Friends in High Places (Meira)

[Poludnica]

Only five years ago Danica promised herself to never set foot on Korriban again. The howling, desert wind brought the acrid scent of scorched rocks. When the human woman stepped out of the shuttle and breathed in, her stomach churned. The feeling lasted only a heartbeat but it was enough to freeze Danica in place. She closed her eyes attempting to chase away the intrusive memories. The scent of blood, her daughter's helpless cries...Danica inhaled sharply, loudly enough to disconcert the security detail. Immediately one of the guards inquired about her well-being, but Danica dismissively shooed him away. If it was up to her, she would have never returned. Unfortunately, that meant turning down Renata and no one in their right mind refused the Empress.

Danica swallowed the grief and fear Korriban stirred in her before forcing herself to take another step. And another. The pale green dress billowed in the wind, making walking this much harder. I hate this planet. Danica thought bitterly, unable to think about anything else but the loss she had gone through all those years ago. The woman's thoughts immediately drifted to Marcus, the lost boy. She had never been the same after Cassius took her son. The event had plunged the Coruscanti woman into a deep, dark pit of a year-long depression. After it ended, Danica found herself more anxious and less decisive. She managed to keep the business afloat, even with moderate success, but her days filled with spontaneous risk-taking were gone.

The Korriban temple was as monumental as ever. Danica glanced around absentmindedly, focused more on the memories than surrounding reality. Her mind clung to the past, jumping from an image to image, somehow always going back the night Cassius had taken Marcus. Get a grip. Danica bit down on her lip, hoping that pain would bring back the focus. She didn't want to look weak in front of Renata; there was no room for that among the Sith.

After short elevator ride, Danica reached the room Renata chose for a meeting place. The businesswoman nervously played with a silver bracelet, without realizing how anxious she truly was. There was no reason for that. Danica was loyal to Renata and, as a partner to a Darth, she felt relatively safe among the Sith. Her business funded more than one Imperial endeavor, so it was only natural Renata wanted to check in from time to time on how Livco was fairing.

Then why the jitters?

[Meira]

Strangely, Renata missed Korriban. It was not something she was actively aware of, but she would notice it whenever she returned to the Sith Temple there. She had made that place her home, her sanctuary for years. She'd never adapted to the sun, but had learned to love the dry heat of the dessert world. After her ascension, Renata was obliged to relocate to Dromund Kaas, where she could more easily control both the Order and the Empire as a whole. It didn't take long to learn that she much preferred the desert to the humid jungles of the Capital. But being Empress wasn't about getting what she wanted. It was about ruling an empire, by whatever means necessary. And so her trips to Korriban were few and far between, but always welcome. With the higher ranks of the Sith Order relocating to the temple in Kaas City, the Korriban temple had more room for the expanding lower ranks of neophytes. the Lords and Ladies of the Order would make occasional appearances, spurring the initiates to prove themselves worthy of promotion. And then she would visit, sending the temple into an absolute frenzy. There would be more than a few deaths before Renata returned to the Capital.

A ping on her datapad alerted the Empress that Danica had just landed. Renata smiled. She very much enjoyed the woman, and Danica had proved useful in several ways since their initial meeting. Her company provided the Empire with a steady flow of credits to fund many of their military projects. Her social skills among the Empire's aristocracy helped to keep some of the more twitchy nobles in line. But most of all, her relationship with Aurelius allowed Renata another puppet string to use when needed with the not entirely domesticated Darth.

Renata exited the office through a doorway into the meeting room. "Danica!" she exclaimed as she entered the room from the opposite wall. Holding up her arms, Renata smiled at the other woman, beckoning her forward and then pulled her into an embrace. She then placed her hands on the other woman's upper arms, stepping back but keeping her close. "Thank you for coming. I know it must not have been easy for you." She touched a hand to Danica's cheek, then turned away to a side table to pour two glasses of wine. She had ordered a bottle of their favorite to be open and ready for them.

"Please, sit." Glasses in hand, Renata gestured toward the large couch. She handed over one glass to Danica and then held out her own. "To good friends." she said in toast.

[Poludnica]

Danica looked around the room, trying to focus on little details. The ancient walls adorned with beautiful sculptures, the hand-made furniture, and exquisite drapers. For almost four years she had lived on Korriban, Danica couldn't get used to the heavy set architecture. So different from the sleek, tall skyscrapers of Coruscant. A deeply hidden longing pulled at her emotions. Her children would never know her mother's elegant homeworld. Marcus...maybe Marcus. Tears stung Danica's eyes and she blinked them away quickly, almost in a panic. Renata was a Sith Empress and under a velvet layer of warm smiles and hugs, she hid a ruthless core. Weakness was something Danica didn't want to show.

The door opened and the dark haired woman inhaled sharply. She quickly composed herself, almost automatically putting on a mask of professional calm. Renata was a beautiful woman, albeit in a cold, sinister way. The dark side almost always left marks on its user. The funny universe they lived in - her father had been so much worse than many Sith, including Nieraan, yet nothing marred his surgically sculpted visage.

"Empress Renata," The older woman responded with her own radiant and friendly smile that didn't waver when Renata mentioned the past...experiences, although indirectly. Was it a genuine sympathy or a way to prod how much it still hurt? Danica couldn't tell. From time to time she had fleeting suspicions that Renata had her hand in Cassius attack. Even her father couldn't have orchestrated something like this without help. She didn't share it with anyone, not even Nieraan. The Firrerreo was reckless, his emotions ran deep and the kidnapping had left Nieraan no less traumatized than her. Even if Renata was involved in all this Danica had two more children to care for. It would have been foolish to spread gossips and doubts about the Empress whose word was a law.

Danica bowed politely and glided toward the offered seat. They might have known one another for years now but Renata was an Empress now. The dark-haired woman wasn't a slave to the etiquette. Still, she would wait for Renata to make the meeting more informal. "Thank you," Danica smiled whilst taking the glass. She took in the pleasant aroma before joining the toast. "For friendship," Danica acknowledged. Even if Renata's words were only meant as a shallow pleasantry, there were people in the Empire that would cut their left hand for something like this. " I am glad we had a chance to meet, I know how tight is your schedule." She added.

[Meira]

Danica had held herself well as Renata entered. She had a strong control of her emotions, though Renata could sense some wavering had recently occured. There was just the slightest sheen to the woman's eyes as Renata embraced her; her heartbeat was just a touch too fast. Danica hid it well, but the trauma that had marred her and Aurelius' little family still held her. Good. Renata thought. Keep that fire, control it. Danica did not share her father's affinity for the Force, but similar principles applied regardless of connection. Pain could be a powerful driving force for any being, and Renata liked her friends to be motivated.

"You will set aside formalities with me here, won't you?" Renata said after their toast. "The last thing I want is you groveling to me, Danica. At least not when there is no audience to appreciate it." she added with a wink.

The truth was that Renata very much loved the power and deference she received since her ascension to the imperial throne. The Empire opened up before her, the minds and souls of her subjects ripe for the taking, the vast wealth at her fingertips... The job definitely had its perks. But, from time to time, Renata grew tired of the formalities. That was why she would never grow tired of her visits with Danica. If there was anyone Renata could relax around, it was her.

"My schedule is what I want it to be." she said, waving her hand at Danica's comment. The statement wasn't entirely true. With unlimited power came a seemingly unlimited list of matters that needed her attention. There were days where Renata rarely moved beyond her offices and conference rooms. But she could hardly complain. "Though I have spent an inordinate amount of time in briefings regarding the Mandalorians." she said, rubbing at her left temple as if to ease some pain there. "But you don't care about that." she said, shaking the thoughts away and looking back toward Danica. "Tell me, how are you?"

[Poludnica]

Danica's radiant, warm smile wavered only for a moment when Renata offered her to drop the formalities. The Coruscanti woman couldn't get used to the fact her friend held so much power. That she had to wait for the permission to speak directly and openly. Back in the Core, her family had been important enough. Danica had accompanied Cassius to various events where Senators, Queens, and Kings mingled but it was something different than tiptoeing around the Sith Empress. Danica began to feel similar wariness when around Cassius who could have read her every little thought and gesture whenever wanted. "Groveling is a skill that is worth honing, especially in the Empire," Danica commented with a wry smile, trying to hide her anxiety behind a thick, mental wall. Renata's role notwithstanding, Danica truly liked the Empress with her sarcastic humor and wit. She was an intelligent, well-mannered woman who lacked pretentious arrogance so many Sith ladies carried around.

Danica sat down and tried to force her coiled muscles to relax. From time to time Danica had wondered how she could have survived the last twelve years without falling apart into pieces. 'Weak" Cassius had called her so many times. Weak-willed, hedonistic, inattentive. She showed him. She showed everyone, although the price of this was high.

Renata already looked comfortable and relaxed already. It tickled Danica's ego a bit as she knew the Empress didn't show this side of her often. "I envy you then, the number of board meetings I have to attend weekly is disgusting," The Coruscanti woman said with a tired sigh. There was no theatrical coyness in this statement. Running Livco took a grueling toll on her. People constantly wanted something, tonnes of messages daily on top of the normal paperwork.

"Mandalorians, huh?" Danica smiled. "You are right. I don't care about the work today. I care about how is my dear friend instead." The dark haired woman added but Renata beat her to the punch. Danica started to say 'I am good'. That would have been a lie, one Renata could easily see through. "I am...well enough." An uneasy smile ghosted Danica's lips. "The last couple of years has been difficult." She continued vaguely, expecting Renata to understand. Danica took a nervous sip from her glass but the expensive wine didn't bring her any solace. Alcohol rarely had these days.

[Meira]

There was the slightest hesitation in Danica's voice as she answered. Renata's eyes studied the woman, but her senses detected that it was simply a bid toward honesty. Renata's smile softened in sympathy. She appreciated that Danica didn't feel the need to put on that public face for her. It was one thing to say that one was friends with the Empress. It was another to actually show it. While Renata knew that Danica was still putting on a strong face, she was glad to see that the other woman felt comfortable enough to admit that the strength was needed because of hardship.

"I can only imagine." Renata replied. That too was a truth. Renata could not relate to Danica's predicament. But if her information was correct, Aurelius was close to his goal. "But I have faith that Aurelius will resolve your troubles soon." she added. "In the meantime..."

Renata stood, moved toward where a mobile holoprojector sat on a side table and brought it back over to the couches where they sat. She placed the projector onto the small table between them and activated it. As it flickered to life, the image of a massive ship came into view. Renata's smile grew proud at the sight of it. "I have something that can hopefully distract you, if only a little. This is the Caldera, my Imperial Yacht. It has finally finished its final construction and test voyages, and is ready for it's debut." she turned to Danica, reaching out for the woman's hand. "I want you to help me plan the event."