Two Acolytes Walk Into An Academy. . .

[Ashaiya Mar'Dikan]

This world was not cold. As Ashaiya Mar'Dikan, last of the Empresses of Vullain, sat in a garden in the Sith Academy of Bastion, that was just about the only observation she could make. It was not cold. The frozen winds did not howl across the landscape, snow did not pile so high that one could drown in it, and the sun did not hide behind blizzards for months at a time. It was warm, here. It did not feel right. Ashaiya felt her Goddess' presence in the cold, in the ice, not in the heat. It was a strange feeling, to be completely cut off from everything she had ever known.

The Zhornee knelt in the center of the gardens, surrounded by trees, flowers, and nature. It was new, strange, and interesting. She had her violet eyes closed in prayer, silently mouthing her daily appeal to her Goddess.

Goddess, please grant me the wisdom and strength to become one of these Sith. I must, to lead Your people to the life and peace they deserve. I am unworthy, and I must earn my place.

She stayed kneeling, praying, praying for guidance, for wisdom, for strength.

[member="Katarina Vox"]

 

[Katarina Vox]

Bastion. A world bloated with Imperial architecture, warships and, perhaps most importantly, Sith. It was a busy hub of activity, especially around the central academy - one of the true centers of Sith teachings within the Galaxy, and the first real stepping stone on any Acolytes journey to the top of the pile. It was here that Katarina had been sent, to complete her training and fully immerse herself within the true nature of the Dark Side. The prospect was quietly thrilling, even if her composed nature didn't reveal it outwardly.

Yet there was only so much a being could take of the masses, many of which were merely destined to be cut down by Sith with a higher appetite for success. She needed solitude, or a place of quiet. And so she had made her way towards the gardens, an area few Sith preferred to tread in. After all, it wasn't a training room, or a passing point for minor or more notable lords - certainly not the place to find a master.

The gardens themselves were a stark contrast to the surrounding area, a small oasis of vibrant greens offset with a light spattering of blooming flowers, juxtaposed against a vast and endless sea of durasteel and dimly lit Hololighting. It was not a sight she intended to get used to, but it was certainly peaceful enough.

​

Perhaps she would meditate.​

Or perhaps there was... Something else here for her.​

​

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[member="Ashaiya Mar'Dikan"]​

 

[Ashaiya Mar'Dikan]

Prayer. An activity considered sacred by the nobility of Vullain. Ashaiya prayed at least twice, every day, more frequently now that she was away from her homeworld. She experienced a . . . disconnect from her people, her way of life, everything she had ever known. She was raised as a Crusader, a warrior for her Empress. Then she became her Empress. And now she was on this strange world, with strange people, with their own strange customs. Zhornee wisdom held that these aliens were demons, seeking to harvest the Zhornee and consume their flesh. So far, no one had tried to eat Ashaiya, so that had to be exaggerated.

She had always had the Gift, what these aliens called the 'Force', it ran in her blood. She had thought the Crusaders of her homeworld were powerful, but these Sith were on an entirely different plain. Even after only a few days, she had seen things that challenged everything she had ever known about her people's Gift. The Voidwalkers, her people's 'Force Sensitives', were few and far between, most of them dying in the various civil wars and purges that plagued her world. She was one of the last known.

Her inner thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of someone entering the gardens, her Gift whispering at her. She opened her violet eyes, swiveling her head around to examine the newcomer. A woman, a human woman. Interesting. She had not found this to be a very popular spot in the Academy.

Ashaiya stood from her kneeling position, still examining this woman, but her accented Basic softly tumbled from her lips.
"Apologies. I did not expect someone to come. I have been alone every time I come here."

[member="Katarina Vox"]

 

[Katarina Vox]

As she stepped forwards into the gardens her train of thought was broken entirely - there was a being there. A woman with piercing violet eyes and an accent she had yet to come across. Katarina looked at her with slight suspicion, a natural thing to do when confronted with another Sith. Yet from the way she spoke and her posture as she stood, this one seemed... Different. Like she had priorities other than that of dominating the galaxy. Indeed, even the clothing that adorned her body were somewhat foreign to the Order's masses.

"Sith have no room for apologies, but I understand your sentiment. Too many are consumed solely by their desire for mastery of the blade, while they pay no attention to their mental well being."

She spoke softly, her Adumari accent slipping past her lips. She made no effort to conceal her heritage, not that it mattered. She had been trained to hold nothing close, her homeworld included. Still, Katarina strolled forwards with a quiet confidence towards the woman. She made no effort to ask if she could join her, but simply took it upon herself to do so. A Sith, she thought, must always make a strong impression.

"Katarina, if you must know."

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[member="Ashaiya Mar'Dikan"]​

[apologies about the late. Between work and an unexpected hospital visit I've been unable to get on! ;_;]​