The Dark Academy on Korriban

Zeno watched her go, but not in that leering lecher way, and only for a few seconds.

"We have been drinking a lot," he says with a chuckle to Sylvain. "You two were chatting a lot. You guys got a thing?" he asks.

He shook his head, "Not really. Made out once. But she's dealing with some stuff."

"The mysterious types always are. But i guess that goes to prove what I assumed from the beginning," he says with a chuckle, sipping more coffee.

"Which was?" He asked.

"That body is a weapon, not a toy. A dangerous one. If she's dealing with things but still dresses like that an flirts as she does..." he chuckles once more "... I pity the man that gets caught in that trap without knowing what to do."

Sylvain nods. "Indeed. Anybody who walks into that with their guard down, is likely to be burned pretty harshly."

"Also... I aksed earlier. Can I get that holocron back? You having it was supposed to be temporary, was the agreement."

Sylvain tilted his head, "The immediate reason for me having it was temporary, yes. And those conditions still apply."

He took a sip of his coffee, "Moyr and I are still using it quite a bit... what do you need it for?"

"Because Zash will kill for it," he says with a shrug. "And I like you guys. And I'm no good at lying... if I haven't proven that time and again."

"She's a path to power. First lesson she taught me, don't hold on to something that you can't let go of. Between me and her... that means each other."

Sylvain chuckled, "You convince Moyr and Baesal that giving it to Zash is a good idea, and I'll let you have it."

He then smiled, "I'd hate for your loose tongue to create problems between the group... Zash is not the only powerful person with connections to the rest of us."

"Well, I think we need Moyr back then," he looks towards, the refresher. "Why do women take so long?"

Because they do. Period.

Moyr returned though, unhurriedly. Visibly refreshed, though maybe paler. She took back her place in the middle, stylishly but unceremoniously.

"What did I miss?"

"I was talking about the Holocron. I wanted to get it back," he says. "To give to Zash."

"As I explained, she'll kill for it. And there's no way I can keep her from finding out where it is. She could probably tear my mind open."

"But her first lesson to me was one that made sense. Never hold on to something you can't let go of. The holocron. An apprentice... a Master."

He sips coffee.

"She's a path to power for me, but that's not always necessarily going to be true. I know you don't like her and she doesn't like you and I'm in the middle, but one day I'll need to choose sides. Am I going to choose the side that taught me that everything can be thrown out? Or the side that knows how to work together as a team effectively against any obstacle or challenge?"

Sylvain looks over to Moyr for her reaction.

"I personally cannot trust Zash with the holocron; it puts Moyr and Baesal at a serious disadvantage. For me.. she doesn't know I'm related in any way and so it doesn't necessarily matter to me... but I'd prefer to give Moyr and Baesal all the tools they need to beat her."

"I don't want them to die at her hands either," Zeno replies. "But it is plainly stated by her to be on her agenda someday, not necessarily soon. I spoke on their behalf and I think that she considers their camaraderie with me a potential benefit for her in the short term."

He sighs.

"I would get as much lore and power as I can from her. Regardless of what anyone things of her she is a wellspring of lore and secrets. That's one of the reason's I am glad for the opportunity to serve her. As long as I am a valuable apprentice then I can grow. But when I'm no longer needed or if she becomes a liability I will have to take care of number one. And she has enemies."

"Earning her favor gets me closer. Getting me closer is a potential boon."

"If you look out after only yourself on this matter... I fear that your words earlier, the one's about becoming a closer unit... those words will be for naught." He said with a shrug.

"You implicate us in this... and I'm afraid you'll have to stand against Zash alone in that day that you become, how did you say it, 'a liability'?"

He took a sip then added, "Don't make us regret the trust we've placed in you."

"I don't have to implicate you. She can undoubtedly rip it from me that one of you has it," he says. "Hopefully I survive it."

He stands up and downs his coffee. "I need to think."

Sylvain nodded, "You do what you need to do."

Moyr listened in silence for a while, then looked straight at Zeno.

"You're not getting this right, Zeno, at least not from my perspective. She has practically pledged to kill me, so she will attempt it no matter what I do. Appeasement won't work on her, only deterrence. I cannot give up what potentially gives me an edge against her. That'd sheer stupidity, and if you learned something about me during our time working together is that I am not a naive idiot. Despite your best intentions, you may not be there when she tries to kill me, or she'll see through you well in advance and neutralises you before you'll be able to do anything. I am the sole person responsible for my survival. I can't and don't want to burden you with it."

She sighed, reaching out to his arm and squeezing it friendlily.

"I know you've put yourself in a tight spot. I won't question your choices, you're a Sith, your own passions carry you to your victories. But I'll do something that will make it all easier for you. I will make sure you truly won't know where the thing ends up. Because I won't put Syl in jeopardy if I can help it. This is the only thing I've carried away from my lying straight in her face, in addition to my dignity."

She was not looking at the honourable mention when she continued.

"Besides, for all her twisted leeching on power of others and her being a wellspring of what-have-you, she's not the most powerful Sith around yet. She's less than Darth Baras. And she's less than my likely master. So it's not like we have no options. She's smart, she must take into account that if she acts against us, it may be like pissing against the hurricane. From what you told me she has narrowly escaped a gruesome fate. She may not be this lucky this time."

She smiled.

"So, my friend, don't try to freighten me with Zash. I know she's a ruthless monster. But I've known it since day one and still did all that I did. If I were scared, I would have chickened out or yielded well before now."

Zeno looks back to her. "I understand. And you need to do what you need to do for your survival. It's good that you will be keeping it hidden from me and I won't know where it is for your sake."

He gives a sad smile. "But at the same time, I will be going to her with nothing. It will be failure and failure is usually not healthy for a sith. Hopefully I have enough good will with her that she will not simply cut me down for it. But maybe not."

He puts his hand on her wrist and removes it from his arm. "I'll see you if I see you Moyr, Sylvain. I sincerely hope good can continue to come of our continued association. For now I need to sober up and think. About who I take tips to and invite on my finds. I seem to have lost out on this one."

Sylvain nodded, "I hope you find companions whose interests always align with your own... because divorcing yourself from those who have a different view than you won't lead to many of the type of companions that you're searching for young Master Deathwright. There is something to say for companions that speak frankly about their concerns, and don't turn away when there is a divergence of opinion..."

He raised his cup of coffee in salute to Zeno, "Whether you choose to associate with us is up to you. We're here to support you in that decision."

"If it's about takeaways and not this particular holocron, Zeno, we can figure something out you may stuff your master with."

"It's not just about differing opinions. It's also about contribution and associates at odds with each other. The one that guides my current path to power wishes to kill those that have helped contribute to a hunt I set in motion and invited them to. A rock and a hard place is not a strong enough metaphor. I do not want to leave any comrade behind. Like Moyr I have no fear of the master that would teach me. I gain nothing from either side other than statements of support and promises of help, while those things that I have found or guided others to are held from my grasp," he says shaking his head.

"I contribute for nothing in return. It is one sided no matter which direction I turn. The only one that truly seems to wish to aid me truly in this academy is the one I see when I look in the mirror. But at least I know he has my interests at heart. All I have to do is look at my marks from the instructors to see that. So I need time to figure out who else other than him truly has something to offer my future."

"As I said... if you look out for yourself, it may be difficult to engender those relationships you seek after." He shrugged. "Zash doesn't offer that type of relationship ever... and has proven to be more than willing to kill those who work for her the moment she thinks it benefits her."

Sylvain smiled, "Those who grew up with a different kind of view on loyalty could perhaps be trusted more than a proven self-destructive, self-absorbed witch. That type of reckless self-interest does not serve the Empire. I would choose potential loyalty over short-term power grabbing. That is the decision I would make and have made repeatedly in my life at least."

Then nodded farewell, "The choice is your's of course."