Hoth: Blood and Ice

[Luth Khalan]

Tethys had talked about meeting today properly to discuss the current conditions and what to do moving forward. Luth wasn't expecting to come in with such a different mindset than there was yesterday. That said, she was still Baras' apprentice, which made her... well, middle management, at least. If there was more to discuss, she could pass on anything she needed to know to Baras. There was a lot to discuss with him anyway.

[Tethys Carrack]

Tethys can be found here sitting at a battered table of indeterminate age, with a datapad and a deeply pensive expression. The list of emergency supplies she's cross-checking doesn't need her full attention, which is good, because it definitely isn't getting it.

She looks up, alert to Luth's approaching presence. "Master Khalan. Warmer this afternoon than last," she comments with a slight smile.

[Luth Khalan]

Luth slide into the table next to her, removing her helmet and setting it aside. "I'd make a joke about having reached the low point of discussing the weather, but it's exceptionally relevant to us at the moment," she noted with a smile. "It is. People have worked really hard to get the power going."

She paused. "Ah, I'm not sure how to properly address you. Master or Knight or... what. Ah, and you can just call me Luth. I have a formal title, technically, but..." She shrugged a little bit.

[Tethys Carrack]

"I've never really understood the way so many sentients dismiss talking about the weather as of no consequence," Tethys admits mildly, letting her datapad settle to the table. "I needed many years to figure out that I was the unusual one there. I used to live on a small reef island as a child, a fishing settlement--watching the weather well was the difference between safety and a very bad day, and I suppose I never forgot." The corner of her mouth twitches up a bit. "So you needn't think I was brushing you off just now, Master Khalan. Or Luth. Whatever you prefer."

This is the first time on Hoth that she's seen Luth without the helmet and mask. She thinks the face is a little familiar, indeed--from the Republic bases on Bankor, perhaps the rec area or the dances? Around Z's ship, maybe? Time would have changed both of them somewhat since then, of course.

"Jedi know who we are. Most of us aren't particular about what others call us," she explains with a half-shrug. "If you were Republic military, I'd probably expect Master Carrack--soldiers call us all Master from apprentice on up, but then they like formality. Jedi Carrack if you have some need to be specific. Many people just call me by my name." She steeples long fingers over her datapad. "Is your formal title 'lord,' then? Or 'darth?' Reports on Imperial protocol are... conflicting."

As are firsthand observations of Imperial protocol, for that matter, she thinks, remembering the tussle between Baras and Balmung yesterday.

[Luth Khalan]

She leaned forward a little, listening to her describe the importance of weather on her home planet with a small smile. "A reef island, hmm? That sounds lovely. Were storms common there? It sounds like a lesson well-learned."

"Luth is fine. Darth Baras declared me a Lord recently, so that is my formal title, yes," she replied, looking away for a moment. "Darth is... a level that most never achieve. To reach those heights, one generally has to be extremely powerful. Come to think of it, if you don't like formality, you have to be somewhat powerful, too, or a lot of ambitious Sith will walk all over you." The Sith Empire was the very definition of dog-eat-dog.

[Tethys Carrack]

"In the monsoon season they are, yes." Tethys nods. "Which is also just when the silversquid are running--that's a very important catch. Squid boat crew are courageous types."

These memories of home seem to be pleasant for Tethys, softening the sculpted planes of her face and making her look slightly younger while she revisits them. The cool Jedi emissary persona is never far below the surface either, though.

"So Luth technically-a-lord, on first-name terms, would be... either very powerful or walked-over?" Her brows arch curiously. "Which are you? Or is it that this place is outside the rules of the jungle?" Certainly there are plenty of other Sith around the base, and precious little privacy from anyone.

[Luth Khalan]

"That sounds kind of fun," she replied, smiling.

As Tethys' assessment, she considered. "A bit outside the rules for certain people. I'm not overly concerned about the Republic personnel. I know some of the Sith. Some have heard enough rumors about my activities to know better than to cause me too much trouble. A few are are just intimidated by my Master." She shrugged. "If they can't figure out that I'm dangerous on my own... Well, complete lack of awareness is generally self-correcting."

[Tethys Carrack]

"Powerful enough, then," Tethys makes her own economical summary of that. "As I should expect from an associate of Baras, I suppose."

She shifts in her seat on the weathered steel chair, leaning back a little. "That all sounds very tiring, to be honest with you. But you must be used to it by now." I'd rather net squid in a howling typhoon, is one likely subtext here. "Your master seems to thrive on it, anyway."

[Luth Khalan]

"It is," she replied bluntly. "It leaves people exhausted and emotionally strung out, ready to lash out at any little thing... which is perfect for the Sith. My master is very good at it. I'd rather just do my job without anyone bothering me."

[Tethys Carrack]

"That promises to make this easier on my side, for the short time we may have to work together," Tethys allows.

"Unpleasant for you, though. What is the penalty, back in the Empire, for suggesting to a Sith Lord that they might have chosen the wrong line of work?" she asks, arching a brow curiously.

[Luth Khalan]

She laughed. "Depends on the Sith Lord. You might be killed, or they might just find it amusing. I don't think there is a right line of work for me."

[Tethys Carrack]

"There's much debate in the archives over whether perfection is possible in the realm of crude matter. But there clearly are things which are less wrong than others." The corners of Tethys's lips twitch up for a moment.

"So. What primary problems does your Master foresee for our joint use of this shelter?" she pivots. "If he's confided in you about it, that is."

[Luth Khalan]

"My master has set my concerns on the disturbances in the Force that have plagued the galaxy recently, and how they are relevant to us here," she replied with a shake of her head. "I'm mostly taking an interest in our joint use of this shelter on my own. So far, conflict between the Republic and Empire forces seems to be at a low simmer. Unless something major changes, I don't foresee any diplomatic incidents, at least. I suppose, in some ways, we're a bit fortunate that the main concerns I can see are mostly amount of power and access to facilities." She nodded to the datapad. "Though you may have access to more data on that matter than I do at the moment."

[Tethys Carrack]

"On the Force instability, not the pirates who've grounded us here?" Tethys asks. That's interesting.

Two fingers brush the sleeping screen of her datapad as she explains, "I've been stepping in to about one-fifth of what our late XO would have been managing. If that. Others are picking up the rest of her load. Crew headcount, billeting needs... there's enough room in the barracks for a force bigger than both our parties, once we have it cleared, so we can discount problems from crowding. Cultural conflicts, however." She lets that thought hang unfinished.

[Luth Khalan]

"It plays to my strengths," she replied with a shrug. "We'll be doing recon on the pirates regardless. And, well... The circumstances around our expeditions are suspicious to say the least. Better to have an agent looking into any connection there might be than not."

"Cultural conflicts I might be able to help with, aside from general contributions to improving conditions around here."

[Tethys Carrack]

"It is suspicious." Tethys agrees. "Why blow us out of orbit, but then let us dig in here? Does Baras also suspect another hand behind this?"

It's only sort of a deliberate leak. Aphr had been listening in while she and Galen talked with the mysterious Senya this morning, and while Tethys doesn't know exactly how the channels of information sharing and hoarding run among the Sith, even at best she doubts the sneaky little Twi'lek has the wherewithal to keep secrets from Baras for long.

She wakes the datapad with a quick series of taps. "In fact, you are uniquely well-suited to help manage culture clash, I'd imagine. As an expatriate yourself."

It's a rather measured and deliberate choice of terms, considering the possible alternatives.

[Luth Khalan]

"On top of that, how did two missions that didn't know about one another come out of hyperspace within seconds of one another?" She offered, as well. "A lot of things about this don't make sense."

"Diplomatic phrasing. I'm sure far more colorful turns of phrase were used toward me at another time." She sighed and shook her head. "Still, unless I'm attending to my Master's business, I'm happy to help smooth things over."

[Tethys Carrack]

"I've even heard that some Sith have been having prophetic visions about Empires beyond your Empire." Tethys floats that not-so-casually. "Whatever the wider strategic considerations, I hope, if your side learns of anything that concretely threatens our joint survival here, your Master will permit you to share it."

"Meanwhile," she adds, noting that sigh, "I'd rather avoid friction than smooth it over afterward, if we can. I noticed one of your party is advertising some kind of public... religious service?" she sounds a little uncertain about whether this is the right description, "this evening. Is that likely to involve any practices that could cause conflict or offense?" She studies Luth's face with those clear dark eyes. "What shocked you the most about the Empire's culture, when you went over? What things were the most difficult to get used to?"

[Luth Khalan]

"Oh? I'd like to hear more of what you've heard about that," she replied, tapping her fingers gently on the table. "There are widespread worries about the return of the Emperor. Apparently he had children, which is a less than comforting thought."

She sighed at the discussion of the religious rite. "Zhorrid. Kriff's sake. It probably will. I don't know the exact nature of it. Even if it does, there's not much any of us can say against it. The delving into the religious and mystic aspects is the will of the Empress and her cadre, and looking less than devout is a recipe for trouble. Suffice it to say that if they bring something alive, anyone squeamish should leave."

"I suppose the changes lately. I was born in the Empire as a slave to Darth Acklys before I was freed as part of a Republic operation. He was more..." There was a pause as she pondered how to put it delicately. "... research oriented, so this whole turn is a little strange for me."

[Tethys Carrack]

"Ah. I didn't know that." Tethys falls quiet for a few beats. So Luth's defection back then hadn't been a putting-on of new chains, so much as a resumption of familiar ones? Well, maybe.

"'This turn.' The Unknowable Dark faith, you mean? We've heard the new Empress is more interested in religious activity than the old Sith Emperor, but it's all been quite secretive outside your Empire. I hadn't even known the Sith Emperor had any children--I thought that was why the new Empress is no relation of his."

Again, a relatively delicate if not inaccurate diplomatic phrasing. If Tethys was determined to stir up offense by any means, rather than testing the edges of what might offend to search out the boundaries, she could have said that the new Empress's family were minor regional strongmen who usurped the seat of central power in a coup, and that they'd been able to succeed largely because the old Emperor made the classic totalitarian autocrat's mistake of not securing a clear successor to his position, whether a child of his own or anyone else. That version would be, from Tethys's perspective, just as accurate as the way she'd phrased it to Luth just now, and she would have meant it just as sincerely. But at the moment it seems unnecessary to be so blunt.

[Luth Khalan]

"It didn't make much difference. The Republic and Acklys wanted the same thing from me."

"Yes... the Unknowable Dark." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but the flat expression she wore as she spoke of it communicated just as much, most likely. "There are a lot of reasons for that. I don't know much about them... Everything I've learned is through others and the Force. So take that as you will, I suppose."

[Tethys Carrack]

"That might be true," Tethys's voice is cool but gentle, "but you could have asked more from the Republic in return."

With a sigh, she looks again at the terse announcement of the religious service on her datapad. "The Force doesn't lie, but it doesn't reveal everything to every person. I've heard some rather vague things about the children of a different emperor, in a different Empire. I've no idea whether there's any connection to your late Emperor there." Vague hunches, but no firm ideas, at least [uh, well, unless a time paradox suddenly forms -ed.]. "So is this Unknowable Dark business just another explanation for all the same things Sith have been doing for centuries? Or should I expect its adherents to act differently from the other Sith? If there's a chance a religious crusade is about to be launched against all Republic citizens in this facility, or all left-handed bipeds, or something, I'd like to know in advance."

Luth has proven pretty indifferent to slights on her fellow Sith as a body, so far, and it's clear she's not a true believer or even particularly deferential to this new religion, so Tethys allows herself to watch her tongue a little less carefully.

[Luth Khalan]

"I did." She shook her head and shrugged. "It doesn't matter, regardless."

"As to the Unknowable Dark... I suspect the former. We're all expected to be adherents, though most Sith just follow the way the wind is blowing for their own power, so it's hard to tell which are... true believers, if you will, and who's paying lip service. I doubt any of those will see fit to go against Darth Baras' command to work together with the Republic forces here, though. Observation of what happens at the ceremony will probably be your best bet. They are Sith, after all. Peace is a lie, etc." She waved a hand in the air. She seemed to be rather indifferent to the Sith in general.

"To be honest, I don't know. I know of three lights over a single throne, a separate Empire, and that those lights likely represent children. If it's the same Emperor, then it could be a lot of trouble. I'm curious, what is the Jedi Order's interpretation of the disturbance?" She asked curiously. "Not the vision, but the... general sense."

[Tethys Carrack]

Perhaps not for what really mattered, though, Tethys wonders, but keeps that thought to herself. She only knows a little of what happened, secondhand from Niall and Z... well, and Arali, though she hadn't had a close enough relationship with the other Jedi to do much more than be concerned from a distance. Not nearly enough of of a thread to pull on.

"Three lights. I heard that one as well." Her dark eyes go a bit distant, as though looking at something farther away. "The galaxy has been in too much pain in recent years. So much war and conflict, fear and suffering. Many of us thought that's the reason for the disturbance we all felt in the Force. Our archives are long, and they record similar imbalances, on different scales."

Tethys shakes her head slightly. "I now believe at least some of it may be connected to a more immediate danger, though. If someone from this other Empire is here, and a threat to us, they'll be very powerful." She lifts a hand, spreading it palm-up. "This is another point a Sith cultural translator might help me understand, actually. How are Sith supposed to react to someone more powerful than themselves? If peace is a lie, how do I trust Baras can keep your side under his control--won't they challenge him? Or, conversely, how likely is it that some of your side will betray us all and try to switch allegiances if some third party with greater power appears?"

[Luth Khalan]

Luth watched Tethys for a moment, silent. She looked like she was mulling over something... she'd ask after the main point of discussion.

"I suppose that makes sense." She considered. "Some of them just won't rock the boat because of their own motivations, or because they don't want to see the Emperor rise and become a threat to the galaxy at large. It is, as the saying goes, where they keep their stuff. Some are intimidated by Baras. In short, it's not impossible, but they would have to be some combination of powerful and stupid to do it, leaning on the latter end." She didn't mince words.

After a moment, she sighed. "Admittedly, that is my hope, and I might be giving people too much credit."