Cradle and Tomb [Day 0, Orethion Estate, Early Evening]

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Mein dahrling is ewer a part of zhe Dark Light," she gave a maternal smile to the child as she ate. "Who can zay vhat she zeez zhere."

"Vas-Tsu," Jun-Tsu intonated gently. "Mein mici umbre (little shadow). Vhat do you zee vhen you zee zhe emperor?"

[Dapper Dog]

She was paying her favorite dinner game where she was a hungry tu’kata hunting prey and then gobbling them up and making little howling noises. She then turned to her mother and said sweetly, “Ze Emperor is hollow… hungry… like me! He vants to eat, he must eat zoon but he needs ze blood, he needs more power, it builds in ze dark places. Auntie Arya sayz not to eat them… I zhink I zee why.”

She then turned back to her food and played her favorite game some more.


Arya frowned at that and said, “I am going to have to do something I hate doing… admitting I was wrong…”

She waved that off and said, “That is… I have heard something like this before.”

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

Such an admission drew all of Jun-Tsu's attention, though she maintained her languid movements. Turning back to their guest of honor, her lips drew into an inscrutable line. Though what were mere facial ticks to one who could just pluck thoughts from your mind.

"Zhere are....legendz back on Korriz zhat zound like zhis, but zhey are allegory, children'z talez to entertain und teach zhem of zhe Umbră-Ușoară. Talk of eating, or drinking, or consuming zhe ezzence of anozhor being. But certainly, you zpeak of zomezhing qvite different, I am zure."

[Dapper Dog]

Arya set her spoon down and said, “Darth Zash revealed a similar story to me some weeks ago, we did not end our partnership on the best of terms and I thought her simply spilling lies to get into my good graces. She was… I see it now genuinely terrified.”

“The Emperor is the pinnacle of all darkness, but he has become more than that he is the absence of all light… he is the Void that consumes and if so he is the greatest threat this Empire faces.”

“She found a ritual that he enacted long ago that consumed a planet… and I fear he may try do so again… but galaxy wide. I had not wanted to believe it, she is a kriffing tu’kata witch, but she was right… and I do hate being wrong.”

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

Behind her veil, Jun-Tsu's eyes went wide.

"Zh-Zhat iz," she tried to steady her voice, but faltered, a hint of her sudden apprehension showing. Dozens of thoughts flew through her mind. She stammered ever so slightly, until she simply decided silence was best for her to compose herself full.

"H-He iz....zabuttya, zhe v'one who consumes all. He iz zhe empty woid." Jun-Tsu looked down at her daughter, a wave of protection washing over her. "She iz too young," the witch said to herself. "She needz more time."

[Dapper Dog]

“There is never enough time, mama,” her daughter replied looking to her mother.

“He zhees me, he zhees her too… but he does not see zhee him,” she looked off and then giggled.

“I am not supposed to talk about him yet. I am sorry. Lots will die, zhere vill be blood. He zhees it too,” she said sweetly.


Arya frowned and said, “We shall keep protect what is most precious to us.”

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

Jun-Tsu cast her eyes to Darth Arya, "Vhat iz mozt precious, I do not worry for."

Her hand was at her daughter's back, in a maternal gesture. "Zhere iz no danger. But....perhapz, zhere iz a vay to...," she didn't seem to have the words.

"Perhapz ve could cazt a shroud ower her. I fear, more zhan anyzhing elze in zhiz vorld, not for her zaftey, but zhat zhe vill be used. Zhat her vill vill be perwerted to zomevone elzes endz."

She looked to Vas-Tsu, "She iz zhe v'one who is darkness. Her vill iz zhat of zhe Umbră-Ușoară, und must newer be occluded."

[Dapper Dog]

She lowered her gaze to the child and said, “That could be possible, I will have my apprentice, Sinea, look into such a thing. She has yet to fail me.”

“My days will be busy with this Dark Council nonsense, and it would not do for me to simply not be present.”

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Az you zay," Jun-Tsu may have continued, but as the servants cleared their first course and moved to the second, she took the moment to collect her thoughts. As bowls were cleared and dishes set out, the pungent fragrance of spiced meat wafted from each plate. Though once more, simple fare, at its base, the black lentils of Korritz made a bed for curried flesh. Most often some sort of reared animal, for special occasions, such as when Darth Arya had graced the planet with her presence, such common meat was replaced with that of one of the great predators of Korriz.

Here, it seemed, they were more inclined towards Korrizian fowl. The Farro women could tell that it was not fresh, but that mattered little for the taste which was, as expected, prepared with a skillful hand.

"If zuch horror may come forth, I reqvire greater knowledge. Knowledge, I do not beliewe can truly come from juzt any Zith text. Perhapz not from any text at all." There was the barest hint of forlorn hope, as though Jun-Tsu grasped at something just barely beyond her grasp.

[Dapper Dog]

“Then where, honored daughter of Farro?” she asked not following her train of thought.

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Perhaps vithin zhe wery Dark Zide itself," Jun-Tsu mulled the comment, though mulling over the idea for the first time. "To diwine itz purpoze, to know itz vill, und to hear itz vordz, v'one muzt drawv vithin it. Zuch practicez comprize zhe foundation of Houze Farro's teachingz."

Each word seemed to instill within her a kind of solidity. Though nothing had changed, it was as though her diaphanous qualities, both physical and spiritual, began to coalesce.

"Yes, zhat vas v'once zhe vay of zhe Farro," she repeated to herself with a faint nod. "Vhen zhe jen'jedai of zo long ago wentured into zhe darkness to zeek zheir pover far from zhe confinez of zhe jedai, zhey did not hawe zhe millennia of lore ve rezt idly upon. Eating it up like zcraps," she began speaking almost to herself, opining with a harsh quality as the went on.

"No, zhey zought zhe dark light vhere it dvelled. Zhey grevw in to poverful beingz vithout zhe teachingz ve take for granted. But....perhapz zhere iz v'one lezzon ve can find. Yez, zhe firzt."

Jun-Tsu canted her head and raised her gaze back to Darth Arya, "Old Ziozt vaz an ancient enclawe of zhe jen'jedai, no?"

[Dapper Dog]

“It does, though access has been restricted for some time…. For most, there are privileges to being on the Dark Council. If you believe this could be useful then I can make it so, as I said before Sinea will aid you,” she responded,

Now that she grasped the direction of the conversation she continued eating with a measured pace.

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Lady Zinea vill make an exzellent aide to zuch vork. Vhen ve vere at academy togezher, ve could not be called alliez, but ve vorked vell. Zhe zhowed great promize zhen. No doubt under your tutelage zhe haz grown more poverful in zhe Force." Jun-Tsu mulled the thought as she ate her meal.

"Zhe showed great refinement in her zkillz, but lacked zhe raw pover in zhe Force. Lord Sawas uzed to zay much zhe oppozite of me. Zhough, zhat might be vhy ve vorked zo vell."

"Und zhe iz gifted in zhe zenzory artz, no? Excellent for finding vhat ve zeek. I cannot be certain zhat zhe old ruinz hold zhe knowledge zhat I dezire, but zhey are nearer to zhe artz zhat ve vill need."

There was something more to what Jun-Tsu was saying, that much was clear in her thoughts. Flashes of insights from plumbing the Void Engine, rolled about her mind. Four years to study the histories of the Sith, and to learn more of who Darth Traya truly was.

Wounds in the Force

A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth then was gone.

[Dapper Dog]

“Good.”

She put down her fork and knife and said, “Is there anything else you or yours will need during your stay on Ziost?”

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"No, mein Darth, you hawe zhown uz too much generozity az iz. Ve vould not vish to impoze upon you furzher. If you are inclined to open zhe vay for I und your apprentice to ztudy in old Ziozt, zhat iz more zhan I could hawed hoped already."

As the second course completed, dishes were taken away, one-by-one, and when at last everyone had finished, the final course was provided. The litany of servants entered, each possessing a small tray upon which rested a sculped cake covered in some sort of pitch black sauce. Up from the pyramidal dessert rose petite tongues of green flame. A product of simple chemistry, it nevertheless, was an aesthetic that had pleased Ka-Tai Farro long ago and had been the favored dessert of Korriz for the past two hundred years.

Two rows of flaming trays moved to either side of the table and then were placed before the assembled guests. A bit of theatrics to have such unison presentation, but it was appreciated.

Gently Jun-Tsu blew on the flames, and rather than guttering out they rose higher. Her sisters did likewise. Then, in almost a flash, the illumination was gone, the fires gone out, burned out of their fuel.

"Zuch a good girl," Jun-Tsu turned to Vas-Tsu with a smile. "You vere patient, und now pozzezz, zhat you vanted."

[Dapper Dog]

"CAKE!" she said with delight as she gobbled it up.

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Zawor your gainz, mein dahrling," She turned to the master mystic.

"I vould not dare to call upon you in friwolity, but zhould zhe need arrize, how might I zeek you out? I do not vish to ewer dizturb you out of turn."

[Dapper Dog]

Arya responded, “I will leave you with my private code for reaching me directly. Use it any time you have need.”