Flame in the Frost (Neology)

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Zexva had been traveling away from Korriban more, and more recently to the other planets that the Sith had taken. Besides his one stop at Ruusan where he ran into that Jedi girl a couple of weeks ago, he hadn't set foot on another planet that wasn't controlled by his people. Plus they had taken this place from the Jedi it was a monument to their power, and from reports that he had heard one of the Darth's were here. The most powerful of the Sith they controlled the order, and kept the balance maintained so it wasn't constant chaos. With his cloak pulled tight around him to protect from the frigid winds of the frozen planet he made his way to the Temple.

He was here on unofficial business to talk to one of the Darths, her name was Novus, and from the stories he had heard she was just the person he needed to speak to. Zexva was skilled at many aspects, of using force to control other's which was only heightened by his races natural empathy. There was one emotion however that he failed constantly to understand, it bothered him to not have the knowledge of it that he wished so that he could better manipulate others. Specifically that Jedi girl he met. She was so innocent, and naive to the worlds ways he wanted to bring her over to his side if for no other reason than as a conquest against the cursed Jedi Order that plagued him, and the other Sith.

As he made his way to the temple, and through the corridors to her office. He kept his cloak pulled tight around, and lowered his hood to reveal his soft pink complexion, and his crimson shaded hair, pulled back in it' usual wolf tail. He didn't know what time it was on the planet because he was too focused on his goal at hand. This was an important mission to himself, maybe not to other's, but to him this had to be done. So he knocked on her office mulling about how he would go about asking her this particular bit of advice without her actively trying to kill him. She was the most sociable of the Darth's or so he had heard, and that was why he was going to ask her, and not the others.

Plus she was a female she would have to know the answer to the one thing that bogged down on the Zeltron's mind. Something he couldn't fully grasp because of the way his life had turned out. After knocking a few times he waited outside taking a deep breath knowing very well that his life could end for what he was attempting to do, but that would be okay. This was worth it.

[Neology]

Evening on Rhen Var was as dreary and cold as any other time of day. While most sentients would surely find the desolate ice world thoroughly disagreeable, Novus loved it. The bracing chill recalled in her blood the birth planet she'd long given up and the temple provided an endless supply of reading material. Better yet, only a token force of Imperial soldiers and a few stray initiates shared the halls with her.

From such a place, it became easy to see how Overlord Iniquitous fell into such long periods of study. The temptation was certainly there – bury her nose in the archives until it was time to do something. Though surely if that were the case, she'd be desperate to travel again soon after.

Novus sighed and closed the tome that sat in front of her, a very dry account on the purge of Yavin IV. Useless, of course. The Jedi were not fools, more's the pity. They hadn't gone through all the trouble of hiding a planet only to leave clues out in the open. A mug of tea found it's way to her hands and the Arkanian leaned back in her chair. Blue eyes, idle, settled on the dusty book, admiring it's contrast against the black glass of her desk. For a time, she dozed.

Knocking woke her with a start. The mug fell from loose fingers, spilling cold tea on the carpeted floor. Novus swore under her breath, casting about for something to drench up the mess.

“Come in!” She called through the door.

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He heard her words to come in, and he wasted no time in doing that. Opening the door he pulled the door open, and stepped in closing it behind him. She was obviously looking for something, but he didn't know what until he spotted a large stain on the carpet with a cup nearby. She had apparently spilled something on the floor, and was probably attempting to clean it up. Walking forward without a word he picked up the cup from the ground, and placed it tenderly back on the table before stepping away from it.

"I apologize if I am interrupting you Lady Novus...I needed an opinion on something, and my research told me you were the one best suited for the kind of task that I had in mind." his words were soft, and he spoke them measured.

He felt incredibly uncomfortable discussing the topic of that strange feeling that he got around that Jedi girl. Zexva had told no one about that, and she would be the first person that he told, but he was going to leave out a few details like the fact that the girl was a Jedi. He could tell no one that he had been with a Jedi, and that he had pressed his lips against her's...That was another detail he would leave out. If nothing else than so that she wouldn't kill him right where he stood.

He waited patiently for her to reply while he contemplated on how to broach the subject with her, after all it wasn't everyday that someone went to a Darth for love advice.

[Neology]

Novus glanced up, brows rising as she took in the figure before her. A young man with the distinctive reddish skin and hair of his species, swathed in a heavy cloak. Handsome despite his youth, but then, it was harder to find a zeltron who wasn't. He was not one of Rhen Varr's temple residents - she was sure that she'd met all of those. Recently arrived, then. What could he possibly need to talk to her in the middle of the night for?

She gave up on cleaning up the spill with a small sigh, deciding abruptly to let it become someone else's problem. As it was, she knew first hand that the carpeting had endured worse. Leaning back in her chair, she watched her curious guest retrieve her escaped mug and set it to right. Novus acknowledge this with a nod, listening carefully as he spoke. His words brought a sardonic smile to her lips.

“You've researched?” She stifled a small laugh – most Sith didn't even know her name, leading to tiresome confrontations like the one with Lady Angelous. Novus waved a hand, motioning for him to sit down across from her. “Well then, by all means, do go on.”

What did he mean, a task? Her skills as an assassin were not well known, made available only to the Inner Sanctum and her own private discretion. Her ties to Imperial Intelligence were more obvious, but likely beyond the teenage boy's range of interests. 'How curious.'

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Taking a deep breath so that he could steel himself for what he was about to confess to a Darth. He didn't know how he should star this exactly because he wasn't sure that she could actually help him. Most people would be asking about how to torture people more effectively, or for combat advice. Not to talk about strange feelings, and he wasn't exactly sure how this was going to go.

"I needed someone of your type to teach me about the emotions of others one emotion in particular, I believe that it is called love. I need to know what it feel's like, and how to manipulate it..." he stated in an even tone keeping his emotions in check just like his old master taught him to.

"I only ask because I was in a situation a little while ago that caused me to feel uncomfortable, and I wish to make it so I never feel that way again." he stated to her staring right into her eyes.

[Neology]

“Someone of my type?” Novus echoed the young man, silver brows drawing down. A wave of her hand flipped a hidden switch on her desk. The door and window sealed, an electronic thwump that belied the temple's ancient stone facade with modern technology.

“Initiate, I'm afraid someone has played a cruel joke on you.” Her voice had taken on a strangely muffled quality, thanks to the room's discrete soundproofing. “Darth Renata possesses unrivaled skills of seduction, and even one such as you will have heard of Darth Eurachis's reputation for womanizing.” Her hands rested flat against the arms of her chair, clawed fingertips digging tiny notches into the polished wood.

“It is my will that you return to whoever told you this. Discipline them for lying to you.” She studied him as she spoke, as she might a specimen under glass. His emotions were there, swept beneath a steely resolve that was impressive for his youth. Her senses appraised that undercurrent of fear and frustration, finding little else of interest. No deception, no mockery, no malice. Someone's pawn, sent on a hunch? Then his death would surely confirm something, to an unknown puppeteer. Indulging the young man's questions seemed the better option.

“I will try to help, but your desires are your own, initiate. What, exactly, are you asking me?” She raised a kettle off a hot plate, refilling her mug with hot water. From a desk drawer she produced a bag of tea leaves. “Telling me more about your situation might be a good start. Otherwise, I will tell you only this: study the code if you want philosophy and speak to a man if you need to know how it works.”