Faction New Blood // Inaugural Trials

[Naamino Zuukamano]

It wasn't unreasonable for her to assume she'd been singled out as an "easy" target. If another had chosen her, that might indeed have been the case. Naamino however had sized her up to be roughly a similar height and weight to himself. Though misplaced perhaps, he'd chosen her in a sense of fairness and in hopes that Darth Thaliax wouldn't consider his decision weak, since he'd had the nerve to call out first.

The zabrak scowled faintly at the sleek instructor who offered prudent insights. Azure gaze following first as the strangely beautiful man gave one student a dagger and he corrected his expression to one of careful watchfulness. He'd been schooled many a time by his uncle for the "sour attitude" his face seemed to naturally fall into when his mind was preoccupied. Adults seemed to care more for careful, curated seriousness than whatever expression he generally took when he was overly focused. So Naami was wary as Kyraj settled in to watch, feeling as if he was fighting on two fronts now rather than just one, even more determined to put his best foot forward.

Naami took on an approximation of a fighting crouch, choosing to waste no time and making his body as narrow of a target as possible. His movements were rational but not practiced, his steps steady but not yet second nature. He began to circle, moving toward her left side which he could only guess was the opposite of her dominant hand.

"Well met, fellow first year." He called in that overly formal tone as he made to close the distance, "I am Naamino Zuukamano - who do I cross blades with?" The boy prepared to lunge if she answered, hoping to catch her off guard with niceties.

Leshanna​

 

[Akhuul Sautra]

Tags: Darth Caedes Elmindra Xitaar Darth Reign Kyraj Naamino Zuukamano Leshanna Lodd Grimmin
Location: Spires of Kor'ethyr, Korriban
Equipment: In Bio
Objective: 2 - Observe the Dueling Pits Among the Masters

Korriban. The world of my birth. The Ziggurat Shuttle would near-silently hum through the atmosphere. It stood out compared to the other vessels at this meeting. All the while, my refuge of Sautra Vokh was hidden on the fringes of the system. The Kainite had this system very well-secured. It was something I did not notice much in my previous exploits within the tombs of this world.

Much has changed in so little time. For thousands of years, I was skulking in the shadows. For thousands of years, I watched those who claimed the inheritance of my people. For thousands of years, I watched numerous Empires of the Sith rise and fall. For thousands of years, I watched with bitter disappointment.

Yet, in a blink of time compared to my years, my return to activity has proven fruitful. I looted small trinkets that radiated with some bit of the force from Freedon Nadd's tomb on Onderon's Moon. I warded off petulant Jedi barbarians at that time too. I have recovered a few artifacts from the neglected tombs of this world that I remembered seeing standing in all their glory a millennia ago. I have gained ties with a few other Sith Lords, including the prestigious Darth Malum of House Marr , improving the security of my unmasking to the Sith of this age. I witnessed the death of Darth Strosius in the effort of a Kaggath. Now, I return to what was once my home as a guest in the court of this Darth Caedes.

This rumination in my digitized mind would end as my shuttle softly landed on the platform. This city was new. This academy was new. All of this stood on grounds I saw when my eyes were of flesh and blood rather than lenses that were possessed by what was left of my soul. The Golg Desert was where I hunted my first sanctioned murder. That whelp was found by me starving and dying of thirst in a cave. It was less the glorious hunt and more so an act of mercy. His head gave me my first titles though. He certainly was not a waste of Sith flesh.

My ponderings continued to be calculated. This was a brazen maneuver. Yet, it was a calculated maneuver. I watched the work of Korriban's reconstruction. It was not terribly disappointing as I would have thought. I was braced for treachery. I would enter the hall where the Sith Lords of this age were gathered. They all were focused on their own affairs to notice my arrival. Their obliviousness is my boon, I would ponder as I walked in as regal as a true Sith Lord ought to be. Call it pageantry, yet pride was instrumental to rulership in the times of my people's Empire.

Many of these proclaimed Sith Lords seemed little more than foppish nobility. Petty creatures. A few I saw as potentially true Sith. Peering up to the throne, I saw the visage of Darth Caedes from a slight ways away. The time to unmask my existence has come. I would approach the throne with smooth strides despite the heavy robotic frame. Each step precisely calculated for regal presentation in my digital cortices. I would stand behind the others before the throne. One, a similarly regal Lord. The other, an alien merchant of some renown judging by its finery.

I would not bow. Korriban is more my home than any other here. Very few in this room could claim to be born here. None other than me could claim to be born here when these tombs and monuments stood in all their glory. "As one who sits on a throne, you must be the Darth Caedes I have heard tell of.", I began in the ancient tongue of my people, "I come before you in custom for a host, yet this world is more my home than any of the others I see here in this chamber. I have outlived rivals and Empires. I have watched the Sith through the ages. I have grown bored of watching. Your works here do not disappoint me, as you at least present appreciation for my people's culture that you and your contemporaries claim to inherit. I am the Sith Lord Darth Cryptis. It will be foolish of you to dismiss my wisdom."

 

[Chasianna]

Location: Desert of Golg - Korriban
Tag: Micah tol Powl Kivah The Scion Zal Aditi
Direct Engagement: Marcus Dinn

For virtually all Qilin, a mask was a necessity in air such as this—thick with irritating particulates that could quite easily send one into a long, ugly coughing fit. Chasianna had taken all precautions in that regard, knowing that neglecting to do so would not only cause her to fail the trial, but it could also result in her untimely death. Thus, an atmosphere mask was fitted snug and secure to her face, with spare filters on her utility belt.

However, Chasianna’s preparations had not only encompassed the immediate demands of her survival, but also the strenuous demands of the trial itself. The two collapsed vibroblades situated on her lower back were a testament to that fact. And it was why her jaw went slack upon seeing that the red-haired man she had met in one of her classes had elected to take the trial blind.

Though perhaps it wasn’t so bad, since he had a guide dog!

Doubtlessly the creature would register Chasianna’s presence as she approached, making no effort to conceal herself in the process. The tiny Qilin regarded it cautiously, all too aware of the threat that even medium-sized canines presented to small beings like her. In that regard, the thought dawned on her that the Tuk'atas would be even bigger, with far more teeth, muscle, and aggression, as well.

And they were hunting her, just as she sought to hunt them.

The Force filled in the gaps, allowing him to sense his surroundings. His loyal beelzebork Mali sat by his side, ready to defend her master. Beasts stalked them in the canyons and crags. He would need an ally. As the creatures drew nearer, he searched for a familiar presence...

It was then that the presence announced herself in a tone that carried equal parts bewilderment and disgust.

“Why are you blind?”

Spoiler: Loadout

• Shell Spider Silk Sith Uniform with Synth-Leather Gloves, Boots, and Banded Belt
  
  • Atmosphere Mask
  • Gauntlets
    
    • Gauntlet Comp - R
      
      • Loaded with FAE/S-11 Universal Communication Matrix
  • Utility Belt
    
    • FAE/C-05 Infiltration Suite
    • Fibercord Grappling Hook / Liquid-cable Launcher
    • Aqua Breather
    • Glowrod
    • "PureSucculent" Filtration Straw
    • Energy Capsules
    • Spare Filters
  • Boots
    
    • FAE/A-14 Energized Foot Gear
      
      • Jetboot Thrusters Removed
• Fuchsia Edge (2)

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

Domina Prime and her hapless chaperone were greeted by a few sleek holographic signs temporarily put in place to assist the new influx of students and visitors. Two helpful indicators took them into the heart of the school and down into the laboratory where the trial of minds was being conducted. The tall, unconventional student garnered only a few glances because of the spectacle she walked in on.

A'Mia stood within the soundproof chamber where an overly confident student had decided to try their hand at the challenge just ten minutes in. Their frothing-mouthed screams couldn't be heard but their writhing form was visible to all. The Neti watched dispassionately, marking results down on her datapad before finally bending to render aid to the student who'd gone suddenly still on the floor. From within the folds of her bizarre living robe she pulled a new vial, lifting the student suddenly at the shoulders with many limbs previously hidden or newly formed. With the same calm coldness she tipped the vial's contents into the student's mouth and shook them a little.

All at once they came too, scrabbling against the iron hold of A'Mia's many vines. The chamber door opened and the relatively quiet lab was flooded with the sounds of their newly revived sobbing. For the sake of the exam and whatever students yet worked at their tables, A'Mia summarized the results.

"Your first choice was correct, and your reasoning was sound. Your second choice… was not."

A'Mia set the student down when it seemed they could bear their own weight, and the first year buried face in hands, making to leave and no doubt recover their wounded pride.

"Welcome students, your tardiness means you have fourty nine minutes to complete this trial. Someone explain to them-" and she continued taking down notes with barely a glance in their direction.

Viv gulped, eyes wide at the display they'd walked in on, and a school aide quickly caught them up on the precise details of the challenge. There were still several tables with vials that were unaccounted for, while students hustled in and out of the lab- some with arms laden with plants from the greenhouse, a few typing out calculations furiously on datapads, one student was even hunched over an incredibly rare and dusty looking tome. All while wealthy or interested observers dined at a long table on the far end of the laboratory.

 

[Kivah]

There were a few things to consider. Not being overly familiar with the planet, it was harder to gauge how old the tracks were, but given the wind and blowing sand, probably not too old. They also weren't as far out as she'd like from the trail area, but that could also mean a shorter way to drag their kill. And potentially fewer poachers, of both the many legged and two-legged variety. "Mnaaaow" She replied, telling him it was a good idea in her huskier tones.

As they followed the already disappearing tracks, Kivah kept her eyes open and head on a swivel, checking not just around and behind them, but above along the rocky cliffs as well. People and animals had a tendency not to check above them, a fact she'd taken advantage of in more than one ambush. In the jungles, and the cities, most anywhere she'd been, the high ground had been desirable, Korriban was likely no different.

Kivah decided it was likely a Wraid they were following based on the two rows of differently shaped tracks. The smaller ones occasionally overlapping the depressions left by the larger, meaning they were the rear feet. Another quarter-hour of tracking, sometimes losing the trail but continuing on the path until it reappeared, and the two of them came upon it. Kivah heard the chuffing of its breathing as the large creature sniffed about for something around a boulder. The hunter eyed the surrounding rocks for danger as she angled for a shot with her bow. She wasn't sure how good Micah was with his knives, but she meant to bleed the beast, enrage it and make it cry out, lure in the Tuk'ata with the promise of a stolen meal or a distracted kill. Of course, she and the kit would have to stay alert for that or it'd become more than a promise.

Drawing back her nocked arrow, Kivah paused, flicking her tail, checking its mood and the air around them as she filled her lungs. 'Trust the tail Kiv,' her dad had always told her on their hunting trips. Light, springy but relaxed, no bristle. She let loose her first arrow at the creature they'd been stalking.

Darth Caedes Zal Aditi Marcus Dinn The Scion Micah tol Powl Aramea Bel