>>2314755
"What an evening!" you exclaim, shooting up from your chair and cutting Shassanis off mid-sentence. With an exaggerated yawn you push your chair in, then motion for one of the Twi'leks standing off at the far end of the room. "I've got an early morning tomorrow. Upawa will show you to your room."

Shassanis rises from his chair with an uneasy wobble, looking very confused and somewhat disappointed.

"Early morning?" he says. "The city's under martial law." You hear him loud and clear, but you're already walking away, giving an incoherent mumble and wave as a response. The moment you're out of the room you steady the exaggerated drunken walk you were putting on and lengthen your stride, eager to retreat to your room and put tonight behind you. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the Falleen's pheromones, but you had considered it. Emperor help you, you had considered it.

That night, your sleep is shallow and filled with fevered dreams. You're back in the Fury's training room, beating a prostrate Kalyan with a practice saber. She looks up at you, and with a smile asks if you wish she were your mother instead. You try to strike her again, but find that your saber has turned into a limp whip-sword that refuses to go rigid. When you look up, Sebuk is standing behind Kalyan, laughing hysterically. A furious rage wells within you, and you're vaguely aware that back in reality, you're kicking the baseboard of your bed. Back in the dream world, a tap on your shoulder causes you to turn around, where a frowning Shassanis stands ready to take you by the hand.

"We don't need them," he says. You follow him from the training room and its infuriating laughter, and as you step over the door's threshold you awaken, filled with greater certainty than ever that you need to meet a woman. Normal ones, with whom you can have a casual physical relationship untainted by complications of clonehood or bodily possession.

You meet Shassanis for breakfast in the manor's central courtyard, praying that he has forgotten the night you couldn't manage to push from your mind. All seems well and normal, until the strained casual conversation grows silent and Shassanis looks up at you from his plate with a strange intensity.

"You left last night before I could say what I came here to say," he says. Every muscle in your body goes rigid, your fork frozen midway between the table and your open mouth with a chunk of meat hanging from the end. "As I mentioned, I was posted in the Outer Rim until a few weeks ago."

"Right." You nod, giving him a confused look as the terrified grip on your heart eases somewhat.

"I bring a message from your Master, Lord Veredious. He says that number nine will be kept too busy to bother you... and that he'll look into the girl."

Your hesitant expression darkens, and you sit back in your chair. "You didn't think I'd want to hear this first thing after you arrived?"

>>2314757
He gives a mischievous smile. "I wanted to see where the night took us."

You close your eyes, holding back a disgusted groan as you ignore the Falleen for a moment and consider your Master's words. 'Number nine' must be referring to the Chiss agent, Cipher Nine. And the girl would be your unknown assailant on Sriluur.

"He didn't say more than that?" you ask Shassanis.

He shakes his head and continues eating, clearly very eager to drop the matter there - as are you, once you realize that you've been fraternizing with a fellow conspirator. There is a reason Veredious didn't simply send this message over electronic channels, after all. For one reason or another, he didn't want to risk it being read. The revelation that your Master is taking your concerns seriously is something of a relief, but that relief is tempered by the question of just what exactly you've done to earn this freedom he's given you by leaving you his position.

If he wanted to keep his Apprentice from being bothered by snooping counter-intelligence agents, the simplest solution would have been to simply take you *with* him to the obscurity of the Outer Rim where he's busy courting alien governments into the Imperial hegemony. He left you here to accomplish something - and at some point, that cheque will come due. Hopefully, it isn't a costly one.

"Did you even need a place to stay?" you ask him.

Shassanis glances up from his breakfast and nods. "Oh, yes. Nothing I said was untrue."

A lie of omission, then. Later that morning, you get another visit from a Voss commando. Movement within Voss-Ka is still restricted, but mid-level officials like you and Shassanis are free to travel within the city. Before the Falleen leaves, you take the opportunity to ask him about any contacts he has within the Echani. The specificity of your question surprises him, and he says that he does not - but he will ask his Master, Darth Serevin.

>>2314760
When Shassanis departs, he thanks you for your hospitality and promises that he will not let you become a stranger. The smile you give him is strained, and you find yourself feeling as if your sanctuary away from the dangers of the galaxy has been somehow sullied.

You need to decide who will train your four bodyguards into capable soldiers.

>A Mandalorian. Many of them work as mercenaries out of the Mandalorian Enclave in Kaas City. You're sure you can find one with a reputation of churning out capable bodyguards. It'll cost you, though. You'll need to sell that Sith jewelry you've been holding onto.

>An Imperial Reconnaissance Officer. You should be able to convince Director Thall to have them attach one to you after your dangerous encounter with those beasts on Sriluur. Convincing him or her to informally train your bodyguards will take some convincing.

>An Echani. You'll focus your efforts on figuring out how one obtains the services of these insular warriors. This is made more difficult by the fact that their home planet of Eshan is within Republic space.

>Some other group or individual.

>>2314762
>An Echani. You'll focus your efforts on figuring out how one obtains the services of these insular warriors. This is made more difficult by the fact that their home planet of Eshan is within Republic space.
I think it'll be worth it. The only question is whether we can get them trained before their first real fight

>>2314762
>An Echani. You'll focus your efforts on figuring out how one obtains the services of these insular warriors. This is made more difficult by the fact that their home planet of Eshan is within Republic space.

Could we ask if our master has any Echani connections? That would be a huge help and he's fairly likely to.

>>2314811
Kinda trying to do this on our on...besides these four are ours and not our master stop thrusting other Sith!!

>>2314762
>An Echani. You'll focus your efforts on figuring out how one obtains the services of these insular warriors. This is made more difficult by the fact that their home planet of Eshan is within Republic space.
If it doesn't seem feasible we could always get the Thyrsians. They're basically just edgy versions of the Echani who focus on blade work over hand to hand and keep the Echani skill of predicting attacks.

>>2314829
Do they even exist at this point? They sound interesting though. Worth looking into.

>>2314824
We have to use connections to make it happen. We don't even know any Echani so we need the help of someone who does.

Can you guys think of anyone who would be good at incorporating nontraditional weapons like that whip blade into their training?

Can it also be used like a larger vibroblades while the kyber plasma is activated?

>>2315062
Mandos are really good at adapting different fighting styles based on the situation. That's why they have all the wrist mounted weapons, to surprise Jedi and that concept was developed during the mandalorian Jedi wars. They'd be a good fallback option for training.

>>2314762
>A Mandalorian. Many of them work as mercenaries out of the Mandalorian Enclave in Kaas City. You're sure you can find one with a reputation of churning out capable bodyguards. It'll cost you, though. You'll need to sell that Sith jewelry you've been holding onto.

After reading the Republic Commando series again I'm fully convinced that a loyal Mandolorian is completely unstoppable

And if they are stopped there's gonna be A LOT of dead people between them and us

Don't need none of that mystical bullshit when we got pure tenacity, loyalty, and skill

>>2314762
Three days after Shassanis' arrival on Voss, and only two days after his departure from your home, you receive word through the Imperial Enclave that Shassanis' Master, Darth Serevin, has arrived. That same day, you receive a message informing you that you will come to his home within Voss-Ka. The communication is phrased very politely, but it's coming from a Darth - so it is a demand, not a request.

His home is a bit smaller than yours, though far closer to the city's center and its governmental apparatuses. The manor is a buzzing hive of servants, most occupied carrying in furniture and decorations from a line of hovering trucks pulled up in the driveway. The items look to have come from all over the galaxy. That thought is one that comes half-joking at first, but then you spot a bone totem from Rattataki being carried just behind a Gand hive sculpture. This is clearly a man who likes his alien cultures.

One of the human servants escorts you inside, and you see neither hide nor hair of Shassanis. You know you've reached your destination when the servant stops at the entryway to a room lined with paintings and woven tapestries. At first, you think you've simply been led to another room to await Serevin's arrival. Then, you spot movement against one of the colorful tapestries. In front of it stands a Sith pureblood man with long black hair, his red skin and purple robe rendering him almost invisible against the similarly-colored work of art.

"Darth Serevin." You give a deep bow, but the man remains facing away from you.

"Come look at this," he says in a soft voice, pointing at the tapestry. It's of Voss design, a geometric webwork of red and purple that is incomprehensible from any angle or distance. You've always thought these fiber-woven art pieces would look better as rugs than hanging from walls, but you know from experience that the Voss would find such a thing immensely distasteful.

"Have you ever seen the Voss make a painting or statue *of* something?" he asks. "Not abstract designs, but a person or a tree."

You think for a moment, then shake your head. "No, my Lord." Sometimes you can see a person within the chaotic interplay of colors, but you've fallen prey to the same illusion staring at a paint-daubed wall or a cloudy sky. Even the wave-like statues outside the Tower of Prophecy can look like figures or faces if you squint.

"Why do you think that is?" Serevin says.

Why don't they depict real objects in their art?

>They're an unemotional species, given to creative works that reflect their cold view of the world.

>In a spiritualistic society that worships their Elders and has so many natural places as holy sites, depiction of people or places would border on idolatry.

>They do. They work in terms of color instead of shapes.

>Their compound eyes lead them to work in strange mediums. The tapestry before you no doubt coalesces into a single coherent images when a Voss looks at it.

>>2315094
>They do. They work in terms of color instead of shapes

>>2314844
They shouldn't exist yet.

>>2315062
>>2315074
Tbh I would have gone with a Kalee, they're tough to find but they're worth the hassle.

>>2315094
In a spiritualistic society that worships their Elders and has so many natural places as holy sites, depiction of people or places would border on idolatry.
It's probably religious. That's why Muslims don't depict the prophet.

>>2315094
>Their compound eyes lead them to work in strange mediums. The tapestry before you no doubt coalesces into a single coherent images when a Voss looks at it.

>>2315094
>Their compound eyes lead them to work in strange mediums. The tapestry before you no doubt coalesces into a single coherent images when a Voss looks at it.
Throwing out a guess here. The color one makes sense to me too. The color thing would just be a consequence of our different perception of it.

>>2315100
They might not be independent of the Echani yet but I'm pretty sure they exist.

We're at like 300-400 BBY right now right? The Thyrsians rebelled against the Echani in like 1100 BBY which is when the Sun Guard was formed. Which was basically halfway between Mandos and Thyrsians and aligned with the Sith. They would be great trainers.

>>2315130
If they're still part of the Echani or even Arkanian society they haven't formed the Sun Guard yet.

Also is there anywhete besides Lehon we can learn to make the Thought Bomb, or is that too meta because knowledge of the Nathema Ritual is definitely kept under wraps?

>>2315094
>Their compound eyes lead them to work in strange mediums. The tapestry before you no doubt coalesces into a single coherent images when a Voss looks at it.

i like this because it litery says that they view things in a different way then others. Same way that the sith view the force differently from the jedi.

>>2315136
>300-400 BBY
Try 3700-3650 BBY

>>2315136
>We're at like 300-400 BBY right now right?

3642 BBY

But hey no one said Thyrsians couldn't exist even if the Sun Guard doesn't yet.

>>2315141
Woops. Yeah I'm a star wars pleb.

>>2315141
The sun guard stemmed from the Thyrsian special forces, which could have existed at that time.

>>2315151
Still, the best Jedi-killer bodyguards won't exist for 3600 years. Magnaguards

>>2315162
You seem to be a big Grievous fan. I approve.

>>2315183
EU Grievous and Magnaguards are no joke senpai, those droids had a respectable kill count.

>>2315094
"I think they do, in their own way. The Voss have compound eyes." You gesture at the tapestry. "Maybe to them, this looks like..." You trail off, your eyes travelling from the chaotic flowing purple on the right of the weave to the more red-dominant left, which becomes more ordered and angular. Then, you glimpse the tentacled face of Darth Serevin from the corner of your eye.

"You," you say finally.

He nods, squinting at the tapestry as if trying to see what the Voss see. "The mystics gifted it to me after the Empire's failed invasion. I brokered the peace between our governments."

You already knew that, but you feign polite surprise. "Quite an accomplishment, my Lord."

Serevin stops squinting at the tapestry and shakes his head. "Not really," he says in a casual tone. "We were simply lucky. The mystics' foresight allowed them to utterly annihilate the Imperial expeditionary fleet, but those same visions told them to allow us - and the Republic - to set up diplomatic missions."

After your own experience with the mystics, you've become something of a believer. Their visions might not be infallible, but they certainly seem to have predictive value.

"And now you're back to bring them into the Empire?" you wonder.

Serevin turns to face you, and his hands fall from behind his back. He's not a large man - rather slight, in fact - and has a bookish appearance reinforced by the cultural luxuries he surrounds himself with. Still, he is a Darth. And that means there's a deadly edge beneath the soft exterior.

"You know the Voss well, don't you?" he asks, sidestepping your question.

After a moment of hesitation, you give a slight nod. "Not as well as the diplomatic corps, I'm sure, but I--"

"And they know you, don't they?"

"I helped save a few of their mystics," you respond quickly, taken aback by the rapid fire questions. "Along with Lord Maghur."

"And you're an alien," he says finally. It's not so much a question as a conclusion, and you don't bother answering. "My predecessor got nowhere with the Voss," Serevin continues. "The Dark Council was growing weary of the lack of progress."

Your heart leaps at the mention of your actions so close to the desires of the Dark Council. You had hoped Serevin had something to tell you about the Echani you asked Shassanis about, but it seems something more significant was awaiting you.

>>2315347
"I think I know why," says Serevin.

You eye him expectantly. "Why, my Lord?"

"The reasons are twofold." He holds up his index finger. "One. We've approached them not as Sith, but as Imperials. We and the Republic are the first outside groups to come into contact with them. They have no concept of intergalactic governments."

Your head tilts back in understanding. "And their government *is* the mystics."

Serevin's mouth flickers into a slight smile and he grunts in satisfaction that you've grasped his point without him needing to go further.

"Two." He holds up a second finger. "Even on those few occasions where we did approach them as Sith, that is not how the groundwork for integration is laid. They see us as their counterparts - identical leaders of a homogenous society. We are a group to be parlayed with, not joined."

A smile forms on your own face. "They need to see aliens."

"Yes." His hand drops to his side, and he clasps them behind his back before leading you out of the room and through the many-roomed home. "I want my first meeting with the Voss delegation to set a new tone. It can't be humans and Sith by my side. I need the symbolism of myself, a full-blooded Sith, flanked by two others reflecting the growing diversity of the Empire."

Your stride quickens in excitement. "If you will allow me, my Lord, I would be honored."

He gives an almost absent-minded nod, already having known that you would accept this privilege. That part was never in question - which makes you wonder which part *is* up in the air. He stops one room short of the entryway, a few dozen feet from the line of servants still streaming through as they furnish the half-decorated home.

"This will be a delicate task," he says, his already-serious voice taking on a grim finality. "Made more delicate by the very particular goals I'd like to accomplish."

"I'm not sure I understand," you respond.

He takes a step closer, leaving very little distance between you two as he looks up at you with a dire expression.

"The mystics need to be persuaded of the truths we know as Sith, *without* becoming inclined to align with the Empire."

You visibly recoil at his words, the idea seeming absurd. Surely one would include the other? And surely *both* would be desirable outcomes?

"Your Master assured me that you are a reliable individual," Serevin says. "Someone who understands subtlety of action. Can I count on you?"

Are you a reliable individual?

>No. He'll have to find someone else.

>Yes. You'll meet with the Voss alongside him and persuade them according to his desires.

>Yes (Lie). You'll meet with the Voss alongside him, but instead persuade them to join the Empire.

>>2315352
>Yes. You'll meet with the Voss alongside him and persuade them according to his desires.

>>2315352
>Yes. You'll meet with the Voss alongside him and persuade them according to his desires.

>>2315352
>Yes. You'll meet with the Voss alongside him and persuade them according to his desires.
This is undoubtedly what our master wanted us here for.

>>2315352
>Yes. You'll meet with the Voss alongside him and persuade them according to his desires.

So far we're planning on recruiting Clan Vizsla and the Voss. Having the Voss' foresight combined with Mandalorian strength would be a very good start. And I'm sure Veredious and the others have worked on other alliances that we don't even know about.

>>2315489
>Clan Vizsla
I forgot how cucked we were.

>>2315591
Why, because we gave away the darksaber?

>>2315616
No, that shouldn't exist at this point, but that's beside the point, it's just that clan Vizsla is pretty cucked.

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>>2315670
You shouldn't exist at this point.

Fucking traitors!

>>2315352
"Absolutely, my Lord." You meet Serevin's searching gaze with a steady one, that says you are someone in whom his trust can be put. "I understand what you're asking."

"Good." Serevin puts a hand on your shoulder, applying a pressure that is more insistent than comforting. "Then I will see you again soon."

As you find out, 'soon' was not an exaggeration. Not wanting to leave the Voss Elders feeling as if he's ignoring them, Serevin wastes no time in setting up an introductory meeting with a small group.

Two days after that first visit to Serevin's home you're walking alongside him again, this time up the steps of the Tower of Prophecy. Shassanis is there as well, and he seems even more nervous than you. He is, after all, the only one to have not been here before. Your own anxiety is tempered by the knowledge that no matter what dangers you face, they'll be of the social variety - not heavily armed Gormak storming the tower.

Three orange-hooded mystics are waiting for you at the top of the stairs, just before a large set of open doors. The ones on the left and right are men, standing a little further back with their heads slightly bowed. The mystic in the center stands at the forefront, a breathtaking woman of vivid blue and red with light-blue eyes that seem to glow with a light of their own. Once your group reaches the top of the stairs you bow, and introductions are made.

"Darth Serevin," your leader says, moving on to introduce you and his Apprentice.

"I am Talsa-Ko," the Voss mystics replies. Her voice is as emotionless as the others of her kind, but has a soothing serenity to it instead of the dulling flatness you're so used to. She turns and leads your group inside without introducing the two men beside her, leaving you unsure if they're fellow members of the Voss leadership caste or simple attendants. You notice a mild displeasure emanating from Serevin, but can't discern the reason. Perhaps this isn't who he expected to meet.

After walking through the central space running up the middle of the tower, you ascend a motorized lift set within a far wall, then move into a conference room at the center of which is a long, wooden table far too big for your mere party of 6.

Talsa-Ko sits at the head of it with her fellows seated on either side. Serevin sits beside one of them, and you and Shassanis take the other side, leaving your party awkwardly divided. The Voss aren't known for duplicity, but you find yourself wondering if this is some bizarre negotiating tactic engineered by the mystics.

Introductions continue for a few more minutes, Serevin artfully maneuvering the conversation from who he is to what he is here to accomplish.

>>2316438
"My predecessors have made clear how much they believe the Voss have to offer the Empire," he says to Talsa-Ko. "But I want to make known what my Order can offer the Voss."

He then launches into a well-prepared speech detailing the uniform applicability of the Sith way of life, and how the Voss, as powerful Force-sensitives, would stand to claim a high position within so meritocratic an organization. You and Shassanis jump into the conversation only occasionally, and you get the sense that you're there more as a prop than an active participant. Serevin is explaining how neatly the Voss hierarchy could mesh with that of the Sith, when Talsa-Ko raises her hand and stops him short.

"We have studied your ways," she says, her soft voice taking on a firm and declaratory tone. "Thoroughly. The Empire may be flexible, but the Sith live by a code. It is one in contradiction with ours."

"How so?" Serevin asks, clearly not liking the grim finality she's taken on.

"'Peace is a lie'," Talsa-Ko says, echoing the first line of the Sith Code. "It is only through peace and meditation in the chambers above these halls that our Elders receive glimpses of the future. Without those gifts from the beyond, we would have already fallen to your Empire."

That last bit *almost* sounded like a deliberate verbal jab, which would make this the first time you caught a Voss making something resembling a joke. Regardless if it was intentional, Serevin seems to take it that way. Negotiations fall back into pleasantries, a tail-end counterpart to the earlier introductions that gradually draw the meeting to an unremarkable conclusion. Your group leaves feeling as if you've accomplished very little, though Serevin is the most displeased with how events turned out.

"That wasn't an Elder," Serevin remarks unhappily. "They've sent a lowly mystic to parlay on our first meeting."

"Maybe the meeting was too sudden," Shassanis remarks. "They could be otherwise occupied.”

Serevin shakes his head. "They're making the same statement as Talsa-Ko. They see no way forward with the Sith." On your way down the steps of the tower exterior, he remarks in a sharp tone that you'll be meeting with the mystics again tomorrow. One way or another, they need to be made to understand that there is a way for the Voss to profit from embracing the Sith way.

How do you convince Talsa-Ko that the Sith way is more multi-faceted than unrestrained passion that would blind the Voss to their visions?

That's all for tonight.

>>2316443
The Sith way is one that's in the end, focused on the pursuit of striving to better yourself, constantly. It's the endless wheel, the cycle of becoming more dangerous or falling to those more dangerous than yourself, and thus deserving your fate. It's a system that's inherently and ultimately about seizing the here and now, rather than waiting for visions of the future to come to you.

If the Voss are willing to wait patiently and adhere to their visions, to stagnate and be churned beneath the crushing weight of the wheel of progress, that's their choice. But taking choice beliefs from the Sith can only improve their people, not diminish them.

>>2316443
We could...but i don't want to say we should...show her the sith Holocron we found the one that belonged to Sebuk's husband.

We can use it as a chip to make her think that there are darth or lords that think like that. Maybe even make a comparison between the Sith tombs and the Voss mystics?

>>2316469
I think we should use a little bit more of cunning then the tongue for this part.

>>2316093
I wish we were in the New Sith Wars, the Old Sith Wars suck.

>>2316469
Thanks for running.
Thought Bombing Dromund Kaas when?

>>2316469
That's true, and well said, but I don't think that is going to convince them to change.
Maybe if we married into the family we would have a better chance of convincing them.

>>2316554
I don't think Voss can interbreed with other races.

>>2316471
The one that says the way of the sith is a dead end? That's not exactly a convincing argument for them to join us.
>>2316443
To be alive is to have passion. Even you Voss, who many perceive to be emotionless and passive, are very passionate about respecting your elders and the customs of your people. And your system of marriage shows the Voss capacity for passion. What we also share, which you might not see just from our code, is that we strive to control our passion without diminishing it. To do otherwise would be to become a slave to our passions, instead of using our passion to reach our own ends.

Your ability to glimpse the future is second to none. By combining it with our ability to form our own destiny we both stand to benefit. And our ways of life are more than compatible enough for true unity.

>>2316622
>the way of the sith is a dead end
That's true, especially of this Sith Order.

>>2316629
Well luckily for you we're trying to overthrow it

>>2316469
I don't think we should emphasize the aspects of our code that completely contradicts their way of life

>>2316443
Peace only exists through power. Their peace afforded them the power to stop the Imperial Navy. Without their power they would not have kept their peace. Our power allows us to maintain our peace. Peace in and of it's self is a lie because power is required to keep it.

The with may not like peace but they like order, rules and bureaucracy, which do require stability and some peace to function so I think it works

>>2316584
I guess you missed that subplot then.

>>2316622
>very passionate about
And integrity as a people. Which we are not asking them to compromise, just showing them another path.

>>2316622
>The one that says the way of the sith is a dead end?

I would have try to use it as a way to trick her and make the Voss tip toward us. By making her think that the empire may change in the future The same way that it may change toward aliens.

But i get your point and realize it's a bad plan. Also she say that peace isn't a lie then why do they have the Voss commandos? Is she saying she would make peace with the gormak? Try to use her feellings se seems to be more passionate then the evarage Voss this shows she isn't that much in control of it. Try to use her hate toward the gormak. Maybe even mention how our presence was the only thing that stopped the mistics from being killed at the ebtrance of their temple.

>>2316548
>Jedi hold Lordly titles and the Order has a military of its own.

>>2316443
Peace is a lie is speaking about the nature of life in the universe, which is constantly fighting against countless factors just to survive and find meaning. It's about striving toward a higher state rather than just passively waiting for it to come. This does not defy your customs. Your visions are always accurate. But that doesn't mean you should only wait for visions and then strive to achieve them. You should strive to achieve a better future for your people and then your visions will help to refine that passion. Which is much like how a siths passion must be refined by personal control.

>>2318022
I know, it's awesome. And makes sense in context if you're implying it doesn't.

It feels like doing well with this is a prerequisite for meeting his Echani connections. Fingers crossed.

>>2317965
I agree with this

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Talsa-Ko confirmed best girl. Time for a Voss waifu.

Also update when?

>>2319879
Well we found the waifu. Time to behave and court her like a true sith should.

>>2319887
If anything we should at least wait until this deal is made. I don't wanna screw things up.

>>2319887
Count me in, this sounds too kinky not to do.

>>2319879
We'd have to marry her though. No thanks.

>>2319972
>Sex before marriage
Degenerate!

>>2319887
>court her like a true sith should
Or date rape her, like a true Zeltron would.

>>2320030
We're hardly a true zeltron after being raised in the Sith academy.

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There's not much good art of Voss females. I can't stand TOR's art style.

So it was mentioned that Voss change physically when they get married. Does anybody know what actually happens there? The Voss overall don't seem very fleshed out from anything I've seen online.

>>2320130
I think it's basically just puberty.

>>2316443
The morning of your second meeting with the Voss in as many days, you finally remove the sling you've been stuck with since Sriluur. You've chafed under it both figuratively and literally, and it feels good to no longer be stuck with a symbol of what Sebuk had so artfully described as 'disgusting weakness'.

When you meet with Serevin and Shassanis outside the Tower of Prophecy, the former discusses your planned approach to try and get Talsa-Ko to grant him a meeting with the Elders, as opposed to a lowly mystic. You nod along agreeably, offering nothing in the way of advice, to Serevin's slight annoyance. But you *do* have a plan, tucked away in your tunic.

The holocron of Darth Arawits cuts a conspicuous pyramidal bulge that you have to go out of your way to hide. You could explain its purpose to Darth Serevin, but don't want to risk exposing it before you've played your cards. If all goes as planned, he won't care that you've kept a pilfered holocron from the Sith hierarchy. Better to ask for forgiveness than permission, you tell yourself.

The three of you sit down in the same conference room as before, and Talsa-Ko is flanked by her same two attendants. Though this time, they're standing behind her, allowing you three to sit closer. It also gives the impression that this is going to be an even shorter meeting than yesterday. Before she and Serevin can truly begin speaking, you clear your throat and sit forward in your chair.

"Yesterday," you start out. "You said that the Voss do not believe peace to be a lie."

Talsa-Ko turns her head to you, blinks her crystal-blue eyes once, then nods. "I did."

Serevin is too stunned by your usurpation of his meeting to be angry. Hoping he'll stay that way, you reach into your tunic and pull out the holocron you had stored there before setting it on the table.

"The Sith weren't so monolithic an entity as you might think. There were those who agreed with you." You twist the holocron's cap, and a ball of white light appears. It asks you about your anger and hatred and sorrow, seemingly oblivious to those around it. Serevin and Shassanis can only watch in shocked silence, but the Voss' expression is as unreadable as ever. When you're convinced that she's heard enough to glean the purpose of the holocron, you switch it off.

"Darth Arawits constructed this," you explain. "He was a Sith Lord on Korriban, over a thousand years ago."

Talsa-Ko raises one hairless eyebrow, though you get the impression it's a learned reaction meant to simply *tell* you how surprised she is.

"I did not know that there were such strains of Sith thought," she remarks softly.

>>2321730
"There aren't." You sit back in your chair, making a show of considering the holocron with a thoughtful gravity. "Darth Arawits was killed in battle when the Republic invaded. He could lie to himself only so long as the outside world didn't intrude."

You never did ask Sebuk what happened to her and her husband. For all you know, he died of a heart attack. But this makes for a better story.

"Peace," you continue, "*is* a lie. It's a white lie, that your mystics tell themselves long enough to hear the truth."

"The truth?" Talsa-Ko says. Serevin has recovered from his shock but remains quiet as he looks between the two of you, clearly hesitant to break into a conversation that looks as if it's actually progressing for once.

"From what I've heard, every vision your seers receive is one of war or violence. The thwarted Imperial invasion, or the Gormak attack on this very tower."

She hums thoughtfully, sitting slightly forward in a show of interest. But her attention is not directed at you. Rather, she stares at the table, appearing to deeply consider something. Serevin can no longer stand the silence, and jumps in to join your argument.

"The Voss will no doubt face more such threats," he says hastily. "And just because you can see a danger coming does not mean you can necessarily stop it. Republic machinations aside, there are the Hutts and other groups who would like nothing more than to bring the Voss underfoot."

Talsa-Ko shakes her head, then sits up straight and looks back to her two attendants. She whispers something to them in their own language, and the attendants leave the room. At first you're worried that she has decided to simply end the meeting there, but once the doors close and Talsa-Ko still has not moved, you realize that she wanted to give your group greater privacy.

"You are making great efforts to meet the Voss in kind," she says to Serevin. "But they are wasted."

Her tone is kind, but the words clearly jolted Serevin. "Wasted?" he exclaims. "If you would allow me to meet with the Elders, I am certain I could--"

She holds up a silencing hand. "The Elders will not meet with you."

Serevin becomes angry. He may be a diplomat, but he is a Sith first and foremost. His skin seems to turn a shade redder, and he nearly shoots from his chair as he lays a heavy

>>2321732
slap on the table.

"Why not?" he nearly shouts.

Talsa-Ko is completely unaffected by his simmering rage, and considers him serenely for a moment before closing her eyes. "They are secluded within the meditation chambers... for deliberation of a recent vision."

Serevin takes a sharp breath in, and you and Shassanis go rigid as well. The Voss must have received a vision pointing to an eventual Republic victory. That's the only thing that would lead them to cut off any meaningful talks with the Empire.

"Neither Republic nor Empire will win this war," Talsa-Ko says, her voice a quiet whisper. You get the impression this isn't something meant for ears other than those of the mystics. "Your worlds will be bathed in the blood of billions, but it will not matter."

Serevin scoffs. "You're saying the war will go on forever?"

"No," Talsa-Ko says. "A conqueror will return from the edges of the galaxy and destroy both of you. All will fall under the veil of a new dark age."

You're vaguely aware that your mouth is hanging open, but you can't summon the wits required to close it.

"From the edges of space?" Serevin exclaims, gripping the armrests of his chair so hard you hear the wood creak. "You're certain?"

"Our visions never lie," Talsa-Ko says firmly. She almost sounds insulted. "We see the returning conqueror's victory as clearly as we see this one killing his oldest friend." With a slight turn of her body she gestures to you, almost as an afterthought.

Which vision do you press her on?

>The conqueror

>Your friend

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>>2321733
>The conqueror
So she's predicting KotFE/KotET.

Great, those were the best parts of ToR.

>>2321733
>The conqueror

>>2321733
>The conqueror
Fuck.

>>2321733
>The conqueror
So he will win and the Sith will be destroyed. Their visions are never wrong. What we need to do now is make plans to rebuild the Sith Order and Empire and kill him after the vision comes true.

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>>2321746
But if we fail does Hurt make a New Sith Wars Quest?

>>2321733
>The conqueror

Well sheet...

>>2321733
Numberless questions bounce around your whirling mind, but you manage to narrow it down to one before Serevin can speak first.

"Someone defeating the Republic *and* Empire?" you blurt out. "That's impossible!"

It's true that there are other factions within the galaxy, but none of those come close in strength to either of the two largest governments. Even the Hutt Cartel, with its sprawling commercial Empire, relies almost entirely on mercenary armies hired from other parts of the galaxy. If the Hutts ever found themselves facing *both* factions at once, they would be crushed beneath the superior manpower and industrial capacity of their opponents.

And who else is there? The Chiss Ascendancy? The Unknown Regions where that blue-skinned species originates is a vast swathe of unexplored territory, but you struggle to imagine something so powerful lurking out there.

"We would be aware of such a threat," Shassanis says, echoing your unspoken sentiment. Only Serevin remains silent, his expression frozen in what you can only describe as a rapturous look of revelation that borders on the spiritual.

"The conqueror is known to you," Talsa-Ko explains patiently. "Our visions come in feeling, not images. We see a betrayal, and too many dead to count. Planets are turned to lifeless husks--"

A sharp screech sounds out as Serevin shoves back his chair and leaps to his feet. "This meeting is over," he shouts, more to you than Talsa-Ko. You look between him and the mystic in urgent need to hear more, but she has fallen silent. The Voss are nothing if not hierarchical, and she will not let you hear more if your superior says it is not to be so. Without so much as a goodbye, Serevin ushers you two from the conference room and leads you and his Apprentice to the lift. Once it begins its descent he turns to you, gesturing with a hand that is visibly trembling.

"Do not speak a word of this," he says firmly. Despite the severity of his tone, giddy smiles flicker across his formerly stony expression. "I will make sure her warning reaches the right people, but *only* the right people." He swallows hard, lowering his hand and steadying his voice as he gazes intently up at you. "Anything else could sow discord among the Sith."

Do you stay quiet about what you heard from the Voss?

>Yes. You'll forget all about it.

>Yes (Lie). Tell Serevin you will forget, but jump rank and find someone above him to inform.

>No. Tell Serevin that you cannot keep this a secret.

>>2321896
>Yes. You'll forget all about it.
It's not like we could prevent their vision. They're always correct.

>>2321896
>Yes. You'll forget all about it.
If it's a betrayal then we're painting a massive target on our backs by revealing our knowledge of it.

I can't believe we actually got her to tell us about the visions. Good shit.

I also want to ask what he knows that we don't about this conqueror. He wasn't exactly being subtle about it.

>>2321896
>Yes (Lie). Tell Serevin you will forget, but jump rank and find someone above him to inform.
We're still a year off from Vitiate being BTFO by a practical no-name, right?

>>2321927
No metagaming bruv. What would telling a higher up actually accomplish? We want our conspiratorial group to come out on top of this.

>>2321940
The Empire completely collapsing isn't exactly conducive to our plans.

I wasn't metagaming either, I was trying to place where we are on TOR's timeline, I think we're in the game's second year, but there's a lack of solid canon relating to the game.

>>2321943
I imagine that Serevin has taken that into account. He'd make better preparations than we could for the right parts of the Empire to weather the storm.

>>2321896
>Yes. You'll forget all about it.

>>2321896
>Yes (Lie). Tell Serevin you will forget, but jump rank and find someone above him to inform.
Empire collapsing is not within our interestes, I don't see us being totally in this conspiratorial group yet.

Also, how should we prepare ourselfs for coming fall? Hoard loyal subjects, credits and ships somewhere safe?

As for the other vision, we really don't have that many old friends.
Tuija seems like oblivous target of the vision, but Sebuk and Shassanis could be that too.

>>2322105
The Empire will be defeated. The Voss' visions are always right. Nothing we do could ever stop that. We could make it happen in a way that best serves our interests though, which I believe is through our little rebelling group.

Look at it this way, the Empire will be defeated. But our master and the others have been amassing a force in secret that is not affiliated with the current Empire. And if we continue to fly under the radar we can strike when the time is right.

>>2322191
>>2322141
So we're going to help False Emperor Malgus win? He is a better option than Vitiate, but Marr is probably a better statesman.

>>2322141
Eh yeah I quess. It will be every Sith for himself when things go down, better to stick in a smaller group.

>>2322105
Change vote to
>Yes. You'll forget all about it.

Awh I wanted us to join the EE gang, they got the cool stuff...

>>2321896
>Yes. You'll forget all about it.

Forget about what Darth? Sorry i think i got distracted and didn't pay attention to the meeting. Don't say that Severin is cool but i don't want him thinking we don't take things seriously.

I'm gonna be butthurt if Serevin doesn't hook us up with an Echani trainer after all of this.

>>2322766
Iean after all of this i think having a echani trainer would be a small reward.

Also, we should start courting Talsa-Ko.

>>2322936
I just want to see if we can get her to tell us what she was about to say before Serevin cut her off. He's keeping something from us and I don't know why.

>>2322936
Maybe we could request to see her to discuss the vision they had about us killing our oldest friend. It's odd that the Voss would have a vision about us specifically.

>>2322958
>He's keeping something from us and I don't know why.

Either he's involved or there is already someone infiltraded in the empire. Also if we don't know sruff it will be easier to say we didn't know even if we came under torture so this might save our lives.

>>2323038
I don't think it's us but the friend conquerer. But i might have read it wrong.

>>2323075
>"We see the returning conqueror's victory as clearly as we see this one killing his oldest friend." With a slight turn of her body she gestures to you, almost as an afterthought.
It's definitely us.

>>2321896
"I... understand, my Lord."

You don't - not one bit. But all Serevin wants to know is that you'll keep this matter to yourself. Shassasinis offers no such assurances and Serevin does not seek them, knowing that his Apprentice does not need to be given such that order to follow it.

"You don't seem worried," you say uneasily to Serevin. His fingers are working at his side so frantically you'd think he were playing an unseen instrument, but he doesn't look like a man who has just been told his world will crumble.

"The mystics' visions may be infallible, but the interpretations made by their Elders are not." Serevin turns away from you, seeming to speak to himself. "Who knows what time will reveal."

Frowning, you step to the side to look him in the face. "She was talking about entire planets dying. We can’t ignore this."

"This is *war*!" Serevin snaps, his brow creasing angrily. "Know your place, Leera. You're not the only one with secrets." He gives a sharp nod at the pocket in which you've stored Arawits' holocron. The threat is veiled, but clear.

You step away in surprise at the outburst, but your initial shock is hardened as you react to hearing your given name used instead of your last, as would be customary. He was scolding you like a child. But firing back at him would do no good. It certainly wouldn't endear you to a man who is far your superior, and Serevin has made it abundantly clear he's not going to talk to you about what Talsa-Ko said. But the Darth knows something - that is as plain as day.

>>2323283
This talk of a returning conqueror laying waste to both Empire and Republic is at once absurd and worrying, but that's not what is eating away at you the most. That vision concerns everyone and everything in this galaxy, including you - but what she said after that hit you just as hard, even if the scope is microscopic in comparison.

'We see this one killing his oldest friend,' she had said. The vision was not of your end, but you feel as if you've been handed a death sentence. Did she mean Tuija? That's the only candidate you can think of, but she's lightyears away. You're struck with a sudden and burning desire to seek her out, but that is immediately followed by the realization of how stupidly destructive it would be to put yourself in a position to enact the mystics' prediction.

But would it even matter what you do? You're not sure how rock-solid the outcomes of these visions are. Does revealing them to the wrong person allow the outcome to be altered? If that's the case, perhaps Talsa-Ko's loose tongue saved Tuija. Now, you know to keep a safe distance from her - assuming she's even the 'friend' in the vision.

Which immediate concern is most important to you?

>Getting an Echani trainer for your guards. Serevin must know of someone.

>Sebuk's progress wrangling a job with the Reclamation Service. She's frustrating to deal with, but she gets results. Other matters would be easier to deal with if she were here.

>Talsa-Ko's vision involving you.

>Getting laid.

>Player's Choice.

That's all for tonight.

>>2323285

>Getting laid.

>>2323285
>Getting an Echani trainer for your guards. Serevin must know of someone.
They need to be prepared for battle now more than ever.

>>2323285
>Getting an Echani trainer for your guards. Serevin must know of someone.
>>2323304
Man there's serious shit going on right now. We need to be productive. plus maybe we can bang a hot echani warrior

>>2323285
>Getting an Echani trainer for your guards. Serevin must know of someone.

>Talsa-Ko's vision involving you.

>Sebuk's progress wrangling a job with the Reclamation Service. She's frustrating to deal with, but she gets results. Other matters would be easier to deal with if she were here.


In this order please and thank you for running.

>>2323285
>Getting an Echani trainer for your guards. Serevin must know of someone
>>2323314
>plus maybe we can get bullied by a hot echani warrior

>>2323314
Talsa-Ko is way better waifu then a ubbermatch alien.

I'm tired of being belittled and ordered around. I was hoping getting that holocron would afford us some more respect in the Empire but I guess it's only gonna get Sebuk promoted.

I guess she'll be useful and we would have much to gain as partners but she's a huge pain in the ass. Something's gotta change.

Would it be worth getting armor? I'm trying to think of ways to prepare for the upcoming shitstorm that's headed our way. War between the Empire and Republic as well as the Eternal Empire. Some protection beyond just deflecting blaster bolts with our saber would be really useful.

>>2323435
I was looking for some inspiration by searching Zeltron armor but it seems like our race prefers showing as much skin as possible. Stupid sexy Zeltrons.

Jesus Christ. After searching through tons of awful art this is the closest thing I could find to my image of Varrus. Not much quality art of Zeltronians online.

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>>2323487
forgot muh picture somehow

>>2323494
I feel like with darker skin and a less gay expression that wouldn't be too far off.

>>2323501
Yeah, unfortunately everything else I found was either female Zeltrons or even more twink-y males.

So it seems like we've really just been going with the flow lately. Which makes sense as a relatively powerless apprentice who's caught up in conspiracies where his superiors decide everything. But what do we actually want to do for ourselves? What should we be striving toward? Normally we'd be training in the force to surpass and eventually kill our master but our only sources of training are from a grey sith holocron and from Sebuk.

>>2323599
Sebuk seems like our most obvious path to power. Her ancient Sith knowledge and access to artifacts that we could keep for ourselves would be super useful. But we need to start training the Tionese to achieve our own goals without the help of other Sith in the future.

>>2323599
There might be some training to be gained from Arawits holocron but we run the risk of losing our command of the dark side by releasing our anger. So it's a pretty big gamble.

What about the Revanites?

>>2323849
What about them?

>>2323870
Gah, some stupid plan.
If we somehow get inducted into the Revanites we could backstab Malgus and our Master prior or during the illumn Crisis, we will hopefully get rewarded for our loyalty "to the True Emperor" and be in the perfect position to help make a massive battle at Yavin to ressurect the Emperor for gibs after he calms via Eternal Empire Invasion.

Or on the other hand, betray Malgus, then betray the Revanites to stop them from resurrection the Emperor, thus placing us in a respected position in the eyes of the council, people like Wrath would most likely acknowledge our talents.

Maybe bring in a few members of Imperial Intelligence to cover our back if shit goes sideways.

These are all ill-thought-out plans so they probs crash and burn at the start.

>>2323983
I see where you're coming from, I just don't like using info that Varrus couldn't possibly have to plan anything. Hopefully we diverge more from canon or even Legends events to prevent this sort of thing from even being an option.

>>2323996
I Agree. I just really like EE stuff, dat armour man...

>>2323983
Staying on the ride with Malgus for a while is probably the better option.

Unless the Revanites can point us to Revan's holocron; in which case it should be top priority.

>>2324005
The EE makes the Sith Empire look well-run though. That's a downside.

>>2324010
Yeah, they manage to fuck up everything through sheer incompetence.

>>2324017
The entire ruling family being twice as autistic as Anakin really hurts them.

>>2324024
If the Emps don't get backstabbed all is well via Not!God ruling, but force help us if his kids are near the Throne.

>>2324035
>Not!God ruling
Valkorion/Vitiate is a pretty bad ruler, not Arcann/Vaylin bad, but they're less competent rulers than whoever was running the canon!New Republic so that's not too hard.

And as long as he antagonizes those little autists he's fixing to get himself patricided.

>>2324043
With nearly everything done by robots its usually the failings of the ones at the top for when shit hits the fan.

He managed to raise an Empire that entered the stages of a Great Power in less than a few hundred years, fucking zakuulans are a bunch of degenerates thrill-seekers.

But it does have the upside of not being a corrupted oligarchy like the Republic or the constant bickering by the lords of the Sith Empire, and op tech, jesus christ.

>>2324056
>and op tech
It's really just OP for this time period, striking when the iron is hot.

It probably would have done well during the Sith Civil War, but any other time there's something that would have hardcountered it.

Zakuul's strongest point is its timing.

>>2324006
So there's several different paths to power I see right now.

First is personal power, increasing our force skills, lightsaber skills, and other self improvement paths. Sebuk is the obvious choice for this sort of thing but we could benefit from Echani combat training as well.

Second is improving our standing with others in the Empire, gaining connections and favor that open up other opportunities. Which I hoped would happen by turning in that holocron.

Third is usurping our master and advancing beyond just an apprentice. This has obvious downsides since we've already gained his previous occupation and his current occupation isn't really appealing. Plus killing him would weaken the rebel group we're a part of.

>>2324006
We're also in a good position to capitalize on our good standing with the Voss. That'd be an interesting path to take.

>>2324170
To elaborate on this, we've saved Voss mystics, we've lived on Voss for a while, we we're trusted enough by Talsa-Ko that she shared classified visions with us due to our own diplomatic skills, and we ourselves were the subject of a recent vision. Maybe we could leverage these connections into something more. But we'd have to speak more with Talsa-Ko to explore this.

>>2324198
>>2324170
The Voss work well for their precognition, but they're not the most valuable asset we have, and precognition isn't always the most reliable thing.

I'm pretty sure they teach about Naga Sadow in the Sith Academy, even if Revan is a taboo subject, the Triumvirate isn't worth learning about, and they refuse to acknowledge Exar Kun or Freedon Nadd.

>>2324198
i say we go for the Voss booty

>>2324230
Perhaps it is not the Voss themselves that are valuable if we are able to at least make them sympathetic to the Empire/Sith Order or bring them within the Empire's sphere of influence the rewards from the Dark Council would be quite significant...Though I doubt Severin would be pleased.

I get the impression that Sebuk won't be available to help us find artifacts that have escaped IRS notice for a while. Is there any other way we could? Maybe Arawits' holocron could lead us to something if we unlocked its secrets. Otherwise we'll just have to get lucky when we get the chance to explore other planets and meet new people.

>>2324375
Don't forget that we can sneakily glean knowledge from IRS mission-related artifacts before we turn them in. They still haven't given us any good leads.

I doubt that Sebuk needs us anymore, she has an In with the IRS, we're a liability at most and after our failed "seduction" attempt (The Dubs didn't force you to hop on that train!) she probably has a rather low opinion of us.

>>2324399
We were totally fine after the seduction attempt. Forcing her to take the piss-filled public bus is what pisser her off.
Anything else disagreeable about her is just her insane personality.
And Sebuk does need us, if she wants to know anything about the ensuing complete and total BTFOing both the sith and the republic are about to recieve.

>>2324557
Plus we're the only person who she can actually be herself around. With others she still has to pretend to be Zhaho.

On the Tionese guard character sheet why does it say
>Voss Commando Training: ?
Shouldn't we know what bonuses we got from that by now?

>>2325270
I think we have to see how people respond when they're acting as our guards in an official diplomatic setting first

Any updates today OP?

>>2325543
Not today

>>2323285
Despite Serevin's fierce reproach of your questioning, you can tell he's beyond pleased at how events turned out. You're not sure if you truly made any progress towards building Talsa-Ko's curiosity to the Sith way, but that seems to be a distant worry to Serevin after what he's heard. Now would be a good time to ask Serevin about any Echani connections he may have - this is likely as pliable a mood as you'll ever find him in, and it sounds as if he'll become quite busy in the future.

Your only concern is that word of your interest will inevitably reach your Master, whom Serevin seems to be on close terms with. What would Veredious think of you going to such great lengths to have four personal guards trained? Not just trained, but instructed by a warrior people known for their ability to pose a threat to powerful Force-sensitives.

Do you ask Serevin about the Echani? If so, what do you tell him as to your reasons for wanting to be put into contact with an instructor?

>Ask him.

>Don't ask him. You'll work this out on your own.

>>2327334
>Ask him.

After what happend with that Jedi in our last mission it's obvious we want someone who can hold their ground for us.

>>2327334
>Ask him.
Our skill is in one on one combat with Juyo. Just trying to cover our bases.

>>2327334
>Ask him.
We're currently preparing for war with 3 different force sensitive factions.

Does anybody have any clue about how we would get an Echani or Thyrsian without his help? If so we shouldn't let him know about our guards at all. I just don't see any other way to get one on our own.

>>2327415
Well too bad since our guards will follow us during diplomatic gatherings and Severing will see then there anyway.

>>2327433
Right but that doesn't mean that everyone would know just by seeing them that they are capable of fighting force sensitives.

Could we benefit from Echani training? That could be an excuse too.

It seems like we have an issue with hardly ever lying or concealing our secrets from other Sith. That's mostly due to unclear benefits and clear risks associated with lying. But in the long run it will help us out. If we ever absolutely have to lie to achieve something people won't suspect it if they think we're honest, loyal, and guileless. The best liars, and the ones who don't get caught, tell the truth most of the time.

>>2327495
>Darth Severin i want a Echani
Why?
>Trainning
Trainning?
>Yes sir

It isn't a lie we are getting a Echani to train. The fact that she will also train our guards doesn't need to be mentioned.

>>2327334
You, Serevin, and Shassanis exit the tower, walking down a broad staircase and stepping out onto the hilltop driveway leading away from the structure. Before the two Sith can split away and go to their waiting cruiser, you break the silence that had built up since Serevin's rapprochement of you.

"My Lord," you say quickly. "I wanted to ask you about something." Serevin's expression as he turns to face you is a hard one, and you add a hasty: "Something of a different topic entirely."

His clenched jaw eases, and he folds his hands behind his back as he approaches you at the base of the stairs. "What is it?"

You motion to Shassanis, who stands just behind him. "The other day, I asked your Apprentice about any Echani he might know."

Serevin nods. "He mentioned it to me."

"I thought that you, being a seasoned diplomat, might know how I could obtain the services of a fighting instructor."

He gives you an amused smile. "An Echani instructor? In case you lose your lightsaber?" Shassanis suppresses a laugh, and you hold back your own desire to frown at the jest.

"You're right on the mark," you respond firmly. "Did my Master tell you what happened to me on Sriluur?"

Serevin tilts his head to the side and looks off into space before giving a half-nod. "You were assaulted by a Force-sensitive." The message had been in a vague code, but Veredious had apparently interpreted it well enough.

"She was able to take my lightsaber," you admit to him, the shame in your words very much real. You explain the encounter to Serevin in general terms, though you leave out the part where Sadon fought the woman and was spared. That was strange enough that you still struggle to explain it, and it would only muddy the waters of the very real threat you're trying to convey to this Sith.

"Like you, my work takes me into neutral space," you continue. "I could run into this woman again - I want to be prepared."

"The Echani are known for their hand-to-hand combat prowess," Shassanis says helpfully.

Serevin purses his lips and hums to himself. You're not sure if he's deciding whether or not to help you, or deciding how *best* to help you.

"You realize that Eshan and its neighbours are staunch Republic worlds, yes?" he says finally.

You give a sighing nod. "I know. That's why I don't simply fly there and advertise my interest in hiring an instructor." Your willingness to venture into Republic space must seem insane, after the danger you described narrowly escaping on Sriluur.

"It wouldn't be as simple as *hiring* one," Serevin says with a harsh tone that surprises you. "The Echani treat personal combat as a religion. No, more than that - a fundamental philosophy of life." He pinches one of his short chin tentacles between two fingers and rubs it thoughtfully.

>>2327559
"They won't work for credits?" you wonder.

Serevin gives a snide smile. "Oh, they'll want credits. But not credits alone. They're not Mandalorians. And you're not liable to happen across an open Imperial sympathizer on Eshan."

Shassanis takes a step closer, putting himself in the midst of your conversation. "What about Thyrsus?"

You glance between the two of them. "Is that another Echani world?"

"Of a sort," Serevin says. "They're of similar genetic and cultural stock, but they've diverged quite a bit. Politically, too - there are known dissident elements that chafe under the Republic-aligned leadership."

Your heartbeat quickens. "That sounds perfect."

Serevin gives a tight-lipped frown and shakes his head. "They have no tradition of hand-to-hand fighting beyond what you could find on any near-human world. They much prefer the more practical means of melee combat... heavy armor and force pikes."

You're about to speak up again, to say that such warriors would suit you just as well, but then you remember the justification you had given Serevin for wanting to seek out an instructor. Suggesting that *you* want to slap on a suit of plasteel armor and pick up a quarterstaff wouldn't mesh too well with what you've said thus far.

"There are no Echani trainers outside of Republic space?"

Serevin glances at Shassanis before shrugging. "They're not nomads. Nor are they a particularly numerous people. If there are, I've never heard of such."

After asking him a bit more about the Thyrsians, you thank him for the information, then say your final farewells before leaving the Tower of Prophecy in your respective cruisers. From what you've gathered, the Thyrsians are a patriarchal society whereas the mainline Echani are more matriarchal. Neither takes it to the level of a gender-based dictatorship, but there are clear distinctions in which sex is seen as more capable of rule.

That difference apparently plays a large part in that Thyrsian dissidence Serevin mentioned. The so-called 'Six Sisters', who govern the combined military forces of the Eshan cluster, are all female - as their name so strongly suggests. The Thyrsians have their appointed sister, but many among them dislike being forced to appoint a woman even if they feel one of their men would be more suited to the role.

Which world will you go to?

>Eshan

>Thyrsus

>>2327560
>Thyrsus
Hell yeah.

>>2327560
>Thyrsus
It wouldn't hurt to have some connections with those dissidents as well. hopefully we get to do a clandestine mission with Thyrsian special forces while we're at it

>>2327560
>Thyrsus

Do they really focus on force pikes? I thought it was a focus more on blades and melee weapons in general.

>>2327659
The sun guard focuses on pikes while Thrysians as a whole train in general melee weapons instead of hand to hand. That's how I see it at least.

>>2327560
>>Thyrsus

>>2327560
>Eshan

>>Thyrsus

I really wish we could be involved with what our master is doing beyond just being an uninformed pawn. At some point he's gotta tell us more about what's going on.

>>2327560
Thyrsus is the more promising destination, you decide - and the safer one. With public elements speaking out against Republic alignment, you should be able to identify a group to make yourself known to and find a willing instructor. Somewhere on that planet is a Thyrsian who will be willing to work with you.

Your credits are as good as anyone else's, though what Serevin mentioned about credits not being enough sticks in your mind. If it comes down to proving your own fighting prowess, you're more than capable of doing that - as are your guards, even if their current skills are raw and unrefined.

What will present another problem is finding someone willing to leave Thyrsus and make their home on Voss. You have no shortage of spare accommodations, but the kind of skilled teacher you're seeking will be valued highly enough on their home planet that they won't have a pressing desire to leave. That's something you'll have to confront when you have some candidates in mind, though.

Another question is who to take along on this trip. You want at least one of the Tionese with you to show to their prospective instructor, but you don't want to take them all. And if you took Kalyan, you would have to remove her slave collar - slavery is prohibited within Republic space, and you would find yourself stuck in a Thyrsian jail cell as soon as they see what you have her wearing.

She could be kept pliable with the knowledge that her brother is back on Voss, and will face reprisal if something happens to you. You just can't take both of them to Thyrsus without risking Kalyan immediately screaming for political asylum.

Who do you take with you? Pick 3 people.

>>2328242
Sadon, Amaza, and Jevan. Hacna needs to stay behind to keep working on weapons and Kalyan can start practicing with the whip blade and learn from Hacna and Olub'cree. Jevan and Sadon would probably pass any physical displays we need to catch the attention of a trainer and we need to figure out what Amaza's niche in the team will be since she's less of a straight up fighter and more stealthy.

>>2328242
Amaza, and Jevan and Olub he knows about politics and how to behave mayne he has already dealled with this kind of situation in the Hutt palace?

>>2328267
I'd back this instead if we're sure that Olub'cree has any sort of knowledge about Thyrsians that would be useful for us.

>>2328267
He's more familiar with Hutt Space cultures and sketchy underworld dealings but if he knows anything about Thyrsians this works. If we're lucky Sadon and Kalyan will form at least a weak bond so that Jevan isn't the only thing she cares about in life.

I don't trust sneaky sneaky bitch, maybe we should become closer to her brother without her present, maybe have her go on a bonding/training mission with Sadon.

>>2328446
Yeah he's pretty impressionable, I'm sure we could form a positive bond with him.

>>2328515
If we have his undying loyalty, his sister will fall in line, well, if she doesn't - then I'm sure her clone will be just as an effective fighter with mentoring as she is.

I don't know anything about Thyrsus. From what I can tell it's only ever been mentioned briefly. I'm curious to see what it's like.

>>2328639
We just can't go too quickly in befriending him or Kalyan will say we're manipulating him or something. We'll never surpass their level of shared trust.

Should we worry about concealing our identity as a Sith? It might not be possible as our ship is definitely registered as an Empire vessel but maybe we should conceal our lightsaber and force powers as much as we are able while we're there until we find a suitable group of Thyrsians.

>>2328696
Our cover is blown the second we use our transponder codes to land. We'll see how it pans out though.

>>2328242
You arrange to depart Voss a few days after your meeting with Serevin, and plan to take Sadon, Amaza, and Jevan along with you. Sadon would likely go stir crazy if forced to stay behind again, and you still don't feel that you've accurately sussed out Amaza's strengths. You had been too occupied with the combined frustrations of Sebuk and Kalyan to pay much mind to the quiet girl.

Your decision to bring Jevan along is motivated primarily by a vague desire to forge a closer bond with him. Physically he's older than you, but emotionally he's young and malleable. The idea of calculatingly assuming some surrogate father role hits you with a twinge of guilt, but you remind yourself that there's nothing malicious in your intent. You'll give him someone to look up to, and an example to aspire to. He'll never achieve the sort of power and self-mastery that you can as a Sith, but beacons do not have to be reached to serve as guide markers.

Olub'cree was a brief consideration of yours, but some quick questioning revealed that he knows next to nothing about the Echani, and *absolutely* nothing about the Thyrsians. If you were headed to Mandalore, he says, he could be of some use bridging the cultural gap. But the Echani and their offshoots rarely work as mercenaries, and even more rarely come into contact with beings like the Hutt whom Olub'cree served.

The morning before you leave for Voss-Ka, you head out to the grassy lawn near the building you've come to think of as 'Hacna's garage'. It's *your* garage, you remind yourself, but the Weequay woman seems as integral to its existence as the walls and roof.

It was only a few months ago that you would have gladly traded her for someone more capable of following orders. Now, it's hard to imagine not having her here. It's because of the results she's shown lately, you tell yourself. That's why you gave her so much slack in her leash. You saw potential, and gave her just enough room to work - and it has paid off. She can croak out more than a few words of Basic now, and she's assured you that she'll have two more of the whip-swords ready for you when you get back.

The first one, you give to Kalyan. You had summoned her outside with you, and she eyes the gift with some trepidation.

"Thank you, my Lord." The words come quickly and obediently, but without a hint of real enthusiasm.

You nod your chin at the sword. "Don't thank me until you've learned how to use it without blowing your hand off."

She gives you a confused look that flickers down to the weapon in her hands briefly. "I can wield a sword, Lord Varrus."

You can't help but let a knowing smile cross your lips as you motion for the sword back. "May I?"

>>2328805
Kalyan hands it to you, and you walk off towards the scarred cusp of small trees that have been marred so badly by your and Jevan's brief practice with the weapon. With a click of the hilt button you fling the serrated whip at the tree, catching one of the lower branches before sending a jolt of current through the wires that scorches a trail of leaves. You'll pretend you weren't aiming for the trunk.

"It's a whip?" Kalyan marvels as you hand it back to her.

"And a bit more than that," you say, layering a bit of mystique onto your voice. "Have Hacna tell you how to use it."

Kalyan nods, her eyes remaining focused on the now-rigid blade.

"But *make* her use the interpreter droid," you say in a voice low enough that your words aren't in danger of reaching the garage. "Otherwise, you really will blow your hand off."

The warning was only a half-joking one, but Kalyan nods in absent-minded amusement. "Yes," she remarks, letting out a short laugh. The chuckle cuts short abruptly as her eyes shoot back up and she remembers who she's talking to you. Then, her expression returns to its usual state of unbending stoicism. It's subtle, but you can feel shame welling within her - she doesn't like that she allowed you of all people to bring her a moment of levity.

You leave the conversation there, seeing no reason to sour her mood further for no reason. A bit of giddy excitement grips your heart as you get into the rear of the two cruisers in the driveway and depart for the starport. Despite herself, Kalyan is warming to you. She's learning that you are not someone who dishes out brutality for no reason. When you receive respect, you return it. Even servants and slaves have a certain kind of respect due to them, if they are faithful to their station.

Once you get the Fury into orbit and begin the first of several hyperspace jumps, you go to the conference room to go over the coming visit to Thyrsus in greater detail. The three you brought with you have already been told the purpose of your trip, but you want to make sure they understand your cover - and theirs. You are not a *Sith*, you tell them. You are a shiftless young heir to a minor noble house on Zeltros, come to Thyrsus to find a trainer for your guards because you were gripped so thoroughly by stories of their martial prowess.

The Fury's make would normally give you away as soon as someone laid eyes on the sharp gray interceptor, but you have a false transponder code that marks it as a second-hand luxury vessel purchased from a traveling market off Nar Shaddaa. That's an unusual way to acquire an unusual ship, but a Zeltronian Sith would be more unusual still. The cover has yet to fail you during your time working under Lord Veredious, and independently of him.

>>2328808
The Tionese nod along as you speak, though you're not quite sure how thoroughly they grasp the importance of what you're telling them. They understand simple lies, but constructing a new identity and acting it out is a new concept to them. You instruct them to think of it as a children's game with deadly consequences, and that seems to make them understand.

Their own roles are quite simple, but they need to be sure not to give *you* away. With war still not officially declared between Empire and Republic, it's unlikely that you would be taken as a prisoner of war - but you would almost certainly be ejected from the planet by Thyrsus' Republic-aligned government.

By the time your question-and-answer session with your guards ends, you are nearing the two-hour mark of your talk and have long since slumped into the chair at the head of the conference table. Sadon probes you endlessly for information on Thyrsian society, but you have little to offer him beyond what was on the datapad you'd given him a day earlier. Amaza raises her hand repeatedly, and when called on assures you that she is ready to fight if needed. Jevan is largely silent until the end, when he asks that he be allowed to call Kalyan once you reach Thyrsus, to tell her that you've all arrived safely.

This is a four-and-a-half day trip. Is there anything you want to ask of your people, or do with them?

That's all for tonight.

>>2328812
Spar with them, demonstrating the basics of each form we've learned. They should be able to recognize which form they're fighting against and it's strengths and weaknesses. This is mostly for Jevans benefit, his perfect memory will be especially useful here. I also want to see where Amaza's actual combat abilities lie. Afterwards see who is the stronger fighter between Sadon and Jevan.

Ask them what Amaza's role was while fighting on Tion to see how she would best be used as a guard.

Try to befriend Jevan as much as possible. He's really curious, tell him about the Galaxy.

Work with Sadon on controlling his rage and passions as we've had similar issues in the past.

Spend our downtime studying Arawits' holocron and actually take it seriously from a purely academic standpoint to see if his teachings are actually worthwhile.

>>2328812
If we know how we should work on suppressing our force presence. I know that's usually a master-tier skill but it'd be a real pain in the ass to have our cover blown by a Jedi here. Maybe we could ask the holocron.

>>2328812
>Surpervise spare matches between then both to see what they can do and to train then
>Remember Sadon what happend last time and that we are going to a planet were there is a high chance of us bumping into jedi and that he needs to hear us and not let his rage guide him.
>Talk to Jevan a bit and ask what he thinks of Hacna
>Talk to Amaza and ask her what she things of her new life

We should also commend Sadon for his steadfast loyalty and tell him that his anger is a tool to be used but the second he loses control of it he becomes a tool of his anger.

What should we do with our lightsaber on the planet? Could R4 carry it for us in some compartment? Is there any reason to even have a translator droid with us there?

>>2329958
Absolutely keep it on our person, just keep it out of sight.

>>2329967
Idk, I could see us getting a patdown

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>>2328812
The trip to Thyrsus is a long one - just over four and a half days. Some excitement to break up the monotonous claustrophobia would be welcome, but you know better than to wish for something interesting to happen. There will be plenty of time for unexpected problems once you reach the planet itself. You start by taking another crack at Arawits' holocron within the seclusion of the training room. The device seems less a repository of knowledge, and more a puzzle box designed to frustrate you to no end. You never would have called an AI 'evasive' before, but that's the only way to describe the way it dodges your attempts to see what it has to offer beyond peace and serenity.

Another question that tugs at you is why Sebuk allowed you to keep it. She seemed to have nothing but distaste for her late husband's change of heart, but made no attempt to destroy his legacy. At first, you had chalked that up to her discovering she was not Darth Sebuk at all - but that had turned out to be the most elaborate joke you had ever fallen victim to. Perhaps despite the raging narcissism she wears on her sleeve like a badge of honor, she harbors some degree of sentimentality that kept her from destroying Arawits' legacy.

"I'm tired of meditating," you tell the active holocron as you sit on both knees in front of it. "Tell me something useful."

"Everything I tell you is useful," it replies. "If not now, then later."

"Can you teach me any lost Sith rituals? *Practical* techniques to better channel my passions?"

"You do not control your anger," it says with confidence. "It drives your actions, and you allow yourself to be swept up in its currents."

With an annoyed sigh you hunch forward, rubbing the sides of your skull with both hands. You've been talking in circles with this thing, and you're not sure if that's a design flaw or simply a realistic imprint of Arawits' twisted thought process.

"That's philosophy," you spit out. "I *need* my anger. I would have died over and over without it."

"You need strength, not anger... and the Force will provide it."

"My anger *is* my strength!" you shout, leaning forward and flinging your arms out wide. "That is the source of my power."

>>2330067
"Your anger is cheap." The holocron's tone shifts deeper, and you detect a surprising edge of distaste in its words as the white sphere of light above it turns a pale shade of red. "The shallowest source of power imaginable. You cannibalize your own soul for fleeting victory."

You rock back on your knees, taken a bit off-guard by the device's rapprochement of you. It's a change in topic, at least - maybe this is progress. "You have an alternative approach in mind?" you ask it.

"Compassion," it says in a calm voice as the orb returns to a pure white. "To draw on the power of every living thing in this universe."

You let out a shortly laugh and look at the device in disbelief. But if it recognizes your outburst of disbelief, it doesn't respond to it.

"What do you love?" it asks.

"Myself," you respond sharply.

The holocron is silent for a moment, save for the soft whirring of its internal workings. "That is a start. Close your eyes."

Do you go along with this?

>Yes. Take it seriously.

>No. Stuff it back in a drawer.

>>2330070
>Yes. Take it seriously.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained

>>2330070
>Yes. Take it seriously
Redemption arc

>>2330070
>Yes. Take it seriously.

inb4 this is an even more elaborate prank

>>2330074
That's not really what I have in mind here. If he starts to go full Jedi here I want no part of it. I just think a more balanced view beyond the strict constraints of sith and jedi dogma makes the most sense.

>>2330104
>[muffled Kreia screaming in the distance]

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>>2330116

>>2330070
>Yes. Take it seriously.

>>2330070
>Yes. Take it seriously.

>>2330070
>myself
Are we here to meditate or masturbate?

>>2330190
Why not both?

>>2330070
You take a steadying breath inward as you close your eyes, folding your hands lightly on your lap and letting your chin tip ever so slightly downward. The holocron begins with its usual entreatment to allow your thoughts to settle and your muscles to relax. They are not made to do so, simply allowed to. Then you are asked to recall the moment in your life you least desire to. Without any thinking on your part, your initial arrival on Korriban comes to mind.

The holocron asks you to describe every last detail of the memory, but all you can give it are fragments - sights, smells, and sounds. You vividly recall the inhuman guards clad in black armor, the faceless, screaming instructors, the frightened children swarming around you. Dust, metal, and urine stings your nostrils, as if you were suddenly thrown over a decade and a half into the past. You can't believe that you came to think of that place as home after such a terrifying introduction.

"Can you feel compassion for him?" the holocron asks.

Eyes still closed, you give a forced scoff. "Of course. That was me."

"No, he is not," it corrects you. "You are not a frightened little boy."

You swallow hard, unsure of how to respond. In any other discussion with the holocron, you would have been the one telling it that.

"Would you give up that memory if you could?" it continues.

"No," you respond firmly. "It made me who I am." And it’s not pure sentiment making you answer so confidently - that experience hardened you to the cold realities of the universe. Without it, you would have been crushed underfoot by those who had learned the unpleasant lessons you didn't.

"What else makes you who you are?" it says. "What else could you not stand to lose?"

>>2330396
The Fury comes to mind first, probably because its hard flooring is beginning to wear on your shins even through the padded mat you kneel on. But that's not a proper answer. You would hate to lose it, but only because of the practical consequences of no longer having a personal starship.

"My lightsaber," you say finally. When that young Jedi had taken it, you had felt naked. More than naked - like your arm had been torn off. When you had been forced to fight for your life against those cave monsters without your treasured weapon, you had felt more than its simple absence. You had felt betrayed, as if the saber were a trusted companion that had left you in your time of need.

"What about people?" says the holocron. "Is there someone whose presence you would miss - not because of what they do, but because of who they are?"

Is there?

>No. No one in your circle is irreplaceable.

>Tuija. Despite the distance that has grown between you in space and time, you hold a lingering fondness for her.

>Sebuk. The bellicose relationship you share is frustrating, but you miss that friction once it's gone.

>Hacna. It feels strange to consider, but she is the closest thing you have to a friend.

>Sadon. He is walking proof that you can inspire not just fear or begrudging respect, but loving loyalty.

>Jevan. He is a blank slate with immense potential, and that excites you beyond the prospect of what personal goals he can help you achieve.

>Kalyan. You wonder if your family fought for you half as hard as she fights for her brother.

>Other

>>2330400
>No. No one in your circle is irreplaceable.
>Reply its more do to the fact of how things are currently and raised, You just can't risk it yet.

>>2330400
>Tuija. Despite the distance that has grown between you in space and time, you hold a lingering fondness for her.
She saved our life even after we did something that should have been unforgivable.

>>2330400
>Tuija. Despite the distance that has grown between you in space and time, you hold a lingering fondness for her.

>>2330405
>>2330420
You guys don't think Tuija fits the bill? Why not?

>>2330463
You know what? You are right.

>>2330400
>Tuija.
Change to support our fellow rape alien.

>2330400
>No. No one in your circle is irreplaceable
>>2330463
Because we had two interactions with her and would have completely forgotten her already if NPCs didn't keep bringing her up.

>>2330476
To be fair we've been too busy to consider it much. But we established that we were friends at the academy and I think we still care about her. Plus it was established that we wanted people close to us who unselfishly cared about us like she did.

>>2330476
Those are my feelings at least, I'm not saying yours are invalid.

>>2330400
>Sebuk. The bellicose relationship you share is frustrating, but you miss that friction once it's gone.
I love my space ghost waifu

>No. No one in your circle is irreplaceable

>>2330400
>Sebuk. The bellicose relationship you share is frustrating, but you miss that friction once it's gone.

I'm somwhat interested in seeing how the holocron would react to us revealing that we have feelings for its wife

>>2330400
>No. No one in your circle is irreplaceable.
None, although Tuija comes close, but we have grown apart

>>2330686
>>2330696

You've convinced me... Changing to MILF
>Sebuk. The bellicose relationship you share is frustrating, but you miss that friction once it's gone.

Is there any in character justification for saying Sebuk? I really don't see it.

>>2330704
Following our dick? A desperate attempt to ingrate ourselves with someone who has the power to bring us up in the sith hierarchy?

Sarcasm and annoyance when dealing with her husband and wanting to see if he is capable of expressing a negative reaction?

>>2330709
I was under the impression that we were actually taking this meditation seriously

>>2330704
We tried to comfort her when we were convinced that she was in a state of utter depression, saying she still had us even if she had nothing else.

We also seem to keep coming back to her despite how much she enrages us every now and then. This strange attraction could be something.

>>2330713
Oh shit we are?
Well then, perhaps it's the fact we don't need to pretend or hold up an emotional facade around her since she's too perceptive? Our elementary level manipulations don't seem to work with her? And she is kinda hot...

>>2330400
"Tuija," you murmur, as if her name is a question rather than an answer. You can't in good faith say you loved her, and even if you two were to reunite, you would be as good as strangers. You've changed since the academy, and she surely has as well. If she were to die, it wouldn't affect the memories you share with her - but you still feel as if her death would rob you of something important.

"The Force is life itself," the holocron says, reminding you that you are not alone with your thoughts. "Eschewing attachment to others does not strengthen you - it weakens you. Leaving you nothing to draw on but your own suffering."

This talk is nothing you haven't read before, but the dialectic that preceded it has you listening more attentively than you would have otherwise. Images of Lord Andar and his ravaged visage spring to mind, alongside those of other old and powerful Sith. You told yourself that you would strike a balance of controlled passion, and keep the fires of anger and hatred from burning you from the inside out.

Now, you tell yourself that your anger is controllable, and indeed you have deliberately and successfully calmed your emotions when needed. But the flare-ups seem to get worse every time, and the fact that you find it necessary to control yourself at all is worrying. Why should you be wrestling with something that comes from your own mind? Are your thoughts and feelings not your own? And if they are something to be forced into submission, how long can you keep them under heel? Your strength is vast, but finite. Can your willpower outlast something as old and stubborn as anger itself?

"Sith Masters become incredibly powerful by embracing the Dark Side of the Force," you argue back.

"No, they do not," comes the simple retort. "They give themselves over to it, losing sight of themselves in the process. They forget why they sought power in the first place, gorging themselves on it like beasts."

A surprising amount of emotion enters the AI's voice, and you peek open your eyelids briefly to see the holographic ball of light trembling in place.

"This sounds personal," you muse.

"It is a tragedy that has played across countless stars and too many millenia to fathom. People fall prey to it - as do tribes, species, and empires." The concept of a tragic fall is hardly one limited to Force-sensitives, but the powers at play make the stakes all the more real.

"Why do you desire power?" it asks you. It's a question you've already posed to yourself, and answered - freedom.

"So that I don't suffer at another's hands."

"*Are* you suffering at another's hands?" it says.

>>2330763
You want to say 'yes', just to prove the holocron wrong. But that would be ridiculous - what do you have to prove to a computer? You occasionally chafe under the demeaning attitudes of those Sith higher than you, but you can hardly call that suffering. Despite the mortal dangers you occasionally face, life is treating you well.

"I might in the future," you respond half-heartedly.

"Why do you think that will happen?" it says.

You open your mouth to speak, then close it. But even though you did not speak the words, the holocron somehow knows what you were about to say.

"Because it happened in the past?"

With a sharp breath of frustration and a slight shake of the head, you mutter a strained 'yes'. That is how life works, after all. Everything in this universe undergoes hardship, and intelligent beings work to find ways to strengthen themselves against future threats.

"You are not that frightened child," the holocron continues, unprompted. "You are a man, free to step off that path and onto another--"

The holocron's speech cuts short as you twist the pyramid's cap, your eyes open and nostrils flaring with quick and shallow breaths. You've long told yourself that above all else, you will not stagnate. Now, you are being told that your current path is worse than a dead end - it is the loss of yourself.

The computerized personality of Arawits does, in its own strange way, offer you power. But the picture he paints of how to obtain it is so alien to you as to be terrifying. Anger is a comforting flame that has burned within you since your earliest memories. Compassion is unknown to you - when you try whispering the word aloud, it sounds like gibberish. You've rarely indulged in even self-pity, yet Arawits expects you to extend that limited empathy to others.

Was Arawits convincing?

>Very. You channel the Force through anger simply because it is what you've always done. You were afraid to try a new method, but you refuse to stay where you are now or run headlong into self-destruction. You will try a new way forward, even if it is uncomfortable.

>A little bit. Your anger feels right, and just. Arawits' suggestion that you are not your younger self was an insightful one. You feel nothing when you see a suffering beggar, but your emotions would run hot if someone were to slap him. That is not compassion, but perhaps more work with the holocron will allow you to find a middle path.

>Not at all. He has told you nothing that hasn't been said by countless Jedi apologists throughout Sith history.

That's all for tonight.

>>2330766

>Very. You channel the Force through anger simply because it is what you've always done. You were afraid to try a new method, but you refuse to stay where you are now or run headlong into self-destruction. You will try a new way forward, even if it is uncomfortable.

>>2330766
>A little bit. Your anger feels right, and just. Arawits' suggestion that you are not your younger self was an insightful one. You feel nothing when you see a suffering beggar, but your emotions would run hot if someone were to slap him. That is not compassion, but perhaps more work with the holocron will allow you to find a middle path.

>A little bit. Your anger feels right, and just. Arawits' suggestion that you are not your younger self was an insightful one. You feel nothing when you see a suffering beggar, but your emotions would run hot if someone were to slap him. That is not compassion, but perhaps more work with the holocron will allow you to find a middle path.

>>2330766
>A little bit. Your anger feels right, and just. Arawits' suggestion that you are not your younger self was an insightful one. You feel nothing when you see a suffering beggar, but your emotions would run hot if someone were to slap him. That is not compassion, but perhaps more work with the holocron will allow you to find a middle path.

>>2330766
>a little bit
But the future is chaotic and I don't feel that he offered us a future path that would give us some security. The typical sith path is also fraught but at least it is well enough understood.

>>2330766
>Very. You channel the Force through anger simply because it is what you've always done. You were afraid to try a new method, but you refuse to stay where you are now or run headlong into self-destruction. You will try a new way forward, even if it is uncomfortable.
Losing our autonomy to the will of the dark side is a fate worse than death. Fuck that. Half measures won't keep us from succumbing to its influence. No Sith ever set out with the intention to lose themselves fully to the dark side, they rationalize that they'll be strong enough to resist it. And they are all corrupted in the end.

>>2330766
>Not at all. He has told you nothing that hasn't been said by countless Jedi apologists throughout Sith history.
Arawits is a dweeb.

>>2330763
>"Sith Masters become incredibly powerful by embracing the Dark Side of the Force," you argue back.

>"No, they do not," comes the simple retort. "They give themselves over to it, losing sight of themselves in the process. They forget why they sought power in the first place, gorging themselves on it like beasts."

>A surprising amount of emotion enters the AI's voice, and you peek open your eyelids briefly to see the holographic ball of light trembling in place.

>"This sounds personal," you muse.

He's definitely thinking about Sebuk, who did not adhere to his less edgy revelations concerning the Force. Which is consistent with her mentioning their marital problems and Arawits still having them buried together regardless.

>>2330766
>Very. You channel the Force through anger simply because it is what you've always done. You were afraid to try a new method, but you refuse to stay where you are now or run headlong into self-destruction. You will try a new way forward, even if it is uncomfortable.

Nor jedi or sith. We are in between!

>>2331069
He still loved her even when she was being slowly consumed by the darkside.What a idiot.

>>2330766
Arawits' philosophy towards the Force might be uncomfortable, but you find part of it convincing. You have to acknowledge the flaws the holocron highlighted in you, even if doing so makes you uneasy. Improvement is about putting oneself in a constant state of mild discomfort, and growing from that friction. You will continue to explore the holocron's teachings, consider its lessons with an objective eye, and think on how they can be best put to use.

But not now. You are venturing into hostile territory, and can't afford to have your powers tested at the same time they are put in a state of flux. There will be time for experimentation when you return to Voss, hopefully with a Thyrsian instructor in tow. This trip is for your guards to grow, not you. To that end, you spend the remaining days of the trip going from room to room, talking to your people and further preparing them for what is to come.

The first is Amaza, in the cargo hold. You've refurbished the space with a pair of bunk beds and some lockers, turning it into a real living quarters. It's bare bones at best, but downright luxurious compared to whatever scrap metal hovels the four guards slept in on Tion.

You find the girl sitting atop one of the few supply crates still lining the walls, drumming her heels on it rhythmically. She hops off when you enter, but you direct her to take a seat back up on the box. Last time you spoke, you got the feeling that she was holding something back from you. Nothing big, but enough to drive your curiosity. You ask her about her time on Tion again, but this time let the power of the Force flow into your words, making your questions that much more compelling and her answers that much more open.

"You keep telling me how ready you are to fight," you say to her, gesturing hypnotically with one hand in subtle motions just at the edge of her vision. "Do you enjoy it that much?"

Her eyes flicker with your movements, then she groans and leans forward as her vision drifts downward. "I hate killing. It feels bad."

From what Amaza already told you, she did as much of it as Sadon during her relatively short time with him. He would confront a small group with a big showy display of noise and fury, and she would shoot them from their flanks or stab them in the back. He played to each of their strengths - smart tactics on his part.

"Why follow him, then?" you ask her. "It sounded like you were doing alright until he caught you."

She gives a slight shrug, but her face contorts with an awkward grimace as whatever other thoughts she has are dragged to the surface by your powers of verbal compulsion.

"Sadon said we could be like a family." Amaza points at the flowing blue stripes on her face, mimicking the medallion you gave to Sadon.

>>2332014
As soon as the words are past her lips, she looks down in shocked embarrassment. The answer makes you uneasy as well - you had expected some rational response based on primitive needs of food or safety. But to some people, you suppose, social bonds are no less fundamental than air or water.

"Did it turn out like you expected?" you ask.

She continues staring at her knees, utterly mortified at what she has admitted to you. "I do not know what I expected," she says finally.

You direct the conversation back to less sensitive matters of how fought on Tion, a topic she is much more comfortable with despite her apparent distaste for killing. She can use 'any gun', she claims, though you're sure that means she's simply capable of figuring out how to fire it. You comment that her small size must have been an asset in stealth, but she is surprisingly eager to correct you on that.

"It is not how small my body is," she says. "I make my mind small."

You cock an eyebrow at her curiously. "Your mind?"

She sits upright, brimming with fresh enthusiasm. "A person is a person because they think," she says confidently. "If they did not, they would be a rock."

"Alright..." you say, indicating for her to go on.

"People know if you are staring at them, or you are thinking about them - they feel it."

You nod along slowly, struggling to see where this disjointed train of thought is leading.

"So you think about nothing, especially not them, and then they cannot feel you." Amaza slouches somewhat, her posture loosening and her eyes glazing over. Then, you sense it - a shrinking of her presence. Your eyes want to pass right over her, as if she were part of the gray bulkhead behind her.

"And then you can do things," Amaza says slowly, her eyes remaining unfocused as her hands drift about in front of her. "But not too many things, because then you have to think."

This girl has either said something very stupid, or very insightful. Given that it *works*, you're strongly inclined towards the latter. Her explanation was couched in simplistic terms, but she's probably never had to explain it before.

Did her wistful talk of family strike a chord with you?

>No. She will find connections among your servants on her own. Or, she won't. It doesn't matter to you.

>Yes, but you can't help her. It's up to her to reconcile her imagined family with the reality of who she's surrounded by.

>Yes. Press her on why she seems disappointed with how things turned out.

>>2332017
>No. Press her on why she seems disappointed with how things turned out.
Why does it need to "strike a chord" with us to pursue the option of making her more comfortable with serving us?

>>2332017
>Yes. Press her on why she seems disappointed with how things turned out.

>>2332017
>Yes. Press her on why she seems disappointed with how things turned out.

>>2332029
>Why does it need to "strike a chord" with us to pursue the option of making her more comfortable with serving us?

I assumed the MC wouldn't bother unless he actually cared. She's given no indications that this will cause problems with her service to you.

>>2332017
>Yes. Press her on why she seems disappointed with how things turned out.
The happier she is here the more driven she will be to succeed alongside them. We're lucky that she was so candid with us about her driving motivation.

>>2332060
More like we used force persuade on her and well forced her speak what she wanted.

>>2332063
Did we? Only verbal compulsion was mentioned.

>>2332049
It's her deepest desire, we should totally be manipulating her around it just like we have for the other two.

>>2332103
I guess. But she's been totally agreeable and loyal the entire time so I don't see any harm in actually wanting to help her. Either way we reap the benefits.

>>2332069
For some reason i thought he force persuade we used at the beginning made her become more 'open' to our inquiring. I don't know if we need to use it the hipnotic hand move everytime we ask a question.

>>2332105
That's my point, this poll wasn't just about whether to help her, it had a change to our character tacked on to it.

>>2332159
The reason why we do it is really important though. It makes sense for Hurt to ask us about it.

>>2332189
But he didn't ask us for the reason. The choice was to pursue because of empathy or not at all.

>>2332198
He asked us for our feelings on the matter, which is the base reason for why we would make a certain choice. I don't get what your issue with it is.

>>2332200
I don't see how I could be any more clear than in my previous comments.
If OP wanted to write a redemption quest he should have said so from the start. Instead he let us get into whatever character we want and tries to force changes in the character through these options like a politician adding a rider onto a popular bill.

>>2332017
"Let's talk about you and the others," you say slowly, allowing the Force to imbue your words with that same persuasive power as before. "Was your group not as... close as you expected?"

Amaza's tense body language tells you that she doesn't want to answer, but feels compelled to nonetheless. She might have learned how to clear her mind of unwanted thoughts, but she can't stop you from dragging them back out. And perhaps part of her *does* want to talk to you about this. It sounds as if she has no else to open up to.

"Kalyan and Jevan just sit and whisper with each other." She draws her shoulders up and gives you a pained, awkward smile. "Sadon only talks about you, Lord Varrus."

You would have been fine not knowing that, but have no one but yourself to blame. A bit of jealousy crept into her voice with the mention of Sadon. She seems to hold to the same hero-worship of him that he has to you, though in her case those feelings are likely intensified by romantic interest. Even Amaza herself doesn't know how old she is, but the Imperial doctor on Voss that examined her said that she is in her mid-to-late teens. Given the small size of their group and her past solitude, it would be stranger if she *wasn't* infatuated with him.

"And now you're wondering if you've made a mistake coming with him?"

Amaza's eyes go wide and she glances around nervously, seeming very confused about why she opened up about all this to you.

"No!" she says quickly. "I am very pleased, and happy, to serve... my Lord." Amaza stumbles over the words, seeming to lose her grasp of speech as her anxiety skyrockets. Like the twins, she's terrified of being dropped back on Tion. Except they would have each other - she would be alone.

What do you tell her?

>Meaningful bonds are forged through hardship. The twins are close because they've killed together and risked death for each other. If she does the same for you alongside the others, she'll grow closer to them.

>You have a virtual friend for her. He loves to listen and has limitless patience. (Lend her Arawits' holocron)

>She needs to stop entertaining these fantasies, even if they are kept within her own mind. You're her Master, and the others are fellow servants. None of you will be more than that.

>Nothing.

>No. Press her on why she seems disappointed with how things turned out.

>>2332285
>Meaningful bonds are forged through hardship. The twins are close because they've killed together and risked death for each other. If she does the same for you alongside the others, she'll grow closer to them.

>>2332285
>Meaningful bonds are forged through hardship. The twins are close because they've killed together and risked death for each other. If she does the same for you alongside the others, she'll grow closer to them.

All this chummy-chummy emotional bollocks is starting to give me diabetes, cease and desist you pathetic excuse for a Sith!

>>2332376
Look man, we're invested in this little group of warriors here. Treating them like shit for no reason because "much edgy sith character" doesn't make sense at this point.

>>2332388
>much
muh*

>>2332285
>Meaningful bonds are forged through hardship. The twins are close because they've killed together and risked death for each other. If she does the same for you alongside the others, she'll grow closer to them.


Didn't cult leaders used to manipulate people by making then think they were all part of a big family? Anyways if soldiers can form bounds during such events they can build these feellings of wonder and duty by going with us into dangerous places.

>>2332285
>Meaningful bonds are forged through hardship. The twins are close because they've killed together and risked death for each other. If she does the same for you alongside the others, she'll grow closer to them.

>>2332285
"Jevan and Kalyan fought together since they were children," you tell her. The reality is closer to seven years, but you'll keep that to yourself for the time being. "They've risked their lives for each other. You've known them and Sadon for only a few months."

Amaza swallows and nods, looking very embarrassed at being lectured for thoughts she hadn't even wanted to voice.

"Their bonds were forged through hardship," you continue. "If you fight with them, and risk your life alongside them, you'll grow closer to them."

Her mouth opens a little and she starts to say something, but then closes it and waits for you to say more. This is still an embarrassing topic for her, but the fact that you're discussing it so candidly with her seems to have softened her anxiety.

"You find killing unpleasant." Amaza remains quiet and unmoving, but the silence you let grow eventually compels her to nod slightly in agreement. "But you would do unpleasant things for your family, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," she says softly.

You realize that you've leaned quite close to her as you spoke, and you take a step back to put some space between you.

"So would I."

Another lie - you've never had a family, and wouldn't feel an ounce of obligation to them if you were to meet them. Amaza expression remains tense and her thin lips pursed tightly, but the positive emotions welling within her tell you that you've given her some measure of hope that her dream will be fulfilled.

It won't, at least not in the way she wants it to be. Reality will soften her expectations, and eventually she'll reach a point where she convinces herself that she's gotten what she wanted - or that she never really wanted it at all.

You leave her with a quick tap of your knuckles on her knee, an impromptu action that you wince at as you leave the cargo bay and head back through the Fury's command center. Jevan and Sadon are in the training room at the other end of the ship, dueling with practice sabers. You had directed Sadon to make sure that both he and Jevan are in fine form in case the Thyrsians are the type to only take 'worthy' students. Based on what Darth Serevin told you, that seems like a very real possibility.

Sadon drives Jevan in circles around the small room, seeming to take gleeful pleasure in his superior skill. That enthusiasm only grows once you're there to watch, and things become so heated that you eventually call a stop to it. If Sadon wants a real fight, then he can have one.

"I will not hold back, Lord Varrus." He leans forward on his downward-pointed saber, glancing grimly between you and his would-be opponent. "If you tell me to beat Jevan, he will come to Tarsis with broken bones."

You ignore the mispronounced planet and begin to tell them that's what the ship's autodoc is there for, but Jevan is the first to speak up.

>>2332849
"Sadon cannot beat me," he says simply. There's no over-confidence, nor snide superiority in his voice. Just cold, hard fact.

"What did you say?" Sadon spits, slowly turning to face him with saber in hand. Jevan's claim would be bad enough if made in private, but he's doing it in front of *you*. He's too simple-minded to realize that he's challenging not just Sadon's skills, but his position of authority among the four guards. It seems like such an insignificant honor, but it's practically Sadon's entire world.

"I would win," Jevan says. "You would be hurt."

Sadon reels back, his chest puffing up and eyes going wide with utter fury. Then, he calms somewhat, and a cruel smile crosses his lips. "I killed your tribe. I could have killed you and your sister, but I did not." He drives a finger hard into Jevan's chest, making the larger man take a step back on the mat. "You are not number one - you are not even number two. Kalyan begged me to take you with."

At that second mention of his sister, Jevan's placid expression is replaced by a deep frown. "She *asked* you," he corrects him.

Sadon's own smile widens, and he takes a step towards Jevan while prodding him in the stomach with his saber. "She begged on her knees. It is the only time she looked like a woman."

You're not sure if Sadon is too worked up to see Jevan's shifting body language, but you certainly can - and you feel it, too. Then, his shoulder twitches and his free hand flashes up from his side, grabbing hold of the end of Sadon's practice saber as he stares furiously down the length of it. Sadon tries to pull the weapon back, to no avail - Jevan's grip is like iron. They stand there in tense silence, each man's stance hardening and muscles coiling in preparation for a fight they both desire. Sadon's eyes flicker over to you occasionally as he becomes more and more worried about how weak he must look.

What do you do?

>Nothing. Let it play out.

>Tell Sadon to show you that win he promised you.

>Defuse the situation. Tell Sadon to apologize. You can't let them fight when they're liable to kill each other.

>Other

>>2332855
>Nothing. Let it play out.
Let's see them fight for real. Set rules to stop them before they deal serious damage, like first to 4 hits.

>>2332855

That's all for tonight.

>>2332855
>Tell Sadon to show you that win he promised you.