The cold planet of Mygeeto was a place Prognie had never decided to visit, it was a planet rich in crystals but was not rich in interest. But changes had made Mygeeto an important planet of the Empire and the Moff of the planet had now become an interest to Prognie.
His diplomatic shuttle that had been created for him by the ingenious Mon Calamari popped into existence in the space above the planet. Looming ships varying in strength were a demonstration of the Empire's might. He had scheduled a meeting with the Moff of the planet so his pilots made sure to insure that the Dark Lord was not brushed aside. With landing coordinates being provided the shuttle eventually landed on the icy planet below.
His shuttle had landed in the newly constructed Sith temple where he would be taken to the office of its leader.
Darth Suspiria
Darth Suspiria, Moff of Mygeeto sat in her chair, frowning at the paperwork on her desk. She looked out of the window and sighed. Her office was within the newly constructed Temple dedicated to the Dark Patronage of Arden Lyn. She smiled at the trees and green grass that surrounded the building.
As a world locked in an Ice Age green grass and trees were unknown on the rest of the planet. Suspiria hated the cold however and upon coming here had convinced the Banking Clans to construct a giant dome. They had complied with her wishes, and the clear structure towered into the sky. Within the enviromentally controlled dome, the Temple and a small dojo had been built. To get below the perma-frost had been difficult but in the end perserverance had won the day.
Trees and grass had been planted, and even birds flew within the structure. Flowers adorned the walkways and courtyard. The planet's citizens often came to enjoy the warmth and beauty, even the indigenous lemur-like Mygeetans. She was infinitely pleased with the results of the labor which had made this pleasant place possible. Even her quarters were within the dome, in a separate compound.
Mygeeto had become important to the Empire, and she was here to be a good steward of that importance. All of Kuat's banking interests were here as were the interests of many other worlds as well. Just as importantly, Mygeeto was rich in minerals, gems and crystals. In particular crystals used in the construction of lightsabers. Previously, the trade had gone far and wide, supplying crystals to both Sith and Jedi. Now however, with her arrival the Sith controlled the flow of crystals coming from Mygeeto's mines. The Jedi did not manufacture syth crystals. So once she had arrived to take over the Moffdom, they had to find new sources or utilize less reliable ones. It was a satisfactory result for the Empire.
A beep sounded from the communications system on her desk and she opened it. "Grand Inquisitor Prognie has just landed, Darth Suspiria" her aide-de-camp had relayed to her. She put down her paperwork and answered. "Please show him in. Bring refreshements as well." She rose from her chair and walked over to the window. Her face had a slight look of consternation on it. The Grand Inquisitor had taken an interest in her for some reason. She was curious to know why. Darth Suspiria turned as footsteps approached the door.
Grand Inquisitor Prognie
As he walked through the halls, Prognie noted all the beauty that had been given to the building. He appreciated design and he had many plans to restore the Empire to a beautiful place once he had completed his task. The guards who were leading him were flanked by his own two bodyguards, two inquisitors who he trusted simply to protect him in their interest. While he knew that they could betray him at any moment, they were loyal for now as long as whatever future they wanted he could still possibly offer it.
Reaching the office of Darth Suspira, Prognie motioned for his guards to take their place at the door. It wasn't that he didn't trust the Moff but the amount of enemies he had were increasing and each was becoming interested in ridding him from the galaxy. With a soft knock on the door, Prognie opened them and walked in.
With a gracious bow Prognie greeted the Moff, "Moff Suspira, it is an honor to see Mygeeto in such a lovely state."
Darth Suspiria
The Grand Inquisitor stood before her, tall and imposing. He greeted her however graciously. She returned his politeness, holding out her hand to shake his. "Thank you. I could not stand the dreary nature of the place when I first arrived. I convinced the Banking Clans to build this dome. Considering the power of the Empire, and wishing to keep my favor they obliged. This is far more pleasant than Mygeeto's natural weather state. So, what brings you to Mygeeto? Can I help you with something?"
She motioned towards a chair at a small sitting area off to the side. "Please, let us be comfortable. Have a seat. I have sent for refreshements." As though on cue an assistant entered carrying a tray. Darth Suspiria nodded for it to be set on the table between them.
"What would you prefer, Grand Inquisitor? I take tea at this time of day. There is also coffee and Corellian brandy." She smiled at him and then waved at the tray. "I shall gladly pour."
Grand Inquisitor Prognie
Knowing better than to deny a refreshment during such a crucial moment he nodded, "Some tea would be nice, thank you." Taking his seat while the woman poured his tea he scouted his chair forward a bit allowing for leg room but giving him a straight posture.
When she finally poured him his tea he took a sip before finally speaking, "Business brings me here to your neck of the galaxy. As you know or maybe heard, I am fighting rebellions across the galaxy and while the Inquisitors are self-sufficient the increase in funds are causing us to have to tap into funds that are meant to allow us to survive in case the Empire were ever to fall and we needed to survive outside of it."
"While I know you cannot approve funds to be provided to the Inquisitors, your support in my proposal would boost my effort to convince the High Council and Moffs that the necessity of the Inquisitors work is very important to the Empire."
Pulling out a datachip he placed it on the table, "On that datachip is information regarding growing threats to the Empire. These are threats that need to be acknowledged but are very delicate. We cannot simply send in the military because that's a scene or it ruins the trust that people place in their guardians. We are their shadow guardians, we protect them and they never know it. I need the funds to continue my shadow war against the increasing threats of the Empire, and as such I need a strong supporter in the Moffs to help me pave a greater future for the Empire."
He looked at Suspira trying to understand her, he had never dealt with her and as such wasn't sure how she did things. He was clear with her on things, he did not beat around the bush with his proposal in an attempt to make her believe that he was here with one true intent.
Darth Suspiria
Darth Suspiria watched carefully, as Grand Inquisitor Prognie sipped his tea and sat straight-backed in his chair. She really didn't know him, and was trying to get a gauge on where he was coming from. As a new Moff, she had no desire to become involved in the sometimes turbulent politics of the Empire.
Rumors were as numerous in the Empire as droplets of spring rain, and rumor held that this was an ambitious man. A very ambitious man. Carefully schooling her features to smooth expressionlessness, Suspiria stirred her tea slowly with an engraved spoon. A beautiful set of these utensils were a gift to her from the Banking Clans.
She lifted her head and looked squarely at him. She hoped that the Grand Inquisitor liked forthrightness and honesty. He was about to receive a powerful dose of both. "You are fighting battles all over the galaxy? Secret battles that require funds? How much in funds? Does the Inquisitorious not receive a yearly budget from the Empire's Comptrollers? Does the Emperor approve your budget? More than anything Grand Inquisitor Prognie is the following curiousity. Why, if you are in dire need of more funds, did you not request them of the Emperor? If you had I would have received orders to release them to the appropriate accounts. Many things are secret in the Empire. But the release of funds is a straightforward matter. When the Emperor commands, I distribute the monies he desires. What they are used for is not my concern, nor right to know. Once again, why did you not make your request of him?"
She tapped the datachip lightly on the table, and her violet eyes bore into his, waiting for his answer and what could be read in their depths.
Grand Inquisitor Prognie
Prognie smiled, he loved when someone could delve deeper into something but he noted her fears of allying herself so freely with him. There was an assumption that she might ask him why he had not gone to the Emperor, and as swiftly as he had made his request he had already had the answer to her question.
"I could have very well gone to the Emperor, made my request and avoided coming here all together. But that doesn't allow for us to meet and help one another out. We all have needs and some times it's easier to achieve them together than alone. The Emperor has taken a less hands on approach to controlling the Empire and is depending on the Moff Council to make decisions so that he appears less as the tyrant he is painted as. By going to him and asking him to approve something that I could just as easily have approved by the Moff Council, I deny the Emperor his attempt to clean his image."
"The Inquisitors do receive funds from the Empire but the ever increasing threats that the Empire has is taxing us a bit more than it usually has. As I said, the Inquisitors have funds stored away but those funds are meant to be used in the case where the government is overthrown and we need to work without it."
Looking at Suspira he awaited her response, she was likely analyzing what he told her in an attempt to discover some hidden agenda. But Prognie radiated the sincerity that she would try to find from him. He could undoubtedly overwhelm her defenses and implant the suggestion that she should trust him but he would wait for her to come to some conclusion first.
Darth Suspiria
Darth Suspiria watched Grand Inquisitor Prognie very closely. She looked for even the slightest movements. She had learned many things from her days as a thief. Narina had been a good teacher. A wealthy target would be picked after their arrival on a new world. Then the thieves would go about meeting the object of their scam. The person would then be 'scoped out' as Narina called it. The thieves then followed their intended victim, learning all about his/her life, finding where their finances were kept, what valuables were in their home, what they owned. The process sometimes took weeks, or even months.
The thieves would befriend a victim. Become their confidant. Once everything was in place, the thieves would strike. Asking first to 'borrow money'. Getting into the home. The thieves would leave their victims penniless and flee with their ill-gotten gains.
Suspiria knew she was far from an easy target. She was saavy and worldly. Also very cynical. Cynical of other people's true motivations and intentions. She was also learning to block her mind. She had been practicing and spent time doing so daily.
She smiled with calm regard at the Grand Inquisitor. "Perhaps honesty is the best course. When I first came to the Empire, people looked at me with derision. I came from less than complimentary circumstances. The Emperor succored me. Gave me a place in the Empire, granted me a Moffdom. Commanded the building of this Temple." She looked around pointedly at the room's luxurious accomodations. "My loyalty belongs to the Empire, and more importantly to the Emperor. Tell me Grand Inquisitor Prognie. Do you consider yourself a loyal citizen of the Empire?"
Grand Inquisitor Prognie
"I can feel the faint taste of distrust from you Darth Suspira, you are talking to a Dark Lord so weak attempts to conceal this are more notable. I work with the Moffs day in and day out, do not believe me to be a fool and not see their distrust in me. But that is jealousy, distrusting those around you because of their successes. I care for the Empire and fight for it, how I achieve my ends may not be respected but they get the job done and that's more than any of the men on that Moff Council can say and even those on the High Council."
He would look at Suspira with whatever sincerity he could emit but alas the loss of sight made that not possible and the bandanna on his eyes covered the orbs. He was now putting out a concentration of trust, he wanted her to believe him and as such he could eventually force her to believe him if she fought it. But it was pointless, the dark lord would overpower her in the end.
Darth Suspiria
"One is always wise Grand Inquisitor Prognie to distrust those that they do not know. An individual who rises to the heights of the Inquisitorious does not get there by being a kind hearted soul. I myself have risen quite rapidly and jealousy is certainly not a factor. I am also becoming skilled at closing my mind so your thoughts of mind control which I can read by the way, will most certainly not occur."
She stirred her tea again and leaned across the table towards him staring directly into his eyes. "The Emperor doesn't place responsibility in the weak-willed as I am sure you know. So let us not beat around the bush. What is your intention? Is it to oppose the Emperor? Sometimes people believe themselves loyal to an Empire but not to the one who rules it. If that is the case Grand Inquisitor Prognie, then you are in the wrong place. I serve not only the Empire, but Emperor Shadow as well. Your lack of sight is regrettable. It is however a far worse fate to be without inner vision."
Grand Inquisitor Prognie
Prognie was more amused with Suspira, "Darth Suspira, you wave around a high accusation about a Dark Lord who could very well eliminate you as he saw fit. Are assumptions what they are teaching apprentices now? To question the loyalty of others for better gain? It's cute, I am impressed with your lack of filter and that you are willing to question a dark lord, but I will tell you that I owe you no explanation or convincing argument. The Emperor has intrusted me with perhaps one of the deadliest Orders beneath him, I doubt he did such if he had foreseen a terrible fate."
"Unless of course you believe you have foreseen something he cannot, that you have somehow surpassed the powers of the Emperor with your mere training under semi-respectable Sith. Or perhaps you believe I am more powerful than the Emperor, able to bambozzle him for so long. As flattered as this makes me, I can tell you that the Emperor has great vision, being that he comes from the Church it is very unlikely that I could keep him from knowing anything when he has access to my systems and everything I touch."
With a sigh Prognie changed his approach slightly, "If you do not believe in what I do, then let me show you what it is I do. Clear your schedule, I am commanding that you come with me to Bakura where you will witness first hand what it is that the Inquisitors are doing." He was waiting for her to object, but if she objected then she could not deny what Prognie was doing based off of rumor and her own belief. If she went, well, she could possibly be thrown out an airlock and say it was a malfunction or she died honorably in combat.
Darth Suspiria
Darth Suspiria looked directly at Grand Inquisitor Prognie. The thieves had been hunted by the authorities in many places. Among the thieves themselves were several whose murderous backgrounds were known. Threats implied or otherwise would not succeed. She sat in her chair and did not quail.
"Firstly Grand Inquisitor Prognie, you just met me and want my trust.
Secondly, you tell me of threats to the Empire, proof of which I have not seen, and you want my trust. Thirdly, you desire funds without accountability and want my trust. Lastly, you did not tell the Emperor, have no good reason why you have not done so and yet want my trust."
She gripped the table. Her annoyance with him was rising. "If I had come to one of your apprentices with this same tale, and he or she just willingly did as I asked without appropriate inquiry, you would send them to the torture chamber. Tell me I am wrong."
He remained silent and she continued. "You can not answer, because I am not wrong. What the Emperor may foresee as a prophet, I am not privvy to at present. The pool of the universe which makes up the gift of prophesy is vast. It is a mighty river of life and time flowing onward in the continuum. It has tributaries of infinite possibilities for each occurance. No one Prophet can see all probabilities, nor know all futures. Not even your own. Not even the Emperor. We each see small bits and pieces. Together they may make up destiny's whole. I may well know something that the Emperor does not, and vice-versa. That is the purpose of the Church. To put all the sage visions of the farseers together to guide the Empire's future. To choose the tributary of that great river which flows to victory in all things, properity for our time, and governance of the galaxy. Is that not our goal? Why then Grand Inquisitor do you make your mission, more valued, more secret, more useful? We all live to serve. Is that not so?"
She stood and walked towards her desk. She would of course consent to accompany him. Teras Kasi and her dedication to the patronage of Arden Lyn were aiding her development mightily. Her force power skills were improving dramatically. She had read his thoughts, though he shielded well. She opened her commlink to the planetary communications center. "This is Moff Suspiria. Please inform the Emperor that I will be accompanying Grand Inquisitor Prognie on a trip to Bakura. I will return shortly." She smiled a slight knowing smile and turned in his direction.
"I prefer aisle seating Grand Inquisitor. Perhaps you shall not mind if the seat beside the door is assigned to you?"
Grand Inquisitor Prognie
Bingo thought Prognie in his head, "You said that trust is earned and yet the Empire, Emperor, and Dark Lords trust me and if you are such a strong supporter of the Emperor, would you not place your faith where he places his faith? We trust the Emperor to choose correctly, his policies, his decisions, and the people he chooses to work beneath him. He chose you, do you trust his decision to trust you with a position your rank has not earned in ages?" Prognie loved the philosophical ones, they had this great flow but there were always interruptions in their logics that they could never accept.
"As for your great description of visions, a powerful Sith, such as the Supreme Prophet can have great visions of the future all ever changing. That is your job, to piece together the visions in an attempt to calculate the final result. If you see pieces, then perhaps that is not a failure of the force to speak but your lack of training. Even I can foresee a lot, but if I were threatening the Empire than I am sure that would be something the Emperor would have foreseen in great detail."
Standing up he motioned for her to follow, "You will not be aisle sitting as I believe you have some military training which requires some piloting. I'd like to have you pilot my shuttle to the rendez-vous point, I will trust my life in your hands. Let us go, I have pilots to excuse from duty."
Darth Suspiria
The Grand Inquisitor really believes that his logic is correct. Truly he does not see how very flawed it is. Perhaps though if he did, he would see that the secretive path he was chosen is non-productive.
Darth Suspiria picked up her cloak and folded it over her arm. She clipped on her lightsaber. Inside the cloak in special pockets were the many daggers she was expert with, and a small blaster pistol. She considered her words, before speaking.
"Though I consider myself a rationalist in most things, I am not the Cognito Ergo Sum individual totally Grand Inquisitor. I am an Empiricist in the ancient tradition. What I see, feel, touch, hear, taste and converse with I believe in. In other words, I trust what I know. I know you not. You are an unknown factor. Logic, reason, caution all tell me to make up my own mind on the merits of what I perceive."
"There are millions of planets and trillions of sentient beings in just this galaxy alone. There are the possibilities concerning those planets of millions of naturally occurring events. It would be unwise, beyond reasonable, and inaccurate to believe that one person can possibly foresee all of those things. The true seer, remembers the past, perceives and discerns the present, foretells the future. All that occurs in the phenomenom we call time, is beyond our ability to comprehend. What we hope to ascertain, is all of it that concerns the Sith, affects the Empire. For a person to believe that one thinking mind could contain it all, is utter folly. It has nothing to do with training. It has everything to do with the limitations of temporal beings. Only the Force can contain it all. Do you believe that you are as powerful as the Force itself and all that it contains therein Grand Inquisitor Prognie?"
Grand Inquisitor Prognie
"And yet you don't know the Emperor, you know of his name and what he stands for but you know as much of him as you do of me and he is the hero and I am his antagonist. Interesting how you have concluded this, all your thought and not quite close."
Suspira threaded the deeper paths of the force, things that were not important to him any more but had been paths he had once traversed. "I believe I am capable of what I wish, the force is an energy that we bend and wield just as a sword, blaster, and any tool. The force does not limit us, we limit ourselves, the force flows through every being with a few rare exceptions and with the force we can control those things. To believe you cannot achieve something is already the realization that you cannot accomplish the limitless things that the force can do."
"What more is there to the world than to control, the force and the very things that it touches. We are the bearers of an unlimited source of power, that power is ours to wield not the other way around. You can pretend to understand the force or you can pretend it is not understandable but in the end, it is simply an energy that engulfs us. And with that energy we can manipulate everything life or death." Prognie expanded his senses and his being around himself, he could feel Suspira in all her being. If he listened carefully he could hear her heart, beating in rhythm before it finally ceased. The blood in her body stopped, Prognie stopped in his track. Almost as if unaware that Suspira was captured in some unknown trap. Lifting her from the ground with no effort he finally released the grasp on her heart to continue the blood flow.
With his senses he could pin point places on her body and with the force destroy them, her organs, he could clog her system, he could even pinch various areas on her spinal cord and brain for various affects. And even more swiftly, he could smash her entire body inward. "I can control you as I do anything else Suspira, that is the power of the force, it is control and manipulation. The manipulation of our surroundings, energy, thoughts, time, and when I discover it: space itself. You may limit yourself to what is possible and I will discover the impossible." Continuing to walk forward the Dark Lord motioned again for her to continue after giving her ample time to catch her breath.
"You seem to believe that my secretive work is secretive, you know what I do the Emperor knows, and the Empire knows. I find traitors to the Empire, it has been the work of the Inquisitors for ages. You seem to run under the impression that there is more to me, perhaps you will discover something and impress us both."
Darth Suspiria
Darth Suspiria caught her breath and then calmed herself. Fury over what he had just done would not avail her. Careful thought would.
"Is that all the Force is Grand Inquisitor? There are those who believe that the Force is a Sentient Being. Oh yes we can do the impossible to a certain extent. Of course we can. We are Force-Sensitives and we wield power as others do ordinary weapons. You can believe that you totally control the Force. But the totality of the Force is beyond us. Is that a limitation of self-actualization? No I think not. I also believe that there is a REALITY to life and to the universe. We use the Force to accomplish great things. But the truly great thing is that the Force exists."
" My doubts are fueled by your words. You came here asking for funds and crying you are a loyal servant. Yet this same Emperor that you ask me to trust ,you do not inform of your need for said credits. Which is the correct interpretation? What is true? Are you the loyal servant of the Empire, or the secretive plotter of personal schemes? Do you know the way any longer?... Do you? Or have you become just a lost soul, believing themselves more powerful than the Force? Preparing to forsake all loyalty and the last vestiges of honor?"
Suspiria knew his species was naturally blind but that some had discovered a way to see with the Force. She smiled a derisive smile. Focusing, she cut his sight off from the Force. He could now not see anything, naturally or pretanaturally. Then she created a dachina. (Dark wind), swirled it around him like a suffocating cloak and left him there, walking onward to the ship.
Grand Inquisitor Prognie
"Those that believe too deeply in the force tend to get lost within it and can never advance. You become a tool of the force, that is not the way of power nor is that the way one controls the force to its full capabilities. Your thoughts are what Jedi teach, to think of the force as something that drives us and not the other way around."
"I have told you my reasoning for not going to the Emperor, you have misunderstood my obvious request. I have asked you to help support a motion I will place before the Moffs, to approve funds for the Inquisitors. The Emperor will be present if not, he will know what happens. It is not me being underhanded and asking you to relinquish funds in my name to never be seen again. You are trying to look for a reason to paint me as the destroyer of the Empire and yet here I am just asking for your support in a matter that I will place before your rumor spewing moffs."
(Prognie isn't a miraluka if that's what you meant by his species being naturally blind. )
Darth Suspiria
"Grand Inquisitor Prognie. No one would like to believe you loyal to the Empire more than me. We had not discussed you presenting this to the Moffs. I thought you just wanted the funds. I considered that to be lacking in appropriate openness. I understand that sometimes Inquisitor missions must be secret. But the funding should be open to scrutiny."
"I would fully support a request to the Moffs. Is that satisfactory to you?"
"As for my view of the Force, I do what works for me. At present I practice Teras Kasi the lightsaber form used by Arden Lyn. It has a whole philosophy regarding the Force. I draw it from within myself to feed the emotions for combat, then refill the well through meditation. Arden Lyn was a Dark Jedi. We have an altar to her at the main temple on Kuat. As we do here. Do you question her and my dedication to the Darkside?"
Grand Inquisitor Prognie
Prognie did not display any sign of interest in her choice of dark adepts, if one went around claiming every adept was significant then the entire Empire would feel they were owed something. "Anyone who has touched the force undoubtedly has an alter in that temple, soon insignificant lords will have an alter there and will we honor them for their unknown influence? So I question the place of many Lords, Adepts, and users alike. I do not simply honor someone because their alter was erected in a building."
"As for your support, I am honored that you are willing to back it. But it seems to me you have a bit of distrust for what I do. So I would still like it if you would accompany me on this trip, you will get to see firsthand what many do not know."
Prognie ignored her attempts to use the force upon him, anything she could possibly muster he fought back without much effort. She was playing the wrong game with the wrong man, but she was still as valuable as she would be a nuisance.
Reaching the shuttle that he had arrived in he stopped near the ramp waving the guards away he told them to leave. They were capable men and would see their own way off the planet, they were trained to do so at any moments notice and he didn't doubt their ability now. "The pilot should have left the ship so whenever you're ready we can go in. I'll give you a few moments to get accustomed to the ship's design, the Mon Calamari use a bit of a different style but they tried to keep it as normal as possible to accommodate any pilot that would pilot it for me."
Darth Suspiria
Darth Suspiria stared hard at Grand Inquisitor Prognie. She saw his stance, read his thoughts and listened to his words.
"Ah yes, Grand Inquisitor. It is is very difficult to worship at someone else's altar when you are so dedicated to worshipping at your own."
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