The Dark Academy on Korriban

Zeno nods in agreement. "There is a reason that they are in the vast minority among sith. Those that have risen above their kind have done so by the grace of the dark side. Any individual chosen by it deserves the same consideration as any wielder, but not the same expectations for capabilities. They simply do not have the same physiology for it. I will be interested to see if those aliens among the students were chosen for this fate by the dark side to accomplish something or to simply be fodder."

"You said you were trained by your grandmother. Is she someone I may have heard of?"

"Great-grandmuter," she corrected gently, sparing only an amused glance to Zeno before returning to the void. "Und I'm not sure. Many of ze old bloodlines still offer her respect. I suppose if you are a shtudent of history you might 'ave reason to know of 'er. She iz Ka-Tai Farro, ma-triarch und mo-narch of House Farro und all of Korriz. I vas privileged to be her disciple with my ziblings. She iz ze most powerful Sith sorceress of House Farro, possessed of rare knowledge."

"I must admit I haven't heard of her. I imagine that she must be truly powerful as the head of a Sith House. I've never been to Korriz either. What is it like?"

"Wild," the witch offered back sounding pleased at the idea. "It iz much like Dormund Kaas or much of the planetz in the Stygian Caldera. Ze only difference iz vhere ze Empire sought to tame ze wilds of itz central planets und foster cities, ve vere loath to push back ze encroaching wilds. Our populous live in small villages, und our temples und tombs are far from zem. It allows us ze solitude ve require to focus on our dewotion [devotion] to ze Dark Side."

"Sounds nice. I've not had the chance to visit any wilds. All my time has been spent in cities, and the void. Either the chaos of crowds or the emptiness of the black. Exploring the wastes on Korriban will be a new experience, but I'm sure it will be as bleak as it is unforgiving in the areas nobody calls home." Looking out into the darkness, he wonders at what that will be like.

"I would like to train in different environments one day. I'm certain they all offer different and varying challenges."

"Zat zey do," she replied smoothly.

"Tell me, ser Deathwright, among vhich of ze Deathwright holdings did you find home?"

"The main one in the Kaas City of Dromund Kaas. My mother is the leader of our House and that is where I spent my youth. Around age thirteen I moved to Deathwright Station in orbit there for my training. I would return planet-side for events that she wanted me at and for rare meetings with my father, but the past few years I have lived in the void with my tutor, flight instructors and fellow Deathwright students. Being in the space between stars, the empty vastness, hearing only your own thoughts and the whispers of the dark side... that is what truly feels like home to me."

"I understand ze sentiment, though Korriz vill always be my true home." She raised a hand to the barrier between them and the vast emptiness, but then let it fall.

"But to hear zat you're from Dormund Kaas, I am beginning to realize zat more zan a few of ze acolytes on zeir vay to Korriban are from zhere. I am not surprized, it iz ze center uf influence in ze Empire, but it vas still surprizing to not 'ave more...far flung bloodlines, so to speak. Zhose zat have other duties to the emperor, offworld."

"I believe most Deathwrights feel much the same as me. There are some that spend more time in their starfighters than they do outside of them."

He looks back to Jun-Tsu from the black.

"It is only natural that so many related to individuals of influence come from there. The vast majority of Deathwrights live on other worlds, bur out house is nearly a millennium old, it should not be too surprising that our primary holding is there. Planetside, it is small and houses only the direct family of whoever the current scion is as well as the members of our elite capital defense squadron, but the capital is a good central location for converging our fighters if necessary and bringing trainees together. If not for my parentage I likely would have come up on a different world," Zeno admits to the witch.

"Zat vould be your muter, yes? The current scion." Jun-Tsu questioned with an intrigued mood. "No doubt you are part of ze ruling bloodline, but who is set to lead your house? Are you to take over control of ze Deathwrights?"

"The Deathwrights have traditionally been a matriarchal meritocracy. There have been some male leaders in our past but we have favored capable women over similarly capable men for a long time to honor our founder. The next in line is the most recent winner of the triennial Deathwatch combat flight tournament. She is a distant niece to my mother. But, yes. I do intend to lead the family one day." When he speaks his intent there is a cruel detachment to his tone, a hollowness that suggests that he would not care if anyone stood against him.

"Goot [good]," she smiled that devlish smirk, "I vould 'ave lost much respect in you if you had said othervize. Alzough [although] a caweat [caveat]. I care not for politicks, but I do respect ambition of all formz. And zhose of zhe inner vorlds seem to zee rulership az zhe highest attainment."

He shakes his head gently. "I disagree with them on that idea. The highest attainment is power. Rulership does provide power but what use is that if a master of the dark arts can simply walk in and kill you where you stand, taking everything you have earned. And politics are just a byproduct of any group of people. It will be some time before I rule the house but when I do it will be when I'm able to crush any rivals to that power. Do you plan on leading the Farro one day then?"

"No," her smile did fade.

"But zhat iz only because zhere are many ancient lords who lead my family, und zhey have done zo for over two-hundred years. My great-grandmuter h'as ruled for ower zhree-hundred. Perhaps v'one day I und my siblingz shall rule, but it vill be a century or more before ve can even hope to h'ave h'alf zhe understanding of zhe Dark Side zhat zhey do. It h'as chosen zhem and ve must vait for it to choose us at itz vhim. Und zhose zhat seek to take zuch powver before it vills it....zhey are zhose zhat perish. Like attempting to kill a star vith bo'dy a-lone. Zhat iz how feeble ve are before zhe Dark Side."

"It is true that the dark side chooses and guides us for it's purposes, but we also have to devote ourselves to it in order to earn such more favor. If you prove more fervent in your faith than they, you are certain to be blessed with the power necessary to rule your family sooner rather than later. You're already off to a good start if you are attending the academy no?"

There was almost a coy, perhaps even coquettish, way she looked at the young Zeno. It would seem something in the way he spoke had pleased her greatly.

"Zhat remains to be zeen. Zhe Dark Side is eweryvhere, but ze Academy h'as long been a place of dark learning. I pray it h'as not fallen from such grace. I h'ave spent my life in dewotion to the Dark Side and do not seek unnecessary distraction. As you say, v'one's dewotion is zhe path to powver. To take me from zhat path iz to rob me of powver. A great sin against a Sith, no?"

Her look did not go unnoticed. His eyes fixed on hers for a few moments as he drew a breath in through his nose, almost as though he were catching a scent.

"It's not so bad a sin as one might think. Robbing an enemy of power to gain advantage over them seems prudent. Robbing them of power for no reason? That's just wasteful and hurts the empire. In this academic setting I would certainly consider it inappropriate but I would not expect all to share that opinion. Every person present is a potential useful tool for the empire, should they prove their talent, and perseverance and passion."

"I do not disagree on your philozophy, but consider vhether zhe v'one robed of powver vas you. Zhat iz zhe sin. It is not a sin against the Sith, it is against that Sith. Of course it is my own fault if my time iz wasted, but it vill require recompense eventually for zhe waste und for zhe distraction."

She took in a sharp breath, "But who knows, maybe it will be vorthvhile. I pray zhat it iz, und I trust in zhe Dark Side to guide me vhere I must go. Zhere must be something here."

"I am certain there is plenty to learn on Korriban. Millennia of history exists buried there and there are many masters of the dark side that will be present. It may not be the same as what you could expect from your family, but even if the academy is on a different path that would just make you more flexible. You may even learn a secret or two not known by your family that you can take back to... do with as you wish," Zeno's tone on his last few words suggest they are open to interpretation.

"Ve are of one mind on zhe subject. It can be cleanzing to diworce oneself from zhe known zhat you might wenture into zhe unknown und learn other zecretz. I just pray to zhe powvers zhat zhey are equal or beyond zhose I would h'awve learned from my family."

Her eyes seemed to scan the blackness as though seeing objects or flows within it. She followed them with her gaze, "Zhe Sith Lords are beingz of legend. I suppose I also hope that I am equal or beyond zheir trials."

"As the birthplace of the Sith, I'm sure there are plenty of secrets of worth that are buried on Korriban. Perhaps even long forgotten sorcery that could be used to strengthen your family one day. It is exciting to consider the possibilities of what we might find there other than what the instructors have to share," Zeno says as he watches the black.

"Zhat iz zhe hope. Alvays hope. A most unSith trait, but one zhat I h'ave retained regardless. To h'ave ambition iz to strive for zhat vhich iz beyond you. Zhat wery notion implies a cruel optimism in zhe future. Zhere are, vithout doubt, zhousands of ancient rites buried in zhe tombs of zhe bygone lords, und even ancient Sith sorcery. But v'one hopes zhat we can navigate zhe barriers zhat keep us from zuch prizes."

"Forgotten vays....zuch a vaste."

"Their loss has created a challenge for us to prove our worth of them. Forgotten lore is not a waste until it is lost forever."

Zeno turns once more to the witch, looking at her with intensity and the slightest hint of a smirk.

"And hope is not unlike a Sith. It is a powerful emotion... and like any such emotion we should take it, refine it, mold it and turn it into a tool. Turn it into the determination required in our quest to gain strength and power. When mixed with passion it becomes the unstoppable force that drives us. Distant goals are just hopes given form."

"Vhat a splendid vay to zee it." She favored him with a smile but did little more than glance to him then back to the black.

"Zo close to my own zhoughts. Let zhe Je'daii diworce zhemselwves from zhere emotionz, but all it doez iz sever zhere powver. Like cutting off zheir own limb, or gouging out zheir own eye because it offends..."

She 'tsk' pityingly under her breath, "Another vaste. Misguided....blind."

"They do not understand the true nature of the force. Their failure is made all the more devastating by the fact that the Republic trusts them and follows their lead. Their continued existences is an insult, but one day we will see their fall and bring their ignorant puppets under the banner of the Empire. Then those that are not Sith can live their lives in peace under the guardianship of the Sith. That is my hope and I drive myself to gain the power necessary to help our Empire accomplish it."