Friend Like Me (D2, EE, Haunted Halls)

[Lord Tenebrous]

This day was a lot of back and forth, and trying to be in multiple places at the same time. And with a heavy sigh, Shaisha slumped down into a couch with a smoothie in hand to relax for an hour or so. She had some time now before she had to be elsewhere.

Hyuna was out running an errand by delivering a package to the good mr. Dravvad, leaving her alone for now without anyone to remind her of appointments or other parts of this weeks schedule.

[Kristal Serasai]

Tonight, they were in the same place, relatively the same at least, closer, close than they have ever been in the past few years. With this opportunity Kristal could not pass it up. Fresh from her day of activity, from threatening lesser people to saving the lives of Imperial officers, she arrived still dressed and prepared for sudden combat as any proper Sith of war typically did.

Arriving at the front she made her presence known to whomever might receive her.

[Lord Tenebrous]

Hearing a call at the door, Shaisha checked the estate's montioring devices from her datapad to see who it could be. And well, she had no reason to refuse this call.

The door was opened for Kristal, and while there was no one to be seen on the other side of the door right away, the familiar footsteps of Shaisha approaching quickly could be heard... and then stepped into view.

At first she was silent as she looked at her old friend. Then broke into a light smile, nodding her head to the tall blonde. "Good to see you again, Kris. Aspirant suits you."

[Kristal Serasai]

"I cannot say I expected it of you, Shaisha," she replied, offering a nod that mostly concealed the subtle smile for an old friend. "It is good to see you again though, very good."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"It... wasn't a choice I made lightly. Especially after hearing that you had your eyes set on it," she shook her head with a soft chuckle. "But... well, it made me think back to the time before; when the three of us were talking about how we'd all reach that high and work together."

Shaisha sighed a little at that. "Guess it was some sentimentality with that in mind. And well, I'm tired of seeing the Empire run by old men only doing it for their own petty little gains."

[Kristal Serasai]

Standing still, disciplined, she listened to the full extent of it and only then nodded her assent, "You have matured much in the years we have been apart Shaisha, I am glad to see it. You've some resolve. Perhaps if we both claim our seats we might change the direction of this Empire for the better, together?"

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Much has changed since Nar Shaddaa," she confirmed with a thoughtful nod, gesturing for Kristal to follow her further inside the building, to the lounge room she had been occupying earlier.

"And yes, a part of me think that I've grown up along the way - no longer being the impetious and angry teenager I used to be. Thank goodness... what a world we'd live in if people couldn't grow or develop over those years." At that, she laughed warmly. "No doubt, you've done some growing yourself in these years...?"

[Kristal Serasai]

Following Shaisha inside Kristal walked alongside her friend as they continued to speak, "I have children now, two little girls, they are everything to me and I would see them protected. Especially now."

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Especially now," she gave an understanding nod. How much the women of their class had matured and evolved beyond most of the males of their class in this regard.

A new generation was already beginning.

"Congratulations are in order, for your blessings. They're in a safe place during all this craziness, I trust?" she asked with some concern, as she really hoped Sylvain and Kristal hadn't brought the two kids to Ziost at a time like this.

[Kristal Serasai]

"They are safe," she said, "you may trust that I know best how to protect my children. They are currently planetside, with their father, somewhere they may actually be protected."

[Lord Tenebrous]

She raised an eyebrow. "You brought them planetside? Huh." If anything, she was surprised that Kristal would bring them this close to danger. Children and family were a way too easy target to use in this current political climate.

Luckily for these small Serasai, there was only one in the aspirant-race Shaisha considered to be likely to stoop to such levels; though pulling it off was something she considered outside of their level of skill. But on the other hand, there were plenty of threats outside of the aspirants...

"Well, I won't speak of that to others. Last thing I want is to see children dragged into this. My advice would've been to keep them somewhere not here, but..." she gave Kris an easy smile, "I trust your judgement, Kris. And whoever you entrust to look after the when you and Syl are both away from them. And then... when this is all over, I'd look forward to your girls meeting my daughter."

[Kristal Serasai]

"You forget that we deal with enemies of influence, if you worry for my decision, I would be closer to my children that I might protect them. Not elsewhere, where I might be forced to receive a call in the morning that they've been taken from me," she replied.

"I do, when the time is right, look forward to our children meeting. Perhaps, maybe, they might form a friendship like ours has been."

[Dapper Dog]

Following Shaisha inside Kristal walked alongside her friend as they continued to speak, "I have children now, two little girls, they are everything to me and I would see them protected. Especially now."

“Amusing I have twins as well… two boys, now nearly men,” he said thoughtfully in his paternal tone.

“They have more strength in them than the whole Dark Council… outside of perhaps Jadus, but he was never like the others. Still this woman is your enemy now, do not let sentimentality rule your heart, there can be no place for it in our great work,” Valkorian commanded.

[Lord Tenebrous]

"You forget that we deal with enemies of influence, if you worry for my decision, I would be closer to my children that I might protect them. Not elsewhere, where I might be forced to receive a call in the morning that they've been taken from me," she replied.

"I do, when the time is right, look forward to our children meeting. Perhaps, maybe, they might form a friendship like ours has been."

"Perhaps. The future is... difficult to see these days." She paused, listening to the voice Kristal couldn't hear. "But... well, I hate to think about my least favorite outcome here; where the two of us might have to fight eachother directly for a seat. My plan is to make sure that doesn't happen, but there's only so much we can control."

Shaisha took a deep breath, glancing to the great windows overlooking the training grounds. It was usually a sight that gave her a sense of tranquility.

"What will you do, in that scenario, Kris?"

[Kristal Serasai]

"I would ask the same of you," she said, pausing as she looked forward, outward, to nothing that was physical or important. "There is much you know I must do to make sure the Empire can be protected, be secured. I cannot trust that burden to any other. Even you," she breathed.

"Would you stand in my way, Shaisha, if it came to that moment?"

[Lord Tenebrous]

"Hmmm..." it was a question she had asked herself many times. Would she run? Would she face Kristal head-on? It had been years since the two of them even sparred... not since the days of training. And she was unsure which one of them would win. If she even could outmaneuver her friend in a straight up fight.

She had these powers. From Valkorian. Yet it was not something she would want to unleash against her old friend. If she was to fight Kris, she would want to win with her own power, not these borrowed ones. And if she had to face her... she suspected Sylvain didn't think of her anymore, but killing Kris would be a sure way to earn his enmity. And the enmity of her children as they would grow. And then she'd have continued the cycle of things that made the Empire never change.

After a long moment of silence, she spoke. "It would be an honor to face you in combat, Kris. To see how much we've both grown in all these years - a true test of skill. But... if it comes down to it, I don't want to kill you. Even if I win, and you don't, you are too much of a great asset to the Empire; and I'd hate for my tenure as a Council-member to start with senseless waste." That sounded much like something Aramis Torsin had said. "And well, I'd hate myself more for robbing your children of a parent. It's a pain I know too well myself. They shouldn't have to go through it."

[Lord Jo'ren Rath]

At that moment a text message came through to Shaisha's comm that rather broke the solemnity of the moment:

Do you seek adventure, the slim possibility of reward, and certain danger with a big manly Sith? *flex* If so then call Jo'ren, like now Shaisha. Or asafp.

[Lord Tenebrous]

Shaisha heard her comm buzz with a message, and she glanced in its direction.

If someone was sending a text message, she figured the answer could wait at least for a little bit. Because she hadn't seen Kristal in years now, and it was the first time in a good while they were talking openly.

The gaze retreated from the comm and focused back on Kristal, a silent indication that her attention was 100% with her for the time being.

[Kristal Serasai]

Kristal waited, watched, and then nodded when Shaisha offered the clear, "I am glad that our years apart have not been enough to allow you a chance to decide killing me would be something you would do, albeit it sounds as if it is something you have been willing to consider," she said earnestly, slowly, and measured.

"Should I be granted the chance by my opponents I shall not be striking them down, if that opponent should be you then you know that I will not reduce your child to an orphan, and for that I thank you, giving me the opportunity to spare an old friend. There has already been enough killing between our families," she said.

[Lord Tenebrous]

Shaisha inclined her head slightly. "It's been something I've thought much about... seeing as you often have a different sense of honor than I do, I didn't know if you would consider it a show of cowardice to spare the life of an opponent." And she suspected that some would consider it a weakness to not finish the deed.

But neither of them were seeking the council seat to remove the valuable assets of the Empire.

"But you're right. There's been enough killing between us... and it's been my fault. So my decision is also influenced by wanting to make up for that." She cleared her throat with some awkwardness as the moment was turning a little bit emotional. "My hope is that the two of us will ascend together to the two vacancies. Like we used to talk about."