The Dark Academy on Korriban

Looking to the new arrival, Zeno introduces himself. "Zeno Deathwright. An honor to meet you Lord Zash."

Sylvain smiled, "Lord Zash, thank you for joining us."

Then after the introductions Sylvain added, "You are of course right Lord Zash. A true Sith gains strength through Passion. 'It is our goal to be stronger, to achieve our potential and not rest upon our laurels. We are the seekers, not the shepherds.' That which at one point may have been weak is destroyed by accepting the code."

Lord Zash gave a smile and said, “It is a pleasure aspirant, the House of Deathwright is well respected in many circles.”

“We shall see in the days to come how well you adhere to the Sith Code,” she said with a warm smile.

“Korriban will test you just as much as the Academy will test you, I am looking forward to the results of what you all could become.”

Sylvain did not want to give the impression that he was some lap dog, because that is not who he is. Instead he nodded coolly and smiled confidently.

"We do what we can to serve the Empire as capably as possible." Zeno nods to the compliment for his house.

With her explanation on how they would be tested by the land as much as the instructors, he looks to her. "I'm interested in seeing how the academy and the world shapes me as well. It should be an interesting if difficult experience. I do wonder at how frequently I'll get a chance to head out into the wastes to test myself against the environment." He seems authentically intrigued by the prospect rather than trying to impress anyone. He has, after all, been through Deathwright training and survived.

Lord Zash laughed lightly and then said, “So eager to scour the land, aspirant? Korriban is dangerous even for the experienced. But if you are looking for such challenges there are many dark and remote places to test yourself.”

“Have you heard the tale of Sith Lord Hazzan?”

Sylvain's ears piqued with interest. This is exactly the type of thing Shaisha would want to know about.

"I have not. But I would like to hear it if you are willing to share," the sith-blood responds.

Lord Zash turned to look towards the star, Horuset. She admired the view and said, “Lord Hazzan was Sith, perhaps not as I, but he was an heir to the Sith. He lived at a time when Korriban was a war torn world. The great sith tribes descended into violence and fought for supremacy.”

“Lord Hazzan chose a different path and left the world with his apprentice, they traveled to many dark places in the Galaxy and learned many forgotten secrets. He explored the tangled ruins of Taris, braved the wastes of Tattooine, and studied in the shadows of the ruins in the Yavin system.”

“He was no great warrior but his mastery of the Force and the Dark Side was unmatched in this era, of course as many Sith he had one weakness. His apprentice betrayed him when returned to Korriban to share his knowledge and then sealed his spirit within an unmarked tomb. I have it on good authority though that before he came to his untimely end he created a holocron steeped in his knowledge,” she said with a smile.

“Aspirant do you know what a holocron is?”

Sylvain's smile turned into a comfortable smirk.

Jackpot... Though the danger level is high on this one... To tell Shaisha or not, that is the question.

He looked to Zeno to answer the Lord's question.

"I've been told that they are repositories of data filled by those strong in the dark side by my tutor, but nothing more. I imagine it is an invaluable source of knowledge." Zeno says, explaining what little understanding he has of them. "I've never seen one."

“A satisfactory answer, holocrons are repositories of knowledge but they are more than just knowledge they often encapsulate the life of a force user. The Jedi make holocrons just as the Sith do, and there is knowledge and understanding in both,” she said lightly.

“They are in my line of work, invaluable. Perhaps one day you might even create your own holocron, aspirant if you prove worthy.”

"Perhaps. But I imagine that the path before me will be long and arduous before I will have anything of value to put into one. I'm guessing I'll want to learn a few things that aren't common knowledge before I can make one of any worth. But you mention the Jedi making them and being of value... I imagine such holocrons are not readily available in the sectors of the galaxy we currently control, but the insight into the minds of our enemies could certainly be invaluable."

Lady Zash just smiled wickedly and said, “Indeed, but that is enough sharing of secrets, aspirant.”

“Mostly I am just tired, good night.” She departed quietly from the company of the aspirants toward the guest rooms, the ones for more distinguished passengers.

"Of course Lord Zash." Bowing his head to the departing Sith, he waits until she is gone before turning his attention to his fellow aspirants.

It appeared that the bluebloods dominated that brief exchange with Lord Zash, but Moyr was perfectly fine with that, to listen and study undisturbed. It spared her the necessity to strike a balance between required deference and her defiant nature. Bits of useful knowledge had fallen on her lap regardless. Plus, she didn't seem to be required to answer former questions.

"It seems that are many paths toward mastery of the Dark Side. Lord Zash has a thing for hidden lore, yes?"

She mused innocently.

After bidding farewell to the Lord, Sylvain turned and nodded to the Twi'lek. "There are many ways of obtaining power. And Lord Zash has a reputation for a love of knowledge. A very potent form of power."

"A form of power I need to expand on. Uncovering hidden and lost lore is a worthwhile goal to chase, if not only for the power it grants then also to allow one to deny such to their rivals. I expect this will be a rewarding and exciting time, and we are fortunate for the opportunity. Not all Sith get such an opportunity as we have in attending the academy."

Sylvain nodded, "It is truly a special honor. We must make sure it does not go to waste. If I can be of any help in making the most of your time here, please let me know. There is much to be gained from mutually beneficial exchanges of knowledge and strength on Korriban."

"That is true of any place. Though I think that may be the minimum necessary to survive the academy and wastes. But then it is always preferable to face any challenge with overwhelming force, even if not always possible."

Sylvain nodded, "Particularly for you Aspirant Ahaya. There will be plenty of people who will be set against your success. Teachers, students, and the spirits that haunt the surface... Choose those you collude with carefully, for it will determine much of your success going forward."

He then smiled, "And you'd be surprised with who would be willing to work with you on common purpose. There are plenty who look beyond the simple exterior, to the more revealing portions of your abilities."

Zeno elects not to roll his eyes. Mostly because it is a bit of body language that he performs only on the rarest of occasions.

"Too many are too closed minded to see opportunity when it arises. As far as I'm concerned, any individual chosen by the dark side is worth more than any individual that hasn't been. It's as simple as that. Any person that claims to know the will of the dark side better than it does is either supremely arrogant or completely blind to the way the universe works, and in either case they are destined to fall."

"I agree with that sentiment as well, but to ignore that such individuals occupy positions of power, and are themselves quite powerful is unwise. Underestimating your opponent is sure to lead to your own fall." Sylvain replied with a nod.

"Associate too closely with those who are divorced from systems of power, and you can find yourself in a position of relative weakness. Cling too closely to one individual, even a powerful one, and you attach your fate to theirs."

He then smiled, "Hence the need to select the right 'friends'."