Private Wanna Be My Friend? [Haro Aven]

[Leshanna]

Tag: Haro Aven ​

Takes Place Shortly After the Trial of Ozzuk-Thren


Lesh was still somewhat sore from the events that had taken place at the Trials, but it was the kind of sore she could live with. It was a reminder of what she had survived, the fact that she had come back to the Academy alive, and with her friends still alive. She jotted down notes as she listened to the lecture being presented by Darth Sylos, the topic covering the Sith Code and its evolution over time, and felt her belly rumble with hunger pangs. She glanced at her time piece, and noticed that it was almost time to break for lunch. Just a few more minutes…and she would be free!

The end-of-lecture bell chimed, and Sylos wrapped up the last of the lesson before finally dismissing the students. Everyone gathered their books and notes in an orderly fashion, before filing out to either head to another lecture, to their dorms, or to lunch.

Lesh’s rumbling belly dictated where she was going next, and she made a B-line for the Academy cafeteria. When she arrived there, she noticed that it held a decent number of students, ranging from first years to Shadows, as well as a few head of staff and professors. She stepped into the line for the open buffet and quickly snagged a few of her favorite items, along with a couple of offered sweets and a fruit juice of some fashion. All the meals were prepared to be healthy, sourced from all around the galaxy - perfect to meet the variety of dietary needs of those within the Academy.

Food in hand, Leshanna scanned the large chamber before finding a table against a wall that was empty and she made her way over towards it, taking a seat with her back against the wall. She took out her study notes and began to look over them, trying to occupy her time as she picked at her food. A frown of thoughtful consideration creased her forehead as she scanned over her notes; the topic of her last class session had been more than just about the Code, she also had to write a short essay on what it meant to her, which meant she had to truly think and consider the deeper meaning buried within the Code itself. She was deep enough in thought that she hardly noticed others as they passed her by, and she certainly didn't notice the skinny boyish figure that was approaching her table.

 

[Haro Aven]

LOCATION: WILD SPACE >> SITH HOLY WORLDS >> KORRIBAN >> KOR'ETHYR ACADEMY​

OBJECTIVE: HAVE LUNCH WITH Leshanna ​

Awestruck was the best way to describe how Haro felt during his first couple days at Kor'ethyr Academy. He had grown up navigating sprawling labyrinthine corridors but the sheer grandeur and supernatural majesty of the Traveling Academy of Korriban was unlike anything Haro had ever imagined, let alone experienced. Beyond that, he could hardly believe how many brilliant minds and resources were available to him and the other students. Perhaps what surprised Haro the most though was how well-cared-for and generally contented the students, staff, and people of Korriban at large seemed to be under the rule of King Caedes and his Council of Lords. He had expected the realm of a Sith Lord to be more... Sith-y? He had read a lot about the recent events that had taken place on the Holy Worlds of the Sith and the rather unconventional Sith King himself but even still, he had expected more authoritarian, power-obsessed spooky hooded guys preaching about hatred, deception and greed. There were certainly some less savory types and more traditionalist Sith within the academy but there was also a lot of diversity of cultures, concepts and ideals within the curriculum offered–some that even introduced theories of what could be considered Jedi-aligned doctrine, even if it was mostly for the sake of understanding the enemy. Even the undead that apparently just casually existed in society seemed relatively docile, even helpful. Still, there was undoubtedly an eerie danger to such a display of power–an undercurrent of threat that made Haro uneasy when he considered what such an establishment could do to anyone considered an enemy.

The only experience Haro had with "school" or anything even remotely close to that was not even a recognizable comparison to this. Those born in the lower levels of Coruscant usually lived, worked and died in the lower levels of Coruscant. The lucky ones landed a decent job working as a shipyard mechanic or for some manufacturing plant like Undercity Meats while most ended up in crime or worse, so there was little incentive for proper education. Haro had been luckier than the luckiest to have been given the opportunities he had in his life and he was determined to make the most of it. This was his chance to prove that he was more than just a nobody shipyard mechanic from the Undercity of Coruscant, more than just a decent pilot even. He would not fail. There was too much at stake.

And so, with relentless determination and eager enthusiasm, Haro strolled down one of the massive central halls of Kor'ethyr. He was still trying to make sense of the mapping system for the ever-changing academy using the data pad provided. Bodie made helpful little chirps from Haro's shoulder when the boy got distracted and almost missed a turn. Fortunately, when he got close enough, the smell of food helped him navigate to one of the cafeterias on campus. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until he was standing amidst the abundance all around him. Images meant to appetize decorated the food court, enticing people toward the vending machines, touchpad kiosks, or order windows manned by droids for made-to-order food, and in the middle of it all was the open buffet with all manner of cuisine. Wide-eyed and positively beaming with excitement, Haro got in line for the buffet and filled a plate with whatever caught his interest which included more than a few sweets.

Satisfied with his choices, Haro stepped out into the seating area and wavered there a moment, suddenly struck with the awareness of just how much of a new kid he was. Wistfulness washed over the teen as he watched various established pairings, groups, and cliques gathered together, most animated by familiarity and camaraderie in their conversations. Before he could sink too deep into that feeling of loneliness though, he took a deep breath and stood up straighter. He missed his people but he would make new friends. He was good at that. In fact, he had already made a friend during the Trials of Ozzuk Thren. Or, at least, he hoped they were on that track. He waded into the crowd, keeping an eye out for the raven haired girl in hopes that she might be taking her lunch break here at the same time.

Just his luck, he found Leshanna seated at a table against the wall at the far end of the room, alone and seemingly pouring over her notes. Her deceptively cute features were all scrunched up with concentration. Despite the healthy amount of fear and caution he felt about the girl, she had already proven in their short time together that she was willing to protect him from harm, even standing up for him against her zabrak friend a few times. She seemed to enjoy his company and he rather enjoyed hers too so, now that they were proper peers, he hoped they might be able to get to know each other a bit better. So he made his way to her table, a smile on his face that grew into a charming grin as he approached.

"Hey Lesh," he greeted her warmly. He was sure to meet her blue eyes with his crystalline green gaze before he glanced down at her notes.

"Am I interrupting your studies or would you mind if I joined you?"​

 

[Leshanna]

Tag: Haro Aven
​

A friendly and perky boy voice broke through Leshanna’s focus and her blue eyes snapped towards whoever dared to intrude upon her study space, and she locked gazes with a familiar face that bore a friendly smile. For a moment, Leshanna was without words; she’d never truly stopped to appreciate just how…stunning his eyes were; they were like gems that glittered in the light - a touch mesmerizing, if she was honest with herself.

She blinked at him for a couple of seconds as he looked away from her to peer at her notes briefly, before she pulled her head out of the clouds and smiled back, her irritation at being interrupted gone like a flash of lightning.

“Oh! Hey Haro!” she replied in greeting, her voice a bit more bright and friendly than it normally was. She cringed internally, Yeah how Sith of you…

She glanced down at her study notes briefly before looking back at him. “Oh I was just going back over my notes from lecture today. Feel free to sit and join me, please! I…wouldn’t mind the company to be honest.”

Leshanna watched the boy for a few moments, studying him briefly, glancing at his tray of food and more than a few sweets. “So! How have you been doing? I know the place can kind of be intimidating at first, moving around and shifting all the time. Kinda is disorienting for the first little bit until you can figure it all out.” she asked him curiously, gently probing to see how well the newest addition to their group - which was now being referred to as the ‘Badawans’ around the Academy - was adjusting to his new life at the Sith Academy.

 

[Haro Aven]

When the girl looked up at him and her eyes softened with recognition, any remnants of that loneliness and self doubt Haro was feeling just before were swept away and replaced with a warm fuzzy elation.

"Cool, thanks!" Clearly delighted to be greeted with such warmth, Haro's grin brightened and he took a seat across from her. They shared a moment of settling into each other's space, watching one another and making their observations with the guileless transparency of two youths seeking to rekindle their connection from before. Haro had found it surprisingly easy to connect with Leshanna in Ozzuk so he was glad that seemed to still be the case here in the academy as well.

"Intimidating? More like amazing! This place is beyond cool," he said animatedly, channeling the wonder he'd been overwhelmed with the last couple days. He leaned in and placed his elbows on the table, vaguely gesturing with his fork to the room around them as he spoke. Jostled by his movement, Bodie leaped from Haro's shoulder and landed on the table between the trays of food, its photoreceptors dilating as it looked up at the girl, its whole body cocking to the side like a curious pup. The presence of the little bug-like droid between them reminded the distractible boy about introductions.

"Oh! Lesh, this is Bodie. He's my droid I mentioned at the Trials." Haro positively beamed with pride at his tiny mechanical creation. A moment later, a little panel opened on the droid's body and Bodie extended a slender manipulator arm to the girl as if offering it to shake, though a finger or two of hers would be enough to offer in return given the size difference.​

 

[Leshanna]

Tag: Haro Aven ​

Her smile remained as he sat across from her, and it was hard to hide the faint blush that crept across her cheeks. Leshanna watched him as he situated himself, and she even moved some of her own belongings on the table and her food tray a bit to make room for him, even though it was unnecessary.

She smiled and chuckled softly at Haro’s animated views of the Academy; she was happy to hear that he found it amazing, and beyond cool. As he made his gestures, a little bug droid made its appearance and leapt from him to the table between them. At first, its appearance startled the girl, but as it turned its large photoreceptors up to her, cocking to one side in a decidedly curious manner, her startlement turned to one of awe.

Haro introduced the little droid to her as Bodie, and the girl all but melted as she exclaimed: “Oh my Force…It’s soooo CUTE!”

She lowered her face a bit more to get a closer look at Bodie, and a genuine smile split her face and reflected in her sapphire eyes as the droid extended a small mechanical arm as if to shake her hand. “Hello Bodie! Nice to finally meet you, little guy!” she said as she used two fingers to return the greeting. Lesh returned her gaze to Haro’s, and it would be clear that she was already smitten with the little droid. “Ugh so precious.”

After fawning over Bodie for a few extra moments, Leshanna finally returned her attention back to Haro. “I’m happy to hear you’re finding the Academy to be an exciting place! I was a bit intimidated by it in the beginning but…I’ve come to love the place too. Definitely still has its spooky elements, and its always cold but…kinda comes with the territory I suppose, being Korriban and all that…”

She ate a few bites of what appeared to be a salad of some sort, before speaking again. “What do you think of your classes so far? Any favorites yet?”

 

[Haro Aven]

Watching Leshanna react to Bodie made Haro feel like his heart might just melt out his chest. The way she lit up made her look younger than he remembered her from Ozzuk, or perhaps just more her age. It was as if, for a moment, whatever burdens she seemed to bear were lifted from her and she just got to be her sweet self, and Haro was suddenly struck by just how good it felt to be responsible for making her feel that way. Bodie, for its part, chirped happily and danced around in a little circle in response to being fawned over, giving Lesh a little multicolored light show across the "spots" that were actually little displays on its back as it did so.

"Haha! He definitely likes you," Haro laughed, bright and mirthful, then gently tapped the little droid with his fork. "Show off," he admonished Bodie playfully before he met Lesh's eyes again and winked at her.

By the time she brought the conversation back around to the Academy, Bodie was scuttling across the table to one side of Haro's tray where he tucked away all his little legs and settled in like a well-trained pet. Haro popped what appeared to be a bite-sized puff pastry covered in powdered sugar into his mouth while she spoke. Why not eat dessert first? Mrs. Khaal wasn't here to tell him otherwise.

"So cold," Haro agreed with her comment about Korriban's frigid temperatures as he finished his bite, nodding with a furrowed brow as if surprised and displeased with the fact. He too decided to take the opportunity to take a couple more bites of food before he answered the girl's next question.

"Honestly, all of them have been pretty interesting. Sure beats the old educator droid I had back home, or scrounging up what I could on the Holonet. My favorite would have to be my piloting courses though. And mechanics and engineering, I guess, since it's what I know best." Lesh knew from the Trials of Ozzuk that Haro was a clever kid and it was clear in how he spoke about it that he was the type who truly enjoyed learning, but his gemstone eyes really seemed to glitter with passion when he talked about piloting.

"What about you? Any favorite classes? And how long have you been at the Academy?" He asked before taking another bite of food.​

 

[Leshanna]

Tag: Haro Aven
​

Lesh all but melted as the little droid danced and chirped on the lunch table between her and Haro, and she fawned over Bodie as he flashed colorful lights across his spots. Haro laughed, saying that the little droid liked her, and she couldn’t help but smile at that.

“Well I really like him too! Too cute.” she said, beaming in happiness.

I definitely need me one of these guys! Would definitely help cheer me up when I get down… she thought to herself, though she didn’t say such a thought aloud.

Eventually Bodie returned to Haro, tucking his legs under him and sitting there like some well trained pet. Haro agreed with Lesh about the place being cold, and was quiet for a bit as he ate some more food before answering her questions on what he thought about his classes and if there were any favorites so far. She listened intently as she devoured more of her food; she found herself interested in wanting to know the things that made him happy and excited. It was little surprise that he like his mechanic and engineering classes; she knew he was smart, and clearly he had a natural skill in making things, if Bodie was any indication of that.

"What about you? Any favorite classes? And how long have you been at the Academy?"

“Oh! Uhhh…I suppose history is one of my favorites. Sith history, that is. Really cool to see how and where the Sith came from, ya know? How the Order has changed over time. Did you know that the Sith actually started off as a race of people? And some fallen Jedi showed up and enslaved them and took over their world and called themselves ‘dark lords’? The Order literally was made from some Jedi…I find that kind of funny, really. I also really enjoy alchemy too; that’s taught by A’Mia! She makes really cool things and I’m always curious to see what she’s up to. Uh…I also like my Force classes…where I learn how to actually feel and use the Force.”

She paused as she realized she was being very chatty, and finished off what remained of her food before she pushed her tray aside.

“I’ve been here since the start of my first year so…a few months? Though I’m not sure about that…time flies, ya know?” She looked back at Haro, and a hint of pink touched her cheeks as she found herself truly looking at him for the first time. She had to admit...he was pretty cute. Especially with those stunning green eyes of his that one could almost get lost in if they stared for too long...

"Hey...thanks for coming to sit with me, Haro. It's nice to have someone to talk to and hang out with."

 

[Haro Aven]

Happily munching away, Haro listened to her speak about what classes and subjects inspired her most with genuine interest, his warm smile never far. His eyebrows shot up in surprise when she shared her knowledge about the origin of the Sith and he silently compared it to what he could remember of what Niynx and Lao-ta had taught him on the subject. Unlike her though, Haro had never been great with history, despite his appetite for learning. Still, he appreciated the fullness of her answer, intrigued by the facts that she shared and charmed by the way she made commentary throughout. He was similarly unsurprised that her interests were in such intellectual studies. When they'd met on Ozzuk Thren, she'd exemplified cleverness, ingenuity and insight as well as combat prowess. She was fierce but also cunning and she clearly had a powerful connection to the Force, even if it was the dark side. And she'd only been a student of Kor'ethyr for a few months? Haro shook his head in disbelief. Despite the ease of their chemistry and their growing sense of familiarity, Haro couldn't help but feel like he was out of his weight class talking to this girl. Lucky for him, she seemed to enjoy his presence. The way she looked at him then certainly told him as much. He suddenly felt a bit warmer under the gaze of those sapphire eyes as they studied him. The faint pink that colored her cheeks gave him a little thrill that inspired the hint of a roguish smile which grew into an elated grin when she expressed her gratitude.

"The pleasure's mine. Seriously. I-uh, I was hoping we'd get to hang out more, after Ozzuk I mean. So, yeah. I'm glad you think so." He glanced down briefly at his tray of food, poking at some gelatinous cube. Why was he suddenly so nervous? He forced himself to meet her eyes again.

"I can't believe you've only been here a few months. Thought you had at least a year under your belt with how much you know. Does that mean you haven't picked a house yet? The admin was explaining them to me but I haven't really looked into it."​

 

[Leshanna]

Tag: Haro Aven
​

Haro watched Lesh chatter away, happily eating his food as he did so. He didn’t interrupt her, and seemed keenly interested in everything she had to say. He seemed a bit surprised to hear about the stuff involving Sith history, though she simply figured that was due to the fact that not everyone truly knew the history of the Sith, and no doubt, the Jedi had probably done a good job at twisting and morphing it or even completely hiding such knowledge from others in their realm.

Eventually, she paused in her chatter after revealing how long she’d been at Kor’ethyr and extended her gratitude that he would take time out of his day to sit and talk with her.

"The pleasure's mine. Seriously. I-uh, I was hoping we'd get to hang out more, after Ozzuk I mean. So, yeah. I'm glad you think so."

She watched, bright eyed and with a pleasant expression on her face, as he looked away from her briefly to stare at what remained on his food tray, poking idly at some gelatinous substance. He almost seemed… nervous, for a moment. He finally looked back up at her, his curiosity no doubt getting the better of him.

"I can't believe you've only been here a few months. Thought you had at least a year under your belt with how much you know. Does that mean you haven't picked a house yet? The admin was explaining them to me but I haven't really looked into it."

“Oh! I kinda…take on extra ‘work’; I study more than I really need to and spend a lot of time in the library. Maybe too much time, if I’m honest. I just…I had like, basic education at the orphanage I grew up in. But all of the stuff here is just so cool and interesting and it’s so engaging and hands on and I feel like I’m actually being successful at something in my life for once…” Lesh paused briefly to take a drink of her fizzy pop, before moving on to the House topic.

“As for the House? No…I haven’t chosen one yet. Kinda waiting to see if I’ll be selected by a Master of one of the Houses at the end of the year, if I don’t choose one by then. I’d like to be in the same House as my friends…which is Rakghoul…but I’m more interested in the things that House Derriphan is known for - so maybe that would be the best fit for me.” She shrugged. "Guess I’ll find out at the end of the year.”

She watched Haro again in silence for a few moments, before her own curiosity shined through. “So…where did you come from, before you ended up at the Academy?”

 

[Haro Aven]

If it had been anyone else, such talk of overachieving might have come off as bragging, but from Leshanna it was a humble, almost guilty admission. The work and time she put in was clearly a product of her passion for learning and her obvious intellect, traits that thrilled Haro and drew him in even more than those beautiful sapphire eyes of hers. The word orphanage stood out to him though and a solemn empathy settled over him as he listened. So she'd been orphaned like him, only he had been lucky enough not to have ended up in an orphanage. He'd known kids that had, there were tons of them in the Undercity, and he'd heard some of their horror stories. From what he understood, it wasn't that the orphanages themselves were necessarily bad– it was better than starving in the streets– but it was the nefarious opportunists the orphanages seemed to attract. From labor recruiters to drug peddlers, bottom feeders and unsavory types looking for free or basically-free labor would often pay off or intimidate the orphanage staff to send viable children off with them to be trained and put to work. Haro wondered what her story was and he found himself hoping that she'd been lucky enough to have ended up in the care of someone who treated her well.

He nodded along to her commentary on the houses as he finished off the last of his food, taking note that her friends– which he assumed included the Zabrak boy from Ozzuk, Naamino– were part of Rakghoul but that her interests aligned more closely with Derriphan.

"Oh, nice! Yeah, from what I can remember of the rundown, Derriphan sounded interesting to me too," he said, pushing his tray aside as well.

Then she asked her question and Haro slipped easily into his well-practiced mostly true story without hesitation.

"I've been traveling with my sponsor the last couple years actually!" He seemed genuinely excited and proud to share, as if traveling the galaxy was the greatest of achievements.

"Met my sponsor in the Undercity of Coruscant a couple years ago when they brought their ship in for repairs at the shipyard I worked for. I wanted to see the galaxy and they needed a mechanic so I offered to work for them, asked them if I could be part of their crew. They thought I had promise, that I might be useful to them. So they agreed to take me on, train me up, in exchange for keeping up the ship's maintenance," he explained, a bit of boastfulness and a persistent disbelief at his good fortune in his tone as he recounted.

"I didn't really have any reason to stay. No family, not since my mom passed when I was a kid. Just Mrs. Khaal, she's my mentor and runs the shipyard. She'd been looking after me, but she was happy for me to get out of the Undercity, I think. So I went with them and have been traveling with them since." He paused.

"Ozzuk was my test to see if I was worth investing in a proper education so I can be a more useful member of the crew and not just a brilliant mechanic." He flashed a roguish half-smirk to accompany his playful bravado. Then he became more thoughtful, watching her curiously.

"How about you? How did you find your way to Kor'ethyr?"​

 

[Leshanna]

Tag: Haro Aven
​

Lesh listened intently as Haro divulged some of his background with her, sharing how he and his sponsor travelled around and she did feel the slightest smidge of jealousy upon hearing that; she’d wanted desperately to travel around the galaxy too but never had the chance being in the orphanage and now that she was in the Academy, travel was usually restricted to missions or lab work or some other task. Maybe one day she’d get the chance to travel around and explore.

Haro continued on with his tale, sharing how he’d met his sponsor in the “undercity” of Coruscant to have their ship repaired he had offered to work for them in exchange for them taking him around to see the galaxy, and she nodded along as he continued, sharing a personal bit about his mom passing when he had still been a kid, and he had no reason to stay any longer on Coruscant. Haro said further that Ozzuk had been a test for him to see if he was worth the investment of a proper education. Lesh didn’t speak while he shared his story, but small questions began to pop up in her mind, but she figured she could ask some of them while they sat and talked.

"How about you? How did you find your way to Kor'ethyr?"

“Oh…well, umm. I…grew up in an orphanage; I kinda remember my parents? They dropped me off because they couldn’t keep me anymore, I think…at least that’s what I tell myself. Anyway, I used the Force for the first time a while back, and my Headmaster and the Mistresses of the orphanage realized that I was going to need “special” training to learn how to use the Force. I was told that they had spoken to a few Jedi Enclaves and one had agreed to take me on and train me as a Jedi. So I was sent on a passenger transport to go meet the Jedi folk and…we never made it.” Leshanna paused for a moment, her playful mood turning a bit more somber for a few moments as she recalled those scary moments in her recent past. She still had nightmares from time to time about it

“Pirates attacked and boarded the ship…they took me and some others captive. They figured out I was Force sensitive and offered me for sale. I was picked up by a dark robed figure, someone I soon learned was a Sith. He figured he could train me up to be his apprentice or personal servant or something. Showed me basic things then just…gave up on me. Brought me to the Academy and signed me up and then walked away, told me not to fail him or let him down, or else.”

She glanced back at Haro, not realizing that she had lowered her eyes away from him during the recounting of her tale. “That’s how I ended up at Kor’ethyr. I don’t mind it here, at all. Beats being in the orphanage and from what I’ve heard, I got really lucky in not ending up with the Jedi.”

The girl took another drink of her soda, her mood returning to a more curious and bright one as she recalled the questions she had for him.

“So…I take it your sponsor is like, a Sith or at least knew of them enough to bring you to Kor’ethyr? Or did you hear about it in your travels and figured it would maybe be a good place for you? Sorry if these are probing questions, I’m just curious is all. I’ve heard that Coruscant is in the Core, and is like…infested with Jedi. So I guess I’m a bit surprised you made it out of there and came here. I’m glad you made it though! It’s been fun hanging out and getting to know you.”

 

[Haro Aven]

Leshanna's story effected Haro even more deeply than he'd expected, his bright expressive eyes conveying fascination, sympathy and ultimately sorrow. He could relate to the pain of remembering his mother well enough to miss her terribly, but he could only imagine what it would be like to have been abandoned not by accidental death but by choice. Then, the part about how she'd originally been meant to train with the Jedi surprised him and made the cruel turn of fate that followed even more tragic. He could tell from the way she drifted away with the memory of her capture, disassociating from the no-doubt terrifying event, that the trauma of it was still fresh in her mind and likely still weighed heavily on her. The final twist of the proverbial knife came with the conclusion that she was still owned by whoever the Sith was who'd sent her off to Kor'ethyr and yet she still felt fortunate that she'd ended up here, instead of with the Jedi.

He was speechless for a moment, unsure of what the right thing to say was. Her opening up to him like that deserved an authentic acknowledgement, but he didn't want offend her or draw her suspicion.

"Wow," he breathed. "That's uh..." What? Terrible? Awful? Putting such a simple label on her story like that felt wrong, stupid, presumptuous. He gave her a sad but genuinely grateful smile instead and said, "Thank you. For sharing that with me."

She followed with a series of questions about his sponsor, offering her own theories and observations. She apologized for her probing but finished with some reassurances about how much she'd been enjoying getting to know him. The kind words warmed his smile despite the little thrill he felt at needing to be clever about how he answered her questions.

"I'm glad too! Otherwise, I'd have missed out on meeting you," he said, adding an extra dose of sweetness to his tone. "And don't worry about asking questions, seriously. For you, Leshanna , I'm an open book." He gestured with his palms out, allowing playfulness to shroud any concern he might have felt about her probing. He did believe that she was just curious and the truth was, he needed to be ready for questions like this. It helped that he felt closer to her already after learning so much more about her past and where she came from.

"My sponsor's not Sith themselves but they're well connected within the Order. You could say they specialize in dealing with Sith. They were seeking more information on the King of Korriban and learned about Kor'ethyr. Thought it'd be a good opportunity to start building on that connection, I guess, and get me some valuable training in the meantime," Haro explained with a shrug, as if he didn't really understand the schemes of his superiors.

"As for Coruscant, sure, there's Jedi around but most don't waste their time where I'm from on Level 1312. See, there's something like five thousand levels of city on Coruscant. The Galactic City is considered to be the surface city. It's where all the wealthiest folk live, where the Jedi temple is. The further you go down, the poorer the people get, the less law enforcement there is. So, naturally, all kinds of unsavory folks and criminal types find their way to the Undercity." He paused and growing a bit more solemn for a moment.

"I'm definitely lucky to have gotten out of there. I can't imagine going my whole life without seeing the stars or going to hyperspace," he ruminated, clearly grateful for the opportunity to have seen such incredible things.​

 

[Leshanna]

Tag: Haro Aven
​

Leshanna could tell her story had an impact upon Haro; his expression changed as she gave him a brief run down of her history. She was curious to know what was going on in his mind as she told him what all had happened to her - but at the same time she felt the slightest bit of agitation towards any sympathy he might feel. She didn’t need nor want any of that; she had escaped a terribly mundane existence and now had the chance to become something great.

“Wow...” He breathed, seemingly at a loss for words. Lesh offered a slightly rueful smile; she understood it was probably hard to say anything cheerful after that. But in the end, Haro thanked her for sharing a bit of her story with him, and she nodded solemnly.

The boy listened as she asked him her questions about his sponsor, and responded sweetly to her comment about her being glad he made it into the Academy, and she smiled at him as he said that, for her, he was an open book. She settled into her seat and leaned forward a bit more across the table, eager to hear what he had to say. Haro explained that his Sponsor wasn’t a Sith themselves, but they had connections with the Sith Order.

Lesh’s eyes narrowed slightly however when he said they were seeking information about the King, wanting to seemingly build a connection and sending Haro to the Academy seemed a good way to do so, and she wondered just why they wanted to learn about the King and connect with him if they weren’t Sith themselves. A dozen thoughts did race through her mind about the topic, though she was more curious than suspicious.

Haro’s shrug also suggested that he wasn’t privy into the reasons either, and she pursed her lips in her curious and thoughtful manner. The tall and lanky boy continued, explaining that yes, the Jedi were on Coruscant but only in the upper levels of the City. A dark brown creased her brow upon hearing that, and it just further cemented the growing disdain she felt for those who practiced the lightside of the Force.

They were supposed to be champions of peace and harmony and wellbeing for those around them, and blah blah blah…and yet they couldn’t be bothered to even aid the citizens that lived beneath them? That sounded more like a Sith thing than a Jedi thing to Leshanna. She huffed slightly, her way of vocalizing her disapproval.

Boy I am sure glad I didn’t fall in with them. They sound like real hypocrites.

“Ugh. Sorry…every time I hear stories about the Jedi, I learn more and more that I really don’t like them. I grew up hearing how great they were, you know? What all they champion…but then I hear stuff like what you said and I realize it’s all just a big fat lie.” she took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. “I mean…I get it, I guess. They can’t help everyone in the galaxy who is suffering. But…they have to know about the crap that goes on in the lower sections of their own city. And yet, they can’t be bothered to help? They live with the rich and the influential? I don’t know…just, seems so wrong to me. So…hypocritical. Anyway…sorry. I-I bet being able to travel around and see the galaxy is great! I haven’t had the chance to do that yet. But now that I’m at the Academy, maybe I will!”

A look of curious excitement came over Leshanna’s face for a moment. “What place in the galaxy would you like to see or visit the most?! I’ve heard tales of caves full of kyber crystals as big as starships…I’d love to see something like that one day….”