STAR WARS: The Crimson Blight

Episode 11: A planet in reflection

Korriban: Five years before the treaty of Coruscant

Sitting on top of the academy, Briza and her ally Deedrah, were taking a break after a day of training. It was a very warm day, the sun's rays burning the already desolate planet, both of them wore thin light clothes to block out the sun, without being too hot to wear.

Briza looked out over the canyon named 'Valley of the Sith', as she recalled the day's events, "We managed to fight the hordes of beasts without as much as receiving a scratch."

"Another acolyte died on this day. She was weak, but I wonder if she could have been a soldier, maybe even a pilot," Deedrah said, with a hint of irritation in her voice.

Briza knew Deedrah really disliked the waste of talent by encouraging strong acolytes to accidentally kill the weaker ones, when they could still be very beneficial for the empire in other areas. "Difficult to say, we haven't learned how to resurrect people yet. Not that I disagree," she muttered in return.

"That reminds me, has your brother unlocked his potential yet?" Deedrah asked, making her point.

Briza sighed deeply, "No... At least he hadn't gone crazy, like some of his peers." She had noticed how many lacked control when embracing the darkside without proper guidance and how many turned utterly mad as a consequence.

Deedrah seemed to know what she was talking about, as she responded in kind, "Take control of your powers, or be controlled by them."

"That sounds a bit like something a Jedi would have said," Briza commented with a grin, despite knowing that it wasn't the case.

"I guess that's one upside to being a subservient peace lover," Deedrah laughed in return.

"Well we can always just sit motionless in the middle," Briza sarcastically replied and added, "Extremes always limit free will."

Deedrah smirked a little, before suggesting, "Or just keep your wits about you and learn all you can. The dangerous stuff can be practiced in moderation."

Briza nodded, despite them both being well versed in the dark arts. Through moderation and keeping cool while using deadly force abilities, they had never lost complete control of their own actions. Also both of them had avoided getting any dark side skin corruption, such as yellow eyes and a gray plaque like skin. Something that had happened to most of their fellow acolytes.

"So how is your sorcery training going?" Briza asked, changing the suspect.

"Do you know what a Hssiss is?" Deedrah asked in return, a slight grin forming on her lips, as she studied Briza's reaction.

After a moment of thought, Briza just told what she knew, "A Hssiss is a large poisons creature, I've killed a few in a recent tomb trial. They are strong, but slow."

"I made one myself," Deedrah said. After seeing an expression of surprise from Briza, she elaborated further, "While mine is a bit tiny. It, unlike the others, is still very much alive. It has survived without assistance for two days now."

This was a bit perplexing for Briza, twisting life like this was still something more or less forgotten knowledge, "You have it kept in a lab, or-"

"Or, It is right over there." Deedrah snapped her finger and a small long green reptile came running towards them and with its jaws opened wide, with venom dripping from its teeths, it jumped right up in Briza's face.

"Aaaarrrrh A HSSISS!!!" A voice screamed and crashed to the durasteel floor with a loud clunk, waking up everyone in the process.

"What is wrong?!" Terrow asked concerned, as he found Mathorn laying on the ground, with his blanket landing softly on top of his spiky head.