Private A Meeting of Fists

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Vibro-daggers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol
Outfit: Fighting Attire
Tag: Valaine Valentine

Visiting the holy worlds of the Sith was something Eira decided to set more time to visit. There was so much ancient history and lost tombs that formed the desert world, the intrigue in finding these lost tombs, or discovering Sith Lords lost to history that were once considered great importance. There was an itch of discovery and adventure that could be had on the dead world. One that pulled Eira back, though for today she was less focused on the world's history and those who came before as those who were still present. Eira was someone with a deep interest in progressing her skills in combat, she could not be an assassin or protector if she could not fight. It was also a way to view her standing against those at a similar rank to herself. The young woman was keen on demonstrating that she was going to be the top acolyte in the Order. Someone that the Order needed to keep an eye on in terms of her progression and achievements.

To do that, Eira needed to spar, she needed to train and she needed to win. Every loss was many steps back, and every win was only a single step forward. So she came to Korriban with singular mind of testing herself amongst the students of the academy, to see those who stood out and those who were too weak.

So far, the Korriban students had been disappointing in Eira's mind. Weak, egotistical and woefully unprepared for someone who used the Force as a weapon to hide as well as strike. Caution had mixed with her pride, she could not let herself jump ahead and believe that she was rising high enough to be seen as a threat. Eira had to maintain a level head and just work on her skills, find the stronger acolytes and apprentices and challenge them to a fight. All she had faced were those unworthy of even being named, clearly too fresh faced and no experiences in actual combat from Eira could assess.

Entering the fighting ring, placed her weapons aside, they were not appropriate for these fights so she had to use dulled versions of her daggers, twirling them in her hands. The assassin should be better versed in using a Lightsaber but Eira found the blades to be too long and heavy to be useful in the fighting that she preferred.

All that Eira needed now was an opponent to fight.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Valaine had grown accustomed to the academy on Korriban now, but every day felt like a dull routine. She was by no means the most talented Acolyte, there were areas in which she was lacking behind her peers, but if said peers could all agree on one thing it was that she had a weird knack for winning her sparring duels. She'd barely got the fundamentals of her first form down but something about her just seemed to catch people off guard or throw them off. Perhaps it was an innate budding talent for combat, or her arrogant lack of interest that drew people into a false sense of security.

Whatever they thought it was Valaine herself couldn't care less for the answer. She was here to only improve her skill in the art of lightsaber combat. The other aspects of her training left a lot to be desired and she faltered in them, but this? She enjoyed it, and she wanted to keep pushing her skill forward.

She trudged towards the fighting ring with a slightly hunched forward posture, dressed in black flowing robes and with a look of disinterest upon her pale face as she glanced across from her and towards her next sparring partner. There was a light tilt of her head as she regarded the twin daggers Eira held, "Huh...? I don't think I've seen anyone use those yet..." she commented, her voice seeming just as distant and disconnected as her general presence was.

Regardless she unsheathed a training saber from her hip and ignited the blade as it hummed with a lighter presence than a real lightsaber, capable of only light scorching and nowhere near hot enough to go through something. "I'm Valaine, not that it matters I guess." she spoke as she adopted a very standard stance for the first form, holding the saber in front of her with both hands and tilted up pointing towards her foe, it was about as basic as it could be.

She didn't seem too intent on making the first strike however, and politely waited for her foe to be ready. By how half-hearted Valaine appeared surely this was just going to be another easy victory over a fellow Acolyte for Eira.


Tags - Eira Dyn

 

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Vibro-daggers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol
Outfit: Fighting Attire
Tag: Valaine Valentine

Seeing the seemingly disinterested acolyte that stood against her, Eira tilted her head. Studying the body, the frame and observing the fighter that hid. Eira had been training with her Master in Echani combat, learning how to assess a fighter beyond the simple appearances. "Daggers are a harder weapon to master but deadlier in practice." Eira stated firmly in her slightly deep, husky voice. Seeing the practiced stance of the first Lightsaber form, "few are willing to put the effort into practicing with such weapons." The daggers were light in her hands, they were good for throwing as well as close combat. One had to be agile, sharp and precise with the daggers. To Eira, the formal, structured fighting techniques of a Lightsaber were cumbersome and predictable.

Especially with the popular use of a Lightsaber amongst Force Users. A dagger was different, it was something new and with the Force, they were something deadlier than the convenient weapons a person would use. At least that was Eira's thinking.

"Eira Dyn. Names matter. If the person holds potential." Eira stated firmly, without shifting into any fighting stance, Eira launched a dagger directly towards the head of the other Sith. Darting forward, Eira closed the gap between them and she aimed to get in close. It made sense that her first strike would miss the target, Eira might have seemed to be striking to hit but the acolyte also saw this a chance to assess the defensive potential of Valaine. The opening strike was information gathering.

Learning who this opponent was, the motivations and ideologies. It would all feed into understanding the way Valaine fought and how to counter.

"What brought you to the Sith?" Eira asked, probing question as she figured it would be good to learn more on this other Sith while they sparred.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Valaine listened and waited as Eira spoke of daggers, her grey eyes silently observing the woman with that same level of disinterest as she remained stationary. She seemed to only partly agree with her words however, "Hard to master? I can agree with that. But deadlier? Mmm... There's no such thing, a weapon is deadly no matter what shape it's in. But..." She adjusted her stance ever so slightly, correcting her posture a bit, perhaps being scolded by the memories of recent mentors.

"If you ask me... the shorter your weapon the more you put yourself in danger. More chances to risk getting hit before you even get the chance to make your own strike." she spoke softly, and despite her aloof and distant nature, the subject of weaponry and martial combat did seem to be of some interest to her.

In her prepared stance she was, perhaps expectedly, able to avoid the thrown dagger as she leaned her head to the right before standing straight once again; the evasion was quick and snappy as if she had perhaps had some training in precognition already. As Eira closed in on Valaine she readied herself to deflect, parry, and evade. She never stepped forward in her defense, only ever to the flanks and backwards as she focused on out-ranging her foe and keeping her daggers well away from her. In this display of practiced and rigid defense it seemed she was taking just as much time to subtly study Eira in return.

The warding swings and maneuvers of her training saber were reserved in speed and strength as she paced herself, taking care to never back herself to the edge of the ring and to keep circling its border instead if needed. Amidst this rather formulaic defense she spoke in reply to Eira. "Chains and the threat of death. You?" Asked Valaine in return.

So far Valaine's speed, her strength, they both seemed about average in comparison to the typical other Acolytes Eira had bested, which was perhaps slightly surprising with how frail she seemed, but her form was the more perplexing part; it was awful. She had the fundamentals, yes, but her movements were rather rigid and easy to read. It was clear what strike she would parry, and what she would evade, it would surely be no difficult task to land a strike on her when her foe wished to take a deeper lunge. To the more trained or seasoned eye however, it'd be clear; she was guarding her strengths and keeping her cards close to her chest, she had no desire to be studied so readily.


Tags - Eira Dyn

 

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Vibro-daggers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol
Outfit: Fighting Attire
Tag: Valaine Valentine

Eira smirked hearing the counter on the use of daggers, it was something she had heard before and Eira could understand it to a point. However, there was something that Eira saw in using daggers that she felt others often missed. "There is always a danger in fighting, no matter the weapon. A master turns those disadvantages into advantages." Eira stated, using the Force, she pulled the thrown dagger back towards them. Maintaining Valaine's focus on her offhand strikes with the second dagger as the one thrown was now hurtling back into Eira's hand.

"The more closed the gap between us, the harder it is for you to move your large blade without risking harm to yourself." Eira added as she held her two daggers in her hands, now able to deflect strikes with the blades while also slashing at Valaine. "Your weapon is long and cumbersome in tight spaces. Once I am in your guard, then you will be on the backfoot." And with the Force, Eira knew she could get into a person's guard a lot easier than most would. There was speed she could use to move impossibly fast, throwing one dagger and moving, throwing both and appearing unarmed. Only to recall the daggers into her hands afterwards.

Ways that Eira struck, moved and pressed the offensive. She did not move in the traditional ways. There was no structure or form that lingered on Eira's movements. It was aggressive, relentless and precise in strikes. Aiming for the limbs, while she was moving fast and attacking harshly, the locations of where Eira was striking were methodical and building a slow weariness. A creeping inability to maintain the fight long term. Others went for the fast and easy kills, brutal power behind which strike so an enemy could not survive. Eira was crueller, she was trying to disable, demoralise and demonstrate the impending doom her opponents faced.

Showing how the defeat would come about and that there was no way in stopping it.

"Freedom. Chaos and Power." Eira smirked, giving just as vague of an answer as the one she received. Eira threw a dagger at the leg of Valaine. While the movements were predictable, careless and supposedly sloppy, Eira benefitted from one thing many training as Sith did not. She learned the Echani ways in combat. She could see that the sloppiness was too calculated, the predictability was too skilfully feigned to be true. While expert in fighting Valaine, Eira could not tell yet. But there was more to the eye than she was attempting to give.

That intrigued Eira deeply.

"You fake how unskilled you are. Trying to lure me into obvious traps?" Eira asked, calling out the lies bluntly and openly.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

"A master turns those disadvantages into advantages."

Those words seemed to elicit a huff of amusement from Valaine. "Then it's a good thing I'm facing another fellow Acolyte, then." she retorted. As Eira used the Force to retrieve her thrown dagger it seemed to distract Valaine for just a moment, even though it perhaps wasn't intended to do so. She was quite clearly not expecting any kind of Force usage in the sparring, but her composure, or feigned lack of, was quickly regained as Eira continued her assault.

Valaine's defense however was annoyingly stubborn. She seemed adamant about not wearing herself out, and plain started to abuse the reach of her training saber. Her stance stood a little straighter and her body shifted, now holding the saber in only her left hand while her right was kept behind her back. It seemed she had shifted into Form II, but it was clear this was still a very new and untrained form for her. But what was a spar if not the chance to practice and improve upon these things?

Adopting the stance of a duelist her reach and guard was now even more annoying to bypass. She frequently held the training saber directly pointed towards Eira, keeping her away and all but stating that if she wanted to get a chance of a real strike on her she was going to need to get herself burnt first with a direct approach. "The biggest problem of course is closing that gap in the first place... But it can happen, sure, no defense is absolute after all... But if you were to ask how many people in history got past a spear with a sword? The results are very one-sided."

If Valaine's newly adopted form and general dueling capabilities had a clear weakness it seemed to be against tricks, deception, and naturally the Force itself. Anytime Eira performed some kind of deceptive or misleading attacks in such fashions it'd catch her off guard, her form would stumble, and she'd quickly try to regain her stability elsewhere as she backed away. She very clearly wasn't used to dealing with such techniques.

But in terms of a straight up 'fair' duel? She was more than formidable even if she did seem to be hiding some capabilities of her own up her sleeve. Though when being asked about such a soft smirk appeared on her lips. "Ah... I wouldn't really say I'm trying to lead you into a trap... But, well, you need to pace yourself right? Besides, I wanted to see what you can do. Nobody learns anything from a spar that ends immediately."

With that said she finally made a decisive strike of her own. Her left arm swung her training saber not towards Eira but towards one of her daggers. Two things about this strike would be noticeable; the first being that it was far faster than any movements she had made so far, and the second was the actual strength behind it. If Eira wasn't able to avoid her dagger being struck by the saber she would've felt the power behind it, far more strength than a frail girl like Valaine should have, there was undeniable something unnatural about her, something inhuman.


Tags - Eira Dyn

 

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Vibro-daggers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol
Outfit: Fighting Attire
Tag: Valaine Valentine

"Who says that means I cannot be a Master with the daggers?" Eira raised an eyebrow, "there are many who are inferior to us in the Force or in Sith training, but they host skills in combat that far exceed ours." Seeing that Valaine reacted in a moment of surprise in the use of her Force ability, it was amusing since no agreement to fight without the Force had been made and it was the strongest weapon in a Sith's arsenal so making sure one could hone it correctly in combat was important.

Seeing the shift into Makashi, Eira felt no issue with this. It was an attempt to show prowess in duelling skills to fight back but it was also a fighting style that needed practice and refinement. While Eira was formless and utilising combat styles that were not traditional in Jedi and Sith practice, she had studied what her enemy would use. Makashi was one that Eira suspected was popular due to the increasing numbers of Sith and other dark Force Users that Jedi combated. Eira knew the moves to dodge, how to parry and counter an offensive pressure. Demonstrating the skilled practice of someone who had experience in fighting but also been training longer.

"That depends on the skills of a swordsman and if he trained to fight against those utilising a spear. And Jedi and Sith are even more predictable. They have forms, techniques that they rarely waiver from." Eira smirked, she didn't mind when her opponent ran away. It was a game to Eira and she was keen to demonstrate further issues in Valaine's techniques. Where the improvements were needed. Eira was impressed with how much her opponent had in talent, whether natural or someone hiding the reasoning for it. But Eira held a confidence that she could not be thrown off, that she would not lose this fight like she had not lost her others.

Shaking her head, "pacing yourself allows your opponents to learn your moves, your fighting style and discovering your weaknesses. Be aggressive, be overwhelming, force the opponent on the backfoot so that all they can think about is defence." Eira stated firmly, she was giving her views on how a Sith should fight. Whether they were unconventional like Eira or more traditional like Valaine seemed to be. Twirling the daggers in her hands, Eira moved back into sharp attacks again.

Striking at the limbs, attempting to force Valaine to lose grip on her Lightsaber or even forced to surrender because her limbs would not respond.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

There was a brief chuckle from Valaine's lips. "Well... I'd ask why you're still here in that case." she replied. Eira was however correct in her assessment of Valaine's switch to Makashi, she had barely practiced it at all and was hoping it'd make her opponent more cautious in her approach when dealing with the form notorious for its dueling prowess, it was a bluff.

During the spar Valaine remained on the backfoot, ever retreating, circling, trying to keep away from Eira. Some of those dagger strikes were starting to break further through her guard however as she tried to rely on a form she was inexperienced in. "If pacing yourself lets your opponent learn your moves, surely it goes both ways? The aggressor is always attacking after all." she answered.

Her defense, despite her words, was starting to falter more and eventually Eira would find the perfect moment to make a strike for her hand. The connect struck, dull blades striking delicate fingers that lost their grip on the hilt of the weapon for just a moment. As the training saber was falling her other hand came from behind her back to try and correct the blunder. With an unnatural deftness she was able to catch the falling hilt but doing so left her entirely unbalanced and out of form as a second strike would simply see her disarmed again.

The training saber deactivated as it fell to the floor and Valaine took a step back. Her grey eyes lingered on her dropped weapon for a moment and with a gentle huff she raised her hands in defeat. "It seems you've won." she declared as her tired eyes shifted back up towards Eira.

Tags - Eira Dyn

 

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Vibro-daggers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol
Outfit: Fighting Attire
Tag: Valaine Valentine

Tilting her head, "perhaps my purpose is not to train myself more but prepare newcomers as yourself for the fights ahead." Eira poised to Valaine, the bluff had been met with a challenge from Eira. The young woman was know to be fearless, reckless even, so seeing the known forms and seeing how unrefined this was. Eira felt more confidence in her aggressive attacks. It would push Valaine into a position where Eira would pin her down, aggressive, overwhelming attacks that could break through the defence. It wasn't without understanding, Djem So was a technique that was all about overwhelming attacks. Breaking defences with endless attacks.

"Maybe. But all you learn is how they dominated you while you offered a weak defence." Eira pointed out, to her, it was not revealing weaknesses that Eira considered helpful in a fight, it was more realising the flaws that a defence held. However, Eira was blind to some issues that would be forming from her aggressive tactics, it was something that was expending more energy than keeping up a defence. Fortune favoured Eira this day though, her ruthless strategy forced Valaine into being disarmed and surrendering.

Twirling the daggers, her eyes studied the other woman. "I bet that it wouldn't really be a victory if this was life or death, I doubt your combat skills are limited to just a Lightsaber." Eira pointed out, "hiding your potential is smart, but you need to learn more ways to cleverly deceive. I could see the potential very quickly."

"Where did you learn to fight?" Eira was curious as she held the daggers to her hips, looking over to Valaine, breathing in deeply, feeling the adrenaline calm in her body and the sweat from the fight clinging to her clothes. This was the best fight she had during this stay on the dead world. Eira was keen to learn more about her opponent now, giving the respect deserved to a worthy fighter. Someone that Eira knew she would have to fear one day and that one day would not be in some far flung future, it was nearby.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

After being disarmed and questioned Valaine offered a tired smile and a light shrug, "I don't know about that. As you can guess, I'm quite new here. If not for some of my innate strengths I'm sure that absolutely everyone would be getting victories over me." she answered with a gentle sigh as she brought her left hand forward in a grasping motion towards the training saber on the floor. It slowly started to pull towards her hand, but this lack of speed, the wobbling nature of the training saber itself, her ability in the force was demonstrated and it was awful.

When the training saber finally reached her hand she grasped it and lowered her arm to her side as she looked back to Eira. "Where did I learn to fight? Nowhere. I grew up on Jutrand as an orphan, then a thief, and finally a murderer. None of it was for pleasure or gain, just survival. Killed enough helpless people of importance that I was arrested, and apparently I had some smattering of potential with the Force so they gave me a choice. Be executed or be utilized. Suppose they figured I'd die here, and if not, then I might become useful to them."

She glanced around the arena and gestured openly towards it all. "Just survival." she repeated as she made the reason she was here clear; it wasn't choice, it was a lack of it. Her grey eyes settled back on Eira. "Someone like you? You must be here because you want to be, right?" she asked curiously. "The presence of someone like me must offend you greatly if that's the case."


Tags - Eira Dyn

 

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Vibro-daggers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol
Outfit: Fighting Attire
Tag: Valaine Valentine

"Interesting you came all the way to Korriban for training." There was an academy on Jutrand, it was the academy that Eira started with. It was the one that helped ignite the fires in her Sith training. But it was not surprising that others found their way to Korriban, the home world for the Sith as a species and the ideology. At least as far as Eira knew the tales to be. The assassin listened and chuckled, shaking her head, the assumptions made about Eira were big and false. There was nothing conventional about Eira and she did not find offence in who was present at this academy and who was not. To Eira, only the strong become Sith and through pain, suffering and endurance one could find the power to become strong.

Pacing slowly, like a predator studying its prey, Eira's red, calculating eyes studied the other acolyte. "Why do you assume it is my wish to be here? To judge others and their reasoning for being here?" Like a bird of prey, Eira tilted her head slightly and a smirk played on her lips. "Nothing you have said makes me view you as unworthy. The past is meaningless, it does not hold meaning unless you give it meaning." Eira stated firmly, it was a belief she had instilled into herself from the moment she left her home. If she had allowed her family, her background, to hold her back then she would never have stepped foot on Korriban or Jutrand months ago.

"I chose to be a Sith, but the reasons are my own. As are yours, you did choose to be here. Just you had fewer options than I did." Eira mentioned, if someone truly hated where they were then death was always an option out. "There is more reason than mere survival for you being here. Even if you don't even realise it yet. There is more of a reason to be here."

Taking the daggers, she placed them down, next to her real ones. "If you want, I am going to grab some food, so you can join me." Eira stated, her cool tone as she sheathed her daggers into their slots. "Though you lost this fight, there is going to be a time where you are much more threatening with that blade. Just need to train some more. So, I will like to keep in touch so I can see that progression."

 

[Valaine Valentine]

"I think sending me here was something to do with the families of the people I killed on Jutrand." Valaine lightly gave a shrug in response. "And, well, it's the safe assumption is all." she answered.

A light smirk appeared on her lips at the mention of having a choice, but to her death simply wasn't an option that could be picked, for her there was only survival. She maintained her generally tired and disinterested stare as Eira seemed to study her, and as she watched her put her daggers away she likewise sheathed her training saber.

She hummed gently at the thought of food. Though Valaine's diet was rather unique to her kind, she could still eat and enjoy regular food too. She closed her eyes and offered a nod. "Sure, I can come along if you want. I'm sorry for mistaking you for another arrogant prideful sort, there's a lot of them around here..."

With that she'd choose to follow Eira in her typical lazy trudging strides. "How long have you been here?" she asked curiously. She was assuming quite a while.


Tags - Eira Dyn

 

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Vibro-daggers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol
Outfit: Fighting Attire
Tag: Valaine Valentine

Strange but Eira made no comment, she did not care too much and it was not something that would provide more insight into the other acolyte. This was a woman who interested Eira now, not the mysteries of her arrival to Korriban. Instead, Eira focused on the studying of the body. Nothing suggested the level of strength that Valaine held, nor did her frame suggest the speed that she used in the fight. Eira knew it was not the Force, or at least made the educated guess it was not since nothing that Valaine did in the fight suggested much Force capabilities. So, that left it was a racial ability but there were then far too many options for Eira to make an accurate call on that one.

"It is fine. There might be plenty here, but they are the ones who will die before they complete enough training to become Knight, yet alone Lord." Eira stated with disdain, she did not approve of gatekeeping mentality others held in training. She was more in the camp of brutal, intense and life threatening training was the only way a Sith could learn and grow. "Take joy in the fact that they are the ones who hold the interest of no one, not even myself. But you can and you will."

When asked about her own training, "months... maybe a year? I haven't kept track. I have succeed in several missions. I have fought in two invasions, both against Jedi. I am in possession of a Lightsaber crystal taken from a Jedi." That was a prized possession of Eira's, it was a sign of her efforts providing fortune in her combat skills and the importance of working with trusted allies. Eira only won the fight because she had help during that fight.

"So, tell me, what race are you? I was curious since your strength, speed... They were enhanced by the Force and they did not represent your figure. No lies about being wiry strong. It is beyond natural levels of strength for humans." Eira stated, calling out any attempts to hide the truth behind other lies. They were just lies that Eira would use if she was trying to hide her identity so she was prepared for them.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Valaine offered a tired light smirk in response to taking the interest of others, "I like your optimism. But whether people take note of me or not... Well, childhood taught me it's better to go unnoticed if possible." she replied as she idly brushed a hand through her dark hair, watching Eira with her typical tired stare.

"Almost a year, and with combat experience? It's no wonder you were so good, must be ready for a promotion at this point huh? I've been here for..." she glanced down to her fingers, counting days briefly. "About three weeks? I'm about as fresh as it gets." she replied before tilting her head curiously. "I've been meaning to get a lightsaber of my own... I suppose I'll have to do as you've done to get one, at least eventually..."

At the question of her race she hummed softly as she held her hands behind her back, glancing aside in thought. "Well, I am human." she began before her grey eyes shifted back to Eira. "But you're right in thinking I'm not normal. I won't get too much into it, but a couple years ago I was attacked by a woman. I don't know what she did to me, but when I woke up, I was different. Faster, stronger, a couple other neat traits, and these." she paused to open her mouth and gestured to her relatively short fangs before closing it once more. "It's the most honest answer I can give you; don't really know what I am anymore."

And it was true, she had answered honestly, but naturally she did miss out the part about actually needing to put those fangs to use and drink blood; Valaine had found that was typically a thing that caused concern in others.


Tags - Eira Dyn

 

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Vibro-daggers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol
Outfit: Fighting Attire
Tag: Valaine Valentine

Shrugging her shoulders, there was nothing that Eira could say that would change what had happened to Valaine in her past. All she could offer was the best ways to survive moving forward, "look, fall under the radar. It was one way to get through here but it will not get you far and you will die. Survival. It means to fight, to kill and to win. That is all Sith care about. Power and strength over anything else." Eira stated plainly, there was no other way to approach becoming a Sith. Even those who were political focused, or powerful more in the Force than brute strength, it was something that they understood and there were ways they displayed power to ensure they survived.

"I dove into combat as soon as I could. Fighting to the death, fighting those who desire your death and surviving, it teaches you far more than a training mat. My skills with the daggers, they don't come from training manuals and lecturers, they come from missions where I killed, where I fought and where I survived. One day, that will be where you want to be. Getting away from here and doing missions to grow. If you want to be someone more than the background, if you wish to thrive here." Eira nudged the other woman, "and thriving here is a lot more interesting than merely accepting the hand that fate dealt you."

Hearing what Valaine went through, there were a few ideas that went through Eira's mind. She had studied a couple races that did what Valaine described and they were curious. "You were human. Whatever the other person did, they changed you, permanently. Into a new being, a new species. A sort of vampirism. Unfortunately, without the biter to tell us what race they were, best way to find out is to undergo testing. Or reading a ton of books."

Guiding Valaine through the hallways to the mess hall, "but I am guessing you are far more aware of the boons you were gifted with as well as the consequences of them as well. Vampirism is always so interesting, due to the variety that exist and how the parasitic ones like you are now, how they operate." Eira mused aloud, it was a time she was grateful to have spent so long reading in Carnifex's personal library.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags: Eira Dyn ​

As they walked Valaine pondered on Eira's words, glancing towards her as she was nudged (which almost caused her to lose the balance of her lazy strides). "Do you have a master or something? I assume that's an easy way to get strong faster... But, like you said, I'd have to get noticed first." she spoke as distaste for the idea crossed her pale visage.

"Hm?" she tilted her head curiously when the implication of a variety of vampiric species was brought up. "There's more than just one kind? That's not going to get confusing at all..." she sighed as her shoulders slumped. "But, yes, I've boons, and banes, though I'm not usually very keen on talking about them." she glanced around cautiously for a moment, "Never know who might try to take advantage..."

Her face scrunched lightly as the term 'parasitic' was used. It was accurate, but that didn't mean she had to like it, especially when it wasn't her choice to become what she is. Though it did prompt a curious question from her as her tired eyes shifted back to Eira, "You seem to know enough about the kind of thing that I am, generally. Why is that? Did a lot of studying on it? Plan to become one yourself?"

 

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Vibro-daggers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol
Outfit: Fighting Attire
Tag: Valaine Valentine

"Yes, I do." Eira simply stated, not revealing who it was and their importance not for any particular reason other than Valaine hadn't asked for that information. "It can help, it is someone offering more personal attention but the wrong Master can negatively impact as much as positively." Eira added, just because a person had a Master, a mentor, did not mean they would be stronger than someone without one. A dedicated student was the most important element in Eira's mind. "Yes, and you can make the ripples in the water to find the person who will match. Seeking them out as much as they seek you out. It can also help you understand what you need."

Nodding her head as she gave a sympathetic chuckle, "unfortunately there are plenty out there. Varying in how they behave and operate very differently. Some can be discounted immediately since they are a race you must be born into, others are not." Eira stated as she recalled the differing ways vampiric species worked. Anzati were considered a vampiric race but were drastically different to Sangnir. "Smart, but you will need to get better at disguising your natural skills, they provide too much context that you are no human. The reflexes can be put down to the Force, once you are more skilled, but the strength and speed? Caution is needed since you will have those heightened even without the Force, whereas I would not."

Pondering on how to explain her interest best as well as give context to her mind without revealing too much on herself, it was a tricky path to navigate. "I am content with who I am, for now. This body serves purposes well enough that I am not falling behind on anything." Eira stated as she held her hand and looked over it, as if inspecting it to ensure it was still useful to her. "I also do not find the limitations of a vampiric race appealing to myself. However, learning on them, learning about the weaknesses and strengths of all the races in the galaxy. It gives me advantages in combat. Allows me to be trickier, to create opportunities so that I can succeed where others fail."

Looking over to Valaine, "it is why I study the Lightsaber forms and know them but do not use them. They are too conventional and a Jedi is better able to predict the next move when they learn the fighting style you use." Eira stated.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Eira Dyn

Valaine took a seat at one of the tables of the mess hall, leaning forward in her seat as her elbows rested against the table and hands held up her chin. Her tired gaze briefly drifted aside in idle thought as she listened to Eira before settling back upon her. "Ah... It sounds like finding a good Master is more luck than anything, in that case." she hummed softly as she shifted in her seat, letting one hand fall and rest against the table as her fingers started to drum upon it in a rhythm.

"But disguising my inherent strength because of what I am, doesn't that run a little counter to what you said earlier about being aggressive and not holding back?" she asked curiously as she smirked. "But it's not so bad once you get used to it I guess. The downsides aren't great, sure, and the pain of hunger is the worst agony I've ever felt, when it gets bad at least. But it gave me strength I never had."

She turned her attention to Eira as a whole, briefly studying her as she came to something of a conclusion. "You're a very... unorthodox sort, aren't you? Not wanting to use a saber and the forms, not wanting to fall into what you consider the standard... I can't imagine that the more traditional folk like that about you. You ever get bothered because of your choices around here? Your Master must be a very eccentric person to take you as an apprentice, I think. Someone willing to part from traditions and such."

 

[Eira Dyn]

Location: Korriban
Equipment: Vibro-daggers, vibro-sword, blaster pistol
Outfit: Fighting Attire
Tag: Valaine Valentine

"I am sure the same is thought by the Masters when searching for a good student." Eira pointed out, it was not something the young assassin saw as one sided. While things were easier for the Sith Knights and Sith Lords in finding a student that would not just compliment them but work well with their training styles to bring out the best. They needed to learn how best to assess and sort through the differing levels of a student.

Eira chuckled and shook her head, "I wouldn't try to hide the fact that I am not human nor that I have superior strength and reflexes. You, however, stated that you did want to hide that fact, so merely offering a suggestion that benefited you more. If I had your abilities, I wouldn't hide them, hiding them will only last so long before the secret escapes, better to figure out the limitations of the abilities through pushing them to their limits. Know the limits and you can then focus on countering those limitations." Eira explained. Many saw her as feral, loose cannon, reckless. But she was designing a personality that pushed things to the limit.

See how far she could go before being snapped back into place. Currently there were less than a handful of people that Eira considered able to snap Eira back into place. Many held a bravado that was easily rattled.

"Yes. Yes I am, but tell me. Orthodox. How helpful has that been for the Sith? We are several millennia deep in this war against the Jedi, the current climate of the galaxy... Doesn't reflect well on our skills as an Order, does it?" Eira asked, she sighed sadly, clearly disappointed with how poorly things had gone for the Sith from her point of view. A decline of stagnation it seemed from she could see. There was no bite to fight the Jedi currently. No drive to finally end the ancient enemies while they were poised to lose everything.

"I push for a future that detests conformity and traditions. If others do not like it, then so be, strike me down. If their traditions and willingness to obey such rules beats my determination, my drive to push forward, then clearly they were correct. However, the more powerful I become, the more enemies I strike down within this Order and outside it. The more I can sway people to my side. To being power personified." Eira stated with a grin on her lips, a determined glint in her eyes. Entering the mess hall, she headed straight for the food.

 

[Valaine Valentine]

Tags - Eira Dyn

"Yes. Yes I am, but tell me. Orthodox. How helpful has that been for the Sith? We are several millennia deep in this war against the Jedi, the current climate of the galaxy... Doesn't reflect well on our skills as an Order, does it?"

"Hm... Honestly I'd say it reflects just as poorly on the Jedi too, they're a part of the stalemate just as much as the Sith are." she answered, and surely speaking such blasphemy within the oldest academy of the order would get her into trouble at some point... But not for now it seemed. "Mm, that being said, if you wanted to see so much change, wouldn't it be easier to start some new kind of order rather than change one from within? Like you said, the order's been trapped in tradition for millennia, that sounds like the type of thing that can't be changed no matter what."

She leaned back in her chair as she watched Eira go and find herself some food, and it didn't seem like Valaine was particularly hungry for any herself, at least not that type of food...

"You'll have a lot of people to kill, probably. And that's not even counting that eventually they might catch on and just exile you... But I can respect the drive, the dedication." she yawned lightly, despite how she looked Valaine was someone that could also have such drives, but rarely did they ever manifest in her appearance.

"But in any case I'd wish you good luck on it. Not like I'm really out here chanting the doctrine or singing the praises of the Order myself..." she muttered softly as she leaned back in her seat with a soft sigh.