A Call to Order: Queen, Knights and Pawns

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

Certain events had begun in the harrowing halls of Bast Keep; and with all good plans ... there was a beginning, a middle and an end. It was on this fearsome winter morning, when the wind was howling and the snow was coming down in thick flakes, that Dalethria Mal Pannis decided that it was time for that beginning.

In the infamous study that housed a collection of books of lifetimes past, she sat at her desk and listened to the window vibrate in defiance against the wind. The shutters were closed to keep the cold and any distractions outside away. This was an important meeting and Dalethria would not tolerate such laziness. Too much was riding on today ...

Comfortably she rested her boots on top of her desk, a favorite position to relax in, and continued to read over various files that she acquired through the Hand.

The hand that was resting against her cheek came down so Dalethria could look at her watch. She frowned momentarily. It was close to nine hundred hours. The meeting was for ten and there was no sign of any ships entering Meras Space.

For the sake of Miran no Trunks and Kineas Grimm ... they had better arrive on time.

She set the datapad on the desk and laced her fingers together in a smile. That smile was directed to an animal that rested near the fire. It was a wolf, black as night and twice as large as any normal wolf. He sensed his Mistress was watching and turned around to looked upon Dalethria, the fire dancing in his opal eyes.

"Isn't that right, boy?"

Avagdu growled in agreement and then picked himself up to trot over to his Master. Winding around the desk, he placed his head in her lap as the Dark Jedi relaxed in her chair, gently stroking Avagdu's soft fur.

[Miryan no Trunks]

*Looking up as the form of Mistress Dalethria's home came into view amidst the various shades of grey that were beginning to equally become physical, MnT nodded to himself.. His trenchcoat began fluttering, and then blowing against him as the effects of the snow and wind started to effect him.. He had been called to her for a purpose, though what it was, he was not yet sure... Feeling what time it was, he was quite glad that he was not late.. Only about 9 o'clock.. As he fully entered the world, he reached up with one hand and knocked on the door.. He didn't need to, knowing that his Master would have felt his presence the moment he appeared, but it was still a formality, that he didn't wish to overlook..*

[Kineas Grimm]

Kineas' shuttle had just flew through the atmosphere, and was now currently landing onto the ground. He stepped down the ramp and walked out onto the ground. Snow was pouring down onto him now, and he was quite glad that his trenchcoat was buttoned up around him, however his face was freezing cold.

He ignored it was he walked on, small snow flakes landing upon his green skin, and then melting of falling off. His hair was also now becoming speckled with white as the snow poured on.

He was coming up a path that led towards a door, a door that someone was already standing in front of...

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

Avagdu's ears perked up and then lifted his head, eyeing the door. Dalethria knew what he sensed.

"It's all right. There's some time left and the two of them haven't met yet."

She inhaled deeply and leaned back comfortably in her chair.

"Could be interesting."

[imported_Taja Loraan]

A low, feral hiss resonated against the walls of the study. The echoes were heard by its tenants more subliminally rather than as actual sound, and again Avagdu's ears rose, this time out of recognition. The lithe form of a serpent slithered through the narrow space under the door leading into the room. There came a light knock against the wood, followed by a hushed, feminine voice.

"...Mother?"

The door was slowly pulled ajar as Taja stepped inside. Unlike the others scheduled to arrive for the meeting, this Dark Jedi was a resident of Meras' extreme northern reaches. "I hope I'm not intruding. Vasukii grew restless," she explained, referring to the black mamba that was now coiled before Dalethria's feet. She could hear that the remaining two partakers had reached the manor's front entrance. Miryan she had not seen since her resignation from the fallen Empire; Kineas, she recalled only from the clone's brief introduction by her brother Zasz, outside Bast.

[Kineas Grimm]

He came up to where the other person was. He looked to him, his green eyes eyeing him, curious. He knew that he would be here with his Master's other apprentices, but he didn't know this person. He wasn't in Zasz's memory, or if so, it was so small that Kineas didn't know him at all.

"Uh..er...Hello. I'm Kineas Grimm....I suppose that we shall be working with each other..?"

He arched his brow as he continued to talk to the man, trying to make idle conversation...

[Miryan no Trunks]

*Bowing a greeting, MnT smiled at the man and replied, his quiet voice bringing itself in full articulation to Kineas' ears, despite their soft tone.*

.. Good day Sir Grimm, I myself am Miryan no Trunks. I assume you are also one of Mistress Dalethria's students? If so, than yes, we likely will be, though on what I'm not yet sure..

*It struck him ever so slightly as being odd that the door had gone unanswered yet, but MnT knew that likely his Master was just busy with something at the moment..*

[Kineas Grimm]

Kineas dipped his head downwards in a nod, showing him respect as he did so to him. He listened to him as he introduced himself....

"I look forward to it Miryan...And I hope we work well.."

He smiled and looked at him for a minute, his lime green pupils watching him, unsure of what to do as he looked at the door, and then scratched his head as snow landed on it...

[Dalethria Mal Pannis]

Her eyes lit up in an adoring manner and Dalethria rose to her feet to greet her Daughter. Another hiss arose from the mamba, but she offered it no attention for her focus was Taja. Avagdu was already on his way to keep the snake company ...

"Ah, Taja. Good that you're here."

She traced the outlines of where her Kashirian blood had burned the skin of Taja's face, ever so tenderly with the pad of her finger.

"Much is to be done today."

The gentle touch was relinquished and the Dark Jedi turned, returning to the back of her desk.

"I presume you already know of our visitors today? Kineas you met and is my Apprentice now. I know there will be no difficulty with his presence since he is more or less a Brother ..."

Dalethria sat down and rested her elbows on the arms of the chair, linking her fingers together in front. Her blue eyes chilled to ice as she narrowed them at Taja.

"As for Miryan ... I do hope that your displeasure of the Empire will not interfere with the purpose of the mission."

[imported_Taja Loraan]

The scars the Kashirian inflicted upon her in Bast, all those months ago, had yet to fully heal. They existed even now as faint, subtle lines crossing over her cheeks, under her eyes, nose, chin... wherever the acidic blood had touched and seared her skin. And yet, one facet of the injuries was irreversible: through their shared madness, both women had formed a bond far deeper than that of Master and Apprentice.

Dalethria's mention of her former comrade caused Taja's jaws to clamp shut. True, her departure from the Empire had been on anything but congenial terms, but Miryan was absent during the affair... now, long since its fall, would he still regard her as a traitor?

Her face relaxed somewhat; whilst the Sith Lord's loyalties remained with Dalethria, she had no reason to distrust him. "No, it will not," she replied calmly.

Meanwhile, Vasukii grew bored of the wolf. The serpent glided along the desk and moved to the open door, then past the foyer until it reached the front entrance. Sliding outside via the gap between the door and its threshold, it pulled its entire length into a coil and raised its head, peering warily up at the two men.

[Kineas Grimm]

Kineas' lime green eyes saw the serpent and it caused him to back up slightly. He hadn't even seen it, much less heard it. He looked towards the door, and then back to Miryan before knocking on the door.

"Uh...Hello?"

He managed to say before looking back down to the serpent...