The Dark Academy on Korriban

Zeno had found Jun-Tsu rather quickly after the students had been assembled. She read her datapad silently as the other acolytes set about their task. The medium sized boulder made the perfest seat and she perused the data there. Her other hand, when not adjusting the screen was at her lips in a thoughtful expression.

Her eye gained a sudden intensity as she read over one of the potential artifacts in the dig site. A set of talismans, fetishes really, used by the Sith for archaic rites. Jun-Tsu allowed herself a smirk. She had seen similar talismans on Korriz. The entry failed to mention their true nature, lost, no doubt, to time here on Korriban. These weren't just mere trinkets, they were focusing prism used to heighten sensitivity to the Dark Side.

She handed the pad over to Zeno. "I dare zay ve may hawe found zomezhing no v'one else vould even bother to look for."

Knowledge: Lore (Intellect) - 2eP+1eA+2eD+2eB = 2 successes, 2 advantages

"That looks extremely promising. Says here they may not be too far off," he says while perusing the data. "A good spot. Excellent work. You ready to get to work cutting into Korriban's skin and pulling it out?" He smiles at her with the question as he transfers the data onto his datapad to look it over at his convenience before handing hers back.

"Yes," she said slyly as she stood, offering a hand to Zeno to 'help' her, as though it weren't purely ceremonial.

"Zuch talismans vould be in a ceremonial chamber. It vould be out of zhe vay, but tovards zhe center, zhat iz if architecture vas zhe zame during zhis period as it iz on Korriz."

She walked along, moving with the general contours of the excavated site. It was really just a matter of figure out the layout of the building they were unearthing. Indeed, that would make a great difference. Was this a temple, or a tomb, or some kind of complex. She couldn't tell given the general way it was structured. She looked around puzzled.

"Can you make heads or tails of zhis?" She gestured to the site as they walked through the furrowed out troughs.

Survival (Cunning) - 1eP+1eA+2eD+1eS+2eB = 2 failures, 5 successes


Force Die - 1eF = 2 Light Side.

He takes Jun-Tsu's offered hand to "help" her up before falling in step behind her, keeping his eyes open.

"Not really. This is kind of a maze. Somewhat crazy layout really." As they're walking he picks up some sort of transparent multicolored stone and starts playing with it just for something to do with his hands.

"I'm not sure how we're going to find the talismans in this mess," he admits. He looks at the stars through the rock then an idea strikes him.

"Well, if we can't find them, maybe we can pass this off as something? Looks odd enough." He holds it out to the other aspirant.

As the hours began to drag on and it felt as though they had search each and every inch of the dig site, Jun-Tsu's stomach began to sink. Those talismans would have been a remarkable find, and one that few would know the value of. She shook her head as they rounded another bend and still nothing.

Looking at the oddity that she let out a heavy sigh. I suppose it might be worth it. She felt abandoned by the Dark Side this day, unable to find their treasure and forced to do little more than trust that maybe what they found was valuable.

Still, it was worth a try. The pair got back to the scholars and archeologists who assisted, pouring over the various texts and datapads to say nothing of the other finds that students had salvaged.

She didn't bother trying to lie, and was merely interested in what it might have been. In the end, the gathering informed them that it was little more than trash. The words struck her like a bracing wind and she looked to Zeno. "Vell, from great promise goes a great fall. Perhaps our next wenture will go better."

Negotiation (Presence) - 2eA+2eD+2eB = 0 successes, 1 advantage

It was disappointing certainly. And to top it off he couldn't help but feel that he was not responsible for it... that Jun-Tso was responsible. If not for the fact that he saw a path to greater power working with Jun-Tso, as she had certainly proved her potential before, he might have told her just how he felt. But he didn't know if he'd be able to tolerate that much more.

"Well, nothing to be done about it I guess," he says with a shrug. "At least the information we gathered about the talismans will be well received by the examiners even if we didn't find them. They can set slaves on it in coming days or put someone else on them in the future."

OOC: 1 successful roll means normal success, so +1 Grad point for both of us.

Jun-Tsu could only nod at Zeno's words, she looked longingly back at the dig site as the other students began to file in from their long day excavating. Perhaps if they had simply done that they might have even stumbled upon something, but she so desperately wanted those talismans.

She set her jaw and chided herself for her lack of unity with the Umbră-Ușoară. She would have to purify herself.

"What are you thinking?" he asks as he takes a seat on a nearby rock that was big enough for the both of them, though it would put them in very close proximity if she joined him... which his hand patting the other side of it suggested she should do.

She turned back and noted the gesture with an exhausted air. It had been a long few hours scouring the site, and for naught. Drawing up her robes, she sat and continued to stare out across the landscape.

"I beliewe I should take zhis time to get more in touch vith zhe Umbră-Ușoară. It vould not have hidden zhose treasures from uz if I vas more in harmony vith zhe Dark Side. Perhapz it iz good zhat I am here, in zhe vilds, like ve vere zhis morning. I have been studious but not dewout. I zhink here, I might be able to purify myzelf of zhis diwide."

"You may be right," he says with a nod. "I have to do something shortly with some other aspirants. But after that, if you wish, I might help you with purification if possible. I do not know if it is a ritual or meditation for you to do so though."

"I am sure you vill find me, if you vish. You vill find out zhen." She closed her eyes and took in a slow breath, letting it out through her nose in silence.

"Of course," he replies. He turns slightly and says under his breath. "You'll grow stronger yet. Eventually you will become a vessel filled with the dark light. It will just take a great deal of dedication which I know you have. Perhaps you had just grown too used to relying on your family."

"And too confined by zhe Academy. I hawe been caged for too long and hawe left behind zhe savagery of zhe Umbră-Ușoară, itz rawvness."

"Then we will have to spend more time in the wilds," he says, specifically using the word 'we'. "If I hope to learn the ways of the Farro it would probably behoove me to emulate such things."

"You may try. It takes years to master ewen what little I know of our zorcery. Ztill, I can show you, zo you take your reputation into your handz if you follow our primeval vays. Ourz are not zhe vays of zhe Sith. Not completely. Zhe blasphemous vays of zhe Jen'jidai still permeate our ritualz."

"Power is power," he replies. "I may not master the sorcery but I imagine that your ways will provide a deeper connection and understanding of the dark side. And at the heart of what I wish to be is a vessel of the dark side in a different form. A pure and violent blade for it to wield rather than a powerful voice for it to speak."

"Zo long az you understand many may deride you for zuch practices. But I am villing to show you. Zhough zhey are a heady experience zhat can be overwhelming for zhe unprepared. No doubt your early training haz helped you vith zhe Dark Side, but to channel it zo strongly can be...uncomfortable."

"Their derision will eventually be proven to be foolish," he says with complete confidence. "It would be understandable, but I would not let it halt my progress to becoming something greater."

"You alzo know zhat much I cannot show you. Not unless you petitioned House Farro. Und believe me, zhe trials to join vith House Farro are as grueling az anyzhing zhe Academy can zhrow at us. I vas born into House Farro, but I hawe zeen full Sith killed in try to earn my great-grandmuter's fawor."

"That is a decision I'd have to make in the future. My plans for the future may hang in the balance of such a decision and I would need to know how deeply they would be affected," he says. "So for now I can only say that learning to become a greater vessel for the dark light would be what I could do."

"A noble purzuit, but I stand by vhat I zaid yesterday. To zee House Deathwright rise vith itz own Dark traditions would please me greatly, rather than zee you join vith House Farro. But...zhe future vill show uz vhat vill be. Perhaps House Farro vill rise, as you zay, und ve can patron your House in zuch a vay."

"All things to consider," he says with a nod. "Perhaps deals could be struck concerning exchange of people. We could potentially provide some dedicated military resources and personnel as required in exchange for force sensitives among our house training with the Farro. Though that is something that would have to be worked out between my parents and your great grandmother."

"Und neither of our Houses are ready to benefit from zuch an alliance. It vill take time for uz both to ztrengthen ourzelwes. Vhat is more, House Farro haz long diworced itzelf from core politiks. It haz alloved uz to study und vork in qviet. An alliance vith House Deathwright vould zhrow uz strongly into zhe capital scene v'once more. A ztep zhat must be carfully considered."

"That isn't necessarily true. Aliiances can start small as mutual agreements and basic trade of resources. Something as simple as we provide patrols on a consistent basis as well as escorts in return for wisdom and foresight on important members of our family. A a squadron of 8 Deathwrights can easily be pulled from from the reserve squadrons. They have hundreds. The reason that we don't have as much political and financial power to throw around at other houses is because we are so focused. The family has enough pilots and ships to match any individual fleet the empire has. And we're much more highly trained so that would be a small favor for a small favor. The first brick."

"In reality, neither v'one of uz can zpeak for our Houses, but perhaps zhese are zhe first zteps. Zhe talk of two young zions about zhe future."