The Dark Academy on Korriban

Zeno walks into the draining yard in the darkness of the day. He looks around to see if the master-at-arms is available for potential training.

This was her home, she was easy to find. She had just dueled three students, and they were all panting with bruises. She dropped the combat staff she was using and said, “You all need work.”

Walking by the training sabers, Zeno picked one up.

"Don't we all?" he asks out loud. "There is always more to learn. What can you teach me Instructor Von? I am ready and eager to learn to hone my skills at violence under your tutelage."

There is no grin... yet. He simply approaches to an appropriate distance and bows his head for a moment.

“Begin standard drills, I will see your form,” she replied.

OOC: Easy Lightsaber roll, if you aim to impress take two setback.

He doesn't even say anything moving directly into his form and beginning as instructed.

Lightsaber 4 successes, 2 threat

(OOC: Should have been 2eP but I'm fine with this result)

Jaina watched his display with a critical eye and said, “Against an average Jedi you would be dead.”

"That is possible. That is why I must learn more and push myself to improve," he says with a nod. "So that I can cut down all that I come across. The droids and imperial soldiers I've fought were not enough of a challenge."

“Really?”

“Why are you fighting Imperial soldiers?” that catches her attention.

"Because we had a disagreement. They seemed to think they could tell me what to do and I corrected them. But it's all sorted out now," he replies with a shrug.

“Well hopefully they learned from that moment,” she says with a thoughtful tone.

“You are an experienced fighter, that’s good.”

"Yes. But I have very little experience dueling with a saber outside of sparring with my tutor," he replies. "Something I need to remedy."

She nods and says, “Come at me, aspirant.”

OOC: You can make three Lightsaber rolls, difficulty is 2 Challenge die with 2 setback dice, the weapons master is dueling you. To impress her you need at least 3 successes over all those rolls a Triumph counts as 2. Threat is strain taken and Advantage will allow you to regain lost strain.

And as before, he takes his stance and begins at her words without saying anything. He is a flurry, moving around in the quick acrobatic strikes of the Ataru form.

Lightsaber: 1 success, 1 advantage
Lightsaber: 1 failure, 4 advantage, 1 Despair
Lightsaber: 2 success, 2 advantage

The duel is impressive except for the moment where she easily overpowers Zeno with a skillful parry and riposte and forces the weapon from his hands.

She says, ‘You are dead. Pick up the weapon ghost.”

They continue and she finishes with, “Besides being dead, you have potential. I advise you stop being dead.”

"Of course instructor Von," he says with a nod. "I will endeavor to cease dying. I cannot kill my enemies if I am dead."

She manages a weak almost smile and says, “No, you can’t. Until you can? I hear about strange things on Korriban.”

"The remnants of the sith buried on this planet can't really go out and fight. I'd prefer not to be among them. At least not until I've done something better than die in training," he replies.

“Yeah, well you are dead until I say otherwise. You will have to earn living status,” she says in her neutral tone.

“I don’t really know what the sith are like, honestly.”

"You ever had reason to let someone know they weren't dead? Or do all students stay that way once you've killed them? I imagine that coming back is no easy task," the sith-blood replies.

“Resurrection is a myth, but a Sith never truly dies until the submit to an enemy. Expecting mercy is to realize your weakness before you ever ignite your saber. I say you’re dead but a Sith controls their own destiny,” she says.

“Plus I have a short memory, I might just forget.” The words are delivered deadpan, maybe it’s a joke maybe it isn’t.

"Another go then? See how much I learned from death?" he asks.

"Tomorrow, I start your regimen," she says.

"Of course instructor Von," he says with a nod. "I look forward to learning how to not die. My life depends on it."

"Your funny," she says.

"Maybe your humor might save you."

"I try my best. If you can't laugh at yourself you never get to laugh at anyone in the empire. You might end up getting cut down by a touchy lord," he says with a slight smirk.