Hoth: Blood and Ice

After the morning he had, the best thing to do was to get out of there and into something more relaxing. He had solely relied on sonic vibration from the refresher over the past month or so, so when this finally opened up, he was relieved he could have the chance to get to it. Everyone was distracted and the civilians were content to not bother him.

It was hot and steamy, cold on the outside, and the lighting was low as it could possibly be without being completey dark: he could not have found a more perfect representation of living underground on Csilla than this.

He hopped into the pool of water after placing a towel down on the edge, hiding his blaster underneath. Strapping his magnetic tether on, he closed his eyes for a few moments and relaxed, knowing that the opportunity may not come again for some time.

For others, it would perhaps be the lack of lighting that would have obscured the details of the other presence's identity. For Nudimsu, it could have been a slightly altered heat signature that may have left a bit of confusion, for now it was unmitigated by any clothing. It was decidedly female and decidedly Twi'lek, for the neural composition of lekku provided no less vivid signs of activity than the brain itself. Still, it was perhaps the boldness and the nonchalance that had truly given the woman away just as she was immersing herself in warm waters.

"It isn't goat milk, but it will have to do for today."

He looked up at the voice as the Twi'lek entered and immediately shot his eyes upward towards the ceiling, having them rather wide and keeping them as far away from that view as possible. "Yes...yes I suppose one must..." He cleared his throat. "...must make due. How are you today, Darth?"

His mind immediately recalled the first conversation with Lana about the naked form of a Twi'lek and the overall appeal. He never expected that point would have a live demonstration on the matter in the future. Now he was stuck...he didn't want to leave and offend a Darth, but he had a Sith Lord waiting for him back home that was very understanding to a fault.

So, eyes remained up for now.

"I appreciate the pleasantry, Nudimsu, but I don't think my well-being is too relevant to the kind of conversation we can have." She stretched in water. "This is truly a time of making due."

"Oh, okay." He said, shifting his eyes again, keeping them away from the red target in the center. Not being able to look at her long enough to read her emotions was proving rather stressful. "So...what sort of conversation does one have in this situation, and how does one make due within it?"

"Where we stand on matters of broadly understood survival, according to someone who's been hosting two members of Zakuul royal family." Moyr was now neck-deep in water, so he could look without situational or relational complications.

Oh. Well. Yes. Of course. Nothing like that was going to happen. She was always rather intelligent, after all. No idea why his head went to that sort of stuff.

As he heard her voice lower down, he glanced over at her and nodded. It may have been his face showed a brighter shade of blue, but it was rather dark in here. Could just be a trick. "Oh, yes. Pirates are likely just testing out our defenses and our response to them while wearing down our morale. The Gree say they are going to give us some weapons and aid for this alliance, but nothing so far from that.

He shrugs. "All up to the Force, really. If and when the Zakuulian forces show up, however, we face droids and force users. Ion resistant and powerful droids to boot. We need the Gree reinforcements before then, otherwise we are doomed."

"Unless we manage to escape the trap and choose our battles. Have you been told about the relay plan by anyone already?" It's not like he didn't have reasons to be more indigo. Even if submersed, her Lethan colouring showed through the water within the only slightly blurred silhouette. But she wasn't too provocative. At least not yet.

"That is I hope they are smart to do. Your mileage may vary in all people, but as you say, a trap can be avoided if it is figured out and sprung correctly. And no, no one has informed me of anything about them. The thing is about being independent, I am only asked to do something when they need it. Mostly kept out of the loop, which requires me to go searching for the information. Though, if they are doing a op now, you should be proud of yourself. Your information immediately led to something useful; another rose in your ever growing garden."

He looked at her directly, the placement of his head just slightly above to ensure a proper view of her face. "Tell me, has Razzya ever told you about Csilla?"

"She's been loyal, but rather protective of the detailed information about the Ascendancy."

She paused to flip her lekku and make small ripples.

"Is this your impression of how I have been treating you? The operation against the jammer in the Tower is grounded in Imperial intel. I've been working on it with the brass and them only for the past two weeks. Since we have a mole, some secrecy had to be maintained, and your guests don't exactly make passing sensitive information to you any safer. It would be embarrassing though if it were Baras who is the traitor. I wouldn't be surprised in the least, however, I've had those thoughts since Draagh's beaviour during the ritual. Baras has only lived that long because of his penchant for backstabbing while moving to the more powerful team. If our planning is compromised, we'll know the source of the leak, whatever satisfaction it can bring. Even if Vaylin decides to screen your head and act on it, I don't think she can prevent all that is in motion."

She mused, tilting in water.

"When do you think her loyalties lies at this point?"

He raised his eye at her. "You need not defend yourself with your actions; I understand why you don't tell me everything; why I don't tell you everything, either. One always keep their cards close to their chest sometimes." He smiles slightly. "Vaylin's powerful enough to read your mind, but she has yet to do it again since I first met her. Lana knew about plenty of things, yet kept it hidden from me. Ended up saving Senya's life. So please do not think that was a swipe against you. I was referring to a more general matter, not at you specifically."

He paused. "I've grown to respect you a little since I first met you, it would do me no good to take a cheap shot at you for lack of information at this juncture when you got me exposed and unarmed."

He nodded once more and continued.. "I've gotten to know Vaylin over the past few weeks, and it has become clear that she cares about innocent life and her mother more than she cares about whether the Empire and Republic lives or dies or if Zakuul conquers us."

Nudimsu stares at her thru the steam. "As for Csilla, not many know this, and we prefer to keep it this way, but there is a preconceived notion that we live on the surface in the cold, but we do not. We in fact live underground; it is why our vision has evolved the way it does. The atmosphere of it is exactly like this: warm, misty, muggy and dark. This place just makes me feel nostalgic, really."

There is a small smile as he slinks down into the water again. "Just a small tidbit to hold over Razzya if she ever complains about having to ever live in the cold; she likely was never chosen to do that, given her House."

"It's good there is some respect between us. I have come to appreciate the mental fortes of your people over the years, as clearly represented by the choice of my aide, but your personal touch on that image has also been favourable. I'd rather cooperate with a man of merit and cool judgement like you in a time like this than with most others here."

She paused, letting him admire her now that he took the courage to do so.

"Though I may have overshot with the impact of kinship between the Chiss. I suppose not all life in the vaults of Csilla is communal? The negotiations with Syrian were a disappointment. I am not fully familiar with the workings of your social hierarchy, perhaps that was a factor."

For a moment, she shelved the subject of Vaylin.

Nudimsu nods. "Syrian is not a Chiss name. He has abandoned his name name for a more human one. When I saw him, I never even considered that to be Syrian. But now, he might as well be a smart human at this point, for what he means to the Chiss and what it means to him."

He stared at her a little more, his emotions a little bit under control now.. "Likely why he did not like what she said or her rank and liked me because I also left the Ascendency, but that would be his own past. If we defeat him, perhaps we can ask him about it."

"That explains it. Still, nothing comes to waste. His angst can be used against him. After all, the Chiss, why exuding higher thresholds for emotional responses than most, are not entirely free from fundamental instincts, are they?"

She tossed the lekku to the sides, the slender frame of her shoulders and collarbones showing in between.

"And what do you think of Vaylin's instincts? She is rather temperamental."

"No, we feel just as much as any other species; I would dare say we understand them more than most other species. We are trained from birth to not let it influence our decision involve them too much, but to be completely devoid of it would make us nothing more than droids with flesh. But fear can drive a man to be wiser in his decisions, ambition can push him forward, love can steel him to survive the worst, sorrow can teach him much, anger will motivate him."

He sighs deeply and stares at her. "It is when those sentiments cloud ones judgement, to do what is needed, that they are burdensome. Despite how one feels about doing it, the most rational decision must be made for the betterment of all."

Shrugging, he looks on. "Vaylin is a wildcard that cannot be trusted to do anything she does not want to do. What she went thru, however, has my empathy. I trust her mother, however, to help her heal if given the time and the chance. I doubt, however, Zakuul will allow that chance "

"For a Sith, emotional heights determine peak performance for action, so it's less about walling them off and more about unleashing them and putting them to use. It doesn't cloud judgement inasmuch as it precedes it. It doesn't prevent from keeping a composed demeanour even as the flames within are burning. They swell for the next burst. But since you've been living with a Sith onboard, you know all that, mmm?"

She let it hang between then for a moment, before she continued.

"On that we agree, the Zakuul won't allow that chance. The question is, can we spur her ahead on a trajectory before they do?"

"Yes.' He says, keeping her eye out. "Lana has taught me to better appreciate your organization more than I did. I always thought Sith to be emotionally stunted adults, and some are, but as you say, if they can be in control of themselves, they can achieve great heights. It is that potential that I can appreciate the Empire for, but it is unfortunate that you are all led by those sorts."

He paused at the linger, staring at her. "There is no point in hiding it, I am with that Sith on board, Lana Beniko. I have been for almost 5 years. I was afraid to share such a thing because of the risks, but we are likely to die, so no point now. If we do not here, then we will have other concerns than who an Sith Lord is in a committed relationship with."

He gets up a little and lifts his left arm a little out of the water, letting his chest expose himself a little. "I assume no problems with that?"

He shrugs. "You can try, but I would recommend you not manipulate her. She is no fool, and is more cautious than before now she is free of your former Emperor's influence. Not to mention I would personally not wish to see her being used as a tool again, but that is just my feelings. Come to her honestly and with respect and she may give your suggestions for her some consideration."

"The twist is the Eternal Empire may help prune those who I'd rather not call themselves Sith. Maybe there is a new beginning ahead for people willing to live by my philosophy, once this is over. If anything, this is the reason I am going to fight the Zakuul. Even if we cannot win, there are extents of loss. Above all, I don't want one that would prevent Sith renewal."

Bellious sounded genuinely, as if she reciprocated his confession with one of her own. Then, she smirked.

"My fellow Sith Lord has good taste. And this is all I'll ever say about it to anyone. As for making suggestions to Vaylin, I think it would take me too much time to come into her graces, and I am not sure if my beliefs and her tolerance are ultimately congruent." She crossed her arms on her chest. "It'd have to be someone she already trusts to an extent."

"Gardens tend to need pruning. And thank you."

He listens on to her talking and sighs. Yes, I suppose so." He paused and looked at her. "So what is it that you would like me to ask on your behalf? If it is something that I think she could possibly listen to, then I will share it. I've only barely reached the point where she does nor call me a savage anymore."

"Perhaps talk with her about the plans for after the Sith Empire and the Republic have been defeated. What would be the Zakuul galaxy like? What would they do about the remnants? With her father gone, it is in her hands to determine it. And it may be more to her liking, letting the unpredictable, the heterodox and the distinct flourish. Would it not be what you want for the Chiss anyway, to live their own way rather than be subsumed in a humongous homogeneous autocracy? She will surely recognise falsehood, so in the end try to convince her to what you believe in."

She paused.

"Even if you manage to do nothing more than to plant an idea in her mind, it may one day make all the difference."

"I can explain that already. They believe the goals of the Eternal Empire to be fundamentally right, just as anyone else with a goal believes their cause to be just, despite the evidence. They agree with the of what Zakuul stands for, but have their own doubts about what your former emperor sought within it. It may be a change for the better, if they return. Whether or not that will stop the attacks befalling us, I cannot be certain."

He shrugs. "What the Chiss do inside the Ascendancy no longer my concern. I love my home and my people, but I am a exile from there. All I know is that if the Eternal Empire knows how to get to Csilla, they would soon regret learning the way. My people are not conquers, but we know how to defend ourselves."

"I have said my piece, Nudimsu. You will do what you will, either taking that chance to make a point to the likely future empress of the galaxy before she is out of your reach, or not."

"I think it is worth addressing, as you said. I will do so when I have the chance." He nods. "it is important for us to know her intentions before she leaves. I can only hope we've put a impression on her that we're all not savages...but who is to say."

"Sometimes all we can do is throw pebbles at the galaxy. Still it is better than sitting on your hands."

She then made a decision and leaned in.

"There's something on my mind I'd like to discuss with you..."

/Fade to whispers (and only that, stay calm, Lana)