Topic: Heretic

Daydream · Date: 2006-07-14 21:56 EST

It was obvious Malkavian Downside was looking for someone: His imperturbable stare would flicker over the bar, scan the crowd of patrons milling around the noisy Mos Eisley cantina, then to the people gathered at the entrance. His features were settled in an expression of affable neutrality, but the way his eyes moved suggested he was growing impatient.

"For whom are you waiting?" Daydream asked, watching the human most people addressed as Gray. The whispered response to her question: A single name which Daydream recognized, and a name with which she had only passing familiarity. She considered what she knew of him. "Perhaps he got lost, and didn't want to ask for directions," the twi'lek hazarded a flippant guess, smiling.

"I am sure he would like to stay lost," Malkavian stated calmly. "It would be for the better."

"Why . . . ?" Daydream asked, staring thoughtfully into the phosphor glow of her glass.

The human tilted his head, and bent to whisper to the diminutive twi'lek: "He's to be converted to the dark -- or killed."

"Does he know this?" She glanced up at him sharply.

"I am sure he is aware of it," Malkavian answered, straightening. "I wont hesitate to end it." He turned his head, looking over the cantina patrons, back to the entrance. His right hand rested on the counter of the bar, one fingertip tapping impatiently.

"It could take months before he comes around," Daydream mused quietly, "Years . . ."

------
"All by myself?" Ab'ki Acha had asked quietly.

Lord Bishop had trailed his sight from Master Acha to Gray. "The Consular shall aid you," he had decided, and he watched the effect his words had on the pair: The tolian's head hung slightly; Malkavian simply nodded. "Failure to complete the task shall reflect on the both of you," Bishop had continued. "And failure is something neither of you can afford at this point."

With that warning hanging leaden before the pair, Lord Bishop's order had been issued quietly but emphatically to them both: "You have one week to change his mind. And if he does not -- eliminate him."
------

Gray looked down at the twi'lek, expressionless. "Lord Bishop has given me and Acha one week."

Daydream · Date: 2006-07-18 11:49 EST

"Shouldn't you be at... work?" asked Lord Azureus Bishop, as Consular Malkavian "Gray" Downside made his way through the noisy cantina to offer respectful obesiance to his Lord and Lady. Azureus briefly appraised Malkavian, and muttered something snide about a farmer's tan. Lady Inari glanced over the bar, pale green eyes flickering over a scene erupting across the counter: Saevio, flanked by Dawnstar and Daydream, was being beset upon by a bothan. "Does Saevio have a bothan pet?" she mused, half-aloud. The chalk twi'lek and Oppressor, Rinna'Tan Novic, chuckled quietly at Inari's side.

"Work. . . " began Gray calmly. "I've more important things to attend to now. Work has been placed at the bottom of the priority list since your return."

"I've been thinking of what you've brought to my attention," Azureus declared, following Inari's glance across the bar. He caught Saevio's eye, and the zabrak nodded in return.

"Have your thoughts changed on the subject?" asked Gray. "Or do they remain the same?"

"I am indifferent. You could go as far as to say that I may have lost confidence in both parties. Either way you take it, I am not pleased."

Inari turned her attention to Azureus, crimson lekku held in a thoughtful posture. "Hm . . . maybe they'll kill each other off. We wouldn't even have to lift a finger, then. "

"Perhaps. No matter how it ends, there will be those who are disappointed. . . Or purged," Azureus remarked, taking a deep breath. He exhaled slowly, a tight expression flashing over his features, and Inari and Rinna both glanced sidelong at him, curious.

"On that subject," Ab'Ki Acha began, offering a polite bow to Azureus, "There's been an update on the 'situation'. Gray and I completed our task."

Azureus canted his head slowly toward the tolian twi'lek, signalling for her to proceed. "Good. . . good." Azureus touched his palm to the dark stone that rested upon his chest, his other hand moving to wipe his forehead. Inari, turning to watch Azureus, frowned slightly.

" . . . Unfortunately, Gray wasn't around when the opportunity arose," Ab'ki continued coolly. Malkavian closed his eyes, his normally serene expression crossed with a grimace for an instant. Ab'ki ignored the expression, and explained, "He had the cheek to show his face here -- trying to talk to me about how we are corrupt. I didn't take what he was telling me, and I followed him to Dawn."

"As I told the Consular, I am a bit indifferent about both parties -- " Azureus' words trailed off, his eyes closed, his head nodded.

"-- Lord? Are you all right?" Rinna'Tan whispered to Azureus. He opened his eyes, blinking owlishly, and braced himself against the counter. Concern washed over Inari's scarlet features, and she placed a gloved hand on his shoulder as the crowd around Lord Bishop grew; Saevio, Dawnstar and Daydream had ceased their banter across the bar and approached, spotting the unlikely sight of their Lord dozing off mid-sentence.

"I -- I am fine . . ." Azureus stammered, though the way he blinked slowly and shook his head lent a lie to that statement. Saevio stared thoughtfully at the Lord of Dusk.

"What did you do to him, Gray?" the zabrak demanded, abruptly fixing Malkavian with an accusatory crimson stare. Azureus turned to face Saevio, blinking to try to clear sight grown suddenly blurry and dim.

His mouth settling into a sarcastic smirk, Malkavian responded calmly, "I could ask you the same."

"Careful with such words," Saevio growled. Inari narrowed her eyes, glaring between the two men.

Malkavian retorted, "Careful with your accusations. . . I did nothing. The concern right now would be Lord Bishop."

"Now is not the time. . . " Rinna'Tan murmured, shaking her head disapprovingly at the bickering.

Blinking to clear his vision, Azureus touched his fingers to his forehead. Dawnstar glanced over the bar, quietly suggesting the Lord could have been poisoned, and Inari and Malkavian took Azureus' arms to guide him to a seat.

"This is the blind man's doing . . ." Saevio mused.

Ab'Ki frowned and carried on unsteadily with her news. "Lord Bishop, Rivo is dead. I tried to bring him back, but all traces of what he once was are gone. It was a shame to see him go to waste, to see his blood spilled . . . " She pulled a lightsaber from her belt to offer to the Lord, and her quiet voice trailed off as he failed to respond.

Daydream · Date: 2006-07-18 11:50 EST

"You killed him?" Saevio blinked with disbelief, staring at Ab'ki, and both Daydream and Rinna'Tan glanced over their shoulders to study the tolian. "I told you not to kill him," the zabrak continued impatiently. "I told you it had to be Azureus' doing!" He gestured at Azureus, who could apparently neither hear nor see any of them. "And this is why!"

Malkavian regarded Saevio calmly. "We were ordered to do so." His words were met with Saevio's muttered imprecations about ignorance. Malkavian and Ab'ki moved to ease Azureus into a seat, and the Lord stared blankly at nothing.

"You gave orders contradictory to Lord Bishop's?" Inari asked, fixing Saevio with a weary stare.

"He wasn't in a true state of mind! The taint of the blind man is still within him, because he has not purged it himself," Saevio explained, his eyes blazing. "I told you . . ."
Ab'Ki strode over towards Saevio. "What the Hell have you done?" she asked, her voice clipped and cool.

"I told you all," Saevio continued. "You should have listened!" He turned away from the group, rolling his eyes with exasperation.

"Don't turn your back on me," Ab'ki growled.

Rinna'Tan chided the zabrak: "You aren't the Lord, Saevio."

"The Lord was tainted, Rinna."

"You still aren't the Lord!"

Inari turned her attention from Azureus, staring at the dark-skinned zabrak. "You make such accusations openly?"

"I suppose I know nothing of what I speak of, simply because I am not addressed with such a title, hmm?" Saevio sneered. "That makes very good sense -- "

" -- I trust him more than you! --" Rinna snarled.

"-- And now, because you chose not to listen to my advice, the worst has come to past. Well done, Oppressor! Well done. "

Shaking her head, Dawnstar cleared her throat. "While you're pointing fingers . . . " She glanced pointedly over her shoulder to where the Lord of Dusk had been seated, and trailed off. "Ah."

"I suppose if I want something done right, I cannot count on my own family, I will certainly keep this in min --" Saevio trailed off mid-rant and stared:

Azureus had vanished. Stunned silence hung over the small crowd as they spun to face the now-empty seat.