Private Just About Enough

[Darth Nwul]

The Sith Academy, Dromund Kaas.

There were few places in the galaxy as dichotimous as this place. Simultaneously glorious and horrible. The rain endlessly falling on the heads of the students training in the open courtyards. Their grim eyes, faces burning with emotion, the dark side swirling in the air. So many of them would die to internal strife and competition even as the teachers openly discouraged such behavior. In the end, there were still those who believed strongly in weeding out the weak. Wasteful. A good half of those so-called weaklings just had talents in areas the teachers cared little for.

The other half?

Nwul's wide smile didn't so much as budge as the thought crossed his mind. His hands crossed behind his back as he walked down the halls of the academy. One of the overseers hurrying alongside him while his daughters walked behind him. Both of them moving in slow reverence, their eyes fixed forward without so much as acknowledging the increasingly frustrated sith instructor. The man couldn't ignore Nwul's presence either, a Sith Knight that had just days before come to visit the Dark Lord himself and had left alive. Nwul didn't bother confirming or denying any suspicions the man had. Let him think what he wanted.

"My Lord, perhaps one of the swordmaster's pupils? Or a-"

Nwul held up a hand to cut him off.

"I heard a rumor you had a talented healer here," Nwul said with a tilt of his head, "I'm hoping there's some truth to it."

The man frowned, "That... girl? I suppose... but there are far better students than-"

Nwul barked out a laugh and glanced at him, "Since when is it your business who I pick as my student? Don't worry about it man! I'll be fine, hahaha!" He chortled, slapping the man on the back. "So shut up and take me to her..."

There was a hint of warning behind the order. One that was not ignored. The man didn't waste time. Soon they were just outside a small laboratory off in the darker and less used portion of the academy. Unkempt. Unclean. Unloved. Nwul sniffed, was this how they treated a unique talent? So much for being open minded. He sighed and waved the man away, "I'll find you if I need you," He said and pushed through the door, his daughters quickly moving to block it and prevent the man from following.

"Now... where's this healer?" He murmured as he stepped into the lab.

Vestara VII

 

[Vestara VII]

Location: Healer’s Laboratory, Dromund Kaas Sith Academy, New Kaas City - Dromund Kaas
Time: Middle Afternoon
Weather: Heavy Rain
Dialogue Legend: “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tag: Darth Nwul

While the area outside of the laboratory was a mess of crates, dusty cobwebs, and various other pieces of accumulated waste, Nwul might notice that the inside of the lab had been kept quite clean. As the doors slid open to allow him entry into the room, the Knight would find the healer he sought sitting at a pristine white lab table which had various test tubes, flasks, beakers, syringes, and other pieces of laboratory equipment situated on top, many of which were filled with a bluish fluid. The individual sitting at the table—a short-statured Hapan—was dressed in white lab attire, with goggles over her eyes and a cover protecting her hair.

So engrossed was the healer in her work, that she didn’t notice the arrival of Nwul, at first.

Nevertheless, the sheer weight of presence that a Sith Knight commanded in the Force was impossible for her to miss for long. After a few moments, Vestara registered a sudden, visceral shift in the currents of the dark side, at which point she swiveled around to find herself facing a dark-haired Sith of undoubtedly attractive aspect, his features a mix of defined, masculine elegance and boyish character. After turning around to shut off the burners, Vestara stood up from her seat, pulled off her goggles, then offered the Sith a shallow, yet respectful bow.

“I am Acolyte Vestara. Did you require my presence, my Lord?” Vestara spoke in a soft, girlish tone as she rose from her bow and back up to her full height, which was by no means impressive. All the while, her gaze briefly flickered to the two women accompanying the Knight, both possessing alabaster skin and almost identical features. They too, carried more weight in the Force than Vestara herself, but the Hapan had immediately sensed that Nwul was their leader.

 

[Darth Nwul]

Nwul's eyes sparkled as he took in the laboratory. This was someone who cared about their craft. He tilted his head and watched quietly as the young woman worked on her project. His hands crossed behind his back as his daughters slid the door shut behind him. He stood in the room not far away until she finally acknowledged him. He stood still, a wide and pleasant smile on his face. He could sense the way her mind tried to get a read on him and his connection with the two that accompanied him.

She was pretty, physical appeal was useful for a sith, it broke down many boundaries. Female Twilek were uncommonly good at getting their way, it wasn't a matter of racism, just a disappointing fact concerning the nature of most men in the galaxy. He turned his gaze from her and to her project, he could smell the chemicals in the air but couldn't quite identify them from that alone. Her notes were too far away to peer at either. Not that he wanted to learn about it that way.

The Sith Knight grinned at her, "Whatcha workin on?" He asked childishly, drawing a pulse of exasperation from his daughters. He ignored it and walked past the young Acolyte to finally peek more closely at what she was doing. He started to examine her equipment. Meticulously cared for. She wore goggles he'd noticed earlier and protective gear. Her notes were kept clean and in a way that was easily legible to her. Precise, deliberate, cautious, scientific, a proper academic. On top of it all he felt her presence in the force and drank it in.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" He asked, glancing her way.

Darth Nwul

 

[Vestara VII]

Location: Healer’s Laboratory, Dromund Kaas Sith Academy, New Kaas City - Dromund Kaas
Time: Middle Afternoon
Weather: Heavy Rain
Dialogue Legend: “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tag: Darth Nwul

His questions came as a surprise. Not once had any of Vestara’s superiors shown even a modicum of interest in her work, so to see such fascination from a Knight who she was entirely unfamiliar with was in fact, quite shocking. So much so that the Hapan found herself at a loss of words for a short moment, during which the Knight came closer, glancing at her work. In doing so, Nwul would be able to read the notes on her datapad, which contained various charts, tables, and measurements. With deeper inspection, he might be able to figure out what the healer was working on on his own.

“A…painkiller drug, my Lord.” Vestara finally spoke. “But it’s not a conventional pharmaceutical painkiller that you might see in a hospital.” She continued. “It’s only intended to be given to select patients, as a tool for interrogation and control. My goal is to tighten the formula to such a degree that it creates severe dependency and addiction with only a single dose.” The healer paused.

“I hope to run a live study at some point, but I’d like to have more than just tattoo-rats for it.” With that, she gestured to the three cages on the left side of the laboratory, each with a pair of tattoo-rats scurrying around inside. However, the exact resources that she truly needed for her study were left unspoken, but perhaps, could be inferred.

Live sentient test subjects.

 

[Darth Nwul]

Nwul was flipping through the document now as she spoke. There was a difference between words and reality. If her words matched the reality, that was someone he was interested in. He canted his head to the right as his fingers danced over the notes, the various chemical formulae. Measurements, charts, tables, he could see what she was going for here. He glanced over his shoulder at her but said nothing as she spoke. It was alchemy, sith alchemy, but she wasn't using the force for some reason. Why? He parsed through the thoughts and methodology for a moment.

Ah, mass production. Alchemical products couldn't be mass produced, but if she used alchemical procedures along with modern science, then perhaps she could tease the edge. It was a delicate balance, difficult, dangerous and... "Inspired." He breathed.

"Your idea is inspired, brilliant even, what a fun thought! A bit cruel for my tastes but it certainly serves a useful purpose," Nwul chuckled and turned to face her, "You want sentient test subjects, that's what you want from me. I've barely told you why I'm here," He winked at her, "You wouldn't have brought it up if you didn't think I could make it happen for you."

He let out a breath through his nostrils, "This is excellent work, well reasoned and developed," He held up a finger, "But I'm not here to invest in a science project. I'm here looking for an apprentice," He said easily, looking her up and down. He let the implication hang in the air. Getting a one time thumbs up and investment from him was one thing, but his ongoing support as one of his students. That was another matter entirely.

Vestara VII

 

[Vestara VII]

Location: Healer’s Laboratory, Dromund Kaas Sith Academy, New Kaas City - Dromund Kaas
Time: Middle Afternoon
Weather: Heavy Rain
Dialogue Legend: “Galactic Basic” │ <”ur-Kittât”>
Tag: Darth Nwul

Cruel. Inspired. Brilliant. Vestara blinked, confusion evident across her magenta features. Quite simply, she was unused to hearing such words from a Sith, especially from the likes of an established Knight.

Nevertheless, the Knight had read her like an open book. In only a few moments, he had uncovered many of Vestara’s desires and motivations, though the healer sensed that she might have been a bit too forthcoming with them, to the point that she was worried that she might have come off as overly handout-seeking or worse, helpless and weak.

“Thank you, my Lord.” Vestara said. Then, as Nwul continued, the Hapan’s gaze went wide. Her, as one of his apprentices? He could not have truly meant it. And yet, Vestara sensed (or alternatively, believed that she had sensed) the veracity in his words. And even if he had not meant it or perhaps, sought to exploit her, it was an offer that she was in no position to refuse. She was not a promising sorceress, assassin, warrior, inquisitor or even a particularly skilled alchemist. Her domain was in healing, an area which had traditionally gone underappreciated by the Sith. In that regard, in spite of the potential rarity of her skills, she did not believe herself to be a commodity.

“If you would have me, my Lord, I will accept.” Vestara’s gaze briefly shifted towards the two women accompanying the Knight, their expressions unreadable. “Tell me what I must do to become one of your Apprentices, and I will apply myself to see it complete.” She added, sensing that the Knight would not accept just anyone. He might seek to evaluate her first or perhaps, put her through a trial, before making the arrangement official.

 

[Darth Nwul]

Nwul's expression widened with delight. She was quick on the draw, good. It would be a shame if such a creature was unambitious. He resisted the urge to snort derisively at himself. He was one to talk. He barely had an ounce of ambition in him, he hadn't challenged any of his peers in contests of strength but rather worked to build his own. His eyes gleamed a little as he took her in, she was a bit more open about her feelings than others and her darker emotions weren't as prominent. Was it just because of a more insular personality?

Curious.

"I have a few tasks in mind, yes, though I'll think of a final test for you when the time comes," He said with a quirky smile, turning away with his hands behind his back, "Have your things together by evening and don't forget to bring that amusing little project of yours with you," He laughed and walked away. He paused and then looked back at her. "Oh, right, I am Nwul. And what is your name, my hopeful apprentice?"

Vestara VII