The Dark Academy on Korriban

Moyr arrived on speeder from the camp, leaving it hidden just outside the controlled perimeter. Sneaking in, she headed to the meeting room Darth Jadus had pointed her to.

Darth Jadus is waiting in his chambers which felt cooler, not so much from any air conditioning but a sinister chill. He looks at a freshly hung painting of the Academy and says, “Do you admire art, Moyr?”

She entered respectfully, with caution.

"My opinions are keener with regard to performing arts, but most Twi'leks are born with awakened aesthetic sense that lets us appreciate any art as long as it is good. Was it a question you once asked Lord Hoshi, Darth Jadus?"

“Are you hoping to retread her steps?” he says in reply.

"Even if it were possible, which I think it is not, I would not, Darth Jadus. In a sense she's an inspiration what a Twi'lek can accomplish as a Sith but I have ever forged my own paths."

She honestly replied.

"She would probably be my second best option for a master."

“She is Sith, there are no limitations on a Sith but those they place on themselves. Antiquated notions of birth and lineage mean nothing. She earned her place, one day you might do so as well, unless you have placed limits on yourself,” he says turning to her.

"I abhor limitations, Darth Jadus. The moment I meet an obstacle I want to transcend it. Not recklessly so, but ultimately - always."

“Good, the Empire is filled with enough limitations.”

“It needs Sith that will overcome any challenge. Even those I have set before you here,” he says approaching her.

Intuitively, Moyr reached out through the Force to discern his intentions. The Dark Side responded with surging power.

LM6. Sense.: 1eF 2 Dark Side

Jadus is calm, he radiates no positive or negative emotion. Not a peaceful calm but more a state of indifference. Either he masks his thoughts well or his emotional state is in equilibrium.

“What do you sense?” he says calmly.

"Balance. Or a mask of balance. Which is interesting, many Sith brandish their emotions as weapons. Your inscrutability is an interesting obstacle, though I do not expect me to pierce this veil anytime soon. After all, you are who you are."

She smiled faintly.

“It works for me, some find that raw anger or passion suits them best. What serves you best, Moyr?” he says.

"Defiance. I focus my opposition on those who deliberately circumscribe me. Thanks to you I now know that the promise of true freedom resides in the Force. I won't let anyone take that from me. But my defiance is not disobedience. When I serve a man or a cause, I succeed as requested."

She paused.

"Hence my abhorrence of what Lord Zash does, and could potentially do to me. I can now confirm that she pursues complete knowledge of a vampiric ritual that lets her drain the Force of others to enhance herself. The ritual, once developed by Lord Hazzan, is a false promise as it degrades her as well, so it is not the path I would seek for myself either."

“You have gathered an incredible amount of information, aspirant,” he says in a cool manner.

“Your notes were extensive. Methodical.”

“Zash is just one of hundreds of Sith wasting our resources on personal endeavors to empower herself. She is not a problem but a symptom of a larger sickness. Have you heard of the devil-tigers?” he asks.

"You probably don't mean Devaronians. I don't think I have."

“Devil-Tigers were a sect of force users who were able to cleanse their world of corruption and create a society of order. They did so by cutting out the cancer in their society, they hunted down all those who chose selfish ambition over the collective good. They reveled in terror, they were cruel, they were without mercy and they were dogmatic on their goals. To become a devil-tiger one had to destroy one closest to them, thus to show their resolve. They succeeded and created an ordered society, but they grew lax… grew fat on their excesses. Success begat hubris and their great society fell,” he says calmly.

“I admire them, not what they became, but the ideal they espoused.”

Moyr thoughts deeply on what she had just heard. She felt tested, provoked.

"And how did they manage to define the public good, Darth Jadus? It may be hard to separate the concept from its execution. Their ultimate failure may have been because of the loophole in design. It strikes me that the dilemma hidden behind this duality is: how to perfect the nature of sentients? Wouldn't the Sith Code be a decent answer? And the end of the litany is freedom."

“Freedom for everyone is not an ideal society. The Sith code is a not model for society it is a model for the leaders of a society. Or should we free every slave?” he asks curiously.

"Hardly. Only those who have the will and talent to successfully oppose their masters."

“So what would you do differently then, if you were in the position of the Devil Tigers? More importantly how do you maintain order in a universe that naturally slides towards chaos?” he asks.

"I'd co-opt the resourceful, disagreeable and willing to devote to correction of the system. Open elites recruited on merit is the only reliable mechanism of self-correction. If you cannot stem chaos, harness its power. The insurgent is your future ally. It is the mirror we all need to see our flaws and ultimately rectify them."

She smiled.

"But you know this, Darth Jadus. You let a smuggler leeching on you to live and prosper. In turn, you got dedication and loyalty without extinguishing the very drive to be free. You have it both, a rebel and a believer."

“Words mean little, they are as toys; easily used, easily discarded, and easily forgotten. You have shown yourself to have merit, if that amounts to something that will serve the Empire, we shall see,” he says.

"Yes, Darth Jadus."

This was true, so she agreed with it.

"Shall I be subjected to more personalised testing then?"

“Testing is pointless. Conditioning is what matters. What is it that you fear?” he says and she feels the tugs of the force on her mind.

OOC: Use a Destiny to draw on the Light. Moyr make a Discipline roll versus 3 Challenge and 2 Difficulty dice, he is attempting to use Influence to inflict Fear on her.

Force Die Roll - Jadus: 3eF 4 Light Side

She could not defy his request, stand tall. But her failure was not overwhelming, and the mental intrusion bearable. She held on her feet and could speak coherently, though perspiration started coating her body.

"Enslavement. Debasement. Helplessness."

LM6. Discipline. Haha. That's a good one. Destiny.: 1eP+1eA+2eD+3eC 1 failure, 3 threat