Serpents and Spiders [Day 4, Early Afternoon]

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

Jun-Tsu and her relatively small entourage of just two sisters today, after the proceedings had calmed, approached the Voice, Lord Baras. With a well practiced curtsy, the trio fell and rose with formal airs. As always, House Farro may not have been known for its skilled politicians or soaring rhetoric, but when it came to simply the minutae of etiquette, they were aware. Ka-Tai would demand no less deference under her rule.

"Greetingz, Lord Baraz," Jun-Tsu intoned simply, bowing her head.

(OOC Not sure if this is where this should go, or if we can consider this to go on during the same timeslot as the court RP (I assume it just happens later in the slot hours. Feel free to move this wherever, or just let me know if this should be put in the RP thread directly.)

[Dapper Dog]

Baras smiled and said, “Ahh Lady Farro, you have come.” He had a holo up of a woman but dismissed it and put it aside.

He rose from his chair and said to Lord Daizo, “Speak on my behalf, Lord Daizo.”

He then turned back to Jun-Tsu and said, “Shall we talk to the upper balconies and speak in private?”

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"By your leawe mein Lord, I am in zhiz moment your mozt humble zerwent. But, yez, I hawe alvayz enjoyed being avay vrom," she made a gesture of looking over her shoulder in a languid motion. "zhe massez. Allowz v'one a better....perzpective."

[Dapper Dog]

Once on the upper floors for privacy he continued, “What does this perspective grant you, Lady Farro?”

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"A zenze of zcale," the witch replied smoothly, peering down at the rest of the court. "Like a virst trip into zpace, to zee v'one's whole planet, to zee all zhe ozher planetz in a zyztem, und to zee zhat zyztem bezide ozherz. V'one realizez zhat larger truthz exizt, und how small zhe perzon iz."

[Dapper Dog]

“Philosophical.”

“Ziost is the crown of the Empire, while Korriban is the spiritual heart of the Empire and Dromund Kaas the foundation it is Ziost that speaks to the majesty of the Empire. I prefer Dromund Kaas but this world has a certain charm.”

“What do you see when you look at the Empire assembled here, the politics and the schemes at work?” he asked.

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"I am of many mindz, I zuppoze. I zee zhe myriad voizez being merged into zhe v'one clarion vill of zhe Emperor. I zee zhe great game played az iz appropriate. Competition, convlict, cunning, und conviction on vull dizplay. Valuez ve hawe upheld vor millennia."

Her face grew a touch more grim, "But...I alzo zee a panoply ov petty lordz. No doubt you are a ztudent of hiztory, und zhe time vhen but a handvul of Zith Lordz exizted. Vew in number but great in pover. Now, ewery noble vith an iota ov pover iz zuddenly a Dark Lord or a Darzh. I remember a time vhen zhe title of Jen'ari meant var more zhan now. Iz it a zign ov our ztrengzh?"

She shook her head, "Or ov our decadence."

[Dapper Dog]

“Dilution of power through quantity, and not quality? What do you feel is becoming a true dark lord of the Sith, Lady Farro?” he asked with interest.

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

Jun-Tsu thought of the question for a moment. "A marker of knowledge," she finally answered.

"To become a Darth, to rise as a Zith Lord, representz a maztery of zhe Dark Zide, of zkill, zelf-dizcipline, und zhe cunning to zurwive. Now it iz handed out az kudoz und accoladez az a kind of zocial ztatuz. I underztand zhe rezpect v'one getz, but zhat rezpect zhould come vrom perzonal pover...not ztanding."

She sighed, "But I am a proponent of zhe old vayz, und, admittedly, zometimez progrezz muzt be made."

[Dapper Dog]

"What forms of progress do you, or would you approve?" he asked.

"If it were up to you."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

She gave a faint shrug and a wistful gaze, "I vould vollow zhe ancientz. Ve hawe made zhe title into a zhing zhat it vaz not. It vaz a title vhich told all ozherz zhat thiz v'one had pazzed zhrough zhe firez of zhe Dark Zide, been cleanzed and had grown. Zhey had been purivied and vere clozer to zhe vill of zhe dark light of zhe Forze. Zhey embodied zhe tenantz of zhe Zith Order, zhey vere vorzhy to teach ozherz, for they had maztered all zhe lezzonz."

She felt as though she were talking in circles, trying desperately to grasp that ephemeral quality that had so prominently been a marker for the first jen'ari. It was the union of power, skill, knowledge, and ambition.

Jun-Tsu smirked, "I vould look for zhoze qvalitiez vhich are reqvired to zit upon zhe Dark Council. To pazz zhe azpirant'z trialz, iz to truly prove yourzelf vorthy to be a true jen'ari.

[Dapper Dog]

"Have any of these Aspirants shown the mettle to be worthy of such a thing?" he asked looking down on the chamber below.

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"At leazt v'one of zhem," she clipped as though answering a riddle. "But not being priwy to zhe challengez, I could not zay who zeemz vorthy. Zhough zhere are zome whom I know vith deep knowledge, experienze, und zkill vith zhe Dark Zide. Und, of courze, each haz zhone zhey pozzezz zhe ambition."

"You, mein lord?"

[Dapper Dog]

“I see children playing in the clothes of their elders,” he said honestly.

“Children are easily cowed and bent to the will of their betters. It is the Emperor’s will, so I support his judgement.”

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"Zo must ve all," she bowed her head in a show of reverence. "Zo, v'one vonderz, vere zhere ozherz, more capable to vill zhe position zhat are not here? I dare zay zhat zo zheze memberz zeem qvite young, to your point, zhey are zhe only v'onez villing to ztep up und claim it."

Jun-Tsu looked back to Baras briefly, "Or zhey are zhe only v'onez foolizh enough to vhant it at zhiz moment."

[Dapper Dog]

“I bow to your argument, Lady Farro, they are the only ones stepping up, as you would say,” he replied cooly.

“I did not bring you up here just to discuss the politics but to offer a proposal, I am a powerful and popular man, but I have found my star shines brightest when it is unseen. There will come time when a new Voice of the Emperor must be named.”

He gestured towards Jun-Tsu and said, “Your name along with a Fa-Lei have been put forward as worthy candidates, though I find a known quantity better than an unknown quantity.”

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

"I...." Jun-Tsu was, perhaps for the first time since being on Ziost truly stunned. Silence was all that could follow, and she hoped that it didn't reflect poorly upon her for that fact.

Once she had regained herself she bowed her head in a nod, "I'm humbled, mein Lord. I vould not hawe zought zhat zhat a pair of, by zome eztimationz, backvoodz Forze vitchez, vould hawe drawn any notice vhatzoewer. But I am truly honored to ewen hawe mein name zpoken."

She looked down at the crowd with a narrowed gaze.

It's a trap! A voice in her head seemed to say, voicing her deep held suspicions of both Lord Bara, and the court of Ziost.

"I hezitate only becauze of a healzhy dezire to know zhat in zhiz moment mein ambition doez not outreach mein grazp, nor do I plaze mein Houze in danger." Her voice grew more firm, resolute, "But....yez, I could zee I or v'one of mein vamily in zuch a role."

[Dapper Dog]

"Think it over, but do so quickly," he replied.

"This would bring House Farro into the real axis of power, they would be the literal words of the Emperor."

[Jun-Tsu Farro]

There was very little to think over. Jun-Tsu knew, as did all of her siblings that their matriarch wanted greater power for House Farro. This provided an excellent opportunity beyond hoping, and without the necessity of joining the Dark Council.

"I vould not prezume to vaste your time vurzher. Houze Farro vould be honored to claim zhe title." In a flash her mind raced between herself and Fa-Lei. Fa-Lei had long had a more sociable streak, one that would better equip her for the rigors of court, but the danger of it....

She cast down her gaze, "I vould be honored to azcend to zuch a pozition."

[Dapper Dog]

He smiled and said, “We shall come before the Emperor tomorrow afternoon, he will wish to speak with you himself.”