Faction (TSE) Apprentice Try Outs

[Natima Vando]

Location: Drommund Kaas, Kaas City Amphitheater.

It was rather unorthadox, no? Natima wasn't exactly sure what the idea behind this whole process entailed, but it frankly seemed absurd. They were supposed to try out to be Sith Apprentices? But they already were? Though the way it was explained to her made it seem like this was to garner publicity for a Sith Master. As she sat backstage, she spotted several people she recognized, though she decided against saying anything; why strike up conversation with strangers? It was unlikely she would see these people ever again after all. What did concern her though, was trying to decide on what her 'act' was going to be. As nice as shape-shifting was, she didn't want to broadcast it to all of the Empire. Hell, most the time her partners didn't even know about her true species. One of the stage hands approached her, nearly shoving a clipboard infront of her face as he neared. "Listen, I need you to check off one of these boxes. You didn't make a special request ahead of time, so we have to use the surplus equipment, so which talent do you want to show off?" The man asked, tapping the board the entire time. Natima frowned, taking the board and reading over what options she had:

[]Force Display
[]Combat Display
[]Strength Display
[]Art Display
[]Other

Other? What did that entail? Before her mind could wonder, the man snapped at her. "Come on lady, I have alot of other people to talk to, so move it along." Little bossy for a stage hand wasn't he? Who did he think he was. Natima scowled at the man, and crossed off the 'combat display' box. "Here you g-" Before she could even finish her sentence, the board was snatched from her hand, a the man moved on to the next apprentice. Bit touchy wasn't he? Her blood pumped a little more furiously now, as she sat back on her chair, staring at the reflection opposite of her. Everything looked fine at the surface level, but a terrible thought crossed her mind; could a Sith Lord see what was really underneath all this skin? Taking out her small mirror, Natima fixated on just that. While it looked like she was looking at her makeup, she was in fact looking at something far more glaring to the shape-shifter; what would they see when they looked at her?

Spoiler: OOC Notes

This thread is for Sith Apprentices or Lords looking for Apprentices or a reason to just interact. Have fun and enjoy showing off (or failing)!

 

[Maya Bir Sinvala]

Maya stared back at the bathroom mirror as she gripped the edges of the sink. The moments leading up to any performance always had to be the worst. So fraught with nothing and the agony of lying still in it's hideous suspension. These were the moments when the little voices came, whether it be from meddlesome busybodies who all tried to 'help' spouting their tired stupid advice. Worse still were the snakes that worked their way into your mind forcing you to hang onto every poisonous word that piled more weight on you.

Maybe this time you'll do something that is in the same bolo field as Sakadi
Why can't you be more like your sister Sakadi?
Your sister would have gotten that right
She would have gotten a better review
She would have gotten a bigger ovation
She wouldn't disappoint us
unlike you​

They're voices played as she could feel their breath caress the sides of her neck. Each line making Maya's head shake more and more. She needed to get this right, she had to win over the crowd wow the audience and captivate them. To take their suspension of disbelief and fully trap it, crush it into a lying reality. That's right just had to. She looked up and her mind began to play it's tricks as she could have sworn she saw her face overlay Maya's, she could see all the painful ways that she was different. A sneer grew on her face as she reached down and grabbed her cane, wielding it now more like a bat she struck it against the glass and saw it shatter into a million jagged pictures destroying the tyrannical overlay and quieting the voices for one moment.

Maya exhaled and remembered she needed this chance to get herself into the world of a Lord. She needed to harness the power that had been laced in in her by the burning words of her parents. She needed a chance to laugh and let them see their impending comeuppance before she could snuff them out of their wretched existence! She would earn that right. A small chuckle came now that she was finding it easier to think. Her grin now beaming as she remembered the practice she had done for this, the flow and mock rehearsals, and now the words of the chant she burned into her mind.

"Your eyes turn against you
Your vision is now mine to hold
I command what you imprint
My nightmares are now your reality
Abandon hope of finding it again
For the separation of truth and lies is now mine to dictate"​

She finished the spell's words and felt it swirl in the pit of her stomach butterflies all swift crushed and now a small fire began to burn away inside. She was ready to show everyone how wrong they were. She exited the bathroom and made her way back stage waiting in line as other apprentices lined up for this odd display until she was stopped by a rather miserable piece of soap scum holding a board. She cocked her head and gave him a look of spite before ripping the board from his hands and checking off the options:

[X]Force Display
[]Combat Display
[]Strength Display
[X]Art Display
[X]Other

"Hey You're only meant to check one..." The stage spoke before stopping as it seemed like his world blacked out and Maya grew in size hovering above him. He left her alone and took the board backing as Maya walked away. The stage hand muttering something in his head about "damn apprentices" before continuing on. She took her seat back stage and began to mentally prep for the show she was about to conduct. A small brushing of her hair and doing some small vocal warm ups not paying too much attention to anyone around her at the moment.

 

[Darth Insatious]

Walking around Kaas city's rainfall streets along with an Imperial officer. Darth Insatious was one of the more scary and spooky Sith Lords in the Empire as rumours of him feeding on the living force have spread rather far within the Empire. Not to mention, his mask looks very much like a skull upon the faceless blacken hood. The officer that is following Darth Insatious still gets goosebumps and a chilling feeling, every time he goes on missions with his Lord.

While Darth Insatious' soldiers never dared to speak up against their Master, they did talk among themselves that could be trusted not to tell on the rest. The Sith Lord has a reputation for feeding upon anyone who gets out of line as everything exist to satisfy Darth Insatious' craving hunger that will never be met.

Upon arriving at the Amphitheater, no one question the Lord of Hunger or dared as they took a big step to the sides, not feeling like getting on the Sith Lord's bad side.

An eerie and almost dead aura started to creep its way into the Amphitheater. The air felt cold like the winter as the Lord of Hunger himself entered the theatre. Looking at the place, the silent Darth ended up standing in the back not saying a word, watching and waiting. The officer had a holopad ready to write down the apprentices' details and how strong their connection to the force was. The masked Sith Lord crossed his arms waiting for the show to begin. In truth, he was only here, because he needed the apprentice for his experiments and alchemy.

 

[Rexus]

" You go speak to...it! " A horrified stagehand said to another as the two stood a generous distance from an incredibly tall, armored humanoid. They took another glance at the red skinned giant before they bickered again. " I've been here longer than you...so go and do it already. " The other stagehand mouthed something extremely rude to their coworker before reluctantly doing so. The meek stagehand only grew more timid the closer they got and upon reaching the red skinned giant, they trembled. While only an apprentice, and not particularly high in any sort of pecking order at that, the pure-blood was incredibly big. 7 feet at the very least. He loomed over most people and if his physique was anything to go off of, he could probably break them as well. Furthermore, some sort of respirator was attached to the pure-bloods face, making his every breath somewhat unnerving in both sound and appearance. Crudely made armor adorned ragged looking clothing that ultimately made the pure-blood appear more barbarian than Sith. More savage than civilized.


" I need you to check off - " The Stagehand stopped as he noticed the Pure-bloods golden eyes. They stared directly at him and it brought him to silence. Something in that gaze terrified the stagehand and it made him freeze for a moment. The two stood there for a time, staring at one another with only the mechanical rasping of the pure-blood breaking the silence. "I...C-Check ple- " Was that dried blood on his clothing? Having had enough, The stagehand began to withdraw only to stop as one of the pure-bloods massive hands moved toward him. The stagehand wondered if this was the end. Just as it appeared as if the pure-blood would reach out and crush his head, he instead took the clipboard and looked at it. The stagehand watched at the pure-blood simply switched between glaring at the board then at the stagehand himself. Just as the stagehand wondered if the pure-blood could even read or not, the pure-blood checked a square off on the board.

[]Force Display
[X]Combat Display
[]Strength Display
[]Art Display
[]Other

​

Rexus had decided to check off combat display as it was the only option he could adequately demonstrate. His ability with the force wasn't something to scoff at considering it helped sustain him after his injuries. Rather, he wasn't educated in its use aside from some training with a temporary mentor on Korriban. That training had given him confidence but he still had far to go. A test of strength was irrelevant in his eyes as his size said enough. He could and had broken people with just his hands. Art was a waste of time. Rexus thrust the clipboard into the chest of the stagehand and nearly knocked them over. Rexus then took a moment to readjust his hood and cross his arms before refocusing his attention inward. He fed off of his hate and pain, utilizing it to suppress but never truly subdue the pain of his injuries. Hopefully, if he made a good impression today, he could begin the journey toward mastering that pain.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

In box five of the theater, the Lady of Secrets observed the display of the acolytes below. She had no idea what Overseer at the academy had come up with this test, but it was odd. It reminded her, almost, of the talent shows from her school years on Lorrd and that was just a weird idea to attach to Sith trials. They were usually vicious, designed to wean out the weak even before they were presented before Lords and Ladies for potential choosing as apprentices. It wasn't uncommon for some acolytes to perish, whether from the trial or quietly at the hands of their rivals. This...

She was interested in seeing what the current crop of acolytes were like and if she did see someone that she saw potential in, perhaps she would be willing to take them on as a student. It had been a little awhile...

The back of the theater turned cold, and she had to resist rolling her eyes at the display from the newer Sith Lord standing in the back. With an effort, she turned her attention back to the stage to watch the magic display from one girl and the more physical showcase from a Sith Pureblood. Interesting, she would keep an eye on both for different reasons.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

To say this was the most out-of-the-box apprentice trial Avacyn had ever seen would have been quite the understatement. She herself wasn't the most orthodox of masters either, but this was a whole different kind of strange. Still, the theater was as close to next door from her home as she could've asked for and so the woman decided that it was worth at least taking a look at the various acolytes who would be showing their talents here today. If anything, it would be a nice way to pass time.

Despite her proximity to the theater Avacyn still came in later than some of the other lords and ladies, though it wasn't without reason. Taking care of four children often meant delays at the last minute, but luckily it wasn't anything serious this time. After making her way up a set of stairs and entering box five, she was greeted by the sight of a familiar face. It wasn't entirely surprising to see Taeli Raaf being here as well, but it was good to see her again nonetheless. The last time they saw each other was quite the adventure, so this was quite the change of pace.

"Good to see you, Taeli," Kaalia said in greeting as she took her own seat, "how's the family doing?" The Pavanos and Raaf families interacted quite a lot, so it was often Kaalia's first question. Her attention then turned to the two acolytes Taeli was watching, keeping her ears open to listen to Taeli. She wasn't sure she was looking to bring in another apprentice, but nothing was off the table.

 

[Onrai]

Vanessa sat comfortably at the rearmost seat in the theater. She was always looking for more apprentices to fill the mistaken void that Ayra had previously left during her many instances of betrayal, both of Vanessa herself and of the Empire in general. She would sit comfortably and wait to watch the apprentices as they did their stuff, carefully considering whether or not any would be of value.

At the very least, she was comfy.

 

[Inanna Harth]

After staggering into the auditorium, Inanna wondered if she had made a wrong turn somewhere along the way. These were the Sith apprentice tryouts, right? She felt like she had accidentally stumbled upon a high school talent show. Or maybe she was just really, really drunk.

As she made her way down the aisle, she thought she spotted some high-ranking Sith types observing the performances. So it was legit? But who came up with this idea? Ah, she didn't really care enough. She was here to get in, not ask questions. Well, that wasn't necessarily true...

Inanna made her way toward the edge of the stage, managing to control her inebriated gait enough to where she didn't look like she was about to fall over. A stagehand saw her, assumed that she was there to try out (which she was, although she noticeably lacked enthusiasm) and immediately thrust a clipboard into her hands. Her eyes scanned the options. Art Display? You could train for that as a Sith? She craned her neck, looking back at the Completely Legit Supreme Sith Overlords in the audience, raised an eyebrow, then shrugged. Of course you could. If her brief time in the propaganda division had taught her anything, it was that the Sith felt a need to at least seem cultured, sophisticated, and refined for the sake of appearances, even if the illusion itself beggared belief. In short, there certainly was a place for artists in the Sith Empire, even if it was only an ornamental position.

She was sorely tempted to check it off for herself, just for chits and giggles, but reason won out over her intoxicated giddiness. With the pen she marked Force Display; immediately after, the clipboard was yanked out of her hands and passed on to the next person.

Now Inanna had a chance to look at the other apprentices in line. A giant Sith pureblood that looked like he ate people for breakfast; a pale elfin girl that was definitely doing an Art Display, bet your bottom credit; another gal checking her appearance in a small hand mirror... oh, that reminds me. With a flick of her wrist, Inanna drew her compact mirror out of her body, holding it in the palm of her hand as she squinted at her reflection. Her clothes were rumpled, her eyes were clouded, and her hair was a mess, but at least she had no cuts, scrapes, or bruises to worry about. She subtly smoothed out the wrinkles in her appearance. On the other hand, the inside of her mouth tasted like she had been licking the floor of a nightclub. Had she puked at some point?... Oh well, at least no one would be able to smell her bad breath from the stage. Unless they had an enhanced sense of smell...

Natima Vando Maya Bir Sinvala Darth Insatious Rexus Taeli Raaf Kaalia Pavanos Onrai + Open

 

[Leliana]

After year spent in the Academy, as part of Quinn Varanin 's group, and having been a particular interest to the Eshan Princess, you'd think Leliana would've been use to being randomly dragged out somewhere. It was an often sight to have the Echani either knocking at her door, or being in her room itself. But this time Quinn had requested Leliana join her in travelling to the Kaas City Amphitheater. She had heard about the Apprentice Tryouts that the Overseers had planned, and while she'd give them credit for trying something different, Leliana knew she was going to be bored to death. Both of them already had Masters, and thus would only be there to spectate.

Quinn however provided a pretty convincing argument, she was awfully good at that when it came to the Assassin. With the time they had spent together, the Echani knew full well she wasn't going to refuse for very long. Leliana adored her too much to deny her request.

They were also going there to support a couple of their own group, who'd be performing during the Tryouts. She knew Natima Vando was one of them, and the thought of the redhead brought a small smile to Leliana's face.

She also grabbed a couple books before departing with Quinn. If she was going to be dragged to somewhere, she was going to bring a backup plan if the event turned out to be a bore.

Once there, Leliana began to scan around for their friends, Marcis Sorr and Sylvia Virtos . She knew Natima was likely backstage already, but the other two were nowhere to be seen. She assumed given the latter also had a Master, she'd be joining them in the audience while Arrik would be performing.

"I wonder where Arrik and Sylvia are?" She commented idly, as Quinn finally found the best place for them to sit. Leliana plopped down into the seat next to the Echani.

 

[Sylvia Virtos]

You were supposed to support your friends. Even though Sylvia found it a little strange to call the group of students she'd been sucked into friends, the fact that she'd gotten to know them quite well and interacted with them often couldn't be denied. And so, when these tryouts were announced and Natima decided to be a part of it, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the pack would also be showing up. As always Quinn was the driving force behind it, but this time Sylvia really didn't mind following along. After letting Allyson know where she was going, she found herself on Dromund Kaas.

The first thing the magenta-haired girl did after walking into the amphitheater was look around for familiar faces. Quickly her eyes swept across Quinn and Leliana and without delay she'd make her way down a few rows, but still one row above them. She kept on walking until she was within earshot without having to shout, then called out to the two.

"Sup! How's it hanging?"

An upbeat voice greeted both Leliana and Quinn before Sylvia hopped the seat next to the raven-haired one's and plopping down onto it. She flashed them a grin. "I didn't miss Natima's performance, right?" Keeping track of time had never been her strong suit, to say the least. "At least I wouldn't be the only one." Arrik hadn't arrived yet either, so she wouldn't be able to be singled out about it.

Leliana Marcis Sorr Quinn Varanin Natima Vando ​

 

[Ardana Vorco]

Benûwia Antares / Darth Xanesh / Ireria Antares
Sith sorcerer, alchemist, historian, Archon of the Primyn Group, Owner of UAAK and GBATS​

Location: Amphitheater, Kaas City, Drommund Kaas
Equipment: Tactical Turtleneck | Viper Mk. I Skinsuit undersuit | Red blade lightsaber (Benûwia) | Red blade lightsaber (Ireria) | Multispectrum disguise suite | Shield talisman | Current look: link
Tag(s): Open

Xanesh was just on Dromund Kaas anyway when she heard that one of her old favourite activities was taking place in the amphitheatre. She has always loved such events where a disciple could be chosen. When not just an Overseer recommended them to her attention. It was an event that both Ireria and Benûwia loved long ago. Both women found several disciples in this way at the time. It is another matter that they had to kill most of them because the disciples wanted to become knights by killing them.

But those were the good old days, now things were different. She hoped, however, that this event would preserve old traditions. In recent days, weeks after Hush, she has chosen a new look for herself. There were benefits to having someone in shape-shifting body. She felt this much closer to herself now than the human female figure. Upon arrival, she saw that there were several people here, in fact, quite a few.

She greeted Onrai with a nod, luckily Xanesh already knew her. The other person she recognized was none other than Taeli Raaf , the Lady of Secrets, greeting her with a nod as well. Everyone else was unknown to her. There was nothing surprising about this, as the Empire was large and many Sith lived here. This place could also have been good for finding allies, though now it was primarily looking for a second disciple. Someone who can be appropriate and worthy, who may even be open to old traditions. Or just special.

After all, Xanesh was a traditionalist. For her, the old, first Sith Empire still meant a lot to this day, despite the fact that she now worked for a very progressive young man, mostly for the Primyn Group. And of course she already had two subsidiaries there, so she was already starting to build her own relationships at this age. And this required such events as well.

For now, she started looking around to see if she could find anything interesting here.

​

 

[Marcis Sorr]

Tryouts in a theatre - how novel, he wondered which of the Overseers had come up with that. Certainly not Priher, the aged swordmaster had never been one for trials that did not feature at least some level of bloodshed. Rarely the fun kind, though, just hacking and slashing.

It was nice to be able to be inventive for once.

Humming a disharmonic tune under his breath, the Changeling strolled through one of the back doors and raised a hand in greetings towards the only beings he might consider "friends". Given their presence and the presence of most of his similarily masterless peers backstage, it seemed plausible that one was meant to show up more than a few minutes before the show started.

Oh well.

Ambling towards a stressed-looking stagehand, Arrik snatched the clipboard from his hands, briefly examined the options, and then crossed off the appropriate one. Force Display? He could work with that. Humming all the while, he turned to leave only to pause as the stagehand raised his voice.

"I said what do you need? We only have a few minutes to get it, damn it."

Scrunching his face in annoyance, the ashen-haired Acolyte waved his hand in bored dismissal. "Just pair me with one of the Combat Display people. I can use them as a test dummy and they can try to stop me." Seemingly done with the conversation, he strolled over to Natima Vando , flashing her a lazy smile even as he pulled out a dagger and a napkin by which to clean it, despite it being spotless.

"We were supposed to arrive early, huh? Figures. What are you wanting to get out of this?"

Natima Vando | Leliana | Sylvia Virtos | Quinn Varanin​

 

[Serixibis]

\\.Drommund Kaas, Kaas City Amphitheater.
\\. Rexus

Disgusting pageantry.​

Everything about this event set Serixibis on edge. She was in an unfamiliar city on an alien world, surrounded by unfamiliar races...and that humidity. It was not the familiar heat of Korriban. In truth, this whole planet bothered her.

Add to that the prospect of being made to perform for a pack of would-be masters who are more concerned with their own comfort than any higher ideal and you have one very disturbed Acolyte. And that mood showed in her posture and speech when she made it to the stage. Her conversation was short and snappy, grabbing the offered checklist from the stammering stagehand and ticking off a single box.

[X]Combat Display​

The slim Acolyte thrusts the checklist back to the lackey and points a gloved finger at the towering Pureblood also waiting for his chance to prove himself, her oily amber eyes narrowed toward the familiar figure.

"Him."​

 

[Natima Vando]

Backstage was getting crowded, and Natima was now looking forward to getting on with her display. Her thoughts went to the combat maneuvers she had mapped out in her head. It was a blade dance, one that required upmost focus and concentration. She had developed it herself, during her time as a duelist, before she got swept into the whole assassin track of her career. It was a maneuver only her people preform, or perhaps one with the skin morphing properties of a Shi'ido; either way, it was supposed to be impressive, okay? Feeling she had gotten a grip on what she would be doing, she was snapped from her thoughts by Marcis Sorr speaking to her. He seemed to be showing off his blade, but for some reason he had taken an interest in her. What was she getting out of this? Well, publicity really. She was a no one in the Sith ranks, no noble blood, no famous ancestors to point to for cred. She was her own hype train, as the saying went. "Well, unlike some people, I have zero attention being thrown my way." Well actually, Lil paid her attention, but Lil wasn't here nor could she be Lil's apprentice, so that didn't really count. Natima could think how much better she would have felt if the woman was here to watch her; after all, getting to show off in front of Lil would be just a little extra. "So I figured, 'hey, I don't want to be a nobody forever, why not strut my stuff?' You know? What about you? You're looking a little bored for something so important." He was probably a noble like the rest of them, but she felt something in his aura that was just...off. Oh, it was dark all right, but there was something else to it, like....looking at an illusionary effect and not seeing where it started or ended. Now he had her mind going. "What's your name by the why? Don't think we've met. I'm Natima." Introductions never hurt, not to mention she wanted to know what was up with this guy.

Before their talk could get any more interesting, a voice called the Shi'ido's name, and Natima felt a sensation akin to stage fright take over. "Sounds like I'm up, wish me luck." Getting up, she stopped by the sword display and took four of them, two were held in her hands, the other two were absorbed into her skin, set alongside for her new pair of arms to take hold. Moving to the side of the stage, Natima found several combat droids set on the opposing side of her, a short stage manager look to his list, not really paying her much attention as he spoke. "So, how many droids do you want to come at you? We can send between one and four. Only one rule, don't be a nerf-herder about it. Takes time to replace them, so don't get upset about the limit." "I'll do four." "Four? Alright, but we aren't taking the fall if something goes wrong." Taking a comlink he would give the order. "Set four, get another dozen on stand by. Got a feeling this is gonna be a long night." Natima ignored the man, Natima moved forward towards the center of the stage, finding a pair of lights shining down into her face, and a seemingly infinite crowd awaiting her display. She heard another voice speak over the sound system, and she felt the compulsion to melt into the floor then and there and just slosh away. But she wouldn't, she needed this to work if she was going to make a career.

'First up, Natima Vando. She will be preforming a Combat Display. We are sending out Four Magna-Guard series droids as she advised. Contestant, you may begin.'

Almost as if on cue, the droids rose from the stage, surrounding her on all sides, as they flickered to life within the span of a second. Electro-pikes in hand, they began to circle around the Sith, already forming an attack pattern; thankfully so had she. Taking the two blades, Natima crouched low, one blade to her front, the other to her back. She focused on creating her second pair of arms, as movement would begin to occur along her sides, as the new limbs warped around the blades and took hold. When the first guard struck, she leapt up and over, twirling her body around the pike of the second guard, and launching her blade into the neck of her attacker as she sailed overhead. She twisted the blade, severing several wires and frame in the process, and detonating the droid as it's systems malfunctioned. She turned to the remaining three, and found two of the droids moving to flank her. Perfect. A second pair of swords cut through the fabric of her clothes, as she now held four short blades, each one covering another side of her body. She reached with the force now, enhancing her senses for the difficult task of using four weapons at once, knowing her coordination would have to be flawless. She moved forward towards the droids, taking the advantage as their droid minds were still adapting to the new variable, the advantage was hers now. The two top blades struck high, the lower set of blades went low. Within moments, she had dissected what remained of her challengers, the four weapons puncturing their defenses before they could truly mount them. She tried to hide it, but she could feel the fatigue in her bones building up, and used what reserves she had finishing off the droids before she could no longer mount an offensive.

Covered with droid oil and sweat, Natima looked back to the crowd, trying not to show that the effort had strained her more than she had planned, and gave a small bow. Having done her act, she collected her robe and retreated off stage, huffing as she dropped the swords onto the floor, and removed her second pair of arms. She really should have thought the whole 'four arms' routine out, now she had just ruined a perfectly good shirt.

With Natima done, the stage was open for another contestant, who was going to go next?

Spoiler: Tags

Serixibis Maya Bir Sinvala Leliana Marcis Sorr Rexus Kaalia Pavanos Onrai Sylvia Virtos Quinn Varanin Taeli Raaf Inanna Harth Darth Insatious

 

[Maya Bir Sinvala]

Her mind tried to absorb itself completely within herself letting thoughts and images of the impending future play out. Nervous energy exuding her presence even as she tried to get herself into that performer's mindset. The flick of a switch that allowed one to dump their self and stand up to the role they needed to play. Yet all she could see was competition around that threatened her. Purebloods, one brimming with stress contrasting with her rather brutish barbaric counter part. Who seemed to be nothing more then a savage who hadn't even taken the time to bathe it seemed. There was a white haired woman who seemed off as Maya tried to discern why her mind encountered the uncanny valley before it slammed into her. By the force was she drunk? Her breathe smelled more like paint thinner then anything else. Then there was one small exchange between a lovely red head and what looked to be a man of perplexing mystery. Able to just interact with an ease that always eluded her, the seeming lack of a barrier between thoughts and talking being rubbed in her face. It sent her into a tumble.

Time seemed to stop flowing for her as it obsessed over one simple interaction and the flaws it showed in her. She had no one, and was unable to reach out at times. Sometimes the simplest chances to talk to someone would fade by and taunt her as she played the possibilities of what would happen and what could be. Then suddenly a stage hand started talking to her and her face grown red as she realized she had gotten lost in her head again. It was her turn now and she had to instruct them on what she needed and what to do. She salvaged things as she requested a microphone and let them know two simple commands. One: to keep only one stage light on and to have it only focus on her and two: She gave them a song to start playing on the cue of her tapping her cane into the ground. With that she was making her way to the stage as her stomach begin to unfurl and toil like it was in zero g.

"Up next, Maya Sinvala. She will be performing a... Art Display. Contestant you may begin."

She walked her way on the stage her posture and composure on the outside looked dignified, while already she was cringing from them messing up describing what display she was giving, her red eyes darting back and forth at the audience seeing eyes stare back at her. She was used to this but being able to feel their presence in the force was still something she wasn't used to and with it she felt like her every movement was being judged already.

She froze for a second her cane held neatly by her arm pit as she was now fighting the barrier between what she thought out and putting it into action. This was stupid No one will like it You were a fool to even try this Just give up The chorus of doubt played in her head as she looked at everyone before her. A stiff body and face hiding a crumbling foundation before she could feel something just snap in her. She was gonna to show everyone what a Sith like her could do.

"You maybe wondering what I have entailed for you tonight. Well it is not pure silence for you stare at. Instead..." As she deliberately trailed off as the performer took over her mind. Things were moving forward as she grabbed her cane, twirling it in her hand before swiftly jabbing it in the ground know leaning on it. On cue the speakers of the amphitheater began to bellow out the instrumental of a song

" My Lords! I don't think you quite realize what you have here. So why don't you just ruminate as I illuminate the possibilities ." The entire theater seemed to darken before everyone as soon the only source of light discernible was the lone stage light, before it grew in power on Maya at the mention of illuminate. Maya would lean forward and rest her free hand under her chin.

"Well Emperor Carnifax had them scary hands
Darth Avacyn had her valkyries
But my Darth you in luck 'cause up your sleeves
You now have a brand of Bogan never fails
You got some mischief in your corner now
Some Fresh wickedness in your hands
You got some push, pizzazz, mystique and how
See all you gotta do is sign me up
And I'll say

My infernal darkness, sir?
What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your command
Jot it down
You ain't never had a Sith like me"​

​

From the darkness above massive glowing yellow eyes would appear from the darkness to represent the emperor's hands, before a pair of massive black wings silhouetted in white would erupt from Maya accompanied from several smaller sets which blocked the eyes out to represent Avacyn's valkyries, the fact that Darth Avacyn ( Kaalia Pavanos ) herself was present made the choice of lyrics all the more sweeter. Though Maya wouldn't know that at the moment. Before they suddenly re-furled back into Maya as she reached into one of her sleeves pulling out what seemed like an unusual thick viscous liquid that absorbed light before it sudden exploded outward covering Maya as her form turned into pure blackness and shadows that dissolved into the floor. The stage light frantically searching around the entire theater before suddenly the very corners of the theater itself would have sets of red eyes and Maya's singing of mischief grew into a whisper that still had the volume of a bellowing singing. The eyes suddenly heading down to the floor and back towards the stage as a hand emerged. The black reforming on the hand as Maya returned before the hand withdrew back into the floor. As maya began to sway her hips and do a more traditional dance routine.

Truth was this dancing and next verse was a reprieve for her mind as it felt like it was splitting apart form the sheer concentration required from conjuring these elaborate illusions and singing throughout. It was taxing as she felt the force flowing through like a fire hose. Yet at the same time with each verse her smile grew and became more and more genuine. She was loving every moment and could feel the power that could flow through. She felt alive.

"Life is your great oyster
And I'm your grand trickster
C'mon whisper what it is you want
You ain't never had a Sith like me

Yes my lord, I pride myself on loyalty
You're the boss
The Lord, the Darth
Say what you wish
It's done! In a sinch
How about some more illusions?

Have some my visual tricks
And all my singing
I'm in the mood to serve you lord
You ain't ever had a Sith like me"​

These illusions were less intense than the beginning set. An oyster with water dripping from the edges would emerge from the stage swallowing Maya, before a cascade of lightning erupt from the inside of it. The darkness fading in and obscuring everything on the staged as Maya's singing would once again turning into a whisper that felt like it was in the ears of the audience, before returning to whatever one could call normalcy. With that the second verse in this set would begin. A throne would raise from the center of the stage starting humble before exploding into a giant mass of ornate, intricate design crafted entirely from bones. Maya setting atop it with her legs crossed waving at the audience. A snap of the fingers would whisk the entire assembly away as she returned the stage. Though briefly for a visual trick she would make it appear like there were copies of her in the audience stands perfectly mirroring her movements.

She could feel fatigue start to wrap around her and taint every motion no matter how small. Her vision was starting to haze up as she could only focus on what was directly ahead and her body felt used. Yet, she was committed. The show had to go on and she was never to disappoint. A slight giddy in the back of her head wondering if sister Sakadi would ever dare try anything so bold. She was going to show everyone that within her small frame she could radiate a large amount of energy, that the timid apprentice could carry the force of an entire big band.

Can your sith do this?
Can your Sith do that?
Can your Sith make the room spin like a hat?
Can your Sith go, poof?
Well, let see here
Can your Sith go, Valia evita, let them slip?
And then make the Jedi disappear?

So doncha sit there slack jawed, yellow eyed
I'm here to answer all your Darkside urges
You got me bona fide, certified
You got a singer to score your insanity
I got a powerful need to serve you now
So what-cha wish? I really gotta know
You got list that's 3 pages long, no doubt
Well, all you gotta do is tell me so- and oh​

Bats would shoot out of her free hand, fluttering and hovering above her head before combining together into a top hat that would plop neatly on her head. Reaching up with her free hand the hat would levitate off her and hover right in front of her hand, she would then reach up and grab the hat by the brim and give it a spin. Suddenly the entire theater appeared to be spinning as well with the hat, before slowly stopping. Maya would then form a fist and ram it into the top hat which created a popping effect that would cause Maya to disappear before she entered stage left. Walking to the middle as what appeared to be a Sephi Jedi entered stage right as they would begin their clashing course to the center stage. A quick motion of the Cane would put a patch of ice on the floor that would cause the Jedi to comedically slip and tumble. Maya would then give a simple poke with her cane that made the imaginary Jedi explode into some weird orange primordial liquid. All of this happening within the space of one verse.

The illusions would fade once again. Maya was now using the next verse to summon whatever remaining spirit she had left for the grand finale. She was hoping this was going to be worth the fact that she likely wouldn't be able to stand when she woke up the next day, yet at the same time it didn't matter. The stage was hers and the audience would be forced to be captivated. She was putting her soul out on display and giving an impression of what lay in her. Right now it was for a mere show but perhaps later in the future it could reek future terrors on the enemies of the empire.

My Infernal Darkness, sir you have a wish or two or three
I'm on the job, you deviant
You ain't never had a Sith,
never had a Sith
You ain't never had a Sith,
never had a Sith
You ain't never had a Sith like Me​

​

As the final verse began a faint whisping of energy began to wave about in the air around Maya. First it was invisible like watery air. However, as she continued singing the energy would get more violent and soon darkened back into black, silhouetted by white. Then it started to look less like energy and more like flame that began to engulf the Sith as she began the last line in the verse. The flames grew intensity as she sounded off each set of words like separate lines until just before the music reached crescendo. Suddenly the Fire bursted up from the stage reaching high up towards the ceiling of the theater as the giant spire of fire spat out. It's shape maintaining a silhouette in the form of the Sephi as two giant red eyes stared at the audience and the Sith apprentice belted out her high note to be heard by the entire theater. The music supporting the final note as the fire began to recede back into the small Sephi who finished her note. Letting some space to finally gather her breath and break out into a mad cackle as the illusions finally died down and it was revealed that they were still an untouched amphitheater. Maya smiled before finishing the last line.

You ain't never had a Sith like me, hah!​

The song was over as Maya set the cane down infront of her. She found her body leaning heavily onto the cane. Limbs feeling like rubber and her mind unable to think. She would finish out with a weak bow. The pause that would normally be done to receive applause was now a necessity as the Sith was done. Her reserves depleted and drained. Many hours spent practicing and rehearsing coming to fruition and now passed. It wasn't something that she could do every day but perhaps in time this could become like breathing to her.

She turned around and began to walk off to the back stage. Her cane went from fashion accessory to ambulatory aid for the night.

 

[Leliana]

Time ticked away and as it drew on Leliana became increasingly bored. She grabbed one of her books and began to flick through it, finding the page she had last left on. Quinn Varanin was seated to the side, doing her own thing. But the Assassin was still not talking to her, mostly. Time had passed since the confrontation/revelation and the Eshan Princess had been treated to Leliana's cold and quiet side ever since. There was no anger anymore, at least not visually, but there wasn't any of that warmth anymore either.

It was the suggestion of being there to support their friends, that got Leliana to agree with Quinn. Not like she wouldn't have been there anyway to support Natima specifically, but the Assassin still held somewhat of a desire to not be around the Echani.

Leliana's mood did perk up though when she felt a familiar presence. She turned her attention away from the book, just as Sylvia took a seat.

"Hey Sylvi, you're just in time actually, the first performance hasn't started yet." Her tone giving away just how bored the Assassin was. She sank back into her book again, only for her eyes to widen with realization. "Oh! Before I forget, I finally got to finishing drawing those schematics we brainstormed together. Lemme know when you have some free time next, and we can go over them." Being able to focus on the project she had started with Sylvia Virtos had been a godsend to keep Leliana's mind occupied. She had fallen into a brief dark spiral after Quinn, and having something to keep her focus after that was something the Assassin treasured.

Looking at the time, Leliana mumbled something under her breath. The mark burned onto her hand glowed slightly as a small bird appeared in the palm of it. Dark plumage with her trademark turquoise-blue eyes. She whispered something to the little creature, before it flew over towards the backstage area. Although the timing was off, as a moment later the announcer called Natima Vando to the stage. Leliana was immediately leaning forwards in her seat, watching intently.

She had gotten to know Natima fairly well, having spent time with her both on missions and not. Oh, she hadn't managed to completely unravel the Shi'ido's mystery, and imagined she never would. But that was where the fun was, and Leliana wouldn't ever give it up. She watched as the redhead moved, forming another pair of arms to even the odds against her four mechanical opponents. It was like a dance, watching her dispatch her opponents. But Leliana's keen eyes picked up when Natima began to fatigue, but made quick work of what remained of her opposition. She smiled and clapped as the performance was over, an idea forming in her head as she watched the redhead disappear backstage.

"I'll be back soon," she said as the shadows beneath their chairs shifted beneath her. Leliana seemingly sunk into her seat and melded into the shadows, disappearing. Moments later she appeared from a darkened corner backstage, where her little bird had been looking at. She looked around slightly, watching as Maya Bir Sinvala made for the stage, then finally caught sight of Natima fussing over her now ruined shirt. Leliana had to bite back a chuckle, quietly sneaking up behind the woman until she was able to wrap her arms around the redhead, clutching them across her stomach.

"You did great out there, Nat."

Meanwhile, Leliana's little bird had found a perch on Marcis Sorr head, gently pecking at his hair. The shadow manifestation having recognized the young man from its creator's occasional talks with him. Over subjects like art, and the very shadow creations like the small creature currently atop his head.

 

[Darth Insatious]

Darth Insatious grew ever impatient with the wait and he felt the gruelling and insatiable hunger started to creep its way through to him. Like a snake, slithering through his eyes, eating away the last remnant of his sanity. He could feel every single being's life essence in this Amphitheater, a beating heart of connectivity to the force. Oh, how the taste of life essence is ever so sweet, enough to make his craving mad for more.

Dark red energy started to form in the palm of Darth Insatious' hand as he glanced at the surrounding people, so many... so much life essence... so much feeding... However, when Natima Vando's name was announced, the Sith Lord's inner thoughts were shoved back as his attention shifted to the Shi’ido. Watching Natima show her combat prowess and while it lacked experience, she clearly still needed, she really caught his attention, when the multiple arms appeared and went to town.

The officer contorted in pain for just a second, as he felt the Sith Lord's eerie and ghostly voice in his mind, before quickly tapping away on the holopad, looking just a tad bit paler than before. While you couldn't see or feel Darth Insatious' interest in Natima, it was there and he made sure the servent would relay that to the girl.

Then it came for the Sephi. Now that was an interesting being, so full of pain and suffering. Her doubt and worry caught his attention, but it was the darkness within her, the untapped potential of Dark Side energy that flowed through her that made him pay her attention. He felt the unrelenting craving of the insatiable hunger return, slowly eating away his soul and flesh unless he would give in again. It was a madding prison and only the essence of his victim could satisfy the ever closing death of the void. Besides, all life was here to be sacrificed to him, maybe not now, but down the line, he will come for them, he will find them and satisfy his hunger.

Maya's showcase of her untapped raw potential Dark Side energy was really driving him mad with hunger and curiosity to see what this Maya would be capable of.

The officer bowed, too scared to keep eye contact with the faceless bone-looking mask of his lord and headed for the backstage. Upon arriving at the backstage, the officer looked for the red-haired girl Natima and Sephi, Maya. First, he went over to Maya Bir Sinvala "Excuse me, Lady Sinvala" greeted the officer and bowed before her. "My lord, Darth Insatious have shown great interest in your capability and would like to invite you to his Star Destroyer for further talks about apprenticeship" explained the officer, giving a much more presenting and inviting, invitation to her. After giving Maya her one time pass to a hanger bay, the officer bowed again and headed for Natima.

With the same procedure, the officer bowed before Natima Vando , "excuse me, Lady Vando" he started. "My lord, Darth Insatious have shown great interest in your capability and would like to invite you to his Star Destroyer for further talks about apprenticeship" explained the officer and gave her the same, a one time pass for a hanger bay as well, that would take her to Darth Insatious' ship.

When that was done, the officer remained, to watch the rest of the performers and to see if his Lord would want them as apprentices.

 

[Marcis Sorr]

Ambition, yes, but more than that - a desire to prove herself, to herself, to her peers, to her superiors. Natima Vando wanted attention, yes, but she also wanted to be worthy of said attention. He did not understand her, not yet, but in time perhaps he would.

"I see." As she turned the conversation towards him, he tilted his head sideways, taking a moment to consider before answering. "I am secure in my ability to locate a sufficiently knowledgable master either here or elsewhere, or at the very least seek out alternate sources."

Perhaps he should be worried about making a fool of himself? Some people were, after all. Was Natima among them? Perhaps.

Whatever the case, her time had come, and so he proceeded towards a display shortly after exchanging the necessary pleasantries. Knowing the girl to be a shapeshifter, he was only mildly surprised when she produced a secondary set of arms - and said surprise was largely confined to why she had not opted for a garment more well-suited for such tricks. Surprising the crowd, perhaps?

Soon after, Maya Bir Sinvala took to the stage in a most unusual manner. Casually petting Leliana 's shadow bird as it perched on his head, despite the fact that it was but an extension of the Assassin's will, he found himself appreciating the show in all its quirkiness.

Her performance at an end, a sinewy Cathar took to the stage... and would you look at that, it was his turn to play.

In his folly, the overgrown cat had accepted him as an adversary instead of the usual practice droids.

Ignoring the obligatory mockery spewing forth from his opponent like water from a poorly maintained tap, the Changeling would pet the bird once more if it was still perched atop him or otherwise simply stand there, still as a rock. When the signal to commence came, he smoothly pulled his dagger from its sheath and cut the palm of his left hand, the follow-up motion sending crimson droplets soaring towards the bewildered Cathar.

"Sas ki kraujas titsû hi akûti tuti roda, hi tuta tunstaysa, hi irwasa zanmi."

Even as the incantation left his lips, the blood shifted into toxic-looking smoke, as black as the darkest night - surging towards his opponent, it clung to his maned head, obscuring his eyes and, going by the vigorous coughing coming from within, pouring down his throat. To the other Acolyte's credit, he did not give up, not at once... but one could only last so long while blinded, choking, and being harried with a lightwhip.

Dismissing the smoke with a twirl of his fingers after his opponent toppled to the ground, Arrik bowed lazily to the crowd, acknowledging the presence of Quinn Varanin and Sylvia Virtos in the process. His little display done, he simply strolled backstage in search of some bacta.

Regardless of whether a potential Master took an interest or not, that little bit of fun had, on its own, been well worth showing up for.

 

[Inanna Harth]

Having not really paid much attention to the conversation between Natima Vando and Marcis Sorr , Inanna watched with sudden interest as the redhead drew two swords into her body in preparation for her audition. Was she a Shi’ido? Inanna didn’t see too many of her own kind all the way out here. Unless she was a Doppelganger…

After Natima finished, Maya Bir Sinvala took to the stage. “Art Display, yep. Told you so,” Inanna said to no one in particular, observing the Sephi’s little light show from the wings. (Though as evidenced by the lack of blue text in her previous post, she had in fact not told anyone anything prior to this moment.) While Maya’s rewritten lyrics left much to be desired, her illusions were pretty fantastic, and she was clearly a born performer.

But not long after Maya’s performance began, a green-faced Inanna abruptly ducked out of the line, hurrying into a storage room and shutting the door. Turns out she hadn’t puked yet. She got lucky—there was a trash can in there. Her head disappeared from view as she bent forward and emptied the contents of her stomach into the bin.

Panting, she straightened up with a grimace and pulled out a flask. Unscrewing the cap, she gargled a mouthful and spat into the trash, but hesitated before taking a drink. She couldn’t really afford to be this inebriated when she was supposed to be displaying her (already negligible enough) command of the Force. On the other hand, her head was pounding, which wasn’t going to do her concentration any favors anyhow…

Sighing, she screwed the lid back on and put it away. Of all the vices she could have picked, why did it have to be the least glamorous one? Hell, why the kiss of wormwood, specifically? Vodka was just as strong, but lacked the distinct odor...

When she reemerged, Maya had finished and Arrik had begun. Inanna didn’t look too bad, but her body was still trying to dispel the alcohol through her pores, creating a cloud of booze-smell around her. Her attempts at hiding it with her telepathy managed to turn it into a particularly noxious cheap perfume reminiscent of a day-old flower bouquet that had been liberally sprayed with chemical preservatives. Not very pleasant either, but more tolerable than the reek of absinthe.

Technically Inanna had signed in before Arrik, so they must have skipped over her due to her absence. Well, she would be the next one after him. She supposed she ought to be excited at the prospect of putting on a show that didn’t involve taking her clothes off (Force knew she’d been in plenty of those types of acts), but as the careless haze of intoxication faded, stage fright set in. Behind her back she held her compact mirror, rubbing her thumb against the regeneration gems embedded in the lid in the hope that it would make her headache go away faster…

Arrik returned after brutalizing a Cathar, strolling carelessly backstage. He didn’t look at her, or at anyone really, but she thought she saw… no. She felt it, that familiar aura. It brought back memories she had been drinking to forget.

Turning away with a sudden violence, she marched out onto the stage and stopped dead in her tracks. Looking out at all the people in the audience, including some of the most powerful individuals in this section of the galaxy, it occurred to her that she had made the decision to perform before them on a drunken whim. But it was too late to turn back now.

Her eyelids lowering to slits, as if obscuring her vision would block them out, she raised her arms and with a flick of her wrist, produced two rocks, one a Lorrdian gemstone and the other a fabled Mestare crystal. Both were exceedingly valuable, and both had been given to her as payment for doing things she was not proud of. She splayed her palms precariously, making it look like the priceless stones were going to roll right out of her hands and shatter on the floor of the stage, but once they slipped past her fingertips she caught them in midair with telekinesis, floating them around her.

Holding them there, she opened her mouth. On her tongue was an ultima-pearl, gifted to her long ago by an overzealous admirer. Dipping her head back, she spat it upward. It arced toward the audience, but upon reaching the zenith of its path, it hung suspended in the air briefly, then turned around the other way and joined the other two gems circling Inanna. She did a few tricks, moving them faster and in different patterns of motion that required intense concentration to keep steady, but those three were the only fancy rocks she had on hand at the moment, and there wasn’t much more that she could do. Sure, she’d been practicing telekinesis for fun ever since she was a kid (almost two centuries ago...), but there was only so much you could teach yourself.

Drawing the crystals back into her hands, she swallowed the pearl and gave a slight curtsy before leaving the stage in a hurry. She hoped nobody would ask to see the pearl, given that she had been throwing up only a few minutes earlier.

Onrai Serixibis Leliana Rexus Kaalia Pavanos Sylvia Virtos Quinn Varanin Taeli Raaf Darth Insatious

 

[Quinn Varanin]

//: Suffering without You //:
//: Auditorium //: Dromond Kaas //:
//: Sylvia Virtos //: Leliana //: Marcis Sorr //: Onrai //:

​

Things were going quite amazing for Quinn and no so amazing for Quinn. Beside her, she could feel the ice-cold shoulder she was receiving from Leliana. Having explained her situation and her newfound beau, the Assassin had not been too happy about it. It caused a rift, but Quinn didn’t regret her choices. Leliana never understood her on the same level as Vesta did. No one ever understood her like that, no one had ever made her feel so safe and secure, despite the reasoning behind their initial meeting. ​

​

Quinn heard the book come out and Sylv’s voice behind them. She welcomed Sylvia’s company, but it seemed the Assassin did as well. While the two spoke, Quinn decided she’d remain quiet after giving Sylvia a wave of hello. Things weren’t getting any better, and she regretted coming to the event. By having a Master, she couldn’t show off, and by having a Master, she decided she’d rather be with them right now. Her nose wrinkled slightly as Quinn thought about her current dilemma. ​

​

She wondered if her mother had anything like this to deal with, from her understanding, Papa was everything. Rolling her eyes, she knew what the woman would scold her about in this situation, but it didn’t matter. Quinn didn’t regret anything, she loved her beloved more than anything, and the longing drove her insane. As Sylvia and Leliana talked about whatever they were talking about, Quinn quickly found a cute selfie and sent it off to Hailyn , with a small text message about missing them and how she wished they were there. Finishing the message, she signed it xoxo and closed the comm device. The smitten girl would soon be interrupted by hearing her name over the loudspeaker system.​

​

<QUINN VARANIN PLEASE PUT YOUR DEVICE AWAY THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED DURING THE TRYOUT> ​

​

A furious blush washed over the Princess as she looked to Leliana, who was usually the one she hid behind. The girl was in the process of disappearing, and she frowned, already knowing where her destination was. She had caught the smile on the corner of the girl’s lips when the redheaded Natima had shown up on stage. The thought infuriated Quinn, how hypocritical of the Assassin to treat her like this when she had already found herself smitten with someone else. How dare she give Quinn the cold shoulder for finding someone she cared about. ​

​

“So stupid,” Quinn smirked as she caught Arrik’s eye and stuck her tongue out at the boy playfully. He had done an excellent job, and she hoped he would find a strong master. She wished everyone did, though she did feel bad for Sylvia, who got stuck with some reformed Jedi. Turning her head towards Syliva, she nodded, “Hi Sylvia.” There was a new sense of respect for the magenta haired girl, as she had felt bad and reached out to Quinn in the Echani’s lowest moment of her life. “How are things with the Jedi?” Though instead of being overly snarky, the girl playfully jested to her friend. “No Padawan braid yet?” ​

​

Quinn smirked and did her best to forget about how awkward her relationship with Leliana had become. ​