#tholgeth

Tholgeth,

Since I seem to recall that your communication devices are off as opposed to destroyed, I assume that means you might occasionally check them.

Your remaining living apprentice has been doing well with very little interference; still a Lord, but he seems content there and is rather good at what he does, so it's difficult to fault him for that.

Your agents stay in contact when necessary and let me be when unnecessary.

Caspira being the exception, of course. I doubt that comes as any surprise; she's as much a thorn in my side as she was in yours, but it rarely bothers me.

The cats are all still around; nexu and sentient.

Ire has, strangely enough, improved significantly. He's managed to get someone trying to hunt him down and has been doing well at not only avoiding death but planning--and planning well--how to strike back at not just the apprentice, but everything up the chain to the apprentice's Master.

If he succeeds at that, I'll have to admit that he deserves a Lord title. Perkele's daughter--the hulking behemoth one with the bad hair--told her to sit down and stop acting like a brat recently. Admittedly, I am far more amused than I should be about that.

Overall, things are largely the same. I've figured out ways to compensate for the absence of your previously obnoxiously constant, loud presence; and I don't mean your physical presence. I found that mostly quiet, oddly enough.

I've restructured, re-wired, re-worked, and re-configured energies and circles and bonds to compensate for the partial loss of your energies. It's taken awhile, but I've managed to re-strike a similar balance.

Don't mistake: It is not the same, nor is it close, it's simply sufficient.

Nu nezek j'us.

It was too quiet, for a start. Not the house or the grounds, just it.

Bi'ev had the distant feeling that something was there, but not quite present.

Disarming the main locks, he realized immediately that Ire wasn't present. Probably out with his mother or slobbering over the girl he claimed to loathe.

Worms was somewhere, but not anywhere in the immediate area; he hadn't bothered to look for her, so much as he did for Qorit, who was not present.

As Bi'ev moved through the main room he tripped rather unceremoniously over something--soft?

The Sith blinked, and turned over to see what in the hell had been laying in the middle of the floor and found himself looking into four slowly blinking red eyes and an overly wide, always grinning, tooth filled mouth.

One of the damned cats.

The big one. That was...odd, that one was usually glued to Tholgeth. Bi'ev gave it an irritated half-kick, muttering under his breath as he peeled himself off of the floor. The nexu rose with him and began following him.

"Shoo." He brushed his datapad toward the animal's face, which it easily dodged. "Go bother Tholgeth."

Tholgeth.

Bi'ev froze.

That's what's missing.

That was a stupid, stupid thought. Bi'ev rolled his eyes at himself. Tholgeth was probably just in his lab, only now Bi'ev was irritated enough to go and--well, he wasn't sure what--snarl at him for trying to block him? Whatever, he'd find a reason, there was always a reason.

He new the codes to the lab, despite Tholgeth's complaints about that, and wasted no time in heading down to that section of the estate.

"Tholgeth, just what in the--ah--right." Bi'ev paused in the doorway and squinted; the lab was well lit enough, but still a bit dimmer than he'd figure a normal person would keep it. "Probably some attempt at ambiance," he thought to himself.

Everything seemed to be in place, but he was certain Tholgeth hadn't just wandered out for the evening; something didn't feel right, and Bi'ev couldn't quite place what it was.

On one of the main work tables, a blinking datapad caught his attention. The message was short, some nonesense about 'deep dark' or 'deep space' or--something, and that's what was wrong.

Tholgeth was gone.

For one fleeting, panicked second, Bi'ev thought someone had somehow managed to kill him.

"Don't be stupid. You'd have felt that." Right. Of course.

"Maybe he's just broken the Force bon--again, stupid. You'd have felt that as well."

Bi'ev flipped his comm unit on. Nothing. No response, frequency no longer in service.

Irritating.

He reached out via the Force and got--very little in return; Tholgeth wasn't dead, and was not, evidently, in any danger of becoming dead, but that was all he could sense. Either he was being blocked, or was purposely trying to block communication attempts.

Infuriating.

It was the datapad that took the brunt of the flash that was Bi'ev's temper. It ended up on the floor, smoking and sparking and Bi'ev was keenly aware that there was nothing immediately re-energizing him. No completed 'circle', as it were. It just left him feeling slightly drained, which was something that hadn't happened in many years.

He wasn't terribly worried, really, it wasn't anything life threatening; just highly inconvenient. He could close that loop on his own if necessary. That was such a hassle, though, and it had been so much easier, and much more sustaining when it was a constant flow back and forth between himself and Tholgeth and, now, Tholgeth was no longer there. It wasn't something critical to survival, but it was familiar, comfortable, and it had been present for so many years, finding it suddenly gone, was...unpleasant.

The very idea of that upset him; it seemed as though someone had drawn all the air out of the lab.

And that notion only managed to make him a bit angry.

Bi'ev paused and took a deep breath. 'No good wasting a decent bout of anger on nothing. Pile it on with everything else and make it properly useful later. Your own damn fault anyway, for allowing yourself to become even partially reliant on something else.'

He spun sharply on heel to leave the lab and was met by four red eyes.

Then eight..

Then twelve.

And finally sixteen.

Great.

The cats wanted food, and they wanted Bi'ev to feed them. He'd seen them pester Tholgeth in the same manner; they'd start making noise about it soon. It was late, after all, later than they typically were fed by Tholgeth. At least, he assumed that's what the animals wanted; if they wanted him to somehow produce Tholgeth on the spot, they were going to be disappointed when what they got was food.

Someone was going to be on the receiving end of--whatever it was Bi'ev found himself feeling.

"Do you always have to be so serious about these kinds of things?"

Bi'ev's voice cut through the relative silence of the ship's command deck The older Sith was still seated in one of the various chairs in the room as he watched Tholgeth idly. He uncurled himself slightly to push the chair into a slow spin, keeping one arm up and balancing a nearly full glass of wine.

"One might think you'd like to have a little fun now and again, instead of play at pretending to be a military commander on a side mission. Have a drink," Bi'ev extended a glass toward Tholgeth, "sit down, hit a few buttons on a console, and see what happens; it's so much more exciting that way, so long as you don't hit a self destruct mechanism."

"Of course, I'm assuming you haven't put one of those within easy reach of anything."

"Why would I put a self destruct mechanism within easy range of me being able to hit it?" Tholgeth quirked up an eyebrow, "That's just poor planning." He shook his head. "Seriously, people who put it right in arm's length deserve their own self-destruction." 

The Pureblood sat down in his chair, almost begrudgingly. The servant droid standing rigidly silently opened the bottle of wine and poured out a glass. Tholgeth took it, swirling it around in the glass before speaking, "The final preparations are complete." A small hatch in the arm of the chair opened up , revealing a big red button, "Now it's just the anticipation."

"Perhaps," Bi'ev laughed as he leaned to grab his own bottle of wine. Refilling, evidently, meant to the point that surface tension was all that held the liquid in the glass itself, "but I know your temper, and how it can occasionally get the better of you; I'd have thought you'd have put one there just in case you became exceptionally angry."

"You know--actually, one moment--" He stopped talking, at least for the moment, to nearly half drain his glass, "right, as I was saying, there isn't much for anticipation if they haven't got a clue as to what's about to hit them!"

"I do find it somewhat amusing that this is all over the revelation of Ire's little--how should I put it?" He absently stroked his chin tendrils, "Fascination with you? I'd think you'd be flattered, especially at your age."

"It's the fact that it's continued for this long." Tholgeth nodded before sipping his wine, "Something should've been done about it a long time ago, but quite frankly I think he would've interpreted it as receptiveness." He continues staring out at the planet, a sneer tugging at his lips, "I considered hailing them and true, it's highly amusing for the first few times you hear it; them begging you to spare their planet. But ultimately it boils down to a whole lot of effort, and I'm not in a mood to put much effort in tonight." Tholgeth snorts, "Wonderful thing about this is that it's a neutral planet. The Republic can moan and groan all they like but can't do a damned thing in the end to stop me."

"Oh, I had some inclination," the stupid smile on his face actually reached his voice for a change, "I found it amusing, he's not too dissimilar to the things you've taken as toys in the past--but you were jealous of this one, and that?"

Bi'ev stretched and curled back up in his chair, "That was always endlessly amusing to me, that worry you had that Ire would be your replacement, and it would make you so...I don't even know that there is a word for the combination, but it's most satisfying to feel."

"And don't try to tell me you wouldn't have encouraged an apprentice of yours to do the same if the situation were reversed," Bi'ev chuckled into his drink, "because we both know that'd be a lie."

"What happened, happened." The Sith shrugged, "I realize now there isn't much point in dwelling on it. However," He looked directly at Bi'ev, "Should something like this happen again, get him neutered. It works wonders."

"Oh, now, I never had you neutered, that you know of." He smiled broadly in response to the look, "I'm sure if he weren't as slightly built as he is--then again, that Sith Lord you kept for awhile looked rather similar, I think..." Bi'ev glanced shrewdly at Tholgeth for a moment, "You should have seen the look on that girl's face when she found out, she was devastated and it was exhilarating! Quite a shame you missed it."

"How unfortunate you chose not to take a holo." Tholgeth murmured. His hand continually hovered over the button, "The second this is pressed, the Leviathan warps in and burns everything on that rock to nothing but ashes." He grinned, "It's amazing to watch."

"Tholgeth, Tholgeth, dear Tholgeth, this isn't the first time for me," he grinned, "I know what your little toys do, I have access to your notes and your lab work, even when you don't necessarily want me to. We work primarily in the same sphere."

"However," the stupid grin remained, "I always do enjoy watching you speak about them; you become almost giddy. I'd say happy, but you'd throw your glass at me and that would be a waste of good wine."

The Pureblood rubbed the bridge of his nose. Sentiment (along with everything and everyone in the universe) never ceased to annoy him. "It is one of the only things that makes me feel something resembling joy these days."

"Oh, come now, that's hardly a way to live one's life, even I'm generally in a decent mood, and look at the nightmares I get to deal with on a daily basis even outside of my actual job!" He laughed and refilled his glass.

"You're going to end up miserable and alone if you don't tread lightly."

He paused to take a sip, "As much as I plan to live for the foreseeable future, it's very possible I won't outlive you--and then what do you have, besides your cats and that apprentice? The ones I have left will scatter or strike at you."

"I have been planning for the future, yes." Tholgeth nodded, intentionally vague, "I will offer your apprentices a choice. Join me, or perish. The Force Blind will have no choice." He took a sip of his own wine, "And if anyone has a problem with that?" The Sith snapped his fingers, "I will do what I did with Soundwave to them."

"You think I don't train them? You think I don't train them specifically to face you when that time comes?" He swirled his glass a bit, watching the liquid more than Tholgeth, "Gida'tar will be your largest threat; you may think she' s fond of you or is a kindred spirit--and, by all means, continue to think it."

He shrugged, and smiled again, "Beyond that, Ire is nothing to disregard. Zaol will disappear, I'm sure. Suchin and Taz'hezyst, I wouldn't put it past, to work together to get you out of their way--really, Tholgeth, it's as if you forget I actually train apprentices that aren't you."

"Yes, truly." Tholgeth eyed the planet again, "I think we've chatted enough. Time for the main show." With probably more force than necessary, he slammed down on the button with his fist. Almost immediately, the far larger ship, the Leviathan warped into existence. It was.. Something to behold. It looked ancient; red gold and black, but heavily updated with modern Imperial weaponry and armor. Seemed to be a common trait with Voidscream. A cannon slid out of the main hull, and began charging.

"This is the sort of thing you dream about isn't it?" He waved his glass toward the direction of the other ship, "I've no idea why. It's impressive, certainly, but it's hardly necessary. You've got the skills to display the assets you do have without going to such great lengths."

"Unless," a slow, stupid grin spread across Bi'ev's face again, "you only do it to impress me, like you do with all of those parties."

"Don't flatter yourself." Tholgeth grunted. He grinned at the charging beam. Nearly complete, and no sooner did that thought complete than a brilliant red beam fired out from the Leviathan. To say they had no chance at all was an understatement. The earth burned. The oceans sizzled up and evaporated. When the beam touched down, there was nothing but molten rock in its wake. It was a slow, methodical process. And any alien that it touched just.. Disintegrated. There wasn't even time for pain.

"Someone has to! You certainly won't, at least, not on purpose!" He laughed and leaned forward as the other ship's canon fired on the planet below.

"Between us, Tholgeth, we ought to find a way to make that a bit slower; it's all over in such a short amount of time, there's very little to savor, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, but in doing so it would give them more time to react." The Pureblood's yellow eyes casually watched the planet's destruction, almost lazily, "If the Republic didn't exist, I would invest more time into making it slower." He drummed his fingers on his chair. Meanwhile, the planet continued to burn. Nearly half of it was replaced with black, molten earth at this point.

"Perhaps if it were a military strike that would matter; I assumed this was done for reasons of pleasure and little else." Bi'ev leaned back into his chair, drawing his legs up to sit curled again, "And things done for pleasure shouldn't be over in a matter of a minute or two. It's so much nicer to drag them hour--and if you choose a planet correctly, they won't have the resources to do anything but panic."

"I made do with what was available." Tholgeth shrugged, "Unfortunately the planet is too primitive to tap into their comms. That's always fun in these situations."

"Mm, it is, it is, I can't deny that, though you have to admit, Tholgeth," Bi'ev grinned over the rim of his glass, "that it would be exceptionally fun if it lasted for hours instead of minutes, yes?"

"Yes, I suppose it would. But that would require far too many hours of research that I no longer have." Tholgeth snorted. At this point, only a quarter of the planet could even remotely considered livable. "Not long now."

Bi'ev made a scoffing-laughing sound, "You aren't that old, Tholgeth." He leaned forward again, watching the planet through the view screen, "Is this one of those situations in which the planet gets reduced to chunks? Or is it a Taris-like sort of destruction, only actually successful?"

This is more along the lines of Taris. Nothing will even be considered remotely livable for a few hundred years." Tholgeth grinned as the beam all but evaporated. In it's wake? A speck of ash in space. Everything that was, ever would be or what the planet would ever become was wiped out in a flash.

Off in a distant sector of Corellia, there was a jingling.

But it was not a pleasant jingling. It was accompanied by the roar of engines along with an ungodly scream that chilled the bones of any who heard it.

Unfortunately, some Republic soldiers did hear it.

From the seat of the jingling speeder, something leapt out. In some senses, it almost looked like a Sith, but the armor was all too wrong. It was far too casual and possibly cheery. In fact, the scariest thing about it was the helmet that looked far too much like a cybernetic skull.

The soldiers in question tried to fire at it, but with several swings of it’s lightsaber, the creature deflected the blaster bolts. It seemed to enjoy toying with it’s opponents before going back to the speeder and pulling something out from the back. With a shriek, a small cylindrical package was thrown out with three words written on it.

Merry Life-Day.

The canister cracked itself open and out came seven Widows. There was no more room for doubt; this thing was Darth Voidscream. But they didn’t have much time for thinking as the Widows found their way in through the open segments of the Republic soldier’s armor.

You really do need to keep better track of your toys, unless you want me to take them away from you until you've proven you're mature enough to handle them.

The following recordings are attached.