The Dark Academy on Korriban

Jun-Tsu stood in front of the library's main terminal looking over the catalogue that she had steadily implemented over the past three weeks. Most of the entries were sufficient, for the moment, and Zyn and Rem's work on the collection program was remarkable. Were this the republic she might have even been inclined to offer them praise or credit for their work. As it was, she was happy to have it, but continued her own contributions, adding in further descriptors and subjects to the entries to further refine searches.

Spying one entry she stepped away to consult the shelves, pulling a physical tome to peruse it briefly. She looked through the text with a keen eye. Diagrams and Sith writing filled the pages describing some ancient, long forgotten object of power and the rituals that surrounded it. She nodded to herself then turned the page.

"R3-G3, take this text and digitize its contents. I want its contents then sent to my personal terminal." She then handed it over to the astromech droid.

The droid does as requested, moving with alacrity and precision.

Sylvain entered the library for a second time that day. Interest in the files on the Master that he had in his holocron were of interest to him. He'd heard the story of the man's life, but wanted to see how that may have been portrayed by others.

Seeing Jun-tsu studying his lips curled into a grin. It had been far too long since he had seen the exotic sith witch, and so he put his own concerns aside for a moment and approached her.

"Good afternoon fair lady of House Farro."

"Ser Torsin," she offered a welcoming smile. Or as welcoming as one of her bearing could be. Still, it held an approachable air. "I had vondered vhere you had gone off. I zaw you only sparingly zince zhe excawation und even zhen you vere off elsevhere most of zhe time."

Her smile fell suddenly feeling inappropriate. "I....I newer got a chance to offer my condolences on zhe passing of your vater. It vas a tragedy of zhe highest caliber. I vould have offered you vhat comfort I could, but I assumed at zuch a time, v'one of your temperament vould be qvite busy."

She left so much unsaid.

He smiled and bowed slightly with his hand over his heart. "Your condolences are gratefully accepted. It is true that I was quite busy with the matters surrounding my father's death. I am sorry I was not able to reach out to you sooner. I hope you did not take my failure to contact you as some indicator of my respect for you."

"I vould newer zhink zhat. Zhough, I did vorry zhat it had consumed your thoughts to zuch an extent zhat you had forgotten me. I vas villing to give you your space, but hoped zhat....in time, you vould remember ve vere v'once on our vay to becoming close aqvaintances."

Her slight smirk returned as she slowly closed the book she was reading, to better focus on the heir of house Torsin.

"We were now weren't we?" He said with a charming grin.

"Why don't we pick up where we left off then?"

"Of course, but that spans ower qvite a bit of time. Ve have been buzy for some time now. Indeed, I vas not even appointed librarian yet zhe last time ve spoke."

He smiled, "And I was not Baras' apprentice."

Then asked, "Is this appointment meant to be a long-term assignment?"

"I honestly have no idea. Vhat vas v'once just a zimple task to organize the library has grown into a full appointment, but I could not zay for how long. Inewitably I cannot stay here for zo long. My destiny iz elsevhere, not here."

She looked down at her collection of books then back to him, "But Baras' apprentice, how zhrilling. You have made good on your vish to be under his tutelage, und he has zhown himzelf, in recent veeks to be remarkably competent in hiz interim roll az Minister of Var. Zhe destruction of zhe Jedi who killed your vater must be vindication to you."

He smiled, "To some degree. Much is still unclear about the nature of the betrayal; we must be ever vigilant in our pursuit of the more self-destructive portions of our Empire."

What a curious thing to say, Jun-Tsu considered to herself, but ultimately allowed to pass, "Competition and rivalry has long been a hallmark of the Empire politik. Zuch is vhy ve have diworced ourselves from it for zo long."

"But I am alvays impressed by your continued vant to be at zhe heart of it. Und Lord Baras iz zure to keep you at zhe center of zhe wast veb of influence zhat reaches across zhe Sith zystems. He haz, I hardly need tell you, a reputation of cunning."

Sylvain nodded, "It takes a cunning man to be able to navigate the world that he does. But the vigilance he and others do for the Empire is of great worth. I'm proud to be a part of that endeavor now."

"I imagine after our excursion you vill be his apprentice and at his side for a great deal of time," she sounded disappointed or maudlin about that. "I suppose no visits to Korriz to zee your one time acquaintance. Had I known you vould be zo zuccessful I might have done more to zee our paths cross more often. Ztill, zhat iz zhe vay of zhe Force, und paths not traveled. Perhaps ve could have become more, but ve each have a path to valk to greatness."

He smiled, "You speak as if the opportunity has somehow passed. As far as I see it, you are still here and I am here with you. There's still plenty of time to spend together, and get your 'quality time' in with the 'new bigshot'." He chuckled in a self-deprecating way. He obviously didn't think that being an apprentice had changed much of their dynamic.

"I am zurrounded by zhe future leaders of zhe Sith from zhe rumors und zhe accolades. Your name, of course, comes up often, but all I can zhink iz zhat zoon ve vill be leaving for Yavin IV und after zhat ve vill be full Sith. You vill go to zhe Dark Council vith Lord Baras und I vill be returning home, at least for a time. Ve have precious little time from now until zhen."

"But if anything, I'm glad zhat I had zhe chance to vish you zhe blessings of zhe Umbră-Ușoară before ve parted vays."

He smiled, "I haven't forgotten my promise to remember your house if I were to be successful. Just because I go off with Baras, does not mean I will not make an appearance on Korriz. I still have much to learn of your family's ways."

She returned his grin with a soft smirk, "I look forvard to showing you. Zhough it iz unfortunate zhat ve have been zo indesposed as of late. I have been practicing mein alkhemy refining zhe illium crystal I received. You could have participated in zome of zhe zimplest rituals of mein House."

"Are you not able to do them again?" He asked. "I have a spare crystal available."

"I could...," she led cryptically. "It vould require some materials, but I presume a scion zuch as yourzelf vould have no problems procuring zuch zhings. I'm just not zertain you are...ready for zhe vildness of zhem."

Her smirk never faded.

He smiled back, "What should I prepare?"

"A series of powdered elements, bioogranic materials, and some ceremonial implements which I just so happen to already have. It shouldn't cost you more zhan a hundred credits. Zhe materials are fairly zimple to find. In truth it depends on vhat you vould like me to do. I am not a miracle vorker. Vell, I'm not as great a v'one az others in my family, but I can elicit a few potent spells. Enough to enhance your illium crystal for certain."

"What type of enhancements can be made?" He asked with interest.

"It iz old Sith alkhemy, it makez zhose changes zhat you vould expect, to refine zhe blade, to make it deadlier, more vicious, more hungry." She sat back in her chair, having left the pursuit of study behind.

"Hmmm, I'm not much of a duelist myself as of yet... Though I'm sure someone could probably make use of an enhanced crystal." He said.

"What other rituals have you access to while here? Any that help with less mechanical things and focus more on the mind or body?"