The Dark Academy on Korriban

Sylvain was searching this morning. Seeing he was in the library one would assume it would be for some academic matter... they would be wrong.

Spying the thing he was looking for, he walked up beside it... well her.. and put his hand on her shoulder, leaning on it for support.

"Since when did my dear friend become such a bookworm?" He smiled a warm smile to his foster sister.

The past weeks had stopped all her research. Much to her annoyance. There were still so many questions she had about so many things, and none of them something that could be easily answered by anything.

Children of the Emperor... The Forgotten...

Normally she was someone who did not let her guard down easily, and was always aware of others sneaking up on her. This time, she actually gave a small jump when Sylvain touched her, as she had been too consumed by what she was flicking through on her datapad.

"... What are you doing here?" she asked, looking behind him to see if Kristal was there.

"Looking for you Shai." He smiled.

"Missed you at breakfast.... again." He said with a tilt in his head.

"Needed something nicer to look at than paste?" she asked with a dry chuckle. "Had some stuff to do, now that those trials were finally over."

He smiled and sat down next to her. "And what were those things you needed to do? Maybe I can help."

She averted her gaze for a moment. "I'm sorry... there's some answers I need to find on my own. So far, the more I've looked around, the more questions I find."

She had been apprehensive last time they spoke, understandably, as Sylvain had known her relation to Lord Scourge. But she hadn't told him what she had told Kristal, and the incident had made her wary. And the past weeks had only added to the distance she had put between herself and the two of them.

He smiled and put a hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you need another set of eyes?"

He squeezed her shoulder, "Or has this round of 'Korriban' driven some space between you and your beloved Syl?"

She managed a chuckle. "Maybe it has... maybe I'm just not as close as you and Kris are," her smile was unusually melancholic.

"It's been a rather trying time for you two."

"And it hasn't for you?" He asked with concern.

"Kris and I know how it feels to have our father murdered, yes. But Kris and you know how it feels to think that it is your father who was responsible... I didn't experience that. You and Kris share things that I don't... it's not just that...."

He smiled kindly. "We need you Shai... don't run away because we're being stupid. You're the one who's supposed to rip us out of our shells."

"I'm not saying it hasn't been trying for me too," she pressed her lips into a thin line.

"But I'm not running away, Syl. I never run away," her voice was hard. "I fully intend to press on, and be thorn in the side of the one who started it all."

He smiled, "I know you don't run away. I'd just also not to have you run a different direction than us."

Then nodded, "If that is your desire, then we're all on the same page."

Then smiling brighter, "So.. didn't think I could help with the beast, huh? Where was the invite?"

"In the secret clubhouse of the Sith-blooded," she retorted with a wry smirk.

"And no, I do think you would've been in over your head. That thing was savage, but we did it. Feel free to spread the word of our heroics though, as I know you're good at spinning a nice rumor. Would you like to hear how it went down?"

He nodded and smiled. "Of course Shai. It'll help me know where to embellish it."

"Right," she took a moment to clear her mind of what had been on her mind lately, and back to the fight.

Shaisha told of how they came prepared to face the beast, bearing rifles and grenades (not that she told Sylvain how exactly they acquired those). She gave herself credit for picking out a good vantage point for them, and then for luring out the nearby pack of tuk'ata that would no doubt join the fight once Death's Shadow showed up, but she gave the credit for leading the trio to Zeno when she told him of how they turned that spot of land into a living hell for the beasts that were lured into their trap.

As Death's Shadow appeared, bursting through wreckage that collapsed ontop of the accompanying pack, she once more put herself in focus of how she stood fearless to face the beast, a rallying leader that made the others stand firm against the incoming charge. With a father like that, how could she possibly know fear in the midst of battle?

Though, of course, she didn't leave out how Khalim manipulated the grenades with the Force to blow up in Death's Shadow's face in the middle of its charge, and how he had withstood the brunt of its attacks. From there, she mostly praised Zeno's acrobatics in combat and deadly accuracy with the lightsaber, and her of course how she, knocked down on her knees, finished off the monster by attacking it from below to get to its weakest point.

"An impressive story. One wonders about aspirants with rifles, but you're resourceful enough to make it believable."

He smiled, "Looks like we found a similar ally through different paths. Zeno's proven to be quite useful."

"A bit crazy, but I would rather have him on my side than on the opposing side. He seems to be fiercely loyal to those he considers comrades." She tilted her head to the side. "A bit like Kris. Just more bloodthirsty and... savage."

He chuckled, "A fair assessment. Maybe you should hook up with him. Give us both some needed balance... that fits our personalities well enough."

She raised an eyebrow.

"If it's just for an outlet of passion and agression, I'm not going to say no, he's charming in his own way. But he has his lady already, and I'm not interested in that. And certainly not with him."

"He has a lady? I hadn't heard." He asked with raised eyebrows.

"That Jun-Tsu Farro, I think. Haven't had it confirmed yet," because the player forgot the time-slots of this and that, "but it's a suspicion I have."

"Still, no."

He chuckled. "So perhaps this heroic Khalim then? He get your motor rolling?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Why the sudden interest in my love life?"

He chuckled, "Nothing. Just teasing I suppose."

It was a topic very much on his mind, so it's quite possible it was emerging into his conversations. Being open with Shai about it though seemed awkward given their past.

"Perhaps they could help us with some of the bigger problems on Yavin." He offered as a segway away from romance.

Shaisha didn't appriciate the teasing this time. Maybe because she did feel a pull towards the one who hadn't so easily succumbed to her flirtations as the others had, yet he had still shown an interest. At least to her, it seemed like they were challenging eachother, as well as pushing to learn more about one another.

"Perhaps. You worried about the trip there?"

He shook his head, "I don't worry much. But I do prepare."