Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Cynella Alde]

Zakuul had treated House Valthren well. For such stability, such power, all Dayana had forfeited had been the color red in the favor of white. Her domain now radiated with glory (the bright, sunny day certainly helped with that) instead of pessimistic gloom. The only downside there was the need to be more cautious with her wine. There had been detractors, yes, but she and Santana had ensured a fitting end for each and every one of them.

Only a few murmurs remained about the shifted loyalties. Dayana leaned back on her cushioned chair, frame sleek with shimmering gold, as she reviewed her upcoming speech on her datapad. "Gone are the days of Sith tyranny," she murmured, unsure of the delivery. Her subjects, the mindless masses, were beginning to show weariness from war when they should be grateful that she had provided them freedom from the shackles of slavery. All the wealth, prosperity, and innovation in the galaxy couldn't keep them from grumbling about a few sacrifices.

Right as Dayana lifted her glass, a massive rumble spilled it onto her gown. She set it down with a huff and rose to her feet. What did those ingrates calling themselves 'engineers' do this time?

The next rumble shut down the palace's power. The emergency blast shields began to deploy over the glass windows until a third rumble presumably stopped the auxiliary system. That hadn't stopped her commlink from ringing. Camilla, predictably. Dayana flicked it on as she walked and permitted the aide to speak.

"Lady Valthren, it's the Sith." As if on cue, blaster fire emerged. Based on the commlink, it was closer to Camilla. Good. "It would appear that the dissidents supplied them with access codes and uniforms to the servants' quarters."'

"Then we know who to purge."

"If we make it that far." Camilla's fear... She was in the lower levels then. It tasted delectable through the Force, though the context made it ultimately unappetizing. "As if it were not enough that they smuggled such a baffling amount of people... Reports are showing that Jo'ren Rath is present."

"Oh." Dayana shifted direction, instead going towards her emergency shuttle. "I need to coordinate with someone else. Hold for now." Despite Camilla's protestations, Dayana ended the call. Dayana had been practicing her saber work, of course, and had even been looking forward to cutting down some upstart Sith. But that beast was something else entirely. He had defied the Emperor, just as she had. He had even saved her life directly. But all she had done was deal the felling blow that he and the others had allowed her to do. Most of that time, she had spoken with Shaisha-

That made it so much worse. Shaisha's passing over the war had been a mournful one even for Dayana. "If you've clung on through the Force, then please... calm him down?"

Was worth a shot, anyways. Dayana felt the lives of more and more vaunted Knights of Zakuul turn to nothing but dust. Incompetent as they were, they still afforded her enough time to near the hangar. When her commlink rang again, she almost shut it off out of instinct. Instead, it was Santana, so she did answer. "Dayana, where are you?"

"I'm nearing the escape shuttle. Then we'll leave, preferably for Zakuul itself."

"What? We can't forfeit our holdings here. This is our family's legacy!"

Despite the years, Dayana's heart still ached. "Your legacy. I'm adopted."

"This again? They're gone. House Valthren is ours to rewrite, to rebuild, by our own hands!"

"What hands can rebuild if they're severed along with your head? That beast, he's something else entirely." Dayana hissed, mainly to chastise herself. Berating the one dearest to her helped nothing. "We'll return when we're ready and that time we'll only have loyalists. Now let him thrash about the palace and we'll redecorate when we return."

That argument did go in her favor, though it would be a promise unkept. Even excluding the carnage Jo'ren caused, the tide of war never allowed House Valthren to return.