Dreams of the Dark Side [Day 10, Late Afternoon]

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Az in zheze namez come vrom zhe Emprezz-Regent, or zhiz iz her prevered mezhod of invormation tranzfer?" Jun-Tsu questioned as she took the chip. It didn't ultimately matter, she would review the matter as much as able, which, was admittedly considerable given access to all personal files kept on every citizen of the Empire...so far as records could reach that is.

Pulling out a datapad, she slipped the chit in and began to review the names and attached information.

[Lord Tenebrous]

"She wished for me to compile those I considered suitable to the reformed Intelligence. The other names are just a bonus... or maybe consider them a friendly warning. My hunches might of course be wrong, but those are people I would be cautious of, for various reasons."

She smiled dryly. "Figured you might want a look at the list too before the Empress-Regent. In the interest of your honored daughter, of course."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Wery interezting," she gave no outward sign of intrigue, though there was a lilt to her voice noticeable by someone like Shaisha who had spent time with the Korrizian witch.

"I hawe heard good zhingz about zome of zheze perzonz, zhough now zhat I look, perhaps I hawe zome I hawe held cloze who may vell be....problematic. All zhe better to know zhat zheir loyalty iz not guaranteed. Zhough, I do vonder iv anyvone'z truly iz. I can honeztly zay I did not conzider, upon mein virzt day on Ziozt zhat mein relationship vizh zhe Emperor vould change zo draztically."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Loyalty varies from person to be person, truth be told. Though I would say some wear their true allegiences on their sleeves. At least for me, court yesterday offered no surprises when it comes to some of the persons of interest there," she remarked calmly, as she didn't mind that Jun-Tsu might have a different perspective on some than she had. "Chaos is all well and good, but not something you want if you're trying to stabilize a new regime."

As for the Emperor... the others hadn't known like she had. Others might've had inklings, or caught traces of the paths he had blazed. But few had truly understood the terror like she had.

"Yesterday there was a new message from the terrorist The Eagle. Or perhaps a new Eagle. Who knows. My hypothesis is that there is no Eagle as such, but rather merely... an idea; a symbol. The body mentioned in court yesterday may or may not have been part of the terrorist-group, but I don't think it was the true bird itself."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"No, zhe conzpiracy continuez, zhough I vonder who zhey vill condemn next. I convezz I knew little of zhe Eagle or itz plotz, but it zeemed zhe zought zhe dizzolution or deazh of zhe Dark Council az zhey vere zeen az uzurping zhe vill of zhe Emperor. Now zhat zhe Dark Counzil iz gone, vill zhey now turn to ztriking againzt uz directly?"

[Lord Tenebrous]

"It is a possibility, but not a conclusion to jump to yet. It might reveal something about their possible benefactors if they reveal too much about secrets known only to the higher echelons..." she suggested, her voice trailing off slightly.

"But it would be foolish to disregard them completely. In the end, what they bring is chaos and chaos is never something to put faith in - it will swallow up everything in its path, yourself included and tear it all apart."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"I hawe begun to notice a rizing voice among zhe Zith, it iz difficult to zay where, merely murmurz, zhat zeek anarchy. Zhey take zhe Zith code to itz, az zhey zhink, ultimate logical concluzion. To zewer ewery chain, und ewery rule, until zhere iz no attachment to eweryzhing. I reply by zaying zhat zhey ztop zuch logic vhere it iz conwenient. Vhy are zocietal chainz zhe only v'onez vorzh breaking? Let zhem break zheir bondz to zhe uniwerze az vell."

[Lord Tenebrous]

She nodded, finding herself on quite equal level of understanding and agreement with the Dark Mother.

"Quite, I agree. The Code, while I consider it superior to the Jedi's, is still just a construct created by a few of the Dark Jedi, and to base every action and decision around it is... well, to me that would be a chain too. By all means, draw strength from it and let it be your source of power, but don't let it become the chain you can't see." And in her mind, Shaisha considered herself to have much understanding of chains.

"It's my belief that Sith and Jedi alike ascribe far too much... personality to the Force. Both sides of it."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

Jun-Tsu quirked an eyebrow at the woman's words, the gesture mostly hidden by her draped veil, "Oh? You zhink it not a zhing of moodz? Giwen to itz own nature?"

[Lord Tenebrous]

She held up a hand, a touch defensively, but her expression remained relaxed. "Not going to say that my interpretation is correct, or that everyone else is wrong, but this is what I've seen in my years and the conclusions I'm leaning towards. And I say leaning towards because we never fully reach conclusions when it comes to the matter of viewpoints on life, because life keeps changing our circumstances."

Shaisha breathed deeply before continuing.

"Perhaps it's because my faith has been somewhat shaken because of Him, but... if the Force truly has a will of its own and an agenda, then why could such atrocities against it happen, like in the case of Nathema? Isn't it the instinct of anything with a sentience to stay alive?"

Her lips pressed together for a moment before she continued. "To use a poor metaphor, but it might be a better way of trying to explain how it seems to me; the Force, as I see it, is like a large body of water. A source of life for everything that lives and grows, though we know that too much water can also be dangerous and drown out many lifeforms. So the Force, like water, isn't good or evil - it just is."

"The Light is the shallows, the surface level - where the most life and growth are often found. It is not without some danger, but it is... safer? Less unseen threats might perhaps be a better way of saying it. The Dark is the depths, the place where the light doesn't reach. It's a place of mystery and danger, for in the dark abyss is where the most fierce predators lurk. And that is why it's also a place of power, for only the strongest and the most cunning will survive and grow there. The abyss might not be teeming with the hordes of microscopic life as the surface does, but life grows there too; resilient and hardy."

"So I see the Force as the primordial pool of the galaxy, its very existence nescessary for life as we know it, parted between the Light and Dark as distinct environments that form different forms of life."

Realising her ramble had dragged on much more than she had originally planned, Shaisha shook her head and gave Jun-Tsu a sheepish smile. "Sorry, that was a bit too much perhaps... maybe I should pick up some books on philosophy to get some better ideas on how to formulate my thoughts. Instead of incoherent rambling."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"No, it iz a vair interpretation, hovewer v'one I addrezzed to zhe Emperor himzelf juzt before hiz demise. Zhiz ocean of energy, vhich blanketz all zhingz, reachez zhroughout an invinite uniwerze. It iz az vazt az it iz unfazhomable. Itz depzh und breadzh are unknownable. In juzt a waztnezz, doez not ewen a vound az large az a planet zeem infantezimally zmall? But....perhapz, juzt pointed enough to draw zhe attention of zhe Forze. Und, vhen zeeking to deztroy zhiz biting pezt vhich gnawz at it, it vorkz itz vill zhrough zhe Dark Zide. Zhrough zhoze vizh a connection to itz vill. To conwerge togezher at an opportune time."

"Zome may take comvort in convincidence, or a fluke of chanze, und zhey may be right. But I hawe vaizh, und I beliewe in zhat moment, ve enacted zhe vill of zhe Dark Zide, to ztop an annoying flea vhich fancied itzelf a god."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Ah," she seemed a little relieved, "wasn't aware you had said something similar to others. Good to know my mind isn't wandering too much these days."

"It might be true what you say, that it could manipulate events, for a confluence." Shaisha thought about it, and while she wasn't wholly convinced, it didn't sound ridiculous. "Perhaps you're right... I won't claim to understand or see enough to say that you're wrong or that I'm right. We're both still swimming in the water, and even if we have both dived deep," she paused for a moment, looking at Jun-Tsu's veiled face, for she still remembered the true face of the Dark Mother she saw when they faced the Emperor, "we have not yet reached the furthest deep."

It wasn't as if the Dark Side hadn't left its marks on her either; her golden eyes were taking on a more red hue, and the color of her skin had begun to slowly intensify in its red as well. But what wasn't easily visible underneath the complex layers of her regalia was how her body was hardening more and the muscles growing stronger, nourished by the darkness.

"Perhaps I need some time to find my faith again after this ordeal."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"It iz a trying time, und I hope many do zoul-zearching vhile ve zeek to solidify zhe new regime. Now iz zhe time of meditation, und juzt zhe time to zeek out anzverz to zhoze qveztionz zhat ztill zew doubt in you. It iz zhankvul zhat mein vaizh vaz bolztered und zolidified az I zought to deztroy zhe blighted creature ve vazed. It vaz a moment of pervect clarity, I velt at peaze az I cravted zhe blade, und I velt at peaze vhen I drew it vorzh und knew, in zhat moment, zhat it vould be zhe inztrument of hiz deztruction. It velt....righteouz."

She smiled and while the witch-queen was physically no larger, it was as though she took up more space, swelling like a weight had lifted. Like an unseen corona about her, it spread as she gave a look of contentment.

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Yes," she murmured. In a way, Shaisha envied the clarity and tranquility Jun-Tsu had felt in the moment, and after, for she wished it had been that simple for her as well.

For her it had been a fight for her very existence, to preserve the Republic of Shaisha from becoming totally subservient to a foreign state that had infiltrated her on almost every level.

Strange that it was that it had been her faith in those gathered there, and their faith in her (Dayana in particular), that had helped her pull through. Yet I refuse to believe I'm weak to be made stronger by the others.

"Time for meditation and soul-searching sounds good. This has been a shadow over my life, in different ways, until recently... and now it is lifted. Our talk has given me much to think about."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"I am glad, und hopevully you vill remember me az I am now, vhen I hawe azcended fully into mein new role. You vill rememver zhat, vhile I hawe vound mein revalation, I am ztill zearching, not mein zoul but zhe zoul of zhe Empire. It iz a difficult zhing to univy zhe people beneazh a zuitable doctrine zhey can embrace. I cannot expect zhe lewel of dewotion Houze Farro zhowz to zhe Dark Zide to manivezt in ewery citizen of zhe Empire. Zhat iz vhere I hawe doubtz."

[Lord Tenebrous]

She took a moment to look at Jun-Tsu, as if she was committing the image of how she was in this moment to her memory. "Of course," Shaisha inclined her head, accepting the command to remember Jun-Tsu Farro, before becoming the reverend mother of the Empire.

"But you're right. You can't expect everyone to embrace your ways unquestioningly. Stubborness and scepticism aside, other Houses and lineages have traditions of their own they want to keep and maintain. In my case, it's a matter of that I only have fragments and whispers left of the Vreysk's traditions... I alone can't rebuild the Vreysk, and it might be prudent of me to see what I can do to mesh what little I have left with what you offer to everyone."

Her gaze shifted, turning to the direction of the courtroom. "Maybe start with making sure that the Empress' new court will be suitably steeped in the Dark Side, at least? To those who are weak, turning away from the Dark depths to the safety of the Light, it might be upsetting to them?"

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"In time zhoze who zhow zuch dewotion to zhe Dark Zide vill vind zheir petitionz handled in much zhorter order," Jun-Tsu smirked, "A clewer zuggeztion to eaze obedience. Give a reward vor vaizh."

"To zhe traditionz of your houze, do you zhink anyzhing in zhe Imperial Archivez might hawe recorded zome of zhe rightz und practizez of Houze Vreysk? Perhapz ewen zhe librariez of zhe Farro on Korriz hawe zome tellingz or ztoriez of zheir provezz. I am zure you are correct zhat much of your old myzticizm may be gone, but vhen ve know of vhat zhey v'once did, I can help guide you, az much az I can, along your pazh to redizcovory."

"Zhough zome may zhink of mein prezcription for dewotion to zhe Dark Zide to mean in zhe ztyle of Houze Farro, I zeek many vaizh vhich ezpouze zhe wirtuez of zhe Umbră-Ușoară. Henze vhy I ztill zupport zhe volloverz of Lord Hofu und hiz teachingz of zhe Dread Vord."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Quite so," she smirked as well. The more the Dark could grow, the better. It might not do anything with those currently weakened by the Light, but it could perhaps prevent the next generation from falling to it.

"It's not impossible, but some of it was behind restricted access... though that might not be a problem anymore now. If the Farro have something, it might be a slim chance, but it would be worth a look."

Her mention of Hofu and the Dread Word... and then its related Dread Masters made her thoughtful. "Hopefully the Dread Masters won't be a problem to the new regime. From what I understand, they were... closely tied to Him - which might affect what they choose to do."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"I hawe yet to take vull ztock of zheir numberz, bozh from zheir return vrom exile und awter zhe ewentz of two dayz ago. It iz pozzible giwen zheir pover, zhe zlipped zhe Emperor'z invluenze, or perhapz zome zuccumbed und zheir bruderz und zizterz vere vorced to deztroy zhem or ozhervize bring zhem to heel. I vill be meeting vizh v'one of your vellow azpirantz tomorrow to zeek out vord on zhem und to zolicit hiz opinion of zheir continued integration into zhe Empire, in zpite of zhe Emperor'z....abzence."