Week 1, Day 1

Thu Apr 30, 2020 8:14 pm

Korriban's red sand kicked across the dusty terrain. Barren of life and water, only the wind dared to stir. Over the harsh terrain, a few dots made their way toward the hidden tomb in the dunes. The smoothed stone stood out against the grains. The large rectangular doorway oozing echoes of the past before the group. Ancient Pureblood language lined down the door, breaking the monotone surface. Cliff sides bordered it like guards protecting a secret.

A secret pillaged long ago.

Mara's narrow face turned up at the husk of the tomb. A meager donation to the Academy and freely used by the Overseers for various purposes. Today it would assist in exposing the week-old arrivals to the reality of the Sith world.

Her eyes slide over to Dashara Horizon and Mahree Mais-ede, both older force users. A heavy risk to take them out before fully being indoctrinated. If Overseer Corinth hadn’t agreed to accompany her, she would’ve had a struggle on her hands. Especially with the Zeltron hybrid.

After stopping at the door, she looked at Corinth before making her way into the tomb. The plan was simple. She would find a room in the tomb where she waited for the students to find her and receive a baton. Any non-student volunteers would sabotage or hinder the students, preventing them from completing their given task. While she couldn’t punish the non-students for their failure, the students weren’t under any such protection. They would suffer for it. Meanwhile, Corinth would inform them about their goals then force any unwilling to participants inside.

Dashara crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes scanned the horizon while she ignored the other individuals present. Rocks, sands and the academy loomed not too far from their location. The last building itself seemed to menace and taunt her. A faint reminder she couldn’t leave. She inhaled then exhaled to keep her emotions in check. From her peripheral vision caught Overseer Cessair glare in her direction. A bitter taste rose in the back of her throat. She could describe the horrible woman in a few words. A bitch with a stick stuck up her ass. It wouldn’t surprise her if the Overseer could shit at all. Shrugging the frustration off, her eyes fell on to Mahree. Guilt plowed into her as she jerked away. It was too much to handle.

She said nothing as she instead sized up the others.

Tishombra Ferro

Tishombra:

Location:

Interaction: Open

Mentions: Drey; Mara; Dash; Corinth; Haiki; Aria Saal; Atria & Mahree

Tishombra had left her apartment after sending a message to Drey about how she missed him already. Did she regret it? Absolutely not. The man was addictive. And he had to leave...

Back to the present. Tishombra had been asked to assist Mara and Corinth with a trial for the Acolytes. No death today. Well none of the Acolytes. But anyone else is fair game. She didn't go starting the fights but she sure finished them.

The sand colored suede clung to Tishombra's curves. The goggles that she wore over her eyes protecting them from the high winds of the speeder bike also shielded her from the glare of the sun. Her hair whipped behind her like a blood red flag. She pulled up quickly to the Tomb smirking as she read the inscription.

She was going to be pushing the Acolytes forward advancing them and disappearing. "Well hello." She smirked appearing around the corner and seeing others here already.

The dry, red sandstone landscape of Korriban was a welcome, familiar sight for Aria. Though she had long since passed her own trials here, the planet was the closest thing she had to something she could think of as ‘home’. It was familiar to her, and at this stage of her life, that was a comfort she clung to like a tick to a Bantha’s ass, the familiarity of it all; the tombs, the beasts, the Academy, was oddly grounding for her, not to mention that there were still many things that could be learnt and discovered at the Academy, even if one had already graduated.

Thus, she found herself back here again, this time as a tool of sorts, to aid the Overseers in testing the latest batch of ‘fresh meat’, as some liked to call the newly appointed (or otherwise coerced and/or captured) acolytes. When she had arrived, Aria’s gaze had briefly passed over the engravings on the door as she stepped off the speeder, though at this time she lacked the experience to know exactly what they said, she hoped that one day in time she would be able to do so.

Bright amber eyes scanned the initiates that Mara had assembled, two Zabraks, a human and a Zeltron hybrid. Well now, this was an interesting mix, for sure. For now, she chose not to say anything to them directly, and soon her attention was turned to Tishombra as the other apprentice arrived and broke the silence that had settled in the air by extending a casual greeting.
“I was beginning to think I was going to get to have all the fun,” she shot the redhead a mocking pout, which quickly became a crooked grin as she tipped her chin towards the candidates and asked, “How many of them are gonna piss themselves, d’you reckon? We gonna take bets?” not seeming to particularly care if the acolytes heard the statement. Good, let them hear, let them be afraid.

The volunteers themselves may not be allowed to kill the new recruits, but Aria had no doubt that there were many things in this tomb that likely could; they’d either get through this and survive, or the trials were going to chew them up and shit them out with no warning.

Feeling the storm die, Dash’s hands reached for her wrap. With a careful and quick movement, her hands began to move it. Her fiery red hair cascaded down across her shoulders to rest at the bottom of her shoulder blades. Curls twisted and spiraled ruffled by the harsher breeze rushing through the valley. Dash wrapped the cloth around her arm so as not to lose it, tying it off at the end. Her ears caught the sounds of a speeder approaching causing her head to turn into the owner’s directions. A woman with red hair drove then parked near the ruined tomb, pausing to take her goggles off. Dashara couldn’t stop her eyes from lingering a touch too long on the bike before she jerked it away. Hopefully no one saw it, she prayed.

Her arms moved onto her hips while she watched the exchange of the two female humans. Her nose gave a small quiet exhale from the not so subtle insult.

“I didn’t know Sith enjoyed taking bet.” Dashara nearly forgot to keep her tone free of sarcasm. Her phrasing likely hinted to her true thoughts about the subject.

She caught the kid out of the corner of her eye. He couldn’t have been any older than fourteen by her guess. Kids like him were often considered weak prey and time after time, they crumbled to the predators.

Outside Tomb

Today would not be another failure.

The past few weeks had been little more than a string of humiliations for Haiki. First, He'd been beaten into submission in unarmed sparring twice when he'd previously been top of the class. Next he'd had a part he needed to upgrade J4N4 stolen from him by some idiot with more raw strength than sense. Of course, he'd barely survived his little side project from Overseer Cessair. That had been a victory of sorts, but still far too humiliating.

No, today would be different. There were new students here, some looking too old to be anything but recent captures, the Zeltron mutt specifically. Another Zabrak, a human, but no, nobody he remembered. That was good, they wouldn't know his tactics. He knew how he must look to them too. Small, scrawny, milky skin swirled through with dark, ugly bruises from lost sparring matches. Let them think him weak. While they were busy underestimating him he would sweep past them all...

...or so he hoped.

"If any of you do piss yourselves, maybe you'll be less appetizing for whatever they have waiting in there. I'd be far more concerned about becoming some Tuk'ata's meal." He tried to sound almost lazy, despite the nightmarish encounters he'd had with the beasts in the past. still, he had to suppress the urge to shiver that came with a growing coldness in his chest, a sudden heaviness in his limbs. Not weakness, no. Caution born of experience. Horrid, agonizing experience...

No! That wouldn't happen again! He would never be prey again!

Even if he had to feed each and every one of these fools to the Sith Hounds in his place.

The Korriban winds beat at Atria's poncho, forcing it to whip in the winds behind her as her fingers traced over the ancient Sith letters. With the thumb and her finger of her offhand, she pulled her hood further down towards her eyes and tugged her face wrap further up her nose. It was one of the first things she learned about the Korriban wastes that many years ago, in her faint memories as a young neophyte: the sand was coarse and rough, and if you let it, it would get everywhere. Hoods and wraps were the first steps. Recently, she had taken up a pair of goggles and fashioned crude scabbards out of the hides of local fauna for her electroblade and her scrap steel dagger. With both fixed or hanging from a pair of her many belts, alongside her several layers of hoods, robes, and ponchos, she looked much more like a scavenger than an acolyte. For her, that was comfortable, both against the elements and against the perceptions of other aspiring Sith that might wish her harm.

Atria had been listening to the others behind her, assembling and quipping as young Sith do, but she didn't pay them much heed. She had already sized them up as much as she cared to. Long ago, her and the other acolytes made a game of betting on how many times their betters would quip about the acolytes "pissing themselves", but it had long since lost its value. There were only two other acolytes joining the trial today. Another Zakrak, as it were, young enough to be bare in the face. Some part of her wanted to afford the boy some sympathy - to let him succeed in the trial. Her presence was more of a formality, after all - a compromise between conservative overseers and the impatient lords in the Ministry of War, waiting for the next battle meditator to serve them. Normally, through the influence of those lords, she would be spared from the more dangerous trials, but none would allow her to simply go without. On the other hand, mercy made for a poor Sith, and as she had already heard, the young boy had some vested interest in dark alchemy. Mara would surely spare him no detail if he were to fail. It would do him much better than it would her.

This probably went the same for the other acolyte: the pretty half-breed with her hair loose. The common word suggested that she only joined the academy recently. It was obvious at a glance that she wasn't as incapable as she might have liked, but who knows? The late-joining pretty types either did really well or were "useful" at least once or twice before vanishing in a tomb. She almost hoped that the half-breed made it through her trials, or at least escaped.

She gave the boy a bit of a thoughtful glance, concealed underneath her layers before she looked back to the ancient Sith characters.

The formality was something of a bore all the same. Instead, as she continued to trace her fingers over the ancient Sith characters, she closed her eyes and commanded the force to pool at her fingertips. She had visited the tomb long ago when she was scarcely an acolyte and the sheer presence of the tomb in the force had overwhelmed her. Now, it was a comfortable yet sinking feeling, like a safety blanket while 10 feet underwater. She could understand a few handfuls of the characters after her many years of study but she could definitely sense each one. She could feel each one pool: clumping and festering as commanded by the lingering effect of the dark side, clashing with her own festering pools in ways that made her guts churn.
"How interesting..." she mused as she continued to trace the characters with her fingertips.

Atria gave a glance back to the others, lingering on the boy, before returning her attention to the ancient characters. Mara would surely summon her when it suited her.

As she made her way out of the temple, the lethan twi'lek's mind wandered to a morbid curiosity about how the students at the academy would handle the test planned for that day. If any would prove to become one of Mara's favorites, or particularly provoke her ire by making an idiot of themselves during the upcoming struggle. Certainly this would be no leisurely walk through the park for the students, she had helped ensure that much at least. As she thought on these matters, the girl did cast a slight look towards the gathered students waiting for the test, sizing some of them up to see if any showed promise just from looks.

Yet, the twi'lek was unable to gauge based off mere impressions from a look as she left the temple. The girl had been in there for a decent amount of time each day since she had been asked to help with this test by the overseers. Exploring, getting to know the temple, and... enhancing the area a bit for their trial. Work which had taken all the way until a few mere moments ago to finish off. On her way out of the temple, the girl had noticed Mara heading into the temple and made a mental note of where the woman was heading. Just in case there was another angle to this test that she hadn't been expecting nor told about.

Taking a place near the other volunteers that were waiting, the lethan gave not a hint of emotion or a greeting towards the others. Instead, her harsh amber eyes scanned over the iniates. Of course, she would not have minded introductions or the likes with her fellow volunteers. Yet now was not the time for such pleasantries, as she felt there was no need to show such a side in front of the iniates. While waiting for whatever came next, the girl gently thumbed the hilt to one of the two practice sabers she had brought with her. Thinking about where in the tomb she wanted to take up residency to prevent the students from accomplishing their goal.

Collab with Fallen Part 1

Location: Mara`s classroom Time: 2 days ago

Mara gripped a small plant in her grip, trimming off the dead leaves and letting them fall to the soil. After wrapping up the first one, she picked up the debris and disposited them into the compost. It appeared healthier than before as she checked for infestation. Her lips made a hard line when she spotted a small insect scrambling about. A hand reached out before she jerked off the vermin from her precious project then crushed it in her palm. She dropped off the small corpse into the compost with the rest of the leaves.

Tishombra opened the door silently and saw Mara hovering over one of the plants. She was taken back six years to this very room and how young she was. How naive. Shaking her head she knocked on the wall as she entered alerting Mara to her presence.

“Mara?” Her voice was soft since there were plants in here that ‘liked’ loud noises. She’d seen what happened when you triggered that defense mechanism. It wasn’t pretty.

The Overseer paused then set her shears down. Her hand gestured for Tishombra to take a seat as she wrapped up.

Tishombra took a seat and raised an eyebrow waiting for an explanation.

“You recall that favor you requested of me while you were a student? The one I never requested a return for?” Mara asked. Her figure finally turned to the now Sith apprentice, her hips leaned against the counter her plants sat on. Her hands crossed over in her front where they rested on her thighs in an authoritative fashion.

Tishombra tilted her head. “I don’t see why not but you are being vague. I really don’t have anything to do after today. What were you thinking?”

“Good.” Mara stated as she considered her next statement.

“Overseer Genbit and I have decided to test two of the newly acquired students. We’re using a pre-raided tomb donated to the academy for it. It is best to expose them to the Sith expectations early. They need to get an understanding about why lessons are critical.” Mara inhaled indicating she had finished. Her dark brown eyes studied Tishombra’s reactions to see her thought process to it.

Tishombra nodded sagely. “So I take it fresh meat that needs to be broken in? But not entirely broken?” Tishombra raises an eyebrow. “Do you have a report on them by chance? Or are we starting from the ground up?”

She was sure Mara was working with intel gathered from the captor and that sort of information could prove useful in more ways than one.

“Overseer Haryss and Genbit, for a favor each, allowed me to make a copy of both students’ data.” She casually went to her desk as she retrieved her datapad, pulling up the information and then offering it to Tishombra.

“Yes, exactly. Both are resisting the training, but have potential. One attempted to escape and I was forced to mend the aftermath.” Mara didn’t go into additional details instead she watched the Apprentice read the document.

Tishombra read the document and nodding she looked up at Mara. “I want to separate those two. They both need to learn they are individuals and behave accordingly. This one...” She indicated Dashara Horizon. “She will be the one to be the one to go farther. The other shuts down too quickly. Though if she is used to influence Dashara then Dashara will be turned much easier from what it seems. I reserve my full judgement for later.”

“Attempts have been made to keep them separated, but somehow Horizon still managed to check in on her friend without direct contact.” Mara emphasized the word with disgust, but moved on.

“Right now, Overseer Genbit has put a shock collar on Mis-Ede. It’s been useful in keeping the hybrid from escaping, but I haven’t seen much progress beyond that. I’m waiting for the day the controller goes missing…”

Tishombra thought for a moment. "Horizon has had dealings with the Exchange? And has a bounty? Did we look into this? Seems like a tool we could use to crack her open. And idea who posted the bounty?"

Tishombra had a feeling that she wasn't going to like what she was going to hear. Nar Shadda. Exchange. That screamed abuse. Abuse that Dashara pushed through to be fairly sane in spite of the experience. Reminded Tishombra of herself.

“Inquisitor Tonaal stated she showed obvious fear when he mentioned them.” Mara’s expression showed no pity toward the statement. Her mask held firm to hide her inner thoughts.

Tishombra smirked one side of her mouth slightly up higher than the other. "Do you have a data pad Mara?"

Collab with Almalthia Part 2

Location: Mara`s classroom
Time: 2 days ago

“Yes. As for the individual who placed the bounty, we identified him as Ikle Garix. It also appears she has issues with being physically handled. Overseer Haryss and her got into an altercation shortly after her arrival. I was unable to collect more information over it. ” Mara moved to her desk and retrieved another datapad. Upon returning, she offered the device to Tishombra.

Tishombra took the data pad and called up the information rather quickly. "Never trust an Inquisitor to do an Apprentice's work. She was an 'escort' and Garth must be losing hand over fist if he wants a cool one thousand for her alive, preferably.”

“Or there’s something more than meets the eye. His establishment doesn’t appear to be losing any notable funds as far as the Empire can tell. Honestly, I haven’t dug too much into it.” Mara settled back in place against the counter.

Nodding Tishombra committed the information to memory. It would serve its purpose later. Knowledge is power. “Sometimes digging can reveal things that we want to keep hidden. So am I to be herding cats in this tomb?”

“Yes, that will be the outward appearing goal. I also hope to cause friction and distance between the two. I have no doubt Horizon will try to keep close to Mis-Ede, even aid her in winning to avoid punishment.”

Mara’s hand reached out to gently stroke one of her plant’s leaves. The thing shuddered with pleasure then appeared to settle down.

“I have doubts she will be affected much by the pain or aftermath.”

“Distance them. Consider it done Mara.” Tishombra touched her heart and inclined her head.

“Good.If you have nothing else you want to know, will you leave the datapad on the desk. I still need to finish trimming my plants or they will get fussy.”

Tishombra looked at Mara thoughtfully. “Is this a last resort? What have you tried?”

“We’ve only had them for four days. The last resort would be tossing them into a pit and forcing them to kill each other.” Mara pointed out and inhaled, then continued.

“Horizon has been skipping classes and proving elusive, even for Overseer Genbit. The harder we push, the more she fights back in her own ways. Pain seems to stop her from pushing a boundary too hard, but beyond that… it doesn’t seem to do much more. This includes any harm to her ‘friend’.”

She moved onto Mahree.

“Meanwhile, Mis-Ede has shut down at every attempt we made to reach her. I even sensed the younger one doing… light-sided mediation. A weak variation which according to the Inquisitor, she learned from Horizon. She was heavily punished for it.”

Her knuckles had whitened slightly before color returned, her grip loosen from the counter.

Tishombra nodded. “That doesn’t bode well. So stir up anger and fear. Make them use it. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to take an Apprentice on worthy of a Darth.”

Tishombra was very interested in Dashara Horizon. A somewhat kindred spirit. She found herself wanting to pull for the girl. “Do you still have access to that hallucinogen?”

“Which variety? I have several.” Mara inquired, curiosity edged into her voice now. She eyed Tishombra as she wanted more details. Her figure already began to move toward her private collection of toxins.

“One that will not kill them and would make them open to suggestion. Corinth never said I can’t play games. You remember how good I am at games.” Tishombra grinned maliciously. “Lace it on a stimpack and be powerful enough to work in seconds. I think you have just the thing. Then no one dies and we drive them apart.”

Mara nodded as she looked through the numerous vials. She selected two, a small and larger one. The latter was filled with a thick liquid with a pale glow. She made a little swirl before she began to fill the smaller vial up and set it on the desk.

“I don’t have a stimpack in the room. You’ll need to get one and empty it. You have enough for three doses so use them wisely. I would suggest you not let Horizon see you use it, or she might try to overcome it.”

“Noted. They won’t be for her though. Mis-Ede…" Tishombra trailed off.

“From your mention of Overseer Genbit’s name, I figured as much. However, my warning still holds. Horizon has some attachment to Mis-Ede, but why is a mystery. They never met until they were transported to Korriban.”

Tishombra shrugged. "Might just be the fact that they were captured together and in the same vicinity." She shook her head. "Does either of them have a strong empathic signature or reason biologically to have formed this bond?"

“Horizon is a Zeltron Hybrid and seems to have a stronger than average empathic ability. It can be problematic for anyone with low mental defenses. We’ve not yet tested the full extent of her ability in this area, but I have noticed high control when it comes to her emotions.” Mara noted as she began to put her toxin away and relock the cabinet.

Tishombra's fingers flashed over the screen and called up the information on Zeltons. Reading the excerpt and nodding. "This could explain why." Tishombra handed over an in depth analysis of Zeltron physiology and possible Force deviations.

Mara took it and examined it. Her eyes rapidly brushed over the words as she digested them. A realization ignited in her eyes causing her to pass it back.

“It does. No wonder Embrus chose you as his apprentice, you never fail to go above and beyond the effort to get things done.”

Tishombra inclined her head in acknowledgement of the statement. It wasn't easy to impress Mara. Passing over a stimpack that was empty she watched Mara fill it up.

Tishombra thanked Mara and collected the hallucinogenic. She exited the room and made her way toward her quarters.

Mahree Mais-Ede

Korriban, home of the Sith. Red sand, harsh deserts, a rather unforgiving and unkind planet in its entirety. Mahree had never seen it's surface, until now. She stood about a foot away from Dash, arms crossed nervously as her eyes looked at the other recruits around them. Overseers gathered to ensure none of the group strayed too far from where they waited.

Why were they waiting? What cruel game would they have to partake in now?

"Dash?" Mahree asked, looking to her friend just as Dash seemed to have averted her eyes. "Do you know what they're going to do?" She asked, her voice quiet and reflecting the nervousness and fear she felt in her heart. It had been only six days since their arrival on Korriban and Mahree was sure it had already been an eternity. Each day was filled with some form of backlash; if she wasn't enduring punishment, she was waiting, moment after moment, praying the device around her neck wasn't set off.

Her fingers absentmindedly traced the device on her neck as she thought about it. She was starting to forget it was there, that it wasn't part of her. Every now and then she could feel parts on the inner side of the device pinch or pull on her skin when she moved.

Now she waited, staying close to her friend, holding they wouldn't be forced apart again. This was the first time in six days that Mahree had seen Dash for more than a few minutes. So she treasured these moments, hoping to make them last for as long as possible.

Dash glanced at the youngest’s statement. Her brows narrowed and her expression hardened, worry hidden by her stubbornness. After a moment or two, she rolled her eyes. She resumed a defensive posture, her arms crossed over her chest and side turned to the others. It allowed her to react if something unsavory happened. Movement from the corner of her eyes caused her head to jerk to the side. She spotted both the older Zabrak female tracing the temple’s etched symbols and a red Twi’Lek casually stepped out of the entrance. Dashara’s teeth gritted, her jawline tightened in suspicion. As the Twi’Lek’s glanced her way, she locked eyes and twisted into an accusing glare. Sith were known for playing dirty.

Her time with Overseer Haryss taught her that much.

Words started to raise to the edge of her throat until Mahree’s voice stopped them in their tracks. Dash blinked and refocused her attention onto her friend. Depression and regret filled her eyes, but she looked away for a second. She wanted to avoid Mahree seeing the guilt surfacing in her.

“Whatever it is, just give it everything you got. Don’t worry about me. Do whatever you need to in order to avoid getting hurt. Kay?” Dash turned back to flash her a smirk, her mask up and solid.

Any additional conversation had been drowned out when sounds of a speeder approached. It ripped across the desert landscape and kicked up dust in its wake. Gradually it came to a stop and the driver dismounted. His figure indicated male with the wide shoulders and narrow hips. He briskly walked to the edge of the gathering then patiently waited to be addressed.

Dash watched Aria Saal recognize and moved toward him, sizing his image up. A small, quiet conversation ensured. He gave her a letter which she immediately ripped the seal off. Her skin paled before she glanced at him. He nodded, confirming her concerns. With a quick gesture, she crumbled it and put it away on her belt. A cuss slipped her lips on the way back to the speeder. Her figure slipped into the front and they took off back to the academy. The sounds faded into the distance.

Outside Tomb

Tishombra smirked as Aria stormed off. Looking over at Dash. I have learned so much about you my dear. You shall learn quickly that you should only trust yourself and your Master.

Tishombra's thoughts turned quickly and inevitably to just yesterday...
Tishombra tossed her blood red hair over her shoulder her ponytail flicking back and forth as she strode down the hall to the sparring room. She was on a mission to see Kilian Haryss. He was Dashara Horizon’s mentor. He was the new Combat Overseer. This is bound to be entertaining.

She’d worn a white leather sleeveless one piece catsuit. It clung like a second skin and it didn’t matter that the neckline was halfway up her neck it was practically indecent. Her soft steps didn’t echo down the hall as she moved silently. Her hips swayed invitingly making the sabers at her hips keep time like a metronome. Her lightsabers were at the small of her back in a fitted belt.

If Kilian was not out tending to his charge, Dash, or training his apprentices, he could almost always be found in his office. The man secluded himself most of the time due to his past and previous profession. He didn’t often work with others, and so lately he found peace sitting at his desk, going over the research he had gathered on his newest student.

Datapads lay strewn across his glass desk, along with holoprojectors which displayed an image of Dash, along with other images of locations of interest and walls of text. Head down, eyes scanning a draft of notes written by his hand, he was deep in focus as thoughts moved through his head.

Tishombra sauntered into the office. She saw a blonde man sitting at a desk that would have made Mara set the room on fire and use the ashes to fertilize some exotic plant she had. She smirked and tilted her head. He looked too young to be an Overseer.

Tishombra grinned it might just be an Apprentice that was looking up something for the Overseer. She cleared her throat and smiled flirtatiously. “Hello there.” Her gold eyes simmered with interest as she tilted her head her hip cocked slightly.

His head did not move, allowing his eyes to keep scanning the draft and comparing it to notes on either side of his desk. Papers shifted under his hands as he moves the notes around, looking for a different draft while the holo projectors shifted to a different wall of text.

“How can I help you?” came a quiet, gruff few words from his mouth, his eyes still not budging from his work.

Tishombra smirked. He was an Apprentice of few words… how droll. And rather trite. Tishombra walked around the desk with a sensual lethal grace she stopped in front of him. “I’m looking for Killian Haryss.”

A deep breath in, followed by a long, drawn out sigh, before Kilian finally looked up to Tishombra.

“You’ve found him.” He muttered, shooting her a hard stare before looking back down to his notes. “How can I help you?” he reiterated, eyes continuing to scan the papers and holograms in front of him.

Tishombra felt a slide of something familiar as she met his eyes. Dark gray blue eyes stirred something within her. She pushed the thought away. “You? You look like you’re still wet behind the ears.” She shrugs. “Fine. You’ve been assigned a… less than eager student Dashara Horizon. I’m interested in her, but she needs to be isolated from her companion that was captured with her. I was hoping that you could tell me how she is with you since you are... her keeper and the Combat Overseer.”

“She’s reluctant,” he began, turning in his seat to glance back to the holograms in front of him. One hand raised up and directed on of them to a recording. It was only about twenty seconds long, but it showed a highlight of the sparring match between Dash and the other acolyte in the pit.

“Reluctant, but submissive. She has certain triggers that force her to shut down and listen. One, of course, that girl, Mahree. The other is physical contact.”

Tishombra dropped all pretense of flirting. “What do you mean by physical contact?” A deep twist in her gut made her look at him closer the feeling of familiarity increasing.

One eyebrow raised at her question, as he thought he had been clear. Many things were in play, however, so he shifted a couple papers before speaking again.

“I can pull at her chin with two fingers, and she freezes, begs me to stop. Her sense of fear is immeasurable when she cannot stop what I do. She also doesn't like being controlled, stasis has proven a good teacher when her temper gets the better of her.” He explained. Kilian stood from his desk then, taking a couple papers in his hand as he stood. The man brushed past Tishombra, paying no mind as he moved to the farthest wall in the room, which was only six or seven feet from his desk. Tapping on the wall, small doors appeared; a very minimalized yet effective filing system built into the shape of the wall.

After depositing the papers in a drawer, the man returned to his desk, brushing past Tish again as he gracefully sat down, his dirty blonde hair shifting about his shoulders as he moved.

The way he explained it took on a new meaning. Two fingers on a chin, her chin. The sense of helplessness and panic setting in. Calm dark gray blue eyes. Calmness washing over her. Recognition flickered over Tishombra’s face just as he brushed past her.

She knew the way this man moved intimately. Shaken she just managed to bury the feelings and wipe them from her countenance. She had a name to put to a face that she had buried in her psyche so that she didn’t relive those memories. One set of memories were alright to relive, but to uncover those you had to dig to get there. Best to pack it all away.

Kilian Haryss. The only one in a long list of people she would remember in the depths of her nightmares that would be the savior in those night terrors. She hadn’t needed to call up his face for a long while to keep the monsters at bay.

“Stasis. I shall remember that. But I believe I have a way that will assist you in breaking that bond between Dashara and Mahree.”

Kilian’s brows furrowed for a moment, but it wasn’t at her words. He sensed something, a feeling, perhaps? A tinge of terror that lasted only a moment. Moments later, his frown remained as his mind processed what she had said.

“Their bond is my leverage.” He said bluntly, thumbing through a datapad on his desk, bringing up a smaller wall of text that he had transferred earlier.

“Dashara’s care for Mahree allows me near full control over what the older one will do. I pit her against an acolyte in the sparring pit, against a major disadvantage and with Mais-Ede’s life on the line. Dashara found a way to break one of the wooden poles in half, making a weapon more suitable to her, thus winning the fight.” Kilian paused for a moment before flipping through more images on the holoprojector.

“She refused to give me an answer after the fight, so I threatened the younger one. Dashara conceded and answered me. Their bond is important right now. Without it, I have very little leverage.”

Tishombra smile turned flirtatious at Kilian. “Oh my plan Kilian will not interfere on your end. By the time I’m done with Mais-Ede she will hate Dashara. Tomorrow they are being run through the Tombs. Mara has asked that I return the favor that I owe her. I have a hallucinogen that I intend to use on Mais-Ede and will twist her mind to hate Dashara. So by all means continue to use the connection. It will make it that much sweeter when Dashara realizes that Mais-Ede no longer cares.”

She caressed the hilt of her sabers. She had leaned against the desk effectively boxing him in. There was barely enough room on this side. He’d have to go all the way around on the other side. Tishombra wanted to see if he had to get up if he’d walk all the way around or if he’d actually crowd her.

Picking up a datapad from his desk, his eyes scanned over it before it’s screen went black. He glanced up at Tishombra for a moment, noting her proximity to him, his head leaning ever so slightly away from her as his eyes looked back over his notes.

“Can you do me a favor?” He began, his hand raising up the datapad to her level, not allowing her time to fully answer before he spoke again, “Bring this to my apprentices. Combatives room, level three-bravo.”

The man kept the datapad held up to where she could easily grab it, his eyes returning to the papers scattered around his desk, his free hand moving to shuffle the sheets around, looking for other pages and drafts.

Tishombra smirked. “A favor? What do I receive in return?” She knew that he didn’t mean it like that. As just something to do for someone. She had still automatically reached out to take the data pad before she pulled back her hand and caressed her cheek.

One brow raised as he glanced sideways up at Tishombra. He watched her for a moment before his eyes returned to his work again.

"In return, next time you need a datapad brought somewhere, I'll deliver it for you." He replied bluntly, a tinge of sarcasm in his voice.

Tishombra smirked her anger stretching inside her like a cat in a patch of sun. Fine. But if your Apprentice isn't up to snuff then Mara will be tending wounds… She held out her hand for the datapad smirking.

Handing it over to her, Kilian said nothing further, his focus pushing deeper into his work and research almost immediately.

Tishombra rose and walked to the door. She turned to the right her scar on display in her profile. "You know Kilian you should show up tomorrow and see if Dashara makes it out first. Or if she comes back at all. Oh and aloof suits you." She spoke with an air of familiarity as if she knew him. She waited for him to look up smiling shyly at him with a touch of innocence.

Kilian however didn’t return any form of look. He waved a dismissive hand towards Tishombra, his eyes scanning the pages and his thoughts processing his drafts.
“Mhm.” He said briefly before all focus moved back into his work.

Tishombra laughed softly and strode away to deliver the datapad. Getting to the Combative rooms she looked for this Apprentice. Looking bored she watched what was going on.

In a far corner of the room, past dueling pairs and solo training Acolytes were two younger Sith. Both wore similar robes to Kilian, somewhat distinguishing them against the other Apprentices who resided within the Academy. Both were busy sparring against each other in hand to hand combat. Boots and gloves off, they threw punches and kicks at each other, one seeming to get an upper hand on their opponent before the other would come in and overwhelm the first.

TIshombra approached the two who seemed to stand out. A redhead with a mass of freckles and a dark haired boy. They looked like they were barely out of the Academy and as Tishombra cleared her throat to get their attention she held out the datapad. “Your master sends his regards. You don’t seem so threatening. I see little kittens I don’t see the frightening Apprentices that should be. You there girl can you hold a sword?”

A frown hit the freckled girl's face as Tishombra sauntered up to them, throwing out insults like they were candy. The darker haired apprentice stepped up and took the datapad from Tish whilst the girl eyed her down.

A smirk could be seen on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest, "I dunno, do Bogwings fly?" She retorted sarcastically.

Tishombra grinned maliciously. “Excellent.” Tishombra drew the sword at her right hip steel hissing as she tossed it to the girl. Tishombra had used the sabers just the other day and had about taken off Apprentice Amogeva Garr’s arm. Darth Embrus had stopped her just shy of really any permanent damage. Amogeva had been stupid enough to think that Tishombra wouldn’t kill her with little to no provocation.

Tishombra had been robbed of that death and she grew anticy to spill blood again. Not to mention that Kilian had ignored her and she needed to lash out at something. This girl would do nicely. She drew the rapier at her left hip and fell on the girl with a quick strike that was easily blocked by the girl. She smirked. “Looks like you might not have been lying.” She gave ground and circled the girl.

The girl, Meva, held the rapier defensively in front of herself after Tish moved back to give some ground. The male, Traevam, leaned against a nearby wall, watching as the fight began. The datapad held in his arms, he was more interested in watching his friend and the other apprentice spar.

Meva took careful, strategic steps towards Tishombra. She did not push the offensive, she would not at this moment. This female who challenged her had the upper hand judging by the rapiers she provided for the duel. She wanted to wait, to let Tishombra make the next few moves so that she could judge her fighting style and adapt in order to stand a better chance in their duel.

Tishombra’s focus was narrowed to a fine point as the anticipation of victory hovered just around her. The girl waited on her. Good. She has some training. But not enough.

Tishombra advanced just enough that they went back and forth both attacking and blocking in the most basic of a dance. Her muscles soon warmed up and Tishombra decided that she’d had enough time petting the kitten.

Tishombra started a vicious beat attack backing the girl up. The feint that she added at the end allowed little time to dodge the girl would have to block.

Going from their simple dance to a sudden barrage of strikes caught the younger apprentice off guard. She brought the rapier up to block Tishombra’s vicious strikes, forcing her to back up to avoid being caught. Meva made sure she wasn’t backing up into a wall, that would’ve meant game over. Tish’s last feint made Meva brace herself as she held the rapier firm in a defensive stance.

Tishombra performed an extension on the opposite arm of the feint nicking the Meva and drawing blood. Tishombra’s face that had been previously blank turned into a vicious smirk as she saw the blood. “You should watch that side, kitten. It will weaken faster, kitten.” She said kitten with a gravity that brought to mind weakness and newborns. The vicious grin wide as she circled Meva unsettlingly.

Meva felt the nick and saw the resulting blood trickle. It was a small wound but she got the idea that Tishombra was just playing with her. She looked at Tishombra’s grin and decided that was the case. Taking up a better defense position she allowed Tishombra to circle her. As unsettling as it was she kept her face calm.

Tishombra was going to have fun smashing that facade of calm on Meva’s face. As Tishombra attacked Meva and was parried. Tishombra’s vicious counterparry knocked away Meva’s blade and the lunge that pierced her shoulder made the girl flinch and hiss softly. Tishombra stepped in and jerked the girl’s wrist high over head. Tish was rewarded with a sound of pain.

“Tishombra Ferro of House Ferro right here on Korriban. I have killed an Apprentices much better than you kitten. Taken my own brother’s arm only because I was stopped by my former master Lord Rahl from killing him. Watched the life die out from the eyes of countless Jedi. So kitten be afraid. Be very afraid. Call Kilian. Drop your blade before then and I’ll kill you.” Tishombra purred in her ear.

The younger girl had held a facade for the entire fight, up to this moment. She wasn’t easily intimidated, but she also hadn’t fought many apprentices who showed such ferocity and love for the fight. The apprentice and master bond she held with Kilian was brushed, unwillingly, as that blade pierced her shoulder. Eyes shut tight as she tried to fight Tish’s taunts.

“I’m not... afraid.” She muttered, eyes opening again as she looked Tishombra.

Tishombra laughed evilly. “Kitten has some courage with the caution. Wrong move little one. Never taunt the better fighter unless you know you can beat them. I guess Kilian hasn’t taught you that. You can’t beat me.”

Tishombra threw the girl across the room with a hard push using the Force. She watched the girl tumble and keep the rapier in her grip. “Finally you do something right kitten. Come on show me what you think you can do. I’ll show you how wrong you are.”

Standing by, the male apprentice, Traevam, wanted to intervene. The older apprentice was obviously far more skilled and dangerous than both of them. He didn’t interfere, however, because of what Kilian had taught. It was dishonorable to interfere in a duel that was not his. By the next moment, the male apprentice realized he had no need to interfere, Kilian would do it for him.

The entire room stopped, some of the acolytes watching the duel, but others' eyes' on the door.

“What is the meaning of this.” Came a low, dangerous tone as Kilian Haryss entered the room. Acolytes and apprentices alike moved quickly out of his path as he quickly started towards Tishombra and his apprentices. His eyes were dangerous, dark, reflecting the rage he felt within.

“I told you to deliver a datapad, not spar with one of my apprentices.” He growled, stopping just a couple feet before Tishombra. His eyes glanced to the male apprentice, then his head nodded towards the female, indicating for Traevam to help his counterpart recover from where she was.

Tishombra looked over at Kilian. Good the girl did her job. Tishombra looked at Kilian and saw the rage and felt a moment of sadness that so briefly flickered through her eyes that it could be easily imagined.

Tishombra raised an eyebrow. "Ah Kilian. You never said that I couldn’t. Now that I have your attention would you like to continue the conversation from your office? That is if you actually recall it.” She called a rag over and wiped down her blade then sheathed it. She brushed past him to collect the other rapier that Meva had let go of.

Helping Meva up, Traevam took her towards the doorway, knowing full well that Kilian wanted her to be checked at the infirmary, no words needed to be said. The older man stood, arms crossed, watching Tishombra wipe his apprentice’s blood off of her blade. The mans figure tensed at the action, a deep breath released from his nostrils as his eyes moved from the blade to Tishombra again.

“You attack one of my apprentices just to gain my attention? Do you not understand why I’m busy? Why I can’t cater to your every whim?”

Tishombra barked out a humorless laugh. “Why Kilian surely you don’t think this is just my whim do you?” She turned back around sheathing her other sword not needing to wipe it off. “Don’t be a fool Kilian. There is always someone higher up. I’m not some spoilt child or naive ingenue that is panting for your attention but I don't like being ignored either. What I have to do is just as important as what you’re doing. Do not assume that you’re the only one of importance!”

Her temper was showing now and her eyes flashed with it. Their gold color at odds with her human appearance. Her blood red hair, gold eye sharply defined features set her apart from humans as different as her pale human skin tone and lack of spurs set her apart from the Pureblood Sith.

Anger flashed in her eyes as she advanced on Kilian, getting angrier by the moment. “A few minutes of your time is so little to ask Kilian! It’s not like it hasn’t been asked before.”

By now, most of the acolytes had left the combatives room, just those few remaining to watch the unfolding feud. The older man was silent as Tishombra advanced on him, attempting to rein in his anger which was slowly starting to seep out from the facade he held so often. One hand shot out suddenly, grasping Tishombra’s neck tightly as his body moved. He pushed her into the closest wall, closing what little space was left so that his face was merely an inch from hers.
“You claim not to be spoiled yet here you are, causing a scene because I didn’t respond to your trivial and shortsighted comments in my office!” He growled, his hand clenched tightly and holding firm while his eyes shot daggers into Tishombra’s gaze.

Tishombra reached out with breath control so that she was not clawing at her neck by the time he was finished with his statement. But what concerned her was not the instant revulsion that usually came with a male force users hands on her. Rather the opposite. The arousal was instant and powerful. With her attention on control there was no time to cover it and then she decided not to. Let him deal with it.

She was bold. She remembered the young girl she’d been the last time they met. But she remembered someone who took a night that was supposed to be full of horror and made it precious. He left an imprint of himself on her whether he knew it or not. Afterall your first is never forgettable.

Watching the woman in his grasp, he could sense the Force around her. Was it breath control? It almost didn’t matter to Kilian, as he would’ve stood there and held her until he felt she understood the line she had crossed. His grip lessened momentarily, his fingers brushing her neck and feeling the smooth skin of a… scar? Moving his fingers, Kilian’s eyes moved to look at her neck, his head shifting ever so slightly as the shape of a scar caught his eye. The man paused, his eyes taking in the scar that seemed to continue further down her body, before those eyes returned to hers. Her reaction, it wasn’t fear, but something completely opposite. Staring into her eyes, Kilian suddenly released the woman, taking a step back from her and watching her for a moment.

A deep breath was exhaled through his nostrils as his thoughts raced. That facade returned quickly though, eyes focusing and posture shifting.

“Next time you want to duel with one of my apprentices, you will come to me first. Is that understood?”

Tishombra tilted her head and smiled sinfully. “Your Apprentices are not up to my level. Consider this a one and only time. I desire a challenge. I think I just found one. Do you have a moment of time that I may reserve?”

Kilian was quiet, watching Tishombra, judging her words carefully.

“Tomorrow. After the Tombs.” He muttered, shooting the woman a glare before he turned quickly and strode out of the room without another word.

Tishombra smirked and watched him walk away. Well that was interesting…
...

Tishombra smirked and walked over to the three kittens. "Well, well, look what we have here.Kittens the lot of you. Soft. Cute. Weak. Only those that really have issues at the Academy come here. So something is wrong with you. This will fix it.I will fix it for you. Now I have supplies on me but I want you to know that I won't be just giving them away you have to earn them."

Tishombra tossed her hair and indicated the sand seeming to get worse. "For now let us enjoy this fine day on Korriban."

Corinth was tired, he'd been busy recently with transfer paperwork and report compiling, while he was a teacher he was standing among the great tombs of the Fallen Lords, they had a duty to learn from them as much as they made students learn. Either way, he'd arrived a black mug of caf in hand with 'Overseer of Year' written across it in dark red lettering. The Arkanian Offshoot took a long drink staring into the tomb, it would be a minor challenge really he remembered something similar in his days here. It had been far more dangerous then the tombs had been over taken with dust and age, he didn't want to say it but this was easier than his days.

When he had been taken, they had done this by being told to retrieve a chunk of rock from the burial chamber the cave had been filled with predators and worse. Many young children had been torn asunder in those caves, he wondered if any others would be ripped apart today or if they would all survive this challenge.

"Acolytes, assemble at the entrance!" He bellowed in a commanding voice usually reserved for those who spoke out of turn in his classes. "In a moment you will enter these caves, this is the tomb of Dark Lord Marka Ragnos. These former students of mine, will be testing you along the way." He waved his hand at the assembled group of Sith apprentices, smiling slightly like a proud father showing of his family. "Overseer Cessair will also enter and wait with a baton. You will find her and take the baton, if you die it will not be by the hands of a Sith but by your brainless actions." He spoke calmly taking another long drink from the still steaming cup of caf.

"If you attempt to leave or escape this training, I will throw you in there. If you return without a baton you will go back in. If die try to die on me, I will go in and haul you out and you will be healed painfully then spend the next three months polishing the academy with a brush on your hands and knees." He spoke stopped staring at the assembled crew of acolytes, nodding to Mara.

"Apprentices and Overseer Cessair, please enter. The rest of you, make final preparations for what you will face, it will not kill you but that does not mean it will be easy. Know this and be ready for what comes, failure will be punished and I will monitor your progress you will become strong enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with apprentices by the time you leave my care." He spoke with a bit of pride and bit of rehearsed boredom. Everyone present knew Corinth wasn't the biggest fan of the group tests but he still did them as tradition demands, even if he thought the tradition ridiculous.

Bitch is brazen, that’s for sure. Dashara thought as her eyes narrowed on Tishombra.

Dash’s jawline tightened slightly while she fought the impulse to reply immediately. Pain still gathered in her swollen ribs causing flare ups and remained as a memory of where the pole struck. The damage barely healed from yesterday. To ease her pain, Dashara breathed lightly to keep it at a bearable level. She couldn’t help but continued to lock eyes with the mocking sith. The woman’s jeering and taunts caused Dash’s skin to bristle in dislike.

When a breeze kicked up some sand, her had wrapped the bottom of the scarf to her mouth and nose. The tension spread through her body followed by the determination not to show weakness.

“Careful… even a kitten knows how to scratch.” Dashara muttered under her breath, her quiet challenge hidden from sight. However, her eyes sharpened in defiance as they never left Tishombra’s.

A year ago, she would’ve stood patiently and taken the insult. The fight beaten out of her then. Her old resistance to authority had just recovered during the last year, but she knew some scars were more difficult to get over than others. Her skin crawled to life at the thought of Overseers Haryss.

Any additional thoughts were cut off when her ears caught Overseer Genbit’s voice cut in. She had never heard him speak that way, especially since she never attended his classes. However, the tone indicated disobedience wouldn’t end in her favor. Dashara sighed. She dropped her arms, much to her ribs gratitude, while she moved part the older Sith. Her shoulder brushed the woman’s as her peripheral vision silently observed the reaction. Nothing happened.

With the other students, she found a place at the end of the line up. Dash resisted rolling her eyes when she noted Overseer Genbit’s pride ooze from his smile. She kept her emotions over the display from bleeding into the air while she continued to listen, her body language masked it with a bored expression.

Dash didn't trust what Overseer Genbit said about the tomb not killing them. Neith’s words still rang in her head, but now… she doubted them. Not that it mattered. Mahree and herself would be long gone from this place, leaving it a distant and haunting memory. Dashara glanced across the landscape reflecting the fate she wanted to avoid. An empty existence. She couldn’t prepare since all she had had on had been given to her on the day she arrived.

Her eyes glanced to Mahree and gave her a reassuring smile, enjoying the sensation of determination shinning out of the negative emotions. Dash pretended she didn’t see the healing cuts underneath her friend’s chin. She would look into who ever caused that later when they were alone.

Outside Tomb

Once, Haiki would've chafed at Tishombra's insults, let his anger take over and hit back with mockery of his own. Maybe he might've even challenged her then and there over it, once. But not anymore, the wounds and...in truth well deserved humiliations he'd suffered at the hands of Overseer Cessair were too fresh and the lessons too well learned. Let the woman think of him as weak, as fragile. He knew others did and he must definitely look like it. The Overseer had only healed his serious wounds and forbid him and J4N4 from further healing them, so he was still covered in scrapes and bruises. If she thought him weak, she would be that much easier to take by surprise. If nothing else, his lesson at the alchemy instructor's hands had taught him that gloating or mockery could be left until after your enemies were assured to be helpless or dying at your feet.

Instead he just grabbed up J4N4 by a conveniently extended carry handle and tucked her under an arm as he lined up. He wanted her close at hand in case any trickery happened too suddenly. The importance of proper preparation was another thing his dangerous new 'mentor' had beaten into him with her lessons and he wasn't about to be caught off-guard now.

Talik listened quietly to the Overseer's little speech about what the assignment would be for the initiates who would be tested on that... fine day. Carefully she still eyed the younger ones who would be tested. Not a word was spoken, yet the critical gaze with which she looked over the initiates should've spoken enough. She simply held herself in a quiet, and ominous presence as she truly wondered if any of the group would not be walking out the other side that day. Frankly, she hoped as much. Some of their comrades dying would cement the reality of the world and serve to make these initiates stronger. Those bonds of friendship they might otherwise develop before truly experiencing such loss would only serve to make the entire group weaker. Then would get them killed on the field, and afford those damned jedi even a hint of an advantage. Something which Talik wasn't really a fan of allowing since a threat to the empire also meant a threat to her own personal gains. With a small sigh, she looked up just as the speech was finished and they were told to head inside the temple. With a simple nod of acknowledgment, the girl turned and started walking towards the structure.

Once inside, the girl quietly hummed to herself as she made her way through the passages. Positioning herself in a central location in the tombs, Talik moved herself to stand in a more concealed area of the room she was in. A place where all the initiates would have to pass through in order to carry on towards the finish. From her position, up off the floor between two statues, where the shadows would conceal her rather nicely, she would be able to watch their progress. Not to mention, it was only a short jump down to intervene with the students once she decided. Afterall, all entrances and exits to the room were clearly in her view.

Tue May 12, 2020 5:48 pm

Smirking Tishombra titled her head and looked over at Corinth and raised an eyebrow. She waved to him and headed into the tomb. She wanted that central room so that she could push them onward and break them up. She knew they would cluster. Especially Mahree and Dash. That had to stop. Darth Embrus would not allow it and Tishombra was loath to have the girl put trust in someone who did not seem like they would last long. She checked the room to the left after opening the door and found Overseer Cessair, in her mind Mara. "Really couldn't you pick a better room? Well this works well enough. I need to let Mahree in here and get her to get the baton from you anyway. Dashara will want to keep Mahree from any punishment she can. Besides separation will allow me to convince Mahree that Dashara is using her. Which she is. I just have to break Mahree to do it. Besides even if Mahree does win your little game she'll end up hating Dashara. Oh and that little zabrak... is he yours? Did you mess with him already or is that other students deciding he is prey?"

Tishombra tilted her head and smiled at Mara knowing that Mara would have no problem with what she was going to do...

When Overseer Mara Cessair entered the tomb, she entered the first room. Her eyes darted from one side to another, absorbing the evidence of the living within. Sand drifted into the stonework from the stairs leading downward. The grains collected into creases and blew deeper into the shadows, disappearing from sight. She inhaled as she came to the first obstacle for the students and Apprentices alike. A seemingly deep, bottomless pit. Sharp spike points reached up from the darkness below as if to impale anyone foolish enough to fail. Mara shook her head then coiled her legs. With a well practiced leap, she jumped across the gap. She landed safely on the other side with a heavy thump as she lifted upright, straightening herself up once more. Ignoring the physical push on her figure, she moved silently into the next room.

Four main support pillars cornered the center as she took a left, gracefully walking into the nearest room. Her steps echoed off the walls and vibrated through the interior. Betraying her location. From the corner of her peripheral vision, Mara caught Apprentice Gilda. Her head turned over her shoulder enough to watch the Lethan Twi'lek dart into the opposite direction and vanish into another room. Whether she stopped there or edged deeper in was not Mara’s concern or job to track.

The Overseer stepped into the room. Her eyes scanned the inside as she turned, her hand pulled the baton from her robes. She halted near a broken pillar stump where all could see her. She adjusted her robe to flow behind her, keeping her from treading on them should she have to move. There was no intention to make this easy for anyone she felt didn’t deserve it.

She spotted recent repair were obvious even to her eyes. Mara suspected anyone unfamiliar with the outlay would not notice it. Already her mind ticked through the trap list the Lethan Twi'lek Apprentice had given her. Based on that information, her mind had picked this specific room solely for the issues it would give. She merely needed to pull the lever to set it off.

When Apprentice Ferro insulted her room choice, Mara stopped her thoughts and turned her head into that direction. She tilted her head and her lips curled into a disapproving frown. She noticed Ferro settled into the room she earlier walked as she listened to the redhead's plan spoken.

The overseer had no faith that Mais-ede would win this little game. What little promise the girl held wasted away underneath her depression and ignorance. Mare held her judgement to herself. Only time could prove if what faint guidance she gave would improve the worm’s worth. Some have proved her wrong in the past, namely Corinth’s students. Her thoughts evaporated in order to address Apprentice Ferro.

"Despite the small-time you spent in my class, I would expect you to look beyond appearances. My plants should've taught you that much, Apprentice Ferro." Mara’s voice snapped firmly at the younger woman, her eyes sharp with warning. As the moment passed, she continued.

"I hope your confidence will carry results, rather than air. As for Acolyte Benara, yes he is under my authority. The other students prey on his fragile appearance, but it's at their own risk."

She refused to give clear answers in this case, but rather hints. There wasn't even a mention of another student who had been informed of this outing. Her mind returned to Corinth. Soon he should be sending students into the tombs as she had made it clear how long to wait, Time ticked by so quickly for those preparing.

Room 4

Outside the Tomb of Marka Ragnos, Korriban

Overseer Corinth Genbit

Corinth stared hard at each of the students walking down the line, inspecting them as they made final preparations for trial and the combat they would face. Corinth knew, others had plans of course he would follow along with the goals however, he would be protecting one particular student. He saw much of himself in her, so he decided to help her, quietly for now. She would need it if she was to survive here, the world of the Sith was not kind or friendly, but you could survive it you could learn to be useful and thus tolerated if you could make it through perhaps retain some of who you were before the Sith took you. Either way, Corinth would take care of the young girl, she would need something to help her survive.

With a solemn expression, Corinth stood slightly too close to Mahree as he spoke. "Preparations are complete. You will enter, from here only your own skill, courage, and fortitude will guide you to victory. Go forth acolytes, prove to me your potential or prove to me you belong here serving as practice for others." Corinth ordered, when the students moved forth he got in Mahree's way for a moment. A training staff, one that could resist lightsabers, procured early that morning appeared in the dirt before Mahree.

"Take it... And know, I too once suffered here. You will survive, if you let me help you. You will have the strength if you let me teach you. That, I swear to you on the Code and on my own life." Corinth whispered quietly before moving to let Mahree move into the caves, after they all left. Corinth would give a small smile and then begin to follow along lazily, sipping from his mug and letting the sound of training ease his worried mind. They would all make it, he would see to that... If anyone happened to go overboard he would remind them they were not allowed to kill or maim the students. He would take it as a personal insult, there would punishment for defying his words whether of not they heeded him was there choice.

Dash's green eyes tensed. She stared hard at the tomb's entrance, dreading the challenges within. Her ears listened to the overseer, but the words didn't reach her. At least, not in depth. Each word seemed empty or faked in her head causing her to recoil deeper within herself. She rubbed her tongue against the inside of her teeth while she considered what to expect.

In 'Little Slugland', competition brought out the worst in people. This included her. Dashara inhaled then shifted from one side to another.

When the official go was given, Dash wasted no time. She rushed past the door and darted inside. Darkness blinded her for several moments causing her to slow then stopped. She blinked, trying to purge it from her eyes. The dim torch light of the tomb contrasted terribly with the earlier desert scene.

The eeriness silence sent faint traces of fear crawling down her spine. When Dashara's eyes finally adjusted, she made out the interior structure. Strange stonework lined the interior of the tomb. Different from durasteel, it distorted shadows far differently than the metal.

Not far in, Dash found the first challenge. A pit.

Cautiously the half alien peered over the edge, but her vision failed to see the bottom. She bit her lip then pulled back. Her hand reached out for a small chunk of stone. Lifting it up, she chucked it across the gap. The tiny chunk fell short as it dropped soundlessly into the darkness.

Haiki took off immediately, rushing headlong into the darkness of the caves. He had no fear of his inability to see, because he had something he trusted in far more than his eyes. Not the Force, the sensor suite of his droid. Jana’s sensors had no problem mapping out the room even with no light at all and as he progressed into the cave she whirred and chirped directions to him in binary or else nudged him with her ‘head’ to indicate a direction faster than words could.

By the time his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Haiki was already coming up on the pit trap, regarding it cautiously.He could jump across the pit with a simple application of the Force, but it was early on in the contest and wasn’t it wiser to save his physical strength for later, when the others were likely to be exhausted?

And speaking of the others and disadvantages, here was that new girl, the half-breed, blankly staring right over the edge of the pit. It would barely even count as murder. Really, he was doing her a favor. If she was this careless about keeping her guard up during testing, it would be better to kill her now before she could drag others down with her.

So, he pushed at her. It wouldn’t take much power in the Force, he thought. She was barely balancing on the edge already and he doubted she had much awareness or skill to resist.

Dash had been about to back up when something shoved her forward. Her balance shifted as her foot slipped, and she fell into the pit. An arm snapped out, catching the ledge. A soft curse escaped her lips as Dash hung on for dear life. Part of her instinct feared the abyss underneath her.

Haiki heard a slight noise that might have been his target slipping into the pit but otherwise he wasted no time in confirming she was dead. Instead he walked along the right side of the wall, searching for an alternate route. These caves were supposed to be full of Tuk’ata, and one thing he’d learned from his deadly errands for Overseer Cessair was that the beasts were more than capable of expanding cave networks on their own. So he wasn’t surprised when after a little fumbling he found a small tunnel clawed out of the side big enough for him to crawl through. He started creeping cautiously with Jana watching his back.

As Haiki traveled through the tunnel, he reached halfway when his foot touched something hard. SNAP! The loud sound echoed off the walls and down the tunnel. Something hard clamped down onto his foot. It bit through the boot, into the flesh, and broke the ankle bone.

A crude, but effective Tuk'ata trap had ensnared his foot. It was basic durasteel bent around in a U shape and fastened at the back. Serrated teeth lined the inside ensuring the more the prey struggled, the more damage endured. A motion detector set in the center when the 'jaws' had been set flat. At the fastener's end, a chain buried itself into the ground and anchored the poor victim in place.

Sounds of shuffling happened at the tunnel's opposite end. A few large shapes shifted past the opening. Their outlines caught by the dull torch light indicating about four of them. A few snarls and snaps happened before silence. Once again, something began to move down the tunnel toward Haiki.

The young Zabrak maintained just enough self-control to stuff a fist in against his mouth and muffle his screaming. He was certain it would do no good against Tuk’ata senses, but it was best not to alert any of his fellow competitors, in case they were the type to take advantage of his vulnerability like he’d done with the half-breed. Of course, if they had any brains at all they would do so. He could think of few more promising targets than himself at the moment.

Through an immense effort of will, Haiki managed to avoid any attempt to wriggle out of the trap or instinctively squirm away from the pain. Doing so would only damage the ankle further. Instead, he slipped a little hand-held device out of his sleeve and reached down toward his ankle with as little movement as possible. He had to angle it just right, but after a moment he squeezed a trigger and a dart shot into his foot with a soft hiss of air. Slowly, numbness began to spread from the tiny point out across his foot and lower leg, cold and relatively soothing. It was a concoction he’d learned from Overseer Cessair, his first lesson.

Once the pain was dulled enough, the acolyte started ‘feeling’ for the machine with the Force, examining it’s inner workings, pushing and prodding inside with sheer will and intellect. Ah, yes it was clear to him that this was a simple mechanical trap, no electronics for him to trick. Still, the fasteners proved it wasn’t all of one piece, and manipulating small parts delicately was something of a specialty for the boy. With conscious effort, well-aware that the Tuk’ata were likely to come prowling down for a meal at any moment, he tried his best to loosen the fasteners and make them pop free.

The trap released Haiki instantly with a slow creak. The moment the foot was clear of the jaws, it snapped down into the 'ready' position again.

With his foot safely out of the trap he shuffled over sideways to huddle against the side of the tunnel, making a path for Jana and trying desperately to conceal himself from view. He’d prepared a failsafe against the predators, but he had no idea if it would work.

Farther up the tunnel, the large shape stilled. It tilted a head with a long snout and perked its head. A long serpentine tail swayed side to side. Once more the creature began to draw ever closer to Haiki, moving at a cautious pace.

Haiki shivered involuntarily from his little niche of the tunnel, twisting himself out of the way with a wince as Jana rolled by him in the narrow confines. To properly squeeze past him she had to slowly inch, maintaining traction on her rolling sphere, creeping around him to the front of the tunnel. Silently, he hoped that his new countermeasure worked. It was that or allow Jana to try and block the tunnel while he scrambled back, and leaving her to be scrapped was unacceptable to the boy.

The large creature, a male Tuk'ata, blotted out the light farther down the tunnel with his slender body. A gentle swish flickered across the gravel as it drew closer. Eyes reflected back light giving them an eerie yellow glow. His maw widened to expose its razor teeth, dripping with saliva and fresh blood.

A tilt of his head, indicated he heard something. The Tuk'ata's body tensed and it let out a growl that quickly turned into a whine. Slowly, it began to fall back to its original entrance. Loud growls vibrated off the tight tunnel walls as it continued to make its exit.

Haiki waited until the Tuk’ata was completely out of sight and earshot before letting out a sigh of relief, his breath coming in short, half-panicked gasps as the worst possibilities faded away. He tapped Jana lightly to signal her to keep rolling forward, then started crawling out after her until they could emerge from the Tuk’ata tunnel, being much more careful to look for any traps.

When Haiki exited the tunnel, a strong odor hit him. A heavy sulfur scent mixed with iron and dank earth. The scent of death and rot. Four faint torches illuminated from the corners of the rectangular room. Several corpses, in various stages of decay, littered the floor. Several trails dragged from one end to the other.

Four sleek Tuk'ata turned to face Haiki. Their teeth flashed in a snarl and a deep, hungry growl emitted from their throats. Two of them rushed for Haiki, hoping to take him down quickly.

Haiki was in no shape to fight two Tuk’ata at once. Instead he huddled behind Jana without bothering to struggle to his feet, trusting in the device that had warded off the first Tuk’ata to protect him from these two while he searched for a path out of the feeding grounds and further into the tomb complex, where Overseer Cessair would hopefully be waiting.

There were two identical doors, on either side of the tunnel's exit. Both appeared to lead to another room. Soft snarls and rustling came from the right room, hinting to more than the four standing before him.

The two that rush immediately came into range of Jana. They yelped then ground to a stop. Their claws dug, scattering more bones, as they paced just out of range. Intelligence lurked behind their eyes while they tried to understand.

One glanced to its tail then back to the droid and Zabrak. It lowered on its front hunches as its barbed tail swung at Haiki's side. The tip rushed and narrowly missed his arm, tearing through the sleeve. The Tuk'ata barked its disapproval.

This drew the attention of the other three once more.

The wounded acolyte took advantage of the scattering bones to snatch up one of the longer and sturdier ones as it skidded towards him, whether it was animal remains or...something else was the last thing he wanted to think about. Instead he started to crawl and inch toward the less noisy, less occupied left-side tunnel, sticking painfully close to Jana and the device within her that was holding the Tuk’ata at bay. If he could just get away from them, the bone and his own torn robe might make a splint and bandages. He could do that much at least.

All four of the Tuk'ata fixated on their current prey. Their forms stalked forward through unseen paths in the bones. Whip-like tails swayed back and forth in their wake while they studied Haiki's path. Seeing him head to the far doorway, the largest Tuk'ata gave a sharp bark. Two broke off from the group and raced to place themselves between their prey and the door. The other two paced just out of range from the sonic sound. With no warning, they shifted to the side and whipped their barbed tails at him. One smacked into the wall while the other skimmed just in front of his face.

It took everything the boy had not to flinch away when that barbed tail passed so close to his face. As far as he knew any show of fear would only make the Tuk’ata angrier and hungrier. Instead he loaded a dart with yellow striped fletching into the pneumatic launcher on his wrist with hands that he barely kept steady. He took aim and fired at the nearest Tuk’ata for center mass. Hopefully, Overseer Cessair’s paralysis toxin worked as well on these things as it had on Haiki himself. After firing, he continued to crawl backward, dragging himself along with his hands and one good foot, inching toward the den exit.

The dart shot forward. It buried itself into the flank of a smaller Tuk'ata causing it to yelp. When the needle end hit, the contents drained into the animal and caused its eyes to dilate. It swayed and wobbled before it toppled into the ground.

The nearest Tuk'ata looked at it in confusion. It growled then ventured a nip on the hind quarters. The drugged pack mate let out a groggy snort, but it didn't raise its head. This encouraged another sound bite on the fallen Tuk'ata's hind quarters. Red painted the down creature's flank as its attacker barked, gaining more attention.

Those blocking the door became curious as they moved toward their fallen companion. Leaving the door open for Haiki and his droid to escape.

Haiki didn’t bother to watch the grisly scene he was sure was imminent, instead crawling as fast as he could for the exit without flailing like prey and attracting attention. He made it across the threshold to the next chamber with Jana covering his escape and looked around, hoping as much as he dared that he hadn’t gotten into something even worse.

Fortunately for the boy, the cave he entered into was a much more inviting one. It had a pool of water at one end, whether artificial or natural, fed by some hidden groundwater reserve along with dripping stalactites above. The rest was fairly empty save for a few carved out statues on either side of the walls, the faces long faded by time and dripping condensation. There was another exit off to one side, but Haiki wasn’t concerned with that for the moment. Instead he motioned Jana to keep watch by the Tuk’ata filled door and got to work binding his broken foot. He used the bone he grabbed and the fabric of his torn sleeve to make a splint, carefully watching the other entrance all the while. He’d have to move on soon, see if he could walk. But for now, he would marshall his strength.

Mahree did not know what to expect in the coming hours. She had little skill, little strength, she felt like a target to the rest of the students she stood amongst. The only one she could truly trust was Dash. Even then, the younger girl feared to keep her friend from succeeding. She feared she would be the reason should Dash fail.

She caught Dash’s reassuring smile as they all lined up and listened to Overseer Genbit’s speech about the Tombs. There were rules, surprisingly, yet Mahree felt it didn’t matter; if there were rules, there was someone who was going to break those rules.

As all of the student’s started to file inside, Mahree made sure to stick close behind Dash so that she didn’t get lost in the crowd. Dash was Mahree’s only hope, this the girl knew. All the strength she ever felt was because of Dash. She was stopped suddenly though, by Overseer Genbit. The young girl shrunk as he stood next to her, waiting for some sort of harsh words or punishment to come from his mouth. What she didn’t expect though was a training staff to be dropped at her feet. The young girl slowly bent down to pick it up as other students filed past her, some glancing at her, others ignoring the small scene completely. She glanced up at the Overseer as he spoke, the girl’s mind taking in his words and almost feeling as if Dash was not the only one who cared.

The way he spoke, what he spoke almost made it seem as if he had been in her position at one point. Had he been forced to train to become a Sith as she was now? Did they truly have something in common?

Mahree nodded up towards Corinth before he moved aside, allowing the girl to pass. Mahree held the staff tightly in her hands, glancing back at the man questioningly as she slowly walked with the rest of the students into the Tombs.

Quickly Mahree began to realize she had been separated from Dash due to the stalling at the entrance. The young girl began to feel panic swelling up from inside of her, but she did her best to keep it under control. Overseer Genbjt had given her a form of defense, one of the few things Mahree felt very comfortable in using.

After trekking past various students going in different directions, many giving each other wary looks as they were all prepared to defend themselves, Mahree came upon a large, open pit. The young girl looked at it nervously as she came closer before realizing a pair of hands grasping onto it's edge. Rushing forward and peering over the edge, Mahree's eyes lit up as she noticed it was Dash.

"Dash?! Are you alright?" She asked, bending down as she grasped one of Dash's wrists with her free hand to help pull her friend up.

As Dash fell over the edge, fear pulsed through her veins. Her arms snapped out and snatched the pit's edge. She jerked to a stop. A small cry escape her lips, her legs dangled just above the shadows. Her eyes glanced down into the darkness. The tips of spikes glistened with malice intentions, stained by a faint coat of red. All the breath in her throat stalled in her lungs.

Adrenaline raced within her veins, snapping her from her fear. Her arm reached for the ledge only to fall short. A second attempt proved nearly as fruitless as she dug in her feet and shoved upward. The rocks that gave her grip crumbled from under her weight. Dash yelped when she slipped only to catch herself again. Her mind frantically searched for possible escapes.

The walls were too gravelly to provide proper friction. No other beam or ledge nearby. Each option, her mind ticked off as she weighed the danger in a rapid visual. Seeing no perfectly safe way out, she took a chance. Slowly Dashara began to sway side to side. Her mind counted each one.

One.

Two.

Three!

On the last one, her other arm lifted and snagged the edge. She tightened her hold. With all the effort in her body, she began to pull herself up.

"Dash?! Are you alright?"

Relief washed over Dashara when she heard the familiar voice of Mahree. The girl's hand wrapped about Dash's wrist and began to aid her up.

"Yeah, I let my guard down," she began before flopping onto the ground on her back. Inhaling to recover her air and settle her panic mind, her torso sat upright.

"Someone shoved me from behind. I only saw the Zabrak kid, the one with the droid. So... how good are you at wall running?" Dashara's eyes settled on Mahree when she asked the question.

Room 1

Collaboration Talik & Tishombra

Tishombra walked off from Mara and went exploring the structure. Moving into another room Tishombra took out her lightsaber to illuminate the room. “I thought maybe we could talk about pooling resources and coming out ahead in this game…” Moving into the room slowly Tishombra checked for inconsistencies and secrets.

Watching from her spot hidden away in the darker corners of the room, the twi’lek considered her options for a few moments. She could let this girl wander on by, and go about her previous plan. Although… hearing her out surely couldn’t hurt. After a few moments of contemplation, the girl hopped her way down and landed just behind Tishombra as she entered the room. ”I assume you weren’t talking to yourself there. So I can hear you out, what do you propose?” She asked, her own self confidence evident in her voice.

Tishombra looked over her shoulder and smirked. “Hallucinogen. One dose for each. Won’t kill them but makes it even easier to Mind Trick them that things aren’t quite what they seem. Cause lets be honest they have advantages given to them by sponsors. Lets even the playing field for them. Put them all on even ground. Then it’s more fair. More like our trials.”

Tishombra turned gracefully toward the twi’lek. The crimson glow illuminating and throwing shadows so that half her face was in shadow and the other half lit by the glow. Her gold eyes were eerie in the crimson glow as they shined from the smallest amount of light. Her smile was just as disturbing. “Well?”

The twi’lek watched quietly as Tishombra explained her little plan. Crossing her arms, Talik did not give away even a hint of what she was thinking for a long few moments before letting out a soft sigh. ”I’ve not mastered the mind trick skill. Perhaps we give them an enemy, myself, to fight? Those two outside who seemed to be sticking close, could serve to break them apart.” She said, hoping this other girl caught onto her plan. ”Betrayal by a friend… emotions running from that serve a new sith being born.” She said softly before allowing a small grind to grow on her lips. ”If any of these runts are capable of even making it to be one.”

Tishombra smirked and looked in the direction of a noise. She turned off the saber and fell back to one of the statues to wait.

Collaboration Mahree & Dashara

Dash frowned. Her eyes tried to penetrate into the shadows, difficult due to the poor lighting. She inhaled to sooth her frustration as she began to examine the hallway's sides. Clinging to the wall, Dash extended her foot to test for a small ledge. Nothing. The stone had been worn smooth, and she leaned back into the platform's safety.

"That idea is pointless." She muttered under her breath.

Mahree glanced up as her friend tried to look at all their options for crossing the pit. The cave’s ceiling was high enough… perhaps.

“We can try to jump.” Mahree said, looking back at Dash. She figured her friend wouldn’t like this idea very much given Dash’s hesitation with the Force, but it was worth suggesting. Mahree was confident she could do it, and was confident that she could encourage Dash as well; but she didn't want to force her friend.

“You sure?” Dash asked again, now hearing Mahree. Her eyes turned to face her friend and looked her over for any hesitation or hidden worry.

Seeing nothing, the older woman sighed in relief.

“You can go first, I’ll follow. It’s not the first time I’ve jumped across a gap.”

Mahree shrugged and stepped forward, holding the stage in one hand tightly as she glanced down into the pit. The younger girl turned suddenly, using the momentum and throwing the staff across the pit and to the other side.

She took a few steps backward, taking in a deep breath and getting low before pushing off the ground. She ran fast, lowering and pushing off into a jump at the very edge of the pit. She used the Force to strengthen her jump and push her further, allowing her to land one foot on the other side at the very edge. She moved forward, making sure she was safely over before glancing back over to Dash.

"Ready?"

Dash silently stood back. Her attention shifted to follow the girl's rush across the gap and hoped for the best. For the short time she had known Mahree, the girl hadn't shown much athletic or acrobatic talent. The time it took for the younger girl to get across felt like an eternity to her. A dreadful one.

The spell broke when the girl's feet landed safely on the other side. Dash let out a heavy sigh of relief. Her figure bent and her hands found her knees, the lock muscles loosening. It took everything to fight the urge to simply collapse at that moment.

Her head perked up at Mahree's question. A sharp, confident grin spread across her lips.

"This is a piece of cake. Better make room."

Her hips swayed as she moved from the end, giving herself a running start. She flipped about then lowered her arms to the ground, her foot braced against the ground. She inhaled then exhaled. Without warning, her figure bolted forward. When she drew close to the wall, her foot extended, and she tilted her balance.

In a well practiced move, Dashara managed to wall run over the gap. At the last bit, she kicked off and landed on her feet.

"Hopefully all our challenges will be that easy, but I doubt it." She flashed her friend a smirk.

"You just had to show off, didn't you." Mahree teased as Dash landed her run across the wall. She smiled to her friend before kneeling down and picking up the staff she had thrown across.

"They probably won't be… but as long as we take them together, we can make it."

Dash chuckled. “Comes with living in ‘Little Slugland’.”

Her lithe figure moved past her friend and into the chamber beyond. About four pillars surrounded the center with a room to the left and right. So far, no presence appeared to be in sight. This put Dash at ease as she considered which direction to head.

"You learn quickly or you die. I wasn’t going to end up being another dead kid left for the rats on the ramparts. I was going to survive to see somewhere better. “

Her eyes glanced at Mahree to indicate if she had an idea of where to go next.

Mahree hesitantly examined their path ahead. She watched Dash for a moment before the grip on her staff tightened as she started to follow her friend.

Across the gap, something shifted in the pale light and paused. Light reflected off a pair of eyes following the pair before it vanished.

Room 1 to 2

Week 1, Day 1

Week 1, Day 1

Interaction: Open

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