Private Tell me things that can't be true

[Zarava Dekki]

ZARAVA

Location: Jutrand Academy
Tags: Firrerreo

Zarava was restless in this strange place. She was fairly new to the planet itself, having only arrived a month before being told this was where she would stay for the time being. The only planet that she had ever been on had been her homeworld. There had been no need to go anywhere else. Zarava would have thought that she would be homesick and want to return home. Yet, there was nothing left for her there. Her father died almost two years ago now, and her mother... Don't even get her started on her mother. She was the cause for all of her anger since her father's death and was the reason she was in this mess in the first place. Just walking through the halls of the building made her skin crawl at the glances from those who were significantly more powerful compared to her.

The young redhead tried her best to keep her anxiety hidden, but she wasn't sure if it was helping at all at this point. She didn't even know all that the Sith were capable of, and since she had arrived she was able to learn a little bit of history. It wasn't anything good, and Zarava was trying to figure out how to get out of here. The young girl had never flown a ship before, and with so many eyes around it would be obvious if she tried to escape. For now, she would play along, and make her darling mother proud. All the while making sure that her head remained attached to her body. For now, she needed to gather as much information as possible, and she was starting with the basics. The layout of the Jutrand Academy.

Zarava walked the halls in the new set of clothing that had been given to her when she had arrived. A set of black robes that felt uncomfortable against her skin. The redhead didn't enjoy walking through the halls of the academy as if felt like she didn't belong. She hadn't bothered to interact with most of those that she came across, and it was rare that she was ever approached in the first place. She was grateful for that as she didn't think it was a good idea to draw too much attention to herself.

As she walked, she passed a couple of doors that were open and she looked as she walked by and noticed it seemed to be classrooms. A hologram was in the middle of the room and a couple of children around her age were watching their instructor. She turned away before anyone could look at her and continued to walk down the corridor, her blue eyes flickering left and right and trying to absorb as much information about the structure of the building as much as possible.

 

[Firrerreo]

This was quite the step up from the streets of Tattooine. Firrerreo stood tall in his provided uniform. They weren't the most comfortable, but, given the rags he used to wear, they were like silk for his skin. He was determined to keep it. The clothing, the food, the knowledge. In that order, though food was quickly getting hard tied for first in his priorities.

There were few times he didn't have to use his familiar to steal food. Firrereo didn't even remember the last time he had. It certainly wasn't from the academy. They kept him fed well enough, for now. There was always the possibility that would change.

But then again that's why he was striving for the top.

He paused his own walk, though, as he saw the hurried walk of another. The uncomfortable gate of someone who didn't feel like they belonged. He hummed in thought, briefly. It never hurt to have more allies in this place, right? Especially those that didn't want to be here. They were more likely to want friends and the like. He could use that.

So he approached, smiled just a little.

"Mapping it out in your mind?"

Zarava Dekki

 

[Zarava Dekki]

ZARAVA

Location: Jutrand Academy
Tags: Firrerreo

Back on her home planet, she mostly kept to herself for a good majority of her life. Her mother had provided her education so there was never a reason to seek education elsewhere. It had been sufficient enough, albeit being incredibly boring. More often than thought when she wasn't stuck at home, she was out exploring the city where she had grown up. It was mostly known for its mining and its spaceport. There would be plenty of instances of her going to said port and looking at all of the different spaceships that arrived. Such a variety of shapes and sizes it rarely ever got old. She of course had to be careful as she often got into trouble for getting too close to some of the ships where she wasn't allowed.

When she wasn't thinking about spaceships, she spent most of her time exploring the terrain on the planet. There were not a lot of trees on the planet that she grew up on, but there was plenty of interesting flora and fauna to look over. She never explored too far from the city, as she enjoyed being in civilization. There were also plenty of instances of her people watching, as Elrood was known not just for its spaceports but also the tourism. Zarava saw plenty of interesting faces and species that she had never seen before. Some of the people were also quite rich, and she wasn't against accidentally pickpocketing them if they went down the wrong alley.

The young redhead had her hands in her pockets as she walked. She looked to her left, and it was only the sound of someone's voice that kept her from walking into someone. The last thing she had expected was for someone to approach her at a time like this. Zarava was careful to keep a blank face and stop before walking into the boy in front of her. At first, she didn't say anything and looked at the person in front of her up and down for a second. He was a little bit shorter than she was, and his skin was darker as well. He looked human too, though it was hard to tell sometimes. She didn't have extension knowledge when it came to other species, not to mention different planets.

The hesitation lasted only for a second before she spoke in almost a monotone.

"Just getting a feel for the place," Zarava lied somewhat, not telling the full truth as to why she was walking the halls the way she was. She didn't know if she could trust the person in front of her, because as far as she was concerned she was on her own in this monstrous place. Zarava would remove her hands from her pockets and cross her arms. "And what about you?" The redhead questioned. Had he been following her? What were his motives? Zarava didn't trust him for a second.

 

[Firrerreo]

"Mapping it out literally, for the time being. It'll be good to know where to go. And where to avoid, mm?"

How he was mapping it literally? He didn't say, nor would he yet. His Familiar was stalking through the shadows, mapping it out for him. He wanted to make sure he didn't end up in any easy to be lost corners. Firrerreo crossed his arms over his chest, watching her. His yellowed eyes took in posture, expression, everything he'd learned to mostly read surviving on the streets.

He didn't get a feeling that she'd strike out, at least.

"Look, you don't have to trust me, but, I'm not looking to pick a fight or make you an enemy. This place is treacherous enough with all the rich kids from those big families, you know?"

Zarava Dekki

 

[Zarava Dekki]

ZARAVA

Location: Jutrand Academy
Tags: Firrerreo

All she planned on doing for the time she was here was ensuring she survived. Zarava had no plans on staying for long, though she might not have a choice if she didn't learn how to fly a spaceship. When she was flown here, it was the first time that she had ever been in space in the first place. It was incredibly beautiful, but Zarava barely had time to admire it with the dread that had settled in her. She wasn't told much about what was expected of her, and occasionally would just be directed on what to do here and there. She imagined plenty of those who lived here knew far more than she did at her age.

The redhead hadn't even managed to get close to the port of this place as there were too many adults posted around. The last thing she needed was to get into trouble and have attention drawn to her. It seemed like no matter where she went, she felt as if there was always someone watching her. Yet, as far as she could tell, there weren't any cameras that she could visibly see. Compared to the ships that seemed to drop people off at the academy, this place seemed also ancient in terms of technology. It made her curious about how everything worked here, and if was related to how the Force worked. She still had much to learn.

Zarava's eyebrow would raise at his statement of mapping out the place literally. It didn't look like he had any sort of datapad or any utensil he could use to physically mark down a map. That was certainly confusing, and she wondered if he was mocking her. Regardless, it seemed like she wasn't the only one who didn't know the layout of this place. Zarava debated on asking him more questions but hesitated as she watched as his movements seemingly mimicked hers. The redhead made sure to keep her face neutral as he looked her over, maybe looking for a weakness. The next time he spoke, her shoulders relaxed a little bit more, but she was still pensive.

The talk of the rich folk certainly garnered her attention though. She had seen a couple of other children walking through the halls with their heads held high and every one treating them with respect. Not to mention the expensive clothing that some of them wore. As soon as she spotted the likes of them, she made sure to steer away from them. If someone had money, there wasn't a limit to what that kind of person could do if they decided they didn't like someone. Zarava uncrossed her arms and let them drop to her side.

"How long have you been here? What do you know about them?" Zarava asked, knowing for sure that she probably wouldn't be given the truth, but it was worth it to at least try and get some information that would prove useful. If she could at least get one of the family names, she would make sure to be careful if she met someone with that name and make a mental note of who to avoid. She didn't belong to a rich family, and she doubted that her family name meant anything here from a planet that was known for its mining.

 

[Firrerreo]

"We arrived at the same time, so, bout as long as you. Unless you've been here since before that whole show they put us through. All to make us stand out to the sponsors like a slave auction, you know?" She might, given her demenor, but it's also likely he was just throwing darts to see what stuck. Form a kinship, a mutual understanding. She picked up on what he said about the rich, so, she was poor, then.

Just how poor, though? Firrerreo let out a sigh, reaching a hand out to the side. From the shadows, his familiar returned to him, guised this time as a small little bird. A simple shape, nonthreatening.

"I know a couple are related to members of the Dark Council. Governors. They're.. Very influential, it seems. And the sponsors, well. You want a good one. You get one, by chance?"

Zarava Dekki

 

[Zarava Dekki]

ZARAVA

Location: Jutrand Academy
Tags: Firrerreo

Zarava wouldn't consider her family to be all that poor. They were able to afford meals just fine and Zarava rarely had ever asked her parents for anything. She rarely heard them talk about money, and if she did want something, usually something simple, she would simply try to find a way to get it herself. They didn't have the most extravagant things growing up, and she was perfectly fine for that. Zarava did hope to one day enjoy the fancier things in life, especially when it came to spaceships and technology. She wasn't really the type to try and swindle someone from their money and instead was more than likely to just steal it. Her parents didn't know what she got up when she was by herself, and that was perfectly fine with her.

Now, however, she was fairly certain that she had no credits to her name. If anyone had money, it would be her mother if she hadn't given it away to gain favor. It was annoying that her mother continued to keep in contact with her despite everything that she had done so far. Zarava had no intention of ever asking her for credits as the last thing she needed was to owe her something. The redhead fully intended to live completely independently from her and do what she wanted. Zarava knew that accomplishing something like that would take time, and she had been patient for most of her life so just a little bit longer.

Zarava listened to what he said carefully, thinking it over. She had heard of some talk when it came to sponsors but also had no idea what that even meant. "I arrived around a month ago and wasn't told very much. I've heard word of these 'sponsors' but I don't understand their significance." Zarava explained, no longer hiding the fact that she didn't know very much. The young lady had been basically dropped off on this planet and had been simply told to wait, and she had no choice but to do exactly that. Whatever was going on with these so-called 'sponsors' she didn't like it. The last thing that she wanted was to stand out in a place like this, but it was starting to seem like she wasn't having much of a choice.

The redhead noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. Her attention immediately snapped to it, watching as a bird emerged from the shadows and landed on the boy's hand. A confused look spread across her facial features, breaking the neutral look she had been wearing just moments ago. The bird was his? Or was it simply something that he had tamed? Zarava hadn't explored the outside of the academy, as she had assumed that she wasn't allowed to step outside of its walls without permission. The confused expression disappeared once he started speaking again, a metaphorical mask falling over her face as it turned neutral again.

Zarava had only recently heard what the Dark Council was, and they were pretty important. She hoped that she would never truly encounter any of them. The idea of someone rigging everything because of money was... frustrating to lightly put it. The redhead had to keep her brows from furrowing to hide the emotion, though with how she spoke next it was quite obvious. "Sounds like they have a ticket straight to the top, despite what others have said." Zarava huffed and paused for a second, her eyes turning to look at the bird as she spoke, though it was obvious her eyes were not focused. "As far as I know? No. I don't have one. I wasn't told anything when they picked me up, just to wait once I got here. What about you?" Zarava asked calmly. She didn't seem all that concerned about not having a sponsor. It couldn't be that bad right? Zarava did have a sponsor, but hadn't been approached in any way so in her mind she had none. She had managed to take care of herself up to this point, she would be fine. She had to be. After she finished speaking, she looked away from the bird and back at the boy in front of her.

 

[Firrerreo]

"They're neat, aren't they? Familiars are what they're called. They act as my eyes and ears on their own. Mapping for me, at the moment." Some facts. Not all. Firrerreo smiled as he brought the bird close to himself, smiling as he watched her. Good, good. Show a little trust, right? Build trust. He learned that growing up, so, this had to work right?

Allies were going to be needed.

Better, though, was that she didn't know the game with the sponsors. He grinned just a little at that information, idly petting the bird as he set it on his shoulder.

"If you want to stay here, you need a sponsor. Someone who will invest in you learning here. They'll do another big test soon, I feel. When they do, you're going to want to show off as much as you can. Or they'll give you the boot. Pretty sure people die for this, so. Don't get the boot, yeah?"

Zarava Dekki

 

[Zarava Dekki]

ZARAVA

Location: Jutrand Academy
Tags: Firrerreo

Compared to others in the academy, she didn't have any sort of training. There was still a lot about the force that she didn't understand or even know was possible. Plenty of creepy figures walked through the halls and Zarava wondered how some of them were even alive with the way they looked. The few bits of information that she had scrounged up had been on her home as she hadn't been taught anything by really anyone. Zarava wasn't even entirely sure how she managed to move the kitchen table back on Elrood. All she remembered was that she had been angry at her mother and threw out her hands. She had tried to replicate it once she had arrived here, with little to no success. She managed to move her datapad a little bit when she was on her bed, and it wiggled a little bit, but not much else happened.

It was frustrating to see others excel at using the Force, while she didn't even know where to start. She had only just discovered that she could move objects with her mind. Zarava wondered how much one could do with the force other than just moving objects. Maybe she would be taught later if she survived that much. She at least believed she had an edge when it came to just pure determination in general, doing whatever was necessary to survive. Similar to a cornered animal that feared for its life, a beast such as that was more than likely to fight back in any way possible. She wasn't against fighting dirty if it meant staying alive. Zarava also considered herself to be pretty lucky and was able to adapt to situations fairly quickly even without prevalent information. However, having information also wasn't bad either and made her life easier.

Her blue eyes returned to the bird again when the boy in front of her mentioned what they were. Familiars. Zarava made sure to make a mental note of the term so that she would be able to look it up later. From the sounds of it, familiars were incredibly useful to have. Would she be able to get one before the tests began? Probably not. The redhead let out a soft hum as she tilted her head slightly. "Well, sounds like you're fortunate enough to have acquired one," Zarava stated calmly, and she meant it. She wasn't jealous in the slightest but it was good to know that there might be others that had access to such things. "How long have you had one?" Zarava questioned as her attention turned back to him.

Zarava would be wrong to say that as his smile got larger her eyes narrowed slightly. The teenager wasn't sure if she should trust the smile of a stranger who seemed to give up all the information he knew fairly easily. Was it a trap? Even if it was she had little choice as she wanted to at least know what she was getting into. So far she hadn't revealed too much information and he didn't know the full extent of her capabilities. As long as she kept that under wraps, she would be able to allow her adversaries to underestimate her. She listened carefully to what he said about the sponsors. Could she survive without one? Didn't sound like it, and that was a problem as she didn't want to draw attention to herself. Zarava chewed the inside of her cheek as several thoughts bounced around her head before responding.

"That all sounds like a headache to me." The redhead remarked as she raised one of her hands to rub the back of her neck. "Doesn't seem like we have a choice but to participate in their games. But I certainly don't plan on dying anytime soon. Hopefully, you make it through too." Zarava said, and for the first time in their interaction, a grin spread across her facial features. It was of course, fake, and the last sentence had been a lie that had been said with such confidence. The deceit flowed easily from her, like a practiced dance. She didn't know him and honestly didn't care whether or not he lived. He could be a good asset in the future, but that's only if he survived the tests as well.

 

[Firrerreo]

"Fortunate, huh?"

Firrerreo's gaze grew distant as he focused on the bird on his shoulder. A smile, the kind that couldn't reach his eyes, had taken place from the otherwise practically eager grin he had. There was nothing fortunate about what he'd gone through to get this Familiar. He wasn't going to explain that though, not to a stranger. Let her think he was fortunate.

It'd have to do.

"No, no we don't. But, hmm. It would be good not to die here. Force knows our peers will likely try to kill us. I expect the rich to do as they do anywhere else, try to crush the poor. It's a simple, haughty group to belong to, you know? People will flock to the groups they recognize most." He paused as he turned his gaze back towards the other acolyte.

"Hopefully, you make it through too. Perhaps at some point we could even be allies."

Zarava Dekki

 

[Zarava Dekki]

ZARAVA

Location: Jutrand Academy
Tags: Firrerreo

The change in the boy's demeanor in front of her immediately caught her attention. There was a long silent pause after what she had just said, and wondered if she had said something wrong. Her blue eyes watched him stare at the bird that was on his shoulder. Maybe having a familiar wasn't as good as she thought. She began to wonder if there was information on familiars in what looked like an archival room. Zarava doubted that was the actual name of the place, but that was what she was going with for now. There was an air of mystery of the individual in front of her, and she doubted that he would reveal everything about himself. Especially if these trials pitted the students against each other.

At the mention of their peers killing them, Zarava couldn't help but her nose scrunched up at the image that popped into her head. The more she learned about the tests coming up, the more she started to realize that she might need to rely on others for help. How much training did the boy have in front of her compared to herself? Probably a significant amount considering that he had a familiar. But, that was only speculating as she had no idea what it took to get one in the first place. She leaned back on her heels and she hummed for a second as she thought what he said over.

"You think that they would allow something like that to happen here?" Zarava questioned. They had not mentioned that there was the threat of death in these trials, not a word. What kind of academy was this? Truthfully, she didn't know much about the Sith, other than that they were powerful and could wield the force, like the Jedi. Zarava never thought she would get involved with the likes of them and hadn't bothered to learn more. Before she had believed ignorance was bliss, but now she was chastising herself for not learning more while she had the time. "Rich folk usually underestimate the poor. That will be their downfall." The redhead commented.

At the mention of them being allies, there was a pause in her answer. Her eyes looked over him again as she thought the idea over. Even if she didn't completely trust him, he might be useful. After all, he might be the only familiar face that she would see during the tests anyway. A smirk spread across her face this time, but there was no threat or malice behind it. If anything, it was a cheeky expression for the force user. "Perhaps," Zarava said calmly and didn't bother to add anything more to that.

 

[Firrerreo]

"Oh I think they're going to encourage it. They probably want us to kill each other in secret, in ways that don't get us caught." Sith were like that, from Firrerreo's experience. They were ruthless, demanded sacrifice, and wouldn't hesitate to kill one another if it spared them any headaches. What he paid for to get his familiar? It only solidified just how ruthless the Sith actually were. He'd pay the cost again, without hesitation, gladly even, to escape the hell he'd been in.

But it didn't change what that meant.

He ended up laughing, grinning again at her response. Right back, completely, to how he had been when he initially approached. He was ultimately still a child, still not the best at keeping his emotions and thoughts in check. He had some skills at it now, but, still a child.

"If I don't have to kill you, I won't. That I can promise at least, mm?"

Zarava Dekki

 

[Zarava Dekki]

ZARAVA

Location: Jutrand Academy
Tags: Firrerreo

When it came to either the Jedi or the Sith, there was not that much Zarava knew about either of them. She knew that both groups held different values, but she never had any interactions with either group her entire life. While growing up she heard some tales of the Sith and the Jedi, but had believed most of those stories were just myths and not real. She wasn't sure which stories were true for the Jedi, but some stories about the Sith turned out to be true. Even with the knowledge that she had, she knew that dealing with the Sith in general was bad news as few people ever wanted to be associated with the likes of them. Maybe she was just unlucky to have been born on a planet that was in the Sith Order's control.

It seemed a lot of her classmates had adapted the 'everyone for themselves' mentality, a characteristic that she has had for multiple years at this point. It was easy not having to rely on others, especially during this confusing and stressful time. It made her wonder how the academy for the Jedi would be different if she had been picked up by them instead. Would she be as angry as she was with her mother if it was a different group? Probably not. Zarava had heard of people regarding the Sith as darkness while the Jedi were the light. However, there were still plenty of people on Elrood who had hated the Jedi and had spoken nothing but praise for the Order. One of those was her mother who only cared about herself and not the wellbeing of her only child.

The idea of students killing other students didn't make sense to her. Unless there were a limited number of sponsors. But, that also couldn't be right because there were so many people that were walking the halls. There had to be more than enough. Zarava's brow furrowed in thought a scowl forming across her face. "Even then, I would think they would notice when students just suddenly start going missing and investigate the disappearances," Zarava stated, but it was a naive thought. The Sith were more than happy to watch was the weak were culled from their ranks after all.

The smirk remained on her face as her head remained tilted to the side, her body language becoming more relaxed at his laughter. "I'll take it. I'll also promise the same too. Hopefully, it won't come to that." Zarava said with a small shrug of her shoulders. She didn't want to kill anyone in these tests, but if it was her life or theirs, then she would do exactly that.

 

[Firrerreo]

"They will. And if you were clever enough or secretive enough, they'll likely just.. Celebrate you by not ending your life in turn." It was the grace of being in an academy, he guessed. Though he was certain there were far more layers to it. Sponsors were likely a shield of their own. While they couldn't meddle directly with the Academy, killing those they chose might earn their ire of found out. Would the teachers who found the truth keep them to themselves? There were a lot more logistics here than he thought.

If he wanted to be at the top, even just being clever about disposing of rivals wouldn't be enough, if his actions were leaked to those who's investments he'd slashed. Literally.

"I don't imagine it will. Perhaps, if anything, we should have our own alliance. Not right this moment, though. I don't even know your name, so I can't say I'm willing to just trust you. But, in time. It'd be good to have someone not to have to watch out for in the long run." Both truth and manipulation, really. Firrerreo was certainly trying to get her name for his own satisfaction as one of his species, but there was something genuine there. She wanted to leave more than rule. That'd be useful as an ally. Someone who's goal wasn't going to conflict with his own would always be ideal.

Zarava Dekki

 

[Zarava Dekki]

ZARAVA

Location: Jutrand Academy
Tags: Firrerreo

When it came to dealing with death, Zarava had only experienced it once, and that was her own father. She had never witnessed a dead body in her entire life, because when the cave-in killed her father, there were no means of being able to retrieve it. Her father was lost to the planet itself, never to be seen again. There also wasn't a huge amount of violence on Elrood in general, and if there was, she was always late to witness it anyway. The redhead had no intention of killing anyone while she was on her own back on her homeworld as she didn't quite see the point. She didn't quite consider herself to be a killer in general and had never thought about killing someone. Up until her mother betrayed her.

Zarava had every intention of finding her mother and ending her life. Even if she had never killed anyone before, once she was able to acquire the lightsabers that the Sith used, it should be easy. It wouldn't be hard to locate her either, as her mother enjoyed keeping in contact with her to listen to everything that she got up to. Zarava hated it. The only problem now was that she didn't have the necessary training and that she had no capabilities of moving freely without having eyes on her. Not to mention that she had no idea how to fly a ship just yet. It would take time, and Zarava was fine with that because she was patient. As far as she knew her mother had no intention of going anywhere and staying where she was stationed. She had all the time in the world and would play along with her darling mother and pretend to be excited about everything she was going through in this academy.

Would she be willing to kill her classmates to survive? Zarava didn't think that the Sith would give her much of a choice in this matter. She wasn't completely naive and knew what vulnerable parts were on most humanoids. Albeit, she didn't know how other races changed anatomy-wise and if the basic knowledge of anatomy still applied to them. However, she wasn't allowed to bring anything from her home planet, the only thing she managed to sneak on with her was a photo of her and her father. This meant that she didn't have any weapons going into the trials unless they decided to give some to each student. It sounded like the boy in front of her had quite a bit of knowledge when it came to the Sith.

All of it just sounded like needless killing and a waste of resources. How much fuel was used to grab all of these students from the worlds that they called home? She imagined that it cost a good number of credits there. The scowl remained on her face as she tapped her finger inside of her pants pocket. "You seem to know quite a bit of the Sith. Are they all usually this... violent against their own?" Zarava asked, not entirely sure if the other would give her an honest answer. She knew that she was showing that she didn't know all that much about Sith, but she didn't think that was detrimental information for someone else to know.

The young redhead would mull over his next words for a couple of seconds, humming to herself. It would be nice to have an alliance, or even just a truth not to be instantly killed as soon as she stepped foot into the trials. "I wouldn't mind an alliance. Would be nice not to have to constantly worry about someone trying to kill me. But I'm not giving you my name till after the trials. How does that sound?" Zarava stated as her face morphed more into being neutral. She wasn't going to tell her name just yet, she didn't even know him. Zarava also had noticed that he didn't introduce himself either by name.

 

[Firrerreo]

"I've read stories, and I've met a couple. It's been.. Mm. When they have to, they are. And there's a good number that are anyway. It's important to remember that no matter who you meet, no matter how friendly a face might seem, they're likely scheming at your expense." He said, very much with that friendly face. Very much with the intent to scheme at her expense if needed. Perhaps he was being too honest for his own good now, since she could likely turn it all around on him or become an enemy. Usually, he wouldn't.

But she'd still refused to give her name. There was a respect there now, for better or worse.

"Sounds like a deal. So long as you don't die, well, I look forward to working with you then. Want some lunch? I hear they got actually good food here in the mess hall. So long as you get it straight from the cooks, there's not even a worry of poison. I think."

Zarava Dekki