[Class] Sith Elegance

[Lupe]

Brelin leaned against the wall of a room once occupied with the weapons of war, but now empty and spartan, only used sparingly as a training room. It was a sad truth that the war was now dying down, with the Battle of Coruscant marking the unofficial end of the war. Sure, there were a few Galactic Alliance holdouts left, but everybody knew that the war was over, the GA had put up a pathetic fight and now the Sith ruled supreme. Still, the Empire knew better than to bring its guard down. Now, more than ever, they called for more training and classes to be organized in order to avoid the whole Sith Imperium becoming complacent and inept. That was why Brelin was on Korriban, to teach young acolytes on what it truly means to be Sith, and that wasn't the stereotypical Sith either.

In fact, the Sith Crusader was a far cry from the Sith that has been popularly accepted. He was not overly aggressive, he was not big and strong. Instead, he was calm, cold, distant, as well as being lean yet fit. Nor did Brelin unnecessarily kill everyone out right, he thought with his mind rather than his lightsaber, and that was the knowledge that Brelin wanted to impart on the Acolytes, but for now he waited.

 

[Bubák]

After returning from Coruscant, Avreet had spent most of the time in meditations. While the Sith were victorious, he also remembered a line of the old Sith code, saying "Peace is a lie". The young boy interpreted it that even in their moment of triumph, they had to remain vigilant, always looking for those who wanted to hurt the mighty Imperium. The assassin in training was prepared to carry out missions to eliminate potential threats. To do that, he often had to get close to the person he had to strike down. If one wanted to get to the brain, he had to get through the skull first or find an alternative way. Avreet was born for the alternative ways, infiltrations. The hardest and most important thing of infiltrating most of the groups was making a good first impression.

As such, he didn't hesitate when he saw a class offering teaching the students how to be cunning. Although it could be said Avreet was civilized compared to many wild, unprofessional beasts that were his fellow students, he still wanted to improve his ways. Like a dagger, his Master began sharpening him, making him a true weapon. Self control was the most important thing. A wild beast simply wouldn't infiltrate the Jedi Order and Avreet knew that if he was going to do that one day, he needed to be even sharper. Almost like an actor in a theatre, never letting his mask down, always planning ahead and knowing what to do, realizing the consequences of his actions. All of that and even more would be needed to become a Padawan, waiting for an opportunity to strike where it hurts.

Maybe he also wanted to prove those who thought him weak that they were wrong. Just because he didn't kill everything in his path and took time to think of various options, preferring the way of least bloodshed, didn't mean he was not a capable Sith Acolyte. Truth to be told, he often failed to see any logic in his comrades' actions. Why to kill dozens of prisoners on the spot when those could be used to gain important information? What else was a sign of weakness than killing a defenseless opponent or a civilian?

This class showed so much promise, not to sharpen the blade he was, but also to teach other students of thinking instead of cutting through everything like retarded children. Not to mention so many Sith simply enjoyed killing and causing pain! Disguisting and unprofessional, but it had him know that if anyone was going to infiltrate the Jedi, it was going to be him.

Wearing his typical tight black tunics, he entered the class room. Avreet's right fist hit his chest in a greeting, "Glory to the New Sith Imperium. Master, I am Acolyte Zatarus. I am ready to learn." The boy felt very patriotic and no wonder since the Empire won the war and eliminated the greatest threat to freedom, the Alliance and it's watchdogs.

 

[Elijah Brockway]

"Room three dash thirty-two A, three thirty-two A..." Jaron muttered, walking through the halls. The Keshiri was only recently arrived, and still wasn't entirely sure where everything would be; however, he had been told to seek out the Crusader Brelin's class, so as to avoid falling into the trap that some other Acolytes did, thinking with their blades more than with their minds.

Unwilling to cause displeasure in his superiors so early in his training, he'd quickly moved to find the training room where he would be taught, careful to keep his scabbarded vibrosword from bumping into things. Blasted piece of metal...he needed to build himself a lightsaber soon. The vibrosword was too much to keep dragging along behind him all the time...

"Ah, here we are," Jaron noted, pushing open the door. He stepped inside, after a moment saluting to the man who matched the description of the Crusader who was supposed to be teaching them. "Greetings, master. I am Acolyte Jaron, and would be grateful for any knowledge you may impart."

 

[Marf]

Quiet as a mouse, and not too much bigger either, Satoryu stepped inside the classroom. She recognized Avreet, but had not seen Jaron before and very much liked his purple skin. Sato bowed to the new student and gave a sly smile to Avreet. This was a class on how to be an elegant Sith, and Sato certainly looked the part. She dressed simply, in black, lightweight robes that hung loosely off her being, the hem and sleeves reached her knees. In Satoryu's opinion, the Sith were the most elegant people in the galaxy, the houses and courts of Naboo and Alderaan did not compare to the style and chic of a Sith Lord.

"Hello Crusader Brelin, thankyou for instructing me today. I appreciate anything you have to teach me."

As an Assassin to be, the art of cunning and deceit was highly important in Satoryu's training. Sato was certainly deceitful, her shy, friendly demeanour, innocent manner and subtly hid all too well just how disturbed she truly was. She harboured her psychopathy until the appropriate moments, until then, she was just a strange little girl. Her bloodlust was perfectly controlled, she did not seek to kill everyone she met and her kindness was genuine too. For this reason, Satoryu believed she was most suited to the path of a Sith Assassin.

 

[Lupe]

Brelin slowly got off the wall he was leaning on as his students began filling in the room, he nodded to each respectfully as they greeted him, deciding not to waste words. He then began to analyze each one of them individually, judging their personalities, their strengths, their weaknesses, simply by looking at them. Now, he wasn't as good as his superiors were at analyzing simply by sight, but he was still pretty decent at it. For example, he could already tell the Mon Calamari had already seen his fair share of combat, or that the Keshiri was rather new, fresh off the shuttle, and finally that young woman was hiding her fair share of demons. Of course, Brelin did not know the specifics of these young acolytes, but he knew what he needed to know. He knew that these Sith were different from the others, they operated under different pretenses. That's exactly what he wanted.

"Welcome, Acolytes." he started, his voice muffled by the turban that covered all of his face, except for the eyes. "I am Crusader Brelin Niko. Perhaps you have heard of my combat prowress as a Warrior, perhaps not, it does not matter. I am not here to teach you how to fight, I am here to teach you how to think." he stopped for a second, putting emphasis on think. "You are here to learn how not to be a barbarian, and how to better serve the Empire as a whole. Any questions before we begin?"

 

[Elijah Brockway]

Jaron briefly - briefly - considered asking the Crusader before him one question: Will there be snacks? However, trusting his better judgement over his penchant for jocular response, he kept his mouth shut. With a simple shake of the head to the Crusader standing before him, Jaron then turned his attention, momentarily, to the other students in the class with him.

He gave a slight bow of the head to Satoryu, in recognition of the bow she had given him. She looked young, younger than Jaron expected, but he doubted that would mean she would be weak at all. While he sensed a slight tension from her, he did not sense any immediate threat; so, hopefully, he could pass her on.

The other, Avreet, was a different matter; just by looking at him, the Keshiri acolyte was able to recognize that he already had some experience in serving the Empire. His eyes glinted with patriotic fervor, almost, and though he would present no outright threat, Jaron had a feeling that - should some misunderstanding ever come between them - this Mon Calamari would have no qualms about destroying him, completely.

His observations finished, Jaron turned back to Brelin, a slight smile trying to play upon his lips. At the moment, he needn't worry about his fellow Acolytes, in this room. Right now, his only concern was proving himself the most ready - and most likely - to truly learn.

 

[Bubák]

Briefly looking at the newcomer with his cybernetic eye, Avreet ran his face through the database of the people he had met before. The purple humanoid was not there, so the Mon Cal took a picture of him with a blink. The other student that came was none other than his rival, Satoryu. He didn't even need to search for her to recognize her. Avreet strongly disliked her bloodlust, but still felt some strange form of respect towards her. Despite their vastly different methods, they were both very effective in eliminating their targets and acting. Sato, the innocent girl and Avreet, the idealistic Mon Calamari boy who knew how to repair things and hated the Empire with passion. Had Sato ever used her mask to infiltrate a rebel base, though?

Their teacher didn't say much and the Mon Calamari Acolyte had never heard of him before, but Avreet immediately liked him because of what the man said next. Teaching them how not to be barbarians and serve the Empire. The teenage amphibian couldn't ask for more, already deciding he would pass this man's teachings on his apprentice once he became a Crusader. As such, when asked if they had any questions, he shook his large head, the stoic Mon Calamari expression not giving away any emotions, "I don't have any questions, master." One might wonder why did the boy keep calling the man like that if their teacher had already introduced himself and said his rank. Avreet called people by their surname or rank, but thought it was polite to call the Crusader a master since he was doing a lesson for them, sharpening them from blunt knives into scalpels.

 

[Marf]

Satoryu listened and contemplated as Brelin spoke. She in fact cared little for the Empire as a whole, her only loyalties lay with the Sith, she fought not to serve her Empire, but to uphold the traditions and philosophy of her Order and more importantly, better herself. Satoryu was an individualist to the core, but weren't all Sith supposed to be? She didn't understand how some Sith gave their life "for their Empire", that was being selfless. Being Sith, to Sato, was about personal achievement, not the achievement of others.

"Is serving the Empire not secondary to serving yourself? For a Sith I mean. Is one of the core aspects of our philosophy not self-preservation?"

Selfishness was not a bad thing according to Satoryu. What was so much worse in caring for yourself than caring for others? It was only logical to place your own being in a higher regard. There was no reason a Sith's Empire and his brethren should not hold any importance, but the higher value should be placed by the Sith on himself. It was all about survival and progress.

When she heard the phrase "how to not be a barbarian", the first thing that came to her mind was the idea of using needles to torture somebody instead of a sledgehammer. She smiled to herself, "always needles." Was she really that subtle after all? She thought of Naga Sadow, the greatest Massassi warrior of all time, who also mastered the delicate arts of Sith magic. With the intelligence, cunning and charm of a sorcerer and the heart and strength of a warrior, he had defied the caste system and revolutionized the Empire. Did this case elegant barbarism apply to Sato aswell? Who had the subtlety of an assassin, but the ruthlessness of a warrior.

 

[Lupe]

Brelin couldn't hold back a smirk when the young girl spoke up and asked "Is serving the Empire not secondary to serving yourself? For a Sith I mean. Is one of the core aspects of our philosophy not self-preservation?". It was not a condescending smirk, however, rather it was a proud smirk for it was a good question. In fact, he was hoping it would come up. The Crusader looked at the girl and nodded "You are correct," he started, continuing to look at the young woman in the eye "the Sith care about self-preservation. In fact it was one of the key things about being a Sith, and thus it should be concluded that we look after ourselves. It is only logical, but you need to think a little. If we are not to help the Empire then who is going to help us? Would we, Sith, truly exist without the Empire? No, you must understand that we and the Empire are connected, whether we like it or not, but do not misunderstand me. I am not asking you to grovel at their feet like Jedi do to the Republic, we are their superiors, their masters, but even the slave must be well fed if he is to serve you correctly. I only ask that you do not work against the Empire simply because of lack of foresight and intelligence, for in the end you are working against yourself." he stopped for a second, thinking on what to say before he found it "Thus by preserving the Empire, you self-preserve, which results in you being a true Sith."

Once he was done, Brelin looked at his other students, pausing for a few moments to ensure that his words were well heeded. "Any further inquires?"

 

[Bubák]

Avreet thought about it. He always placed the Empire above everything else. If the Empire supported the Sith, it meant the Sith were in power and therefore he always did his best to help the Empire, as stregthening allies means strengthening themselves. Many Sith didn't realize it, but their Order was in power because of the masses fighting for them, building for them, dying for them. Without the loyal Imperials, the Sith Order wouldn't havy anyone to command, and even the Empress would be no one. What use is to be the most powerful being in the galaxy when there are no servants? The Mon Cal agreed with what the Crusader said, the New Sith Imperium was their Empire, after all, so they had to take care of it.

This actually brought Avreet an idea, so he raised his hand and spoke when the Crusader looked at him, "Master, since the Empire is important to us, shouldn't we at least try to be seen as benevolent rulers and it's protectors rather than ruthless dictators? Many people serve us out of fear, and I think it increases a chance of betraying us if the Jedi ever manage to crawl out of their holes. We should show our citizens that while unforgiving towards our enemies and those who betray us, we are fair and just. Even if we just pretend it, people will see us in better light and more likely follow us voluntarily. We need to show them that under our rule, they are safe. The Jedi have failed at it, so it's an opportunity to show those who have been Alliance citizens until recent that we are better than the Jedi Order. There are many pirates and criminals attacking Imperial citizens in the former Alliance space and we could simply send a message that those won't be tolerated any longer. People will compare what the Jedi did and what we did, and see that we are better. They will realize that living in the Empire and serving the Sith is good for them. And a happy Imperial is loyal Imperial."

The Mon Calamari was all for protecting the Imperial citizens. Unlike the Jedi though, he wouldn't serve them, his only duty was to protect them just as their duty was to follow the Sith. "The people are tired of the war. If the Jedi come back and start another conflict, they will be seen as agressors, am I right? We, the Sith, will be seen as defenders of peace." he said. Indeed, since the Jedi and their Alliance started the war in the first place, trying to overthrow the Empire again would result in being condemned as warmongers by the general populace and make the Sith seem as just rulers forced to defend themselves.

 

[Elijah Brockway]

"I can't help but feel that we would be walking on a knife's edge, were we to try that," Jaron piped up. "It would be manipulation on a grand scale, but it would be hard to keep our view in a positive light, making people want to serve us, rather than making them serve us out of fear." The Keshiri acolyte opened his mouth, about to say more, but decided against it. Commenting on the Mon Calamari's choice of words would make him look more like a sycophant than he would like.

"Although, judging by the subject of the class, it seems likely that we'll be taught the basics of such manipulation, no?...Among other things, of course."

 

[Marf]

(OOC: Who needs peace when you're elegant as f/ck?) XD

Satoryu was satisfied with the Crusader's evaluation. She had said it herself, that the preservation of your Empire and your brethren was secondary to the preservation of yourself, but important nonetheless. As she the Mon Cal spoke, she found herself agreeing with his kind speech, to a degree. If Satoryu were Empress, she thought, she would like her people to follow her out of earned respect, not fear. She would spare the common citizens from violence and, most likely, save it for her inner circle.

"There is no peace. Peace is a lie. We should not try to succeed where the Jedi have failed, because the idea of peace that they tried to achieve is impossible. We should protect our citizens, but not by trying to be something we are not. We must put forward our philosophy, make them understand that conflict is core to the human condition and that it should be embraced, rather than denied."

She turned to Jaron. "I agree with you, Acolyte."

"I have no more questions, Crusader." She said to Brelin.

 

[Lupe]

Brelin was impressed by this group of acolytes, they actually thought about things and contemplated about it. He watched with glee as they debated about Imperial policy, proud that they were actually thinking, but, of course, he did not show any emotion on the surface, or even below it. He did not want to get their heads too big for their body. Thus, the Crusader waited till they were done to start speaking again. He glanced at the Mon Calamari "You speak truth, acolyte, but we are not benevolent. As the young woman said, we should not pretend to be someone we are not. To put it simply, we are warriors, from inquisitors to Sith assassins, we are warriors. We can inspire them through awe rather than fear, but we will never get rid of the fear. For everyone fears the warrior, but they can also respect them. Right now, many Imperial citizens are in high morale, simply because we are defeating the Alliance in several theaters of war. Sure, they may still fear us, but they are also honored to be a part of a faction that boasts such an invincible army." Brelin stopped for a second, thinking on how to put what he just said in simpler terms. "In the end we should aim to become revered warriors rather than benevolent warriors. Lead by example and they will follow."

The Sith Crusader looked at his acolytes, even though he was not able to do what he had planned this was just as good. Still, it meant that they would only have time for one activity rather than the two he had plan. "So any more questions before I continue?"

 

[Bubák]

Thinking about it, Avreet saw the truth in the Crusader's words. Fear and respect, a very powerful combination. The Sith should aim to be respected and feared for being unforgiving and swift to carry out what needed to be done, but should never try to increase the ammount of fear needlessly. The popular activity "kill your own Imperial soldier", which was quite common before punishing Imperials like that for stupid reasons was forbidden. That particular action not only increased fear in the Imperials, it also took away any respect they may have felt for the Sith. Killing for good reason and making an example of someone was an entirely different matter, as the victim had usually done something that had caused deaths of another Imperial or hurt the Empire in some way. Executing an Imperial with no reason made the Imperials realize that no matter what they did, the Sith would execute them anyway. Like a psychopath. And who would like to serve under a psychopath who randomly kills people? Too much fear either caused people to snap, attacking the one who had caused so much fear, or break. Both of the possibilities were bad, ruling over a broken Empire was like ruling over a defeated Empire, possibly even worse.

Shaking his head, Avreet said, "No more questions, master." The Mon Cal himself would never hurt an Imperial, his reputation as a Sith being one of the reasons. The soldiers and other citizens needed to see that if they didn't give him a reason to go after them, they'd be allowed to live their lives with nothing to be afraid of. They'd still fear the Sith though, knowing their leaders would surely punish them if they did something wrong.

 

[Elijah Brockway]

Listening to both the Crusader and Satoryu, Jaron looked over at the Mon Calamari acolyte, Avreet, to gauge his reaction; thankfully, he had taken the comments in good stead, rather than getting angered over them. Turning his head back around, he nodded at Satoryu, silent thanks for her agreeing with his words, before he put his eyes on Brelin.

"None from me, Master," he replied, waiting in anticipation of what teaching they might get, now that the opening conversations were soon to be over.

 

[Marf]

Satoryu felt a little guilty for stalling the class. If something was said that she didn't agree with, she couldn't help herself. Unless of course, that something was said by a someone who might kill her. Most of the crusaders and Masters she had met were fairly lenient, she had not met enough Lords or Darths to say the same. Sith should not anger when their ideals are questioned, it was not disrespect, merely a difference of opinion.

Sato had already mentioned that she had no more questions. She simply nodded her head in acknowledgement. Were they not putting the use of elegance over barbarism into practice by debating their opinions rather than duelling over them? Sato had recently taken a class with a Master Warrior, within a minute, a duel had broken out. She looked forward to simply talking and listening in this case.

 

[Lupe]

With the Acolytes ready to proceed, Brelin simply nodded and motioned for them to follow him. He then proceeded to take them outside the vacant room and into the hall, he then walked down the hall to a downwards stairway. Once there, he walked down, into the dungeon. It was a dark, damp place, a place that sucked the hope and optimism right out of a person's heart. Still, it was not completely desolate, at times one could even hear rats and other vermin scurrying around, and there were also the moans of prisoners every so often. Eventually, the Sith Crusader reached Cell 101, home to a jedi spy. He then turned to his students and proceeded to speak "Here we have prisoner 101, a jedi spy who went by the codename Lone Wanderer. He's been here for about, em..." he paused to think "five days. Still, he has not been broken and he will not speak. We've tried torture and threats, both met with the same vacant response. So I want you to analyze the prisoner, and tell me how best to break him."

Despite Brelin saying analyze, there was nothing much to analyze except the prisoner, who sat in the middle of the cell, meditating silently. The prisoner was a rather large Cathar and, from what could be seen, had been in a fair share of battles.

 

[Bubák]

Following the Crusader into the dungeon, the Mon Cal wondered what awaited them inside. When he entered, he felt like in prison. Not that the young Acolyte has ever been in prison, but the whole place felt so hopeless. Prisons were supposed to be like that, to properly play with the minds of it's inhabitants. The students and the teacher stopped in front of a cell with number 101. After being explained who the prisoner was and tasked for ways of breaking him, several ideas raced through Avreet's mind. He spoke up before the other two Acolytes, sharing his thoughts, "He is a Jedi spying on us, so it is to be expected that he is trained to resist even the most powerful mind manipulating Force powers. As a Jedi spy, he probably doesn't have a family, as family members could be used against him in a case like this. He may have a Padawan, but he or she will be either dead or hiding with the rest of the Jedi. The way of breaking his will leads through making him doubt the Jedi and their beliefs. Cathars are said to be loyal species, known for their passion and temper. Not exactly things fitting for a Jedi, and it looks like he is an experienced warrior."

Chuckling, he continued, "Waging a war for peace. What a nonsense! He needs to realize that his actions have only brought pain and suffering. Show him some pictures of Sith troopers sliced into pieces, then show him photographs of their families. Show him planets ravaged by war, because the foolish Jedi Order kept fighting, being responsible for billions of deaths of men, women and children. Show him cities burned to ashes after an Alliance liberating bombardment. Make him realize the Jedi won't save him, make him realize there is no hope left for him unless he cooperates, make him feel he is fighting for the wrong side!" he paused to take a breath.

The important part of breaking him would be first impression. "I have been trained to hide my Force presence, or make it feel like that of a Jedi. I could become one with the light side and bring the prisoner food and water. He expects us all to be animals, monsters, so it'd throw him off guard and surprised him. Then, I would start talking to him. Nothing relevant. About family, friends. Make myself another living and breathing sentient in his eyes. Then I'd talk about his friends. Where are they now when he needs them? They continue fighting even after losing the war, quite an opposite to peace. What has he been fighting and killing for, after all? Was it worth it? What did he accomplish? And then show him those pictures, like I said before. If all of that fails, we bring a young Cathar female and make sure he takes a good look at her. Let them talk for a while to get them know each other, then start breaking her bones, one by one. She'd suffer because of him. Keep telling the Jedi she could be his young sister, how can he be so cruel to let an innocent being like her suffer just because of some beliefs. Call him a heartless monster until he breaks," saying that, the boy stopped talking and looked at the Crusader and his fellow Acolytes with a curious look, hoping to be given a critique so his plan could be shaped into perfection.

 

[Elijah Brockway]

"I agree with most of that," Jaron said, after a moment. "However, my preference would instead be to make myself seem an ally, a friend - I doubt he would ever fully trust me, but once he would let his guard down, the trap would be fully set. And then I would release him, allowing him to make his escape - and setting a few of those trained in the art of hiding their presence to tail him, and observe; In my view, it would be better to make him lead us to what we want, than to try to use merely another form of psychological torture to try and break him. Really, while the idea of using another young Cathar to try and get to him like that could work on other beings, he might either simply detach himself from the proceedings, or attempt to be merciful to the other Cathar, but not in the way we want - he might attempt to fight us, which would either bring us right back to where we are, in the end, or even lead to his death." The Keshiri shrugged. "An event which would be useful to nobody."

 

[Marf]

Walking up to the door of the cell, Satoryu stood on her toes so that she was just able to peek through the small glass window into cell. The poor wretch looked appropriately miserable and she couldn't help but pity him. It wasn't a compassionate, merciful pity, but the kind of pity that made her want to put him out of his misery. She twisted her mouth in contemplation, he hadn't responded to torture, perhaps not the physical kind.

She considered the use of Force Horror. If preformed by a skilled Sith Master, the effects on the average being could be absolutely horrible, worse than any physical kind of pain. This individual was average however, he was a Jedi and could use the Force to counter the mind attack if he was powerful enough. The Jedi were selfless, this man would place a higher value on the well being of others than his own.

"He is a Jedi, he has been trained to be ultimately self-sacrificing, but he has also been trained to defend the weak at all costs. He will not react nearly as much to his own pain as he will to somebody else's. Bring forward another Jedi prisoner, one who is much younger and more vulnerable, a Padawan. Torture them in front of their Senior, make it so that their pain is clearly and blatantly visible."

Stepping down from the door, she turned to face the rest of the class.

"The more the older Jedi refuses to speak, the more he endangers the life of the one who is weaker than he is. The only way he can defend them is by submitting to us. If what he tells us turns out to be a lie, do the same thing again, but use a different prisoner this time, or better still, use somebody who is not a prisoner at all, a hapless slave perhaps. The more people who suffer because him, the more it will cause his conscience to crack."