The Dark Academy on Korriban

Zeno stepped through the brush of the forest with his companion close behind. He had his full gear on and his sabers in his hand, and tried kept his mind open to sense any threats (not very well). But he really was just hoping for some private time to share a meal and conversation with her. Even if that meal was rations.

Pleasant Picnic, D9 LA, Sense: 1eF 2 Light Side

Jun-Tsu, since coming to Yavin IV, had rid herself of her veil and robes, and now wore something more fitting of their jungle environment. Indeed, if it hadn't been for her earlier mishaps in landing on the planet, she might have even enjoyed it more. In many ways the planet felt like home. Wet, rainy, swampy, and covered in jungle. As they walked the wilds, she was already soaked by the rain, but that was the entire point of her body suit, to slick the elements away.

Her hair fell in wet strands down her back, and while it may have been unpleasant, the heat of the day combined with the rain felt wonderful to her. "How var are ve going?"

"Not far," he says. "Just wanted to be out of general earshot observation distance of the camp. His voice is muffled slightly, as it normally is while wearing his helmet. Also his sabers have a significantly different appearance. He had been apparently doing quite a bit of modification to them.

"This should be fine, he says, seeing a felled tree, likely by some large beast since it looks like it was splintered and scratched. The thought didn't concern him.

Jun-Tsu looked around, her hand brushing the bark of a nearby tree. The rough, aged wood brought a smile to her face. Too few understood the power of nature.

"You know, zhe je'daii vould look at zhese great arbors und zee an expression of zhe living Force. Zhey vould zee zhe lush growth und its living strength. Und zhe vould never zhink of zhe struggle und zelfishness zhat got it here. Zhis tree, reaching for zhe light, had to kill zhousands of others just like itself, drawing itz nourishment from others, feeding on zheir decay to make fertile loam. It vas raised on death und took vithout giving."

Force Power: Sense - 2eF = 2 Dark Side (3 Dark Side)

Zeno removed his pack and his helmet, setting them against the tree, letting the water come down on his face.

"Everything feeds on something else. It cannot survive without it," Zeno replies. "Even the light would starve if not for the actions of the jedi, removed from what nourishes it. And the dark would devour it's corpse. Just as the smallest insect would starve without something to eat from and it's body would rot into the soil. It is a universal truth. It is impossible for light to win out in the end because the only thing that can be eternal is darkness."

He sat down on the fallen tree.

She didn't much feel like sitting. Her senses were too alive, even after the several hours after she had careened out of the sky. Her heart jumped just at the sheer thought of it. It was as close to death as she had ever come.

So, she walked a small circuit around the glade. Giving a stretch she continued to let her hand reach out and touch each tree as she passed them.

"Have you ewer vondered vhat des might be like?"

"I have. Frequently. For many different reasons. It's long been a minor interest of mine, perhaps due to the nature of my family and even our name," he replies. "Wondered what it is like for those I've lost and those I've killed and those who have passed in their sleep..." he says in a somewhat neutral tone. "I actually got a hint as to what it was like for some back on Korriban. I met the dead."

"It's strange," she knelt down between the thick roots of an old ironwood as they met its base. "It vas like Korriban vas disturbed somehow. I...can't explain it. Zhe entire time I vas zhere, I felt az zhough zhe Dark Side vas rippling, surging, like a fitful sleep."

"I heard again und again zhe tales of students meeting zhe dead, und I zaw many a shade of zhe planet's past. Many upon many, but I zhought it merely my connection to zhe zpirit-vorld. But I zhink it vas zomezhing more. Did you feel it....zhe night Minister Torsin died? Zhat surging crash zhrough zhe Force?"

"I did," he said with a nod. "I didn't recognize it beyond simply feeling a surge however."

"I should have zeen it before zhen. Zhe unrest of Korriban, zhe multitude of spirits echoing forvard and back from zhat moment. Zhey vere avakening because of zhat disturbance, like the lowering of zhe tide before a great vave."

She shook her head, "Des has been all around uz zince coming to Korriban. It has made me zhink about zhe end."

"I think about the end all the time," he says. "Because that is what soldiers face. It's what drives us to live... knowing that you can die at any time and it's more likely for you," he says. "And I have seen enough death to know the truth of it."

"And I am not afraid to bring it in the slightest with pravá ruka and ľavá ruka. I've been studying the Farro in my downtime to prepare myself," he says with a somewhat proud smile.

A savage smile spread across her features as she looked back at him, though she quickly went back to feeling the wet dirt around the base of the tree. "Preparing for entry into mein family?"

"Yes. It will be so," he said with unabated confidence. "There is no test I cannot pass. And I am loyal to the dark light before all. That the Empire is it's servant is the reason I serve the Empire."

He smiles at her. "I will be purified, I will learn and complete the rituals, and one day I will be one with the dark. It's blade upon the physical world, ready to crush all bastions of light. And when they are wiped from this galaxy I will welcome the dark side's embrace eternal."

"How you zay zhe most lovely zhings," she said wistfully. "Und you shall, but are you zertain you vish to leave House Desvright? You don't have to you know, in order to learn our vays. Ser Torsin iz certainly not giving up hiz place among House Torsin in order to learn zhe old vays."

She stood up and walked over to him.

Zeno reached in to his pack and pulled out a ration bar, moving to hand it to Jun-Tsu. "I do not need to be an official member of House Deathwright for the political alliance to exist. That is how political marriages work. And I would devote my focus to becoming a beast that stalks the light. A monster that makes it impossible for the foolish Jedi to hold to their code."

He then moves back to lie on the tree trunk face down. "I want to feel it, as sure as I am on this tree right now. Death beneath me wherever I am. To be stand upon the corpses of the enemies of the dark. To sleep among their blood and viscera. To devour their flesh and their essence as I cut them down."

She canted her head and wristed her hips. "Who vould lead house Desvright zhen? I know you zaid zhat ewen your family could not trace your lineage to zhe founder, but are you ready to release control of zhe House rather zhan retain it? Alliance iz v'one zhing, control iz another. Vould you still have svay in your House? Zhe powver to reqvisition fighters und resources?"

"That would simply move my timetable for taking control," he says as he closes his eyes. "And the means by which I do so. Perhaps I would just find a way to kill my father and take his place as the patron of the house. And as a Farro that patronage could be made permanent among your house," he replies. "And then the Deathwrights could continue on their path of pilot dominance with less internal meddling. It actually is probably better for the house as a whole to do it that way."

"Coups rarely promote stability. Zhat iz a lesson of zhe Farro. It iz vhy ve have lasted as long az ve have. Harmony, und family above all. If you do zhis you must be sure zhat House Desvright vill follow you, und not plot a coup of zheir own. True, you may kill any who come against you, but zhat iz v'one less soldier to fight, v'one less ally to help, v'one less tool to use."

She knelt by the fallen log, "I zupport vhichever path you choose, but zhere are consequences."

"Deathwright has operated under dozens of sith lords through the years. They offer their loyalty to the patron with the strength to earn it. They were loyal to my father's predecessor until he took control. Never have they led a coup against a sith worthy of their strength," he replies. "And as one trained in their ways and a sith, they would be doubly honored to fight for me as I would any sith that rose from our house and took my father's place. At the end of the day the Deathwrights live to serve the empire. But I am destined for more. For greatness."

He turns to face her with a smile. "Farro will be my family, we will have our family, and in time we will control my family."

His conviction was persuasive at least. She gave a half nod as she continued to look down at him. "If zhat iz vhat you vish. I know I've zaid it before, but zhe trials to actually join vith mein family, und be given zhe right to join vith v'one of us, iz a long und laborious trial. Far beyond merely swearing yourzelf to House Farro, vhich iz grueling already."

She took a deep breath, "But if zhat iz vhat you van zhen mein zviera, zhen I look forvard to our union under zhe banner of House Farro."

She looked down and rested a hand on her belly before turning away and slipping into silence.

As she turns away he moves to sit up.

"That is what I want. I want our power to grow. I want us to be lords of this galaxy. I want to create an unstoppable line of witches and warriors among house Farro of our blood and spirits intermingled. I want our zviera to to consume and destroy all in their path as they stand as one with the dark light, born of passion, strength, devotion to the dark."

"My love for your passion, for your power, for your strength... for you... will not allow me to fail in any obstacle put before me."

"Zhe vay of galactic rulership und soverignty are not zhe vays of House Farro. I don't begrudge you your ambition, but ve long ago stepped avay from zhat life. Ve are content vith zhe subtle influence of zhe Emperor's court. But ours haz newer been zhe vay of action. Ve are pleased vith zhe qviet of our lives und zhe freedom ve have garnered. It iz our revard for accruing powver."

"Our vay iz wery different. Our culture iz diverent. Our morals und views are diverent. You vill zee in time, but..." she put a hand on her hip as she considered how to phrase what she would say next.

"Family, love, desire, union, zhey are wery different on Korriz. In vayz you may not yet be ready to accept." There was another breath muffled by the rain. "I know you accept zhat I may lay vith others, pursue powver vith zhem, but vhat about marriage, or vhat you in zhe core vould call marriage, or children vith others? Mien muter und vater are part of a union of zhree, und I have eight sisters und two bruders. On Dromund Kaas you might call zome of zhem half-siblings, but on Korriz, ve are all v'one."

"Can you submit to our vays? Be v'one of a plural union? Accept children not of your blut?"

"It is a strange concept for sure, but one that I am certain I could learn. But the ritual nature of such shared unions the dark coursing through all participants. The magic at work in such a conception. I could live with that, yes. I imagine that is generally how it works with how you've describe the Farro's rituals, how we've experienced them, what I've read of them. The child of such a ritual is the child of all participants. Our strength would be in such a child by virtue of the connection created by the arts of your family. That is how it would work no?" He asks.

"In part," she nodded. "United strength in calling zhe Umbră-Ușoară iz a powverful part of any of our rituals, including zhe conception of children. But zhere iz a physical element, obviously. V'one vere muter und vater vill zheir essence to conceive of zhat child. It iz in zhat paired union zhat zhe channeled energies iz giwen shape. It iz vhat allows uz zhe powver to unite vith all other Farro. It iz vhy it iz zo difficult for outziders to be brought in. Zhey must be joined zhrough torturous trial zhat each Farro received in zhe vomb by right of our birth."

"Mein muter may have two spouses, but I call only v'one vater for zhis reason." She smirked, "You vill learn."

"But I bring zhis up because I have decided upon my virst child."

Zeno cocks his head, a bit eager with a small smile. They had spoke of it not too long ago.