The Dark Academy on Korriban

"It was something related to that, when I saw him at his weakest, but the details of it is not my place to say."

She trusted Kristal, but it would be shitty of her to talk about Zeno's drama.

"I would not wish you to," she agreed on that point. "From what I understand of it, from what little he spoke of it, he went through something I can understand."

"I do not know him well, but he is a well disciplined man. I am glad you were able to be there for one another at such times."

She nodded with a slight smile. "After having fought by his side and gone on adventure together, I like to think he would've done the same thing for me, even before that moment. He was much like you were the night after the battle... he needed someone, and I just couldn't stand to see him like that."

"Though I admit I was a lot more harsh to him to start with, than I was with you or Syl."

"You are kind Shaisha. I am glad that Korriban hasn't broken that part of you," she said after a moment of just admiring her friend for who she was. It was something Kristal knew she wasn't. There were always reasons for her own actions, never had she truly acted out of kindness.

"Harsh is exactly what can be needed. Harshness is something Deathwright responds to better than most. Or, at least as he says it himself."

"I was harsh to Syl too, but that felt almost like kicking a puppy. Harshness... yeah, that wasn't what Zeno needed at that time."

A message sound blipped on her datapad and she pulled it out to check. "Ah, right," she quickly tapped away a message in reply. "Seems like I'll have a date with Jo'ren. Or rather, sparring with lightsabers, which is more or less what dating is in these circles."

"Then do not allow me to hold you here," she said, reaching over with her right hand to where her left might have been. It was a completely innocent move. Having gone to scratch an itch she only perceived as there. They had explained it to her at the med bay which made it far less distressing than it might have otherwise been.

Kristal wasn't sure if that was a boon or a curse, that such things were wildly recognized or understood in their time with the existence of many who faced injuries of this caliber.

Brushing off the thought she turned and pushed herself off her bed with her free hand.

"Sparring with lightsabers?" she asked, realizing the words a moment late. "Training sabers?"

"Training sabers are for acolytes, not Sith," she gave a haughty sniff, before cracking a smile.

"Don't worry, it's just for training. We're both skilled and sensible enough to avoid hurting eachother... Too much."

There were certainly a number of things present in the look Kristal gave after that. Especially because of how cavalier Shaisha had been.

Starting with the notion the Serasai had been training with weapons for generations. Never had they actually used the blades against one another. To do that with lightsabers, it was disrespectful to the art first but also could hardly offer proper training. As the intent is completely forgotten and only false hits could be remembered.

Which came the second half of that. Now that was one she personally felt even a bit hurt by in a way, not that she would have wanted to show that but she needed it seen in her look. One mistake, one miscall, and they could lose something very important in a mere second.

Kristal said far more with Silence than she could with words. Arrogance of that sort was for fools. Shaisha wasn't a fool, as she thought. Which was why even disappointment worked it's way into those eyes. It was a cold, hard look, but one that cared.

Shaisha had always had a defiant streak, which had been a headache for the Torsins many times. She disliked being told what to do, especially what she could not do.

There were only two people who had a decent chance of reigning her in, and one person who could almost certainly do it with a high success rate: Kristal Serasai.

The silence dominated the space between them. Both strong-willed and disciplined when they needed to be.

"Ah, don't give me that look," she conceded the staredown by looking away. "It's twice as effective as Syl's puppy dog eyes."

"I'm sorry."

There was a hold on it for a moment and then she relented with relief.

"I don't want to have to repay the favor for everything you've been helping me with by doing the same because of a mistake while you are playing around with Lightsabers," she said with that cold caring of hers. Only holding the veneer of what sounded like an uncaring tone.

"I know, I know, and I don't want you to go through that shit again. Even as a bystander."

She looked Kristal over, noticing how she had done some of her own finishing touches. "Ready to face the day?"

As she was the one now standing, she offered her hand to Shaisha. Giving herself a chance to feel not completely useless this morning.

"As ready as I can ever be."

As daintily as a proper noble lady, Shaisha accepted Kristal's hand and rose to her feet.

"My gratitude, Lady Serasai," she said, sounding as haughty and stuck up as she possibly could manage.

"I live to serve, Lady Vreysk," she said with that cool Imperial tone born into her.

With a small giggle, Shaisha let go of Kristal's hand. "Alright, look out galaxy," she said as she walked towards the door, "here comes two-thirds of the Terrible Trio!"

Where Shaisha giggled, Kristal wore a closed grin. In step just behind her friend that expression turned from a subtle grin into a rather open chuckle. It was progress!