Hoth: Blood and Ice

“The Force has a way of defying the efforts of shallow men… and doing more than they ever thought possible.” He replied.

“You have and your son has a special ability which grants you a form of power. What you do with it is up to you. How you got it or why it happened matters little compared to that.” He smiled.

“At least that’s one man’s opinion.”

She nodded, giving him a small smile. "You're right, naturally. It's more idle curiosity than anything. It's not like he can do anything about it at this point." Her lips quirked further into a slightly mean-spirited smirk. It disappeared quickly, though. "I'm glad you're here. I'm more confident in the potential outcomes."

“You have every reason to be confident. Through hard work and dedication you’ve molded yourself from a rough piece of clay to a wonderful masterpiece.” He said resolutely.

"Thank you. I certainly am different than the person I expected to become... though despite everything, still me. You've come a long way, as well, since we first met. Wiser and stronger through hard lessons," she noted with a nod.

“One would hope…” he replied with a chuckle.

“I try to keep my thoughts now on where I am… what I am doing. Makes it easier to see the obstacles about to smash me in the head.”

She can't help but break out laughing at that. "Useful skill, that. I could stand a few lessons."

He nodded and smiled. His smiles were more regal than they used to be. Not nearly as much joy, but perhaps a bit more intentionality in them.

“You’ll have to tell Baras you’re stealing esoteric rites to greater power or else he may get jealous.”

She scoffed playfully. "Jealous? Honestly. I'm not exactly the greatest of apprentices. I'm just a good shot. That's still true."

He smirked softly, “Ah, there it is. The patented Luth underestimating her own worth comment.”

He looked at her intently, “I know he’s a heartless maniac… but you did birth his children. That means to some extent you have hooks in him… Nothing like sentimentality or the sort. But you matter a great deal to the man who cares about his ‘legacy’.”

"Would it be a conversation with me without it?" She replied with a shrug. "I suppose that's true... Though when you put it like that, it makes me feel like I should watch my back, in case it's decided that I'm too much of a liability for what I'm worth."

“Watching your back around Baras is always wise. You’ve done a wonderful job making yourself useful enough that it would be a burden to discard… A strategy he employs constantly…”

He raised a finger slightly, “But for a man like Baras, sometimes it is necessary to cut out an even vital part of yourself if not doing so means prolonged weakness. That is the only way in which his mind works.”

She nodded thoughtfully, turning the thought over in her mind in silence.

After a few moments, she said, "Well, it's not like I didn't know that from the beginning, or have my own motivations."

He nodded, “Indeed. You have risked much and you have gained much. Your value is no simple thing…”

He leaned back and smiled softly, “It’s worth a great deal to a great many…”

He paused before adding, “And a certain few.”

She let out a soft sounds that was almost like a chuckle but didn't quite make it there. "I'll try to remember that. The same goes for you, too, you know."

He smiled and nodded slowly, “Everyone values the Minister of War… They all try and mine the title like a spice tunnel.”

He put down his cup, “Very few know the worth or lack thereof of the person behind the title. I consider your friendship proof that despite all the things taken from me and all the parts of me that I’ve had to kill along the way… there’s at least some of me left inside.”

He smiled, “I still have considerable utility… for now.”

She nodded. "Despite everything, it's still you. That's the important thing to me. If you lost everything tomorrow, you'd still be important to me."

He simply smiled with the right side of his mouth and nodded.

Not much I could lose beyond you and the girls anymore.

She couldn't read minds directly, but she had developed her senses. She reached out and squeezed his hand gently.

“Be safe, Luth.” He gestured like he was putting on a coat.

“Don’t catch a cold.”

She smiled and rose. "You either. It's a cold planet. Come see me if you need anything. Or just want to talk."

He rose as well and put his hand on his mask.

After applying it to his face he said, “If need za Shyyyo. You call Shyyyo.”

He looked at her with the expressionless mask for a good few seconds.

“No… I am not really doing the accent.”

She broke into a laugh at that. "Thankfully." Finally, she pulled on her own helmet and put her hood up. "Be well. Say hello to your daughter for me." With that, she waved before letting the hatch open and stepping back out into the hangar, outside image once again the silent, deadly Sith, despite the soft and fluffy personality inside.

Sylvain closed the gate behind her and turned back towards the inside of the ship.

There was purposefully audible noises which clanged from a back room as to suggest someone had been busy all along.

This child will be the death of me…