Conventus Mentibus [Baba Yaga]

[Meira]

Cassius considered her offer, his eyes watching her with an intensity that Renata imagined might terrify a lesser being. Sweet man. she thought. I have stood before a greater power than you. But she had not intention of discussing such things with Cassius. He believed himself to be the more powerful being in the room. And in all technicalities, he was. But Cassius was not aware of the full might that Renata controlled. One day, perhaps she'd show him. But not today.

So Renata nodded her head, casting her eyes downward demurely. She would be supplicant before him, bending to his will as he saw fit. That was what he wanted and while Cassius might think himself so much better than the Sith he despised, he was lying to himself.

"I should hope," she said, leading the way toward the private lift that would take them to the roof, "that a fine meal is never a waste of time."

The lift doors opened. Inside stood an attendant, yet another handsome Hapan. Renata allowed a comfortable silence to fall between herself and her guest as the doors closed again and the attendant selected the roof level. Soft music played in the air, barely audible as they rose.

The doors opened to reveal a stunning view. Dense forest came to a sudden halt at the edge of the city, sleek and twinkling with light. These towers rose and rose, drawing the eye toward the magnificent Fountain Palace, balanced on the cliff side with the ocean just beyond. The twilight cast the entire scene in a beautiful purple-pink glow, with five of the planet's moons visible in the sky. The air was salty-sweet as it rolled in from the coast. Renata breathed it in with pleasure.

Ahead of them, a single table was set for one, but a waiter was fast at work arranging a second placement. A female Hapan greeted Renata and Cassius, dipping into a curtsey as she gestured for them to follow her. They arrived at the table just as the waiter finished Cassius' addition to the table. The man dipped his head in greeting and quickly maneuvered to pull out Renata's chair for her. The Dark lady sat, allowing the man to gently place her napkin in her lap.

"Our head chef has prepared the finest Hapan dishes for you this evening." the woman stated as the waiter retrieved a bottle of wine. "We recommend the Lorell Blanc to start. It comes from our famous Lorell Vinyards, crisp with monarch flower notes."

Renata nodded her head and the waiter stepped to her side to pour the wine into her glass. As he did, Renata's eyes looked to Cassius. Would he indulge now? It might seem quite rude if he did not at least accept a small amount.

[Poludnica]

One more he couldn't tell if the woman's coyness was a trick or a genuine submission. Cassius could rip the information from her probably, but giving the girl's skill – not without leaving a devastation behind in this lovely mind. For now, she was worth for him more with sharp mind. Another link to Nieraan, maybe another mean to control his rebellious daughter. A familiar intuition whispered quiet warnings, old sayings about looking into the abyss. He had spent decades vanquishing fallen ones, decades of conditioning that taught him to hate the dark side but even this indoctrination couldn't stop the alluring, siren's song. A promise of power. It was a treacherous path: no matter how much control one wielded, the first for power could never be sated. There is always more to gain, especially in the Galaxy so big. The Sith territories were beyond his grasp – only his informants could go through: well paid spies hidden in meaningless roles of cooks, janitors, drivers.

Their news were disturbing – for once Danica found a man...An alien disturbed enough to stay with her. Pathetic. Phoenix could be just another bird whispering him their secrets. ”I will never pass a good, Hapan meal.” He said, carefully reading in the Force if there were any warnings. A poison, an assassination attempt...No, all was quiet. The elevator sang it's short song before the doors opened into a spacious balcony. Cassius took a step toward a table but stopped, his attention immediately drawn to a beautiful sight before him. Thick forests basking in the evening light, creating a breathtaking spectacle. He was a man of an acute anesthetic sense and with unmasked pleasure enjoyed the view before finally taking a seat at the table.

His gaze briefly hung on a handsome Hapan man that helped Renata but it quickly moved to the forests spread near the horizon and the sun that was coming to the lowest point in a day. Soon the planet would be pushed into another daylight. In this place the night never fell, leaving its inhabitants suspiciously terrified of the dark. A curious human off shoot, Cassius admired their selective breeding and even respected if remained aloof. Women ruled this place which didn't sit well with the grey jedi, but the isolationist politics made it a good place to merge his less...legal ventures into Republic space. All about small sacrifices.

The waiter offered them wine to which Cassius nodded absently, his eyes still trailing the lush forests beyond. Lorell The man thought idly, remembering the history of Hapes. A criminal base, developed into an humanity off shoot after mere four hundred years. Genetic wash outs, handicapped by ever lasting daylight. He reached for the glass, his fingers gently caressed its cold surface. The wine smelled delightfully and Cassius took a small sip, enjoying the flavor. Even if he was more of a bourbon man, the grey master could appreciate expensive beverage of any kind. The silence between them wasn't burdening – it seemed like a natural consequence of this place's beauty. Reckless words would ruin this serene moment.

[Meira]

Renata relaxed into the silence that fell between them as they took their seats at the table. She sipped at the wine and watched Cassius as he admired the landscape. She'd had plenty of time to enjoy the scenery and so used this moment to truly look at her companion. The silver in this hair spoke to his age, but the smooth skin, stretched over lean muscle belied the strong health and strict training he must maintain to keep the effects of aging at bay. His hands, well manicured, moved with the grace of a rich man, but still told tales of hard work and training. Those signs were subtle, but they were there. And his presence within the force spoke again of his discipline.

When Renata had first sampled the dark side, she did not so much fall as dived. She plunged head first into the abyss and found herself luxuriating in the power. She was selfish, lustful, and cruel. She took what she wanted and left any in her way in pieces. She made toys out of the minds of lesser beings, using them to learn the secrets of manipulation and pushed them to breaking points -and then beyond- just to sate her own curiosity. She had acted on whims and impulses, leaving little or no thought to the consequences. She had thought she was happy. But such abandon took its toll and that woman soon began to feel the emptiness that was was the result of her actions. She had always been smart, and her folly did eventually prove to be a lesson she would learn, albeit slowly.

When she'd met Jahn, before he was Veratos and she Renata, she had so quickly jumped back into that role of subjugation. Had she no mind to see that she was little more than a swinging pendulum? She'd given herself over fully to fantasy, just as she had done with the Jedi. And what did she have to show for any of it? Nothing. Together, she and Jahn had learned to temper the wild call of the darkness with control. Iniquitous gave them new life in the Sith Order, and Renata was a fitting name to represent that. The reborn. She had vowed then to never squander the gift and had held true to her word.

Now, across the able from her, sat a man who understood the benefit of control. Renata recognized in him a fellow soul that knew the intricate steps in the dance that played out on the razor's edge. But where they differed was that he thought there was nothing of worth beyond where he danced, and Renata knew just how much more there truly was.

She smiled at her companion as the waiter brought out their first course, a light salad with a basket of bread. Renata plucked a piece from the basket, pulling it apart with her finger tips as she watched the man. "I would love to know more about you, Cassius." she admitted. "You surround yourself in such mystery. I cannot help myself. Would you indulge me? Just a little?"

[Poludnica]

This woman had one, very important quality Danica and her mother never possessed: she didn’t mind silence. His daughter grew restless whenever the conversation came to a natural halt. She was so absorbing, attention seeking. Phoenix could melt into a background with her stillness. Cassius himself was a man of modest gestures and calm, controlled composure. He abhorred histrionic nature Danica brought with herself into every interaction. This new…acquaintance showed similar qualities to him but Cassius had yet to determine whether it was a mere chameleon effect or a genuine trait. He enjoyed it nonetheless.

The dark side within her was also different than what he felt from a common, fallen rabble. It made an impression of alluring tranquil, tainted but promising. Leaving impression that one could master it but Cassius knew better than that. Dark side couldn’t be mastered - the first lesson he had received. Once tasted, the darkness swallowed its wielder whole: dictating his whims, needs. Sometimes the only thing that kept Cassius from making the final step was losing the overbearing self-restrain beaten into him. Many believed that deceit, luck or villainous wit let him built such vast, corrupted empire with bright goal behind it. They were wrong though, what was a major factor in his success could be summed up in a short phrase: dedication and self-control. Hard work over genius. Restrain over unruly feelings.

Cassius never called after the dark side, which didn’t stop him from using its wielders. Like a woman sitting next to him - enigmatic, calm and manipulative but not in a way Danica was. Turning herself into a weak victim knights in tattered armours saved. He took a piece of bread, gently turned in his fingers, watching evenly baked surface before taking a small bite. Cassius closed his eyes, enjoying delicious morsel melting under his tongue. On the contrary to what many thought of him, Cassius took pleasure in insignificant, simple things.

A melodic chuckle left his lips when Phoenix tried shameless, albeit indirect flattery. An interest shown by a lovely lady certainly could tickle egos of most men. Cassius felt genuinely amused by it but complied, wondering if her inquiries would touch on anything…useful for other parties. ”I am told that an hour of my time is worth about half a million credits, which makes them very expensive questions.” He said with a sigh, his tone surprisingly lighthearted and warm. Cassius realised how long it had been since he had someone interesting around. Someone refreshingly not terrified of him or plainly boring. ”However.” The tall man raised a glass of delicious wine to his lips. He looked over its edges, seeking Phoenix gaze. ’I will have questions of my own.” Cassius offered - a fair trade. Especially for a man who abused fair play rather than used it.

[Meira]

While her companion considered her request, Renata considered her salad. Taking a fork, she skewered a few dark green leaves and brought them to her lips. The dressing was light and oily, with a touch of some fruit she could not identify. Local, no doubt. Together with the earthy vegetation, it created a simple, yet delicious flavor. The cool breeze and the warm bread complimented the moment perfectly. These Hapans knew a thing or two about rooftop dining on their twilight planet.

When Cassius chose to respond, Renata found herself smiling at the man. She had come to the decision that, beyond the fact that she found him useful, Renata quite enjoyed Cassius. He was direct and elegant; not an easy combination. He was used to being the most powerful man in the room, but also maintained a guard. Always ready. She knew what it took to keep such a thing up, though for not exactly the same reasons. Renata wasn't always the most powerful being in a room. She had weaknesses, but she was not the kind of fool to think that her strengths -which were considerable- always protected her. Where Cassius had established himself by being a colossal presence, Renata had established herself by appearing less than what she was. Her demeanor, her movements, and her words were all chosen to allow those around her to feel safe. Fools lowered their guard. Smarter beings understood. This dance, mixed with her considerable skill at winning the loyalties of others helped Renata ensure that, even if she didn't have the biggest gun in the room, she always had the most.

In this instance, Renata did not really out number Cassius, but she didn't have to. There was too much risk in any violence or display of power on his part. And the fact that he was not one to do such things for appearances alone allowed her to make this concession. Cassius was lucky to meet Renata here, on truly even ground. Such a thing would not likely ever happen again. Though, in all honesty, she would expect nothing less of herself or her companion.

"Are you proposing a game of 'Show me yours and I'll show you mine'?" Renata asked, a mischievous light dancing in her ice blue eyes. She took a sip of her drink, allowing for a silence to settle for a moment. Then, setting the glass down with an air of resignation, she laughed. "Well, I suppose it's only fair. But, ladies first if you don't mind."

She paused again, taking another bite of her salad while her eyes watched Cassius, considering. When she'd finished chewing, she touched her napkin demurely to the corners of her lips before speaking.

"I'll warn you now, I've little interest in historical anecdotes of your life. I'm much more interested in your passions, if you have any." She leaned back in the chair, fixing him with an inquisitive eye. "So tell me, Cassius... What is something you've always wished to do."

[Poludnica]

The most frustrating thing in the known universe was the fact the Galaxy wasn’t what Cassius wanted it to be. Rarely did he meet people worthy his attention, especially among the fairer sex. Phoenix displayed admirable class and restrain. The old master had his doubts about the girl, but it wouldn’t matter if she could become a tool to bring Danica from the verge of destruction. The fact Phoenix was human and pleasant belonged with additional perks. Despite inherent elitism Cassius had few tough lessons that good allies can come in all shape and sizes. He spent years in the Hutt space, using the fat slugs just like they used him. As Darek, the CEO worked for many shady, alien characters and swallowed own pride. With the girl before him it wasn’t necessary - dealing with Phoenix didn’t chip at his gravitas.

The smile she offered him was modest and alluring. A bit cheeky. Cassius pondered how easily men fell for those tricks. He could see many fools getting caught in this pretty, clever gaze. The grey Jedi felt rather safe when it came to this - he admired Phoenix beauty in purely aesthetic manner. Like staring at an exquisite peace of the art. ”Nothing wrong with that.” Cassius offered and took another morsel of bread, this time soaking it in the salad’s vinegar. The little game might help him in exposing any lies hidden behind the girl’s story - the man was no fool, certainly Phoenix hid some things or would have if was smart enough. Cassius, as a known businessman, had less flexibility when it came to truth but he certainly wouldn’t share everything.

”Please do.” The man said and stabbed a peace of fruit with a fork. ”I have nothing to hide.” Cassius lied smoothly. He enjoyed the fresh taste of the salad, pushing paranoid worries about being poisoned away. The Force was quiet and still between them, melting with the background of setting sun. ”I am not sure if I even have any interesting anecdotes to tell.” The grey Jedi chuckled. Oh he had plenty, but not as Cassius Liviana, but Darek - the Hutt’s, fearmogering hound.

The man put down the fork, indicating he was done with the salad. Its sweet taste still lingered on his tongue. Passion…Cassius remained silent for a moment while tried to guess intention behind the question. A simpleton curiosity or something else? The inquiry immediately directed his thoughts toward Nieraan and how much he wanted to kill the pesky slum rat. The craving that could easily turn into obsession. That he always dreamed about throwing non humans to their knees before human empire and the Core.

The Force thickened around Cassius, it grew darker but only for a heartbeat. The grey jedi steeled himself and stuffed down the twisted cravings. ”Speeders.” He said with a charming, almost boyish smile. ”I always wanted to be a racing driver.” The best lie was hidden under a flood of truth - Cassius collected speeders like some did old coins and archaic credit chits. He liked speeding through the night sky and a rush dangerous, risky drive gave him.

”What about you?”