Crownless (D9, MM, Haunted Halls)

[Lord Tenebrous]

Shaisha didn't listen to the news that morning. She knew what they would say, and what the spin would continue to be for at least a few more weeks, as Baras and his ilk hammered home the idea that it was a terrorist attack, and that the child Empress and the Empress-Regent were serving completely with the faith of the courageous Emperor...

Yesterday she had swallowed the lie easily to move on, but early in the day it disgusted her. That monster was being made into a hero, and it angered her. After all he had done. To her, to her family, to so many others... including an entire planet.

She had let her father know he was welcome to come and talk any time today, and she settled on passing the waiting time with her usual practice and exercise out in the training courtyard. Something about being amidst the falling snow on Ziost always put her mind at ease in times like these, and her thoughts became clearer as she continued through the motions of her kata.

[Dapper Dog]

Scourge arrived and simply watched not saying anything.

[Lord Tenebrous]

Sensing his presence, her movements came to a natural conclusion, and she stood for a moment just looking at the snowfall in thought.

Turning to look at him, she nodded in greeting. "It's good to see you again, under different circumstances," she started with, testing the waters so to speak to see where his mind was after what happened yesterday.

[Dapper Dog]

"You Emperor had you in his control," he said flatly.

[Lord Tenebrous]

She nodded. There was no point in denying.

"Tried to fight it all the way, but... even when I put all my will to stand against it, it wasn't enough." Having been abused so for such a long time, she thought in retrospect it might've been hopeless for her to truly stand against it on her own. The Emperor had seeped into her mind since she was a child, after all.

"It was thanks to Dayana and the others there I managed to overpower his control."

[Dapper Dog]

"Your reliance on others is a weakness," he said with a frown.

"But defeating the Emperor alone was impossible, even for me."

[Lord Tenebrous]

She shrugged. "Is it truly a weakness though? No man is an island and all that." Her tone remained even, as she wasn't looking to start a fight. "None of us in that fight would have made it alone. It's good to be strong, but it's foolish to deny the power of combined strengths."

Shaisha sighed softly, but it was more in the tone of relief. "The Emperor... for too long he had my mind. Who knows how many years he had to bend it to his will..." She blinked slowly, before looking more directly at him. "And I'm sorry for my own mistakes, and for not understanding your position before."

[Dapper Dog]

“He is dead, it does not matter how it came to pass only that it is,” he said after some thought.

“Now we live with that decision.”

[Lord Tenebrous]

"He is dead," she echoed those words, her expression thoughtful.

"... What will you do now? You're no longer bound to serve as the Wrath, unless the new Empress requests it."

[Dapper Dog]

“I will be leaving, there is nothing here for me and with the Emperor dead, no purpose,” he said.

“I see no reason to involve myself with this new regime.”

[Lord Tenebrous]

She wasn't quite sure how she felt about those news. On one hand, she understood that he had been so removed from anyone for a long time he probably felt no connection, though on the other the still childish part of her felt hurt that she meant nothing to him.

"Leaving...? Where to?"

[Dapper Dog]

“I have no set destination, yet. It was your mother’s wish to see many places across the galaxy, maybe that will guide my steps,” he said.

“It will be a long journey.”

[Lord Tenebrous]

"..."

After a pause she gave him a sincere smile. "Know that you're always welcome to return here, at least. And whatever you might need or require, I or Jo'ren, or your granddaughter too when she's older, will provide."

[Dapper Dog]

“You have freed me from centuries of submission, I need nothing else,” he said.

[Lord Tenebrous]

She nodded, not pressing the issue, knowing that the offer did not need to be repeated. He was his own man. A free man now.

"... some time ago you said you'd tell me about what happened. To mother, to you... how it all became to be like this." Shaisha let the words hang there, for him to follow up on if he was ready.

[Dapper Dog]

"The Emperor happened," he said in response.

[Lord Tenebrous]

Well that kind of was an answer and not an answer.

"Alright then," she chuckled dryly but with a light tone indicating she wasn't offended, "keep your secrets."

She crossed her arms, giving him a half-smile. "And I'm sorry for being difficult to you these past years. I'll try to make sure your grand-daughter will be less difficult, but if she takes anything after you, she'll probably be twice the handful."

[Dapper Dog]

“Children are meant to be difficult, and parents are meant to suffer for it,” he replied dryly.

“In the end what you become is your choice, has been your choice and you have exceeded my expectations thus far. Only just. I am not sure your mother would agree but she was always hard to please.”

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Then I probably have more suffering in the future," she gave a dry chuckle. Force knew this kid would have a lot of expectations to live up to. More so than her perhaps.

"And thank you, that almost sounded like praise, coming from you." Damnit. I'll miss you. "I've still not decided exactly where my path will go next, but it will come to me soon, I'm certain."

For a moment she looked at him curiously before continuing. "I had considered asking if you would train Lyria, when she's older, but... well, that is your decision to make. You should enjoy the freedom you now have."

[Dapper Dog]

The Wrath just nodded at her request.