyes went over to his sister for a moment...

Daughter of... Valkorian?

But lacking the context to make sense of the revelation he turned his gaze back to Arya and nodded to signify his understanding.

There was actually one more even than that there. Lucinia, once more wearing one of her black dresses, and with make-up reapplied.

She had been following quietly along, and did not change that just yet. Frowning, she crossed her arms over her chest, her green eyes narrowing.

Jun-Tsu bent to pick up Vas-Tsu, though the willful grill seemed uninterested and so her mother straightened, keeping hold of her daughter's hand. Silently she took in the gathering with an appraising gaze. It was, she admitted, a slightly more impressive lot than she might have assumed.

"I am zertain all know it," Jun-Tsu offered. "Ve understand zhe vhy, zhe who, und zhe how, but ve know not vhen."

Her emotions already raw, she couldn't hold back the surprise of her widened eyes.

"You... see him too?"

Lucinia's frown deepened. "I am here at your request, Master. But I do not know why. Perhaps I missed an earlier communication."

Frustration was evident in her alto voice.