[IC] Tashha's Voice Diary

[Joslae]

(( NOTE - Every entry is done on a local storage type device, not connected to any network, furthermore it is placed in a location which ICly cannot give anyone access to said device without Tashha's accord. ))

---

---

ENTRY 1 - Introduction.

*The recording plays and a rustling sound is heard alongside a static buzzing sound. It lasts for a few moments before the first words can be heard.*

This is Acolyte Tashha Vineac's first voice diary entry. Year 23 ATC, location - acolyte living quarters aboard the Crew Deck of House Horuset's Flagship "Th'Asidra". The recent events which have transpired regarding House Horuset inspired me to start recording a personal diary, of sorts. I know for a fact that some of the acolytes and apprentices also keep holo diaries concerning their evolution on the road to becoming a full-fledged Sith, but I believe that a simple voice recording will suffice. No need to display my "disgusting mug" - as Lord Zarrious would put it - upon a holo... Not that it would make any difference.

*She pauses and clears her throat with a light cough. A tapping sound is heard trailing in the background, as her fingers wrap around her recorder.*

Ever since I was a young, misguided girl I've been dreaming of having my own ship and becoming a famous smuggler, facing danger at every corner and waking up for a new adventure every new day. Yet, I didn't imagine that one day I will go to war. Not just any war but a war against traitors of the Empire. The reality of the situation is slowly sinking in and it shows on everyone's faces - acolytes, apprentices, even the Lords display a certain twist in their usual pout, showing those which pay attention to detail that there's something eating at them from the inside. That something is the constant, ever-present fear of death, of being attacked. It fuels us, drives us to become even better than we thought we could be, in a much shorter length of time. To make it easier, for myself when I will listen to these silly recordings sometime in the future or perhaps to others who might get "lucky" enough to access this, I will start from the beginning, with my first days of I joined House Horuset.
Leaving Korriban was quite a relief for me, especially since I was offered the chance of a lifetime. After following the two acolytes who had essentially recruited me, back to the Horuset estate, I was immediately struck by the realization that the life I have then chosen to follow will be filled with hurdles. I was given a single set of acolyte robes and a training blade, while the little belongings I had on myself back then were confiscated. The robes were, and still are, a tight fit for my frame and luckily I managed to adjust them so that after a few sudden moves during training I will not rip them. I never imagine knowing how to sow would be such a useful skill.

*She chuckles briefly and pauses, with a light hum she utters something inaudible, and continues her train of thought.*

I met some of the Lords during my first day, namely Lord Yutal Vipion, who since then has ascended to the rank of "hand of Horuset" and taken the name of Lord Tokiai, and Apprentice Cautus Horuset, who has also ascended to the rank of Sith and leads a research team of which I am part of. I learned that I had to bow before -everyone- who was not an acolyte or a low-ranking imperial and after I was on the receiving end of several doses of Force Lightning, that notion has never left me. Etiquette, manners, respect, hierarchy, power... All these have been displayed before me every day and I had to learn to adapt to this new life which is almost opposite of the one I had lived before, and I believe that making this choice has been the best choice of my life. Now I -belong- to -something-, now I have a goal and a place with powerful people who will help me become stronger as long as I will serve. And I shall do it willingly, without a doubt.

*The recording stops playing abruptly, with a sharp clicking sound signalling the end.*

[Joslae]

ENTRY 2 - Teamwork and failure, lessons to learn.

[justify]*The recording plays and a Tashha's voice can be heard once more. Her tone is unchanged, yet she speaks with a hint of annoyance which can be distinguished by the way she emphasizes some of the words.*[/justify]

[justify]After hearing my previous entry several times, I remembered how much I despise hearing my own voice on a recording. It never matches the one you -think- you have, inside your head... And I remembered that in my first days of joining the house, the acolytes were in a quite a larger number than they are now. Some of them have passed their trials with high scores and have been chosen as apprentices. I've had the chance to train and spar with some of them, and I must admit that they truly deserved becoming apprentices.

The way House Horuset handles this process is something which is well thought out. We are all called "Tsuotas" and a cycle of trials consists of a two-part process. The first three trials are for every acolyte. We are all called "Akira" and we all participate or compete together in each trial. After we are scored, the Akira are separated into the acolytes who have had the best scores, called "Dujozi" and the rest, which are called "Jiaka". Given the fact that I joined the House during a cycle, I was immediately put with the Jiaka group. It frustrated me deeply that I was considered a failure ever since day one, but I took it as a chance to have a taste of what these trials are, so that when the next cycle comes, I am prepared and will prove everyone that I am no failure.

The first trial was what I could call a cluster-fuck for myself in particular... We were taken to Quesh and split up into two groups of 3. We had to use our surroundings in order to defeat the other team. I was teamed up with Acolytes Sphondar and Dar'shal. My initial plan was that my team remains grouped up and we fight the others together, and try to split them up. We would use our canteens and fill them with the acidic water we had found pooled up everywhere and splash it over the opponents, to try and disorient them at least. Also, we should aim to damage the opponent's face masks so that they will have to worry on not getting intoxicated by the planet's toxic atmosphere and concede.[/justify]

[justify]*She pauses and can be heard letting out a deep, regretful gasp before continuing.*[/justify]

[justify]The plan failed, due to the fact that the other two can't seem to stick to one simple idea, which was teamwork. They all decided to split up once we were signalled that we can begin, and I ended up having the low-ground while the other two quickly ran up and tried to flank the opponents. I was quickly disarmed when facing the enemy, but that did not mean I would go down without a fight. I used their strength against them. When I was Force Pulled towards the large pool of acidic water which separated us all, I allowed myself to get pulled, jumped over with the force and began to use my fists in order to fight. By the time the other two joined me, I was already sporting a burnt left palm since I grabbed a training blade from one of the acolyte Taharis's hands, and a shallow diagonal cut on my back from acolyte Zaryaa's vibroblade. The fight ended quickly after that and we all were sent back to the Estate.

That day I learned several valuable lessons: the first is that you can never trust anyone to follow a plan, even if they are on your team, and that I must impose myself and take lead whenever I deem it necessary so that we all succeed. The second lesson is that fighting without a weapon is borderline suicide if you do not use Force Powers and decide to brawl your way against three others. Last but not least, I learned that day how reckless I was and when thinking back at the situation, I had so many openings in my defence that it is a wonder I did not perish then and there.[/justify]

[justify]*The recording stops playing with a sharp clicking sound signalling the end.*[/justify]

[Joslae]

ENTRY 3 - Of edicts and womp rats.

[justify]*The recording plays and a Tashha's voice can be heard once more, seemingly different from the previous entry, her words feel rushed as she begins to speak*[/justify]

[justify]I remember that between the first and second trial we were called aboard the Horuset Flagship, a Harrower-class Dreadnaught called "Th'Asidra". There we were taken to the Command Deck where we all lined up before the Dark Lord, Darth Horuset. His presence made everyone feel unnerved, tense, and anxious. I remember how tense I was due to the fact that I was standing out amongst the others because of my height and large frame. There was important news given to us that day - namely the edicts - which were that all acolytes were expected to wear a standard training blade, the robes issued to us when we joined, and if we were to breach this rule, we were to be executed. To me, it made sense that we all followed the traditions and dress accordingly in robes which display our place. Another edict stated that all acolytes who wish to stand out must take initiative and bring their findings to their superiors. By that time, I was already part of the research team lead by one of the heir of the Dark Lord, namely The Sith, Cautus Horuset, and this fact sort of covered my part in being useful for the House. Last but not least, there was an edict regarding the crystals used by those who earned the rank of Sith, and the right to carry a lightsaber.

There was also an announcement regarding the union between the heir of the Vipion House, Lord Tokiai and the heir of the Horuset House, Lord Saud... Again, I was not that surprised by this, given the look Lord Tokiai had every time Lord Saud was around, while we, the acolytes, would train in the Pit. Of course, the look on some of the other acolytes, especially the purebloods, were priceless. It is safe to assume that nobody expected this to happen. The one which stood out the most was, back then acolyte Raeniu. I was standing not too far away from her and I noticed the immediate change in her stance and with the corner of my eyes I saw her jaw dropping for a second.[/justify]

[justify]*Stops speaking and coughs lightly, clearing her throat and swearing a bit in Huttese, inaudible as she moves her head to the side*[/justify]

[justify]Soon enough after that we were given our second trial which consisted of a rescue mission. We were to head off for Tatooine and to return only when we managed to find the location of the elder and former Lorekeeper of the Horuset House, Krassus. I used the bit of Huttese which I still remembered to try and talk with the slaves around the settlement we were at to see if any of them had information to give. I was ready to use some of the Force techniques we were taught back at the estate, namely Force Intrusion, but it did not yield much either.

After a bit of infiltration amongst the locals, acolyte Zaryaa finally managed to get the attention of someone, a piece of information which leads us to a Hutt, who everyone thought would lead us to the location of our target. I was surprised to find out that the slimy Hutt held our target captive. I acted out as the translator between the exchange the Hutt and Zaryaa had, but when it seemed that the Hutt would not come to a deal, the other acolytes took out the power, and the entire room darkened. We all began to take out the Hutt and his men and soon enough we were on our way. I managed to grab a datapad from the place and handed it over to Lord Saud during our report back on the ship. It contained data regarding credit accounts, and also some contacts which would provide useful during any further missions on Tatooine.[/justify]

[justify]*Stopping to catch her breath, she takes a moment to recollect her thought before continuing.*[/justify]

[justify]The final trial took place again, on Tatooine. We were tasked by The Sith, Cautus Horuset to reach a certain location where a nest of womp rats resided, and retrieve two which were tagged. It is somewhat amusing how the Jiaka had to face womp rats, out of all the beasts, while the Dujozi had to face a Terentatek. I found this out later, back at the estate, and of course, I was mocked by Trakaton and Hirak, who back then were still acolytes. When we reached our location, Zaryaa suggested that we use the hot sand to our advantage, and tasked some of use to use the Force to create shards from the already hot sand. Acolyte Jehenne and Acolyte Aljo joined me in doing this, and we used the Force in order to increase the temperature the sand crystals had, and moulded it into shards which we would all use as projectiles for when the womp rats would appear. Acolytes Siors, Rheus and Zaryaa were occupied with creating a make-shift barricade in front and behind us. We planted the shards into these barricades and after some time the womp rats attacked us.

At first, only the small ones ran at us and they were torn to pieces by our shard-barricades, but finally two large ones appeared, one from either side of where our group was. They were our target. The fight did not last long, and we were successful in taking them down, albeit some of us getting scratched in the process. I managed to land a strong Falling Avalanche strike on the beast while it was busy clawing at Zaryaa and Siors used Telekinesis to then quickly make all of the shards we created previously to make them rain down on the beast we faced, while Jehenne, Aljo and Rheus finished off the other one.

There were some talks on our way back with the corpses of these beasts that they were perhaps mates, and how poetic it was that they had died together in such a brutal way... Still, I can't believe we had to fight womp rats while the others had to fight a Terentatek! I am angered by this but at the same time I feel relief.[/justify]

[justify]*She could be heard giggling in the background before ending her entry, a sharp clicking sound signalling the end.*[/justify]

[Joslae]

ENTRY 4 - Tomb Raiding and Sith spirits, close encounters.

[justify]*Fumbling noises mark the beginning of this entry, and a rolling sound. Steps and a distinct Huttese swear is heard as Tashha walks over to pick up her recorder, exhaling as she begins to speak.*[/justify]

[justify]As I stand here and recall all of these things, and listen back at the previous entries, hearing my rambling, I also remember the times when acolytes were sent into the tombs on Korriban to retrieve Sith artefacts. On one of these missions, we were tasked by Lorekeeper Jadie to retrieve a tablet from a valley riddled with tombs on Korriban. We were given a general area to scout and we were all split up into two teams. Of course, as it always happens, the purebloods formed a team made up of Acolytes Jehenne, Raeniu, Temekel and Korse, the Massassi. I was in the other, along with Siors, Aljo and Occularis. The teams split up into different directions, and soon we stumbled upon a datapad which made us check the pottery scattered throughout the vale. For some time this proved pointless and we were constantly attack by the Tuk'atas which roamed the sands of Korriban. We fought them off and managed to even put down a large one which was standing between us and the entrance to one of the tombs. After doing so, we found another tablet which stated that the urns of the valley will light our path.

And it so came to be that one of the smashed urns at the entrance to a tomb contained a piece of glass. We ventured into the tomb and after looking around we decided to split up and I remained inside while Occularis and Siors went back to see if they could use that piece of glass to reflect the light and unlock the large sarcophagus lay before us, which we believed would contain the tablet we sought after. We tried to pry it open, we scoured the room but nothing worked. Luckily, Occularis and Siors were successful, and they used the mirror from the broken urn to shine a light deep into the tomb and it illuminated the centre of the ceiling of the large room where the sarcophagus was. While I was alone inside the tomb, I decided to meditate. I sat down next to the sarcophagus and allowed myself to reach out through the Force and to try to sense if anything was there. The room was almost pitch-black, and no sound could be heard. If one was to remain perfectly still and not utter a word, the intensity of the silence would probably induce paranoid illusions. I could hear the sound of my own calm breath and the beats of my heart. And in that darkness and enveloped by the silence, I felt something present with me, in the tomb. At that time I could not make out what it was, but it felt strong and overwhelmed me. I stood up and began to look around and soon enough the others joined me.

We all saw the center of the room illuminated and there it was - our prize. Siors quickly used the Force to pull it down from there, as it was held in place by a couple of hooks. The tablet was fairly large, almost half the size of a man. Moments after he removed it, a voice was heard and as we turned to gaze over to the sarcophagus, the lid popped off as if pushed from inside and a dark being had risen from a deep slumber. It was at that moment that we all knew we were done for. There was a large tremor and the entire tomb began to shake. Coincidently, the other team caught up with us and they were all hiding like cowards not too far back while we saw the enraged Sith Spirit emerging. As we would rush to leave the tomb they had the magnificent idea to try and fight us, but it did not last long, and as larger pieces of stone began to fall between us all, everyone decided to just run. We got out just in time and some of us got hit by falling debris, but nobody died.[/justify]

[justify]*Pauses and exhales, clearing her throat and for several moments a deafening silence plays, which is pushed back as she begins to speak, but at a slower pace than before*[/justify]

[justify]Of course, there was also a mission lead by Trakaton, back then just a simple acolyte, where we had to retrieve a powerful Sith amulet, of Dathka Graush, by request of Lord Saud. We were told that previous attempts to retrieve it were unsuccessful because the team sent there did not have any protection against possession by Sith spirits. Luckily, the Sith Runes the Dujozi managed to retrieve in their final trial were brought with us and were to use them as protection, but there was a small problem, we were short of 1. The team was made out of me, Trakaton, Jehenne, Aljo and Korse and there were only 4 Sith Runes. Trakaton told us to take one rune each, and Jehenne took two and had to stay close to Korse, as the Massassi could not be trusted with wearing a Sith Rune, as she could lose it or even eat it. He made it clear that the Massassi needed it more than he would, because their mind is quite weaker and prone to become possessed.

We went inside the tomb and immediately we felt a presence all around us. The power of the amulet manifested but was held at bay by the Sith Runes we all had on ourselves. We saw visions of Tuk'ata charging at us, swarms of flesh eating bugs and a deep blood red mist that went up to our knees. For some time we were pinned by these visions and Trakaton began to show signs that he was fighting a battle against the spirit, a battle of willpower. Jehenne used the second Sith Rune she had on herself as protection for Korse, and pressed it against Trakaton's chest, thus making him regain his senses, while myself and Aljo kept using Force Pushes and Shocks to fight off the visions. We began to keep moving forward, down the hallway and as we reached the entrance to a room, the visions stopped. It seemed that we managed to reach a point further than the other team managed to do so in their previous attempt. The room before us was completely empty, yet in the middle there was a pedestal, with the amulet laid on and a single beam of light shining down upon it.

We could not stop Korse as she ran off and took the amulet, and decided to wear it. I approached her and when she turned we all realized that she was now under the complete control of the Sith spirit. It then turned into a battle where we all had to get all of the Sith Runes near enough to Korse to keep her subdued while trying to remove the amulet. The fight lasted no more than a couple of minutes where I had to defend myself against the fearsome, possessed Massassi while the others used the Force to try and subdue her. I managed to finally pin her down and as all of the Sith Runes were now together, I used my blade to remove the amulet off of Korse. Immediately the possession ceased, and as the amulet dangled from the tip of my blade, I heard a voice beckoning me. It was as if it burrowed down into the deepest recesses of my mind and called me to use the amulet, to put it on, to slay the others... I managed to keep it at bay using what little will I had in myself, and the others quickly used telekinesis to place the Sith Runes near the amulet and then everything within a container.

We were lucky to get out of that place alive, and the less contact I will have with a tomb from now on, the better it will be. I still can't forget the voice as it spoke to me, from within my mind and sometimes it still haunts me... But at the same time, I have a great curiosity, some might say it is a "morbid curiosity" regarding Sith spirits and the effects their possession has upon a person.[/justify]

[justify]*Her last words sound different than the rest, and a twist in the way she spoke them would make anyone believe that she took pleasure in relaying her story. The recording seems to be suddenly interrupted.*[/justify]

[Joslae]

Entry 5 – Spirits of the jungle.

[justify]*The entry begins with a sharp clicking sound followed by Tashha’s voice once more, as she speaks with enthusiasm.*[/justify]

[justify]Ah yes, how could I forget? There is also that time when Lord Saud tasked acolyte Raeniu to retrieve Sith Amulets from a certain area within the Dromund Kaas jungles. We were each given a backpack with rations and basic supplies to survive in the jungle, but even as we were dropped off, Korse began to rummage through her own backpack and started to chew on her bed roll. I’ve only met two Massassi in my life – Korse and Arsus – but I’ve never imagined who something so fearsome in combat can act so primal. Perhaps it has something to do with her age? I’ve been told that she is only 12 years old but by their sheer size and features, I find that fact hard to believe.[/justify]

[justify]*Her words come out slow, emphasizing each with mild annoyance*[/justify]

[justify]We made our way through the jungle and after several hours daylight began to recede. We fought off jungle beasts and noticed abandoned camps and soon enough we reached an area where there were ruins and sealed off tombs, but Sleens surrounded us. We kept a safe distance and noticed that amongst the ruins there was a well-lit shrine. We approached it carefully, and Raeniu began to feel sceptic about it. Korse started to rummage through the ornate boxes which were laid upon the shrine and I did not feel as if I had anything to worry about. I sat my bag down and opening some of the boxes, both me and Korse found out that they all contained Sith Amulets.

I felt overjoyed that our task was quite easy and just as I was going to say something witty to Raeniu, all of the candle lights were blown by a cold blast of air, which also seemed to have passed through us, sending deep chills in our bodies. We all sat quiet and looked at each other and a sudden realization struck us all – we had to move. I quickly closed the boxes which contained the amulets and placed them inside my bag, and as I was getting ready, we all heard a gut-wrenching screech. It wasn’t an animal, or an alien… It pierced right through us and planted fear within our hearts. All three of us began to run, backtracking on the same path as before, not caring if we run into jungle beasts.

We kept running for what seemed to be tens of minutes and then stopped when we realised that it was night. We managed to reach one of the abandoned camps and made good use of the tents which were still standing. We received a holocall from Lord Saud herself and Raeniu gave the report about what had happened, calling the Spirit which we all heard a “banshee”. The name seems fitting, but I don’t wish to hear that scream again.

All three of us took turns in guarding our small camp, and after a long night of hearing Korse rumbling, sniffing and sneezing, and the usual jungle animals wailing far off, morning came and we all managed to make our way back to the shuttle. Once back in the capital city, we made our way to Lord Saud’s quarters, where we made our final report and passed on the boxes which contained the Sith Amulets. I think that I should continue my study on Dark Side Corruption and the effects Sith Spirit Possession has upon the body, as well as the mental effects it leaves.[/justify]

[justify]*The recording ends moments later after the stops speaking, a sharp clicking sound signalling the end*[/justify]

[Joslae]

Entry 6: Shore leave?

[justify]*The recording begins and Tashha’s voice can be heard from quite some distance away from the microphone as she speaks to someone in her usual voice, and the words “Fuck off” can be heard, followed by some rustling sounds before her voice can now be heard more clearer*[/justify]

[justify]It appears that with all these new recruits, private space on this vessel is harder to come by. Much has happened since I’ve ended my last recording, and being quite honest with myself here, I did have the desire at a certain point to delete this diary. Having to deal with all the new faces, where every single one believes they’re either the spawn of Typhogem or something even stronger, makes it quite demanding to put them all in their place when needed or tasked to do so. It doesn’t matter though because in the end, they all learn their place, as have I. For reference, this entry is being recorded the day after my second trial, after dealing with the Vaporators on Tatooine. Much has happened.[/justify]

*after a brief interruption, a clicking sound marks the entry being resumed, suggesting it was paused for an unspecified amount of time*

[justify]I do recall, however, a certain special occasion where Lord Tokiai had sent a broadcasted message to the acolyte channel, where he stated that, from the kindness of his heart, he allows any acolyte which wishes to join him on a trip off-planet. He also stated that we can wear whatever we wish, as long as we don’t stand out as Sith or of Imperial ties. So, having been utterly bored and stressed out at that time, I decided that I will tag along. Joining me was Aljo and Occularis. Not until we got to the ship have we found out that Temekel and Arsus were also joining us. Me, Aljo and Occularis all dressed as commoners, whereas Temekel and Arsus were geared up in armour, covering their red, pureblood and massassi skins, and also armed to the teeth. Little did I know that I was going to watch a gladiator-style match later on, just for entertainment purposes.

On our way to the destination, a planet I can’t remember the name of but which was hot and reminded me of Tatooine, we were told to act like invited guests of Lord Tokiai, to mingle with the crowd and to simply act normal and enjoy the show Temekel and Arsus will put on for us. Yet, to my surprise, once we arrived there, and as we entered the luxurious estate of the one who owns it – named “Colleccionista” – we were struck with awe by the luxurious estate we had just stepped in. It had many works of art displayed in every single place you would look: from the smallest trinkets to the largest sculptures which were as tall as several people and took up more than half of a room. I was impressed and finally figured out that the person who owned the place was probably an extravagant art collector. However, as we met her, not only was I proved right, but, extravagant is a word which mildly describes the flamboyance of this woman. Her language sounded somewhat familiar, and I believe I had heard it before back on Nar Shaddaa, but I could be wrong. However, she did speak basic. From the looks of it, Lord Tokiai had some dealings with her, and Temekel was to team up with Arsus and survive the challenges brought up by Colleccionista, for the entertainment of others.[/justify]

[justify]*Tashha cleared her throat and can be heard that she’d be walking while speaking, perhaps she was roaming an empty corridor on the flagship while recording this*[/justify]

[justify]As we moved along towards the arena, the sight of scum and villainy was enough to churn my stomach once more and reminded me of my life before I ever chose to take the Sith path. Smugglers, swindlers, junkies, suppliers, mercenaries… everything one can imagine was there, and they all formed a crowd. It was time for me, Aljo and Occularis to mingle and I took this chance to see what exactly was going on there, and probably make myself some contacts. Well, at least it was what I hoped, but not what I had achieved.

We got our drinks and found ourselves a nice place just above the arena. With me was Aljo and Occularis, and we were chatting, just small talk nothing of great importance. To my left were a Darnoshan and a Togrutta. Those two were a sight to see. However, I will get to them later. As Temekel and Arsus entered the ring, the whole crowd began to act like the scum which they were, and booed them as they weren’t the local favourites. Colleccionista made her speech and the first opponent whom Tem and Arsus would face was a man called Deadeye Duncan…[/justify]

[justify]*she chuckled and let out a bit of a snort before she continued, in an amused tone*[/justify]

[justify]Fucking… Deadeye Duncan… Who, in their right mind, would name themselves like that? Like, how sad, depressed and alcoholic must a man get to name himself that way? It’s one of those questions which can keep someone from sleeping at night. This… man… had a couple of animals which appeared to be his pets, but to me they looked like silly banthas. Perhaps they were but I can’t exactly recall right now. However, the fight quickly ensued and it lasted for several minutes, surprisingly enough. Arsus and Temekel fought well and as Arsus was busy slicing and dicing the two mindless beasts, Temekel was using her blaster pistol against Deadeye Duncan. I honestly never knew that she can use a blaster, but it seems I was wrong!

While that was going on, the togrutta next to me suddenly asks if we wanted to buy drugs from her. I was intrigued to say the least, and even though Aljo and Occularis refused the offer, I asked what she sold. It was no surprise that she sold “Death sticks” and “Ryll bags”. Now… as much fun as I had going back and forth with that junkie, which I later found out was named Jasmin, I despise drugs. I’ve seen exactly what they do to people. Drugs are one of the few things which can really make me want to break the arms of whoever is selling them. However, as I was informed before we got there, that our trip will be to some planet which is neither in Imperial or Republic space, I went prepared and took my bag of counterfeit credits which I carry around with me in situations such as this. It is a habit of mine and has proven to be very useful in the past. Seeing as this togrutta junkie barely told the difference between me, Aljo and Occulairs, I realised she was also pretty high on something. Occularis was however interested in what “Death sticks” and while we were talking about it and also trying to convince that junkie to sell me some, I noticed how Temekel and Arsus managed to defeat Deadeye Duncan. Not only did they both choose their targets wisely, but eventually they also both worked as a team. The more I saw this, the more impressed I was with Temekel’s resilience as well as how brutal Arsus can be when he’s focused enough on his task.

After defeating Deadeye Duncan and his two silly pets, our heroes were given a short break. During this time, the Darnoshan, whose name was Eduardo, began to argue with Jasmin. It was truly a sight to see the two arguing, calling each other names and finally, the tall and menacing Eduardo did a surprising move on Jasmin. It was a fighting technique the likings which I have never seen before. Somehow, he grabbed her, twirled her around making her head point to the ground and just dropped her on her head, killing her right then and there. I was so excited, as it reminded me of my childhood back when I used to participate in underground events such as this one, both as a competitor and in helping with organizing them. The poor junkie fell down on the floor, and as she did so, part of her stuff got crushed, and a pool of togrutta blood mixed with drugs would’ve been dripping down on the floor at our feet. I didn’t mind it, but I was still curious if all of her stuff she sold got crushed.

While Temekel and Arsus got back into the ring to face their next challenge, I was slowly working my way closer to the body of Jasmin. When they all started to cheer, I used my foot to prod her and saw that the Ryll bags were still intact. But however, there was a problem. If I was seen taking something from here, I were to be stopped and checked, as I was merely a guest there. It was not wise of me to get myself involved in their affairs. As I was pondering on what to do, I saw what the next challenge our heroes face – it was quite a large Acklay. I reckon it was close to eight or nine feet tall, and its screech was enough to send shivers down the spines of some spectators. As they began their fight and the majority of the people around me was distracted, I slowly began to use telekinesis to slide the Ryll bags from beneath the junkie’s dead corpse and steadily dragged them closer to me, at my feet. I needed a distraction at that point. I couldn’t count on the crowd, as Temekel and Arsus were still trying to figure out how to fight the giant Acklay, which seemed to be a giant leap difficulty for them. Arsus appeared to be injured and Tem was fairing that good, as she was trying to dodge the beasts’ attacks. I was standing next to Aljo and Occularis, and with a simple nudge, I made them aware of my intentions. All I needed from them was to move to my left side, so that they simply obscure me from the view of the others. Instead… they both went in the opposite direction, not wanting to have anything to do with my idea. But I took a risk and used telekinesis once more to lift the stash and let it slip inside my left boot. At that moment, I was thrilled, as Ryll isn’t something one can easily come by, especially in such a large amount at once. I was already thinking of the experiments I could do back at the research facility, and felt quite relieved that nobody had noticed what I did. Yet, so I thought.

As the fight went on, eventually Arsus distracted the beast just enough so that Tem could dodge its attacks and land underneath it, and jabbing it right in the heart with a blade. It was over, and they were victorious. The faces on the spectators were quite priceless, I must say. Nobody could believe that these outlanders managed to beat and succeeded Colleccionista’s challenges. As our heroes went to take a breather before we left, all of the people who wanted to make bets had to pay up. Lord Tokiai seemed quite pleased with the outcome of what happened, which is quite a rare sight. Even though he wore a helmet I could sense that, underneath it, he was smirking like he just saw Lord Saud laying naked on a bed. To my surprise, he approached me and told me give him what I took, and that next time I should be much more careful. I felt as if I just stepped on a mine, and armed it, and was expecting it to blow. However, I was not punished for what I did, and even though I never got to explain my intentions, I’m sure he simply would not care.

Before we left, I saw him Force Choking Colleccionista and it was then when I realised what went on. Hearing her dropping the share of how much she’d get, I realised that this wasn’t just for fun, it wasn’t just a test for Temekel, but the bets were rigged in both Lord Tokiai’s favour and Colleccionista. He got a nice sum of credits without breaking a sweat, while she got some credits as well. Everyone was happy and eventually we returned back to the Horuset Estate.[/justify]

[justify]*The recording ends moments later after the stops speaking, a sharp clicking sound signalling the end*[/justify]

[Joslae]

ENTRY 7 – Valuable teachings

[justify]*The recording begins playing and it appears that the sounds of birds chirping, of leaves rustling as well as Tashha’s walking over some dried up leaves and branches can be heard, and moments later a stream can be heard as she stops and begins to speak*[/justify]

[justify]Training… It has become one of my favourite activities ever since I’ve become an acolyte. Up until that point I never gave it much thought since working on disassembling speeders and droids for scrap was enough to keep myself in shape, and burning calories for me was the occasional brawling I got into. Now it’s all just a schedule. I wake up, shower, I take the earliest shuttle down to Dromund Kaas, and begin my day training in the jungle at the crack of dawn. For the next hours, I do my physical training, and practice my stances, my guards, and also meditate. Then I go for a bathe in the spring I found and which is quite remote, and I then return to study back on the ship or the Estate. There I take my ration, do research, study, meditate, and perhaps spar with the others. When there’s a lesson I attend it and when there isn’t I simply train on the ship to fill up my spare time. That concludes any usual day for me.

But sometimes, I may learn a new technique, and that requires me to break my established schedule. Ah, I remember how much time it took me to train in Force Wound. After weeks of study, meditation and hundreds of attempts, I finally achieved it; and to think that I stumbled upon the training area and was asked if I wanted to try it out?[/justify]

[justify]*She chuckled and the rustling of leaves is heard once more as she appears to be sitting down, and a few moments of silence pass before she speaks, yet the sounds of the jungle is ever present*[/justify]

[justify]I entered the research laboratory Cautus is leading and just before I took a left on the long corridor, I noticed an opened room which until then wasn’t decorated nor had any machinery in it. As I entered I saw hanging from the ceiling several sacks filled with what, at that time, I did not know was sand. And down, below them was a large canvas meant to catch it. I paced the room and soon enough, Cautus approached. He asked me if I know what all that was for, and as I replied I could figure out it was for training, I couldn’t exactly identify which technique. He explained to me that Zunda had been training in Force Wound.

The objective of said training was for the trainee to use Telekinesis to apply circular pressure around the hanging sacks. These sacks had three holes just around the neck, and when squeezed, the sand would pour out. There were several of them, from small to large. The smallest one had, from what I remember, about 10 kilograms, as the largest one had 50 kilograms. He asked me if I wanted to have a go at it, even though this technique requires a very precise application of pressure around the body which the user targets. Of course, as I simply adore anything which has to do with Telekinesis, I agreed.

However, it was no surprise that during my first attempts, all I managed to do was simply push and pull the small sack from its position. As Cautus explained to me the principle of this technique and began to use both my hands and eventually, I did manage to squeeze the first small sack, but I was told that it was incorrect what I did. I had to use only one hand. What I did was different. Perhaps to his amusement or perhaps it was a test to see how capable I am, I was allowed to use the training room in my free time, on the condition that I leave it as I find it. So I did just that.

It took me many, many weeks to even learn how to control the fine muscle movements and to channel the Force in such a way that I apply circular pressure around the smallest sack. My first attempts were indeed pathetic, I admit. I had the idea that if I channel physical pain, by cutting my arms and legs, I could use the pain as fuel. It was useless. My next idea was to meditate but, back then, something in my mind simply did not allow me to meditate. I shall discuss more on that in a later diary entry perhaps. Eventually I began to grow more and more frustrated, angry, upset and simply disappointed in my own self. I began to doubt that I will ever be able to learn this technique. It was then when I simply snapped, and in a fit of rage, fuelled by frustration and anger I lashed out, raised my left hand to the sack and I managed to finally control my efforts to squeeze the sack in one swift motion, emptying it completely.

I was thrilled to say the least, and I also learned something valuable that day. Physical pain is not what fuels me, it is emotional pain. I not only learned the basis upon which I can draw power from, but I also learned how to correctly use Force Wound. What followed were a few more weeks, working my way up from the smallest sack, to the second-largest one and finally the last one, which had 50 kilograms of sand in it. I reached a point where I wasn’t even breaking a sweat doing it. I showed what I learned to Cautus and even though his face didn’t sketch any gesture, and his words were cold, I did however understand that he acknowledged I achieved something no other acolytes at that time had.[/justify]

[justify]*her voice began to sound more and more as she’d be pleased to be recalling the events she spoke of. After a few moments, she’d continue*[/justify]

[justify]I used this knowledge I learn about myself, and the technique, whenever I found it necessary. Be it in future sparring sessions, missions, trials or even the war, I used my emotional pain as the source upon to which I would draw, and whenever I saw the occasion, I used Force Wound and it worked quite well, most of the times. Perhaps, with time, more and more occasions will arise and I will learn more about Telekinesis, as the various techniques which branch out from it are very interesting.[/justify]

[justify]*The recording ends moments later after the stops speaking, a sharp clicking sound signalling the end*[/justify]

[Joslae]

Entry 8 – War against the heretics (part 1 of 2).

[justify]*The recording begins and unlike the previous entries, this one is marked by a deafening silence, and a dim hum is heard in the background, it being the sound of the flagship engines, only Tashha’s voice breaking the silence*[/justify]

[justify]One of the main reasons for which I began to keep this collection of recordings was to have a way of venting part of the stress which war has brought. The pressure it had put on me and some of the acolytes which have participated at each of the events has been quite high, and demanding. However, as time passes and events unfold, looking back can be a lesson in itself. Now I stand in a new garb, many many months after my last recording and I looked back, listening to my previous entries, and I see how I have changed, and I realize… Just how useful it is to have a crutch to just go back in time and have a glimpse of the past. So, to continue the… documentation of events… I shall go over what followed after my last entry.[/justify]

[justify]*A pause follows, and from the muffled noises heard, it’s clear that she walks around briefly, reaffirming her grip of the recording device before her voice is heard once more, clearly.*[/justify]

[justify]It was not long after my first set of trials had ended. Back then, the house began to make changes regarding the system which they use, applying a light reform to how things would work and all I could have on my mind was what failure had to bring with it. I was in no way one of the top acolytes, there were others. Some of the ones which not long ago I used to spar were taken as apprentices, namely Trakaton, Hirak, Zirvesh, Raeniu, and Zunda. Of course, I was frustrated yet I understood what made it so I was not amongst them. I was simply not good enough, I wasn’t worthy of catching the attention of my superiors and I accepted this as fact, and began to work more. But then, one day something different happened.

We were brought aboard a Terminus-class Destroyer. When I say -we- I refer to myself and the rest of the acolytes. We were faced with a test, more specifically, how would we assault such a vessel. What plan would we have, and why would we execute said parts of it. Little did any of us know that what the acolytes brainstormed eventually came partially into fruition at a later date. It was only a few days after when Darth Horuset himself made the call to arms, and every single able bodied individual was to present themselves in front of him. We were told of the Arious Empire, and that we are to bring their downfall.

These heretics… From the initial briefing we were told that they are a splintered group of Sith who had proclaimed their own Emperor, hiding within some fringe part of the galaxy whilst the Empire had to deal with Zakuul and the Eternal Throne. From my studies done upon the wars waged in the past, I knew that events such as this and these events do happen. However, that is no excuse. Traitors and heretics eventually have only one fate - which is death. And thus, our war against heresy began with attacking the head of the snake himself, the flagship of the Arious Empire.[/justify]

[justify]*All throughout her speech, she is heard casually walking around and then she stops, her voice going silent as she seems to gather her thoughts. Then, a chiming sound is heard through what seems to be the intercom as a haughty female voice is heard, having a distinct imperial accent, speaking “All non-essential personnel are ordered to clear hangar A-2” and then, the message repeats twice. Tashha is heard chuckling a bit and she pauses, changing location, as the doors of the elevator are heard shutting behind her.*[/justify]

[justify]Even now I remember as I sat in front of the reinforced windows of Th’Assidra, our own flagship, of the assault we did. We had entered through one of the hangar bays and whilst our own troops were busy keeping the enemy troops at bay. Our team was comprised of a mixture between Sith Lords, Darth Horuset himself, Sith apprentices and the acolytes as well. We were to be the spearhead and our goal was to reach the heart of the Terminus-class Destroyer, and there, we would find our enemy leader. The intel we were all given checked out, another indication that the planning done was perfect. However, things never go as planned and one must always be prepared for the inevitable.

And such happened. Our assault came through. We breached an adjacent room of the level upon which the Hangar Bay was located, and inside we all made quick work of the honour guards posted there. Yet, when I say why, I refer to myself, still an acolyte, allowed to carry only a training blade, and the acolyte garb which I was forced to wear, just like the other acolytes. The rest which had joined us, the Apprentices, the Sith, The Lords, all made quick work of those guards and soon enough, we made our way through the troops which were still left on the upper levels. I could only offer support and was stationed in the rear-guard of the team I was part of.

This team was lead by, back then, Sith Apprentice Therdel, along with myself, some of the acolytes as well as a few Horuset Imperial troops. The rest had splintered into forming the frontal assault team and we all rejoined once we had reached the Command Deck. It appeared that the leader was there and we regrouped after many minutes of fighting a trench-war through the corridors against the enemy troops. Many of them did fight bravely whilst some of them showed their true nature, of being cowards, and some even committed suicide. I don’t blame them, as the cruelty our troops showed those traitors was something many of the acolytes found disturbing.[/justify]

[justify]*The elevator doors open once more and she is heard stepping out, and after a while she stops, and clears her throat as she continues speaking*[/justify]

[justify]As the Sith began to encroach around the heretical self-proclaimed Emperor, myself and the rest were tasked with securing the command deck, and to search the dead troops for anything which might be of use. Given me proficiency in slicing, I was tasked, alongside another acolyte, a pureblooded female named Jehenne, who I’ve grown to know better back then through our often conversations and spars, to begin copying the data found within the databanks of the ship. During this time, Darth Horuset along with Lords Tokiai and Saud, siths Cautus and Therdel, apprentices Zirvesh, Trakaton, Hirak, Zunda as well as a few aiding acolytes were fighting off the heretical leaders and their emperor.

From what I could see from afar, Darth Horuset and the emperor took on one another, and the ensuing duel was one of the most glorious I’ve ever seen. The sheer speed, skill and strength displayed as well as the intensity of everyone’s presences within the Force in those very moments felt like the air itself was heated. My head felt like swimming as the raging combat ensued, and from what I could see during my time at the terminals which were close to the raging combat, I saw many feats.

One of them would be that of the Exile. His skill in combining Telekinesis with Pyrokinesis was something to applaud. Raising their foe up in the air and breaking their limbs so that they do not struggle, whilst only after that use the flames which surrounded us all to burn them alive was a glorious sight. Another would be the foe the others fought who, I suddenly felt as the dark side of the Force shrouded them completely only to hear a gut-wrenching screech as my eyes would see a creature out of a nightmare. Standing tall, perhaps 7, 8 or even 9 feet, towering over my superiors, a Sith Spawn. The fight took such a turn that I began to fear for my own safety, but I could not abandon my post. Nobody did, each of us stood where we were, our wounds still fresh, still hurting, and fear flooding our system, through our veins like blood. And then, we were victorious.[/justify]

[justify]*Her tone would shift from serious to a more enthusiastic one as she continued*[/justify]

[justify]The heretical Emperor was defeated, and the one who cowardly gave into the madness of sith alchemy, surrendering their life into one final last-ditch effort and turned into a sithspawn was also now dead, laying on the floor. We were victorious. During this time, myself and acolyte Jehenne had managed, together, to download all of the data which we could get our hands on, and there were literal stacks of datapads filled with information. Acolyte Temekel aided our betters in the final push with a technique that I, back then, had no idea what it was, but now I do. It was then that I realised that she is not one to be trifled with, as well as some of the other acolytes. Many of them proved how battle-hardened they were, but none died. None backed down. And our campaign against the heretics began with a resounding victory.

But, it was not over. Over the course of the following months, small missions were done, several amongst which I took part in. Most were simply just to secure outposts, and clean-up jobs, or retrieving certain items and/or goods. One of them however proved to be different. A team of acolytes among which myself, Temekel and Siors were part of had to retrieve the reactor core of an ICB model tank. We had the patrol route and we were told to retrieve it. My skills in engineering also proved useful and after we had our ambush set among a ravine within the jungles of Kaas, we waited patiently, and then, we attacked. It only lasted about a minute or two as we surrounded the tank, and using our own training blade, we damaged key parts of the tank in order to ground it, by making them explode, and thus, damaging the exhaust ports. Then, there was only one problem, the turret, and such, I did something even know I think was reckless. I snuck myself under it, and using all the strength I could muster, I lifted the ICB tank turret, and tapping into all the strength in the Force as well, I managed to dislocate the rotating mechanism so that the pilot can no longer make use of it. My arms, my back, my feet, everything hurt. I stretched a large number of muscles in that foolish attempt, but the gamble paid off and we managed to secure the reactor.[/justify]

[justify]*Tashha chuckled as she would stop speaking, and then the recording would end not long after.*[/justify]

[Joslae]

Entry 8 – War against the heretics (part 2 of 2).

[justify]*A follow-up entry plays as soon as the previous one finishes, and the woman's voice is heard once more in a calm, soft tone*[/justify]

[justify]Soon enough, after undergoing several missions in order to help with the war effort, we were informed that the acolyte trials would be suspended until further notice. This personally infuriated me, although I understood why. There were other priorities. We were simple acolytes, maggots, the best use we had on the field was being a distraction for the enemy or simple meatshields. However, rumour had it that if we would’ve done well within our missions, we will be given training, and improve our utility upon the battlefield. The stress amongst everyone was palpable, to say the least. We were all wondering how could we, mere acolytes, equipped with just training blades and the robes take down our enemies? Such questions were eventually answered in the events which followed.

At that time, I had no idea nor any access to read reports, but within the territory of the Arious, a Horuset outpost was built and manned, upon the overseeing of Lord Tokiai. It was meant to be a point through which our forces were to push into the enemy territory, however we were taken by surprise by an attack of the enemy. I remember the day vividly even now, I was aboard the flagship within the training area, and the alarm was going off. Outside, through the reinforced windows I saw the fleet of enemy vessels forming up offensive positions around our own and fighters scrambling to intercept. We were all rushed towards the bridge of Th’Assidra, acolytes, apprentices, lords and even the elite forces, the Dark Honor Guards of Darth Horuset. We were all going to provide support towards our troops on the ground, and help Lords Saud and Tokiai with defending the outpost. At least, that was the initial directive.[/justify]

[justify]*A drawn out sigh would interrupt the flow of events being told, and Tashha would apparently now enter an area which was more secluded, as the background noises of before weren’t so present anymore, and her tone was much lowered*[/justify]

[justify]The planet of Yarrick IV… What can I say about it? Just a planet which had not much to offer than rocks, snow, the cold and a good strategical position. From reading through the history files, wars and battles were done in worse areas, so for where we were going I had no right to complain about. And even if I did want to, that wouldn’t have happened. As soon as we touched down, our shuttle barely making it through the constant aerial blaster fire, we were immediately tasked with offering support towards the defensive fixtures. I was close to the front line, offering the best I could of my usage of Force Barrier which by then, for a normal acolyte was much improved.

And I saw them… thousands upon thousands of troops, walkers and heavy artillery among them as they approached the outpost. We were given information that we were soon to be surrounded. The fear of death was once more present in me but I did not let it take hold of me, I never did. Inspired by what my betters displayed, I stood my ground whilst the frontal defense was lead by Lord Saud and Lord Tokiai, the other Sith as well as the Horuset Dark Honor Guards. The enemy was strong. I manage to glimpse whenever I could and see the display of raw strength by some of them. One in particular managed to take on both Lord Saud and Tokiai at the same time and the sheer power was a sight to behold. I later found out who that person was… But more on such matters another time.[/justify]

[justify]*Tashha would audibly snicker, taking a moment to gather her thoughts*[/justify]

[justify]But soon enough, we were issued to retreat. We were being overwhelmed and surely the enemy would not take us as prisoners. The Dark Honor Guards provided us cover as we all scrambled towards the escape shuttles and we managed to escape, but just barely. And on our way back towards the flagship, we were informed that the enemy captured Lord Saud and Lord Tokiai. The news struck everyone with shock and radio silence was the immediate reaction. We were forced to retreat and they took arguably two of our most strongest Sith at that time. For the following weeks, there was a strange time. Apprentices as well as the previously exiled lord named Zarrious took it upon them to test us. We were given more lessons, more advanced training drills and it got harder, and bloodier. The expectations were higher than ever. But to my enjoyment, there was a substantial push to improve our abilities in Force Barrier, Telekinesis and Force Shock which to me personally, were my most valued and used tools.

In private, I took it upon myself to adapt my already existing knowledge of Djem So and Shien, and created a small contraption which would shoot pellets at me, so I could at least train my Shien deflection, and every single night I did just that. Eventually I uncovered a sleeping pattern which would not just give me more time to train but would also offer my mind enough time to rest. It was something I uncovered through research on the holonet while in my free time, as I studied the human nervous system. To explain it into few words, within a standard 24 hour cycle, I only slept between 6 and 8 short naps, each of 20-30 minutes each. I coupled it with my periods of meditation and thankfully my gamble worked and I felt constantly at rest, I had enough energy to carry me through, and I had much more time on my hands than the other acolytes. To this day, I still practice it.

And then, Lord Saud and Lord Tokiai returned. I can’t remember exactly how long it was, perhaps a couple of weeks, but apparently they received inside help from one of the enemies. And with this, they were also given a lot of information which basically offered us the Arious Empire’s weak points on a platter. And we surely took advantage of this. A plan was set in motion and not long after, we were assaulting the Arious Empire’s so called “Temple of Decay” which was were several key figures from them were hiding. If we were to capture or kill them, we would win the war. Thus, an all out attack was set in motion. Lord Saud would be aboard the Horuset flagship, using Battle Meditation, and Lord Tokiai with the Sith Cautus would be distracting the Arious Empire leading figures with a treaty, which was similar to that of Coruscant, thus distracting them and their fleets whilst we took out their nerve center.[/justify]

[justify]*Her voice was excited as she regaled the following events, the passion in her words was more than clear*[/justify]

[justify]The ground assault worked as planned. I was, like before, along with the other acolytes on support duty. In the initial phases of taking out the ground troops, all the acolytes were placed behind the tanks which some of them were being driven by the apprentices. The very same models as the one I was sent on a mission not long ago, but improved. Those blasted contraptions however were a pain to stand behind, given the intense heat vented out. But we had to endure even though our skin felt like melting from the intensity of the heat. After the initial frontal assault was done, the Sith ventured inside, cleaving through the enemy left and right, and the acolytes were ordered to wait upon further notice at the entrance to the temple. Some of them were too adventurous, and Siors along with another tried to enter but were shot by the enemy. I took it upon myself to drag them back, and Aljo aided me, and told the other acolytes to take care of whatever was left, make use of the enemy weapons which were littering the ground. Once the injured were taken back, we regrouped and the lower level was already secured. I was making use of a DLA-13, and it surprised some of the others that I knew how to use such weapons. The had no idea of my past, nor will they ever… Not fully, at least.

However, once our Sith forces were clearing the enemy and slaying them, some were trying to make for an escape and I was taken by surprise when a Sith, later I found out was a Lord, attempted to strike me down. I used my quick reaction and the Force to stand my ground and shot at him several bolts before he reached me, but I was pulled by the other acolytes, and thus, his lightsaber did not cleave me down, but nearly took off my leg. For a while I was out of commision, the pain was excruciating, and another tried to take us all out with a thermal detonator, but thankfully, the Dark Lord himself was there to react, and Temekel as well, as she offered a barrier against the explosive blast. But, in the end, we all won. Injured, bruised, with casualties but we had won. The Arious Empire was now dismantled and our plan succeeded. I take it that those progressives will always underestimate those who take tradition for more than just pages from history books. Long live the old ways.[/justify]

[justify]*Tashha exhaled, sounding pleased and soon the recording would come to an end.*[/justify]

[Joslae]

Entry 9 - Life after war.

[justify]*The recording begins and just before Tashha would begin to speak, the sound of footsteps interrupts her. The recording device is covered, and the conversation is muffled, but from the sound of it she would be speaking to another, sounding like a male. Then, she resumes and seems to wait until she’s left by herself*[/justify]

[justify]It’s interesting what can happen over the span of a couple of years. From doing jobs on Nar Shaddaa and skimming off wherever possible just to get by to now just moving into something other than the acolyte quarters… That’s quite a distance. Many scars, wounds, broken bones, trials, tasks and a war. I’m glad I decided to continue this recording, although I feel that some details should be mentioned for posterity. So, after listening to my previous entries, I shall briefly cover certain significant events, starting from the end of the war against the heretics towards my now apprenticeship.

I did mention of my odd sleeping pattern before. A handful of half an hour naps daily, coupled with meditation. However, in time, this new style of resting surfaced something within my mind. I found it extremely difficult to focus on my meditation. One day I snapped and felt a fit of rage overwhelming me. Usually whenever I meditate, I recall and anchor myself within key moments of my life. I draw upon the pain and emotions they leave, and make sure they lay fresh in my memory whilst I continue to train during my meditation. I visualise drills, spars, dulons and velocities. Everything is a neatly tied and flowing process, and it proved to be successful. However, I reached a point where it backfired. Everything in my mind was clouded by a red torrent of volatile energy and I couldn’t visualise anything.

I seeked the aid of the Lorekeeper initially, after my research within the archives produced no results. What she told me made me think. She explained that there is a sort of ‘blockage’ within the confines of my mind. It can be either a memory or something I must accept and move on from before I can make usage of it. And I realized that in time, it was that… But then the headaches began to appear and I was barely able to move around. I seeked Temekel and upon some investigations, she came to the conclusion that my cerebral implant was the cause of my headaches. I was terrified, but with her aid as well as Ovidian, an arkanian I met not long before that, we concluded that my implants needed maintenance.[/justify]

[justify]*Tashha chuckled and sounded as she stood up, walking around the room she was in*[/justify]

[justify]Something so simple, something I overlooked. Up until then I gave it no importance. Needless to say, I was aided by Ovidian and upon him inspecting and performing the needed adjustments, I woke up at a later time. Initially my vision was blurry but within seconds it grew cleared, sharper, more focused. My mind was clear, light as a feather, and the headaches were completely gone. He had explained to me that there are bi-annual checkups and that the implants I received were something of great quality but, given that they were installed by who knows what medic from Nar Shaddaa, I suffered this discomfort. He explained to me the basics of what they do, and gave me a serial number. I ran it through several databases and I know exactly what my implants are capable of now. If only I knew before… But, there are still parts I need. Yet, they are -very- expensive. Some reach many thousands of credits and frankly, I will only make use of the best, and those are of arkanian design.

Back then, still an acolyte, I had virtually pocket change only. But that would soon come to change. WIth the war over, the acolyte trial system changed. We were introduced to the new Overseers, and every single one of them was a pain in the rear for us all. Five of them, each with their own preferences… It felt like we were in an imperial boot camp. However, the trial system got simplified. No more points and silly rank names. Now, all we had to do apparently was to complete three trials. And depending on our performance, we would be selected by lords who deemed our efforts and traits displayed within the trials as worthy.

Thus, I had three previous trials but I was still forced to do two more. The acolyte numbers increased and thus, culling had to be made. The first of the new trials I had to do was on Korriban. We were given a lesson previously upon certain lords, each specialised within certain Force techniques, as well as the markings of their clans. And our task was to retrieve tablets from one of the tombs where their teachings were apparently hidden. During this time, I had allied myself with the latest in the Vipion line of acolytes, Soyut Vipion.[/justify]

[justify]*Tashha would be heard chuckling a little, and her tone of voice was now filled with excitement*[/justify]

[justify]That was perhaps one of the smartest decisions I made. I was fully aware that with the great numbers of acolytes I would not succeed in finding the desired tablets. Thus, my goal was another - I was to aid him, showcase my capabilities and be an obstacle for the other acolytes. In return, I would have his help within future tasks as well as the following trial, and I found a sparring partner. I was thinking that if my plan were to work, in the future he would turn out to be a potential ally. Yet again, I was proved correct. My plan had worked, almost as if following a script. He got what he needed, and I managed to become an obstacle for the others, buying him the time and creating opportunities. I was satisfied and needless to say, in the following trial, he aided me.

It was on Tatooine, and we had to track down a gang called the Vaporators. Such an odd and silly name. Regardless, I took it upon myself and Temekel to be the scouts and we successfully managed to find their base. Of course, the other acolytes had different plans, and some even got captured. But, after we got close, we were unfortunately uncovered by the enemy. They were former republic commando troops, deserters, but they had information we needed. Myself with Soyut and Temekel, as well as a couple of others managed to take down some of the defensive fixtures, turrets and some of the troops. From their corpse I recovered something which to this day has proved to be a very useful tool. A Special Operations grade Republic Personal Shield Generator. And then we succeeded.

As planned out, my success rate was faded in comparison to the Vipions, but the observations I was noted for were to my liking. I was not completely satisfied, I wanted more, but for that time, I had to make do with what I had, and plan out for my future. And I did.[/justify]

[justify]*The recording would end after that.*[/justify]