In the Darkness (Open)

[.:Falcon:.]

Nirisi's concentration was unexpectedly jarred by another flare of warning--but the origin of this was not the woman in front of her, who was still trying to catch Nirisi's blades between hers. With a sudden tug, her arm was pulled back, flinging her saber around, and she just had time to shift her body before the lengthy side of her saber tried to impale her. The pressure relented, and Nirisi immediately regained her balance--the other woman hadn't even tried to take advantage of her loss of it.

Then Nirisi saw why. She had fallen to one knee, and was glaring towards the door. Nirisi plunged herself into the Force, tracing the origin of the thrusts at them...ah. Their observer. Terest had apparently come to the same conclusion, because she had already made her way off the mat and was running for the door, trailing two black marks on the floor like the exhaust of some human-shaped, very destructive starfighter.

Nirisi watched, a bit bemused, to see how this would fall out, holding her saber in a casual guard in case this was Terest's idea of a trap. Unfortunately, the Zabrak didn't follow through with her threat to the shadowy man near the door, instead checking herself and coming back around at the same pace. She came to a halt several feet from Nirisi, and the smaller Sith quickly reached out in the Force, gauging her opponent. The woman was panting slightly, her strength and endurance ebbing. So she'd let go of the Force Rage. That was either very good or very bad.

On the one hand, it meant that Nirisi wouldn't be contending with such fast reflexes. On the other hand, it meant the Zabrak wouldn't be running on mere instinct anymore--she would be able to think.

But then again, any opponent that would go into a Force Rage over a simple spar with an evenly-matched Sith couldn't be that bright in tactical matters. In any case, the Zabrak hadn't moved since she'd come back, but had settled into a ready stance, her dark eyes watching Nirisi. Nirisi brought her saber up into a more defensive guard, waiting.

[Rugs]

Perfect. Nieraan's lips twisted into an open smile as he watched the two combatants falter from his meddling. They managed to avoid hurting themselves. That was something, at least.

Even better, though, was the Zabrak's reaction. His musings on her lack of control were soundly reinforced when she whirled around to face him. His canines glinted in the dim light as his smug grin spread when she launched into a frenzied rush at him. That's right, he thought, with the Force quietly welling within him. Come to me and suffer for being an idiot.

Unfortunately, it didn't look like such fun would get to be had. Not now, anyway.

She regained control at the last moment before she would have crossed a threshold that would've required Nieraan make some kind of answer. Pity.

Instead she gave him a look, but he wasn't bothered by it. He just stood where he was, still with a malevolently amused smirk on his face and arms yet folded over his chest, as if not a thing had happened. As if he hadn't been concerned about her, and in truth he hadn't been.

When she turned her attention back to the Human, Nieraan shifted his weight slightly against the doorframe. His sabers clinked against each other again at the movement.

The Force shifted gently as the Zabrak let go of her rage. Aaah, maybe she can think after all, he silently crooned to himself. Or maybe she's starting to feel the effects. Not like it's gained her anything so far. Nieraan knew the power of Rage well--the enhanced power, the relentless will to destroy--but he also knew the drawbacks. It had a way of taking a toll on the body, and if it wasn't put to good use and ended a fight quickly, it could backfire magnificently.

So what will you do now? he wondered, looking to the smaller Human girl. How would she adjust if the Zabrak could think clearly now?

Apparently by doing the same thing the Zabrak was doing and waiting for an attack to knock her in the teeth before deciding to fight. Nieraan sighed quietly. Waiting for an attack had its merits--he understood this quite well--but timidity irked him. Someone would have to strike, and he was growing bored with watching them wait for the other to strike. Besides he was always one for taunting, and these two were too rich of a chance to pass up. So he'd continue to test them, to prod them and see how much it took to get under their skin.

Once again, he lifted his fingers from his arm and pointed them at the two Initiates. There was no gentle nudging for amusement this time, though. No, this time the Force surged in him and arcs of electricity seared through the air at the two girls. They were weak, of course, and the attack was brief; he knew he could kill them with ease if he so chose with his lightning, but that just wouldn't do right now. These little bolts would sting if they hit. Nothing more. But he was always one for taunting, and these two were too rich of a chance to pass up.

"Y'know," he called, speaking for the first time since his arrival, "if this is your idea of 'a good show,' I'd hate to see a bad one. Makes me wonder what business you think you have in this Temple if you're too timid to even make a first strike." His eyes drifted to the Human at that. Though both were waiting now, she had been the more timid of the two. "Or," he continued, gaze shifting to the Zabrak, "too much of an idiot to be able to control yourself.

"We have people like that, of course," he said, idly lifting a hand and looking at his fingers boredly as he thought of Cho Wroth, who was a bit of a pariah among the Sith, to say the very least. "If you want be one the idiots, though, you're doing a fantastic job of getting there."

[.:Falcon:.]

Waiting was beginning to irk Nirisi. The Zabrak wouldn't just move and strike. Nirisi slowly shifted, bringing her saber around into a more advantageous position for an attack of her own. Better now than never, before Terest managed to draw upon the Force and regain her strength from the level it was at now.

That was when she felt it--a nudge from the Force, warning of something coming her way. Little tingles of electricity, arcing through the air...one made impact with the skin of her arm, burning enough to make her irritated. Clamping down on the feeling, she quelled it and followed the source. Their intruder, the one who seemed to think it was well within his rights to meddle with a private sparring session. Idiot.

And then he started talking, his voice coming from the shadow that she knew hid his body. She waited until he was done, and then spoke. "No one is forcing you to stay and watch," she pointed out. "And since it's obviously so painful for you to watch your fellow Sith in a fair fight, then might I suggest a trip to the archives? There aren't many idiots there." Her tone was quiet, but flat. There was hardly a trace of mockery, hidden deep inside. She extended her Force sense, seeing how Terest was taking the man's meddling, and his obvious goading.

She, for one, wasn't going to fall for his bait. It was obvious he wanted to make them angry--probably for the purposes of what he termed a "show". Calling her timid was just another way to achieve that. Let him talk. Talk had never hurt her, and it wouldn't now. She looked back to Terest, her hand tightening on her saber as she contemplated how to strike.

[kreyopresny]

A guttural growl rumbled in Terest's throat. She could see her opponents cowardice, and was even madder at herself for somehow being unable to break through her guard. She was honestly amazed that the tiny woman even had the strength to block her attacks, yet no matter how she seemed to buff herself, she couldn't get through. Then he butted in... Her attention sliding momentarily back to their observer, since she didn't need to worry about her opponent suddenly growing bold, she noticed him meddling again, and swatted away the tiny lightning bolt with a lightsaber.

Typical Sith cowardice, flinging attacks from the shadows...

The thought brought a tiny bit of dark joy to the Zabrak, relishing the balm to her own ego. This was short lived, as then he started to talk. She allowed them to blather a bit, assuming this passed for banter. She knew her control of the Dark Side was lacking, but then that was supposed to be what she was receiving training for. Interjecting only a single comment, she said only:

I'd have ended her already if you hadn't interfered.

Attention back on her opponent, she saw the woman still had failed to launch a first strike. She seemed to be an exact foil to the Zabrak, all thought and no action. She had however shifted her grip on her weapon slightly, so maybe she'd eventually come around. Becoming bored herself, Terest summoned forth a new surge of Force power, but instead of pumping this one back into her muscles she began to carefully direct it outwards, in the way that seemed so unnatural to her hand. Lightsaber gripped only with her thumb, the other fingers outstretched towards Nirisi and released their own thin bolt of Force lightning. While it was not much more impressive looking than Nieraan's, only a single blue-white tendril, it at least held potential for some damage. Terest's face twisted into a smug, 'I can do that too' grin. Perhaps this would at last drive her opponent to action, so she could at last end this fight.

[.:Falcon:.]

Nirisi had to acknowledge the truth in the Zabrak's boast. The woman's augmented thrusts had been full of raw power that Nirisi had been forced to merely deflect or sidestep where, in a fight with a less strong foe, she would most likely have used as leverage. There was no leverage to be found in a force that exceeded her own, however, at least not of the sort she hoped to find.

The Zabrak's hand twitched, a stream of energy, hissing and coalescing into lightning, shot out at Nirisi. She easily caught it on her right saber blade, using the provocation as room for an attack. Hoping to find the woman's attention sufficiently diverted, Nirisi spun to the side of the lightning, letting it slide past her saber as she sent a thrust towards Terest's torso, stepping in close to the Zabrak to spin her saber and launch a quick second strike aimed for the woman's thighs.

[Rugs]

Nieraan just chuckled at the Human's answer to his interference. "Cute," he said, voice clearly amused by it all. "No one's forcing me to stop making my own entertainment here either, of course. If you have a problem with it, then fight instead of standing around. That's what sparring is, after all." A lopsided smirk touched his features as he rolled his neck out. "And then all will be right with the world, dear children."

The Zabrak answered, and he looked to her, even more amused. "Yes, I'm sure you would have." His voice, edged with an undercurrent of mocking sarcasm, told otherwise. "Poor girl, having your victory delayed by a mean man on the sideline. How do you manage?"

Of course, he'd not been lying when he spoke to the Human. He understood the way fights flowed and sometimes slowed for brief moments, but he didn't particularly care. If they kept pausing and one or both continued to fail to press to take control of the fight, then he would continue to do as he pleased until it happened. The Sith Temple was a hard place, and he had no qualms with toying with other Initiates for his own amusement; it wasn't as though he'd come to the Temple to be nice to people. His own student could attest to that fact.

Not like you won't ever face interference in the world beyond a sparring ring, he added silently as he watched the students watch each other. If you can't deal with a little nudging... Nieraan just smirked again.

But for the moment, the battle resumed. That was good. It meant that they were safe from his meddling. For now, anyway.

[kreyopresny]

Terest's free hand easily batted away the first thrust, she deliberately added a bit more strength than was necessary, jarring the smaller woman's limbs. The Force lightning from her hand cut off, and the bolt charring the far wall as it flew past it's target. If nothing else, Terest had managed to do a number on the training room. As the double saber came around again, this time attacking her thighs, she again applied her superior strength bashing the blade downward, and attempting to hold it there, the crackle of saber on saber growing more intense as she applied pressure. At the same time, she began a series of quick thrusts with her right hand blade, aimed towards both Nirisi's torso as well as her arms. Slight movement of her wrist altering the path mid strike and allowing for a cutting effect as well as a thrust.

She would not be controlled again, no more would she be some one else's plaything or victim. She would take her life as her own, and she knew first hand that this demanded power.

Through power I gain victory, through victory my chains are broken...

[.:Falcon:.]

Nirisi found that her own strength was wearing down nearly as quickly as the larger woman's had--mostly because the Zabrak was giving it her all now, apparently having reached the same conclusion as Nirisi: she wouldn't last much longer if it came down to a fight of pure endurance. Terest nabbed Nirisi's blade under her own, pinning it down and beginning a series of quick attack towards Nirisi's body.

She saw them coming and ducked under her own blade, shifting her hold so that her saber slid away from Terest's, and she came out next to the Zabrak, rolling to her feet. Nirisi caught one of her attacks from that position, allowing her saber to slide along the length of the other's purple one, then spun away, her right blade coming around to bat towards the Zabrak's back.

[kreyopresny]

Terest had continued to press her attack, and smiled to see results. The opponent rolled away, blocking her next strike as she got to her feet. Terest tracked the the blade as it slid along her own, and then broke away, it's motion telling her the location of the opposite one as it sped towards her back. In a sudden moment of inspiration she realized, I have her now! The snarl on her facing warping slightly to an expression of triumph, she set her feet for the attack.

Using the long sweeping movements of the double saber to her advantage, Terest jumped and hurled herself backwards, vaulting just over the opponents blade like an Olympic high jumper, her lightsaber slashing diagonally downwards towards her opponents undefended shoulder.

[.:Falcon:.]

Nirisi felt the bite of the woman's saber against her shoulder. Sithspit. She clenched her teeth against the pain that flared, sudden and biting. Luckily, she had the good wits to not simply stand there and take it, but instead fell under the blow, giving way to the saber. She deactivated her own blades, getting out from under the woman's thrust as best she could. She felt the heat of the saber as it narrowly missed the rest of her arm. Getting back to her feet, she kept her teeth tightly closed as she inspected the wound with the Force.

Yes, that was going to leave a scar, most definitely. Nothing to be done about it now. She was staring at the Zabrak, her still-deactivated saber in her good hand. She tried to move her arm, and found that the cut wasn't as bad as it felt--at least, her arm was still attached. That probably had a lot to do with the fact that (hopefully) the Zabrak wasn't fighting with a full-strength saber. She'd probably be dead in five minutes if the woman was. Keeping her arm carefully still, she waited, wary eyes watching the Zabrak.

Her shoulder stung like fire, and she could feel every instinct in her body telling her to flee, to go take care of herself, to not let this crazy Zabrak kill her. But Nirisi wasn't one to give up, especially not when first blood had been drawn by another--even if the blood was only figurative. She had learned over long years--Gar'Ben had come in useful--to let pain slide off her and to keep on fighting. It was a matter of survival. She reactivated her saber, channeling the pain she felt into the Force, using it to fuel her senses and sharpen her already adrenaline-charged reflexes. Let her arm hurt, let it say it was going to fall off. Prosthetics had come quite far, so she heard.

One thing was certain, though: she was in no state to launch an attack. Truth be told, she didn't feel very confident about her ability to repel an attack, either. But she was still alive, and still in possession of her most valuable asset: the Force. She still had the Force, and it could be a most powerful ally indeed. If she could just keep her damn head clear, not let herself do something stupid.

[kreyopresny]

Terest felt the ever so satisfying resistance of her lightsaber biting into Nirisi's shoulder, of course on the sparring setting, else she'd have been hewn in twain. At this cue, she used the Force to propel her into a flip, so that she could land right side up, albeit in a low crouch due to the low height of her jump. Standing to full height, she deactivated her left saber, and leveled the other one toward her wounded opponent. Face full of arrogant pride, she asked EVER so casually,

Care to call that the match?

Her tattooed face held a snide look of superiority, one that dared you to challenge it, and left no uncertainty as to the ease with which is owner believed you could be defeated. Terest loved these moments, these times when she could elevate herself above another and lord it over them. THIS was true power. You could take all the arcane knowledge and understanding of the Force, all the planets "ruled" at a distance in your name, and keep them; true power came from dominating someone, and seeing them succumb to your strength. These were the moments the Zabrak lived for.

Seeing the arm hang limp, Terest knew the other woman had little chance of successfully continuing to fight, though she was impressed by her reaction, or more specifically a lack thereof, to the pain. There seemed to be something of a seasoned fighter in her as well. Terest could respect that, and in fact knew enough now firsthand to be wary of the other girls abilities. Not that she'd ever admit this of course, she'd already done the least she could offer in proposing her cessation, when she knew she could have injured her much worse, or even killed her. Back in the slave pits, all but the most popular and successful of gladiators were ordered to offer a surrender, a courtesy between their masters to protect each others property. She wondered if that interfering Sith in the doorway would consider this a sign of weakness. Either way, she had no desire to continue, the fight already over in her mind. All that remained was to wait for the surrender.

[Rugs]

Too bad.

Nieraan had stayed true to what he told the Human; once the two actually began to fight, he'd not lifted a finger. He'd watched from his shadowy vantage point, up until where things stood now.

It was a shame; really. The Human girl had fought well enough, considering her opponent, but she just hadn't been able to seize control, or take the openings presented to her. Maybe she hadn't seen them; it was a measuring stick for Nieraan to use to gauge her ability if she hadn't. They'd been there, all the way to the final exchange that had the both of them facing each other down now.

But in the end, openings that weren't successfully capitalized on might as well not have been openings at all. His mother had taught him that. And then she'd punished him for growing overzealous and walking into traps like a fool. Those lessons had been very painful, but all of her lessons had been painful.

"Care to call that the match?"

Nieraan snorted a soft laugh down in his throat. Such mercy. Yes, he knew the Zabrak was pleased with herself; even if he'd been too blind to see it plastered across her face, her presence absolutely reeked of it. She thinks it's over. In truth, he wasn't sure there was much the Human girl could do, after taking the cut to her shoulder. But, if there was one thing above all he'd learned from the years of beatings from his mother's abrasive training, it was that he knew he could fight through such pains and injuries, with or without the Force.

Whether the Human could do the same, he couldn't say. But he hoped the Zabrak wasn't so blind as to think her victory absolute. A Sith was more than what they could do with their hands or a lightsaber, after all.

Though mercy gives its own opportunities, he mulled, yellowed eyes flicking to look at the Human.

So the ball's in your court. What will you do, girl?

[.:Falcon:.]

Nirisi had been fully expecting an attack from the Zabrak, judging by her reactions to the fight. So it was a bit of a surprise when the woman deactivated one of her sabers and, pointing the other at Nirisi, casually asked for her surrender with a palpable air of arrogant snobbery.

Nirisi knew she was beaten, knew it with every fibre of her being. There was no chance she could keep on fighting; her injury would keep her right arm from engaging in the fray, and without that arm--her saber arm--she had no chance against the faster, stronger Zabrak. While the analytical, strategic side of Nirisi's mind acknowledged all this, her passions, still running hot, urged her to fight again, even if she did die in the effort. Better to die...but not now. Not in a spar in the Temple itself. She'd be useless, unable to see the downfall of the Jedi she detested so much.

Reining in her emotions with an effort, she deactivated her sabers. "I concede to you. You're good," she said slowly. She was sincere in the compliment; the Zabrak had quite a bit of skill, even if she did need a bit of work on curbing her emotions. Nevertheless, the surrender irked Nirisi. She briefly wondered what their meddling visitor would think. Not that it mattered. He was no one important--she could sense that his abilities weren't that much stronger than her own. He was an Initiate, just like she.

The pain of her arm intruded again, and now that she didn't have the battle to think about, she sent her focus to it, flooding the area with the Force to dim the sting.

[kreyopresny]

I concede to you. You're good

Terest let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and lowered her lightsaber, the arm beginning to tremble from exertion now that the adrenaline and Force had worn off. Switching the blade off, she returned both sabers to their place on her wrist guards, making sure to return the power setting to full for the next time she needed them. The Zabrak approached her defeated opponent and gently placed a hand on her non-injured shoulder.

You fought well.

It was as close to a compliment as any she was likely to give, and if there had been anyone who knew her well- there wasn't- they would know it was in fact, a glowing review. Having said this, the Zabrak found herself suddenly uncomfortable, victim yet again to her own social inexperience. Determined not to show her discomfort, she turned on her heel and headed for the door.

Exiting the chamber, she paused in front of their observer. She had no desire to hide her contempt for him and let it play over her face as she looked down at him, her eyes trailing from his head to his foot and back up again, sizing him up. Even without the Force on his side, he would be a formidable opponent she thought, stifling the twinge of attraction she felt as her trained eyes read his sculpted muscles underneath the ratty robes. Definitely someone to watch out for... No, someone to conquer. She pressed the thought into her mind, setting it in stone.

What's your name?

She asked, her voice cold as ice. Her blue within blue eyes locked onto him, staring him down from her superior height. He responded, and letting his words hang in the air for a dramatic moment, continued, saying,

You'd better watch your back. I'm coming.

[Rugs]

So the human decided to cede. Shame, Nieraan thought, I thought she'd have a bit more fight than that. Oh well. It didn't really matter, though. He'd seen what she could do, and she wasn't a threat, not in head-to-head combat. As expected.

With the concession made, his attention shifted to the Zabrak. She was a different animal. Still weaker than he, as both of them were, but more of a threat.

Maybe.

While Nieraan couldn't say exactly how physically capable she was, just looking at her body was enough to tell him she was much more physically able than the Human. He, however, was not the Human girl. Nor was he an inexperienced foe; he was an Initiate in name only, though his still somewhat-lidded presence may have obscured the fact. And though she'd taken and held control of the battle against the Human, there'd been holes in her form that were there for exploitation if she didn't do anything to clean them. Besides, he wasn't afraid to use the Force to do more than augment his body.

More of a threat, then,he mulled, But still someone I can handle.

All in all, his little observation had been useful. Now he had a better handle on other Initiates, and in a place like the Temple, that could go a long way.

He thought to say something, but decided against it, opting instead to watch and see if the two of them did anything further. There was a sudden tinge of discomfort in the Force that seemed to stem from the Zabrak, and she abruptly turned to head for the door. That path would take her right by him.

He didn't move. In fact, when she came to him, he didn't even seem to be paying attention to her until she stopped by him.

When she did, he looked at her from the corner of his eye, arms still folded lazily over his chest as if he hadn't a care in the world. With having spent the last few minutes sizing her up, there wasn't much for him to do now, other than look at her up close. She was a bit taller than he, and quite well-built. He supposed she'd be intimidating to most, though he wasn't particularly moved.

She didn't try to hide her disdain for him, though he felt something stir in her presence briefly; it was shoved down and hidden away before he could hazard a guess as to what. Of course, he didn't try to hide his casual lack of concern about her.

What's your name?

Nieraan simply kept looking at her out of the corner of his eyes for a few quiet moments, until a subtle smirk pulled the corner of his lip up. "Nieraan," he said simply.

A brief silence hung before she spoke again. "You'd better watch your back. I'm coming."

At that, Nieraan turned his head to look at her fully and chuckled, allowing his canines to show in the amused grin he wore after. "Yes, I'll keep that in mind." His voice had a sarcastic edge to it, but it wasn't overbearingly so. It wasn't all a joke; the fool was the person that didn't watch their back among the Sith. "In the mean time, don't get too comfortable with your little triumph." The grin returned to his little smirk. "You'll be shown your place soon enough."

In a way, Nieraan liked her. She, at least, had a backbone, something that was in his opinion far too lacking among many of the other Initiates. That was good. One day he'd fight her, he was sure. And he was sure he'd enjoy it, or at the very least, hoped he would.

"And since you asked, tell me, what is yours, hm? Unless you want me to make up a name for you..." His attention shifted back to the Human. "And yours, for that matter?"

[kreyopresny]

Nieraan....

Terest committed the name to memory, he was her target now. She knew she'd need to become much stronger to defeat him, but then that was the point, wasn't it? She was always striving towards some goal, looking for the next hurdle to be overcome, and now it had a name.

"And since you asked, tell me, what is yours, hm? Unless you want me to make up a name for you..."

Hearing this strange question, she cocked her head slightly to the side, a gesture remarkably reminiscent of cocking one of the eyebrows the Zabrak didn't have. Suddenly her anger towards him was forgotten, being instead slightly amused she said,

I'm Terest, though I'm curious to hear what you would have come up with.

She squared off to face Nieraan, the name still echoing in her mind, and put her hands on her hips. The sheen of sweat from her battle caused the low light to flicker and dance over her tattoos as they ran down her face and neck, playing across her chest in the area above her armored corset. She stared at Nieraan expectantly, masking her face into what she hoped was both boredom and disdain, as if she were doing him a favor by listening to him. She'd seen the expression often enough on the fashionable wives of the wealthy men who put slaves into the gladiator rings, though more often than not, they'd been the ones most enraptured when brutal sport played out.

[.:Falcon:.]

The Zabrak stepped up close to her, and Nirisi had to resist the urge to flinch away from Terest's hand. But it was a gentle touch, and she could read wary approval behind the Zabrak's words. Not that Nirisi needed approval. She knew she had fought well, better than she had in a long time. She promised herself that, once her arm was healed, she would practice, and practice hard, until she could defeat a foe stronger than she, until she could land someone like Terest on the ground, and land them hard.

The Zabrak left her on the mat, and Nirisi slowly clipped her saber to her belt, following the woman towards the door. Predictably, Terest stopped in front of their disdainful observer, and the two engaged in conversation. As she neared the door, his eyes flicked to her. She could feel his disdain for her, weighing every look and gesture he made. She clenched her teeth together to keep herself from doing something she'd most likely regret. She was in no case to fight.

With an insolent smirk on his face, he asked her name. "Nirisi Lesh," she answered coldly, still making for the door. She hadn't caught his name. Not that she cared. The Zabrak seemed taken though, some tug of a feeling coming from the tall woman that Nirisi could only scorn. Silly woman.

[Rugs]

"I'm Terest, though I'm curious to hear what you would have come up with."

Nieraan just snorted a short laugh at this and turned his head to look at her again. Now she was facing him fully, hand on her hips. Instinctively, perhaps, his eyes glanced over her again with her in her new stance, noting the tattoos scrawled across her sweaty skin down from her face and onto the exposed top of her chest. Looking at her now, he supposed he could say she had her own sort of attractiveness to her, but he wasn't going to show it; no, his face still showed little beyond a vaguely amused boredom.

The Human answered his question shortly after Terest, revealing her name to be Nirisi. Nirisi Lesh. Nieraan nodded to her, noticing that she didn't at all seem to be in the mood to talk. He couldn't blame her; he doubted he would've much for conversation if he'd just been defeated either. He gave a grunt in acknowledgement and let her continue on. If she didn't want to stay, he certainly wasn't going to force her to.

"Can't say, since I have a name for you now," he started with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders as he returned his attention to Terest. Again that little smirk returned to his face, but there was a ghost of mischief to it now. "Something to do with your height, or your horns or tattoos, maybe.

"Or perhaps..." He snorted through his nostrils and shook his head. "Something about your lack of control, hm?"

He shifted his weight slightly against the doorfram, the light playing oddly in his shaggy black-with-blue-streaks hair as he moved. If Terest would talk, he figured he might as well find out what he could about her. Information could be useful/ "But I suppose that's why you came here, isn't it?"

[kreyopresny]

I wonder if his hair is naturally like that...

Terest wondered where that thought had come from, her mind was wondering to strange places. She wondered if maybe it was some sort of Sith trick, a Force power to dominate her will, but she didn't feel the the pins-and-needles prickling at the back of her skull that usually accompanied such deception. Either way, she didn't like it. Still, she could not keep the smile from her face as he barely acknowledged Nirisi, and it grew even more in response to his own smirk. This was short lived however, and it rapidly vanished as he mentioned her lack of control. Despite her best effort and willpower, she felt her cheeks begin to flush and grow red. She wished idly then she'd had brighter skin like some Zabrak she'd known, so as to better hide this embarrassment. She had a sudden flashback to her childhood on Iridia, when she'd wished the same thing as several other children in the village teased her. This was shocking in itself, if only because she hardly ever thought about then, before she'd been a slave. That was a different life, a different name. It was nothing of who she was now. After the long pause of her introspection she marshaled her thoughts enough to spit out, with no real certainty,

I came here to get stronger...

She shifted her feet, so as to back away slightly and turn to the side, one arm crossed in front of her grabbing the other by the elbow. Who was this person? What am I doing, she kept thinking to herself abstractly, watching this train wreck of a person with a removed fascination. Finally she forced herself into shape, straightening back to her full height and, with surprisingly great effort, forced the icy expression back to her face. Her thoughts collected, she added,

I came here to be free. If that means controlling myself... then so be it.

[Rugs]

Terest blushed. Nieraan's amused little smirk grew at the sight of the Zabrak, who'd been so cold and dominant with Nirisi, now having issues with her cheeks lighting up in what he assumed was a touch of embarrassment at his remark. He couldn't help but chuckle, and shook his head slightly, idly wondering how much emotional control she really did have.

"So cute when you blush," he quipped on a sudden, spur-of-the-moment whim. It was mostly meant as a taunt, though it was a rather gentle, as far as mocking went.

"I came here to get stronger..."

You and damn near everyone else here. Nieraan kept the thought to himself. Mostly. He shrugged a bit and muttered "Welcome to the club." He'd come for the same reason, though there was a reason to it beyond simple want of power.

She backed away, then, looking uncomfortable and not feeling much better in the Force. He watched with a brow slightly cocked, wondering what had brought on the sudden change in attitude. She looked more composed when she was sparring, even with her rage... Wonder if she's only like that when she fights.

He didn't say anything, simply waiting to see if she had anything else to say. She did. "I came here to be free. If that means controlling myself... then so be it."

"Freedom, hm?" He turned so he faced her more, tapping a finger lightly on the metal half vambrance clasped over his jacket on the outside of his forearms. "Guess you're not the only one." Truth be told, he was here for remarkably similar reasons. If he could grow stronger, no one could make him do anything.

If he could grow stronger, he'd never have to experience the hell he'd spent half his life living through under his mother's thumb.

"Better find some control quick, though, or you won't be goin' anywhere."

Briefly, his mouth opened as if he had something more to say. There was, in fact--a question lingered on the tip of his tongue, as he nearly inquired about her sudden seeming discomfort. But he decided to hold it back for now. Better to watch her and see if it cleared or not.