Ask Under-Qualified for Everything

[Trace]

Trace could sense the waves of negative emotions coming from Ailis and directed at her. It was disappointing in a way, but it wasn't too shocking. They were born on opposite sides of the upper layer and that put them at odds without so much as a chance.

She didn't really respond as Ailis said it must have been nice, more resentment than she probably intended leaking into her voice. Trace didn't bite the bait, however, and it seemed Ailis snapped out of it moments later.

See, now you're giving me mixed messages. First it's terrible, now it's nice, she said, cracking a grin and hoping to lighten the situation. And maybe draw attention away from this awkward situation.

Yeah, I've done some traveling along the Hydian Way with my parents, but not much. I've done way more in the last year or two as an Acolyte than I ever did before the Academy, she said. Most Sith had to get used to traveling these days. The Empire required them everywhere and they were in short supply.

Coruscant is a long way from the Empire, how'd you end up in the employ of the Sith? she asked. I'd have thought Jedi were more likely to find you that deep in the Core.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

So Trace had noticed her little resentful attitude. Figures. Ailis hadn't exactly composed herself and acted all peachy. "You'll get used to it if you keep hanging out with me." She joked... kind of. It was kind of a joke. She laughed either way. She wasn't exactly the most stable person all the time.

"I never travelled." She said, trying not to sound sore about it. It must have been nice. "Sounds like that will change though if I can stick it out here. Perks of the job yeah?" She grinned. She'd already been to one more place than she'd ever been before, and she doubted it was about to stop there.

At the suggestion of her being found by the Jedi, Ailis bust out laughing. She gripped her sides and tried to breath before turning to Trace. "Me? A Jedi? Nah, I'm a horrible fucking person." She laughed again, a little sad. She hadn't always been. "I came here by choice, walked right through the front door and signed up." It hadn't been that difficult of a decision when she was faced with the option when she figured out she was sensitive to the force.

"Besides, no Jedi was gonna find me down in those slums." She figured the Jedi were too busy preaching in nice clean robes and playing games with senators. She had seen what went down in the senate with the Jedi. "I'm here because I want to be." She had learned early in life that you only got what you made, stole, or took. That nobody was looking out for here but herself. "What about you? What brought you to the Sith?"

@Phoenix

 

[Trace]

Trace nodded as Ailis told her about how she'd come to the Sith. It was actually a little bit unusual as far as stories went. Most people were recruited - willing or otherwise - but it seemed a rarity these days that anyone came in willingly. She wondered what that said about the Sith... or Jedi for that matter. A lot of the galaxy saw them as freaks these days.

Jedi, she said, shaking her head. She'd never actually met one, but they certainly seemed the hypocritical sort. She knew the nobles here on Taris had sold them out in the battle, but she wondered why they had agreed to have the Jedi here in the first place.

I was competing as a gymnast and dancer, quite good at it, too, she said. Now I know that probably the only reason for that was that I'm Force-sensitive. I mean, even more than most Miraluka. The Sith pointed it out to me, and I came to the academy, she said. It wasn't a very exciting story, but it was hers.

They arrived at the office building a few moments later and she hopped up the steps to head inside, angling toward one of the Instructor's offices where she would return the book.

No luck with getting taken on as an apprentice, though, she said, a hint of disappointment in her voice. Graduating straight from the academy was fine, but actually getting a Champion or Lord to sponsor you was so much better.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

The word Jedi came from Trace's mouth and Ailis tried to get a sense of what she felt about them. She didn't know much about the Jedi but they seemed like a bunch of stuck up prudes from what she had heard. There wasn't much to read from the Miraluka's cool and even tone. So she asked. "What do you think about the Jedi?" Probably an unwise question to be asking at the Academy, but Ailis was full of those.

"Sounds stressful." She said about competing with other people at dancing. She just liked to dance, not make a big deal about who was better at it. "Just because of the Force," Ailis shook her head, "I don't think it can... Make you something you're not, can it?" She asked, trying to be supporting while also coming to a troubling question. Was she just the way she was because of the Force. Was that the Drast blood her parent's always prattled about. Was that why she had turned out so rotten.

Ailis looked at Trace, remembering she had been talking before her mind had gotten distracted wondering if she had evil running through her veins. "No luck yet," Ailis raised a finger to make the point, "You'll get a master and he'll teach you how to be a real badass Sith." She nodded. Yep, some Sith Lord would definitely come along and take away the girl and leave Ailis all along like always. It was a good thing for Trace that Ailis' own luck always turned out that kinda way.

@Phoenix

 

[Trace]

I've never actually met a Jedi, she said. But they seem an awful lot like hypocrites to me, she said. It occurred to her that she probably should have hated them much more. I just know if they come for us, I'll do what I have to, she said. It was about as insightful answer as she could give, and it wasn't much.

Well, no, it can't. But as you've probably seen it can very easily help you with balance, agility... things that are required in competitive gymnastics, she said. Whether she'd intended it or not, the Force had almost certainly helped her all along that path.

Hmph, here's hoping, she said, smiling and holding up crossed fingers. She didn't realize the other girl was worrying about her own fate internally.

Trace deposited the datacard in a small slot in the professor's office, and her errand was already done.

You know what kind of Sith you want to be? she asked. It was probably a premature question given how new she was and many people never chose to go into any specialization, but she was curious nonetheless.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis was a little bit disappointed that Trace had just as much idea of what the Jedi were like as she did. A whole lot of nothing. She nodded in agreement when the girl said they seemed like hypocrites though. Everything she had heard about the Jedi seemed like they wanted to paint themselves as the saviors of the galaxy. But it didn't seem like they did a whole lot of saving.

"Yeah..." Ailis responded a bit withdrawn as Trace crossed her fingers and Ailis grappled with her own inner turmoil. It seemed as though Trace was done with her little errand as she deposited a datacard in a slot.

"Not really, I do know I wanna learn magic though." Ailis grinned, her eyes sparking at the thought. She'd always dreamed of doing magic and even though everything they could do with the force seemed like magic, she knew there was more to it than that. "What about you?"

Ailis looked around and it seemed like the day was beginning to wind down and there wasn't exactly much for them to do around the academy. "So what do the locals do for fun around here?" She asked. Trace was a local, and unless she was a total stick in the mud there was probably something she did for fun.

@Phoenix

 

[Trace]

Oooo, Arcanist Drast. Has a nice ring to it, she said. Magic hadn't really ever been her thing, though it was funny for her to say that. She was a bit of a nerd and probably would have fit in well with the sorcerers and alchemists, but it just... wasn't her way.

I don't know. I like fencing... like, a lot, she said. And sometimes I think my particular skills are suited to something in the ISB, she said. Seeing people without looking at them, sneaking in and out of places, pulling data straight off of devices by touching them... they were all skills well suited to intelligence.

But I don't know, all their cloak and dagger stuff... I'm not sure I can do that, she said with a shrug.

People started clearing out of the campus and Trace nodded as she asked what there was to do for fun.

There's a club nearby that'll light up in a couple of hours. It's mostly other Sith and Imperials if you don't mind that, she said. It wasn't quite an "Imperial club" officially, but it was pretty close.

The bartenders are nice at least and the music's alright, she added. She stopped and smirked, turning her head to the side slightly.

I guess you decided to leave your test up to the Force? she said with a chuckle. She really couldn't blame her. It didn't sound like studying was going to do much more at this point so might as well have some fun on the way out.

@Arcangel

 

[Ailis Drast]

Ailis got a thoughtful look as Trace called her Arcanist Drast. It did have a nice ring to it. If she ever got out of the pit she started in, well she could definitely see herself joining the ranks of the Sith sorcerers and alchemists. She usually had excellent study habits and actually really enjoyed learning. "That does sound nice." She said after thinking about it.

"Oooh fencing. I suck at fencing." She giggled as she listened to Trace talk about her dreams or at least goals within the Sith. "I don't know you seem like you'd be pretty good at it to me." Ailis shrugged at Trace's reluctance for cloak and dagger sneaky stuff. "Agent Trace... Inquisitor Trace..." She listed off the possibilities. Agent Trace sounded like something out of a holo action flick.

Ailis eyes grew bright at the mention of a club before becoming downcast again as Trace reminded her of her test. "Oh right... my test." She had gotten so caught up in talking and the excitement of her breakthrough with the force that she had almost forgotten about her impending test that decided her fate on whether she was doomed to summer school or not. "I should probably do the responsible things and study some more, maybe try out more meditation." She said a bit glumly, but the idea of meditating again and really taking her time did seem... exciting? Maybe not exciting, but as exciting as sitting alone plumbing the depths of her own mind could be.

"I'd love to but I shouldn't," She gave Trace a sad look before smiling and pulling out her comlink, "Whats your number?" She asked as she started to give Trace her own information. "We can hang out again after my test, maybe go to that club, or I could bother you to learn some fencing?" She said with a grin. Sabers scared her but Trace seemed like practically an expert.

@Phoenix

 

[Trace]

Trace laughed slightly at "Agent Trace." She wasn't sure she was spooky enough to be an Inquisitor, but she supposed that they didn't all start out being scary, probably. In fact, there were probably some of them that were like her, weren't they? Statistically speaking anyway.

She could see she had cast a bit of a pall over Ailis with the mention of the test, but Trace didn't want to be the reason the other girl failed.

Yeah, for sure, she said with a smile, listing off her number and pulling out her own comlink. She input the data into the device without even pressing a button. Maybe Ailis was right about her sneaky side.

Good luck on your test. You'll kill it, she said. And for sure. I'm looking forward to hanging out again, she said.

The two went their separate directions and Trace's mind slowly turned back in the direction of her own work. Ah, screw it. I'm going to the club, she thought to herself, deciding studying could wait.

//Thread