Private Mightier than the Saber

[Adean Castor]

LOCATION: Jutrand Academy
TAG: Alina Tremiru

Adean wasn't known for her fighting prowess. She wasn't really known for anything in the academy, though that was very much by design. To be known was dangerous, for every strength one displayed, so too did they display a weakness.

That reserved mentality aside, Adean was especially avoidant when it came to her more martial classes, enough so that some of her fellow acolytes might not even realize she was in the same class as them. She learned the bare minimum to stay afloat, trained just enough to hide in the middle of the pack, and made a point to become scarce whenever an instructor was looking for demonstrations.

Training to stay in the middle of the pack was precisely what kept her in the academy's gym in the current moment, taking advantage of the early afternoon when most others would be occupied. While many in the academy had graduated to lightsabers by one way or another, she practiced with an alchemized dagger, its slightly worse for wear twin attached to her belt. She was in the depths of practicing a form, mind mulling over observations from earlier in the week, her familiar spirited away to some other place in the academy with its own mission of espionage.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

There was comfort in anonymity.

Alina knew that life. Not in school of course. She was the bottom of her class, incapable of even using the Force to lift a rock or manipulate a thought. No, it was when she found herself in her fight clubs, partying on Dromund Kaas in a crowd who didn't know and didn't care who she was. It was comfortable for sure, if also a lie. The more she saw of Adean, the more she saw that sort of comfort being hidden behind.

She took a sip of her mug. Blood, as always, this time with coffee. Caffeine couldn't affect her anymore, but she still liked the taste. She was watching Adean again. The Acolyte who was comfortable being in the middle. A child of the Zambrano name, no less. From everything Alina went through under Darth Carnifex 's lessons, it was hardly surprising that this girl didn't want to stand out. It was a target to be known with such a name.

But it was stifling her growth.

"Did you make those, acolyte?" Alina stepped through the door, glancing over the dagger. Anima clung to it, so it had to be alchemized, not that the Sangnir could truly tell one way or another. "You certainly seem to know how to use them, at least."

Adean Castor

 

[Adean Castor]

LOCATION: Jutrand Academy
TAG: Alina Tremiru

To say Adean was surprised to have an audience would be a lie. To say she was surprised by who the audience was an even bigger lie. For whatever reason, Alina had taken an interest in the Epicanthix, something most acolytes would celebrate. Adean, however was unsettled. For one who thrived unnoticed, having caught the eye of someone - a Sith Lord, no less - was, well, weird.

Halting in her exercise, she kept her breathing intentionally even, posture returning to a level of poise that was expected of someone of her stolen name. "Not I, no," she answered with measured words. "One of the acolytes of the higher cohorts had a knack for alchemy and not much else." If she remembered correctly, that acolyte was no longer of high station with the most recent round of assignments. It was proof that her methods were working.

"Was there something you wanted?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"You even fight with the tools of another."

Alina would've laughed, but there was something more and more curious about all of this as she watched the acolyte. How she held herself, how she brandished her blades that weren't even her own. She was so adamant about not having any eyes on who she was and what she could do that Alina herself was far more curious. Incredibly curious.

But, she wasn't going to pry into the girls secrets. Alina had enough on her plate.

"We're making you a lightsaber. Come along."

Adean Castor

 

[Adean Castor]

LOCATION: Jutrand Academy
TAG: Alina Tremiru

"Is there an issue with using one's resources?"

There was no point in bringing up how the less items were hers, the less that could be traced back to her if anything went wrong. The less evidence of her existence here, the better. If she had her way, not even her face would remain the same while on Jutrand or Korriban or any of the Sith worlds.

"What?" Confusion colored her voice, brow furrowing. "I've got another class in an hour, I can't just leave."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Anonymity helps now, but when people start to look and see nothing, you become the target you're looking to not be. At least give them reason to pause wanting to take advantage of you. Sith will for no reason more than just because." And a nobody that no one knew or would miss was the perfect type of person to do all manner of unsavory things. Or maybe Alina was just annoyed at watching someone so clever keep their head down when they could be striving for the top.

Or maybe she was just projecting. That had Alina pause for a moment in thought before she glanced back to Adean. And grinned. The dangerous, fang flashing kind of grin that suggested there was, in fact, no choice to be made here.

"They're already aware. Don't you know it looks better for you when a Sith Lord has taken you out for training personally?"

Adean Castor

 

[Adean Castor]

LOCATION: Jutrand Academy
TAG: Alina Tremiru

"That requires they look at all." To say Adean held some resentment towards the Sith 'survival of the fittest' mentality would be an understatement. She benefited from being unseen and yet how relatively easy it'd been to be so unseen irked her. She couldn't imagine how it would be for someone who wanted to be noticed.

A couple months ago, Alina's grin would've made Adean's blood run cold. She was still unsettled by it in the moment, just considerably less so due to exposure. The months at the academy had done a number on her ability to really fear anything.

"It puts a target on my back," she corrected the Sith, nevertheless following the Sith Lord with some modicum of obedience. In the best case scenario, her absence would go unnoticed by the other students. Reality, however, accepted that her situation just got more complicated. "Where are we going?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Young Zambrano, you're already a target. Not just from your fellow students once they truly realize who you are, but also your very father." Alina glanced briefly back to Adean. Brassius Zambrano, another of Darth Carnifex 's children. She should know better than to think she was safe in mediocrity. Alina was just a girl when she heard of the culling of House Zambrano of these very types of children. Those without ambition.

Not that she thought Adean didn't have any. But if she kept herself hidden away too much longer, she was going to suffer for it.

"To get you a saber, of course. Where else would we be going?"

To the hangar, specifically. She made it seem like they were heading somewhere special, but they were literally heading for a ship.

Adean Castor

 

[Adean Castor]

LOCATION: Jutrand Academy
TAG: Alina Tremiru

"I-" Reason ruled over protest, luckily before she could say something such as 'but I'm not a Zambrano'. Alina was right, so long as she borrowed the name, she was at risk. "...Fair point."

Adean didn't know who the real Brassius was. Alive or dead, a child of Carnifex or distant relative, it was all a mystery and one she needed to find the answers for before it became relevant.

"Well, yes, you've mentioned that. But the workrooms are across campus?" Alina seemed to have a different destination in mind.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Would you like to go sit in front of an oven searing your flesh until you create your proper crystal yourself?" It was how Alina had made her own, back in the day. Back before she'd ended up a Sangnir, even. The choice was of course there, but she certainly had different plans. The hangar was just around the corner as Alina kept leading the way, hands clasped behind her back.

"Do you know how Sith usually claim their lightsabers?"

Adean Castor

 

[Adean Castor]

LOCATION: Jutrand Academy
TAG: Alina Tremiru


"I would rather avoid flesh searing if it's all the same." Or melting. Or other less than savory methods of pain. Really pain in general, Adean would like to avoid like any standard person. That part, however, she didn't mention. Pain seemed almost inevitable here.

When she was first brought to the academy, Adean spent many a day and night in the archives, trying to play catch-up to a world she had only been privy to for days. Even now she was a frequent visitor, freshing up on Sith history and doctrine as it became relevant. "Often taken from their fallen foes, no? Something about bleeding the crystal?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"From fallen indeed." Alina smirked just a little as she stepped up onto the shuttle, her eyes scanning it over briefly. It certainly wasn't her luxury ship, but she wasn't about to bring an Acolyte aboard such a vessel of hers. She made her way to the controls, plopping down as she took them up to start getting the ship in the air. Fallen. Adean was in for quite the surprise, in truth.

"We're not going far, just to a ruined part of the moon."

Adean Castor

 

[Adean Castor]

LOCATION: Jutrand Academy
TAG: Alina Tremiru


Adean hesitated at the threshold of the shuttle. If she turned and booked it now, perhaps Alina would give up on her as a student. But the Sith Lord had a point - each student who caught on to her stolen name would, if they were smart, consider her a target in one form or another.

She could remain sheltered in obscurity all she wanted and maybe it'd keep in her favor. Maybe. Already, Alina's interest in her suggested it was already coming into question. No, she needed something more, if only to keep in her back pocket.

"You mentioned it's ruined - what happened there?"

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Once Adean was on board the shuttle took off. The pilot, a droid, was already programed with the destination in mind. Alina sat down, arms crossed, one leg over the other, smiling ever so faintly as she nodded for Adean to do the same. "Madness, I presume. A Sith who's power consumed them and sent them on a rampage, killing their guard and their house staff. The scars are still being mended, but that should mean there's a lightsaber or two just waiting to be picked up."

Adean Castor

 

[Adean Castor]

LOCATION: Jutrand Academy
TAG: Alina Tremiru

As Adean slid into a seat, she couldn't help but become all the more aware of how unprepared she was for a trip. With only daggers and a practice tunic on her back, she'd be completely at the mercy of Alina's whims should anything happen.

"So we're vultures picking off scraps, then." She didn't have any room to complain. Everything about her was stolen or assigned. By that notion, she was worse than those who feasted on carrion. They, at least, had wings of their own.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Business as usual for you, mm?"

Alina kept the same smile on her face. She didn't know how right she might have actually been, just more focused on the mentality of circling out of sight and making due with just enough to keep safe and fed. Her gaze shifted over towards the viewport. It wasn't a long trip, considering they were just heading up to the moon. They broke it's atmosphere soon after. A more desolate world as they made their way towards what was very clearly a burnt down estate. It looked almost like it was still smoldering as the ramp lowered and she lifted a hand towards it.

"Go on, scavenge to your hearts content. I'll be here, waiting."

Adean Castor

 

[Adean Castor]

TAG: Alina Tremiru

That was...a fair blow, even Adean could admit. The deadpan look of 'really?' she shot Alina's way had no teeth, though it turned incredulous when Alina released her to scavenge. "You brought me here to search on my own? What was the point in that?"

It wasn't that Adean was against any solo investigation. No, she was quite curious what secrets the estate might hold even in its sorry state. Perhaps a cellar remained, or a droid whose memory files were still intact. A lightsaber was good and all - useful, even if she didn't want to admit it - but information took priority in the dark-haired girl's mind. Besides, it wasn't her idea to look for the weapon. The one who brought her seemed to just be waiting, anyway.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"I already have a lightsaber. Why would I bother searching?" Alina flashed another nice but obviously not nice smile as she remained where she was sitting. She wasn't speaking the whole truth, of course. While the Sangnir wasn't directly following, she was watching to.. Ensure Adean didn't die in her care. This estate, the ruinous state it'd ended up in, was indeed because of a Sith as Alina had said.

A Sith that was very much still stalking it's halls. The Lightsaber Alina had set Adean to find was still very much in the procession of the maddened Sith. A Sith earned through strength, after all.

"Try not to die, acolyte. Who knows what might've made a home here."

Adean Castor

 

[Adean Castor]

TAG: Alina Tremiru

Adean's eyes narrowed, uncertain what Alina's game was and very much suspicious of it. Perhaps the ruins were more a house of horrors than they looked at first glance. There wasn't much to be done about that, she was already here after all. Unless she found another ship, she would remain here until the mission was complete or Alina grew bored.

"I shall do my best."

Exiting the shuttle, a chill ran through the acolyte's torso as wind blew through the thin exercise tunic. If the ruins presented one danger, the open air also presented another. The Epicanthix crossed her arms over her chest as she moved closer to the ruins.

How Alina had expected her to find a lightsaber among ruins, she had no idea. The cylindrical weapon could blend in with any number of items and easily could've been picked up by any scavengers who'd also heard tale of this maddened Sith. She wasn't even sure where to begin on that front.

So she shifted her focus elsewhere, looking for a datapad, terminal port, what was left of archives, anything to expand her own base of knowledge. A weird sensation - tension in her shoulders that didn't quite culminate to a cramp seemed to grow heavier the further she progressed, it's source unknown.

That is, until it became known. Adean's eyes widened as she caught movement on the horizon. A humanoid...pirates? No...no. Her features melded to that of horror as she caught the erratic movements of the individual, heard their nonsensical ramblings. She wasn't brought here to find a lightsaber among wreckage, Alina had brought her here to take a lightsaber from a madman.