Private A Similar Cloth

[Darth Petrichor]

Gargolyn IV: Sictis Academy

---

Petrichor calmly stepped off the boarding ramp of the Acheron, taking in his surroundings. The academy stood out amid the wild terrain of Gargolyn IV. For an academy found off the beaten path, it was quite the structure to behold. How many years had it been since he had visited a proper academy? Five years? Ten? Time truly flies when you spend it in exile. He had taken a risk coming here, but then again, nowhere was exactly safe for him...

He was almost getting used to the feeling.

Petrichor walked across the landing platform, hands behind his back, almost as if intending to do conduct a military inspection. He carried himself with a calm confidence and a steady mind. If what he heard was true, Petrichor knew the man he would meet would not be very appreciative of a weak demeanor.

A kindred spirit, perhaps.

He eyed the fellow Umbaran from behind his white beskar mask, seeing if he could get a read off of the man as he approached.

"Darth Adekos, I presume."

---

Caulder Dune

 

[Caulder Dune]

Darth Petrichor

​

Darth Adekos waited for his guest on the landing pad. A neat little dispatch of Nanogene Troopers stood at attention behind him. It was about as close to a welcoming committee as the Sictis Academy could be bothered to offer.​

​

For the most part, Adekos was watching the Acheron with bemused curiosity. There were not many ships in this galaxy that could be said to closely resemble squid. Quite the novelty. He only averted his eyes when Darth Petrichor was right in front of him, meeting the inscrutable gaze of the beskar mask.​

​

Another novelty. Very fancy.​

​

“Darth Petrichor. You presume correctly,” he said, offering a weak, thin smile, “And what brings you to my little slice of paradise?”​

​

Behind Adekos, the Sictis Academy loomed like a dark shadow. Paradise indeed.​

 

[Darth Petrichor]

Petrichor was pleased to see the welcoming party. It was small, but appropriate. A practical welcome for a practical man. Petrichor offered appreciation in the form of a bow. The bow was modest, yet respectful. He wasn't one for overbearing formalities, but he would hate to offend the Sith lord. After all, the last thing he needed was another enemy in the galaxy.

"I heard whispers of a school ran by a man with... different opinions on the Force. As a man who explores lesser known paths, I felt it would be best to see for myself, if you'll permit me."

Behind his mask, Petrichor smiled.

"And please, just Petrichor will do."

His eyes moved to the nanogene troopers standing behind Darth Adekos. Petrichor had never seen soldiers stand so still. Not so much as a finger twitch. An impressive demonstration of discipline, even by Petrichor's standards.

"You seem to possess quite the cadre of soldiers, Lord Adekos."

---

Caulder Dune

 

[Caulder Dune]

Darth Petrichor

Different opinions. Adekos did not know his detractors to put it so politely.​

​

"Looking for a tour, then? I would be delighted." He glanced to the side, as if noticing his guards for the first time. "Good help is hard to find these days. The effort is often better expended creating it oneself."​

​

Darth Adekos gestured over his shoulder, and the heavy impervium blast doors that marked the main entrance rumbled, splitting apart. A cold, barren hallway stretched further into the academy.​

​

"Shall we?"​

​

He turned and led the way inside. The nanogene troopers remained where they were. Good for display, but cumbersome for tours. It would be clear that this place had not always been an academy, nor was it a recent construction. The walls were aged durasteel, the floor grated. Pipes were exposed along the walls, and aside from that, the only adornments were the occasional control panel or holographic map.​

​

"I perused the Way of Equanimity not long ago," Adekos said, by way of light conversation. "Have you met a Sith by the name of Velok, by chance?"​

 

[Darth Petrichor]

Petrichor walked beside Darth Adekos as they entered the Sictis Academy. As they entered through the large doors, he took one last look at the troopers.

"Indeed. You seem to have a keen eye for invention. A rare trait in a growing galaxy of backwards minds."

The building was indeed old, showing a sort of timeless purpose. Something within the grated floors and exposed pipes exhibited a certain level of pleasant simplicity. Nothing flashy, nothing unnecessary. The cold nature of the structure felt refreshing. Then again, Petrichor always preferred older structures. They always tell a story, and Petrichor quite enjoyed a good story.

"Have you? At times I find myself surprised that the Sith even allow its continued circulation. There are many who... struggle with some of the messages."

He let out a calm breath as he spoke. It was a mixed exhalation of both relief and refreshment. If the Sith lord next to him had indulged in the text without the desire to kill him, then perhaps he was indeed a like-minded individual. At least, like-minded enough to not want to put a burning lightsaber blade through Petrichor's chest.

"Many Sith seem to lack focus when it comes to the subtleties of control. It is why they continue to remain in their chaotic ebb and flow of power. As for Velok, I have not had the pleasure of meeting him, although I heard a bit of his history. His pursuit of knowledge is quite admirable."

---

Caulder Dune​

 

[Caulder Dune]

Darth Petrichor

​

Darth Adekos chuckled lightly. Backwards minds indeed. And the Sith Empire had a habit of amplifying the voices of the minds most backward and depraved.​

​

"I doubt it is a matter of allowance," Adekos replied. "Manifestos are difficult to suppress once they enter circulation."​

​

They passed through a spacious atrium. A large, holographic orrery of the Gargolyn system occupied the middle of the room, but otherwise only a few minimalist seating areas served as decor. They were occupied by a spattering of apprentices, holding furtive discussions among themselves. Above them, more figures could be seen leaning over railings, observing the atrium from upper levels.​

​

Little mind was paid to the pair as they passed through, heading instead through another pair of heavy blast doors and into a long corridor.​

​

He continued, "Admirable indeed. His own publications have been quite illuminating. I believe he remains dead, but one of his offspring alternates between holding planets for ransom and publishing scholarly texts. I would be curious about what he has to say regarding your teachings, if I were you."​

​

More doors. Room numbers were bolted above them, and were clearly more recent additions. Benches and water fountains, more holo-displays with maps and schedules.​

​

"I believe you've spent time among Mandalorians. How did you find their company?"​

 

[Darth Petrichor]

"This is very true, although I'm sure they would like to think of it as an allowance. I find the hubris of many of the Sith to be quite unending. Some even going as far as to claim to be the Sith'ari."

He reflected on the state of the Sith as they passed through the atrium. Warlords fighting for their pointless empires, scrambling for meaningless titles and stature. Warlords, nothing more. Heh, Sith'ari indeed. He couldn't help but to audibly scoff at the thought.

As they continued on, Petrichor felt mildly caught off guard by the news of Velok's death. Had he really been that disconnected from the galaxy? At times it seemed that his years in exile were blending together into one continuous haze. A haze he was most interested in removing himself from. He was greatly interested in this child of Velok's though. Allies were important in the galaxy, and Petrichor could use all of them he could get.

"I shall have to remedy my lack of interaction with his predecessor by seeking him out. I am most curious as to what his thoughts may be."

As they passed further through the hall, Petrichor reminded himself of the simple elegance of the academy. The hint of nature from the fountains was just enough to offset the mechanical nature of this facility. Very precise.

"Ah yes, the Mandalorians. I found their company to be about as agreeable as most lost souls. I initially was at odds with them, as they didn't take too kindly to my inquiries about their precious darksaber. As with most, however, they were more malleable when they required my assistance."

Petrichor chuckled at the memory of the clan asking him for aid. Such stubbornness, gone in the blink of an eye.

"There was a... dispute. Something about honor, or an offense committed by another clan. To be perfectly honest, I didn't pay much attention to the finer points of the matter. At the end of the day, I required information, and they required a mediator. I went to the home of the other clan and proceeded with negotiations at the tip of a lightsaber."

He was underplaying the violence, of course. The truth was that when he was done, there was no more rival clan. The offense had been remedied to the fullest extent, and with the upmost calculating precision.

"I returned to them a hero, although to me it was just another means to an end. They awarded me with this mask and gave me the information I sought. Alas, the information they had was less than fruitful in the end. I even took one of them under my wing, for a time."

Petrichor took a moment to remember his former apprentice. His first failure as a teacher, but not his last.

"That time came to an inevitable end, I'm afraid. He claimed to have a desire to walk a similar path, but could not remove himself from the violent perception of honor held so dearly by the Mandalorians."

He let out a sigh. It was always a shame when a pupil failed under his tutelage. That being said, there was not much to be done now, other than continue forward.

"In the end, they are just as bound by preconception of existence as any other group of closed minds. Not unlike many Jedi and Sith, in a way. Held slaves to primitive, outdated ideas of how we should conduct ourselves in such an expansive and complex galaxy."

Petrichor turned to Caulder Dune as he continued.

"What of yourself? Do you have experience with the Mandalorians as well?"

 

[Caulder Dune]

Darth Petrichor

​

"A faction Death Watch, yes," Adekos replied, with just the barest hint of disdain - or perhaps disappointment. "Like you, I assumed they might be a useful means to an end. It was ultimately a poor investment."​

​

Their flagship had been hijacked by a particularly insulting assembly pirates, and the meagre holdings they had clawed out of the galaxy collapsed around them shortly thereafter. As far as first effort failures went, it was suitably spectacular. But that was the nature of things. Adekos had survived, and so he had learned.​

​

"I've avoided Mandalorian entanglements since. They are too tempestuous to be reliably controlled, and the aimless destruction they spread is often a liability. But my condolences for your apprentice, anyway."​

​

They arrived before a nondescript door, though it was flanked on either side by a pair of Nanogene Troopers. Still as droids. The door parted quietly as they approached, and neither of the guards stirred as they entered.​

​

Inside was a suitably modern office. Dimly lit (not that either Umbaran would mind), sparsely decorated: a tapestry and a couple sculptures, easily recognizable as Keshiri works. An archive mainframe occupied one wall. In the back there was a desk, and to Adekos brought his guest to it​

​

He gestured vaguely, indicating one of the spartan chairs on the 'visitor' side of the desk. "Have a seat."​

​

Darth Adekos settled easily into his own seat, which of course was well-cushioned and perceptibly luxurious.​

​

"You came here to see the Sictis Academy. What was it you were hoping to learn?"​

 

[Darth Petrichor]

He reflected more on the loss of his apprentice. Petrichor was indeed no stranger to failure. After all, one does not get to where he had without a fair share of failure.

"It was, in the end, an acceptable loss. There is much clarity to be found within ones failures. I haven't bothered training a Mandalorian since. As you said, they present more of a liability than a boon."

As they entered the office, Petrichor took note of the Keshiri sculptures. Caulder Dune was indeed a well-traveled individual. The office was just as he assumed it would be; elegant, simple, functional. Much like the rest of the academy. He took a seat opposite of Adekos.

"In truth, I have already learned some of what I sought. You see, I have been drowning myself in the workings of my own academy for a long while now. I have decided to rejoin the galactic conversation, so to speak. I wish to discover the current players, and what they represent. More so, I am seeking out those with differing views from the Sith norm. I hope to eventually establish a network, if you will, and learn what I can of differing ideas in the process."

Petrichor leaned in, resting his chin on a hand as he continued.

"I'm curious, lord Adekos, what is your take on the Force? You seem to approach it from a very logical perspective. I am wondering how this translates into your teachings at the academy, if you would humor me."