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| - Observation Deck - I2SD Predator- The sprawling deck is littered with several 'privacy' areas and recessed booths equipped with seating arranged to focus a person's attention on the yawning view ports opening onto the star-spattered depths of space. Extending outward from the top of the Command Tower, the observation deck provides one of the most spectacular views of the ship. Whether the vessel is in hyperspace or realspace, the mammoth hull of the ship, mottled by the numerous weapons embankments that it supports, stretches out before a viewer. A raised dais in the center of the room supports a low pedastal with a quadrasteel plaque resting on it. The Obs deck of the Predator sprawls empty but for one woman making caf, her movements practiced and the resulting brew promises to be exactly the way it's supposed to be. Rich, full bodied, dark as sin and strong enough to keep one awake for hours to come. Clad in the same outfit from the day before, Lynae gives the appearance of one at ease in any surroundings, the obs deck of a I2SD being one of them. The Doors hiss open softly, Dareus looking well rested and seemingly more at ease that he was back in uniform, the same as any other person on board the ship, at any given time. He takes his steps quickly to grab a bottle of water, snapping the top off and taking a long sip, glancing around the room while he does so; turning and heading off towards Lynae's direction, "Morning Lynae." Quietly, although the time was far off, chances are he was just awakened, so he glances out the window, "Sorry about the bad view, we're just going to stay in the system for a while yet, too bad that planet of furballs doesn't allow for a decent view." Lynae inclines her head slightly in a nod at Dareus's statement about the planet, "I don't mind so much. I've spent most of my life either aboard ship or on one research station or another. I've spent more of my life off planet than on it, actually. The view is not as important as the placement of ones feet on the deck of a ship again," she adds with a slight shrug. She sets out a mug and starts combing through the supplies available as she starts to prepare something to eat. "You probably haven't eaten, so sit down and avail yourself of my new cooking skills." Dareus smiles ever-so-slightly, but shakes his head, holding up the bottle of water a bit higher, "Never could eat first thing in the morning; for some reason it takes a good 6 hours before my stomach will accept any food. I consider it lucky anyway." He leans against one of the tables, crossing his arms slightly, "Fortunately, no one from the New Republic traced the trip, although I doubt they'd be crazy enough to come to Bothan space. Despite what they thought last night; I had no intentions of causing problems; it definitely was them who jumped the gun and went a little crazy for nothing." "The trick is to be up all night, Dareus, so that the six hour rule applies to the right time of the day," Lynae says as she sets to work handily, though not as practiced at the food making as the Caf making. "So what did I miss there? I had to make a hasty trip back to Caspar to make use of the medical facilities, so I missed the tail end of the show. I still need to go back and have a long LONG talk with Juran. I paid for a swoop and didn't get delivery of the item in question. I don't take kindly to that." He nods softly for a moment, "Well, you didn't miss much. Everything went exactly as planned, Grubba the hutt is now floating molecules in space, and Thanos is running Nar Shaddaa. It should be better for everyone, not living under hte iron fist of those things." He takes another sip from his bottle of water while he watches Lyane, "I run everything on my own schedule though, I still find time to eat, don't worry about that. If you want I could probably have someone talk to Juran, that might speed the delivery up rather quickly. Of course, it would only be a pleasant conversation, quite a few people I know are well acquainted with him, he won't rip you off; just consider the state that Nar Shaddaa has been in, and have a bit of patience." Lynae ahhs then and nods, "That's all I needed to know. I like to make sure that I get my moneys worth, after all. I worked hard to store it away for years before actually using it. I used the bulk of what amounts to my life savings to pay for my ship, so everything else is carefully rationed before I go splurge on something as random as a Swoop. But after riding one into combat," she pauses, a faint smile drifting across her face as she puts the finishing touches on what looks like an omelette and trimmings, "I decided I simply had to find room for one." Dareus nods quietly, remembering what some would call terrifying, he called it fun, "It was a worthwhile little endeavor though; and we all made it out in one piece." His fingers tap along the side of the water bottle for a bit while he watches her, "Me, I don't have the skills for that though, I belong in space, me and that driving of one, was just pure luck. I almost forgot, I haven't been able to speak with Lord Malign yet, it's not often that I see him, all I ususally do is turn my daily reports in, but I expect to see him soon; I'd also imagine he'd want to speak with you as well. Socially of course." Dareus seemed to quickly add that, so the wrong idea isn't given. Lynae arches one eyebrow upwards as she sets her plate up on the counter beside the food prep area, replenishes her cup of caf and walks around to sit down at the counter which does double duty as a bar. "Speaking with Malign, socially, is not a phrase that seems .. well, linear, to be honest. It's rather unwieldy and awkward, to be frank. Dareus, isn't it just odd how things have landed? To endure and survive all of that, and look where we are. You're XO or CO of this ship? And you guys are offering me command of what class ship?" she asks again, for clarification. "I'm Captain of the Predator" He smiles a little when he says it, obviously no one could shake that pride from him, "You'd be in command of Noquella's Embrace...she's the most heavily modified and impressive Interdictor in the galaxy; if I didn't love being in command of the flagship; she'd be my next choice." Dareus takes another sip of his water and looks aroun the deck, "Still...everything that's happened, but I found my redemption; and that piece that was missing inside myself. Come to think about it...I'd do it all over again; and wouldn't change a thing. It changed me for the better, and opened up the most important opportunity of my life." Lynae lifts her cup slightly, "Then belated congratulations to you, Captain Antoine Dareus of HIMS Predator," she says solemnly and taps her cup against the side of your water bottle. "May you find what you seek, if not necessarily what you thought you were looking for. And I agree, I know that some fundamental aspects of my .. well my plans for my future were shaken down to the ground and it took a while for me to figure it out." "Thank you Lynae...of course, I'm hoping to say the same thing to you with a few modifications, but of course, take all the time you need. There's really no trouble keeping my ship here in the system for the time being; and rushing you would just be a waste, and push you off in the wrong direction. Only you can make up your mind; of course, past tactics are the only thing that was on their mind...but it's not like I was going to elaborate to the likes of them." Lynae is quietly working on her breakfast as you talk, sipping from her cup between bites and only quirks one eyebrow upwards yet again at the end of the statement, "The likes of them?" she says with a curious look on her face. "Who's 'them'?" she asks. "And as for past tactics, I'm gratified that my efforts were viable and proved to be successful in the combat that took place at the time. And exactly so, being pushed isn't the best way to encourage me to make a decision. Not a favorable one, at any rate. But there's something about being here," she says, her voice going soft as her gaze shifts towards the deck in a sweeping look, "about being surrounded by men and women in uniform. I've been so home sick," she admits with a sigh. "The Republic, when I went to speak with you...of course, Axel was a little...undiplomatic as well, I'm glad it didn't come to any confrontation, that would have been rather unacceptable to me. There's a time and a place for everything now; that wasn't one of them." He pulls a chair out and takes a seat, reclining slightly while he crosses his arms, "Of course, that's in the past already, you're free to leave anytime, but I'm hoping you'll stay." Dareus smiles a little, "Even if it's just long enough to decide against joining us, I'll understand; I'll be disappointed of course, but that would pass. You can be home here with just one word." "As hard as this is going to be to believe, they were trying to.. well, help me, I suppose. Saying no to Tyler the other day was possibly the hardest thing I've ever done," Lynae says simply, letting the truth speak for itself. "I wanted to say yes and it was painful to say no. And then when the news hit about Yoseph," she sighs then, a deep sound of sorrow that casts her expression back into shadows. "It's been a long week. Being surrounded by people who actively recognize me AND hate me not as a person but as a 'thing' a 'weapon of 'terror'." Dareus shakes his head, "The Republic has their mind set about you, unfortunately Lynae. They don't know the woman who's like family to me, the one who destroyed her life to break a friend out of a holding cell." He smiles a little before taking another sip of water, "It's their downfall...they can't forgive and they can't accept people for who they are. I can't say anything more about them, but I know here you're looked at differently. There's no behind the back namecalling, no...pre-judgements. Just a feeling of purpose and pride in service. You might have said no to Lord Malign, but that doesn't mean he took the offer away; I wanted to make sure you still knew it was there, should you change your mind." "They kept using the word epiphany around me and it was starting to make my teeth set on edge," Lynae says with a wry smile as she pushes her plate aside and leans back in her chair. Propping her feet up in one of the empty chairs she shakes her head slightly, "I don't think they quite grasped the concept of Honor and Debts. I had one to fulfill and repay, and I did just that. I've spent the last several weeks chasing around doing exactly that. I have every single loose end tied up but one," she says, her gaze shifting to settle on Dareus. "You said that your condition had progressed to a point where there were no viable treatments left. This is me you're talking too, I don't give up that easily. If there's a cure to be found, I'll find it. If there isn't one readily available, I'll make one up." Dareus shrugs, "I still have time left...it's not important to me, really; there's many things that could prolong me, but accepting the future is part of it....I just keep it in the back of my mind." He takes another sip from his water, holding the bottle just above the table, "I know you though, you're too stubborn for me to attempt to change your mind." It's not meant as an insult, and it doesn't sound like one when it comes out of his mouth, the small smile staying on his lips for a few lingering seconds. Lynae makes a sound that resembles a quiet laugh, "Then humor me and let me trot you down to the ships medbay so I can get up to day scans to compare to the file I already have of you," she says simply. "And being stubborn is what keeps me going most of the time. Stubborn, built with an inability to quit or accept defeat." She eyes Dareus again, "You're no longer drinking, are you ? Because if you are i'm going to stuff you in a drunk tank and leave you to dry out the hard way. Ask Axel what it's like to go through withdrawal the hard way." Dareus shakes his head, "I've been sober for quite a while now, just before I left Maffi, actually. It's help a lot for some things, so I'm sticking with it." He holds up the bottle of water and shakes it, almost showing it off, before he takes another sip, "Maybe another time for the med bay, that's one thing there's a fair bit of until I leave the Bothan system; and our medical droids are pretty damn good in their own right; might even give you a run for the money; of course they don't joke about reassembling me from scratch every time I visit there..." He seems to think for a few seconds, "Besides, defeat isn't in the vocabulary of anyone here, it's a thing of the past..." "Hah," Lynae says with another quiet laugh. "Droids are capable of remarkable feats when it comes to minute work and time sensitive repairs. But all in all they're merely the sum of their programming. I have a medical droid of my own and it does fine work, but I'll take a human physician over a metal one any day. And," she tosses in a brief grin, "droids are best tasked to routine physicals." Dareus nods, crossing his arms while he leans back in his chair, "That's understandable, that's all I get nowdays anyway." He smirks then, for a second, looking around the quietness of the observation deck, "Well, you're multiple-skills would be a great asset here..." He actually chuckles for a second, "Sorry, I probably sound like a used ship salesman already, just one of those things, when I get my mind set on something, I avoid giving up easily. Probably why we butted heads so many times on Caspar. Don't worry though; I'll be fine, I've found a renewed faith in the future...I can't see it; but something just tells me it's not my time yet; I've been through too much to just get snuffed out in my sleep." Lynae finishes her caf, picks up her plate and slips down off the seat to walk around the counter again to stand behind the bar. "Any time the word 'faith' is mentioned in polite company I start to get more than a little bit suspicious," she warns gently. "I believe in what I can see and do, what I can prove in the lab and out of it. I believe in test results and verifiable data. Beyond that, 'faith' is not something I tamper with nor hold any stock in. Oh, I'm willing to admit there are things that can't be quantified by hard logic. HOWEVER," she states, cleaning off her plate and refilling her cup again, "that only means that sufficient data has not be compiled." Dareus shakes his head while he clasps his hands together, leanining on the tabletop, "To each their own. You're the scientist...I'm the one who's always voluntarily climbed into a flying coffin and flown full tilt straight towards the enemy, dodging turbolasers and concussion missiles....faith and luck can go a long way depending on your point of view. Most people would consider me an old man for how long I'd been a pilot, at least back in the older days." He takes another sip of his water, "Not everything important can be measured in a lab though; I can tell you that much." Lynae leans one elbow against the counter top while studying Dareus for a long moment. "Don't take this the wrong way, Dareus, but History does not record anywhere a religion that has any rational basis. Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough to stand up to the unknown without help. The only guarantee in life is that it ends, eventually. That's it. One way or another we all come to the end of our lives. The only thing we take with us into the sweet dark is what we've made of ourselves along the way. I simply am incapable of believing in some higher power or ultimate being. The most preposterous notion that H. sapiens has ever dreamed up is that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of all the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of His creatures, can be swayed by their prayers, and becomes petulant if He does not receive this flattery. Yet this absurd fantasy, without a shred of evidence to bolster it, pays all the expenses of the oldest, largest, and least productive industry in all history. Understand," she continues in a reasonable tone of voice, "that I have made some study of this topic. There's usually some sect of some New Faith cropping up on some back water world. Be they worshiping the sun or the elements or some really fascinating tree, it doesn't matter. Faith is all well and lovely, but you can't eat it, wear it, or use it to ward off a blaster shot. Believe in yourself, and trust in your friends and comrades to want to live just as badly as you do." Slipping in to the room silently, unheard, with his aura heavily pulled around him was the Sith, the master of this vessel, and with him were droids a few their eyes faded lightly hidden in the shadows as they edge to protect their charge from a distance. Malign suddenly makes himself very visible, his aura leaping from him like a flood gate opening to those around him as he walks forward, "The future, yes Dareus you have a long future. The currents of life in this galaxy tell those who listen much." He intones politely moving toward them and seeing that a droid brings him a cup of caf as well. The future was an interesting topic for everyone present fate and directions intertwined in both positive and negative ways. Malign's hazel eyes were more tuned to the past though, his obsession. "All long journeys come to an end, in their own way, perhaps because another path leads them to begin the next one? Maybe because your time here has come to an end and your essence moves on to join the Force. The galaxy is a strange place and doctors are among their most interesting kind. So close to the living Force, to the unifying Force, and yet so far." Malign chuckles lightly as his cup arrives and he takes a drink from it, "But even doctors have their use." The Captain nearly drops his bottle with the unexpected arrival, although it really never surprises him, just startles the crap out of Dareus. Quickly he stands up and bows his head slightly, "Lord Malign." He takes his seat again, although he's half confused about Maligns' words of a long future, but shrugs it off. He's always known the Sith knew more than he could; it just had to be accepted, "I personally think nothing ends...just turns to a new beginning." He smiles a bit to both, "I've been through enough now that I'm not afraid of whatever is to happen...some things are beyond my control, and in that respect, there's no point in trying to overextend my reach. I can only control certain things, and those that I do; I take care of them well." He takes another sip from his water before setting the bottle down, nearly empty, moving off to grab a new one; but still being only a few feet away. Lynae tips her head towards Malign in a slow nod of greeting and to his spoken words, letting Dareus fill in the silence for the moment while she gathers her thoughts. "That brings up the unresolved conversation I had with Johanna many months ago," she says simply. "I had stated the premise that if all life is drawn from the force, then when we die, all life goes back to the force. I stated that war then is nothing more than a massive recycling effort." Malign shrugs politely, "Everything is apart of the Force if it is living. There is a living Force, sentient beings have a powerful impact on the Force their ability to reason think and subtly touch it and feed this energy field. If life is destroyed the Force is diminished, but this isn't to say that in the long term this energy itself returns to a former glory. My view is that death isn't the sentient rejoining the Force, that is unless they consciously join it. Rather, that their body's very fabric is feed for other forms of life and spawns life, not their own." The Sith smirks, "Killing and destroying life does nothing to help the Force, so we must pick our fights carefully and examine the best course of action at all times. The Jedi and the Sith draw their power and their knowledge from the same pool, both need to respect it and understand what powers it. That is you, Dareus, myself, the other humans onboard, the organisms on your flesh, and those on theirs. War isn't a recycling system for the Force it is a nasty wound that will grow worse with time unless the trauma is allowed to find time to heal, and it receives proper treatment." "Intriguing," Lynae says as she studies Malign, openly studies that is, without any polite pretense to do anything other than exactly that. "And thought provoking. In light of your statement then, and if war is really a nasty wound etcetera, then other than ceasing all war and open conflict, there is little down time for the trauma to be allowed time to heal. Furthermore, open war and continuing conflict only serve to widen this wound. We kill each other every day, little by little, bit by bit and piece by piece. Casting off skin cells and stray hair, dying of old age and mishap, accidents and mistakes. Death surrounds us, the one constant companion through life, but not something to fear for it IS the constant companion." She lifts her mug to take a sip before continuing, "Using your statement as a premise, then I would inquire as to your solution to the ultimate problem, or your suggested treatment for the wound. I once said that the only way for our soldiers to stop dying was to wipe out the soldiers of the Republic, every man woman and child. As the most efficient way to end the conflict. My methods, however, we deemed unacceptable and shelved accordingly. " "It's ironic that much of the misguided galaxy thinks that only the Jedi are the ones who want to avoid the death of people...and so wrong. If that were the case, I could just have this ship go from planet to planet, stripping the surface of life with massive bombardments." Dareus doesn't seemed bothered by that thought, but it doesn't seem to be a sensible option in his mind, "It would serve no purpose...and be completely counter-productive of everything. A year ago; I would have just brought an armed escort to haul you aboard, but I've learned that diplomacy, carefully used; allows people to see a broader view of the more important things. Which is far more effective for many different tasks." Reclining in his seat once again, he takes a sip from the new bottle, "Some of the more primative religions think that life is a giant unbreakable circle...but I think that's been proven wrong. It can be broken, with bad consequences for everyone..." "Danik Kreldin showed his true face when he ordered the destruction of Cochran. That is his testament, as Valak and Palpatine's an irrational fear that made them destroy worlds, what a waste. Life is too valuable of a commodity to waste. The sheer potential of living beings gives them a value." Malign shrugs sipping his caf, "Understand with your theory though, Doctor, that the galaxy is a body of living and dead tissue, it is making attempts to heal itself, you could consider birth a form of healing, a replenishing of life, that's impact aids the galaxy, but when death exceeds the creation of life we should fear. The destruction of worlds has a very negative impact on the Force, it brings the Jedi and the Sith unimaginable-" he pauses to ponder the word, "-discomfort. There is a system, and there was something before this, a designer, be it a god or science it is a Force that offers us glimpses into eternity and forces us to consider our path. The Sith believe in the nature of sentient beings, our emotions are just as important as our ability to reason and control. If I raise my sword in anger, if I act with vengeance, I am appeasing the very nature of us and therefore I am appeasing the Force, but everything comes with its price. We must conserve and respect, because a vengeful hand should equally operate as a hand of passion and love." Lynae is not the most expression of people, and to say the least, she's the least touchie-feelie person in the room, followed by the fact that Emotions are Not in her repertoire of conversational points. To that end, her expression conveys a myriad of rapidly shifting thoughts. Arch interest, vague disquiet, quiet curiosity before her expression shifts at last into a look of bland and calm neutrality as Malign speaks of the nature of the Force. "I respect your words, Malign, and you speak with a great deal of weight to your words. I am, however, a scientist and a doctor first and foremost. Emotions and tending to the nature of the Force is, and thankfully so, something that you are burdened with. I am profoundly grateful to not be similarly burdened. Emotions are messy, untidy and greatly meddlesome, in my opinion. I prefer the feel of a good scalpel in my hand to affect necessary changes, or the controls of a ship at my fingertips. I'll leave emotions to those better suited to dealing with such things, for it is beyond my pay grade, so to speak." Malign was getting metaphysical, something that Dareus lacks, for many reasons, primarily, he was no closer to the force than the droids were, in any sense, aside from being part of it; a distant part, "That's something I'll never know about, from a personal view...I do what I'm told, and I offer my opinions on what I know; learning along the way. It's all I can do; hopefully pass what I know, on to others. Still...." Dareus turns his gaze towards Lynae, "There's a certain peace that settled inside me since I came on board....not wandering around aimlessly anymore. My only guess, is that when something is put into place...it just works." He definitely doesn't have the panache of anyone else, but what more can anyone expect from a fighter jock. The Sith smiles and nods to the both of them shaking his head lightly, "The Force is with you both, despite what any Jedi would say your impact on this galaxy is as great as Luke Skywalker's or the Emperor's. Your actions bend reality and you walk and I perceive your wake, like all living things." His eyes become haunted, "Preach science and logic as much as you wish Doctor, but somewhere inside your hardened exterior is a passion or a love, it is what drives you to be what you are, it may not define you but there is a kernel of something in your core that powers you." The Sith chuckles lightly finishing his caf, "The Jedi would have you believe that the only way is a void of emotion, Lynae, no emotion is peace, but I say no emotion is emptiness and you loose yourself and apathy becomes your ally. Apathy is the ally of the weak minded, the weak willed, those who choose to have no direction." Malign was a thoughtful warrior, a philosopher warrior this was Vadim's creation a thinking, killing machine. His true evil was he was rational and polite but at any moment if ordered or thought it was better he could exterminate billions for an agenda for the Sith. Unlike Palpatine, Valak, and Danik his agenda was not necessarily to exert power through fear, but rather to plan and set in motion a series of events that lead to a final objective, some seen, and others not. A whisper in the background of radiation noise in space, "Dareus, you know much about the Force, it is within us all you know so much you do not even perceive your knowledge it is as natural to you as breathing. You cannot hear its whispers because of the noise in your heart and mind." The Sith shrugs, "Awareness comes with enlightenment and that is something not easily trained." Dareus nods slightly, "Well, you'd be the expert in that department. I'm resolved that I'm not one who can say that it would never happen to either myself, Axel, Lynae...even one of the Ensigns on the bridge..." A few peaceful and ominous times cross his mind, letting it show in his face, reminiscent, "I still remember in the medical bay...here actually; that you told me you were already past my age when you felt it...only time would tell. For anyone." He readjusts his position in his seat, setting the bottle down, "Still. Even without any abilities, my job is just as important as anyone else's, Everything has it's place, and has the same layout, and basic grand design, like the ship...each person has a responsibility, without certain tasks, we would all die in space; the galaxy's the same way, but on a far larger scale..." Lynae arches one eyebrow at Malign then unbends a trifle and says, "I'll agree with you in part, Malign. But for me, there is one love I have carried all my life. A love the Empire itself. The concept, the dream. A love of peace and organization, order from chaos, light from the endless dark that true lawlessness embodies. I love the Empire, always have, always will. I swore my life to it, and while I have made mistakes along the way, I believe in the Empire still. In the lives of the men and women who serve the Empire. Each live is precious, unique, worth preserving and fighting for." She pauses then narrows her eyes as she shifts her gaze from one man to the other and back, "If either of you ever repeat what I just said I'll be forced to do awful things to you, like shave Dareus bald and sick singing twi'leks on you Tyler." The conversation was interesting, three thinkers, from different backgrounds and different approaches coming together and voicing support for one institution, was it truly the Empire? Possibly, but Malign thought ORDER was what everyone here desired in some fashion or another, structure from chaos, toned ideology from the fires of passion, Lynae was a finished project. A weapon of ideology toned from the fires of the New Order, ready to be used to smite foes. Dareus was a tool, formed by fire but used to make more, his charisma and passion led people to a blazing inferno. Malign was that inferno, shaping the very tools to make war and peace through words and actions. The doctor needed to see the fires of structure again needed to be reformed and Malign had a message to appeal to her one love and passion. He was a Sith this was his talent, "The Empire is a powerful idea a government of structure and order undermined by all governments who wish to make it their enemy. It is a bastion of order, that we must fight to sustain, for the betterment and peace of its vast number of civilians." The Sith pauses. "There are ways to serve the Empire from outside it. Agents of the Emperor operate freely in this galaxy to support the ideas of Order, Peace, Justice. I am one of those agents. I operate for our Emperor to make sure his will is done, to make sure prosperity and peace is protected for our Empire. I am a seeker of knowledge and truth, I look for technologies, devices, and histories to aid our cause. My ships are dedicated to the expansion of research and knowledge for the betterment of our Emperor and through him the Empire." The Sith rises to get his own cup of caf refilled, "We are a small band of dedicated people to these ideas, Lynae, and our numbers are small, fragile. We look to sure them up with people like us, like you. Help us maintain order. The longer you are away from us, the more imperil the galaxy can be. ONE person, can make the difference, everyone impacts the Force." That does get a small laugh from Dareus, while he rubs his hair, "I don't think I'd look that good being bald, I'd probably look like an overgrown Bith..." His fingers tap along the table while he goes silent during the time that Lord Malign speaks, turning his attention watch him while he moves, before looking back towards Lynae, "Axel wasn't quite correct last night, out here, we free the Empire's resources to other tasks...keeping it's people safe, lives moving on, families fed; and peace. The most important battles of war aren't fought with firepower..." He looks out the viewport for a moment, musing to himself how he sounded now, "They're won of sheer determination, will, and a common belief. Things have changed, now, the only time I wipe out an enemy, is when I'm ordered to, when it's absolutely necessary to reach the common goals. The Republic and CSA left rather unscathed, all told; from Nar Shaddaa. Did we win? In a way; did they win? Presumably so, or they would have fought longer, and not backed down." Lynae continues to study Tyler silently as he speaks, weighing his words carefully, a solemn expression on her face, eyes holding a look that is serious and shadowed with longing. "You have the knack for speaking to the very core of the matter, Malign. And speaking to that which I hold dear is very persuasive. Appealing to my better nature, if I have one," she adds in a bit of a wry tone of voice, "is slightly unfair. But all's fair in life and war," she agrees with a slight nod. "I will consider your words carefully. Being back here is a home coming I never thought to experience again, and I confess that I have been home sick for so long. Every day is an agony, and I've become a bit benumbed to daily life in order to just get through it. I know that what you're offering me is a chance to do something again. To command again in combat, to bring life or death as necessary. To turn my skills to the task of the Empire, as I was trained to do. However," she adds, pausing for emphasis, "there is much to consider. And it IS my nature to consider carefully and weigh all the facts before rendering a decision. I actually have a list going, pros and cons more or less. The more you talk the more difficult it is to say no," she adds with a faint laugh. Lynae shifts her gaze towards Dareus and adds, "You'd look ridiculous bald, Dareus. But keep in mind that being bald is the very model of efficiency in grooming. It cuts down on the price of haircuts and hair care products along with the time spent getting ready for duty. Just a quick run of the blade over your scalp to get that polished look and you'd be good to go," she says with a straight face, difficult to determine if she's joking or not. "As to whether or not you won at Nar Shaddaa, or if anyone won, I'd say that each side has a different story of the battle and a view on the outcome. History, gentlemen, is written by the winners. Never forget that." The door hisses open, closing moments later as the black-clad blind man pauses in the entrance. He tilts his head, freezing instantly at hearing a womans' voice and quickly steps back, turning away from them as though self concious. Malign shrugs, "Let them write their history." The Sith says politely sipping from a caf, "It will never reflect the current of the moment or who is truly manipulating the galaxy. I assure you this." The old Corellian was weighing Lynae's reply and contemplating the next move on his part. It wasn't a refusal, no quite the contrary it was a firm maybe, but how trustworthy was this organization in her hands when she was among the Jedi? Malign turns toward Dareus, "Captain, make sure Dr. Cassius has a room on our ship." He says darkly, "She is not a prisoner here, but maybe a demonstration of an example of some of our projects could help her to decide." The Sith extends a hand as a droid falls down from the ceiling landing on its feet with a loud *THUD*. The black droid's head and red eyes turn to scan the area as it extends its arm for the Sith. In a flash the caf was on the table there was a *SNAP-HISS* as his lightsaber comes to life and his weapon comes down on the arm of the droid but strangely it bounces off the droid's plating. Malign smiles darkly deactivating his weapon and clipping it back to his belt, "A prototype, Doctor, the first of a few specially designed droids to occupy the Jedi's attention." He waves his hand and the droid leaps unnaturally flipping up and allowing its feet to hit the ceiling, the droid's feet stay firm and it hangs and moves down into a crawl and scurries off across to a small exit hatch vanishing to another level through a ventilation shaft, "That is a SMALL taste of our developments here." He says darkly, "Science meets the Dark Side of the Force, Sith Alchemy." He smiles lightly, "An exciting time for our order." While he listens to Lynae, Dareus nods quietly; his eyes watching her face while she speaks between him and Malign, "A rushed decision can result in regrets, or even more damage that people can't expect; I've already assured you that you can remain our guest as long as you wish, and a welcome one at that." He turns back to look at Malign with a half nod, "I've assigned her the VIP stateroom, and full use of the ship aside from the standard restricted areas." While the droid drops from the ceiling, his arms cross and a look of pride crosses his face, "More agile than I hoped...." he quietly remarks to himself. Ironically, he doesn't blink twice with the flash and fluid movement of the lightsaber, aside from watching it with envy, before looking back to Lynae, "They're quite remarkable...superior to many other types of combat droids, but of course, others didn't have certain skills with them....at least not for centuries." Even Dareus doesn't know the full weight of what he just said; but his memory still is sharp from many meetings. Lynae sits down abruptly and with little warning, setting her cup on the counter top with a distinctive slosh as she spills hot caf on her hands and the counter top in the process. She ends up having to look away from Tyler as she reaches for a handful of napkins and wipes her hands off, pale faced as she turns her full attention to the task that is, quite literally, at hand at the precise moment. "Sith alchemy," she manages after a few long moments of just letting her brain go to what amounts to white noise and static while the rest of her brain races around like a rat on an exercise wheel. "Giant leaps, giant leaps and strides and bounds ahead. Just think of the advances possible if you were to combine these abilities in the medical field. The sheer .. tonnage of applications, possible applications." There's a fine hint of slightly hysterical laughter in her tone of voice and she ends up closing her eyes and putting resting her forehead in one hand, "Pardon me for a moment while my brain catches up," she says from that position. The turbolift moves down then a few moments later back up. The doors open up and Axel steps out. "Evening," he says tiredly. Of course, the only indication it was evening was the chronometer, as being in space day and night weren't factors as they were on rotating planets. "I hope I didn't miss anything. I was troubled by dreams and couldn't sleep last night, ended up taking some stuff from the med-bay. I think I slept for 10 hours straight, afterwards." The smuggler stops to light up a cigarette and then continues on his path towards the gathering of allies. "The applications of the power of the Force have always been unlimited." Malign replies sharply, a tinge of his Sith heritage barking into his words as they seem to gain some power. His eyes flow across the room between all the players, there were only four beings here for the time. The droids made up the majority of the vessel, obeyed without question, no worries about gender or age or race. They served this order and its council. Malign strides toward the front viewport tapping his comlink, "Bridge, calculate a jump to our 'home system'." He states plainly, "But delay a jump until my order." The Sith's eyes were tinged with yellow as he turns and his aura begins to bleed across the room like a wave of cold water, it was nearly tangible, "LET THEM WRITE HISTORY!" he booms slamming his left fist into an open palm, "For 30,000 years the Sith have lived in this galaxy and operated, and before that they were called something else!" Malign laughs loudly now, "The Jedi, the Republic, the Rebellion those people would have you believe we were wiped out! Would have you believe that all of us are evil diluted and twisted, but they would be wrong. We are survivors and there is a legacy!" he points toward the stars, "Hidden out there for us to walk among the dead and find. Alchemy is more than an exact science it is a way to study and meditate on the Force itself, there are methods hidden on dead worlds that could very well bring the dead back to life." The Sith turns back to those present, "All of you are a part of this, our destinies are intertwined. Our fate joined by invisible tendrils of energy and laced with a looming dread we all feel at the very pits of our gut." He grows silent for a moment. "We will walk like the dead, our tasks are out there, our missions, our desires, our dreams, and our future. The irony!" He pauses, "NO THE FORCE!" he booms again, "Life and the future from the ashes of death, from rebirth, from the accumulation of knowledge, our active participation in the healing of the galaxy, Lynae. We will open the forbidden box and eat of its forbidden contents and create a new galaxy for the Emperor." Leaping slightly from the sudden outcry, the blind Gillian takes a step back, gone pale, and half-steps behind Axel near him. He shudders, remaining quiet now, pale and terrified of his master. Perfect timing as usual, Axel thinks to himself as he witnesses Tyler's explosion. "I guess I did miss something," he says softly. Axel still wasn't a big fan of the Emperor, hard to be a fan of someone who was only a myth or legend to most people. He did know though, that in his quest for power he would have to serve the Emperor's will in some fashion or other and he was fine with that. After all, the reward potential was limitless. Taking a drag from his cigarette, he stops his forward movement between Dareus and Lynae. "Sorry I'm late," he says in Tyler's direction. "Been a long night, one that well.. I'd like to discuss it with you later, if you don't mind." Dareus smiles at Lynae's reaction a little before turning to nod to Axel, smiling and nodding his head, "Must have been a good sleep at least. I spent half the night on the bridge just in case of some unexpected visitors, but everything on long range turned out fine. Even the patrols sensors never picked up anyone following." While Malign starts to speak he turns to watch him, quietly while he feels colder, sliding through his body, even causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up; along with a lump in his throat by the time the fist slams into his hand; letting the Captain lean back in his chair, "History is written by the victors; and we'll be in the new journals...read by students millennia from now." Dareus goes silent then, taking another sip from his water while the time estimate is calculated. Lynae lifts her head from the palm of her hand, watching Tyler much the way she would observe some obscure experiment that suddenly turned intriguing instead. She remains silent, gathering her composure up with both 'hands' to so speak and throwing it around her like a well worn, and often worn, cloak until she finds that air of professionalism again. When she speaks, her voice is calm, perfectly controlled, even and measured, almost an exact foil of the emotion charged statements that Malign had just made. "Most people can't think, most of the remainder won't think, the small fraction who do think mostly can't do it very well. The extremely tiny fraction who think regularly, accurately, creatively, and without self-delusion- in the long run these are the only people who count...Still rarer is the man who thinks habitually, who applies reason, rather than habit pattern, to all his activity. Unless he masques himself, his is a dangerous life; he is regarded as queer, untrustworthy, subversive of public morals; he is a pink rancor among brown rancor -- a fatal mistake. Unless the pink rancor can dye himself brown before he is caught. The brown rancor's instinct to kill is correct; such men are dangerous to all rancor customs. Rarest of all is the man who can and does reason at all times, quickly, accurately, inclusively, despite hope or fear or bodily distress, without egocentric bias or thalamic disturbance, with correct memory, with clear distinction between fact, assumption, and non-fact." She pauses, staring intently at Tyler then shifting her gaze around the room slowly, "You men are among those who dare to think. Not just think, but dare to contemplate original thought. Further, you dare to admit to having original thought, then standing for it. It is rare, and in many circles it is deeply frightening, and troubling. The world, the universe, does not like change. It fears it, for change is new, and even worse, it is different. Mankind.. in all it's guises, clings to a degree of 'normalcy' a flavor of 'sameness' so that one does not stand out in the crowd. You dare to stand out, to stand up. Intriguing," she says finally. "Deeply intriguing." Gillian sneaks out when he has a chance. He wasnt' here. He catches the womans' eye, pausing at that... but he does nto speak about the complement, instead quietly slipping out while he had a chance. "Intriquing?" The Sith perks a brow as he taps his comlink. The stars in the viewport begin to become lines and then within moments the ship was in light speed. Malign turns away from the viewport to look back at Lynae and those around her, "Terrifying." He says darkly has his eyes darken and his presence pulls back lightly, "The galaxy is a prisoner to the perceptions of those who live within it. Only the capable can change it, and only if those capable are willing." He shrugs, "There are governments who would lead their people to believe they rest in neutrality hide themselves from galactic affairs but at any second a catastrophe could poison their way of life. A mynock could very well flap its wings on the other side of the galaxy that brings a supernova to destroy the systems they had so fought hard to protect." Malign laughs, "Who are we to decide when a star lives or dies and why do we dare hide ourselves under one when there are billions? The galaxy will burn out one day, but with it the Force? Will the novas birth new starts will nebulas bring rise to a new species and a new pattern of life so alien to our galaxy we will never know the face of our descendents?" The Sith sighs, "We have no need to worry about such things. Not yet, one day, in our time we will not only shape our own destinies but we will shape all destiny. The power of the Sith is a power that is as timeless as awareness. It is as old as awareness." He smirks, "Yes, Lynae, we are thinking men, but thinking isn't enough, the Jedi are thinkers, the contemplate in their temples and hide away in their fortress of ideas and stone and with it nothing. We must learn to think quickly, rationalize, measure, and then act. Action defines the galaxy." Malign turns to his agents, "It is time for me to meditate the past weighs heavily on my shoulders and the spirits of the dead manifest themselves to me, I am a haunted man. I must listen to their call or suffer." A pair of droids step from the shadows and drape a black cloak over Malign's shoulders, he pulls the hood over his head, "Lynae, in time I will show you my sanctuary. In time you will see a galaxy open to you from an alien perspective, a very ancient perspective. With it comes knowledge, and as much as you grave it, fear it, because with great knowledge comes a capacity for great and terrible things, and the responsibility of knowing when great and terrible should be applied to a situation." "History....has been along the same line; but never this direct path...it was lost for any number of reasons, that some can only guess at. There's no mistakes to learn from, their answers were lost in the sands of time that blew past. Which is why every step is careful; every eventuality calculated, weighed and watched." Dareus just keeps looking at the table and his bottle of water for a few moments, "Success lies in the people, everyone here has one common goal, and has resolve. Pure and unwavering desire to succeed; and lay framework the likes of which haven't been seen. I believe that I'm here for a reason; where many were executed in the past, you and I walked away; something made that happen, I don't understand it, but I accept it, and I'll let it lead me from now on; wherever it goes." Dareus stands up, stretching his back slightly, and nods towards everyone, except for a bow of his head towards Lord Malign, "And with us entering hyperspace, I should get to the bridge; there still is much that I have to take care of, and oversee." He smiles a little while he takes the bottle of water from the table, "I'm at your disposal, should I be needed." Deep thoughts, by Lynae Cassius and Tyler Damion.... Axel still wasn't awake enough yet to comprehend everything but he regrets sleeping as long as he did. Maybe it was just being on the Predator that had him disturbed, after all he was much more accustomed to the posh living quarters on the Haze or at his home on Caspar, a place he'll likely never see again. He takes a long drag from his cigarette and blows a few smoke rings into the air as his mind tries to gain focus. It was times like these he missed the spice the most. If there was one thing it did for him, it gave him focus. "Look, I don't mean to interupt Tyl.. Lord Malign," Axel slips for a moment. "I'm not the great philosopher and thinker of the group, I'm more of an action kinda guy. What is our next course of action, as I would really like to get back to doing something." It was almost obvious the man was just looking for an excuse to get off of the Predator for some reason or other. "All this talk is nice and stuff, but there is way to much to be done in preparations and I've gotta figure out a way... Oh what the hell. I just need to get off this ship for a little while." In the aftermath of Tyler's statement, and then Dareus's, Axel's statement brings a faint smile to Lynae's face. "Always know exactly how to break the ice, Axel, that's a good trait to keep in your arsenal." She rises to her feet, "I will think on this, as I have already said. You are offering me more than just an opportunity to serve again, but a chance to be a part of the driving force behind changes. Pardon the pun," she adds with another faint smile. "Who ever it was that said that you could have peace or you can have freedom but don't ever count on having both at once," she pauses, shakes her head AGAIN, "simply was not a member of this philosophy club." The Sith nods his head as Dareus departs. His own foot falls leading him to an exit as Axel speaks his stark hazel eyes turn toward the smuggler, "Captain Vichten, the reason you are here is because of your excellence when it comes to chaos and disruption. Make the eyes of the galaxy turn away from me and focus on you." The Sith puts it simple, "A thousand plans are formulating and Legion General Siege is picking his targets for a major offensive. We will be patient and wait; you will be aggressive and strike. Hit and Fades, terrorism, do what you must to protect our order." Malign chuckles Lynae's comments hitting home, "No this is not the philosophy club, Doctor. This is a council of action. In the next few days you will see action, you will see destiny unfolding before you like looking forward into eternity. Sleep well." He says darkly turning to Axel, "We'll be in system in 1 standard hour, feel free to cause your havoc." With that the Sith vanishes into a turbolift. Lynae tips her head towards the departing Sith lord before shifting her gaze towards Axel, "Is that a license for you to wreck merry havoc and ware?" she asks in a lightly amused tone of voice. Ax turns his attention to Lynae as it seems everyone else is leaving. "Well, he's right. It is what I do best. As for where, I have no damn clue yet. I really would like to get my ship off of Caspar sometime soon though." He takes a final drag from his cigarette and crushes it underfoot. "I may still go bomb the hell out of the Zhao or something. Either way, I'm the one that gets stuck with a bounty on his head while everyone else works in the shadows." There's a slight smile on his face. It was definitely not the first time he's earned himself a bounty and when he's done, he's likely to be wanted in every system in space. "You crave the attention though," Lynae surmises in a statement that is half guess and half leap of slightly illogical reasoning. "You do realize that CDU authorities are going to have to do something about your remaining assets on planet, and it can't be a lenient thing, it most likely will be a rather .. demonstrative gesture to prove their point." Of course Ax craved the attention. His entire reason for joining with Tyler was the final outcome of his name being written in history, so that in death he would still be remembered. "Well, Caspar is a bit...." He gives a sigh, "The government doesn't know what's best for it's people. When I first became a citizen, the culture was rich, it's leadership pure. Now.. Now the leadership of the Union is in the hands of a warmonger human and not in the hands of a rightful Sarian." From the tone of his voice, you can tell there is a hint of dismay over the loss of Sarian leadership. Despite his homeworld being thousands of lightyears away, he had grown to love the Sarians and had even adopted their religions as his own, albeit the darker aspects of Olumi, the shadow. Lynae tilts her head slightly, gaze focusing on Axel as he speaks, "Come, have a drink," she suggests, as she happens to be standing behind the bar. "Caf, or what ever else is on tap. Tell me more about this .. democratic government model used on Caspar. I don't think I quite comprehend how it works, to be honest." Axel does take the doctor up on the drink, but instead of caf, he goes with something a lot stronger. "Corellian Whiskey, the good stuff I brought over from the Haze, not the stuff you serve everyone else." He sighs and looks to Lynae. "Democracy, heh. Democracy is a government where the people rule. They elect leaders, leaders don't appoint themselves. Mahon is a conniving general, a military man. He's no politician and he's definitely not a Sarian. The crap they pulled with the Empire over that whore Kiare is an example of how bad the current government is for the people it supposedly represents." Lynae searches for the drink in question and finds the correct bottle in what appears to be the 'controlled stash' behind the bar. Setting up a glass for Axel, one of this heavy glass types with a thick bottom, she pours the glass two thirds of the way full before setting the bottle on the bar itself for Axel to self serve. She pauses then gets a speculative gleam in her eyes and roots through the various bottles before a triumphant, "Ah HAH!" is sounded and she holds aloft a bottle containing pale gold liquid. "Caridan Rum," she announces triumphantly then goes back and finds the only other bottle and claims that one as well. "Now THIS is the good stuff," she declares and pours herself a glass of the spiced rum. "I never hear anything good about politicians anyway, Axel, why is he any different?" "He's no different than any other politician of old, I guess," Axel says as he lifts his glass in a mock toast. "He's as corrupt as the stereotype portrays. I took a vow very very long ago, to protect the Sarian race from it's own government." Axel twists around, and pulls down his clothing from his right shoulder, exposing an old brand mark. Three interlocking circles. "I am a member of the Olumi Osahn, the Shadow Brotherhood. A long time ago, we served as the government's black ops. We did what the government couldn't do, at least not publicly. We worked to protect the race and the customs of the people, and then..." He pauses and takes a sip of the whiskey. "We acted outside of the government as well. We all knew that the government was becoming corrupt, and we did what we could to keep it too weak to affect the race, but we at least had a Sarian in power. Now, there's a human in power. I don't have anything against humans, hell, I'm more human than anything else, but Thomas Mahon has no ties to the people of Caspar. He is a fine warrior, but not a believer in the culture. The Culture is the life force of the race, of the planet itself and the longer he is in power the more that dies." "Well, I - for one - am glad to know that you don't have anything against humans, as I happen to be one," Lynae replies as she tips her glass slightly in a salute to Axel. "Just a plain jane old fashioned mutt of a Human. I wasn't even born on a planet, I was born on a research station out in the back of beyond, this ball of dust that my mother was posted on while doing research for a project whose name can't even be spoken aloud. I spent most of my youth shuttling from one post to another with one of my parents or the other, depending on which one had a posting where they were allowed to bring dependents with. We landed on Carida when I was about ten, I think, and I spent just enough time on planet to think of it as the only planet I've ever called 'home'," she studies the contents of her glass for a moment. "Yet, I do miss it. The irony here is that if I join you, I could possibly go home. Possibly, because I don't know if joining up lifts the death sentence if I enter imperial space again." Something sparks her memory, "Wait, are we In Imperial Space at the moment?" and yes, she looks worried all of a sudden. The ship had left hyperspace a few minutes prior, but Axel hadn't really noticed. Grateful for the changing of subjects he stands up, taking his glass with him. "Far from it, Lynae. In fact, if memory serves me correctly, you should be able to recognize the system merely from..." He walks over to one of the observation windows, and in the far distance the half-lit shape of a planet is visible. Punching up something on the small keypad by the window, he smiles. A moment later, the view is magnified as the electrodes in the window itself shift bringing up a computer aided display. The ships passive sensors patch into the display magnifying the planet to the point where one can see the near destroyed surface. "Look familiar?" he asks before taking a sip from his glass. "Cochran," Lynae says simply, moving from behind the bar to walk towards the display. She gives the enhanced image a long, thorough, studying glance. "Intriguing," she says yet again, the word emerging in a cool dispassionate tone of voice. "It would seem that, yet again, my suggestion was filed in the round receptacle," meaning garbage of course. "There are rich mineral deposits that would've aided the fleet, but they were not retrieved and there do not appear to be any efforts to do so. " She shakes her head, "What is the point of bombing a planet if it's not summarily stripped afterwards? You remove the population, strip mine it for every single ounce of usable minerals and resources then turn it into slag and a pile of free floating debris. THAT is how a statement is made," she grips her glass tight enough that it takes a good bit of effort to not break the glass - again, having done that already this week. "Yeah, I wish I could fill you in on what's going on in space and on planet right now," Axel says as he keys the display off. Once again, the window is merely a window. "I don't know what else you have going for you in the galaxy right now. I am really interested in the Republic's interests, but that's likely none of my business. All I know is that you should deeply consider joining us. I can assure you that if you do there will be no death sentence for you in Imperial space afterwards. I personally want you here as does Dareus. We're going to make a difference in this galaxy, one way or another it will change because of us." Lynae makes a sound that is rather inelegant, a snort of sarcastic amusement. "They were not interested in Me, Axel. And there is no reason FOR them to be interested in me. I was there simply to finish paying off a debt of honor, a life debt, and it was necessary to travel to that .. misbegotten ball of dirt in order to accomplish it. They repeatedly said that the guards were both for my protection, and to ensure that I wasn't doing anything untoward." She makes that same sound again, "Please. Like I would waste MY time by carrying a conventional weapon on me? Hah, hardly. If I wanted to take out their entire planet it would've been so vastly easier to simply have created a multi-stage pathogen with aerosol disbursement capabilities. Evacuate the pathogen from the hold of my ship as I entered orbit and simply sit back and watch them die." She shakes her head, clearly disgusted. That little speech seems to spark an idea in Axel. "Even if you don't join our ranks, I could use your expertise." Axel gets a strange look to his face, mostly to his eyes. "Say I wanted to destroy plant life on a planet. I'm talking about a lot of plant life..." He trails off, then finishes his glass as he turns to walk back to where the bottle is. "I'm talking planetary scale here. What would it take?" "What kind of weapon do you want to use? There's several ways to go about doing so, Axel, from biological to tactical. Just pick the specific format and I can answer the question better. However," Lynae cautions, "each planet is unique. It's biosphere specific. The lifeforms that inhabit it are always uniquely tailored to the environment itself." "Biological. Preferably something that could be released into the atmosphere for the wind to do the rest." Axel thinks for a moment. "I want to destroy a large majority of plant life on Ithor. If it can be done there, one could hold the entire galaxy ransom just through the fear it would create. Imagine a government trying to quell the panic of someone like myself threatening to destroy their food sources. The potential for causing chaos on a galactic level is profound. It would only have to be made once, tailored to the plant life on a single planet. After that, no planetary government in the galaxy could afford to call my bluff. It would be the perfect distraction." "I'd need to see what resources you have at hand, Axel," Lynae says after a moment of quiet contemplation. "It's not as easy as throwing together a few compounds and then tossing them into the air. You need something that targets JUST plant life, not animal or aquatic or avian. And when I say animal I mean large game animals and the local population of sentient beings. That's a specific target to gear the compound towards. I usually suggest a multi-stage pathogen for this purpose, one to disperse the actual pathogen, a second to scrub the pathogen out of the biosphere, and a third to eradicate the first two stages so that it cannot be easily traced back to the point of alteration. I'd need a lab, I'd need time, and I'd need a lot of caf and sandwiches. Oh, and a good assistant or two." The conversation trails off and Axel heads back to work, leaving Lynae to retire to the quarters provided to her by Captain Dareus.
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