Son of God
Jutrand Imperial Academy
Classroom 433 - 'Sith Philosophy & History'
902 ABY
It had been a tumultuous few weeks since the beginning of the school year, from the ranking ceremony, to the Firsts raid on the Fifth in their barracks, to the still trickling in news of the Alliance's preemptive invasion of Sluis Van. The school and its students was abuzz with news from the war front, and some of the students had even been sent out on lessons during these key battles - a careful few coming home with stories of blood and smoke, both defeats and victories alike. All of this, despite its grandoise nature, did not stem the tide of book work the Academy had begun to force upon the students.
Amidst a grueling regime of fitness for every Cohort, there was mountains of books, treatises, and tomes from millenia ago the students had been tasked with differentiating and understanding to their core. Works like 'Treatise on Coruscant Economics Amidst Rakghoul Plague Spikes', to more boring 'Doctrines on Sith Agricultural Policy, A Response to Otho Cos', there were given such a monumental task that many had found themselves fraying at the seems. The Fifth chief among them, was forced to utilize the public libraries, study under candle light, and be refused any secondary tutoring by the staff, but the others had it much better.
The Fourth had been given private study rooms, the Third the guidance of teachers, the Second were given private libraries and dedicated tutors to assist them, but it was the First who had been smothered in multiple tutors Empire Renowned for their skill. The last had even earned private fencing lessons to master the blades they were allowed to carry on their hips. It had made for a grueling disparity between the levels of preparedness in the Students, made only more clear by the state of their various classes.
The Fourth had been given private study rooms, the Third the guidance of teachers, the Second were given private libraries and dedicated tutors to assist them, but it was the First who had been smothered in multiple tutors Empire Renowned for their skill. The last had even earned private fencing lessons to master the blades they were allowed to carry on their hips. It had made for a grueling disparity between the levels of preparedness in the Students, made only more clear by the state of their various classes.
Today, however, was to be one of the many collective classes. These were given outside of the individual Cohorts own teachings, who had different teachers, different classrooms, and the resources befitting their Cohort. Each collective class allowed all those not buried in work to get extra curricular practice in the various subjects the Academy taught - a Class to fill up even more of their little free time. Today, they had been guided to this classroom in the Second Cohorts area of the academy, a library who had only been seen by them and the First.
It was a small taste for the lower Cohorts, a reminder that they lived only a few spectacular moments away from opulence. It was one of the many reminders that they didn't yet deserve such things. Many, in spite of this, came simply to experience the glory of one of the greatest libraries in the Order, if only for a few hours before they were removed. Thus, many joined the class on 'An Introduction to Sith Philosophy and History', a class on top of the others to help reinforce a general baseline between the students.
"Welcome, please find a seat at one of the tables.", Darth Vil said with a sharp snap of a metal rod against the edge of an ornate iron-wood table. The rod was something she had been known to carry, to both punish the lower cohorts, and to help emphasize her various points during lectures. Many had assumed she carried it around solely for the purpose of beating Fifth's, but nobody had been able to prove it just yet, its only evidence the large straight bruising across many of their shoulders, arms, and backs.
"Today we will be covering general Sith philosophy and its implications. Many of you have read deeply into the subject of Darth Bane, some a deeper understanding of Darth Sidious, or Darth Traya. A few of you have even read up on the philosophising of Darth Revan or Nihilus. We will cover a variety of them today, but it is important for you as a young student to see them for both tangible paths you could follow, but as a foundation for all that you learn. It is the application of your techniques, your learning, and your eventual power through the context of your philosophy, so that you might benefit the Sith as a whole through the thoughts and actions of the sole, you.", she said, tapping the metal rod against her palm as she spoke.
"One by one, stand up and say your name, then declare yourself under one of the Sith philosophers you have read. I would have us have an open conversation about the beliefs we have been brought into... and perhaps some foundations may even change today.", she said lower than the rest.
With a point of the rod towards the first student, they began, going through the various tables and each of the students in turn.