~|09:01 - 09:41 GST|~
~|Aboard the Kaggath, Sith Quarters: Miasa and Andri|~
Andri frowned heavily as she crossed her arms in thought, pressing a fist to her mouth as she racked her brain. She honestly didn’t know if Nal Hutta had even been a part of the Galactic Republic at the time of Evocar being conquered - she wasn’t even sure how long ago that was. They certainly weren’t a part of the Republic now.
“I’m afraid you have me at a bit of an information disadvantage,” She spoke finally. “I do not know much about the fall of Evocar and the rise of Nal Hutta due to how long ago it must have been, though I am aware that the Hutts have remained separate from Republic purview for many millennia now. Was Evocar actually a part of Republic space at the time of its fall? If not, then we couldn’t exactly step in on a world where neither party were subject to the same laws as us.”
Miasa didn’t hesitate to answer, despite not really knowing the truth. “Yes. Evocar was a Republic world. The Hutts paid off enough senators to make the Republic ignore their actions upon that world.”
Andri frowned even further. “I don’t have much to say about that, except that it was our forefathers who allowed that to happen - both the Jedi Order and the Sith Empire’s - who allowed it to happen. Certainly, it may have been the Republic, but the ones who later were exiled from the Jedi Order are descended from the same people who allowed that to happen. By that logic, even the Sith Empire of the time would have allowed it to happen - there was no split between our people, and all the choices of our forefathers belong to both Orders.”
“so you claim the Jedi Order rules the Republic then and now? How interesting… I wonder…. How would the Republic senate view that statement?”
Miasa smiled a little before continuing. “It is the same Republic that existed then as exists now. Sesame corruption. The Empire, unlike the Republic, does not accept corruption. Species that try that are dealt with. Harshly. Corrupt bureaucrats are punished.”
“We do not rule the Republic.” Andri retorted. “We advise them. But we are a part of their people, and so we have to abide by their laws. Even the Jedi - especially the Jedi, in fact - are not above the laws of the Senate. If they do not wish to listen to us, then we cannot force them to. As much as it would be nice if they listened to us more often, the Jedi are peacekeepers and advisors, not rulers or dictators.”
“so rather than keeping corruption at bay, you let it flourish? How interesting…”
“We try, and that is all we can do. How do you change the minds and ways of thousands of years of a certain way of thinking? Slowly. My job within the Order was to be an advisor, to encourage people to disregard the corruption. I worked on a case by case basis, doing what I could, and it was
working. Certainly, it is just a small drop in the ocean, but even a small drop can join another and become a flood. The Sith way of simply stepping on everything they disagree with, tearing down with no thought for the reasons behind it breeds nothing but resentment and rebellion.” Andri took a breath, centering herself once more as she felt passion start to slip into her voice. It was a subject she felt strongly about, but to let passion rule her words would not be to her benefit in this discussion.
Miasa did not intend to let the Jedi get a pause. If she could get her to really be engaged in the conversation, her emotions would not remain buried long. “so you teach them to ignore the corruption. How nice for the citizens of the republic… We Ssith do not stomp on everything we disagree with. That is the Jedi way. They are known far and wide for their narrow-minded policies. We Sith punish crime and corruption, but most of all, we encourage freedom.”
“And your attack on Coruscant, destroying our temple, killing our Masters and stealing our children was...what?” Andri pursed her lips. “You say you encourage freedom, but you didn’t even let the data save on a peace talk before you kidnapped our people. If you were so interested in freedom for all, and rooting out corruption, then why has your precious Empire never approached the Order with honest intentions? Why has every meeting between our people ended with bloodshed and death? If the Empire truly desired freedom for the people, a release from the corruption of the Senate, they would have been working with the Jedi to ensure it, not destroying us and halting any of our attempts.”
“Necessary. Better they be freed than be indoctrinated by the foolish ideas of the Jedi Order. The very order that does nothing to eliminate corruption, that breeds mistrust of anything that deviates from their narrow-minded ideals. The Empire has a policy of not working with corrupt officials. It is clear the Jedi order does not have such a policy. As we speak, Lord Baras is laying out fair terms to the delegates of the republic, saving days, if not weeks of negotiations.”
“The Order that was trying their hardest to do so, you mean. But even trying is not enough when you have millions of people going against your every attempt.” Andri closed her eyes, the Sluissi words bringing doubts she remembered from when she was a child living among the elite of Alassa Major to the forefront of her mind again. Certainly, her master had always advocated for the Jedi to work closer with the Republic and Andri was the type to believe the best of everybody, but even she had doubts sometimes. It was hard to see how her little victories could ever truly weigh against the sheer amount of corruption she had seen on that planet.
She took a breath and beat the thoughts down with her belief that people could change once more. “Then you should have approached us, and offered to help us, and our Orders could have worked together and learnt new things together. The galaxy could have been even stronger. Instead, you have destroyed the Jedi Temple, scattered our people and denied us the freedom to have our own beliefs, because you see them as flawed and wrong. Is that not a narrow minded view? You see us as different, so you cast us down and denied us the right to follow our own path.”
“You yourself said that you encourage people to disregard the corruption. Unless you speak a different language, which clearly you do not, that means ignoring the corruption before you, all in the name of ‘working closely with the republic’. Why should the Sith trust the Jedi and the Republic not to try to exterminate them? They have tried many times before. Do you know the legacy of Ss Supreme chancelor Pultimo?”
“Though he was no Jedi, he was a poster-boy for their view of the Sith. He did his best to exterminate an entire species, slaughtering defenseless women and children, all in the name of ‘peace’. This current war would only have had one outcome if it had gone on. Your utter annihilation. We Sith moved to give you the chance to live, rather than to kill you all. Is that not granting you freedom? Is that narrow-minded of us?”
“I have heard the tale.” Andri stated shortly. “And I did not mean that we encourage them to simply ignore corruption. I said disregard as in disregard the bribes, ignore the people trying to bribe them and be incorruptible themselves. To cast away the thought of themselves becoming corrupt and bring corruption to light so it can be dealt with properly, not to simply ignore others who are doing so. I meant-” She took a breath, crossing her arms over her chest to steady herself, “I meant for the people to put themselves above corruption and be decent people, and work together to bring corruption to light and eradicate it. Slow it may have been, but it was working.
“And - well. I thank you for the chance you have given us to live, however backhanded it may be by being the ones to almost cause our destruction. And I have no words to offer as condolences for the atrocities the previous governments and the forefathers of the Republic have committed. But I have said this before and I will say it again - should you punish the child for the sins of the father? It is better to teach than to destroy everything, to work together than to simply declare ‘this is how it shall be’. The Sith have done the latter - you have declared that our way of life is over, and that we must conform to your way, instead of trying to teach us how your way is better. This is why I do not believe in the goodness that you are trying to portray the Sith as having.”
“Telling people to be above corruption does not make them be above it. To stop corruption, you need to punish those who are corrupt. Telling them ‘be nice’ and stroking their hands will not make them do as you say. Why should they listen when the corrupt pay them not to listen?”
“As for forcing people to behave a certain way, you Jedi are anything but clean. Some three thousand years ago, you chased away those who disagreed with your views. They became the accessories of the Sith. About thirteen hundred years ago, you did your best to exterminate us, all for having a different view on the Force. There are countless other examples, but those are the greatest. For centuries, we have been among you, trying to teach you better. For centuries as, you have ignored the advice. Why would you listen now? You understand only strength. The Force has made us Sith strong. You Jedi have been helpful that way, but soon you will see it right. Soon you will embrace your birthright, the full power of the Force.”
“I-” Andri stopped. She had no retort, nothing her Master had ever taught her had truly prepared her for a clever Sith who obviously knew her way around words, and knew her history well. The Epicanthix could throw back all the times the Sith had attacked without provocation, but with the way the conversation had been going, the Sluissi woman would find some obscure piece of information and twist it back around on the Jedi. Andri could talk her way around Republic Senators all she liked, as most of them didn’t know history beyond that of their own planets and even then it was spotty at best, but this woman had access to all sorts of information on her computer, and was not afraid to use it.
Her next words had a bitter tinge behind them as she dropped her shoulders defensively. “Well, I suppose you’ve got your wish then - the Jedi are yours to teach as much as you like. Congratulations. Though, if the Trandoshan is the standard for the rest of the Sith on this ship, I don’t suppose we’ll last long. He seemed pretty determined to permanently maim us at the least; I wouldn’t be surprised if he killed a few of my fellows. Then where will your ‘chance’ go?”
“Lord sis is a brute. He has his success, but he is ruled by his emotions. He does not rule them like a proper Sith should. His kind are best pointed a direction and unleashed. I was surprised to see one of his kind here. Someday, someone will kill him after he makes another mistake. You must embrace your emotions, but you must not let them rule you.”
Miasa pondered what to do next with the Jedi. She had been fun to discuss with, but appeared to be spent for now. Jedi like her just weren’t reliable for a truly long discussion. “What do you think of your fellow prisoners?”
Andri tilted her head at the change of topic, but didn’t protest it. She didn’t really have anything more to contribute to it until she had a chance to gather her thoughts once more - something she doubted the Sith in front of her would allow. “Well...I only know two of them. One shared a Master with me, and the other I met this morning. But they all seem nice. Though…”
She trailed off for a moment, wondering about actually discussing her fellow Jedi with a Sith. In the end, as long as she didn’t share anything that could compromise the others, she didn’t really see any harm. There would be no negative repercussions from saying she thought someone was nice, after all. She shrugged. “I think a few of the younger ones might be a bit hasty to leap into a confrontation, as I did stumble upon the scene between Lord Sish and three of the younger Jedi when I left the bathroom. Other than that, I haven’t talked to them enough to really find anything out about them. How about yourself? What do you think of the other Sith, other than of course that Trandoshan?”
It was an odd feeling, to be having small talk with a Sith after the emotionally charged conversation she had just partaken in.
“Each has his or her uses.” Miasa answered cryptically. “Which prisoners shared a matter with you?” Miasa had no intention at this time to give the Jedi anything useful to use against the other Sith. She might give her something later, if it meant humbling of someone that had gone against her wishes, but not before. This Jedi clearly valued loyalty, so betraying her own would not be beneficial at this time.
“There are none you would consider just...talking to? None you would just say hello to in passing?” Andri asked her. She tried to ignore the Sluissi’s question, not particularly feeling like divulging that particular information. Besides, if they had captured them all, then they should have information on each prisoner. It wouldn’t be that hard for the Sith to look it up, but at least Andri would be able to say she didn’t freely give the information away. “You wouldn’t even simply talk with your apprentices that you mentioned earlier about something inconsequential?”
“My apprentices are themselves. If they choose to speak, then that is their choice. They are all working on projects for my master, as is proper. They have freedom to speak if they wish.” Miasa accessed the console before her, banishing the image of Nal Hutta, bringing up some data from the ship. She ‘accidentally’ let it show that they were in orbit above Tatooine, just to see whether the Jedi would spot it. “Interesting. It seems Lord Sish caused Darth Nyiss’ gas system to knock everyone unconsciousness a while ago. I doubt my master is pleased with him now… I wonder how many he killed or maimed before they were all put to sleep...”
She could easily have skipped saying anything about that, but it would be interesting to gauge the reaction from the Jedi.
Though Andri spotted Tatooine out of the corner of her eye, she didn’t focus on it. Instead, she winced at the mention of Lord Sish maiming and killing her fellow Jedi, frowning in worry as she glanced at the door. Though she had flippantly remarked it earlier, it was in a moment of bitterness over the previous conversation. She glanced back at the computer system and answered. “Well, I can only pray she activated it before anyone died or was seriously injured. I can only hope she was that merciful; though, she is a Sith. Mercy is not something I have heard of Sith showing very often.”
She chewed the inside of her lip as she watched watch the woman was doing at the console, trying to keep her hopes up about the situation back in the prison complex.
Miasa smiled at how worried the Jedi looked at her casual mention. Clearly the Jedi did not realize the information was given intentionally. That worry could be used later. It was a weakness, a flaw. “My master is merciful. Did she not grant one of the prisoners a new hand, no strings attached? She could have killed me back when I was a foolish child, but she kept me alive. I serve her willingly, for she provides what I need in turn. I have served her longer than you can possibly know. Her mercy is legendary.”
“I was not aware of her supplying one of the others with a new hand - it must have happened while I was otherwise occupied or sleeping.” Andri admitted. “But if it is as legendary as you say, then I have hope that my fellows weren’t too badly damaged by Lord Sish. She wouldn’t want her new students to be harmed, after all.”
“They were foolish to attack Lord sish. Had they attacked someone weaker, they might have had a chance. Doing so while unarmed is beyond stupid.” Miasa might have scorn for Lord Sish, but she did not consider him to be a powerless Sith. The fact that he had risen to his current rank at all indicated that he was more powerful than one might expect.
“You will think on what I said, yes? Anything you learn from the others may prove beneficial to share. Unlike Lord ssh, I do not wish to see you harmed.”
“I - yes. You have given me a lot to think about.” Andri wasn’t just saying this to placate the Sith either - she truly did have a lot to think about, and some meditation would be beneficial to her, to help her settle her thoughts and emotions once more. “I suppose this is the end of our discussion then? It was..interesting to talk to you.”
She hesitated a moment, before deciding it wouldn’t hurt to be polite. All the information on Andri was probably readily available for the Sluissi’s perusal anyway. “My name is Andri. Maybe under different circumstances we could have been good friends?”
Miasa thought about how to answer. She could ignore the Jedi, or she could share her own name. One might seem haughty, but the other could seem too kind. Not an easy choice. “The guard outside this room will see you back to the cells. You can call me Miasa, though in time you might call me Master.”
Andri grimaced at that last rejoinder, as it reminded her of her own Master who was now dead, and stepped back as the doors opened at some unseen signal from Miasa. She fell into line between the guard easily, allowing him to escort her back to the prison cells without protest.
