[center]~| Day 2, 8:45- 8:55 GST |~
~| Aboard the Kaggath, Sith Rooms→Sith Halls|~
~|Zanna & Jayda|~[/center]

Jayda’s ears easily caught the sound of knuckles rattling the door of her room. At the sound, her head cocked and the meat bone she had been gnawing on, quietly tapped the metal plate. She was done with her meal for now, though not by choice. Her eyes narrowed at the persistent source, her unwanted guest still insisting on getting her attention, while she mentally considered who was brazen enough to approach her. It took several moments and immediately, Jayda’s mind came up with the answer. Zanna. Inwardly the Zabrak groaned as she braced herself and slowly made it to her feet. Her hand gripped the bedpost tightly to keep her balance as she shuffled to the door, her body weak from Sish's punishment. In her right hand was her lightsaber, poised and ready to be ignited should Zanna become stupid. Despite what the Sith apprentice has said, Jayda didn’t fully trust her claims she needed help in improving in her lightsaber combat. 

To the Zabrak, it made little sense how Zanna could’ve survived this long without some edge. That lingering fact and the addition of Zanna wanting her aid, put Jayda's paranoia on high alert. Cautiously, her hand released her grip on the post and opened the door. It came open with a abrupt hiss revealing the Red Sith to her sharp eyes. 

When she stepped back to let the fellow apprentice in, her nose caught a whiff of sulfur. On impulse, her free hand jerked up and over her nose, shielding it from the harsh odor invading her senses. Instantly she hissed out the first thing that came to her mind and leaned in slightly to examine for scorch marks. “What is that hellish stink?! Were you in a lab when something exploded or caught on fire?”   

[i]Well. No training today it seems.[/i] Zanna thought, somewhat disappointedly. Still, what could be expected from barbaric ‘teaching’ lessons that Sish used? Just as she opened her mouth to ask if their training was going to begin the same time tomorrow, Jayda’s face scrunched and her hand covered her nose. Zanna blinked in surprise, taken from her slightly pitying study of Jayda’s injuries and state (the damn lizard’s cruelty), by the Zabrak’s sudden outburst. That surprise was quickly taken by irritation and indignation, all carefully smothered and kept from her face and body language. [i]Impure whore needs to fix her tone.[/i] Zanna thought darkly, before addressing the situation at hand. The Red Sith’s eyebrow rose, question clear on her face. “I don’t even have access to a la-” She paused, looking down at the second lightsaber clipped to her belt. “Wait.” She unclipped it and held it toward Jayda. “Does it smell stronger on this?” If so...Zanna had the perfect thing to do rather than train. 

Jayda had expected Zanna's body to match up with the questioning tone she gave, but it didn’t, just like before. It didn’t surprise the Zabrak in the least that the Sith continued this. While she wasn’t on the talent level an Echani would be, who likely could distinguish an individual’s mood on body movement alone as easy as breathing, she could easily tell when someone was deliberately hiding their natural reactions. It didn’t help her hormones had shifted slightly causing Jayda’s mind to become very alert to everything Zanna did. Something that only gave Jayda more reason to expect the worse of the apprentice as Zanna started to deny one possible explanation of the sulfuric scent, her sentence abruptly stopped in the middle. Something seemed to have dawned on Zanna because  she looked down at the second lightsaber at settled upon the her waist, drawing it to Jayda's attention for the first time, and passed toward the Zabrak causing the older apprentice to study it for a moment. Jayda's hand was still over her nose to dampened the scent but it could  not eliminated it completely. As it strengthening, her fingers clamped tighter, applying enough pressure to almost halt her breathing and struggled to focus past the odor invading her sensitive nose. 

At the Sith's actions, Jayda's eyes immediately glared at Zanna with disdain at shoving the thing in her direction, her purple irises shimmered in annoyance before she grudgingly uncovered her nose to take the lightsaber. She choked back a sour taste at her throat and swallowed it down, stubbornly refusing to vomit in front of the fellow apprentice. One thing, angry as it made her, the Lizard and her shared was the agreement that weakness in this place was a good way to paint a target on her back.

Her fingers hooked about the weapon's end, the dangerous other end pointed at Zanna, and brought it a few inches toward her face. Her paranoia kept it at a far enough distance that should it had been tampered with, she had time to limit the damage it might caused her. The lightsaber obviously wasn't Zanna's as the Zabrak noted, a briefly glance to the other Sith's waist to reassure her suspicions, that the Red Sith's weapon of choice was still latched at her belt. Satisfying a confirming her first assumption, Jayda's eyes returned to the lightsaber. First thing she noticed was that there was no blacken signs. To her, it meant the weapon had never been in a fight recent or damaged in anyway. A lack of death and a sickly smell concluded not poison was used either. 

 Though it didn't prove that Zanna hadn't disposed of the own and placed the sulfur scent, it eliminated at least two options she could've gained her 'trophy': direct combat and poisoning. Most would've been confused by why her conclusion excluded the foul, underhanded tactic so easily and it was rather simple. Most poisons alter an individual's scent into a subtle, sickly that a keen nose could faintly detect and anything they touched also lingered with it. Jayda knew these methods to both be easy and acceptable ways to get rid of competition onboard the Kaggath. With Nyiss' blunt disregard of the primary rule set by the Sith's own dark council, the fear of death no longer applied to the more ambitious apprentices and lords. Likely that was the primary fact she was so edgy here. 

After Jayda's nostrils flared a bit longer, biting through the nausea curdling in her core in her stubbornness, she passed the weapon back. "Yes, it’s strongest on that and likely, I assume, you can’t smell anything other than the sulfur?"  

The Red Sith’s golden eyes met Jayda’s annoyed one calmly, waiting for the other apprentice to take the lightsaber. [i]I’ve been a bit too bending with her.[/i]  If she was right, Jayda could help her figure out what exactly happened to this lightsaber’s owner. Before whatever happened to them happened to her.  Zanna watched Jayda carefully, ready to dodge out of the way should the Zabrak try anything stupid like activate the lightsaber into her chest.. A light smile crossed her face at the Zabrak’s discomfort, only for a brief moment. She didn’t want to piss off the apprentice and have her refuse to train her, or even worse try to kill her in a fit of rage. Sish had already proven he was capable of that, and Zanna didn’t want to see how much like her master Jayda was. Her eyes brightened with interest and anticipation as Jayda spoke. [i]So there is a smell. And smell’s can be tracked. Especially if the sniffer is sentient.[/i] 

“That’s all I can smell, yes. I found it abandoned in a room with black marks and a melted open vent. Seeing as you’re in no condition to train, perhaps you’d like to see this room? You might be able to smell or see something I missed.” As much as the words left a sour taste in her mouth, they were true. The Zabrak would be better able to see or smell in the room, and probably be able to find whoever was killing Sith. For no Sith would leave their lightsaber laying around, and themselves unarmed. 

When Zanna took the lightsaber and freed up Jayda’s hand, the Zabrak’s eyes still forced on her unwanted guest. Her head cocked only slightly at the suggestion made by the other Sith and caused her eyebrow to lift, her eyes studied the outlandish suggestion provided. Even Jayda knew how foolish it was to go seeking the source with someone she barely knew. There was little proof that Zanna herself wasn’t the killer and she wasn’t trying to off the competition. So why, Jayda considered, would she provide an opportunity to do exactly that to Zanna? breathing in deeply, Jayda seemed to stand in complete stillness for a long time while she debated with herself over the proper means to approach this decision. She recalled the scent smelled like any other Sith but there was something… off with it. Something that screamed nothing positive about it and it made her instinct curl and darken with warning. That was something she didn’t like in the least because to ignore it meant she would suffer later over the consequences of her decision. Pressing her lips tightly together, she inhaled deeply then exhaled in anger over her hand being forced one way. “The vent might explain the smoke but not the sulfur or the… darkside scent. So where exactly did you find that and what was the state of the room?” 

She wasn’t going to rush into this careless after all. 

Zanna covered her face with an exasperated hand as Jayda made it clear her suspicion and paranoia. “May I remind you that I could have killed you at least three times over by now? Once when I was in your mind. Once while you were unconscious after Sish got through with you. A final time when you had passed out from blood loss. But no, I let go of your mind. I made sure you weren’t going to die from Sish’s lesson. I even used the last of my emergency Alchemical healing goo to make sure you survived passing out from blood loss. If I wanted you dead, you would [i]already be dead.[/i]” She spoke in a soft, irritated, whisper. Jayda likely didn’t want the other Sith or the cameras over hearing how many times she had been at Zanna’s mercy, after all. When Jayda finally asked her question, Zanna giving another small smile at her obvious anger, the apprentice wasted little time answering her interest obviously perking as Jayda mentioned ‘Darkside scent’ . In a few brief words, the Red Sith described the room’s location and state for Jayda. 

“Shall we go?”

Jayda hardened her stare, the irises filled with warning at Zanna’s words, as her grip on her lightsaber tightened briefly. It seemed, for a split second, the apprentice was considering testing how easily she could get away with the laxation of the no kill rule before her hand eased on the pressure for it seemed like another time while onboard. Instead, she lowered her weapon and  pushed aside her robes, clipping her weapon to her belt. She listened to Zanna’s description about the scene. Jayda’s expression revealed little though her mind turned and twisted the possible explanations in her mind. Each option that cropped up as plausible, she cross examined which parts would fit the given elements but despite her efforts, nothing could explain everything. Most of all, how the struggle had happened and no one had seen someone exiting the room. Knowing something or someone stronger was lurking around the ship and itching to kill Sith was evidence someone was liberally exercising their boundaries, even worse was the disposing of their bodies effectively without anyone spotting the method. It was bad enough she was edgy as it was, but these discoveries caused her to become even worse. She didn’t even had a clue how this was possible without some sort of obvious sign. 

At Zanna’s question, Jayda nodded and stepped past the Red Sith only to pause a second to become even with Zanna’s shoulder. Her words breaking the silence in a quiet, venomous tone. “Being Sish’s apprentice has one advantage… I  learned there’s some things worse than death. Just because you’ve not killed me doesn’t mean you’re not patient or waiting to cause me something worse.” 

With those words lingering, she stepped outside the room and threatened to leave Zanna behind if she didn’t follow. Later on, however, Jayda intended to check the surveillance camera and see if she could spot the Sith coming or going who was responsible for the crime. It would be hard to get the sulfur and smoke of his or her clothes after all.  

Zanna glared back at Jayda, clearly ready to use the force if the Zabrak used her lightsaber. She was tired of Jayda blatantly assuming that she wanted to kill her. It was a good paranoia to have, but blatantly letting it display was annoying and exasperating. She relaxed a miniscule amount as Jayda clipped the lightsaber onto her belt. The Red Sith waited, slightly impatiently, as Jayda considered her options before finally stepping forward. Jayda stopped a little too close for Zanna’s comfort, but she didn’t let it show. Damned if she was going to let the Zabrak intimidate her. But this blatant paranoia had to stop. Not only was it annoying, it would hamper their training if Jayda thought every twitch was Zanna trying to kill her. “Such a shame you’re not worth that much effort then.” She hissed back. “You’re not subtle. You’re confrontational. While there is a certain intelligence to you, you decide to not use it in favor of the lizard’s teachings. You’re decidedly disinterested in gaining Nyiss’s favor, or gaining more power. The only thing you do want is to kill Sish. You’re not a threat, and you’re not something to ally with. The only thing I want from you is better lightsaber skills, and the only thing you’re getting from me is better Force skills. Remember that.”

She followed, waiting for Jayda to find the room and deliver her verdict. And, perhaps, lead them to whomever the mystery scent was.

Jayda  weighed Zanna's reply in her head while she was waiting outside. Impulsively, her instincts stirred inside and increased her awareness of her surroundings. Closed in metal walls limited her mobility and gave her little comfort when it came to defense, instead they were more like a corner to trap her in. Her nose inhaled softly, silently cursing at her unnerved mind. It kept trying to coax her into running and hiding hiding while she clamped down her stubborn nature upon it. She didn’t come this far to merely run away. For a brief, risky moment she shut her eyes then forced her fear into the center of her hearts. The chilling sensation died gradually and gathered into a neat, swirling ball before finally fading for the time. It would be back, but not for a while at least. 

Realizing she would need to mediate at some point within the day, Jayda’s mind became aware of Zanna’s eyes resting on her. All around the Zabrak apprentice, energies drenched in her darkside  made chaotic patterns about her and seemed particularly thicker than last time she wandered these corridors. It was difficult to ignored since the change was so drastic. At first, Jayda had considered it was due to the number of Sith being in close proximity to each other but now.. she wasn’t so sure. Her hands lingered on her belt where her lightsaber laid, through it was obvious she wasn’t going use it, and shifted slightly in the hallway. 

All the time, her eyes were closed to absorb the scent she had collected from the lightsaber earlier. Sulfuric, smoky, and unsettling fixed their scents into her mind and caused her to focus harder into locating them. The strongest source, naturally, was where Zanna had originally came from. Jayda was greatly suspicious and disappointed in not smelling it in a stronger concentration in a direction leading away from the room. Usually when the same scent overlaps, it happens when prey is exiting the room. This clue was both confused and disturbing to her at the same time. If she was scenting this correcting, her mind certain of it, then by all logical the killer never left. 

Jayda's eyes snapped open to look at Zanna  as her voice spoke softly. "Are you sure you checked [i]everywhere[/i] in that room? There’s no scent exiting the room..." 

Zanna watched Jayda carefully as the Zabrak closed her eyes and sniffed, presumably gathering the scent from the room. Zanna was nervous being even near the room, even with Jayda. Now that she actually had time to feel the dark side energies aside from a passing glance, Zanna could be worried.  There was something wrong with it, something that radiated the dark side. The dark side itself wasn’t wrong. That was familiar, comfortable even. It was the sheer amount of darkside in the room. The  Lords were...pathetic, compared to the raw power Zanna felt.  Only Nyiss was stronger and only then, very slightly. The Red Sith shifted nervously, her weight going slightly from foot to foot. Her gaze was unfocused as she tried to focus on the energies to see if she could glean any information from it. She failed. The most she could gain was that, whoever their mystery person was, they were [i]very[/i] attuned with the dark side. 

The Red Sith’s gaze moved back to focus on Jayda as the Zabrak spoke. “Unless they can shrink themselves, or there is a hidden door I don’t know about, there shouldn’t be  anyway they could have left from. However, I did not look everywhere in the room. I got the lightsaber, noticed the vent under the bed and the damage, then left.” Zanna pointed to the bed in question, which could be seen from the door.. “The vent is melted open.”

“Or...they never left the room,” Jayda stated bluntly, her eyes opened and looked toward the room. She stared hard at it, her eyes looked for signs of forced entrance or other obvious signs something was wrong but all she got was the scent lingering in her nose. Nothing new. Jayda growled in irritation while listened to Zanna shift nervously, her own unsettledness growing by the moment, her head jerked to rest upon the Red Sith. “Settle down, center your thoughts and nervousness. It’s not helping me focus at all.” 

Carefully, her feet started to walk toward it as she drew closer to the room. Her hand reached out to the doorway and her body stopped just short of entering, her nostrils flared with the foul scent that invaded her mind and nearly caused Jayda to gag. Again, she swallowed the taste down forcefully. The next several minutes were spent examining the room while Zanna stood there, her head scanning for unwanted attack attempts. It wasn’t a suitable situation for Jayda through the Zabrak saw no other way to complete her task without risk. In the end, she chose Zanna over the latter merely due to the fact the apprentice’s points were somewhat valid. 

“Whatever it was, it’s no longer here. Somehow, it got out, likely with the body, and disposed of it.” Jayda stated when her pulled herself upright from the floor, her leg brought up to rest underneath her. She looked back at the Red Sith refusing to enter.  
  
Zanna didn’t even glare at Jayda for her tone, but stopped her moving. She took a deep breath, smothering and shoving her nervousness and other emotions away to be used later. She followed the Zabrak, but stopped at the door way. The wave of darkside power had only gotten stronger, if that was possible. It was vaguely reminiscent of what she had done in Jayda’s room last night, only far more powerful.[i]I’ve only felt that when…[/i] Zanna shivered. If someone else could do what she was thinking, on this ship, her chances of survival just plummeted. 

Her gaze met Jayda’s and for once, she wasn’t hiding anything. Everything about her displayed worry, and she didn’t care if the Zabrak noticed. “Can’t you feel it?” She asked, softly, arms crossed tightly as she held herself. “The unnatural amount of darkside energies? [i]Old[/i] darkside energies. Someone was playing with things they shouldn’t have been. Come on. Lets leave this place. There’s nothing more to be discovered.” She turned and began heading away from the room. As she put distance between herself and the room, a touch of her confidence began to return. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll find the trail of whatever it was that was in that room.”

“You seem to act like I should know the difference. The darkside has always been the same no matter who was emitting it, the only difference is the intensity. Namely it’s worse inside this ship.” Jayda mumbled softly under her breath. She was weak, her body notably showed it. Gingerly her arm raised upward to grip the post and pulled herself upward, her leg straightening with her rise to her feet. The movement caused her to grunt and pant softly, her muscles screamed against the effort to stand. Vertigo edged into her mind causing her balance to become unsteady as her grip on the post tightened, her vision corner catching the movement of Zanna’s departure. 

Abruptly, Jayda’s head whipped about making her flinch in reaction to the effect. Her sight blurred for a moment and her body jerked, nearly crumbling on the spot. This wasn’t good she thought and gritted her teeth more to bare through the disorienting results of her sudden rush to her feet. The meat, rest and salve had only helped a slight bit to mend what blood loss had done to her system. It would take at least another day or two to fully recover. Days, Jayda thought bitterly, she wouldn’t have thanks to Sish. Afterall he wanted her to become stronger and sitting around in bed, recouping from his punishment, wasn’t suitable for his strong survive beliefs. See Zanna almost out the door, Jayda’s hand released its grip from the bunk and feet carefully turned to follow. It took all her will not fall face first into the hard metal ground when she tried to retain the pace suited to keep up with the rushing apprentice. It was clear in her movements, hasting pace and unwillingness to slow that she wanted to retreat as far away from the room. Her words, slightly for once, matched her nervous motions.  

Jayda walked in silence, her eyes visual and alert to where their path took them, while the Red Sith lead the way. Through the day was drawing into the later hours of the morning, according to the Zabrak’s inner biological clock, she couldn’t help but notice they were the sole Sith stirring. Jayda would’ve expected to see other Lords or apprentices scurrying about, her sight only finding troopers of various ranks and heights roaming the halls at this hour. She found it strange to acknowledge her disappointment in realize there was a larger difference between her expectations and reality.  

The Sith had just pulled into a hall nearest the arena when six troopers appeared. Between the men were two prisoners, both drastically different in their ages, being escorted toward the prison complex at a forced marched pace. The youngest was a padawan, an Echani , from his braid and his appearance. Through the gender was only distinct by slight scent he gave off , both male and female Echani were almost impossible to tell apart by sight alone, and enabled her to identify it as masculine. Thankfully, by now, any remains of the sulfuric and smoky scents in the other room had long faded. The other prisoner was a thicker built and older Knight, his braid missing, and looking much worse compared to the barely touched padawan. It was clear he had been interrogated by Empire crew thanks to the bruises, scars, and more spotted through his torn up clothes, but for what reason Jayda couldn’t come fully understand. Out of habit, she had been following behind Zanna at a reasonable distance through not far enough to lose her while they approached the prisoners.