Ziost - Crown of the Sith Empire

Hyperspace.

It wasn't ideal but they had scanned the ship a dozen times. Ashley had rigged up encrypted comms system for him some time ago, back before Nathema. For now he had her on an enforced sick leave. Hopefully, one day, she would be able to wake up without screaming.

His indecision only lasted a few seconds before he opened up a channel to a number he had not called in some time.

This is Darth Jerkface. You're welcome. Got time for an old friend?

There had been a thump and then muffled sounds of someone cursing and then she appeared pulling her robe around her and trying to adjust her eyes. She yawned and then said, “Jo’ren?”

“Do you realize what time it is… of course not, okay… this is important isn’t it?”

He smiled at her confusion but it was a happy smile rather than a malicious one.

"Yep. Nope. Yep. Where are you this time? You changed your hair. I like it. Suits you."

“Coruscant actually, at the Jedi Temple of all places; and thanks,” she said awkwardly trying to manage the bed hair self consciously.

“Where are you? Been some troubling news coming out of Imperial Space… a coup and dark side tremor like nothing we have ever felt… well since the last tremor from Imperial space… if this is some super weapon, I don’t want to know.”

"Coruscant huh? You could still take up my offer and retire you know. There's a lot of galaxy to see." He shrugged.

"Yeah, well. About that. It wasn't a super weapon. I helped to save the galaxy. You're welcome."

“Uhh okay, well thanks Darth Jo’ren for saving the galaxy… isn’t that opposite to what the Sith do?” she said with confusion.

He laughed at her confusion this time. "See, there's that Jedi propaganda at work. You know me better than that Thy."

Steepling his fingers he touched his face spurs. "There was a plot to destroy all life in the galaxy. I helped to put an end to it." For a moment he could see the Emperor exploding. "You probably felt the aftermath."

She nodded quietly and then said just above a whisper, "The Emperor is dead?"

He gave her a serious look and, more quietly, responded. "Like I said. You're welcome."

“That would be a relief but I am not seeing the real problem being resolved the Empire still wants to destroy the Republic or are you going to tell me that has changed as well?” she offered.

"There was a larger game at play Thy. That was the real problem. The end of all life." He shrugged. "Are the Jedi ready to apologise for trying to wipe out the Sith?"

Lord Jo'ren Rath wrote:"There was a larger game at play Thy. That was the real problem. The end of all life." He shrugged. "Are the Jedi ready to apologise for trying to wipe out the Sith?"

“Politics,” she frowned

“Well this is good news and I am grateful for saving all life, I enjoy living might even be attached to staying alive in some form in a purely Jedi non-attached way. I am confused, are you saying the Emperor wanted to destroy all life? That does not make any sense.”

"Thought it would make him a god. There was some sort of ritual. Ripping holes in the force." He waved a hand. "I don't know how exactly but yeah. Been planning it for centuries apparently. Anyway, point is. You can tell our boy his father's a big damn hero."

“His father was already a big damn hero, but I will tell him next time I see him,” she said with a shake of her head.

“You don’t have to end world ending threats to be a hero in his eyes.”

"Maybe not. But it beats him hearing the pre-recorded message you'd have got if I'd died." He gave an apologetic shrug. "So how are you both? Is he with you?"

“He is not with me, I have given him to a long on Dantooine to raise, and he is developing well they tell me and always getting into something,” she said wistfully.

“My duties here keep me busy but I try and see him when I can, I don’t want him to be a stranger to me.”

"Dantooine huh?" Inwardly he was relieved that Nilu was not on Coruscant. "Maybe...we could meet up there and see him together?" He almost sounded hopeful.

"My ship's almost as fast as Kalen's now. Getting there would be easy enough."

“Maybe, I can’t just run off and do whatever I want now, I actually have to set an example for others now,” she said honestly.

“Kalen… now that’s a name I had not heard in a while.”

"Heh, where's your sense of adventure?" He folded his arms behind his head. "I know I know. I've got responsibilities too, but more freedom I guess."

His thoughts turned to Nova Station. "Yeah, I didn't get to see the crew. Probably best given who I was with, but he was up to his usual tricks on an old space station. Of course now it's a pirate base, so totally his kind of place."

She laughed at the news of Kalen and then said, “Well no promises but if I can find some time maybe we can … no promises. Just you know, we are not we have responsibilities but maybe.”

“I want to, you should see him, just complicated.”