TRAITOR
INTRODUCTION
"YOU HAVE FAILED ME - FOR THE LAST TIME."
SATHKAN knelt before the towering black figure of Darth Vader. On the inside, Sathkan was terrified. He knew Vader was going to kill him. But he didn't let it show.
Vader slowly paced back and forth before him. "Starkiller... and now you, Sathkan." He paused. "How hard is it to kill a Jedi?" he asked, his voice deadly calm.
Sathkan wisely did not answer that question.
"I am sure," Vader said slowly, "it will be no harder... than killing you."
Sathkan kept his gray eyes open, staring at the tiles. He waited for nothing at all to begin crushing his throat - but nothing happened.
"You showed promise, Sathkan. I was more careful this time in choosing my apprentice. It had to be someone who was not nearly as powerful as Starkiller. Someone I could easily crush, should they become traitorous, as Starkiller did. But your prowess grew quickly, Sathkan. Very quickly. You impressed me, and with that, you worried me, as the flea worries the Lothcat. You, with further training, could as well be Starkiller."
"I am not Starkiller," Sathkan said, just softly enough so his defiant voice wouldn't tremble or crack - as he could feel it threatening to.
"And yet you are."
"Starkiller could kill a Jedi. I was defeated, Master. More training is what I need."
"I agree with you," Darth Vader said, still with that perilous ease. "But if I do train you more, you could become as great as Starkiller was."
Sathkan wondered dully if Darth Vader could hear his heart hammering against his ribs. "I will never be Starkiller, Master."
"And why do you believe this?"
Sathkan had to force his answer out. "Because Starkiller was not a coward."
Darth Vader was silent.
Sathkan again waited to be suddenly gasping for air.
Perhaps Vader would slice him in half with his lightsaber.
But that was not what happened.