Peace and Quiet [Day 10, Late Evening]

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

Though for most the sun had set, and the streets below sat basked in shadow. A few high jutting spires still bathed in the orange evening glow. Only here, though, near the top of the People's Tower, was the sun still more than a sliver above the horizon. The tinted windows made it tolerable to look at, and its fiery light, threw the entire chamber into a contrast of dark orange streaks and deep shadows. It was the dying of the light for another day, and the Empress Dowager was thankful for it. One more day of her daughter's rule. One more day when whatever powers lay arrayed against them already had not won.

The night held its own dangers, but in the night, Jun-Tsu was far more capable of dealing with them.

[Xyll Vanth]

Xyll arrived as invited. There were many reasons why she might've elected to not show up, but none of them; as of yet; outweighed the potential benefits of remaining on good terms with the host. Still, there was a certain feeling in the pit of her stomach, imposing certain thoughts on the whole matter. What was it? Jealousy? The thing that drove her old master to her death.

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

The sound of the door, and of light foot falls broke the witch's reverie, and she turned over so slightly. Noting her guest she turned back to the setting sun. "Az v'one empire vallz, zo anozher rizez. Az it haz alvayz been. Deazh of zhe old vhen it haz outliwed itz uzefulnezz, or grown too decadent zhat zhe mazzez can no longer zupport zheir bloated body."

[Xyll Vanth]

She said nothing, content to just like the other witch utter her musings, until something was said that required a response. Instead, Xyll walked over to that same area, in order to also look at the setting sun.

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"I am told you vere barred access to v'one of zhe ruinz in Old Ziozt by zhe Emperor. Iz zhat true?" She folded her hands into her sleeves.

[Xyll Vanth]

She turned to Jun-Tsu with a neutral expression.

"Surely you need not ask that question. It is our new empress after all whom has claimed all that was there now," she said.

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Zhere iz ztill zome invormation I like to receiwe virzt hand. Ztill, I azzume your rezponze to be a yez. If zhat iz zhe caze, may I azk vhy zhe Emperor vaz zo keen to keep you vrom zhe ruin?"

She let the question hang before giving a soft chortle, more to herself, "No, I doubt he vould hawe rewealed zhat to you. All zhe zame, anyzhing zhe Empeorr vizhed hidden vrom uz, muzt be known. Iv you ztill hawe need und interezt, I, in zhe name of zhe Emprezz, giwe you leawe to inwestigate zhiz ruin.....zo long az you prowide me vizh any invormaiton conzerning zhe hiztory of zhe jen'jedaii or zhe ancient Zith, or of zheir practizez related to zhe Forze."

[Xyll Vanth]

She chuckled, at what seemed to be an inside joke.

"It seems you've already been cut out of the decision making process. The regent was already there early yesterday morning, collecting everything there in the name of your daughter. I'm afraid there's nothing left, and your leave has come a little too late."

She looked to the woman then.

"But if you wish to know of the ancient jedi or the sith of past eras, then you need only ask. I have no more need to hide who I am, after all."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

The gesture was subtle, hidden beneath the folds of her robes, at the woman's words. A black-stained hand curling into an agitated claw before relaxing. "I'd not realized you vere hiding at all. Zo, tell me, who are you if not Xyll Vanth?"

[Xyll Vanth]

"I am the last of the Deathwitches of the Krath," she said matter of factly, "Apprentice of Aleema Keto. Lord of Exar Kun's Brotherhood of the Sith."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

The witch's head turned slowly, to take in the creature before her more fully, "Zhrough zhe Forze all zhingz are pozzible, but zhe Deazh-vitchez of Krath long ago ceazed to exizt, much like Bruderhood of zhe Zith. I know only a bit about zhe Tetan uprizing und zhe Krazh holy cruzade, but," her voice was discerning but not outright skeptical, "I cannot zee how v'one of zhe Bruderhood, deazh-vitch or not could be here. A zhtudent of zhe old vayz, perhapz, but a true deazh-vitch? How vould zuch a zhing be pozzible?"

[Xyll Vanth]

"Everyone's always so skeptical of things they already know to be possible. For instance, how old is my current master, hmm?"

She seemed amused by the skepticism.

"Of course, there are other ways to traverse the seas of time. Something a Tetan in particular would be familiar with. It is after all possible, through a substance once mined in great abundance on my world. I do not recommend it, however."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

Jun-Tsu nodded as she contemplated the matter, "Zhere are hiztoriez vhich zpeak of zhe Krazh putting all zhe aristocrozy to deazh or encazing zhem in carbonite. Iv zhey are to be beliewed. But you are right, it makez little difference vhezher you are v'one of zhe old deazh-vitchez or not."

She turned back to the setting sun, "Zo, I vould greatly like to know vhat you learned vrom Freedan Nadd. A true und full jen'jedaii vrom an era var later zhan all ozherz. V'one who knew zhe vay of zhe je'daii, und yet, villingly embraced zhe Dark. Who did not run vrom it, but sought to know it completely."

[Xyll Vanth]

"Whether it matters or not, I *am*," she said. "But as for Nadd, he was not *my* master. It was Aleema and Satal who had gained the spirit's tutelage. And I theirs. But I know that in the end Nadd was nothing but a fool, ushering his own second death and accomplishing nothing. I am much more familiar with *another* Dark Jedi, one of my era. Though whether he embraced the Dark Side willingly or because of my master's influence, that is an entirely different question."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Yez, zhe v'one who betrayed hiz alliez, und vaz zhen, in turn betrayed by hiz bruder avert her vaz ztripped of hiz connection to zhe Forze. Zhe end of all Dark Lords of zhe Zith, no doubt, you know zhat better zhan anyv'one. Betrayal begetz betrayal, becauze, in zhe end, none of zhem knew vhat zhey truly vanted."

[Xyll Vanth]

"It is the way of those that join with the Dark side," she said, "and it will always be so no matter their intentions. Because no matter what one achieves, there is always more to want."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Zhat iz true. Vhich begz zhe qveztion of vhat you vant? You clearly vizhed to know zomezhing, to learn about Old Ziozt. Clearly it haz nozhing to do vizh Exar Kun az you knew him, und knew zhe teachingz of your era."

[Xyll Vanth]

"Before the Emperor returned, I had a vision. Korriban spoke to me, and showed me the choice I had to make. To stay true to greatness and gain back much of the power I once had, or betray it, and see a new and true Sith empire rise."

She shrugged.

"Arya of course, told me of the Emperor's plans. Making the choice much more difficult. So I struggled to find a way to circumvent the Emperor and undo what was done to me by the Jedi. The same thing they did to Qel-Droma. I learned of one that had managed to undo it, the one known as the Exile. And I learned that the Emperor had a personal involvement with her, and censoring information on her."

There was another shrug.

"And I had learned of a place untouched in Old Ziost. It was merely an idle curiosity until I got there and the Emperor's elite guards were there to warn me away."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"You zeek zhe pover you had, zhen," Jun-Tsu turned her eyes to the purple sky that floated above the deep orange light. "I know zhat dezire. Vhile I held mein daughter, zhe Emprezz, vizhin me, I nurtured zhe wery Dark Zide itzelf. All of itz pover lay vizhin me, und vaz me. I knew true v'onenezz vizh zhe dark pover of zhe Forze. Und zhen it vaz gone, und rezted in mein armz az mein dahrling babe."

Her gaze fell, "I vould zee you rize to your vormer glory."

"Iv you azzizt me return to mein."

[Xyll Vanth]

She looked at the woman with an inscrutable gaze.

"And what power do you have to do such a thing, where even the greatest of authorities would say it is impossible? I am not sure how little you imagine my power to have been that you think it could be restored so easily. I was surely among the least of the Brotherhood, yet with the Emperor dead, not a single soul within this empire could've compared to any one of us back then."