The Dark Academy on Korriban

There were undoubtedly tools and scrap available here at the dig site. Zeno talked to one of the guards overseeing the slaves that were likely still at work and arranged to borrow some tools and picked up a few pieces of scrap metal he would need for his job.

He had asked Shaisha to come along and help him out with the project so he sat and waited on one of the tables the students were using earlier and was now available. An albino tuk'ata head, that had been removed via lightsaber was there and he was already removing the unnecessary filling bare handed.

Shaisha had considered turning in early tonight, but the vision earlier and then a message from Zeno looking for a favour... well, who was she to turn down a fellow student in need, who could possibly owe her a favour later.

The petite form of the Sith girl was recognizable even underneath the concealing robes she wore, and she strode confidently over to Zeno.

The head gives her pause. "... Interesting, I must say," that usual teasing smile was back, "but I'm more of a fan of artifacts and jewelry myself."

He looks back to her and winks. "This one's for me. A trophy from a successful hunt."

He continues pulling out the last of the soft bits from the inside. "But now I have to figure out how to sterilize it and keep it in fine condition before I modify it into a helmet. Thought you might be able to help out with that."

"You certainly know how to charm a girl, inviting her out for a late night rendezvous to skin a tuk'ata's skull," she chuckles and gives it a look over. "Hm... I think this should be doable, yes. Seems you managed to avoid damaging the head."

Her robe slips off and she tosses it aside, along with her loose shirt soon after. No way was she going to to get tuk'ata gunk on one of her favorite clothes. Besides, she didn't mind standing there in her underwear and pants.

With ease, Shaisha slips a knife out from her belt. "I will of course ask for a favour in return, you know."

"I'd expect nothing less. I never ask a favor without expecting to return it," he replies with a smirk. "But I may owe you two."

He flips the head upright between them.

"You have my assistance then, Zeno," she nods. He was Sith-blooded, but so far they seemed to respect eachother. As it should be.

With her clothes safe from the mess, Shaisha begins the gruesome work of removing skin and flesh. "Hold it steady for me."

"So, where did you get the idea to make a tuk'ata skull into a helmet?"

---

D5 EN. Survival/Cunning to prepare the tuk'ata skull for Zeno. +1 Boost from Zeno: 4eA+1eB+2eD 5 successes

"It came to me after an intense experience out in the wastes," he says, focusing on the work. "This one died in an alchemical ritual in which I took part. Albino tuk'ata are pretty rare, so I felt it would make a fine trophy. But I felt carrying it around on my hip would be a bit... cumbersome. Though I did want to keep it as a keepsake. A bit of sentimentality in the form of a kick-ass looking helmet."

It apparently did not take too long as Saisha seemed to know exactly what she was doing.

"Pretty eye-catching trophy, I'll give you that," she smirks between the cutting of flesh and bloody mess. "Not all of us can pick up a lightsaber as a trophy, I guess, but as you say, this one is probably going to be very kick-ass. I don't think I've seen many albino tuk'ata before, now that you've mentioned it."

Her golden eyes look up from the work for a moment at Zeno, before looking back down to keep an eye on the blade.

"You're crafting your own lightsaber, I'm guessing?"

"Already did," he says taking a moment from the work to pull out his shoto and light it up. "That's what the ritual was for. To modify the crystal."

She takes a small pause from the work to admire his craftsmanship. "Nice. Congratulations," she says with a pleasant smile. "A shoto-hilt... I was considering something like that myself to go with the one I claimed yesterday. Now I know at least what my favour in return could be."

With a playful wink, the knife returns to its task. Perhaps it was just the inherent predatory-nature of the Sith, but she seemed to handle the task like she was born to do it.

Putting away the lightsaber, he looks down at the skull. "Perfect. Let's get to work on the rest," he says pulling a few things out of his utility belt and flipping the skull over.

"Alright..."

After some time trying to figure out where everything should be laid out he does some temporary fusing with a simple glue and gets things where they should be. Only to find that the layout just would not work when worn.

"Shit. I'm going to have to try this in a different way."

* some time later *

"Damn. This thing is harder to arrange than I thought," he says with an obviously displeased edge to his voice.

He tosses the tools on the table, and turns around. "Fucking skull is driving me insane."

Mechanics: 0 success, 2 advantage
Using advantage to not waste the materials and give it another try.

Mechanics: 0 success, 2 advantage
Using advantage to not waste the materials and give it another try.

Mechanics: 0 success, 1 advantage
Using advantage to not waste the materials and give it another try.

Mechanics: 0 success, 1 advantage
Using advantage to not waste the materials and give it another try.

Mechanics: 0 success, 1 advantage
Using advantage to not waste the materials and give it another try.

Mechanics: 0 success, 1 advantage
Using advantage to not waste the materials and give it another try.

Mechanics: 3 failures, 2 advantage
Using advantage to not waste the materials and give it another try on another day.

Stained up to her elbows in blood, Shaisha tries her best to help. Technical aspects of construction wasn't something she was very well-versed in.

Still, it didn't seem to be going very well.

"Hm, a tough nut to crack. Maybe there's something in the museum that could give some pointers... plenty of Sith lords with decorative headgear."

"Maybe," he says with a nod. "I'm definitely taking a break from this though. I definitely wouldn't have been able to get this skull prepped if not for your assistance," he admits with a nod. "And the view was at least something to help ease the frustration." He chuckles at that, though the disappointment can still be seen in his demeanor.

"I do admit, I look rather well sporting the blood-drenched hunter-style." She grins and strikes a pose with her hands on her hips, uncaring of the stains it would leave.

"Let me know if you want to try again, though maybe ask someone more tech-savvy?"

"Why would I ask someone more tech savvy? I do think I'd rather try seeing you minimally clothed and drenched in blood again." He apprecites the view with a playful, yet wicked smile. "Thanks for the offer. I'll probably take you up on it. And if you want I can return the favor and it wouldnt even count as my favor to you."

"Ah, saying that, you might let a girl think you have ulterior motives," she laughs softly, even if her words could be interpreted to mean both his interest in seeing her undressed and blood-drenched again, or the favour.

"Seems like this is really important to you, if you're giving more than just your help in return."

"Well, I like looking for trouble," he admits. "Makes lifemore fun. Provides opportunities to grow."

"True that," she says, giving him an appriciative glance. Sure, he wasn't as handsome as a true pureblood, but he had his savage charm.

"First thing I will ask for is assistance in creating a Shoto hilt. And we can see where we go from there."

"I'll definitely do so," he says. "Meet me when we can get to workshop for an extended time. Where something with a nice view and some blood," he jests.

"So that's your style, huh," she says with a playful tease in her voice. Might even be easier than Jo'ren, she thinks for a moment.

When we get back to the Academy then. Not much workhop out here at this hour."

"My style is all over the place," he replies. "But usually includes a bit of blood and a lot of effort."

"But we'll try to find a nice workshop with good quality tools and get you your hilt built. And afterwards maybe we can go for dinner and drinks."

"Thanks. It's appriciated," she nods to Zeno. "I'll be speaking with Lord Savas tomorrow about some pointers on building it in an older style... I want a hilt that is suitable to my heritage, after all."

"I'm sure you'll make something worthy and appropriate. I look forward to helping see it to completion," he says with a grin. "How have things been for you otherwise? Doing well I hope?"

"Doing fine enough, despite some setbacks," she shrugs. "Been doing some research on ancient history of Korriban. I heard that there might be remnants of an ancient tribe of Sith deep into the Wastes... I've been planning to take a trip and see if I can find some more on it."

"Remnants of the tribe as in still living or as in ruins?" he asks curiously. "If it's the former I wouldn't mind meeting them and challenging them."