~| Day 1: 22:03 - 22:12 GST |~
~| Kaggath - Surveillance chamber |~
The surveillance room was stark in comparison to the Sith common room. Its walls were bare durasteel, a wide range of vidscreens splattered across them. The table held a couple of holoprojectors and a computer for accessing the stored recordings. Miasa moved up to the table, pushing the chair aside with a certain vehemence. After that, she started watching the recordings, trying to find a pattern in which of the other Sith took what prisoner. After maybe ten-fifteen minutes, she still had not found a distinct pattern. Where all these Sith, even the Sith lords, fools?
She had gotten started on analyzing some of the prisoners’ data when she heard the door behind her hiss open. Twisting about, she put her hand on one of her lightsabers just in case.
“Oh, hello there, I didn’t expect someone to be in here.” Vivithe said, a disarming smile on her face as she took in the image in front of her of a serpentine, the gender of which she was not certain of. She raised a hand up to show that she was no threat to Miasa.
“I hope that I didn’t interrupt anything. I’m a new arrival to this fine ship and was just getting familiar with my new surroundings,” She added, then her gaze shifted towards the monitors in the room, as her eyes hung on one of them which showed a live feed. “They’re kind of predictable, aren’t they? Our fellow Sith?”
“Yesss. There doessn’t appear to be any plan to their picking prissonersss.” Neither seeing nor sensing any immediate threat, Miasa slowly let go of her lightsaber and lowered her hand. “Miassa. Architect.” She hissed out politely at the other Sith who had yet to present herself. She could see that the other Sith was primarily human, but with more Sith ancestry than most.
“It’s a pleasure, Miassa. I am Vivithe Lansha, a Sith lord. The only one I am not on this ship,” She said, with a friendly expression as she moved forward to look more intently at a monitor. “It’s almost like they’re just taking them one after another, no thoughts beyond the immediate kind. It is a difficult way to turn a Jedi that way, don’t you agree Miassa?”
“Miassa, not Miasssa, my lord.” She nodded in response. “It isss. There iss nothing on how much thesse prisssonerss know. Can they fight? Are they mossst loyal to the hated Jedi Order or their corrupt Republic? Who are weak to what measssuresss?” Her frustration was clear.
“Perhaps Darth Nyiss made it that way to force action? See how well the Sith are at gathering information. If she handed them that information on a platter then that would remove a way for her to test those onboard, it’s all a big game, my dear.” Vivithe said, then turned her head towards Miasa and spoke once more, this time with a friendly smile. “Please, call me Lady Lansha.”
“That sssoundss like her. My Old Masster isss that way, Lady Lanssha.” She found this Sith to be worthy of a certain level of respect. She was not rushing about the way others did. As a Lady, she must clearly have become skilled at it. “I will ssee who volunteersss tomorrow. Then I ssshall decide who sshall be turned firssst. Do you have any candidatesss of choicce?”
“Tell me, which of the Jedi have you studied most extensively? I’d enjoy hearing your thoughts, who do
you believe should be targeted, Miassa?” Vivithe asked her, her eyes upon the monitors, her hands folded behind her. She had her own thoughts but she wanted to know what the serpent knew first, or if she didn’t tell her anything, or lied, then that would tell her other things.
“The Jedi who are of ussse to usss, to the Empire. Ssome will take time, but time iss not of the esssencce.” Miasa did not yet know who knew what, but she intended to find out, even if she had to question them all.
“You are correct, nothing immediate is necessary. A rushed plan is far worse than a drawn out one, a far greater chance of failure, which in this setting could be costly.” Lady Lansha said, then turned and moved towards the table as she ran a single finger along it, thoughts in her head before she paused and glanced up at Miasa.
“Have you noticed the Twi’Lek girl? How she seems to have a close relationship with one of her fellow Jedi, another teenager. Not close as in friendship or mentorship, but rather the romantic kind. The type they always write stories about on the Holonet?” A devilish smirk came on her face as she spoke.
“I have not. Mammalsss relationsss are ssound messsy and convoluted. But that can be usssed. Turn one, and the other isss vulnerable. But which one?” Miasa brought up one of the recordings with those two, trying to make sense of it. She couldn’t understand what those found attractive in each other. Let alone between species where no viable hatchlings could be created. There was no sense in it.
“Why not both? If you let their feelings progress enough then they’ll be so madly into each other that they won’t be able to be separated. That can be used, my dear.” Vivithe said, then switched the recording to one of the prisoners in their cell. She forwarded it to a moment when Lea touched Xid, then allowed it to play. The red on the boy’s face evident at the closeness to the human girl.
“Even more interesting. We may yet have a love triangle here. The boy has feelings for both the Twi’Lek and this human girl. Do you see how he acts when they’re in close with each other? The heat on his face?” Vivithe said with another grin. Her fierce brown eyes narrowed at the thought of the plans that could be created then set into motion. The deliciousness of it just create an almost primal feeling in her, evident with the grin.
“Another angle that can be used. Nudges in the right direction would cause the boy great emotions as he holds feeling for both girls. The boy turning them down for the other would create more fearsome emotions in the rejected girl. So many options.” Vivithe said.
Miasa looked over at the recording. “I sssee the blood gathering in hiss face. That isss a ssign of attraction? Thiss hass potential. Turn two, and the third sshall follow. Sssomeone needss to educate them. They musst be encouraged to breed. Their Feelingss sshall be their downfall.”
“Yes, they shall be. We must use them to our advantage. Romantic love does not blossom overnight, we must be careful.” Vivithe said, then moved to another recording of the Sith, Jakali’s encounter with Xid and Shiri. She let it play and studied the reactions from the Jedi. She smiled as the scene of Xid’s anger when Shiri was threatened. She paused it on the image of the dead soldier, the boy over him.
“Love, see how brutally it affects the boy? Even a Jedi?” She asked.
“Excellent. Thisss will be usseful. Isss there anything that can be given to them to promote thisss?” Miasa smiled widely. “Jedi are weak. They flee their emotionsss when they sshould masster them.”
“Well, we should allow their feelings to progress, too much interference may destroy the plan entirely. Perhaps create the feeling of jealousy? An outsider showing interest or outright romantic aggression towards any of them, the girls or the boy may cause the others to react, if they are in presence when it occurs. Jealousy is a powerful weapon that can be harnessed.” Vivithe replied.
“All just another part of their hypocrisy.” She added.
“That iss an option. Making the two eggbearerss fight for the male would be nice. Sssomeone sshowing interesst in the male will make the eggbearersss jealousss. It needsss not be true interesst.” Miasa knew this would be interessting. “Perhapsss prisssonersss who cooperate sshall not be harmed ssso much? Ssselling out their republic for reprieve sshould weaken their loyaltiesss. Telling the othersss who has cooperated sshall tear them apart. The ssstubborn onesss of no value we sshould give to the Trandossshan. He isss a beasst, but he hass hisss usssess.”
“Loyalties tend to die when one's well being is at stake,” She had seen it happen before. The Jedi would be no different. When survival kicks in, everything else goes out the window. “Yes, he does have use. But we must tread carefully, a wild animal must always be watched, even when they are caged.”
“Agreed. Now what to do firsst? Break their loyalty to the Jedi or break their loyalty to the republic?” It will not help the war effort if thessse Jedi ssstart ussing the full power of the Force to sssserve the Republic. They need to do it in the ssservice of the Empire.” Miasa had heard tales of numerous Jedi who learned to use the full power of the Force, only to continue using it for the wrong side. According to the stories, the Jedi Order called them “Dark Jedi”. They were not worthy of much more respect than other Jedi. Sure, they did not cling quite so hard to the same weak ideals, but they still did not see the empire for what it was, more effective and fair, practically free from corruption. Overseen by the Sith, of course. The perfect system of government.
“The Republic will be an easier task, it reeks of corruption and hypocrisy, while the Jedi are too hypocritical, the Republic’s corruption is well documented. When their loyalty to the Republic breaks, then they will naturally question their loyalty to the Jedi,” She said. “They must be convinced of the Empire’s greatness, in their minds they believe it to be full of sadists, slave drivers and monsters. Not a more complex, layered thing.”
“The raw brutality and ssadisssm of certain Ssith isss troublesssome for thisss tassk. We need to ssshow them that in the Ssith order, thossse are the exception. Ssadissstss have their usssesss, asss do ssslavess and monsstersss. But they are not the true ssstrength or will of the Empire. Had it been, we would not have waited thirteeen hundred yearsss to ssstrike.” There were few things Miasa would not do to turn their prisoners. But no lie worked so well as one rooted in truth. Nine parts truth, one part lie. Few failed to believe that, especially when they could verify those nine parts. “Mosstly truth, sssome lie. That iss bessst.”
“A great lie is better than a harsh truth, it’s just a matter of selling it,” Vivithe said. “If told right, the Jedi will believe every word that is said to them.”
“And Miasa, speaking of the Trandoshan, as well as the other female Sith Lord on the ship, do not tell of this conversation to either of them. I don’t believe you would, but it would be go well for either of us if either of them learned of it. Their selfishness would force them to interfere with or even ruin what we have spoke of.” She added, as she looked right at Miasa’s eyes, her expression stern and serious.+
Nodding a little Miasa answered “Of courssse not, My Lady. Their sstrengthsss may be worthy of resspect and warinessss, but they are not ssafe.”
“What sstory sshall we sstart with?” she asked, respectfully. The Sith Lady before her might be younger, but she was powerful and worthy of respect.
“Appeal to the justice driven side of the Jedi. The stench of corruption in the Republic, especially the Senate. Politicians can be bought to sway their morals, even outright overlook injustices like murders, genocides and enslavement. This goes unpunished, in the Sith Empire, it would simply not. Corruption would be met with swift and total justice. Also, it may be wise to speak of their warmongering. When has the Republic not been at war? War that destroys planets, shatters families.” Vivithe said, deep in thought. “You have more free reign with this, Miasa. I trust you can come up with more damning evidence against their beloved Republic, perhaps some research may be needed.”
“Thiss isss more or lesss what I had in mind. I wanted to sssee that we were on the sssame page, My Lady.” she bowed respectfully as she answered.
“Which we are, our views seem to be in line on the matter, this is necessary if we are to succeed, tell me, Miasa. Have you encountered the other Sith, besides the two other Lords and Darth Nyiss? Do any of them peak your interest?” She asked.
“Asside from you and Darth Nyissss, I have not met the otherssss, but I know of them. I have read their profilesss. Only one sstandsss out, Apprentice Azariah. He valuesss knowledge. The othersss are unremarkable or unreliable.”
“Perhaps I will speak with him, it is sometimes difficult to find a Sith focused on knowledge over the more brutal ideals some of them practice,” She said, as her hand moved to scratch her chin as she made a mental note to find this Azariah later on. “Is there anything else you wish to discuss with me, Miasa? I have other matters to attend to, though our conversation has been intriguing.”
“There isss not. I too have thingsss to do.” was her reply. She pulled her coil tighter, then nodded respectfully to the other Sith, who clearly intended to leave. Moments afterwards, the Sith Lady pulled her hood up and departed. Miasa continued her studies, trying to determine which Jedi she should start with, even as she considered Vivithe’s words. It was good to have another planner to talk with. Someone worthy of respect. She had missed that after her training under Nyiss ended. She didn’t mind working alone, but having good peers was valuable. The doors slammed shut behind the other Sith, the vicious-looking teeth looking ready to crush bones. She had long ago decided not to get her tail end caught in one of those doors. She did not relish the idea of that particular source of pain.
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