Callida makes a note of this. She'll put in an order when they're at the Citadel.

"All right," she agrees, leaving it at that.

She's not going to press her luck any further right now.

They get back to the Citadel.

Occlus gets an alert on her datapad. "Acquaint her with the territory," she instructs Callida. "This requires my attention."

"Yes, my lord," agrees Callida.

And then: tour! Here are the relevant places she'll be interacting with. This is her room, behind a palm scanner that's already keyed to her hand. It's extremely bare - a bed, a desk, and a chair, a wall closet, and a small attached refresher. Brin is free to redecorate or request new furniture. This is the training room; the training droids present are better than the ones at the academy. Here are the archives. They are maze-like and really difficult to navigate. This is by design. Rule one of the archives: Do Not Touch Anything. It is an important rule.

Questions?

"What's in the archives?"

"All of the knowledge and artifacts of the Force and history collected by the Pyramid of Ancient Knowledge, some even from before the split between the Jedi and the Sith. Some are perfectly safe. But Force-users so rarely confine their dangers to merely their tombs or their time periods. There are things in there that can drive careless would-be scholars mad."

"Oh."

"Why 'Pyramid'? I thought the Dark Council was divided by Spheres."

"Technically they're interchangeable and refer to the same entity, but 'Pyramid' is more traditional. Sith have had a habit of making things pyramid shaped for a very long time now. It's traditional for Sith holocrons to be square pyramids. So for the keepers of Ancient Knowledge, it's a bit more appropriate to pay respect towards history."

Pause.

"... And Darth Occlus prefers it for the implication that she is on top."

"Are you allowed to say that?"

"Not to Sith or personnel outside of Occlus's power structure," snorts Callida. "Stick to the nod to history and tradition when explaining it to anyone else."

"Okay."

"Any further questions?"

"What should I- do?"

"In the immediate sense, settle in and acquaint yourself with the territory. Occlus might assign you reading, but you won't be suddenly tossed into a new test to prove your worth. You already have. In the long term, I expect Occlus will want you to play to your strengths and specialize further in martial combat."

"Okay."

She stands somewhat expectantly.

Waiting for a dismissal or orders. Oh dear.

"I've set up a credit account in your name and funneled in starting funds for you," she says, in a business-like tone. "Your stipend will arrive on the first of each month, any deliveries should be delivered right to your room. Please let me know if anything is out of order. If there's nothing else, I'll be in my quarters if you need me."

"Yes, my lord." She bows slightly, then turns and heads for the training room.

She expects she'll eventually persuade the girl to stop with the 'my lord,' but for now it's fine. She's the senior apprentice, it makes sense that Brin would want to play it safe.

Callida leaves Brin her privacy, and as promised, goes to her quarters, where she works on translating a particularly tricky text that's been giving her some trouble.

At their daily meeting the next morning, Occlus inquires after her impressions.

"Having spent more time with her now, do you stand by your instincts?"

"So far," agrees Callida, nodding. "I think I'd want more time to really say for certain, though. She's very insular, and it's hard to get a good read of her personality when she's fresh out of the Academy and her entire focus is on her own survival. From what I've seen, she seems intelligent, inquisitive, and professional."

Occlus nods. "I will be working with her this morning on theoretical topics. In the afternoon I am going to assess her lightsaber skills. I would like you to join us for that."

Callida nods agreeably. "I'll be there."

"In regards to that translation..." A bit more business and they're done.

That afternoon, Callida is precisely where she said she'd be. Expecting to end up sparring with Brin, because - well, of course that's how this is going to go.

Occlus has her run through some drills first. But then yes, a spar.