Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

The redheaded woman took her first bite from her meal. She had chosen a modest establishment as she saw no purpose in extravagance. Indeed, she wanted to test the man before her and see what he was most used to. If he was a man of utmost pickiness, then that was a flaw to manipulate. Or perhaps he cared not, and she would have to look elsewhere if she desired something from him.

There was a certain excitement to learning more about what truly drove a person. And when applied to a community, a society, it gave the wise so much dominion over them. "Do you find that food rarely has the same zest to it when eaten during travel? I imagine this very same dish prepared aboard my ship would not be as satisfying as it is here."

She grinned. "It really has been too long, Alister. You could have called," she said, pouting with her lips afterwards.

Food was not one of Alister's few indulgences, which to any that knew him wouldn't be that surprising. Even pleasures of the flesh weren't high on his list. Though it wasn't like he avoided them either. "Isn't calling just a veil for desire?" He asked in return. "I'd never think to bother you with some sort of petulant yearning."

He poked at his food, pausing a moment to take a bite. The woman before him was attractive, with slim legs flashing beneath her skirts. Though she wasnt someone he knew truly well, and her proficiency with the force bad her dangerous. "But yes, I think traveling distracts us. To a degree at least. There us so much else going on, that's it's hard to concentrate on the delicacies before us."

"Petulant yearning," Dayana mimicked before taking a dramatic bite of her food. She covered her lips with her finger tips as she chewed and drew it out. When she finally finished, she smirked at him. "Ladies often like to be desired, darling."

The Sith Lord shrugged and set aside her fork. "This reminds me of a conversation I had with my father. 'You must never lose sight of the present,'" she declared with a faux booming voice. Dayana tapped her dish gently, almost caressing it. "He always has so much wisdom to offer."

"Oh? And here i was thinking you weren't generic, like so many ladies in the empire.." A slight smirk made it's way onto his lips. "You seemed so progressive after all." His hand reached slowly for his cup, before bringing it to his lips.

"Not to say you aren't desired of course. But should it always be the males role to give chase?"

"That is a wise statement from your father, though it does require a understanding of the present." His lips pursed thoughtfully for a moment. "Not something I would say everyone has available."

"Progressive to some, radical to others," Dayana mused as she traced her finger along the rim of her glass. If she had had eyes to be watched, they would have likely been looking downward. That was how she angled her head, at least. "By no means does the man have to always be the pursuer. However, every woman has her own preferences."

The redhead shrugged. "Not everyone is privy to the truth," she remarked, a grin spreading across her lips, "Those who are hold true power. And it's only natural for them to lead."

"Mmm..." He nodded his agreement. "It seems that leave your preference to the pursued then." At least if her words were any indication. "Though I might be overstepping bounds by saying so."

He paused a moment taking a sip from his coffee. "Though, as a attractive young woman i doubt you lack any suitors..." He smirked. "So, you're more them able to be pursued, if that's you're desire." Her desire was the question at least for the moment. If you could determine what a sith desired, you were a step ahead after all. "As to what's progressive, and whats radical... I doubt that most have anything to say about ones sexual preference.:
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His eyebrow raised playfully" " It's a bit, whats the word? Soulless?"

"it just lack daring, and imagination."

"Pushing boundaries can be so tantalizing," Dayana remarked with a dramatic flick of her wrist, "Walking on thin ice, ensuring that no one is truly offended. A court game like so many others."

Dayana literally toyed with her food, prodding it with her utensil. "True, I do have many suitors available. None have proven themselves worthy," she concluded. She smirked and 'looked' up at him by lifting her chin. "Yet."

"A playful comment, followed by a challenge ." He brought his cup of wine to his lips. "It makes a man want to throw the ores of the crowd out of the restaurant, so he can prove his worth in a more deliberate way." alister offered playfully letting jis gaze drift over the woman across from him.

"Though in doing so one risks pushing boundaries rathr far."

Toying with suitors was a favored pass time of Dayana's. Though in the case of this one, she wondered if there was true potential. Regardless of her perhaps radical fancies, she required some sort of husband. "Would any lady desire a gentleman unwilling to take risks?"

"I'm sure there exists at least a few that would desire their mate to be stashed safely away in their home." Though he was rather sure Dayana wasn't one of those.

"Either way such a action is likely more rash then daring." He took a bite from his food. "After all one should finish their meal before skipping forward to dessert."

"Most often, it is the man that asks for his wife to be the bird in the cage." Dayana tilted her head. "Do you think that would suit me? Perhaps I could sit at the windowsill as an adornment."

She smiled at the mention of desert. "It is like a petulant child to skip common etiquette for such sweet delicacies. But can we really blame those who have those temptations?"

"You'd certainly make a fine adornment for a windowsill." Alister mused thoughtfully. "Though I think it would be a waste of your talents." He reached a hand up to adjust his glasses. "There are slaves enough in the empire to sit and look pretty in windows after all. A man should choose a wife with more then such a simple task in mind."

"As long as it stays a temptation, I at least would say it's without blame. It's when temptation turns to action that things become a bit more murky." The fact of the matter was that too many in the empire already acted on whichever temptations that suited them, and it caused problems. He saw no need to bring that up though.

He glanced at her plate and the food she was playing with. "Though by the looks of it, you've already have your fill of things that are savory. So the next course might b quite close."

"Indeed. I would go further to say that using slaves in such a manner is a waste of their potential as well." Dayana took a minuscule bite of her food before continuing. "Did you know that House Valthren has abolished slavery in its colonies? Such a practice, indeed, would be considered 'radical' by many here."

Dayana nodded. "True. Temptation is not the same as action. Sometimes, though, our temptations are truly for what is rightfully ours."

She took 'looked' down at her food. Her appetite had never been great and she found it to be a polite practice to leave a modest amount of food remaining. To her, it showed that she had enjoyed the meal and yet had enough to eat from the portion. "Savory indeed. And your thoughts on the meal?"

"A valid point, though some would deny slaves of having any potetial other then that which they were bought for." Her revelation was a bit surprising, and it caused him to raise his eyebrow. "Well, I think radical might be a understament ehere, Lady Dayana."

"Adequete." He replied after a moment. "I've had better, but by no means is it the worst." He paused a thoughtful moment. "I'd say the conversation has been the more satisfying part of this afternoon though." His lips curved into a smile smile. "I should ask, are you tempted by dessert then? Or should we move to a different venue?"

Dayana smirked at his reaction. "Indeed. I think that answers what my family believes about your earlier point about their potential." She gestured to the crowd before leaning back in her seat. "The galaxy is changing, darling. We need innovation and innovation requires differing perspectives. How else would I hear new ideas if they're shackled by chains?"

It would have been useful to have eyes then to use them to gesture at the food. "Even something as simple as advances in cuisine can come from seemingly benign sources. Formerly enslaved populations can offer so much new flavors to experience.

"Certainly they can never match Imperials in terms of dessert, though."

"Darling?" He smirked slightly, but let it pass if she had nothing further to say. "One could say that slaves don't have new ideas worth considering." Alister mused. "In fact I'm rather sure that would be the majority of our populations opinion." Thoguh he didn't share his exact opinion on the matter.

"You are right though, times are changiing, it would of been unthinkable is the past to form a cease fire with the Republic after all." He pushed his own plate away signifying he was finished with it, before beckoing towards one of the waitstaff. "I suppose you do have me intrigued though, is there any cusine you'd especially suggest?"

The last comment brought a smirk to his lips. "And it would be foolish for them to try." He replied as the waiter arrived to take whatever order they wished.

"A majority of people do not understand the benefits of a ceasefire." Dayana shrugged. "Consolidation and management of power is beyond the ignorant. Though I must admit, perhaps it would have served us to press the Republic harder."

The redhead gazed at the waiter and then waved him off. "Return later. I will not be rushed." She then turned back to Alister and grinned. "The Mon Calamari have intriguing tastes. Certainly wouldn't eat any of their dishes for dessert, though." She tilted her head. "And on that note, I am wondering what you wish for dessert."

Some might argue that the above wouldn't be needed at all if they had still been winning. Alister was not one to voice such seditious concerns though. "I suppose time will on that front. I'm sure the military will at least be well prepared for the next offensive though." It would of course come in time.

"I suppose most seafood would make pour sweets." He confirmed, though really anything was likely possible with enough skill. "For me? Nothing t0o sweet I think, and perhaps a little bitter? Though I suppose I could ask the same of you?"

"Oh, once more the people of the Empire are tested in terms of patience," Dayana mused, as if this was some great tragedy to behold.

"Bitter, hm? Well, there's plenty of that to go around, especially here at the heart of the Empire."

"So it seems." Alister eplied with a slight smile. He didn't much midn waiting, but then again he wasn't a Sith Lord, most of them seemed to lack it to a degree.

"Oh? One would think the heart of the empire would be filled with naught but the sweetess of flavors." He asked a amused smile on his lips. "Lovely dinner companions, and conversation partners withotu compare. I suppose it's all in how you think of things though."