#darthverrin

Verrin smirked at Holle's last request, and glanced over to Kai, who seemed to want to exit the office as quickly as possible. He couldn't sense any fear from her directed towards him, so he guessed that she was either eager to start the interviews, or she was uncomfortable with Holle. Of course, a combination of both was possible, or even none of those, but Verrin thought he'd amuse himself with an answer for both their benefits.

"Naturally, those texts are available.  I'll have Agatha flag them for ease of access, though you could show Kai how to do that yourself. But... by the by, Apprentice... how do you know that Miss Tsintah cannot speak their native language already?"

He let that question sit for a moment, as he looked upon them both. He guessed that given Kai's self-described isolation, that she didn't know the native tongue, and even if she did, she might not know the particular dialect. But she was also surprising in many regards, and for all he knew, before she ever traveled to Dathomir, she took the time to learn the basics of the native language. Or perhaps she knew sign language, pictoform, or telepathy... some other communication method. Interpretive dance?

Most likely though, his apprentice was correct, and the pair would have to work together to talk tot he tribeswomen. That would require them to start building trust with one another, as Kai would be relying on Holle to translate what she said without interjecting her own opinions to change the tone of a statement too much. He could already imagine Kai asking where the tribe's water supply was, and having Holle translate it as, "The dullard wants to know if you are capable of drinking water."

But similarly, he knew that Holle would need to start building trust with Kai in order to work with her in completing their goals. And in the near future, if Holle was to instruct the new 'student', she would need Kai to trust and believe it what she said.

The Sith... building bridges... who would have imagined they'd fall so low?

In fairness, Verrin attempted to offer a quip at Kai. "Follow Holle's lead though - she has established a level of trust with the tribe already, and has managed to get me coffee... I cannot stress how invaluable that is to me."

It was true. Even though he was as prepared today as he was on day one for Holle to kill him and take his place, she HAD managed to get him coffee by working with this tribe. She had definitely scored some favor points with that effort.

Well, Kai may not have had the answers Darth Verrin sought, but she did sense the Zabrak seemingly 'entertained' by something she said. Either way, she did her best to offer her 'counsel' and once she was done with that, the acolyte expected to be dismissed. Before that would happen, however, the Sith Lord spoke at length with respect to the points she brought up earlier.

Force-sensitives? It was by far, the most interesting news when it came to the tribal population. Well, it would certainly explain a few things. Like riding those awful beasts, to start with!

In the end, Darth Verrin had made his decision. It may not have been what Kai expected, but then again, when did Sith go forth and do the 'conventional'? They were ordered to gather more intelligence and start integrating the tribeswomen into the Sith 'herd'. To that end, they would have to determine which ones would be the most suitable.... Not a task to be envied, Kai thought. Then again, she was not going into the unknown alone; the Zeltron was going to be in charge of this task as they went to interview their 'guests' waiting outside.

"That's too bad," Verrin commented idly on Kai's self-stated qualifications. But if he appeared disappointed, he didn't sound that way.

He was mildly amused with the repeated term 'sensei', but attributed it to a cultural quirk that would stick or not as Kai heard more, different people address him. Of course, there was always the possibility that the moniker would stick as others heard her speak it.  But the conversation required his input, so he leaned on his elbows on the desktop, and spoke to some of the questions Kai brought up.

"It's my understanding - and mind you, this is skewed, as the male point of view is somewhat dampened on this world - that the various tribes number between forty and a couple hundred women per group. The nature of their culture, level of civilization and technology, and this planet's geography dictate that larger groups become unwieldy, and smaller ones get absorbed or snuffed out completely.

I also understand that there are some tribes of menfolk here - those tribes tend to be few but long-established. The various amazon tribe leaders know that in order to perpetuate their species, they require menfolk for reproduction. My reading tells me that they have 'coming of age' rituals where mating is a mixture of the women defeating their desired mates, and rites of passage for the menfolk - as they strive to be the best specimen, so their tribe or family is chosen for mating. The various amazon tribes have a mutual understanding that the male tribes are to be preserved at all costs, but not allowed to prosper enough to be a threat.

We are in a similar situation, where we do not want the amazon tribes to become strong enough to be a threat to us. We want to take their best Force-sensitive people and make them part of our tribe, so to speak."

Verrin steepled his fingers in front of him. "So to address your points... if we don't make ourselves too strong a target, then the tribes will not unite against us. We are more than strong enough to handle any single tribe, and likely even several. We are NOT numerous enough to withstand a large number of tribes banding together against us. We aren't in our home territory... we are in theirs. They can win any kind of 'siege', so to speak.

As for their technological state, they have little. Electric power is absent, as are traditional 'firearms'. They don't possess blasters, or a desire to that I'm aware of. But they are skilled with their bows, their spears, their knives.  They have smiths, and can create simple martial weapons - I know of at least one tribe near the hills that wields metal sabers. But they mostly fashion weapons and tools from their environment, which is jungle. Their real strength comes from the Force.

This planet is steeped in it - the Force - and they, by osmosis or attrition, or what-have-you not only have some innate ability, but those who have really connected to it and can tap into it have become their shaman. These women are able, through rituals as old as the Sith's own ancestors, to create the same effects as we can. If you've read up on Battle Meditation, for instance, they can do it. If you look into Force healing techniques, or telekinetic binding, they can affect them too. They just require a focus - a ritual, or fetish - like our ancestors did. And most importantly, some of them can connect in some way to the rancors... I wouldn't say they tame them, because they are hardly 'tame' themselves. But they manage to come to some agreement with them on a telepathic level, and can get them to work together for mutual benefit."

Verrin paused.  He had some first-hand experience with the tribes, both as an emissary and as a captive.  While he was no expert on Dathomir, he wasn't oblivious to the ecosystem either.

"I'm pleased you're not concerned about the competition, Acolyte Tsintah. You'll do well, I think."  He looked first to her, then to his Apprentice.

"You both make good points that we not only need more information, but we need to start integrating those tribeswomen who will be loyal to us.  Because you both share the genetics that make these women trust you - over me - I want you to initiate interviews with the eight subjects my Apprentice has waiting outside. Question them... assess them.  You are aware of my concerns, so I trust those will influence your decisions.

Apprentice - take the Acolyte with you, and go interview your candidates in any way you see fit.  Find out which can be loyal to us, and have the rest escorted out of the facility. Feel free to question or test them as you will - but keep in mind that if they are not selected, they will take whatever information they learn back to their tribes. In essence, you two will be picking your peers in the near future. I think it'll be a good lesson in how a Sith Lord looks at budding Sith... they have to be good enough to be competition, but the concern is always that they will be too good. I eagerly await your conclusions, and will discuss how you find the process at length.  It's not often that such an opportunity presents itself to Sith at your stage of development."

Preoccupied with thoughts of why she was being summoned to give 'counsel' to a Sith Lord, Kai did not even notice the tribeswomen at first. Barely had given them a passing glance, in fact - assuming they were there at the command of the Sith Lord - at which point it was none of her business. Stepping into Darth Verrin's office after being bid to enter, the Korun noticed they were not alone. There was another present, a female Kai did not recognize.

The Zabrak moved to remedy her curious gaze, offering a brief introduction of Holle, one of his Sith apprentices. He would then speak at length, addressing the presence of native strangers outside his office door. Dathomir's nomadic tribeswomen to be trained as Sith? Interesting. Did they have enough instructors going around for this type of venture to achieve any degree of success?Harboring these and other reservations, Kai resolved to give this some thought before responding at length.

Kai responded by bowing deep at the waist, first to the Sith Lord, and then offering a somewhat more 'shallow' bow to the apprentice.

Wow.... that skin! So startling.... and so pink. A Zeltron?

She had ran into Holle's kind before, back on Nar Shaddaa, when frequenting various casino and nightclub venues. This was the first time, however, that she would be faced with a Zeltron of the Sith.... variety. Kai wondered if the Sith Apprentice would unleash a string of biting comments her way, and she was not sure, why. Something about the woman just struck her as contemptuous and territorial. She did not have to wait long for the verbal vitriol to commence and mentally prepared for it, would not succumb to its obvious design.

"Ah, a fresh whelp desperate to claw themselves above the deluge of filth that birthed them."

Dark face retained its usual deadpan expression; dual-colored eyes flickered as she nodded. Due to Kai's lowly station, the Apprentice would not even turn when speaking to her. That too, did not bother the Korun; respect worked both ways, she reminded herself silently. On that platform, we are on even ground.

Flicking her surreptitious glance away from the Zeltron, she settled a calm gaze upon Darth Verrin.

Breathe. Just.... breathe.

"Ah, sensei - forgive me - I did see the visitors outside but did not realize their purpose here until just now. It is true, I have spent some time here, living mostly in isolation to preserve my anonymity and hone survival skills. Therefore, I am not qualified to give adequate advice when it comes to having experience interacting with these people. Yet I feel compelled to point out that the ancient saying of 'united we stand - divided we fall' has much wisdom to lend in this situation. Wisdom that perhaps, we should build upon.

First, I would investigate their numbers. When loyalties do.... get torn asunder, what quantity of natives would we be up against?

Second, I would gather intelligence on their technology. If there is anything I have learned from frequenting your Library, sensei, is that one should never judge a book by its cover. Just because they appear primordial, does not mean that they lack quality in their warfare strategy, weapons, or ancient knowledge we may know little about. That which we do know, may only be the tip of the iceberg. But if we fully get to know a thing, we can control.... that thing.

Third, I am not threatened by competition. It is but one means to hone the skills an individual needs, to strive for perfection. One of many."

Verrin and Holle bantered back and forth for the time it took Kai to arrive.  At one point, Verrin thought about the many people gathered outside his office, but then became distracted by the current conversation. And if the gaggle of native tribewomen posed any obstacle or distraction to Kai, it didn't show when she finally knocked gently on Verrin's office door. He called out for her to enter, and then made general introductions.

"Acolyte Tsintah, I hope your meditation was going well.  Meet one of my apprentices, Holle. Apprentice, this is the new Acolyte I was talking about."

Verrin vacated his spot to take his usual seat behind his desk, and gestured for Kai to sit in the second visitor chair, next to Holle. He watched carefully. In meetings like this one, it was possible that the introduction was being assessed by both women. On the one hand, Kai might be sizing up Holle, trying to determine what made her qualified to be his apprentice, and whether she could oust her from that role to take it for herself. On the other, Holle might be taking in Kai, wondering what made her special enough to attend this meeting, and wonder if her position was at all threatened. Knowing Holle as he did, Verrin doubted she was too concerned over her own standing, but if a threat was perceived, things could become volatile between the two.

Verrin decided not to let them think on it too long, if they considered it at all. "Acolyte Tsintah... you may have noticed the troupe of characters outside my door.  My apprentice has recently been on a... diplomatic mission to the local amazon tribe. Those women out there want to be trained as Sith, and Holle was kind enough to bring them back here for consideration. But I have concerns.

Their loyalties seem to lay with their tribe, of course, and their lives are based on leadership by matriarchy. As YOU know, things are a little different here among the Sith, especially the higher up the chain of command you go. One of my issues is that should we train them, and accept them, what will they do should a situation dictate that we need to... disperse their fellow tribeswomen? Another is how they will respond to a chain of command not driven by gender.   If we deny them training, or force them to obey commands contradictory to their loyalties, would they band together with other tribes to attack us?

When you first came here, I understood you had spent quite some time on the planet.  Have you interacted with these amazons?  Are you familiar with their culture, desires, and needs?  Even if not, do you have an opinion on the matter?  How would you feel about competing with them for positions in our organization?"

There was nothing that Holle saw from the woman that entered her master's office that led her one way or another. She was a student in the Academy, and she could not begrudge her that considering it was another body that had come to them willingly. On the other hand, more students meant more competition among the Order. While there was a moratorium on the student body killing one another to gain standing, her lack of knowledge on Acolyte Tsintah did not give her enough to consider her anything more than an annoyance at worst.

"Ah, a fresh whelp desperate to claw themselves above the deluge of filth that birthed them." Holle said, sipping her fourth liquor infused coffee. It was a biting comment, but that was what the Zeltron did best. Provoking others into anger and poor decision-making was an excuse for her to defend herself. Of course, if this young woman was valuable enough that her master called her in for a second opinion then she must have something to her. Perhaps she had self-control that the average neophyte learner possessed.

Holle's answers to the questions gave Verrin the impression that she hadn't considered the many possibilities of her intentions. Fortunately, she didn't take the matter as a crushing defeat, but tried to work her mind around how they could have their cake and eat it too. She spoke of enemy tribes, and battle captives, which weren't out of the realm of possibility.

Verrin hrmm'd.  "Hrmm..."

Then he went back to pacing and talking, partially to answer her question and partially to work the matter out for himself.

"The battle captive idea isn't terrible. I just wonder if we keep recruiting from a pool of people who are constantly beset by lost family members, are we getting better Sith, or are we getting more of the same?  I have said - many times - if I had five credits for every Sith hopeful who came to us and had lost parents, been raped as a child, or had outright killed those parents, that I'd be able to buy my own capitol ship. To date, I can't think of a single Sith who joined up and had a still-living family on the outside who supported them and their decision.  If we - the Sith - kill the relatives of these 'enemy' tribespeople, why would they JOIN our cause?  Wouldn't they simply seek revenge?  Wouldn't they band together, with other tribes against a 'common enemy'?  Gather their rancor allies, storm this facility, and end us all? Would they join up with the Jedi?  I'm not sure it's the best way...

... not that your initial idea was terrible.  The tribeswomen you brought back... maybe all of them wouldn't agree to our terms, but if one of them did, that's one more hopeful we'd have than before.  Maybe it's possible to pick some fruit from each tree, so to speak... I wonder..."

Verrin paused and sent a message, telepathically, to the new student - Kai - whom he presumed was still trying to meditate. His message was simple and clear, "Come to my office, Acolyte @Kai Tsintah - I seek your counsel."

Verrin watched the brief exchange between Holle and the amazons with only passing interest, choosing instead to focus his attention more on the cup of coffee. Part of him wanted to make it last - to savor it.  The other part, however, was winning the argument and he was drinking it much faster than any 'savoring' permitted. Still, it warmed his stomach, and pacified his sometimes volatile temper.

It seemed that whatever Holle said caused the woman to bristle, and they brandished weapons and puffed up to show off their tribal marking and badges of honor. Verrin wasn't so impressed. If he only showed his torso to them, they likely would have a completely different opinion of his prowess if tattoos and scars were the measure of a person.  At this point in his storied existence, Verrin had more far more markings than bare skin throughout his body... and his mind.

The tribeswomen stepped outside, flocking within earshot of the door, and within eyesight of two Guardians. But the Library gargoyles didn't flinch or waver in their duties - merely checked the readiness of their weapons.  These women weren't currently threatening the Library or its Keeper.

Holle then spoke of terrain and technology, intelligence and effectiveness in combat.  She closed her arguments with, "Though I am sure the current student body is large enough, adding them to the roster should not be too much for your Overseers. Either they perform their duties well or they should be replaced, right?"

The student body wasn't large enough - not in Verrin's mind - and adding eight new people wasn't even a drop in the bucket to refilling the ranks of Sith lost at Dromund Kaas. But his answer to his apprentice was more direct, "Replaced?  With whom?"

He tried to let that sink in for a moment, and drained his cup, and set it aside. He further explained, "There are always disappointments - more than average, if you ask the Sith'ari. But we are not in a position to replace such disappointments so easily anymore. Now, we have to maintain our old speeders, and repair them. We can't just buy a new one because we don't like the color of our old one."

He clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace around, addressing Holle's earlier arguments.

"I'm not saying 'no'," he prepared her, "but I have concerns with instructing people who are devoted to another master, rather than the Sith. I'm not saying they aren't capable warriors - they wouldn't be alive today, their tribes wouldn't exist, if they were anything less than proficient. I've fought them on a few occasions - not this tribe, exactly, but others around the planet - and they almost killed me.   They've taken out Sith and Jedi alike over the decades, arguably over the centuries, and their rapport with the Force is well-known. But just because they can feel it, or just because they can even affect it, doesn't mean they are one with us.  They've never allied with the Sith before.  This is all new territory for them. But if we train them to be Sith, and then the tribe turns against us, we've now trained our enemies.

The galaxy has Force sensitives all over - some gravitate to the Jedi, others to the Sith. Still others ally with neither. Many of the ones who lean to the Sith joined the Empire, while others maintain their own little factions and pockets throughout the galaxy. Why, back when I was a Sith on Nogatan, our 'faction' grew to the point where we challenged and defeated the Vitiate's Empire of Sith. Think it through, Apprentice... should we train these women to be more effective at combat, or should we train them to be one of us? How do you feel about having them as your peers?"

He let that last thought sit with Holle a moment, while his own mind processed her ideas. On one hand, she wasn't wrong - they needed people, bodies, to join the Sith and their cause so they could grow strong again and retake their position in the galaxy. But on the other, these tribespeople hadn't come to the Sith, asking to join. Holle was suggesting taking them in and training them without anything in return.  The matter of loyalty was a strong one for Verrin. These women could strike him down and put Holle in his place - and that would be fine - if the Sith ideal remained in place. If they defeated the Sith who had invaded their world, and simply went back to being tribespeople, taking over their home planet, then how did that benefit the Sith? If they ran back home every time there was an attack on their village, then what happened when both the village and the Sith were attacked? Who would these women stand by if the Sith were threatened by a powerful group like the Jedi - would they simply stand by their tribe first, and let the Sith be driven to extinction? The term, 'What's in it for me?' wasn't one to be tossed about lightly, but it seemed to matter in this case. The women had everything to gain, and nothing to lose.

"The Dark Side takes a toll from anyone who uses it... a price. Why should these women avoid paying our toll? At the least, I would suggest they swear some oath to us for this privilege.  And if we were to order a strike on their village... what then?  Do they serve me, or do they serve themselves? What about you, Apprentice... who would you side with if we discover a tribe of Jedi Zeltron? Your people, or your fellow Sith?"

Verrin also hadn't forgotten the tribespeople and their view of outsiders. "Do the women understand the current power structure of the Sith? How menfolk are not automatically inferior and 'breeding stock' simply because of gender? Do they understand obedience, Apprentice?  Or would you have me 'replace' any disobedient hopefuls because they are disappointing?"

Verrin raised an eyebrow and looked at his young apprentice, wondering if she heard her own words coming back to her.

"Make a case, Apprentice. Make me believe in your cause."

Just before Holle finished her answer, the smell of brewing coffee assaulted his nose, which made her statement seem like punctuation more than words. He inhaled deeply, drinking in the long (too long, in his mind) awaited aroma. It smelled... good.

As if her statement was a cue, the tribeswomen began to chatter in their native tongue, the content was mostly lost on Verrin, who didn't know their language. But some of their gestures, pointing, and facial expressions suggested that they were discussing the area rug that sat under his desk, or the curio cabinet in the corner, or the desk itself, with its myriad piles of things.  One of those things was a large leaf, which of course they recognized, but none approached to see the writing upon it. A couple even pointed at him, with a mixture of looks that included superiority, distaste, and careful consideration.

Holle translated their animated discussions as being impressed, and Verrin's eyebrow went up in skeptical doubt.  But he reached out to accept the offered mug of warm brew, and inhaled again, drinking in the smell more directly. It was fresh.  It was good.  It wasn't his beloved vanilla bean roast, but the foundation was there. The vanilla could be added in time.  He sipped once, pausing only to consider whether Holle was about to poison him or not, but then drank it anyway. At least if he died now, to her, it would be with this delightful beverage carrying him to whatever life came next... or oblivion.  He wasn't sure which, but knew that spirits in the Force tended to linger beyond their time.

The taste was every bit as delightful as the smell, and a cozy smile spread across his aged features while he listened to Holle explain the warrior women who were taking seats on the floor of his office. He almost laughed aloud, remembering the last time so many people were in his office.  Back then, the room had been in the Library on Nogatan, and Darth Avaris had met him along with nearly a dozen Sith ladies, all jockeying for position, or seeking some step up against their peers. Avaris had teased him back then, calling him a womanizer for having so many showing up without any menfolk present. Here, again, the room was filled with women - through no direction of his own.  He was no womanizer - just a curiosity of circumstance.

As for the tribeswomen, their seated positions gave him the impression that they either didn't consider him a threat - there were nine of them, after all, counting Holle - or they got the impression that Holle was paying homage to some father-figure or the Sith equivalent of her 'shaman'.  Verrin supposed that wasn't so far off, either way.

The amusement carried on, as Holle sat herself, and then proceeded to cross her legs. Verrin knew they were artificial, yet she still affected the old habit.  Likely her brain found comfort in their position, or it gave her a sense of superiority over her followers who didn't sit that way. It was something of interest, and he wondered if she was even aware she was doing it.

Her words were more important though, as she explained the reason for the warriors' arrival. They were to be trained as Sith? No... it sounded more like they were to be trained in combat, not as Force users.  But Verrin reached out with his senses, trying to detect if they had any affinity at all that could be tapped and nurtured. All the while, he smiled warmly, enjoying the offering.