The Knight, Death, and the Devil

Chapter 10: Out With The Old

"Will you support my move again Darth Dominus?"

Lord Andar leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers while Vathamma awaited his answer.

"No," he stated flatly after a moment of tense silence.

"He tried to kill me," she shouted, rising from her chair. "He probably hoped to kill you as well, at my dinner party." She paced around the office, the seated Sith watching her calmly. Truthfully, Vathamma had no idea if Dominus wanted Andar dead—but coalition-building merited some light exaggeration.

"I'm aware of that." He tilted forward in his chair and leaned on the desk. The blinds were drawn halfway down, blocking much of Balmorra's daylight from entering the office and adding to the conspiratorial air of the room. "But you and I, by ourselves, are in no position to unseat him. He simply has too much support... even among the Dark Council."

"Then what am I to do? Endure more of these attempts on my life until one succeeds?"

"He is lashing out because he is afraid of you," Andar stressed, unfolding his hands. "Your seemingly-inept apprentice baited his into a duel, then unexpectedly killed him. You continue to expand your business dealings in a way that insulates you from his whims."

"My apprentice's victory was unexpected," she shot back. "And I broaden my investments because of Dominus' hostility."

The other Sith shrugged. "I only seek to explain how he may see things."

"And your suggestion is?"

"Meet with him—explain that your ambition does not extend to his station. Make him understand that he has nothing to fear... without explicitly saying as much."

Vathamma stopped pacing and sat back down opposite him. She stroked her chin with her hand, as she tended to do when she became engrossed in thought.

"I suppose going to him is no more dangerous than staying here. If he were willing to risk killing me aboard his ship, he could simply summon me there."

"Precisely."

"And if he sees my neophyte apprentice..."

Andar shook his head. "That's a poor idea. He will think that you are rubbing his apprentice's defeat in his face."

"And if I don't bring him?" She replied. "A Sith Master seeking parlay without her apprentice? It would look as if I'm stashing him away for some nefarious purpose."

The man opened his mouth as if to object further, but stopped. "If you think that's wise."

"I do." The woman rose from her chair once again. "I will, however, take the rest of what you've said under advisement."

He gave her a small bow of the head as she she turned around and left the room. The door shut and he pressed a button on the desk to open the blinds behind him, then swiveled the chair about and looked out onto the Sobrik skyline.

One can't always get what one wants.

___

"Peace is a lie."

Torin could hear his Master's footsteps as she circled around him. Not only that—the call of birds and rustle of trees in the courtyard garden, the blare of car horns and shouts of passerbyers in the street far below. Closing one's eyes didn't shut out the world, as he had expected—it amplified it to a distracting degree. His eyes fluttered open as he uttered the mantra she had taught him, repeating it over and over until the words had lost all meaning.