Faction (TSE) Apprentice Try Outs

[Sylvia Virtos]

Luckily it turned out Sylvia had been just on time. The first performance was a few minutes away, meaning she hadn't missed anything. She returned the wave Quinn gave her before turning her attention to Leliana. The assassin seemed to be quite bored at first, but when she mentioned the project they had been working on together brought out the Leliana she was more used to nowadays. The raven-haired woman had been all too happy to dive right into the plans they had made on a whim, but Sylvia really couldn't complain. She quite enjoyed working on projects, especially one as interesting as the one the two had started together.

"Perfect! I'll find an excuse to come back to the academy for a week or so, see how far we can get." It was definitely an ambitious project, mixing Leliana's Sith alchemy with Sylvia's own mechu deru. It had been the former's idea and the latter was all too happy to join in. It also turned out to be a good bonding experience, surprisingly. Leliana had always been a little more reserved around the magenta-haired woman, but they were getting to know each other quite a bit better now.

Their conversation was interrupted when Natima went to take the stage. Sylvia hadn't really been able to get to know the shi'ido on a personal level yet, even if they hovered around the same circle of people. She was sure she'd get the opportunity sooner or later, though. Impressively, she had managed to take on four Magna-Guard droids at once, a feat that deserved the applause she got from Sylvia.

The applause was interrupted as she heard Quinn's name being called through the loudspeakers alongside a warning to not use her comm device. It drew an amused little chuckle out of Sylvia, though not much more than that. Leliana, meanwhile, had disappeared, though she was likely to be back sooner or later. For the moment it meant it was just herself and Quinn as after one Maya's performance it was Arrik's turn. He made short work of his opponent and it left Sylvia feeling a little bad about what happened to the cathar. Then again, he made the mistake of taking Arrik as his opponent.

"Hey," Sylvia replied when Quinn greeted her in words, turning her attention to the echani. The playful jabs she'd gotten used to be now would follow, but they could be left unanswered. "Don't expect to see one anytime soon, princess," she said, the last word spoken a little overly dramatically, "or really ever." Allyson had tried to have her get one, but Sylvia really wasn't feeling it.

"Who were you sending that selfie to? Your master, your boo perha- riiiiight." It was particularly orthodox to have something with your master, but beyond poking fun at it every once in a while Sylvia wasn't nearly bothered enough to see it being a problem. "When's your next kissing lesson?"

Leliana Quinn Varanin Natima Vando Marcis Sorr ​

 

[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 a little disappointed with what she saw. It was more of just a show, not something like it used to be. Back then, the acolytes were not friends of each other, only enemies who would have cut through the other’s throat at any time to survive and find a master for themselves. And so they really become Sith. She missed the old days. Exceptionally, even Ireria agreed, even though she was the more peaceful of the two sisters.

She almost turned her head to leave and preferred to go to one of the academies, where she would then ask the Overseers to take an old type of exam. No one died there either because they couldn’t kill each other, but still everything was much more serious and cruel. Through the Force, she sought to examine the acolytes to see if she could find potential in anyone. When she arrived at Marcis Sorr , who had previously held a spectacular show, Xanesh was shaken by the cold for a moment.

She had no idea why or why, although the young man was behaving rather strangely, he was not the first person in her life to be strange. Even so, she had never felt this way before, and she didn’t like it. For the time being, however, she did not act, nor did she disturb either the boy or the other acolytes. Yet she would have liked to have sent a telepathic question about who or what he was.

There was a weirdness in the auditorium as well, one of the women, Inanna Harth , was weird to her. Although she didn't care so much about her. The boy, Arrik Zarr, caught her attention better. Although he disappeared from the stage, it did not mean that she could not follow him through the Force. He and the other students who were not visible now. Then a little later, for now, she just watched and pretended nothing had happened.

​

 

[Onrai]

Vanessa nodded back in response to Ardana Vorco , please to see a familiar face here. She watched through the performances of Natima Vando and Maya Bir Sinvala , but it was Inanna Harth who particularly intrigued her. Vanessa could sense that there was something helping to prop her up, a crutch of some sort that she relied upon to function, go out, and perform as she had just done. Such a flawed woman was a perfect apprentice for Vanessa, as she sought to whittle away at such aberrancies and liberate people from their inhibitions which held them back from potential greatness. Once her performance was complete, Inanna would hear a whisper in her ear that seemed to carry itself with the breeze of Marcis Sorr 's smoke(which she certainly appreciated as an expert in sorcery).

"You have an interested master. Come to the back row of seats and look for the blonde."

The name Quinn Varanin rang over the loudspeaker, and Vanessa's attention was immediately attracted elsewhere. She mentally replayed the last time she had seen Spencer in her head, immediately noticing the apprentice who so very much resembled her mother and her coterie of friends. Vanessa knew at that point, out of obligation to Ashin Cardé Varanin and Spencer Varanin , she should introduce herself when said friends were not encumbering her with conversation and offer her whatever assistance would be necessary.

After all, that was what family friends were for.

 

[Rexus]

Him


Rexus turned his attention toward the other pureblood that had arrived. Had he just been called out? Rexus said nothing while keeping his gaze upon her for a time. It was only after several more moments that Rexus decided to actually respond. " As you wish. " He rasped. If someone wanted to fight him in front of the assembled Lords, Ladies, and Darths then so be it. It wouldn't be much different from the death matches Rexus had participated in not very long ago. He would fight for an audience that ultimately cared nothing for him. The only difference this time appeared to be the fact that Rexus stood to gain from performing well. That and he probably couldn't kill his opponent. Having said what little he deigned was needed, Rexus walked away. He sought an isolated spot and after he found it, he closed his eyes. Rexus wasted no time in submersing himself in the pain that afflicted him near constantly. It nourished him as it always had. It was all he had left.



As the first demonstration began, Rexus kept his eyes closed. Though he didn't observe the bout, he listened and felt the performance. His time in the fighting pits had helped him hone his ability to "feel" a fight. There were many nights where he was simply unable to see a fight. On those nights all one could do was sit there and listen. Listen and try to visualize what was happening. Natima Vando fought quickly from what Rexus could surmise. Precise and skilled enough to end the droids with little to no clashing. There was no clang or din of battle here. It was all anathema to Rexus. He fought head on and thrived on utilizing brute force. That said, he could respect the martial act that had taken place. The second performance, the one by Maya Bir Sinvala , was something outside his understanding. Art. Rexus loathed the word and everything it entailed. He couldn't appreciate it because it was so foreign to him. Some of the people who raised Rexus would call fighting an art but he disagreed with this notion entirely. There could be nothing artful about a real fight. A real fight was savage and violent. It was the ultimate test of strength.


After the second display had finished, Rexus opened his eyes and walked toward the stage. He strode out and into the view of the assembled Lords and Ladies of the Sith. While the others might have introduced themselves or said something, Rexus remained quiet save for the mechanical rasping produced by his respirator. The giant pureblood stopped at one end of the stage and turned to face the way he had just come. Rexus reached for his back and unsheathed his weapon. To call what he wielded a sword, while correct, didn't do it justice. It wasn't elegant nor was it forged by the hand of a master. It was more of a giant slab of metal that had been sharpened and repurposed into a weapon. Furthermore, the weapon itself was huge. Easily big enough to be considered a great-sword to some people. It wasn't pretty but Rexus had found success using it.


Holding the blade with his right hand, Rexus patiently awaited the arrival of his opponent. He had to make an impact and earn the right to serve a Master. He needed to hone his power and, most importantly, rid himself of weakness. Failure wasn't an option.

Serixibis

 

[Kadann]

Darth Daiara

Kad's gaze fell to the clipboard. He looked up at the man holding it and then back at the sheet.

"Feth me, really?" went Kad incredulously. He didn't know what he had expected. Not this. Not some commercial auditorium and people with clipboards. Perhaps a cave lit only by burning braziers and a pact signed in blood on velum made from the skins of their enemies. His imagination could picture a thousand possibilities. Just not this.

"Just tick one," sighed the stage hand.

Kad took a moment reading the options. He didn't read very well. From back stage he had heard fighting and cheering and then he was still wrangling with the fact that he was certain he had heard signing.

Kad checked the combat box, not knowing what that would entail. He didn't fear getting hurt. That piece of him had broken a long time ago.

Several fears were being antagonised by the situation, but he tried to press them down. Would any master want him? Several foster families hadn't. Several schools hadn't. Kadann had been in one of those facilities parents dreaded when his recruiter had arrived. The kind of school that had security guards and a very tall fence to keep the juveniles insides.

Then there had been the incident. Them the Nautolan had come, putting him in the back of his shuttle with a bunch of others. He had been dropped off at Dromund Kaas with them. The nautolan's palm had been lined with credit chits. Apparently it was his occupation.

Apparently there was something special about him. Something worth credits, anyway. A few tests, some back story on what it meant to be a sith and now he was hear. Smaller than most of the others, clearly malnourished. No real abilities to speak of.

"A clipboard eh?" he said to the next in line.

 

[Serixibis]

\\. Drommund Kaas, Kaas City Amphitheater.
\\. He is no Brother of mine.
\\. Rexus

It was her time at last.

She cared nothing for this city, in truth. And perhaps even less for the assembled Lords of the Sith gathered in the cushioned boxes high above her. As the slender Acolyte clad in dark robes took to the stage all she could think about, all that truly mattered to her was the battle to come. Here was one of her own, one of Pure blood, Massassi by the size of him.

Worthy.
​

With steady steps Serixibis passes the veil of heavy red drapes and ascends to the light, stepping into view of the assembled gawkers with her right arm raised. Clenched in it, a War-spear of Sith make. Dabbed with runic markings and alchemized by ageless artisans via some secret-craft. A flick of her wrist sets the butt of the spear down with a heavy ~Thud~, the robe she had been wearing shrugged from slender shoulders and left to drift down to the floor at her feet. And beneath?

Whatever sinister agency had crafted her weapon also clearly had a hand in her armour. From head to toe she is clad in an elaborate set of red silks and chainmail whose ornamentation and decoration border on the baroque, the grotesque. She looks the part of a war-champion of some decaying, decadent court in an era that never knew good taste or moderation.

Shining red hair is flipped back over one shoulder, oily yellow eyes the color of dying candlelight tracking the hulking figure that would be her opponent as her weapon is hefted and angled slightly toward him.

"You face Serixibis, of the Tulak. Your death will be my glory."
​

Through clenched teeth she hisses, light steps bringing her closer to the man in an offensive posture. It seems the fight would soon be upon him!

 

[Darth Daiara]

Aradia studied the boy in front of her with an intensity that burned, her eyes too large for the small structure of her body. She looked child-like, spare the burning look and furrowed brows as she tried to get a read on him. ... And then the clip board wielder. And then the clip board as it was handed to her. Her brows furrowed deeper, shadows forming in the lines across her face.

"But I already have a Master," she asserted to them both, a hint of incredulity to her tone. She shove the clipboard back, the stage hand sneering in an unspoken, 'Well what are you doing here then?' Shoving his clipboard at him so sharply!

This was so not his job.

"Then leave?" The stage hand leveled, unamused.

"But they told me-"

"Just go sit down," the guy dismissed, clearly done with the girl and her antics. He left them both, moving further down the line.

Aradia wavered in place, her eyes darting to the auditorium seating beyond the curtains. How did she even get there? "I hate clipboards," she stated to Kadann , no rhyme or reason to the sudden declaration.

 

[Inanna Harth]

Trying to avoid the other acolytes looking for masters (even if it weren’t for her inebriated state, all of them were much younger and far more self-absorbed than she was, which made anything beyond polite pleasantries a chore), Inanna had walked deeper backstage, entering into shadowy areas populated by old props, wires, and pulleys. That’s when she heard the voice on the wind—er, smoke.

"You have an interested master. Come to the back row of seats and look for the blonde."

The voice spoke clearly, yet no one was around to have spoken it. Telepathy? Oh boy.

Inanna grit her teeth and took her first steps into a larger world… well, actually, her first steps toward the nearest exit. Forgive her, dear reader, for not being all that excited at the prospect of gaining a master; you must remember that she signed up for this audition while drunk. Granted, it had seemed like the most logical course of action to take. After all, the whole reason she was here was to embark on a stealthy penetration into the Sith Empire… a penetration which was rapidly losing both subtlety and steam, but nonetheless. She would become a Sith herself if it meant she could stand toe-to-hoof against her hated nemesis, the Lord of—

Inanna promptly crashed into a crate and nearly tripped over her own feet in the darkness. Once she had righted herself, she proceeded at a brisk pace toward the stairs, clinging to the railing as she descended. After emerging in the auditorium proper, she headed up the aisle to the back row of seats, as commanded by the mysterious telepathic voice.

Despite her time in the propaganda division, Inanna was hardly an expert on Sith-Imperial politics. She recognized a few of the faces in the audience, but she didn’t know everybody. So when she spotted the only blonde in the back who was old enough to be a master, she had no idea who she was. The woman certainly didn’t look like a Sith Lord—not at all. She had a friendly, open, and rather ordinary face, though not without beauty. There were no obvious traces of corruption in the woman's gaze or cruelty in her expression. This would definitely be an interesting meeting.

“Uh, hello,” Inanna greeted her. “Are you the one who asked to see me?”

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

Vanessa had continued to wait for a bit before Inanna arrived at her row. She gave the woman a cordial smile before motioning first her to sit down. “Indeed I did. I saw your performance. It was intriguing, to say the least, but personally what I find more interesting is what reinforced your willingness to do it.” She said, heavily suggesting what she was going to say next.

“You have a crutch.” She replied. “What that crutch is, I have yet to glean - presumably drugs or alcohol - but it is what you firmly lean upon and use to help get you through life. I like flawed apprentices. They’re my specialty, and they have the ability to be special once their metaphorical shackles are removed.” She finished her discussion before offering Inanna a hand.

“Vanessa Vantai. I believe the title they call me by now is the “Triumvir of Power.” Would you like to be my apprentice, Inanna?”

Inanna Harth

 

[Inanna Harth]

“A crutch, huh? Sure.” Inanna started out with false bravado, then faltered. Why bother lying? Her intoxication was obvious enough that a stranger noticed. “...I may have a little bit of a problem with alcohol. But that’s a recent development in my private life. I can keep it under control.” For now, and just barely at that.

Flawed apprentices. Metaphorical shackles. Inanna was following along quite well in spite of her hangover headache, but then her eyebrows rose. Triumvir of Power? That was a big deal, right? She was sure it was a major thing, at the very least. A title that demanded respect and inspired awe, or else Vanessa here wouldn’t have bothered to mention it.

Inanna never would have dreamed that someone of significance would express an interest in training her. At best, she had hoped to be picked up by a minor Sith of little means. But this was a far better outcome, she realized. Someone less established and respectable would no doubt be ambitious, power-hungry… and dangerous. More than that, being trained by a powerful and skilled master would improve her odds in the long run.

She looked at Vanessa’s outstretched hand, then placed hers in it, giving the blonde a firm handshake. “Sure. I’m in. When do we start?”

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

"Take it from someone who's known the cruel touch of addiction - no, you can't." She said. The handshake was honestly a pleasant sensation to say the least, and it gave Vanessa the opportunity to finally feel part of her new apprentice. The contact, skin to skin, let her feel the apprehension that Inanna felt deep down inside regarding her current cut in life. "I will take you back to Nathema once this is over with - we can begin your training then."

Another apprentice added to the fold. Perhaps she would be quite nice.

Inanna Harth

 

[Kadann]

"Yeah well strange thing to have a...what's that word...begins with F...ah whatever. Strange thing to be afraid of," he rambled back to the girl.

Kad moved along to take a seat. On the other side of the curtain he could hear potential students exchanging insults. They were clearly going to be fighting for the attention of the masters.

"But it is weird right?" he asked. "Like, I thought there was gonna be people in hoods chanting and stuff."

Looking around, he could see potential students in weird and wonderful armor. They looked so certain of themselves. Would they kill him if he didn't make the cut today? Kad didn't even know.

 

[Darth Daiara]

Aradia snorted, the somber noise quickly turning light as it bubbled into laughter. She plopped herself onto the bench, the low murmurs of the awaiting crowd reaching her through the participation.

"Nah. None of that. I think they just tell those stories to make bad kids behave or something. My master doesn't wear hoods. Or chant," she told him, matter of fact. Her feet swung in a small sway of pleasure, the girl resting her palms on the bench and leaning forward to peer through the curtains to the crowd beyond.

"In fact, she's rather nice. Maybe you'll get one too-- they don't look that ba-" Aradia froze, her blood drawing cold as her scanning gaze landed on a familiar red head sitting amongst the crowd.

Speak of the devil.

She jerked back, eyes wide and jaw tight as she processed this discovery.

Kadann

 

[Kadann]

"Well if you've got a master why are you..." he started incredulously.

"...oh. Right you were saying," he added. He turned his nose away as if he didn't have time for such trivial things as being wrong. Or forgetting what someone had been saying only seconds before.

"What's up?" he asked as she sat bolt upright. He tried to feign a level of indifference as he asked. A plan was starting to form in Kadann's head. It wasn't a good one.

 

[Darth Daiara]

"Whatisshedoinghere?" Aradia hissed, her temple throbbing with each erratic slam of her pulse. "....Is she replacing me?!" Cold tingles washed over her skin, fear the first thing to grace her.

And then she was angry. Her features pulled in, Kaalia's dismissal of her to bastion to fight a war making sense now. She had written her off to die. In truth that couldn't have been further from Kaalia Pavanos 's motives, but Aradia's mind only knew one path, and she was walking down it.

She jerked up, a bit of steam escaping through her clenched fist. The boy before her no longer mattered, the viscous sense of rejection echoing through the once was slave. Years ago, she would have sat silently and took it. Today, she stormed onto the stage, shoving back the girl who just nearly walked on to preform next.

Avacyn was here to find the next IT girl. Oh she'd get it, alright.

The spotlight washed over her, a sheen of moisture in her glare as she met her master's gaze through the darkness... and erupted a fireball into her hand.

Hello, yes. Been a while. Nice to see you too, it practically said.

The stage was silent, only marked by the heady rise and fall of her heaving chest, the fire crackly softly. For a moment, nothing changed. Its soft flame curling around the girl's fingers, dancing without doing harm. And then everything exploded in a burst of heat, a wild pillar of fire erupting from the ball in her hand. Aradia was forced to turn her attention to it then, the yellow light harsh against her features as she contorted and bent the wild flames to her will.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the fire show. The flames danced into eloquent shapes, moving to unheard music at her command. It was everything she had practiced with the woman and more. But of course, she couldn't end it off child's place.

In a final show of strength, the elegantly dancing spirals of simple shapes turned wild. Aradia twisted her palm, facing it to the crows. The flames jumped, roaring tangibly over their heads as the vague shape of a dragon soared about them. Aradia gritted her teeth, straining to pull in further details.

A small puff of smoke escaped its mouth.

The display flickered out, the auditorium growing abruptly darker. On the stage, the girl panted, a sheen of sweat coating her bird-like limbs.

Good luck out doing that. She looked sideways, to Kadann

 

[Taeli Raaf]

Taeli gave a soft smile to Kaalia Pavanos as she joined her in the box, answering, "Always a pleasure to see you, Kaalia. They're doing quite well while I'm sitting here, bored. Rose and Fiolette have the girls right now and are showing them around the snow parks here. How is your family doing? Probably happy you're semi-retired?"

It had been a point of contention between Taeli and Fiolette that she was just too involved with the Empire, that she worked too much, but that was just part of who she was. She had always been a workaholic; it was something she just couldn't help. There was always something to do, some experiment to try, some plot or scheme to implement. Regardless, she would nod along once Kaalia gave her reply, her attention on the performances being done below on the stage and on the other Lords and Ladies in attendance.

The combat display from Acolyte Natima Vando was interesting, showing her skills against Magna Droids. Against four of them, she had shown her combat prowess was definitely of higher quality than most acolytes and she understood surprise was a useful tactic by showcasing her shifting abilities with the additional arms. She would only expect them to take on a single droid, let alone four. Stamina could do with some improving, but overall a decent showcase of her ability with bladed weapons.

Maya Bir Sinvala went for a little art and sorcery, and the young Sephi certainly piqued her attention even more. The song and dance, while over the top and she couldn't help the smirk at the mention of Kaalia's Sith name, was catchy and she made good use of illusion spells for the occasion. Impressive use actually. It was clear the strain was showing by the end though. That many illusions would be very taxing on an acolyte, but to display such talent already... yes very good indeed.

Her eyes flickered as the officer that had accompanied the Sith attempting to become the next Nihilus moved away towards the back of the stage, no doubt to try and convince one of the acolytes to become their apprentice. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, again, she turned her attention back to the stage as acolyte Marcis Sorr stepped up and showed smarts over brawn. His conjured smoke quickly incapacitated his opponent, displaying some control over sorcery and magic, with a solid brain behind it.

The two Sith Purebloods Serixibis and Rexus were preparing to duel themselves, which would be interesting, although such was not what she looking for a true apprentice. A brawler, one to point at a more physical problem, certainly... but that had never been the type Taeli trained as her personal students. Inanna Harth looked like she was being scooped up by Onrai , and she hoped the girl would grow into a powerful Sith.

"I do believe Miss Darth Daiara thinks you might be replacing her," Taeli muttered to her fellow Sith Lady, noticing the surge in the girl's emotions and then her impressive display of pyromancy for one so young. With a soft whistle, a shape emerged from her shadow to alight upon her raised hand. A Sith familiar in the shape of a raven clicked its wispy beak before it flew off to deliver the message from the Lady of Secrets to the acolyte that caught her attention the most.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He was not expected to be here.​

​

He was not expected to be at the capital at all, he hadn't been seen in the public view of the Empire for weeks; perhaps months.​

​

None could say what drew him to Dromund Kaas that day, for he would never reveal any measure of his intentions to anyone. ​

​

Without a word, without a breath, the Sith Emperor had appeared high above the stage in his own private box. Dark armor was suffused to his flesh, ringed with ancient Sith runes. A hood had been drawn far over his head and brow, with only the baleful molten halos of his burning eyes glowing in the inescapable gloom which concealed his grim countenance. In his right hand, he held a weapon almost as long as himself with the blade angled down so the tip embedded itself in the floor at his feet. His left hand had reached forward to rest on the railing, each finger curled around the golden bar which encircled the balcony's lip.​

​

He watched silently, his eyes tracking each acolyte as they moved across the stage. He paid no mind to the masters which, like himself, watched and judged or interacted directly with the Sith hopefuls who danced about to impress their peers and superiors.​

​

Unblinking.​

​

Inexorable.​

​

All-knowing.​

 

[Hailyn]

Holy Roller

The Academy.

Bleh. The thought of attending some kind of formal schooling to be the next living weapon for the Empire was about as gross as it got - she, or rather he with the face she wore, was blessed with a more traditional, even if unorthodox, approach to learning. The atmosphere, the idea of being surrounded by other people of various talents, was the very antithesis of who he - or perhaps she, under another face - was. So it wasn't for themselves that Vesta strolled through the halls of the Sith academy for, but rather for their own apprentice, the similarly aged Quinn Varanin . A breathy chuckle slipped through his grinning lips as he drew close enough to the auditorium to hear the sound of the loudspeaker coinciding with the sound of a notification on his communicator.

"Adorable." He said quietly to himself as he came to a stop by a door that led into the audience well of the assembly hall, tucking the device away into some pocket not to be seen again. Wordlessly he slipped in while Serixibis and Rexus took to their duel, something which temporarily caught his attention - the idea of actually fighting to show some worth was certainly closer to the kind of appeal Vesta would have gone for if he was "shopping" for an apprentice, as some of the more gaudy Sith tended to refer to the whole "try-out" ordeal. It was dimly lit enough near where he'd stepped in to keep him away from the focus of anyone who might have been expecting either him or any number of other late arrivals - not that anyone would have really expected Vesta to have arrived in such a guise, besides perhaps Quinn and anyone she might have let it slip to, as the skin-changer tended to try to keep a static identity to be associated with as Darth Prazutis ' daughter, which he, er, she was in a manner of speaking, but a healthy dose of shifting identities made something as mundane as gender a bit of a complicated topic where the Shi'ido was concerned.

Particularly around Quinn, where it didn't seem to matter what face he, or she, wore with how well she recognized her, or him, with nothing but a glance and a sly smile.

It was thus without much fanfare that the Zambrano princess, male-presenting or not, sat several rows back from his blonde apprentice - who happened to also double as his partner. He took careful inventory of the people she surrounded herself with, or at least those that were close enough for him to consider people she was with, and frowned at the sight of Sylvia Virtos and Marcis Sorr . The latter seemed a little too much like himself for his liking, and the former seemed rather out of place in such a space. Red eyes focused in on his girlfriend, curious to how long it would be before she noticed him.

 

[Kaalia Pavanos]

"Good to hear, good to hear. And yes, it was absolutely the right decision. My hands were full enough as it was." Though Kaalia remained involved with the Valkyries, her time in the Sith hierarchy were behind her. Being a mother of four was too time-consuming to combine with occupying a seat on the Dark Council. "Oh, and Azarin has been pestering me over wanting to go on a playdate with Nerralyn. Perhaps we could arrange something for them sometime."

The performance put up by Maya Bir Sinvala specifically grabbed Kaalia's attention. The initial draw had been the mentioning of her own name, but as the performance went on she couldn't help but be quite impressed by the acolyte's illusion spells. She'd give the sephi her compliments later, and hoped she'd find a fitting master soon.

Much to Kaalia surprise though, she'd lay her eyes on a familiar face as the next person walked up to the stage. Aradia had decided to show her abilities, and it wasn't too difficult to read between the lines. The woman scoffed in amusement, knowing the girl was reading too much into her presence here. "Indeed. It is a bit of a nasty habit of hers, unfortunately. I will go talk to her after she's done." This was hardly the first time Aradia acted like this. Hopefully she'd kick the habit with time.

Before Kaalia got up to meet up with her apprentice, a familiar and powerful aura manifested within the amphitheater. It was instantly recognizable, and Kaalia was quite surprised by it. "Well, would you look at that," she said to Taeli, "It has certainly been a while." Kaalia knew the emperor well enough by now to not be taken aback by his presence, but to see him here of all places was definitely something she hadn't expected.

"I'll be back in a moment," she then said as she finally got to her feet and moved to meet up with Aradia. Letting the girl believe she was going to potentially be replaced wasn't going to be very productive.

Darth Daiara Taeli Raaf ​

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Location: Emperor's Private Box
Tags: Darth Carnifex

W A T C H I N G​

Mystery.

It was a complete and utter mystery why the Shadow Hand had come to the tryouts. The events following Alekto's slaying drew him even deeper in the shadows making tracking him all but impossible. It was entirely unknown how long he had been there, or even when he arrived. All that was known was the towering giant simply appeared high above in the private box of the Sith Emperor. A set of impossibly massive battle plate sat on his form each piece was as dark as the void of space and painstakingly hand forged to perfection and engraved with designs of symbols in gold. The suit was decorated with splashes of crimson and enchanted by a network of hand woven runes placed along each piece, a series of soulstones looked like vile eyes peering outward. Over his back fell a black furred cape, the pelt of some impossibly large and vicious animal.​

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The Lord of Lies face was obscured behind an equally massive fiendish helm that painted a fear inspiring visage, only the glowing crimson eye lenses stared back at all who saw the man. The very sigh of such a construct was enough to drain hope and drown battlefields in fear at the enormity of it. The armors servo motors whirred and hummed beneath the gleaming plate and a single clawed hand, massively oversized for the railing, rested upon it. The other hidden from view rested on the impossibly massive, legendary runeblade Daesumnor angled downward, the tip embedded into the floor. The presence that flowed from him was absolutely unmistakable. It burned and rumbled like an active volcano beneath the surface, like wrath given physical form that was meant to be unleashed upon the enemies of the Sith Emperor. As if at any moment he could snap and unleash devastation to consume everything in fire.​

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But then there was the corruption. The darkness of the great beyond hung around his presence like a shroud as much part of him as anything. It was all together so titanic his soul engorged on power it seemed to burn like a star, as if it could singe the flesh of those who stood too long beside him. A pressure that could rattle bones in proximity and force even the mightiest beings to their knees in supplication before him. Those who walked the stage may feel his gaze as he bore down on the presenting acolytes. Although he watched only the acolytes his armors advanced systems gave him the ability to track everyone inside the building, identifying them the moment his gaze swept over the balcony's edge. There he stood.​

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Watching. ​