The Dark Academy on Korriban

Xevine pulled her cloak up to her shoulders, and placed the items she didn't intend to take with her in the locker. She glanced at the communicator in her hand, a newer model, before pocketing it.

She glanced around at any roommates in the room as a comb appeared in her hand. She hated the next part.

Having crammed his big frame into the upper bunk on the opposite side of the room, Jo'ren was beginning his morning routine. Before getting out of bed he liked to grab a hold on some of the metalwork in the ceiling and set about 50 "wake up" reps of a sort of inverted push up.

Big red muscles strained with the effort, though his breathing was impressively controlled.

Xevine glanced towards her roomie, all the while combing her hair, the teeth of hte instrument catching in her horns. The usual morning experience, she learned at an early age not to wince when it happened.

"Have you gotten used to our sleeping schedules?"

The big Sith paused halfway through a pull-up. "Sure. Good enough.". Finishing the last few exercises he gracefully leapt down to the floor and straight into a variety of regular push-ups.

"Never really notice. How 'bout you?"

The lack of the usual storm was strangely unsettling for the Zabrak, but a sith does not confess weakness of course.

"Well enough. We should be arriving soon, I heard." Some pride was evident in her voice.

"First time huh?". Rising from the floor he raised his arms above his head until his hands were touching the ceiling. Then the next set of pull-ups began.

"I... Can't... Wait..."

Dropping back to the floor he looked over at the Zabrak and gave her a grin.

"Need to get me some new sparring partners. What's your plan?"

Xevine nodded at first, finishing up her hair. Straightening her back, she obsreved the giant red roomie/rival. "I can't either. We have been honored with this opportunity, and we'll make the best of it."

She looked him up and down slowly. His morning rituals were part of hers now, it seemed. "Where were you trained?" her voice was curious.

It was time for the one handed push-ups.

"Back home... Family estate... Here... There... Everywhere..."

He paused. "Raths are seekers and warriors. Hard to stay in one place for long, but we control a section of one of the Sith worlds."

He looked up at her and started again with an easier smile.

"One day... I'll take back... Our first home..."

Xevine nodded, finished packing away her belongings, and sat down in lotus position on the ground. "That sounds like a goal." She smirked. "You might want to graduate first though." A pang of jealousy surged through her... the Rath had a closer history with the Sith and the Force. Then again, the Distracht's had quite the history as well.

"We've settled on Dromund Kaas when the House was founded. Not much movement since then, we usually spend time at military outposts and HQ-s."

Gerald returned from the refresher wearing a robe. He was cheerful as he entered and stepped around his roommates and started getting dressed. He added respectfully, “Good morning fellow aspirants.”

A harsh laugh emerged as he responded to Xevine's comment. "Guess... I might...Do...Just...That!"

That was the one armed push-ups out of the way. Today's follow-up was going to be some punishing crunches. "Dromund Kaas huh? Been there once. Killed some kind of jungle cat-lizard thing. Your people are military advisors and such, right?"

As the crunches began, and his breathing changed ever so slightly, Jo'ren looked over towards Gerald with a grin.

"Morning Gerry. Not long 'til we can drop the 'aspirant' bit, huh?" Or die trying...

He chuckled and replied, “Maybe, you are both practically Sith already, I mean literally. But I’ll do my best.”

“I just hope it won’t require one handed pushups.”

Xevine smiled at Gerald, though on her face it had a weird quality.... it was difficult to show a friendly smile while your face had spikes.

"You're gonna do well." Or die trying. "If pushups are needed, we'll just sit on Jo'ren's back while he does ours as well. I'm sure that counts."

Jo'ren paused mid-crunch. "Sure, why not?". With a chuckle he returned to the exercise.

Gerald finished getting dressed and then took a seat on his bunk, climbing up to the top and pulled out his datapad. Just looking over the basic details, “Korriban sounds like a very rugged and dangerous place. Vast wastes of red dirt and stone, sandstorms, arid weather, and very dangerous wildlife. On top of the many hidden and not so hidden tombs and structures once strongly attuned to the Force.”

“It was liberated from the Jedi about twenty-five years or so ago. Blasted Jedi, it’s not enough the hunt us to the bloody ends of the galaxy they have to corrupt the most sacred of worlds with their presence.”

He continued reading and then added, “Korriban sounds nothing like Dromund Kaas.”

Xevine listened and nodded along. "I agree." She sighed. "We took it back. And we're going to take every planet that they have." She smirked at the Rath scion. "The universe is just before us, ready for the taking."

"First time then Gerry? Maybe we should go for a tour. How about you Xev?". Jo'ren finally finished his exercises and stood up, stretching everything out.

"Plenty of hidden Lore in those ruins. Better make sure you bring a few friends though Ger, aspirants go in, but they don't always come back out."

Looking between his roomies he grinned. "Universe won't know what hit it by the time we're done, am I right?"

"If people die or get lost in there, why would they let aspirants into those places?" he asked with confusion.

Xevine bristled at first. "It's Xevine, thank you. Proper Sith always maintains proper decorum." Her bad mood settled down quickly. "If you are foolish enough to venture out and weak enough to die there, you're not a sith." She shrugged her shoulders.

Jo'ren gave her an evil smile when she said 'Proper Sith', his eyes sparkled with dark humour. The sloppy accent shifted to that of a perfectly precise well-mannered Pureblood. "Ah yes, Proper Sith. I do apologise my Lady Xevine, whatever was I thinking? Oh yes. Well, perhaps better not to find out, hmm?"

Gerald's question prompted a small smile. "Well now Gerry, we each have the freedom to choose our path. As our Lady Xevine says, if we are weak, or perhaps if we get flustered when a beast or Force Spirit attacks without proper respect or decorum..." He shrugged. "One less aspirant to waste time on."