Matters of Interest {Lux, Karl, Neo}

[Rugs]

{er... started to ramble a bit... sorry T.T}

The afternoon sun of Korriban glared down on Visari as he made he way the shuttle that sat in one of the landing areas outside of the Temple. A short time ago, he had received word that Lux Teper, the Arkanian that he'd entered into a business partnership with, had arrived. Visari had sent for the Arkanian shortly after he arrived on Korriban, as there were people that Lux would need to meet, given the fact that he'd be involved in some... questionable activities that would ride on the success of the Sith expansion. And so, when Visari heard that Lux had arrived, and had successfully made it onto his ship in orbit, The Ballestra, he'd sent word to Shard and the Dark Lady Novus, telling them that there was a man he wanted them to meet that would be of some interest, and possibly use to them.

Visari's reason for wanting Shard and Lux to meet was obvious; in their meeting on Arkania, Visari had spoken to Lux of the Miraluka's vision, and Lux had seen the opportunities that awaited within it. So now, Visari decided, it was time for a meeting between Shard and Lux, and the two could discuss more of those matters in detail if they so desired. The reason for meeting with Novus was simple as well: Lux's work would have him heavily involved with the Sith anyway, so he'd need to meet one of the higher-ups, and Novus was the only one Visari really knew.

And so, the meeting had been set. Visari stepped into his shuttle and strapped himself in as the control panel came alive. The sleek vessel lifted from the ground and zoomed off into orbit, towards his awaiting ship. Visari would arrive a little early, so he would be able to properly greet his guests aboard his ship. The sky grew fainter and fainter as the the shuttle rose, eventually giving way to the black backdrop of space as Visari exited the atmosphere. He spotted The Ballestra as he rose, and steered his shuttle in her direction.

"Welcome back, sir" the ship's captain said after Visari sent his identification code to The Ballestra. "It's good to have you back."

"So it is," Visari replied as he guided the shuttle into the small hangar in the aft end of the ship. The Epicanthix moved briskly as he exited his vessel; there was no time to waste, and his guests could already be on the way up.

"Captain Teper has arrived and is on board the ship, sir," one of his men told him as they moved down the elegant halls of the ship.

"Good. Have him brought into the reception room int he center of the ship. When the other two arrive, bring them there as well." Visari stopped for a moment and placed a hand on the man's shoulder before he could leave. "And once our meeting is underway, do make sure we are not disturbed, hm?" His tone made it clear that there would be unpleasant consequences if they were. The man bowed slightly in acceptance and made his way off to find Lux, and Visari continued down the halls to the reception room.

He arrived into the room a short time later. It was an elegant room, though most of the ship's interior was as such; it was a business ship, after all, and it had been commissioned with the intent to impress. But this room was one of the grandest of all of the areas of the ship. The ceiling arched up high, and the floor were made of expensive sandstone that had been quarried on Tatooine. The walls were a matching reddish-brown hue, and all of the furniture within matched the beauty of the rest of the room. But Visari's favorite part of the room was at the far end of it, behind a heavy desk of hand-carved wood, much like the one in his office on Balmorra. The entire wall on that end of the room had been designed so that a constant wall of water fell down it, giving it the appearance of a waterfall. Of course, there was an invisible force field in front of it to keep the water from sloshing about and making a mess. And out of the waterfall stuck a metal carving of the crest of Visari's clan, Netellus. And mounted so that it was held horizontally through some of the spaces of the crest was the replica of the sword that was mounted on the wall in his office on Balmorra.

Visari walked down to that end of the room and turned to face the entrance. He stood there, in front of the desk, both hands resting on the head of his cane as he awaited the arrival of the others.

[† Lux Teper †]

"It's a pleasure to see you again so soon Master Visari."
Captain Teper stood erect before the door as it yielded open to him. He greeted the Epicanthix on sight and calmly entered the room.

The Arkanian Captain was in far different attire than their last meeting. He wore the mask-like helmet of the Mandalorians and the figure fitting armor of his life as a Special Ops Captain. He was altogether far more aggressive in appearance than his previous suit and the mask-like helmet disguised his face well. He was used to the advantage of hiding his expressions and was far more comfortable than he would have been in any suit of the finest cloth.

He walked gracefully toward the center of the room after addressing the man by the beautiful desk. In fact He'd noticed teh beauty of the room almost instantly, it meant that Visari had taken great pride in his appearance as a man of business, of course this was always a fine quality.

He smiled to himself behind the security of his opaque helmet.
His interest in the meeting was far more than could be expressed. To be meeting the man behind the machine, a machine he would soon be in close quarters with, was almost thrilling. And as for the Sith, well, from what he knew, the Sith he'd be meeting was amongst the highest tier of her faction and it was always nice to meet with people in power, particularly if they didn't object to your goals or methods.

[Karl the Unfettered]

Striding down the valley toward the starport were two figures, an Arkanian woman and a Miraluka male. The Miraluka, normally a smart dresser, was even more done-up this afternoon, in dress robes that probably could have fed an entire Outer Rim planet for a standard month from the sale of them. They shimmered in the sun, with that subtle radiance only true silk could generate; genuine rancor leather gloves and boots graced his hands and feet, and about his neck a golden amulet with a dark red ruby glinted malevolently.

"Watch your step, my lady," the Miraluka said concernedly, stepping around a small pit. "This valley is dangerous, and we wouldn't want to lose you." His whole manner was polite solicitude, as a man of honor would act toward a superior, and there was nothing to indicate otherwise. He even led the way, as if to make sure of the path ahead.

Their shuttle loomed ahead, and the Miraluka went up to open the hatch. "After you, my lady," he said with a bow, his impenetrable dark glasses glinting in the sun. "Just sit tight and relax, I'll fly the ship up." He waited until she was seated, then sat down himself and began the lift-off sequences. Despite having no eyes, which wasn't immediately obvious, he handled the controls easily, as if he'd done this before. Which, he had.

Shortly they were off, and under the Miraluka's guidance soon streaking off into the sky. He was silent for most of the brief flight, concentrating on the craft. He sat with a confident ease, wearing his expensive clothes instead of the other way around as so many tended to do; even in the dim light of the consoles he seemed to be surrounded by an aura of competance, of supreme self-confidence that would have been blatant arrogance in any lesser person.

"Almost there," he commented as the Ballestra came into view. They were hailed by the ship, and he responded with their names, Lady Novus and Charlill Sylvorr, and their purpose, to meet with Visari and one of his friends. They docked, and shortly disembarked; they were offered a guide, but Shard waved them aside. He could see Visari as clearly as day, and set off without delay through the luxurious ship.

They reached the door, and Shard stood aside. "Ladies first," he murmured politely, gesturing for Novus to precede him.

[Neology]

Novus kept pace with the Miraluka, nodding acknowledgement to his occasional comment though her thoughts were far away, dwelling among the ancient trees of Ziost, and temples older still that dotted the frozen landscape. She found her ambition torn three ways, causing the days to trickle by at a crawl. Most of all, she wished to continue her lessons with Iniquitous - though truly, it wasn't so much learning as being forced to remember, deriving understanding at last from the spidery whispers Everos had planted in her mind so long ago. Then, of course, were things more centric to the Order as a whole, but she had full faith that those events would be put into motion soon.

The man spoke again, his words dripping with chivalrous concern, and this pulled the Dark Lady from her reverie with feathered brows raised and a short, surprised laugh parting her lips. "Yes, yes, Charlill, I know how dearly you hold my safety. One pure, bright spark of enduring virtue in the depths of your withered heart!" Her voice ranged high with amused sarcasm then dipped back to its usual velvet tones, a tight smile thinning her lips. "You need not worry, besides. I am not blind, or lame. More's the pity I'm sure." At that, the Arkanian increased her pace, the hem of her gown swirling up a small cloud of red dust in her path.

For the rest of the walk and the brief flight into orbit, Novus maintained a cool level of silence, feigning more interest in fixing her hair then acknowledging anything further from her generous escort. She had dressed well for the meeting aboard Visari's ship, wearing a silver-gray gown, likely worth as much as the Miraluka's fine robes, and a filigree moth in her hair. To fend off Korriban's chill, a half-cloak of tuk'ata fur rested around her slender shoulders. It was clear she took Visari's request for her presence seriously, despite not being told much about who she was to meet. A sudden, sharp, tinge of paranoia caused her to steal a glance at Shard, though she already felt she knew him well enough to guess he'd never show a hint of betrayal until it was to happen. Feeling woefully underarmed, she followed him through the ship.

Lady Novus stepped into the meeting room with a polite smile for their hoist, taking in everything else through the peripherals of her vision. "So nice to make your acquaintance again, Mr. Netellus, and under better circumstances I'm sure." Noticing no one else in the room, except a man in full armor whom she took to be an ill placed guard, the Arkanian tensed inperceptively. "I believe there was someone you wanted me to meet?" She asked, some of the cheer draining from her voice.

((OOC: Hah. xD Thought it'd be funny if she misunderstood things at the end there.))

[Rugs]

Visari nodded to Lux when the Arkanian entered the room. "And is it well to see you again, Captain Teper." A white eyebrow on the Epicanthix's forehead lifted just a touch at the sight of Lux's armor, which covered the man from head to toe. An interesting choice of attire for the meeting, to be sure, but Visari kept his comments to himself.

Shortly after, Shard and Novus arrived, and Visari nodded to Shard and gave a short bow to Novus. He chuckled at her comment. "Yes, my Lady, I do believe that today's circumstances are better than the previous ones we have met on. I have no doubt you did not find it necessary to kill any of my guards on your way in." It was a verbal jab at Raeg Vashin, yes, but a slight upturning of the corners of his mouth made it clear that it was a jest, and nothing more.

"And I trust you are well today, Shard," Visari said, turning to face the Miraluka, noting that both he and Novus were dressed rather finely for the meeting. Visari himself was dressed as normal, in a business shirt and vest with his long coat over it, along with his trousers and boots, but the clothes were already quite fine--and expensive--to begin with.

"Ah yes, there was," Visari said to Novus, noting that her tone had changed a bit. "This is Lux Teper," he said with a gesture to the armored Arkanian. "He is over the Ataxia research division under Visari Enterprises, and has some things that may be of interest to both of you." Visari let his hand fall, and took a few steps back, so that the Arkanian would stand before him. "But I will let him present his claims himself."

[† Lux Teper †]

Lux smiled under his mask-like helmet. They were certainly an interesting bunch, these "Sith."
At Visari's introduction, Lux bowed gracefully despite the armor he hid behind.
"Good evening Sir and Madam, as you've just heard, I am Captain Lux Teper and I represent the Guild of Ataxia and Ataxia Incorporated: Division of Technological and Scientific Research and Development of Visari Enterprises."
He stood erect and formal, his armor was pristinely polished and it was obvious that, although he was wearing battlearmor, he'd spent a great deal of effort to ensure that he looked presentable.
"You are both likely wondering what it is that makes me valuable to you, I know this because I wondered the exact same thing to myself about you the moment I laid eyes on you, that being, the moment you entered the ship..."
He smiled to himself at his species ability to see the infrared spectrum and regarded the Arkanian woman for a moment, she was breathtakingly beautiful and a true credit to his species even despite the fact that she was obviously an offshoot.
"Well you see, it just so happens that the Guild I represent could benefit greatly through affiliation with your 'Sith Order,' and as it stands I believe you have something to gain from us as well.
Currently I have in my possession, a copious amount of funding to do with what I will so long as it becomes profitable. Now picture this, a Sith soldier, not only armed with your 'Force', but fitted with the ultimate pique of cybernetic technology, creating ungodly reflexes and strength where there previously was none."
His excitement leaked into his voice as his tone rose...
"Imagine, an army of troops, each created to be able to harness 'The Force' and each capable of extraordinary feats, all under your command..."
He regained composure at these last few words though his voice rang with an alluring darkness.
"Under my supervision, this is possible...
This and a lot more, for my motto is 'Let the Ends justify the Means.' and believe me when I say that there are no means I would not forgo in pursuit of my ends."
The darkness in his voice touched a tone that screamed of forboding and he continued in an almost sultry tone that was icy as an Arkanian wind but alluring as the diamonds of that very same planet. It betrayed an eagerness and a peculiarity of mind that no sane being could ever produce.
"Of course, what I require is simple. I merely wish to secure your patronage and perhaps garner your trust enough to gratify a means of protection should my humble coalition find itself in a less than desirable circumstance."

[Karl the Unfettered]

Shard walked in behind Novus, his glance darting immediately to Lux. Skinny fellow, he said to himself, craning his head slightly to give an appearance of sight. The man's shiny armor was no hindrance to the Miraluka's vision; he saw through the steel and mesh to the man's frail, angular face, his pale eyes and white hair and pointed ears. "Visari," he replied in a low voice, nodding to his colleague and smirking slightly at the jab.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm sure," he went on, addressing Lux this time as the scientist began expounding upon how useful he could be. Most of it sounded like flattery to him, self-aggrandizing drivel meant to boost the speaker's own ego, but a little seemed to bear further inquiry.

"You remind me of myself somewhat, Captain Teper," the Miraluka began once Lux was finished. "Ruthless, driven, amoral... perhaps I might have a scruple or two more than you, but such is to be expected." Lux would feel the whole of Shard's attention directed upon him, literally feel it; a heat lamp would seem to have turned on, one aimed right at his body that the armor could not shield against. He would also hear vague whispers in alien tongues, originating at a point his ears could not censor, whispers that harbored greater insanity than he could fathom.

"However, I must question a few of your claims," the Miraluka went on, stepping forward and gesturing with one hand, in time with his words; the lighting in the room was dim, yet he did not remove his glasses. Novus and Visari would know the reason for this, but Lux, who would not know of Shard's race from a simple inspection, would be in the dark; not even his unique Arkanian vision could shine any light on the matter (so to speak).

"You say you can 'create' soldiers with the Force. You mean, take a man and somehow infuse the Force into his being? Somehow ignite the spark of power where none flickered before, not even the fuel for such a spark?" His voice held but a hint of skepticism, a vague hint that could easily be written off as something else. "A little group called the Matukai can do something similar, but the way you speak seems to indicate your methods are... faster, perhaps?

"Basically all you're really offering us are Special Forces soldiers," he concluded, a trace of mockery in his voice now. "I'm sure we could hire mercenaries that could do anything your lot could pull off, at a fraction of the eventual cost and with much less flash and boom. Not that there's anything wrong with flash and boom, mind you." Which was true, as Shard could himself, being a consumate master of flash and boom, attest.

"So, what else have you got to offer, in exchange for protection from... whoever?" The talk was mostly a screen; the Miraluka rathed liked Lux already, as Visari would be able to tell. All the questions were simply to keep in form, and because he was actually curious.