[center]~| Day 2, 11:57- 12:20 GST |~
~|Kaggath, Security Room: Jayda & Zanna (Part 1) |~[/center]

Zanna waited until they were a good distance from Vivithe before relaxing. She let out a breath, looking over her shoulder to give a slight smirk to Jayda. “You need to get better at lying. Quickly. She’s going to try to isolate you from me or me from you. From that friend comment I’d guess she thinks one of us is playing the other, or that we’re both fools. Seeing as we’ve already caught her attention, I doubt she’ll just forget about us and let us go on our merry way.” She stopped and turned to eye Jayda critically. “Speaking of on our merry way, shall we just skip the camera room and go straight to the rest part? You don’t seem to be doing well. My alchemy can do many things, but restoring lost blood is not one of them. We can train tomorrow, if you’re feeling better then.” 

The Red Sith’s footsteps had slowed, with her checking around to make sure that they were more or less alone. “I’ll even help you with lying. I don’t believe Lady Lansha believed us and if she gets you by yourself you’re doomed.”

Jayda followed quickly on Zanna’s heels, her anxiety fading with each step, as she struggled to keep up. Already her hand pressed to the side and her body leaned over to feel her weakness creeping in on her for the second time. Pretending to be strong while adrenaline was coursing through her vein but now, all that had died and she was left huffing heavily while her hand pressed into the metal surface. Her flesh slightly drenched in light sweat skimming along her surface causing her become painfully aware of much energy she had wasted, realizing she would have to eat in another hour or two else her body would start to devouring itself. Losing more muscle mass, especially after recovering during those four months recovering from a long time of near starvation,wasn’t an experience she wanted to repeat.

She listened to the fellow apprentice speak the truth about their little departure, her body nearly crashing into the Red Sith when the female abruptly stopped in front of her. Jayda cursed in Ul’Zabrak under her breath at the action then tried to keep herself upright and standing. “She might gain an unsavory surprise then… Besides, she wouldn’t be the first and with any luck, I’ll off the ship before she can. Sish brought me on board for a reason and until I complete it, he will not leave me alone for long. She would be lucky to see me alone for a few seconds and I don’t think she is the type ask Sish if she could borrow my help, do you?” 

She took a breath and tried to steady herself. “No, I need know what happened. In addition, I need to eat soon again.” 

Immediately Zanna started to move again causing Jayda to grind her teeth in frustration while she followed. “As for lying, I’ll figure something out and soon.” 


Zanna, upon glancing back again and noticing what state Jayda was in, slowed until she was at a complete stop. She eyed the Zabrak, wondering how long it would be before she collapsed. [i]Such pride. Its just as likely to to kill her as it is keep her alive.[/i]  “Sish isn’t around to protect you now. We don’t know how long Nyiss will keep him or if he’ll even return alive. If he doesn’t, I assure you that leaving this ship won’t be easy. Lady Lansha is interested in you. Why, I cannot say, but she asked me about you at breakfast this morning.” 

She arched an eyebrow at Jayda, a slight smirk playing on her lips. She was beginning to realize more and more just how out of her depth Jayda was. “What, pray tell, would that something be? Your attempt at lying seconds ago was...cringe inducing. Lansha will believe you even less than she believed me.” She leaned against the wall, giving Jayda time to rest and recover before they continued on. 

“You need lessons on how to lie and Force use. Just as I need lessons on combat and reading body language.”

Jayda was pressing against the wall, listening, thankful that Zanna had realized her trouble at keeping up. Even if her pride was irritated she failed to overcome her weakness. As much as she hated to admit Zanna was right, the Red bitch had points even she would be blind to ignore. Her eyes turned up to see the playful smirk start to edge on the Sith’s mouth causing her to frown deeper. “Fine... “ 

The word came out in a bit of a growl while she pushed herself upright again, using the wall to aid her toward their destination. “We’ll start our lesson in the camera room then.” 

Zanna rolled her eyes at Jayda’s growl. She was beginning to understand that the Zabrak was always in an angry and upset mood. “Seems as good a place as any. You’ll probably make it there.” She replied, following Jayda as the other apprentice lead the way to the camera room. As they entered, Jayda heading towards the cameras for the prison level, Zanna spoke to the troopers in the room. “Leave us. Do not let anyone in here without warning us first.” She put just the slightest bit of Force in her voice, to help persuade anyone considering resisting. 

Jayda was quiet while she watched Zanna speak. The Red Sith's words sounded normal but way the trooper's eyes looked, it was clear she applied Force to them. There was no question or curious looks when they exited causing Jayda to cast a look at Zanna. Instead of voicing her desire, the Zabrak shifted casually to the console. 

When the troopers quickly left the room, a pair of them move to stand outside the door as it closed. “There.” Zanna said with satisfaction, “Now there won’t be any interference.” She moved over to watch the recording of Sish’s incident with the prisoners with Jayda.

Jayda nodded then shifted her attention to the holo screen. Her eyes narrowed into each individual during the reply as she noted it all started over a simple kiss. In normal conditions, she would've rolled her eyes and smirked at the love sick pair. However, it was much more serious than that. Sish discovered and naturally things became worse when they resisted. 

Knowing she had to teach the Red Sith at some point, Jayda leaned upright then spoke. "What can you tell me about the individuals within the recording? Look closely and make your best guess based on what you know already." 

Zanna didn’t bother turning her gaze from the recording, brow slightly furrowed as she watched the battle play out. “Lord Sish is...holding back. Being cautious. The boy is desperate. The only ones who are calm is the Kel-Dor, the Sluissi, the Kaminoan, the other human and the Twi-lek. More than that I can’t tell you.” She glanced uncertainly at Jayda, filled with the uncomfortable yet familiar feeling of being out of her depth and not knowing what she was really doing. A smile ghosted across her lips. [i]Who would have thought I’d be learning from a filthy impure?[/i]

"Is that all you see?" 

Zanna looked again, brow furrowing once more. For a few moments, she was silent. Then Alat’s attack upon Sish’s head happened. Her eyes grew brighter as pieces fell into place before her. Her finger pointed towards the monitor as she spoke of each person. “Aside from the obvious, Sish being in pain, the Kel-Dor is tired. Whatever he did was exhausting. The other Jedi are surprised. It was an ability they didn’t know he had.” She looked at Jayda expectantly, waiting for the denial or the confirmation of her thoughts.

"Yes, note how they are wary and surprised. My guess is that it is not a light force one either. Now Sish will lose control and will likely try to maim the Kel-Dor. And this is when the gas stops.." Jayda confirmed as she turned off the holo screen. Her finger made a slight click and absorbed the details Zanna had missed. Easily her mind picked out possible assumptions to test though observation as she listed off the odd things within the fight. One hovered over her with such obvious light, she was surprised Zanna hadn't noted how the boy held himself. 

"Also the lights flickered when this one," She pointed to Koren," is in pain yet the lightning hasn't touched him until later. Another important note... the boy might have a broken or fractured rib, maybe more. See how he's leaning to the side, favoring one over the other?" She continued bluntly, her tone emotionless.

Zanna’s eyes followed Jayda’s finger and absorbing her words with obvious interest and respect as she listened and saw what the Zabrak was talking about. “Unless Sish has no mental defenses it has to be one that ignores them...Drain Knowledge perhaps? But that has a high chance of giving him useless information..” She muttered to herself, before refocusing on the task at hand. She stared a brief moment at the boy, brow furrowed, before nodding. “Yes, I see it.” She couldn’t help but wince at the limp way he fell to the ground on his bad side. 

“I doubt he’ll be taken for any harsh physical torture, lest he die.”

“Sish would end up killing him accidentally in a secession as he tends to be excessive. Especially with those of younger age and believes they can handle much more then their bodies are actually able to. After all, he never listens to their cries when it matters.” Jayda stated in a slightly hollow tone, her mind recalling the last youth Sish tortured and a dry lump found its way into her throat. She gritted her teeth, her claws digging into the console’s edge deeply before retracting her fingers. “He hasn’t much self control.” 

Her hand waved toward a moving chair then slid it over, rolling toward her where she stood then sat hard into it. It would be the first time someone, other than Sish, had actually witness her force control. Her body leaned into the support as she felt release from her legs, relieve in her body’s weakness. Jayda keep in mind her father’s teaching methods and tried to apply them. She continued, struggling to keep her emotions out of it, to point out more evidence. “There’s three combative experienced Jedi among the prisoners and three none.” 

Jayda replayed the vid from the start again, slowly going over the scene bit by bit she pointed out things she could draw facts from. “The woman, man and Kel-Dor here. The Kel-Dor is a predator, likely strong in close quarter combat but… something feels off. The other two are better at support tactics, while the teenagers are mostly the weak links in this despite the boy starting it.” 

Instinctively, she leaned up and pointed at the screen where the Twi’Lek had hopped into the lift then hunched down. “The Twi’lek, if I was to guess, is sabotaging the lift of some sort. She could have Mechu-deru or be a simple splicer. Not sure what the boy’s speciality is but his force is weak and clearly not combative.”

Taking her finger to tap her chin, Jayda played the vid a bit more then pointed at the Knight holding the boy back. “The woman holding the knight back knows Soresu, it might be her only or primary form. Here another Sith comes in here and he’s not taking this match seriously....” 

“Now, any guesses how I knew all of that?” She managed to keep her irritation at Sish’s toying with his victims out of her voice, pausing the vid on key moments she was studying and waiting to see if Zanna would note her own observations.  

Zanna thought for a moment, before beginning to speak slowly. “The combat you noted from how each of them held themselves, and how they reacted. The Kel-dor and the other two are calm and seem to be assured of what they’re doing, as if they’ve done it before. The Twi-lek is calm as well, but she’s not attacking. So she’s been in desperate situations before but not quite combat. Or if she has not this type of combat.”

Zanna continued, enjoying the challenge this lesson presented. “The boy is merely throwing himself at Sish, reacting more on instinct than thought. The Twi-lek’s splicing is from her position. Kneeling on the side of the panel, hands and arms moving, et cetera. Soresu, and other lightsaber forms, Sish taught you how to note. The stances, movements, so on so forth. After all if you don’t know what you’re facing your chances of death rise.” The Red Sith looked at her teacher, eyebrow raised.

Jayda’s eyes flickered in anger, her teeth grinded together, as she frowned when Sish was mentioned. She inhaled then set on correcting the Sith in a cold tone. “I learned to read combat stances, movement and more before I ever met Sish. Since I was eight years old and being born on the Zabrak homeworld. We learn combat as soon as we’re able to hold a weapon in our hands and swing. As for Soresu, that was a form I learned before I met Sish. Now he makes sure to decapitate anything he needs to kill.” 

Zanna inclined her head slightly, acknowledging her mistake. She did not fail to notice the Zabraks’ reaction however. [i]Her past is a touchy subject, it seems.[/i]

She calmed her anger before continuing. “Yes, when you know what you’re looking for than being able to tell who’s a threat and who’s not is simple. How one holds her or himself, might show the individual’s personality. Lady Lansha isn’t a direct combatant, both because of her demeanor and the fact her hands don’t show callouses like these.” 

The Zabrak slowly pulled off her gloves, revealing the hardened skin that years of practicing brought while she held them for Zanna to examine. Her eyes wary of the Sith’s actions at all times. “It means she will refuse to fight unless cornered into it and rather let others fight for her. Your hands show a different path. There’s burns, cut scars, and other markings associated with an inventor or chemist. Your alchemy talents and work show in a very, very obvious way.” 

When Zanna finished looking at her own hand, Jayda quickly re-gloved them. “Even a simple trait, as meaningless or mundane as it seems, can tell you a lot.” 

Zanna’s eyes studied Jayda’s calloused hands, resisting the urge to lightly trace them with her fingers. She glanced briefly down at her own, seeing the old burn scars and smiled to herself. “You’re right. I do have my talents on my hands.” She looked back up at Jayda, curiosity evident. “But how do you tell the difference between your callouses and the callouses of, say, someone who has worked with tools all their lives? Difference in location and intensity? Or do you just have to assume based on what you know of them?”

The Zabrak nodded, her hand reached to pull out her lightsaber then held it in one hand.  “Also the shape and style of them. Lightsabers handles are built for combat, made to keep in the hand of the wielder with little risk in slipping loose. Also, tools end up leaving cuts, and unless you’re a beginner, you wouldn’t want to get ‘cut’ by your own weapon. In addition labors often have additional scars, wounds, and more in places you wouldn’t want to see on a lightsaber wield. Often the knuckles, fingers, and palms depending on their daily task.” 

She took a breath and moved onto the next subject. “While you can’t officially tell if they are merely a labor worker or a lightsaber user, you can at least make educated guesses. You can also learn a Jedi’s or Sith’s most used form through their hands.” 


In her none used hand she spread fingers out while she continued to point at the areas where her hands made contact the most with her own style. Her finger and thumb webbing, side of her thumb and fingertips were the most thick through her gloves managed to hide those facts from sight. “Soresu is purely defensive and requires both hands. Through it can flip and sway to block, few users ever use it one handed alone unless they are dual wielders. You can even tell some style possibilities by the callouses depth in their groove. More offensive styles dig deeper into the handle due to strength being a primary factor. More defensive users side swipe and deflection to block and shove an attack away. Ataru depends on flips and jumps, less strength as well that means defined muscles in the legs. Now.. look at your own hand and tell me what you see?” 

Zanna dutifully looked down at her own hand, brow furrowing as she concentrated, her hand splayed out in front of her, palm up. “ Someone who relies on something other than lightsaber skills to keep her alive. Likely alchemy, judging from the burns. Past mistakes, perhaps.” Her free hand traced the burn scars and slight bumps. “She learned just enough lightsaber skills to delay the inevitable long enough to, she hopes, have her dubious allies or her alchemy to save her.” She looked up and gave a rueful smile. “Perhaps I’m going based off of too much personal knowledge.”

“Not the answer I was looking for…”Jayda stated calmly, “You’re stating knowledge you were already given and know. What can you tell about a topic you’re not so familiar like your lightsaber form? What areas are more heavily calloused and worn compared to others? Based on your form style, why can you safely assume that others of the same style might share similar features?”  

Zanna nodded, and looked down again. Her fingers lightly traced her splayed up hand, brow furrowing again. She spoke slowly, unsure if she was reading her own palm right. “My callouses, slight as they are, are evenly distributed. There is no favoring in any one area. I learned the basic skills, but little more. Others would have the same feature because Niman is a lightsaber form designed to be easily picked up and supplemented, usually with the Force.  Others may favor defense over offense and have slightly more callouses similar to the defensive forms, and vice versa, but general Niman users won’t have heavily calloused hands. Their studies would have been directed to other things. The Force. Alchemy. So on so forth. They’re likely to use said other things in combat.” She looked back up at Jayda. “Better?”