The Dark Academy on Korriban

"So, the more people, the more struggles, the less scrap to go around. Makes sense," Shaisha replies. Sure, she had her own power-plays too, but she didn't go about it like Sylvain, or even Layne, for that matter. To a certain extent, she considered herself above the petty struggles of the Academy.

"Didn't expect to see many others out here so early admiring the ancient structure, though. Especially considering you seem to have trouble walking. Felt drawn to it too?"

“I live in a constant state of past and present, the familiar being lost through the ages of time,” she says honestly.

“This is no different.”

And does she mean that figuratively or literally, I wonder, Shaisha muses for a while.

"Fair enough answer. Shame there doesn't seem to be any openings though... guess they hid them well." And none of that fancy pottery either. Meh. Might have to find one tomorrow if the others manage to sweet talk the natives.

“The massassi know the old ways, they would know,” she says.

"Yeah, they should. They did build it after all, as workers for the ancient Sith and the Exiles, from Korriban. Still, I haven't been able to glean it's exact purpose... a tomb, perhaps?" her hand rubs her chin as she considers it.

“I doubt they knew the purpose. I suspect the exiles built these for the same reason they built anything, to show off their power. Petty to the end,” she says dismissively.

Shaisha doesn't bother to correct her. Sure, it could very well be they were vain and petty, but most Sith monuments had often served a purpose other than as a display of power.

"Anyway, what I'm looking for isn't here it seems. I might just have to search somewhere else instead. My master requested some souvenir from Yavin IV, but an ancient temple is a bit too big to fit into the cargo bay."

"What does he want?" she asks.

"Meh, just some Massassi trinket," she shrugs, not seeming too worried if she didn't find anything. "No big deal, really. If all goes well, I should be able to acquire one from the Massassi without too much trouble. Was just curious if the area here had anything of interest first, but I guess I've gotten too used to the many tombs on Korriban."

“Is that all, that should be easy for you to procure,” she says with a smile.

"I appriciate the offer, but if I can't get such a simple thing on my own, well... then I might as well go home empty-handed. A nice gesture, I admit, but relying on others isn't something I have a habit of doing," she chuckles a bit at the situation. An ancient Sith ghost that was offering to find her Massassi pottery.

“You have a great deal of devotion for your Master,” she says.

"Not really," she chuckles. "Consider it more devotion to my own independant streak; I set myself a challenge and I like to see it through. Sure, I think I'm probably getting the best deal on the lot of us when it comes to becoming a master's apprentice, but it's not something I do out of devotion to him."

"You find fault with the other Sith lords?" she asks.

"Some of them can't see past their own noses, which I think is a shame. Some of them squander their power, and some of them have forgotten to live life."

She sighs. "Shame really, but no one is flawless."

"You believe you could do better?" she asks.

"Maybe? I fully intend to do better."

“I wonder how many of them said the same thing when they were just starting out,” she says reaching for her crutch.

"Probably many, I imagine, but none of them were me." She dusts some dirt off her knees.

“True,” she says with no judgment.

“Perhaps you will hold true to that, the demands of leadership can make any planned course go awry.”

"Speaking from experience?" She asks with a smile.

“I was a queen for a long time, before that a tribal chieftain… and after that a slave-wife to the exiles. You will have many burdens and decisions that will not be easy but if you seek to better the lives of those that serve you than you do what must be done. I killed many, but I did so that my people would flourish,” she says.

“I have no regrets on that matter. I can look back and see decisions, not all were the right ones, but I temper that with knowing that with such history behind me, I made the best decisions I could for the moment. History is harsh, remember that when you look back on your life.”

"... I'm surprised, that you offer me that counsel. But grateful," she gives the ancient Sith queen a nod of respect. "Thank you."

"I will take it to heart. I'm not sure if I could offer similarly good counsel in return."

“I’m old, it’s what we do,” she says finally getting to her feet.

"Feels weird to hear that from a young blonde," she chuckles.

"Need help back to camp?"