Hoth: Blood and Ice

Shyyyo walked through the halls of the base late that night. He had retired early that evening to recover his strength and now lurked about the base while Nightingale slept. It felt good to have rested completely... and his thoughts turned towards work. Any type of work... the kind he always had busied himself with in order to avoid thinking of more painful things.

He began making mental notes in his head for potential spots of improvement... as it seemed they were going to be here longer than they expected.

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OOC: Open to anyone.

Zeno had gone to bed early as well, and walks into the common room after a morning shower. Seeing his former classmate, he nods and sits nearby.

"Feeling better after your frozen hike?" he asks, with levity but also legitimate concern.

“Much.” Sylvain replied.

“Thank you for coming to find us… You have reason more than most to be fine with me dying randomly by my own stupidity.” He looked the man up and down.

“Last time I saw you you were much more worse for wear…”

"Just a bit," he says with a nod. "But I got better."

"And I don't really have reason to let you die. I failed and that's on me, not anyone else. I..."

A long pause.

"I stopped belonging in the empire the moment that girl took the throne anyway. I'm sure she's better than Vitiate, but I simply would not be able to serve her. So it's good that I left when I did and found a new path."

Sylvain nodded in understanding. He knew Zeno’s relationship with Jun-tsu better than most.

“So… what is this new path you have found for yourself?”

"The path of giving zero fucks about Empires and Republics. Of giving zero fucks about light or dark philosophy. There are only two things that really matter in life. Family and the power to protect them," he says. "It was always a priority of mine, but I have made it my purpose."

“That’s certainly what it sounded like earlier…” Sylvain replied.

“So I take it that you have children of your own? You’re not talking of the Deathwrights still?”

"I am still talking of them, but also of Thul. I still have a squadron of Deathwright pilots with me wherever I go. But yes, I do have children. Twin girls that are my favorite little troublemakers."

He pulls out his datapad to look at the picture of his family he has as a background.

"I know Jo'ren has his girls. But have you got any little ones running around?"

He nodded, “Twins. With Kristal Serasai before she died… They are almost twelve now.”

"Condolences. I can't imagine," he says, even though he can and has and the idea terrifies him.

"Mine are about the same age. Already showing talent with the force," Zeno says proudly. "I imagine with your power yours must be showing too."

Sylvain replied with a kind of monotone voice. He was not the type to dote over his children publicly.

"One has. The other, no." He paused, "I assume your girls will not be sent to join the Jedi given your dislike for the Republic..."

"Not on the Jedi's terms. If they want to join when they reach an appropriate age then that's their choice. But they have me, my Blackguard, or the Paladins to work with them until then. If they want to go to the empire and the Sith that's fine. I am putting their fate in their own hands."

“These are… Force traditions where you are from now?” He asked.

"Yes and no. The Blackguard aren't all sensitive to the force, the Paladins are. Blackguard are the elite of house Thul's soldiers. Paladins are a more general Alderaanian organization that focuses on the light and doesn't teach lightsabers."

He shrugs. "Lady Savagery, who is my almost constant shadow, is one of the newer recruits. The one in ancient looking armor with the giant sword. I'm kind of jealous of her armor, it reacts to those that can shape the force."

“A technique they have mastered? Or heirlooms from a bygone age?” He asked with interest.

"Heirlooms. The armor is definitely archaic. I'd be interested in learning how they managed to make the armor so reactive," he says with a thoughtful expression.

"Have you been learning anything interesting lately?"

“Always learning Zeno… Only stop when you’re dead.” He replied.

“I could put your people in touch with my contacts among the Jal Shey. The Jal Shey are an unaffiliated band of Force sensitives that pursue knowledge of… well really all practical aspects of the Force. They are particularly well-known for their crafting of armor. Mine is of Jal Shey make…”

"Perhaps they could help your people unlock the secrets that would help them recreate it..."

"Maybe they could. I'd probably be just as interested in studying the nature of the force with them though. I've been learning plenty of practical uses for it," he admits.

"Depending on how things change in the days ahead... I could help facilitate that if you'd like. Many of them serve as my councilors." He replied.

"I'd appreciate it. I imagine you have been keeping very busy. You never were one for sitting around and waiting for things to happen."

He nodded, "I am one of three Ministers of War directing the Empire's military... Something like a Dark Councilor from when you were one of us. War with the Republic and then internal strife has kept me quite busy..."

He then tilted his head, "Though... if you would not mind spreading my presence around too far that would be greatly appreciated... I'm not here to lead this expedition."

"Not a problem. That sounds like a job with far too much paperwork to me," the Duke-consort replies with a small laugh. "So you have worked things out with him so you aren't constantly fighting then?" he asks about Baras.

"Working things out... I suppose to some degree. We work... He's out and about... I don't think there is any real affinity between us. But... to some extent there is respect. In that to move against the other would cost more than it is worth to excise them." He replied.

"Mutually assured destruction is a powerful tool for survival. Most people don't really want to go that far," he says with a nod. "Really have to piss someone off to get them to willingly and intentionally die to kill you."

"Indeed. Everybody has their limits... Even someone like Baras." He said with a nod.