The Dark Academy on Korriban

Sylvain walked down the halls of the museum with his holopad making notes here and there as he tried to cram the last bits of information about the Sith into his brain. He'd heard somewhere that studying the last minute wasn't effective, but pining around all morning in anticipation of the test surely wasn't any better for his efficiency than this.

More than a learning exercise, Sylvain tried to calm his restless heart by making himself as busy as possible. With no people around to occupy him in a manner he found far more soothing (conversation), he did his best to stay busy as he walked around the museum and its library.

(OOC: Expecting)

Jun-Tsu had awoken early out of nerves. It was not that she was nervous, merely that her body was too overeager for her mind. It seemed primed, anticipating. She had come to the museum to get away from the other acolytes to enjoy a bit of quiet. She took in deep breaths to steady her restless temperament. But what helped more was the sight of Freedon Nadd's grimoire. It lay feet away, under a heavy, transparent dome. It focused her mind like nothing else could.

She stared at it with abject fascination, the world falling away as though if she looked at it hard enough she could pierce it and gain its knowledge.

Spying the girl he had breakfast with the other day Sylvain smiled to himself.

Of course she'd be here. Where else would she be. I like this girl's dedication.

He walked up beside her, not making any special effort to be sneaky, but perhaps her focus would have distracted her from the noise of his approach. Leaning in so as to be visible out of the corner of her eye he read aloud the plaque describing the object.

"Freedon Nadd's Grimoire: A powerful sorcerer of ancient Sith Legend. Working together with Naga Sadow, this collection of spells was created as a means to combat the weak Republic and their Jedi Dog Overlords."

Looking over to Jun-tsu, Sylvain smiled brightly. "Good morning fair Aspirant Farro."

Sylvain's words roused her from her reverie with a gentle shock demonstrated more by a sharp breath rather than a sudden jump. She turned languidly to the noble-born with a practiced grace, refined and ladylike in its own way, but in an outmoded sort of way, perhaps even like someone who was mimicking the motions rather than embodying them.

"Ser Torzin," she bowed her head as was the custom on Korriz as a sign of respect. "A joy to zee you zhis morning, und aliwve. I h'ad not zeen most after zhe shuttle landed in zhe vastes."

He smiled, "And you as well Miss Farro. Glad to see you fairing better than a great deal of the other students."

Then looking back at the artifact, "What brings you to the museum this early in the morning?"

The witch returned her eyes to the tome in its case. She wanted to reach out and take it. It seemed a healthy impulse, but healthier still in her restraint. As it was her hands hung as her sides, long sleeves hiding them in their folds.

"A mild disqviet in my h'umorz. Zhough I h'ave long ago mastered my nerwves, in momentz of inqvietude my body ztill rouses me in zilent anticipation for zhe day to come. I zhought I vould ease my eager h'umorz vith a tour of zhe gallerie."

He chuckled silently, "Nice to know I have a fellow... imbalanced 'h'umorz'... person..." He said not knowing how to properly put that into a noun phrase, "with me here to relax a bit before the test."

He then looked back at her, "How was your arrival? Surprising way to enter, eh?"

"It vas not....wholly unexpected. Zhough it vas certainly a zudden shift in dynamic." She spoke almost diplomatically, but with a hard edge. "But one taken in stride. I zaw you leave zhe shuttle vith two vomen, yes? No doubt, owervhelmed by your charm."

He chuckled, "Kristal would probably take exception to that comment were she here right now."

He smiled, "She's an old friend, and the other is a new student who has some uses in a difficult situation like the one yesterday."

Then winked at Jun-Tsu, "I only pour on the charm for those who are worth it."

Jun-Tsu seemed unimpressed, perhaps it was the early hour.

"Vell, vhatever zhe reason you zeemed to be zhe better for it. Not only alive, but you zeem in fine condition. Und prepared wholly for the trials ahead, yes? It vould not do to have my expert on zhe Academy flag so early in my wisit."

"But zhen, zhat begs zhe question, vhat vould bring you here zo early. I find calm in artifactz of powver, but vhat draws you?"

He chuckled, "As silly as it may sound. Efficiency."

He looked around, "Cramming just before an exam rarely provides the desired result. But worrying excessively about them doesn't help any more. I came to convince my body that I'm being efficient. Not spending too much energy trying to learn new things in the few hours I have left, but remind myself of what I do know... So hopefully I keep it my brain until the tests are over."

"Do you favwor [favor] your odds today, or no? Zhough my mind is calm, my body zeems anxious at such new scale of appraisal. I trust, completely, in zhe powvers of zhe Dark Side and zhat it vill carry me zhrough zhis trial, but not knowing zhe ways of Korriban I remain wigilant an vary [wary]. You who know zhis place must know far better the difficulty of zhe trials to come, and vhat zhey will ewaluate."

Sylvain nodded, maintaining a feint smile on his lips.

"I've seen the past two years of trials. They are diverse and press you in directions you're not fully comfortable with. Being resourceful and knowing how to read the teachers is key. Things usually start off fairly easier and get harder as the day goes on. The teachers themselves are sure to adjust the difficulty if they think they've set the bar too low."

"Und no doubt press proven shtudents less," she gave a vicious smirk, eyes pouring over the book. "After all, vhy expend precious resources on zhose who should be Sith by right already."

She folded her hands into her sleeves and finally managed to pull herself from the artifact to look at the next one on display. Her footfalls clicked off the hard, polished floor, muffled by the soft hiss of her robes trailing slightly behind her.

He nodded, "Unfortunately there are many teachers in the Academy whose eyes are shaded unfairly by social position and their own desires for the approval of their superiors. Do you feel your house would be the target for such animosity?"

She laughed a clipped almost sardonic sound.

"Guttness no," she lied. "None vould dare stand against mein family even in our qviet state. Zhat vould imply zhat zhey zhought our house weak." That same predatory grin tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I pity zhe examiner who tries to shame zhe teachings of mein great-grandmuter in such a vay." She took in a deep breath as she walked along. "But who knows, perhaps our teachingz are antiqvated. Perhaps ve don't teach vhat zhe Sith hawve deemed necessary in zhese modern timez. Ve are old fashioned, you know."

"There are quite a few within the Sith that would view that as weakness. The Head Mistress herself is known to be somewhat of a radical." He smiled again. "I wouldn't ignore that potential threat if I were you. What you underestimate can often be your undoing."

"I shall pray zhe adage holds true for zhe day. I know some, perhaps not here, vould enjoy to see mein house fail to show at zhe Academy. Und vhile I am mein great-grandmuter's great-granddaughter, I am far from zhe protection of mein family. It iz...unnerving....but exhilarating, like mein first blut hunt in zhe Sălbatic vilds on my homevorld. Alone to kill zhe fiară şarpe vithout any help."

Sylvain smiled and tilted his head, "Excuse me the 'butt' hunt? What was it you were left alone to kill?"

She was bemused for only a moment, casting a glance to her companion then back to the artifacts in the gallery. "Ah, excuse me, zhe bluud hunt," she tried to enunciate more fully though it still bore her thick family accent.

"It iz a...rite of passage, I zuppose you vould say. It iz vhen you hawve first learned to touch zhe Dark Side. At zhat time, you must honor it vith zhe kill. It vas v'once any beast of zhe vilds, but long ago it became zhe fiară şarpe, a, how vould you say it," she searched for the word.

"A serpent-beast native to Korriz. It lives only in zhe Sălbatic vilds on zhe eastern continent vhere mein House haz it'z original palace. It vas zaid zhe great serpent vas long ago touched by zhe Dark Side, blessed. It is alvays found near places vhere the darkness has pooled. Zhere ve must stalk zhe creature und kill it."

She felt it best not to discuss what happened after.

He nodded. It seemed quite quaint, but all such social performances were quaint in their own way. He'd just come from a glorified birthday party with much of the same quaintness.

"Interesting. And you carry this serpent back home as evidence of your ascension into a higher social plane?"

Her smile broadened silently then disappeared, "If zhat helps you enwision it. Zhere is a bit more und zhere is no carcass, zo to speak, to bring back. But zhere is ewidence of zhe kill. Beyond zhe hunt, v'one iz able to begin zhere formal training. Zo, in essence v'one becomes a true acolyte."

"I see. Interesting customs seem to abound in your family Aspirant Farro. I'm starting to see why you are such a well regimented and even-keeled individual. Your upbringing has served you well." He said with a smile.

"As an upbringing iz meant to, v'one imagines," she replied smoothly.

"I bring it up only because zhat same feeling iz rising in me. Zhat zense of anticipation. The variness of zhe predator. Zhe sense of abzolute loneliness vith zhe Dark Side. Exposed und yet completely yourself. It iz a time vhen v'one comes to know zhemselves."

"I vant to know myself."

Sylvain smiled again, "I'm sure you will rise to the challenges that are hurled at you. It is through conflict that we find who we are. My father called it the 'refiners fire'. Just as metal is heated and beaten to remove its imperfections, so are those who face challenges. Ore of no use is broken and discarded, but that of quality withstands and grows stronger."