Now and Then (Ali)

[Professor Mors]

***Yavin IV, Gordian Reach, Grid Coordinates P-6***

***The Temple of Exar Kun, Lower Catacombs***

Eight hours: Sa'ato had spent eight hours pouring over a worn slab of Sith masonry littered with runes. He had exhausted all the scrolls, the tapestries, statuettes, and almost every holobook in his possession. Finally, nearly a day later, he was closing in on the breakthrough. All the professor needed to do was cross-reference one final, inscrutable pictograph. And yet, when he keyed the file download on his dataslate, it chirped in denial. Confused, the Neti plied the touchscreen once, twice, and then froze with horrid realization. Many of the books in the retired teacher's private collection were physically held in his home on Montitia.

All but one– the one Sa'ato desperately needed to complete his translation. The one text which almost fifty years ago, in the throes of excitement and interfaculty rivalry, he had foolishly parted with. In a flash-fire of frustration, the Neti nearly destroyed the very tablet he sought to decode. With only the faintest shred of consideration, he smashed the far end of his desk to bits instead. He could not decide what infuriated him more: the fact that he could not recall which of his old colleagues had that vital publication– or that he had no convenient excuse to justify a sudden string of house calls. The professor paused for several moments.

Perhaps he did have a cover– or a means to construct one hastily. Stomping furiously over to the nearest comm console, Sa'ato punched in the personal code of his token feline associate, and began speaking as soon as a line was established, "Acolyte Austjor– do you have any commitments in the coming days? Assignments from the Sovereign?". He paused again, so as to choose his next words carefully, "I– require something outside of Sith Space. It will be necessary to interact with individuals from my life before the order. My– absence would be difficult to explain. I need your help to fabricate a story. No combat will be involved, and I will of course see that you are compensated…".

[Aliclair Austjor]

Allowing her room door to slide open, Aliclair had hauled in a few pounds of raw concealed meat for her now duo partnered Raquor'daan pair. She didn't have time to settle it down as the two essentially bum-rushed her, throwing their full weight onto the smaller feminine with gratitude and to tear apart the plastic between them and their meal. Rumbling with mixed annoyance and laughter, Ali shoved the two canines off of her then shut the door, watching her predators rip apart their meal. And sharing, of course. Stretching out her body, she settled down at her desk to pull up some schematics she'd been struggling to complete; a building of sorts. Now, for it's purpose was still up in the air as the faelide had just been aimlessly designing. They reminded her of herself; just. There, without purpose.

The ping of a call caused her ears to perk up, the pen used to do her aimless doodles tapping on her surface before answering it. Confliction circled the feminine's sternum before her ears slicked backwards at the 'proper' Sith name he'd addressed. Aliclair was not Sith... Surely. She dabbed into the Darkside of the Force. And drained energy from negativity, hatred... Fear. She'd zoned out until the end of Sa'ato's question. "I- what? No. N-no training or missions." she informed, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. The oaken Professor went onto explain how and why he asked; he would be out of Sith Space. And with such a strict leader as her Master was, he needed a scapegoat. Checking the time, date of the now, it'd been roughly a month and some change since their exchange in Sriluur. Sure, a bump in the Hallway and request of information. Blinking, she chewed on the tip of her thumb claw. After the fiasco of Sriluur. She knew better. And for the Professor to provide trust in her that she wouldn't try a stunt as the one she pulled.

Aliclair exhaled, briefly shutting her eyes. "Very well. Where- uhm... Are we meeting face to face to discuss this further? Over the holo isn't wise." She ended, reopening her opalescents to meet Sa'ato's Hellbore copper-oranges.

[Professor Mors]

Sa'ato looked legitimately confused in light of the Felidae's apprehension. "There is nothing further to discuss", he answered poignantly, composure quickly returning to his face, "If you have no current assignments then my mission is now yours– the Sovereign has empowered me to seek out and archive Sith knowledge, and we shall do so. I will expect you in the main hangar in two hours–". The Neti was about to cut the line when a thought crossed his mind, "Do leave your four-legged friends with the beastmasters in the lower level. Well-trained or not, few in my old sphere may take to them as readily as I have…".


***Yag'Dhul, Inner Rim, Grid Coordinates L-14***

Harsh gales and torrential rain buffeted the Mudhorn as it made its slow, government-mandated descent at a crisp forty degree incline. Hovering over what seemed a dark, vast, and restless sea, a cylindrical tunnel gradually rose up through murky depths and parted its doors just long enough for the Pursuer-class transport to enter. Sa'ato carefully maneuvered the wind-blasted craft through several sub-aquatic districts, before setting down on a modest landing-pad riveted to the exterior of a private estate. A modified WA-7 service droid quickly wheeled its way toward the Sith duo as they descended the ramp, "Greetings Esteemed Guests! My Master awaits you in the study!".

The Neti waited for the droid to retreat back indoors before addressing his companion quietly, "Follow my lead– you need not fear". With that, he followed after the automaton, and wound his way through the dim halls of the manor. At last, as if from memory, the academic stopped before an unsuspecting plasteel door, and confidently threw it open. Beyond the threshold lay a scholar's paradise: astrolabes, starmaps, numerous curios, and row upon row of both physical and digital reference materials. At the far end of the room stood a pale figure, hard at work on a hardlight whiteboard.

'Pale' was perhaps too kind. To the feline's eyes, the gaunt figure was whiter than a field of salt. What's more, they seemed to be lacking in any typical flesh. It was as if someone had found a misshapen skeleton and breathed life back into it. Sa'ato, undaunted, approached the figure, and stopping thoughtfully beside them, picked up a stray holostylus. The mysterious being had seemingly begun a complex mathematical equation just prior to the pair's arrival. Now, as they laid out the second row of parentheticals and letters, the Neti casually filled in numbers and other symbols– until the two both reached the bottom right corner of the board.

Their work completed, the pair eyed each other. "You hate the Mrlssi Sequence, Nael", Sa'ato regarded the skeletal figure with a smirk, "Were you worried I'd lost my edge?". In turning to face the Neti, the skeleton's face became visible to the Felidae for the first time. For all intents and purposes, it was like a theater mask: sunken holes where eyes out to be, and a mouth– or very near to it, twisted into a slight frown. In spite of this, the being produced a rattling sound, which grew loud enough to be counted as laughter, "I didn't want to bore you!". The being paused, "Worried, no– but I had to see for myself!".

The professor placed a friendly hand on the old Givin's shoulder, and directed a digit over to their youthful onlooker, "Nael Pyto-Goris, meet my student, Aliclair– I've been contracted as her personal tutor. I was hoping you might help us track down an–". Nael dismissed him with a sweep of the hand, "Business can wait– come closer child, please". The Givin turned about and keyed a function on the holoboard's console. With a flash of light, Sa'ato's welcoming exercise was erased– and replaced with a preprogrammed exercise. "Something simple, yes", Nael echoed happily, "The Arkanian Actualization Theory– please Miss, if you'd be so kind–".

Nael extended a hand, and a stylus out toward the Felidae. Sa'ato smile never wavered, but he cast a knowing eye towards Aliclair. Gently, and with careful consideration, the Neti extended his thoughts through the Force, and began to feed the necessary numerals and expressions directly into Ali's mind. "There are two or three ways to solve this", he confided telepathically to his Dark Side associate, "But the simple route I've given you will do– write with confidence, we don't want to appear rude…".

[Aliclair Austjor]

Aliclair sat there a moment while dumbfounded. Blinking, her ear gave a small ear flick, even staying in her seat after the call. her brows slightly furrowing before resting her face within her palms. She couldn't seem to find a solid grasp of reality and paranoia; maybe some time out of her chambers could do her good. The Force was dangerous territory to delve into, hence her lack of meditation. Shaking her head after lifting her face from her palms, Ali stood to pack a small travel pack. Never would she leave her companions in the hands of others; they would stay in her chambers being fed with a machine she'd constructed to distribute meals on an hourly bases. She ensured the device was filled for however long she'd be gone. Checking a small screened device, Ali gave herself a small nod before pocketing it and heading out her chambers.

For the ride, the faelide kept to herself, knees to her chest and tail curled around her person. Her posture didn't stay, however, with the shifting ship fighting the harsh weather caused her to lose balance, sitting normally to hold onto something. Rumbling softly, she stood from where she sat to meet up with Sa'ato to enter the estate. She kept her posture and demeaner neutral, offering the Neti her ear by swiveling it to him as he spoke. "F... fear? she asked in a semi-hushed tone but kept it to herself, resting her hands infront of her as they strolled together. Her opalescents scanned the interior of the before casting her optics to the inside of the room. The bright complexation of the other teacher caused Ali to slightly squint her eyes to save them from the intensity. Or, until they could adjust. Thankfully, it didn't take too long through thinned pupils. The silence in the air felt calming to the feminine. There was nothing here but the occasional noise from the pale figure's board. She watched as the two worked on a sort of equation, tilting her head slightly but it was... entertaining to watch. Seeing the Professor work with another to solve a problem. In rare fashion, a smile curled her lips, slightly tilting her head. Perhaps...

Aliclair straightened her back as Sa'ato introduced her, her ears upright. Upon meeting his face, her brows raised. Never had she met someone of his kind and while she was not scared or find it fearful, it intrigued her. How could such a being exist... blinking out of her admiration, she kept her smile upon her lips but it shifted to politeness. Her gaze shifted to the stylus, an feeling of slight panic pounding her sternum. The feminine was combat-wise, builder-wise, creature- and animal-wise. But, whatever-this-was-wise? Never. Ali guessed that this skeletal teacher didn't know they were Followers of the Dark; Sith. Her pupils slightly dilated when their minds connected, blinking. She felt... smart knowing how to do this formula. She approached Nael and gently took the stylus from his palm, tilting her head slightly before standing infront of the hardlight board. Even with the answer swimming in her head, s she still felt slightly nervous. Nevertheless, flicking her tail slightly, she wrote down the formula, placing a hand on her hip while humming softly, and even adding a small heart at the end of the equation. "Hopefully, I did not disappoint?" she said, placing the stylus back in its respective location then faced the two older teachers, resting her hands behind her back as a child would waiting for an answer.

[Professor Mors]

Nael tilted his head in some confusion at Alilcair's heart-shaped flourish, but quickly nodded with satisfaction. Sa'ato simply smiled as the old Givin cleared the board once more and began to produce a third equation from memory. "This one deals with the quantum expansion of the universe", the Neti informed his companion telepathically, "I believe he's praising your potential as a student". When Nael had finished, he paused for only a moment for his mathematical response to settle in before loudly clapping his bony hands together, "Now we've all met, I'd say its time for dinner! Come along, come along!".

Sa'ato shook his head in mock-resignation and gestured for the Felidae to go on ahead. The Givin led his guests to a small but meticulously ornate dining room, where they found the servant droid from before hard at work. A feast was nearly at hand, the proportions were… off. Nael hardly seemed like the sort of miscalculate, but to Aliclair's eyes, the spread seemed more appropriate for a party of nine as opposed to three. The skeletal statistician turned about, finger-raised, perhaps to address the situation– but stopped short and looked the Felidae up and down, as if he'd forgotten something.

He then glanced with a similarly probing air at Sa'ato, then turned back to the Felidae. Without speaking, Nael clapped his hands thrice, and the droid temporarily abandoned their task and zoomed down the adjoining hall. The three stood in silence for a minute or two, before the automaton returned and extended an amorphous maroon bundle at Aliclair. The stack consisted of one body-length tunic, a turtleneck sweater, and two distinctly different scarves– all in the same hue and general style of the Givin's robed attire. "I failed to mention this earlier, water and air pressure change rapidly on Yag'Dhul", Sa'ato explained psionically again, "Exposed skin causes a Givin great anxiety".

The Neti, who had remembered to layer up himself prior to departure, gave Aliclair a slight shrug. Nael elaborated thereafter, "They are freshly-cleaned and quite comfortable! The micromachine-weave will adjust to your proportions in under a minute!". The Dark Sider's host then moved to sit at the head of the table, and calmly concluded, "Once you're properly settled we can dine without issue!". And indeed, once cultural needs had been met and the two took their own seats, Nael began to literally inhale all manner of solid and semi-solid foods through the gaping vacuole that served as his mouth.

"Don't think ill of it", Sa'ato thought quietly over at Ali while beginning to sample the menu in turn, "Nael's kind are extremely durable– they can even survive in the vacuum of space unaided for a time. Such biological feats, understandably, require a great amount of fuel…".

[Aliclair Austjor]

"Ah, a false student." she thought back to him semi-bitterly, her ear swiveling slightly before returning to their original standing. Something within her felt false, pretending to be something she wasn't. But, as the life of the Sith; nothing but deception. It was surely tiring but, she'd hope this wouldn't take too long of a mission. Her head slightly tilted as Nael began working once more but than he stopped. Of all the associations, Ali never suspected such welcoming company. Than again, she knew little of the Neti's past other than what he'd shared with her. Of course, she wouldn't probe or ask. Exhaling softly, Ali stepped forward to follow the Givin, halting when he did, following his 'eyes' and looked down herself briefly before fixing her gaze with a tint of concern. Was she dirty, unkept? All of the above??

It was until clothes for the cold was brought back to her, glancing back at Sa'ato before taking the outfit in her hands with a quirked eyebrow. Though she wished to retort the Professor, she offered him a small nod of understanding before asking the servant bot if there was a room she could change in. Being told, she dipped her head in thanks than briefly departed to get changed in her new outfit, finding it, in fact, comfortable. She watched it confirm to get body, but the sweater remained somewhat loose. She'd forgotten the comforts being fully clothed could bring, seeing her outfits had to be somewhat exposing due to the hot weather of the Sith Academy. Amongst other reasons...

Shaking those thoughts out of her head, Aliclair made her way back to the two teachers, taking the seat meant for her, taking the napkin and placing it on her lap as a reflex of her past. "I thank you for the outfit, it is surprisingly comfortable." she complemented with a small but meaningful smile curling her lips.

[Professor Mors]

Nael held out a finger, requesting Aliclair's sustained patience as he half-swallowed, half-slurped down a particularly large platter of what seemed to be dumplings of some kind. When he finally came up for air, the Givin regard the Felidae's amicable smile with a gracious nod of his domed head, "You're entirely welcome. It pleases me to know an off-worlder can enjoy our traditional garments. I shall have to report that to the bureau of statistics later". Nael produced a rattling sound, perhaps a light chuckle at his previous remark, before turning to Sa'ato, "Now my old friend, what do you seek?".

"The Solha Compendium of Ancient Languages, first–", the Neti began, before Nael finished for him, "First edition, yes I remember– and I'm sure you know I'd have no such use for the thing". Sa'ato smirked, "Of course, but as a former Confederate, I know you must care at least a little about what happened to my copy". "It was originally my copy", the Givin chuffed softly, "Given to me by Duke Solha himself. But as you pointed out, I gave it to you". The arboreal academic sighed, "And I've misplaced it– I think I must have lost it at the solstice party– the first one we held after the war".

There was a pause, followed by what probably passed for a laughing fit by Givin standards. "Don't you remember?", Nael asked in earnest, "I think you must have wagered and lost it during the sabacc doubles tournament!". Cruel realization creased over Sa'ato face, "Oh no– I was terrible that year". "You were", Nael nodded mercilessly, "But I seem to recall Tyka loudly boasting about sweeping you in one of the later rounds– perhaps you might ask her". The Neti could only nod weakly, still evidently reeling from the magnitude of past hubris and defeat. Observing this, the Givin turned to Aliclair, and inquired in earnest, "Tell me more about yourself Young One. I've never met one of your species before– from where do you hail?".

[Aliclair Austjor]

For the most part, Aliclair had zoned out into her own mind, though frazzled and on the fritz. She had surrendered herself to the Darkside so easily after the return of the Lord of Torment but, how could she had ignored the signs? Surely... no more running, no more hiding. Her new life was here, with the Sith, as Silas being her mentor and Sa'ato being her teacher. Her mind rung with the emptiness of space, but it was silenced with Nael snapping her out of it. Blinking twice and straightening her back, she faced the pale teacher.

She pondered on his question, and surely the truth wouldn't do her harm here considering he was unaware of what faction they were truly on. "O-oh yes, uhm. I am an heiress to the throne of the kingdom of Auschia. My father is a Felacatian and my mother a Zabrak. As you can see, I retained my mother's more humanoid look but kept my father's ears, tail and instinct. However, I wished to further my knowledge than what my tutors could teach me within Palace walls. It just so happened I ran into The Professor on one of my strolls. And, well. The rest is history." she answered with a small but genuine smile curling her lips. She'd recently visited her home for roughly a week; just to see how they were doing. She couldn't see herself being the actual ruler of said Kingdom but if her parents do not produce another heir, than she would be next in line if anything happened to them. Her ears slightly swiveled before they settled forward; hopefully sharing delicate information wouldn't bite her in the tail in the future.

[Professor Mors]

"Ah- Felicatan!", Nael announced, clapping his bony hands together, "And here I had guessed Cathar! Clearly I hedged too much on the balance of probability- ah, no matter!". The Givin paused to sweep a napkin across his gaping maw, and continued, "A member of royalty and an aspiring scholar, a splendid combination-". Nael eyed his old friend from across the tables, "I daresay I might be superior at certain experimental equations- but in the grand scheme of things, you've found a very capable instructor indeed". Sa'ato smirked, seemingly amused at this tongue-in-cheek, and inclined his head in deference to his colleague.

"Yes, you're quite fortunate Young One", Nael went on, sweeping a hand toward the Neti, "This fellow here had a real reputation back in the day. Almost never took on research students or graduates– and when he did, very seldom passed them– what was it some of them called you back then?". "Professor Thorns", the academic muttered with only the slightest hint of irritation, "Bunch of upstarts and people-pleasers– goodness knows they needed a dose of reality-". Realizing he was on the precarious edge of a rant, Sa'ato cleared his throat, and glanced back at his feline companion, "I'm pleased to say Aliclair puts them all to shame- truly, I've–".

The Neti was suddenly cut off but a low but audible alarm blare. "Ah, that must be the eastern sea going out", Nael commented in a matter-of-fact tone, before turning to the younger of his two guests, "You may wish to hold onto the table, though it is not required". Sa'ato nodded in encouragement at the Felidae before bracing himself in turn. An emergency holofeed lit up from an emitter in the middle of the dining table, and displayed the most miraculous of sights: the surrounding ocean was seemingly falling away. The ground beneath them shook, but the departure of not one but three titanic waves barely moved the party in their seats.

Instead, their various articles of clothing inflated, and flew up and out every which way as the air pressure rapidly shifted. Thankfully, the upper tube of Aliclair's slightly-loose turtleneck briefly encapsulated her head, sparing her all damage and leaving her with not even a mild migraine. Like open flower petals, the various bits of fabric bloomed and fell back to their original configuration, and the holofeed now showed a landscape transformed. The oceanic view that had greeted the Sith duo on arrival had now been exchanged with a barren landscape of rocky crags. "I suppose we ought to be going now", Sa'ato commented, standing up, "Before the western sea comes in".

"You're probably right- but wait just a moment before you go!", Nael insisted with an emphatic finger. The Givin shuffled at of sight as Sa'ato and Aliclair made their way back to the front entrance. The aged statistician appeared right as they reached the door, and offered a small, silver cylinder to the Felidae with both hands outstretched. "A memento in thanks for a most splendid visit", Nael explained excitedly, "A recently retired friend pawned his wrist module off to me. It possesses a rangefinding lens that can run distance calculations for well over a kilometer".

"I doubt you'll need it for surveying tunnels as he did, but it might be useful for landscaping, or perhaps game hunting", the Givin chortled, obviously confident in his choice of gift, "Either way, I hope it might help further your mathematical studies". Nael turned to the Neti, "And you– don't be too hard on this one– or yourself. You can always stand to write more frequently". Without warning, Sa'ato's face screwed up into the coldest, meanest scowl Ali had ever seen. But then he spoke, "Awfully presumptuous talk coming from you, young man".

The most mischievous grin rippled across the professor's face, as the educational pair clapped each other on the shoulder and lost themselves to some minutes of deep, raucous laughter. "I will be seventy four cycles of age soon enough, you know", Nael protested weakly. "Yes, I know", Sa'ato offered softly and sincerely, "Perhaps we can get everyone together to celebrate when the time arrives". With that, the two shook hands, and Nael offered the Felidae one last courteous bow before the Darksiders went on their way.

Sa'ato did not speak another word as the duo made their way through the residential corridor, up the vertical spaceport shaft, or even when they had boarded their ship. In fact, he only moved to address her when they entered the upper orbit, and was amidst calculating the jump to lightspeed. "I am– grateful for your company this day", the professor spoke quietly, very deliberately picking out each word, "I know I did not tell Nael the entire truth but– a half-lie with you in the room is much preferable to what I might have had to fabricate had I been alone…"

[Aliclair Austjor]

In the beginning, Aliclair was confused until her danger sense prickled the fur on her tail. Extending her claws into the chair out of instinct, it was well placed as the house rattled from the seas. Her brows furrowed, glancing over at Sa'ato when it was all over. And now at least she knew to never set her home up on a water planet. And while she didn't mind most article of clothing, she was esspecially grateful for these that were gifted to her. Plus, they were cozy.

When the whole house-quake was over, she sighed shakily, pulling her claws free from the chair. Only one hand was freed to which she reached over to pull out the stuck one. Ali rumbled to herself while standing, patting down her frizzled tail before her opalescents settled on the hospitable host reaching out with a gift cylinder. Tilting her head slightly, she accepted the gift nonetheless with a genuine small smile. "Thank you, for everything. I hope we can visit again, when the sea is more calm." she half-joked, knowing the madness of the sea probably never will cease. Though, she didn't wish for the seas calmness. If it were calm, it could be catastrophic.

"Better a half-trust then a half-lie as my father always said before causing mischief. I already pledged myself to your cause, so use my assets as you see fit. If I am to be Sith then I refuse to be on the sidelines." She stated while staring at the silver cylinder in hand. Her curiosity was at its peak as they made their way back to his ship, taking a small peek inside.