The Dark Academy on Korriban

Zeno sits outside his tent, his helmet in his lap. He looks down at the thing. It was good memories and it was bad memories. It was a reminder. While he was lost in thought for the moment he seemed to have, over the past day and a half come to much better terms with his rage.

It was hard to sleep after the fight, even if she felt tired.

Aimlessly strolling through the camp, she noticed Zeno and approached at a calm pace.

"A credit for your thoughts?" She spoke in a calm, yet weary voice.

His head slowly tilted up, and his eyes widened a bit to see who it was. He was a bit drowsy.

"Hmm... I guess, I was thinking about... mistakes, victories, and everything between. Moving forward. Not letting the crap hold me back. Lessons learned."

He tilted his head to the side a bit.

"Sit with me?"

Two massassi approach Shaisha baring pottery. Black and red fired and glazed clay pottery with images of savage creatures upon them. They put the two large pots down next to Shaisha, and give her a nod of respect and then return to the Queen’s tent.

Zeno watched and didn't say anything til they walked away.

"Huh."

Before she could reply, the Massassi appeared.

The exchange probably looked very weird, and she felt it looked weird too, but still she understood why it was happening. As they placed it down, she gave them gestures of appriciation.

"Well, that solves that problem... Vowrawn will be pleased." Chuckling, she sat down next to Zeno.

"So, you sought pottery for your Master?" he asks. "I had to take pictures of stars for Lord Zash. The ever exciting life of an apprentice."

"He expressed an interest for it when I mentioned Yavin. It was never an order or request," she said with an amused smile.

"I see," he says looking over at her. His head lulls slightly. He had been drinking but it seems his senses were mostly returned now.

"Well fought battle today Shaisha."

"I didn't do much, sadly," she shook her head. "Could've done more, but the best I managed was to hold my ground. Not used to fighting a huge horde of enemies, to be honest."

"You, on the other hand... it's a close tie between you and Jo'ren over who is the most skilled with the lightsaber in this group of aspirants."

"I talked to him a little while ago. We had drinks. I don't think either of us really cared about keeping count... defeating the enemy in front of you is more important than the trail of bodies behind you, right?"

He pauses for a moment to collect his next thought. "Hey... I... someone mentioned that you were the Wrath's daughter. But that doesn't matter right? I'm sure that you'll outshine him someday, just like I'm gonna outshine mine."

"..."

She was quiet for a while after the sudden change in topics, regarding him cooly. At first, she wanted to know who had told him, as she suspected perhaps a tattle-tale amongst those who knew... then again, they were close enough to graduation, and had already gotten so mixed up in the machinations of the Sith Lords above them. Someone had probably found out and talked about it, and that meant it was probably out. And perhaps he would approve of her performance at the Academy.

"It's true, yes... the Emperor's Wrath is my father. Whether or not I will outshine him, we'll see, but it's not what I'm aiming for now. Mind telling me who told you?"

"Moyr said something about it. She does all that rumor stuff I think. I don't know," he says with a shrug. "But hey... I only wanted to ask you. I'm not going to tell anyone else if you don't want me to. It's a big legacy to live up to, and I know you got it in you. Seriously."

It did leave a possibility that Syl had been the one to blab, who was as dumb as bricks these days, it seemed, but she didn't see a motive for doing so. Perhaps someone else, who was perhaps going to take this Moyr on as an apprentice?

"No, it's fine... I've kept it a secret for some time, mostly because I didn't want it to be something to be used against him ever when I was younger. And because I wanted to be worthy of claiming that legacy by my own merit, rather than coasting by on being the child of an influental Sith Lord. I'll soon be acknowledged as a Sith and must take that responsibility too now," she chuckles darkly at that.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence though."

"I may not have Sinea's talents with seeing the future, but I recognize strength when I see it. And when I feel it," he says, likely referring to their meeting in the wilds. "I'll be doing what I can to secure influence over my family after graduation. And strike against the enemies of the empire with that power. I'll only be able to do that because of you and what you did for me."

She nods at his words.

"Good. Succumbing into senseless rage would have lost the Empire a strong Sith, and it would have cost me someone I consider friend," she says, her smile weary but sincere. "And I trust you would have done the same for me, because you too see that the Empire is more than selfish machinations."

Her use of the word friend caused something to stir in him.

"I would not have hesitated," he replies. "We are made stronger by every sith among us gaining strength."

Another pause to collect his thoughts. "The cause of my incident... it will be left be for now. It's not something so easily let go of, but for now I will not let it stop me from achieving all I can."

"You have decided to go forward with your own goals then, regardless of what happened then?" she looks at him approvingly.

"I'm glad to hear it."

"Yes, for the most part. It is still a consideration for the future but it's a lot less important now," he says with a nod. "I'll be going on a mission soon into Republic space, so I'll be away from the Empire for a bit. I'll be doing what I can to serve Lord Zash and take the opportunity to strike against our enemies. But when I return, I would like to see you. I would like to see where our relationship can lead... without jumping into it blindly as I did in the past few months at the academy."

He watches for her reaction curious, but does not reach out with his mind.

"... I will have to think about that myself. For now, I call you a good friend, and I will help you when I can. But committing to something more, I'm not sure about." She sighs. "It's been a lot of changes in the past days here on Yavin in terms of what I thought were my friends, and I don't want to rush into something because I'm feeling hurt and frustrated about that."

"It'll be some time before I return. Time and space for both of us to think without any commitments," he says with a nod. "I consider you a friend as well. It's something I don't want to rush either with all that's happened. But I wouldn't want to deny the chance of something deeper with you. Your friendship and faith in me and your strength..."

He reaches for her hand.

"You're worth the time it would take and more."

She laughs a bit nervously, but does not shy away from his hand. "Geez, Zeno... you're making me blush now."

"I feel like you're giving me far too much credit."

He gives her hand a gentle squeeze.

"You shared yourself with me in the woods. I don't give you too much credit... you don't give yourself enough."

His thumb softly caresses the back of her hand.

"I've seen your loyalty, passion and drive. And as soon as both of us are ready... if you find me worthy and want something more... I'm in."

She squeezes his hand in return, trying not to think of how she held Kristal's hand earlier like that.

"We'll see... I don't feel ready to tie myself to one yet. In a way, I think I can understand my parents better now, as they never settled down either," she says, looking up at the sky. "I'm only seventeen, and you're probably not that much older either?"

"The same actually," he nods to the question of age. "And I don't know what you think I plan on doing, but settling isn't part of the picture for me. Adventure, excitement, and fighting the republic are," he says with a smile, something that hadn't happened for a good amount of time for him. "There is no need to rush anything with how young we are, but there's no reason not to try when we feel up to it."