The Dark Academy on Korriban

Returning to her good hiding spot in the jungle again by the little clearing and little stream, Shaisha sent out the coordinates to another one. There was no other message but the destination.

All she had to do was to sit and wait, and see if the recipent would show up.

Footfall, boots against the dirt. There was little sneaking about Kristal did, she merely exhumed the threat of what would happen if she were angered. That she wasn't coming from camp reduced the risk of anyone following her anyway. Especially as it had been a long day prior to this away from the eyes of onlookers.

Showing herself, Kristal just allowed her presence to speak. Looking to Shaisha as she entered the clearing and waiting for why she was called out here.

Unlike Kristal, Shaisha's movements were quiet and subdued, like a predator stalking her natural habitat in search of prey.

"I'm glad to see you," she gave a relieved smile. "Not enough opportunity to talk with Syl around before... what happened before we went on the ship three days ago? You looked worse for wear."

She knew Kristal well enough to not have raised the matter before with Sylvain present.

"Just another attempt on my life," she said with an almost alarming casualness to her tone.

Walking over toward the stream as they began to speak. Kneeling down by it as she removed her gloves so she could feel the water on her hands.

"Another?" she quirked an eyebrow at that. "Some elaboration is required."

"A Cipher agent, intended on using the attempt on my life to send someone a message. I am sure that message was meant for Sylvain. Still haven't told him but I'm not sure if I give much of a damn anymore," she said, pulling up a bit of water in a cupped hand and tested if it was safe to drink. Before doing so.

"Droid he sent after me detonated. I managed to survive the explosion."

Kristal rolled up her sleeves thinking about that. Her arms were clear where once there were cuts and the tell tale signs of literally holding back the blast of an explosion reaching her core. Wonders of modern medicine.

"I'm impressed, Kris... and a little surprised too. What sort of human contortionist-act did he do this time to make you say that?" she asked, kneeling down beside Kristal to fill her own bottle with water.

"A number of them," she said with a cold flame to her humor. Both laughable but that anger she still felt from it was apparent. "One of them was a Twi'lek."

Uh-oh.

Shaisha placed a comforting hand on Kristal's back.

"He's a stupid ass. I'm sorry for not teaching him better. Guess he used his charms on you too, huh... fuck him, you don't need him, you know."

"I believed him, because I know it was true when he told me he loved me. Yet he still betrayed my trust when I told him... when he promised not to." That Kristal didn't brush away the comforting nature of the hand she placed on her back was enough to show the hurt. Otherwise her voice was calm, her cheeks were dry, and she looked more like she was just done and tired with it all than anything else.

"And you're right, I don't."

"Can I ask what he did? I might just have to go and kick him while he's asleep for that," she said with a frown. Some things were just not done, and if Syl had betrayed Kris, then he was being more than just regular-stupid Syl.

"Sylvain knew what it meant to me. To allow myself to be with a person like I had been with him. He promised me to never betray me on the night we were together, and then I learned he still sought other partners from his own lips. One he even said was significant to him and yet he still proclaimed his love for me."

"I allowed him my trust and he tossed it away on the naked form of another," she said, shaking her head as she just leaned back and let legs slip out from underneath her where she had knelt, sitting near the stream a bit more relaxed. "I'm tired of it, the lies and betrayal."

That she thought she loved him back truly, was perhaps the most clear thing here. After all, Kris had never been with another by from what Shaisha had seen her own design. Scaring away plenty of suitors by merely showing her physical prowess over them in the past. Sylvain was the only one she'd ever let in.

"He ever dared to say I was all he had afterwards, begged me not to leave."

"Damn," she cursed quietly, and in her mind she promised Sylvain a truly nasty punishement. "I'm so sorry, Kris... I'll make him pay for this. I will."

"He doesn't deserve you. You're much better than him... and me."

Kristal glanced up to Shaisha, "I won't stop you from beating yourself up over it. However, know that I don't hold contempt for you as a result of what happened. It was a detestable and unfortunate chain of events come off what appears to be misdirection and lies intent on getting that very result. Falling victim to it is not your fault."

There was a confidence there, Kristal was sure of her words certainly. Leaning back even further she just let herself rest on the ground and looked up to the tree tops, the stars.

"Enough about Sylvain though... I'm done thinking about it. Was there anything you called me here for?" she asked before inducing her own direction to the conversation further.

"To be honest, I wanted to know how you were holding up. It's not often we talk without Syl present, and I know how you sometimes act even more guarded than you usually do when he's around," she smirked a little. "Because you don't want us to worry, but you forget, I'm much more observant than he is."

"... And because I might need your help in cleaning up Syl's mess."

"I've never forgotten that Shaisha," she said with perhaps, dare anyone even say, a bit of warmth, "Not truly at least. I have always appreciated that, though I am sure you know."

Kristal raised a brow at that, "What mess has he gone and done now?" she asked almost instinctively, but then there was a moment of clarity where she had a thought as to what it could be. "Is this with the Ensign? It is a shame that when he ousted that spirit it simply found another victim."

"The ensign, yes," she nodded. "I've seen her... well, the past her, when I've ventured into the Wastes on my own, and yeah, I think she's bad news. Big Time. Jo'ren had seen her past self too when he extended his senses with the Force to get a better read on her, and he seems to be in agreement that we need to take care of this problem."

"I told Syl he should've handled the problem more permanently, but I see he hasn't done anything about it, and I suspect he's most likely been trying to put pressure on her as one who knows her secret to get her to do stuff for him. Judging from her reaction to meeting me earlier today and realised that I hadn't forgotten about her."

"When she contacted him first, I told him not to go and yet he insisted on going alone anyway. Whatever she is, I don't believe for a moment she isn't still using him... in fact, he confessed to me earlier. I believe he has given her that Jedi's holocron. I don't understand what an ancient being such as her would want with it. Which only makes the prospect more threatening."

This was better than wallowing in heartbreak.

"I felt it. The anger in her when I delivered that punch. There is no doubt that an ancient Sith walking around in the body of some innocent is a danger to us all. However, how do we deal with her? Spindral removed her direct presence from Sylvain but she persisted. Then Sylvain sought to remove her from himself and she just jumped to another. I would hate to have to kill that innocent woman... and shudder to think of doing so and not solving our problem."

"I'm not even sure if the real ensign is still in there after all this time... though I have sympathies for someone losing control of their own body, and having someone else control it, I really do." More than you know.

"Jo'ren suggested maybe knocking her out, and keeping her drugged and sedated until we could return her to Korriban, though he wanted then to seek out Spindral, to get him to excorsise her. Thing is, it's a complete coin-toss if he would help, and secondly, we don't know if he can do it."

"If she is lost, then she should be killed but if there is a chance she is not we best take it. I will not have an Ensigns life on Sylvain's conscience if it needn't be."

Certainly, had she ever known, that would have been the single most nightmarish experience of Kristal's life. Luckily, she never has experienced such a thing.

"I think he would, if he was asked properly. Spindral is a unpredictable man but I can convince him."

"Yeah, he's been rather fair and square to deal with in my experience too, except he also keeps reminding me: I saved you today, but I might kill you tomorrow, that is the way of the Sith," she rolled her eyes.

"We'd need to have someone in charge in on it too then, to ensure we have what we need for transport and the like. You have a good relation with Captain Harad, no?"

"If we bring Harad in on this he and his men will need to be made entirely aware of the situation. I will not have lives lost because they do not understand what they are dealing with. However..." she paused for a moment to push herself back up off the ground again.

"Jaina Von is the highest authority on this moon right now. If her support can be gained it would be beneficial."

"Hm, good point. That would be Jo'ren's speciality then. Gah... we're gonna have a team huddle in the morning on this. Too much back and forth, and guessing. Jo'ren suggested Sinea to tag along; not a fighter, but she got damn good senses and the gift of foresight, so she might be able to cover what the rest of us can't. I suggested Khalim, because, well, I've fought alongside him and he's a lot like you in many ways... very dependable," she gave Kris a wink at that.

Pulling out her datapad, she started typing up a message for Jo'ren at least.

"Starting to feel like an Ops-leader now, you know."

"You've assembled quite the team of specialists. I would dare say you're feeling like an Operations leader because you are one in this moment. Even if it is unofficial," she said with a smirk. Having raised a brow at the mention of being similar to Khalim. Especially after the wink.

"Guess I learned from all our crazy stunts together how to best be prepared and cover up for my own shortcomings, as well as taking down Death's Shadow. We didn't do that by simply charging in with lightsabers first, after all," she grinned happily at that and sent Jo'ren a message of confirmation to let him know that Kristal was up for it and they'd meet at the arranged place in the morning. Barring potential death and mayhem.

"I still have a stun-grenade left too after that venture, which might come in handy if we're going to pull this off."