All characters and locations are taken from Star Wars: the Old Republic and therefore belong to EA/Bioware.
Some dialogue is also from this game, however some of it is mine. For those of you who have played the game, it should be quite easy to tell the difference.
"Hello, and welcome to 'Becoming a Dark Council Member 101,'" Ashara Zavros chimed. "May I present to you, Darth Nox."
The crowd of young apprentices jostled around, anxious to see this new Sith Lord. When news broke out that a member of the Dark Council had been replaced, everyone jumped at the chance to see this presentation that was being held by them. It was well known that the Sith - and especially those on the council - were particularly secretive, so this was quite the opportunity. Everyone waited with anticipation.
The Sith Lord then emerged from his room. Everyone bowed in unison, including Ashara. Here stood Darth Nox, the most recently appointed member of the Dark Council. He was a human, whose skin was probably white in the past, but had turned a pale yellow from the dark side corruption. He was tall and lean, with dark robes that came down to the floor, and a hood that currently was off. His bright yellow eyes scanned the crowd intently.
"Rise," he commanded.
Everyone rose, murmuring amongst themselves.
"I am Darth Nox, heir to Tulak Hord and Kallig, head of the Pyramid of Ancient Knowledge," Nox began. "I am the newest member of the Dark Council, and today I shall recount my story so that you all may understand the true nature of the Sith."
The murmuring picked back up, everyone anxious to begin.
"Come inside, and take a seat," Nox beckoned, returning to his room.
It was a small meditation chamber, with mats covering the entire floor. The walls were completely white, and nothing stood out in the room besides a small table near the back. It had a couple of items sitting on it, but nothing too exciting. As the apprentices filed in and took their seats, Nox walked to the front of the room.
"The events that I will recount today will most likely not happen to any of you," Nox began. "I do this so that you all understand what it took for me to become a Dark Council member, given that most of you will never experience this. Am I understood?"
A collective "Yes, my lord," rang out in the room.
"Very well. Then let's begin with a quick bit of backstory," Nox said, clearing his throat.
(As this will be Nox telling the story, I'll switch to first person)
My family was a slave family, far off in the outer rim. We owned nothing, slept outside in the same fields that we tended to, and were otherwise treated like crap. We did good work, so we were never beaten, which I suppose is more than you could say for some other slaves. My father always talked about how our family used to be respected and feared, and that one day we would make the galaxy remember us. I did not know my family name; I was a slave, like my father and his. We had no name, and if we did, nobody knew it.
Some days, after the sun had gone down, I would see my mother stumbling out of the house, clearly drained and in immense pain. My mother always told me that she was fine, and my father warned me to remember my place in this hierarchy. I knew that they were trying to protect me, but I also knew the truth. Slave or not, I wasn't going to let anybody hurt my mother.
I had managed to catch them in the act once. It appears that my owners were getting bolder, as I could hear her screams coming from inside the house. I ignored it for many days, as my parents had instructed me to. I was distracted, and my work started getting slower and sloppier. As a result, I was beaten, and threatened many times. I let the pain drive me, until one day, I snapped.
I could hear her screaming as loud as ever, so I stopped working and looked up. My supervisor noticed my slacking, and smacked me, calling me a useless piece of filth. Acting purely out of anger, I thrust my hands forwards at him. To my surprise, lightning shot out of my fingertips and struck him in the chest. He flew backwards and hit the wall of the house, dead.
I didn't stop there. I took my rake and immediately went inside. To my horror, I saw my mother, lying on the floor, barely conscious. My owner stood over her, panting, a predatory look in his eyes. They were both half-naked, and even as an uneducated slave, I could put two and two together. This was the last straw.
I thrust one hand forward, and a bolt of lightning shot out of my fingers. It connected with my owner, and he roared in pain, his entire body shaking from the lightning. I took this opportunity and rushed him, rake in hand. I drew it back and slashed him across the face, sending him flying backwards and landing faceup on the floor. Running to him, I brought the handle down on his face, then raised it up so I could do it again. I brought the handle down over and over, blood spattering onto my face with each strike.
Gasping for air, I dropped the rake and turned towards the entrance. There, I saw a man slowly walk in. I could identify those robes anywhere; that man was a Sith. Vowing not to die that day, I shot lightning directly at him, but he merely put his hand up, and the lightning dissipated. He shot lightning back at me, and I remember feeling the greatest pain of my life before blacking out.
I don't know how long had passed until I woke up. I found myself in an Imperial room, with other slaves around me. After regaining full consciousness, I noticed that I had a Sith training saber next to me. The news was brought to me shortly after: I was going to become a Sith Acolyte.
"You mean they take slaves to become Acolytes?" one voice piped up.
"Indeed," Nox responded. "A Sith by the name Harkun is the Overseer who handles the slaves. What a piece of work he was."
"We've all passed our trials," another voice said. "We know what they're like. Can you get to the good stuff?"
"Patience," Nox advised. "If this wasn't important, I wouldn't bring it up."
I was only at the Imperial building for a few days, enough to learn some basic lightsaber technique and slightly refine my Lightning. It wasn't long before I was herded onto a shuttle with five other slaves. I made eye contact with nobody; I knew enough about how the Sith operated to know that everyone here was my enemy. This would be survival of the fittest, and there was no way I was dying now.
I can still remember the shuttle's descent onto the surface. Red rock stretching out in all directions, the only break being the Imperial building in front of us. The other acolytes and I filed out of the shuttle after it landed. I lagged behind the group, taking in the view. I got a very dirty sidelong glance from one of the other acolytes, but I ignored it. After growing up in pure filth, this was a welcome change of pace.
When I was good and ready, I followed the group inside. They were all gathered around a man, who I later learned to be Overseer Harkun. He didn't have on Sith robes, choosing a simpler tunic and pants. His hair was cut short, shaved off most of his head, save a small mohawk. I could tell by his steely gaze that he already disliked me.
"Ah, the last one to arrive is finally here. I hope you don't think you're special," Harkun sneered at me. "It would be a shame if freedom went to your head, or if you somehow got the idea that you didn't need to pass your trials to become Sith."
I glared at him; the dislike was mutual.
"Lord Zash has tasked me with sorting through you refuse to find one worthy of being her apprentice, and I intend to do just that," he continued.
"Who is this Zash?" I asked, having never heard the name before.
"That's Lord Zash to you, slave." Harkun spat that last word at me. "She's a Dark Lord of the Sith and more important than you'll ever be."
The other acolytes turned to face me, but I just stared at Harkun, not even flinching. His goal was to get under my skin, and I wasn't about to let him win.
"Now, the rest of you gutter trash already know your trial. Get going while I bring our latecomer up to speed," Harkun ordered.
As the group left, one acolyte lagged behind. "Watch your back, friend. And don't worry. It'll be alright. He can't kill us all," she told me.
Not in the mood to talk to anyone right then, I dismissed her. "A Sith fears no one," I responded.
She shrugged. "Suit yourself," she said, turning around and leaving.
"Now, slave, for your trial," Harkun began. "There's a hermit named Spindrall who lives in the tomb of Ajunta Pall in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Spindrall's a lunatic, but Lord Zash sees him as some kind of prophet. Once you find him, he will test you."
"I'll do my best to please Spindrall and accomplish this trial," I said, wanting to get away from this bitter old man.
"But there - you know your trial," Harkun continued. "Spindrall lives in the tomb of Ajunta Pall in the Valley of the Dark Lords."
He turned to leave, but took one look back. "Don't keep Spindrall waiting, slave," he concluded, leaving me.
As soon as I went outside, all I could see were legions of klor'slugs. I spent a good amount of time cutting those things down; partially to test out this training blade they stuck me with, and partially to see how many of those pests I could kill. I had seen the other acolytes go ahead of me, so I knew that I would be the last to make it. Because of that, I wasn't really in a rush.
I did eventually make it to Spindrall's chambers within the tomb. Immediately, I noticed the big, open space at the bottom of a massive staircase. I saw six acolytes, all training on various dummies. At the top of the staircase was Spindrall. He was a scrawny man with his hood covering his head. He knelt, facing away from me, meditating on something or other.
"Slave," he said, standing up. "Welcome to my humble hole."
He turned to face me. His skin was wrinkled, and his facial hair unkempt. Everything about him seemed quite typical for a hermit. His eyes were old and tired, most likely due to his age and lack of sunlight. He stared right at me, as if trying to get a sense of who I was without me saying anything.
"You are here for your trial, yes?" he asked. "Learn the ways of the Sith from a doddering old man in a tomb. And hopefully to return to your master with the mark of my approval."
"Yes, my lord. That's right," I responded.
"Of course it is," Spindrall snorted. "I know the way of things on the surface."
I was slightly taken aback by Spindrall's response. Perhaps this hermit was more sane than Harkun made him out to be.
"But before I answer either way," he continued. "You must pass a trial of blood. Survive, and I will teach you what I know."
Without acknowledging my response, Spindrall turned around and knelt down again. I nodded, and slowly descended back down the stairs. As I walked, I took inventory of the acolytes. Some were working with lightsabers, others with force lightning. It was quite clear that these acolytes had been preparing for a fight, and I was their chance to prove themselves. These thoughts rushed through my head as I entered the center of the room.
All of them stopped what they were doing, and formed a wide circle around me. As they drew their training blades, I drew mine, quickly darting my view back and forth. I had to single-handedly kill six other acolytes in order to pass my very first trial. Needless to say, I was terrified, which turned out to be a powerful weapon.
One acolyte rushed me. As we traded blows, I saw the others looking at me hungrily, waiting for their chance at the fresh meat. I attempted to figure out a strategy to beat this guy quickly. As he brought his blade down for an overhand strike, I sidestepped, causing him to over-extend. As his blade crashed into the ground, I whirled around and caught him in the back.
Two more rushed me, side by side. I noticed that the one on the right was slightly faster, so I targeted him. I raised my saber to block his, transferring the blade to my left hand. As our blades collided, I shot a small burst of lightning at the other, causing him to fall back. I took this chance to rush the first. This turned out to be a wise choice, as he was unable to stop my attack. A jab at his right arm caused him to drop his saber, and a slash across the chest sealed the win. His partner was still stunned, so I turned to him and ended his life as well.
The last three were grouped together, so I took a chance and tried to defeat them all while I still had the momentum. I extended both arms, and a stream of lightning shot out. The one in the middle held out his blade, and the lightning connected, forking out to both sides. The stream of lightning poured into the two other acolytes, the apparent leader standing in the middle. As the other two acolytes fell, I stopped my lightning, and the final acolyte rushed me.
Compared to the others, this acolyte's bladework was tight and controlled. I tried multiple times to create an opening, but his blade always managed to end up back in front of him. I fell back, desperate to create space. He pressed the attack, not allowing me any room to breathe, clearly confident in his techniques. With every blow, I was getting more and more terrified.
I decided to try a cheap trick. As he went for a sideways strike, I strafed to the side as I blocked. With this angle opened, I swung my elbow up and connected with his jaw. This caused him to step back, and I took my chance. I rushed him with the same flurry he charged me with, only his defense was much weaker. I started making him backpedal, and from there it wasn't long before he slipped up. One parry too wide allowed me access to his midsection, and my saber went cleanly across it.
I breathed heavily as I deactivated my training saber. Strapping it to my back, I looked around at the room of dead acolytes. I had managed to single-handedly kill six other acolytes in a massive fight to the death. While I wasn't really looking for Harkun's approval, hopefully after this he would have a little more respect for me. The thought comforted me as I climbed the steps back up to Spindrall.
"Excellent," he said, standing up as I approached. "These former acolytes wanted nothing more than to earn their second chance for glory by killing you and taking your place."
That notion sat strange with me. Was he implying that if one of these acolytes were to have beaten me, that they would have taken my place in my group of acolytes? I quickly realized that the stakes were higher than I originally thought.
"But your desire proved stronger, and their blood became the mantle of your victory. Well done," Spindrall added, looking me directly in the eyes. "But you are not Sith yet."
He began pacing back and forth, breaking his gaze on me. I watched him intently, focused on what he was going to say.
"Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, power. Through power, victory. Through victory, my chains are broken." Spindrall recited the Sith code in a very methodical manner, clearly having memorized it. "This is the Sith Code. Commit it to your heart, and you will have the strength to crush your enemies. Do you understand?" he asked.
"Of course," I responded. "I was born to be Sith!"
"Then go," Spindrall said, nodding. "Return to Harkun and nurture your hatred for him. And use your fear of him to grow stronger."
For the first time since he started talking, I saw his gaze go less steely, as if he was looking at more than just another acolyte. He looked at me as if I were an old friend, and he had some sound advice for me.
"He may raise his fist to strike, but it is Lord Zash who determines where the blow will land," he reminded me.
"But who controls Zash, I wonder," I responded, hoping for more info.
"When you know the answer to that, you will have power over both your masters," Spindrall assured me. "Now go! Leave me to my rest." He turned around and resumed meditating.
I left without another word, seeing as everything that needed to be said had already been said. As I progressed through the rest of the tomb, I felt a new power within. The klor'slugs I encountered were nothing more than insects to me, similar to the tomb looters I ran into closer to the exit. Everyone that approached me was cut down in an instant. It was a power that I never thought possible for a slave child like me; the power of freedom.
I nearly lost my breath when I exited the tomb and saw the academy. The sheer magnitude of the statues was awe-inspiring, the building being built into the rock faces. It was the same black as other Imperial buildings, with royal guards and Imperial sentries dotted around. I saw other acolytes and apprentices talking, sparring, and meditating. This was where the lives of potential Sith were decided, and I was very much a part of this.
Clearly you all know what the inside of the Sith Academy looks like, since you're all standing in it, so I'll cut that part short. Harkun's room was off to the side and near the back. This caused me to run through many hallways filled with various high ranking Sith Lords. This was probably done to intimidate me, but all it did was motivate me. I had spent my whole life surrounded by people with more authority than me, so this was nothing.
"Ah, the last one. Always the latecomer," Harkun sneered as I entered. "Now we can see what the hermit thinks of you slime."
Everyone else turned to look at me. I didn't react, instead choosing to take my spot in the center of the group. I looked over and got a sidelong glance from the same guy that gave me the death stare outside of the shuttle. I could remember that face anywhere, and something about it was unsettling. It didn't really matter, seeing as one of us would be dead by the end of this; it was my job to ensure that it wasn't me.
"Acolyte Kory. Step forward, please," the overseer said, clearly struggling with that last word.
"Yes, overseer," a familiar voice replied. I looked over and saw the same acolyte that had talked to me before the first trial.
"You are a weak, pathetic rodent and even a lunatic like Spindrall can see this," Harkun said. "And that means-"
He extended his arm, and a stream of lightning began pouring out of his fingers. The current engulfed Kory, who writhed and screamed in pain. I was stunned, but impressed. Harkun's lightning was clearly much more potent than mine. He kept it up for another few seconds, before finally lowering his arm. As the lightning faded, Kory dropped to the floor, dead.
"Meet our newcomer - Ffon Althe," Harkun said, paying no more attention to the dead acolyte at his feet. "This is real Sith strength, and he will tear you apart and crush your bones, slaves."
I looked over at that same bitter acolyte, and sighed. It looks like I had found the teacher's pet, and it also looked like neither of them were particularly fond of me. Were those two facts related? I couldn't tell you. All I knew is that I was in for a tough run with this group.
"Look on him! No connections left in the world, but pure Sith blood," Harkun continued. "This - this is Lord Zash's future apprentice! Not filth like you."
I sighed impatiently. "Congratulations on your new pet. Now give us the next trial."
Harkun stared daggers at me. "Step this way, slave. I want to speak to you privately. The rest of you - get out of here. You know your trials." He turned to his favourite acolyte. "You too Ffon. Spindrall awaits."
Once everyone had left, Harkun focused his gaze on me. "Now, listen to me. Spindrall is a lunatic. His approval means nothing. You are filth and you will die. Is that clear?" he asked.
"You stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours," I responded, trying to stay as composed as possible.
"Shut your mouth, wretch," he spat. "Now, your second trial: Lord Zash has requested a special trial for you, which you will no doubt fail. Go to Inquisitor Zyn in the jails. He will fill you in on the details - and most likely, hasten your demise."
"I'll be there in but a moment," I told him, eager to get out of there.
"I don't want to see you until you're back from the jails. That's all." Harkun dismissed me with a wave of his hand.
I turned and left, the image of Kory writhing in pain etched into my brain. As I made my way through the jails, I tried to understand what motivated Harkun. While it was true that all Sith used anger to fuel them, I struggled to figure out why he despised us so much. Did he hate us because we were slaves? Perhaps there was more going on that I didn't know about. I sighed, and continued walking. I had more important things to worry about.
I reached the jails, taking in the room. Inquisitor Zyn was off in a room to the side. He was quite large, with blue robes that were clearly custom made for him. An acolyte was strapped onto an interrogation rack, staring at me. I quickly put two and two together. The thought excited me, being on the other end of the shackles. This would potentially be the best trial possible.
"Acolyte! You've arrived and not a moment too soon," Zyn greeted me, with quite a cheery tone. "Harkun has given me very specific instructions. You were raised as a slave but must discard those traits and learn to control others. And I have just the task for that end."
He gestured towards the acolyte on the interrogation rack. "Meet this driveling excuse for an acolyte. He will be your victim," he said.
"Victim, huh?" I asked, excited from the notion. "This sounds like it could be fun."
"This is not an idle diversion, acolyte," Zyn reminded me. "A short while ago, there was what we call an 'unauthorized murder' here at the academy. A rivalry among apprentices resulted in death." He pointed at the acolyte again. "Interrogate him. Make him tell you who committed this crime, at any cost."
I smiled again, ignoring his previous warning. "Cover your ears - this may get a little loud."
Zyn chuckled. "Thank you for the warning, but I prefer to cherish every scream."
I nodded, and turned to the acolyte. I looked him dead and the eye, and was met with pure terror. I knew terror, given that I had experienced it a fair amount when I was younger. I tried to think about everything I knew about torture as I slowly walked in front of him. It was still strange being on the other end of the imminent torment, but I tried to put those thoughts behind me.
"P-please don't hurt me," the acolyte, Alif, pleaded. "I don't know anything."
I sneered. "Scream weakling. I want to hear your suffering!" I extended my hand and a stream of lightning escaped from my fingertips.
"Aaaaaargh!" he screamed, as the lightning coursed through him. I soon relented. "Please. Don't do that again. I'll do anything…"
"What shouldn't I do again?" I asked. "This?"
I extended both arms, lightning spraying out of both hands. Alif wailed as I unleashed absolute torment on his body, lightning flowing through his veins like blood. He writhed against the rack and struggled to get out of the restraints. His cries were probably heard throughout the jails.
"Stop! Please. All right. All right, I'll talk. He'll kill me, but I'll talk." Alif pleaded. "The murderer is an apprentice named Essor Kayin. You'll have to protect me or he'll kill me."
"I doubt that," I responded. "He'll be too busy being punished for murder."
"Kayin's master's a Dark Council member - you might as well try fighting the emperor himself. Kayin won't get so much as a reprimand," Alif said, his head hanging as the last couple of words trailed off. He looked up at me. "But when Kayin finds out, he'll come after me."
"Not if I have any say in the matter," I said. Hopefully a Dark Council member's apprentice would be more of a challenge than the tomb acolytes.
"It's a nice thought, but I doubt it," Alif responded, trembling. "Maybe you could persuade the Inquisitor to protect me. Unlikely though, it's not the Sith way."
I turned away from the acolyte. Was the Dark Council so powerful that their apprentices could be exempted from crimes? If this were true, then that would be power beyond anything I had ever seen or heard. I knew that I despised the Empire, but if this was the power that Sith could acquire, it might be worth my time to survive these trials. I certainly had no plans to die that day.
"You don't have to tell me," Zyn said as I approached. "I heard the name loud and clear, though I sorely wish I hadn't: Essor Kayin."
Zyn sighed, and paced back and forth. "Kayin's master is a Dark Council Member… I'd be a fool to oppose him," he admitted. "But anyway, your trial here is done. I will send my commendations to Overseer Harkun. You may return to him now."
"What are you going to do about the murderer?" I asked.
"Nothing - although the apprentice's master will have to be informed," Zyn told me. "It's not my business to dispense justice, certainly not where the Dark Council is concerned."
I nodded. "That makes a certain sense."
"I'm glad you think so," he responded, smiling. "It's been most pleasant watching you work, acolyte. Truly, I wish you the best of luck in your remaining trials."
"I never did meet this Essor Kayin," Nox admitted. "In hindsight, it may be for the better."
"Why did you want to fight this apprentice?" one apprentice spoke up.
"I wondered this myself for a while," Nox responded. "It was probably adrenaline. I had just finished killing six acolytes and torturing another, and I was presented with the opportunity to take on an even larger challenge. I guess I was pretty power hungry back then."
There was a collective chuckle, then Nox resumed.
"Well, well, well," Harkun said as I returned. "I had been looking forward to cutting another one of you down, but it looks like I'll be spared the trouble. Unsurprisingly, Niloc has gone missing."
I looked around, and sure enough, we were short an acolyte. I didn't know this Niloc, but I did feel for him. He didn't deserve to die here; not of us did. Except Ffon. How I wanted to thrust my lightsaber through his chest, and watch him try and fail to say something comprehensible. Of course, I wanted to survive the ordeal, which would be much tougher.
"Also unsurprisingly, Ffon has passed his first trial," Harkun continued. "It's only a matter of time before he tramples you all underfoot."
"I'll tear you apart where you stand, slave!" Ffon spat at me. I tossed a glance at him, then returned my gaze to the overseer.
"Patience, Ffon - an accident in the tombs is more convincing," Harkun told him. Was that a joke? I couldn't really tell. "Now the lot of you know your next task - go. I want to speak to Ffon and our latecomer."
The others looked at me sympathetically as they left. This would be my second special trial, and it apparently would be head-to-head against the teacher's pet. While the odds looked against me, I wasn't really nervous. Perhaps I was still high on the adrenaline rush, but it didn't matter to me at the time. This would be my chance to prove, without a doubt, that I was better than this insufferable piece of trash.
"Now, slave," Harkun said, being very careful to remind me of my past. "Zyn says you handled yourself expertly and as much as I find this difficult to believe, Lord Zash is satisfied with his evaluation. Undoubtedly, Zyn helped you in some way - but you will not have his help on the next trial."
I sighed, and shook my head. It was quite clear, at this point, that Harkun would always hate me. There was nothing I could do to change that, so I decided to stop trying. From that point on, my only concern with Harkun was surviving his trials, proving that I was the best, and seeing Ffon dead at my feet when it was all over.
"Both you and Ffon will have trials of intellect," Harkun explained. "Trials that test your ability to apply your understanding of the Force to solve problems."
"You don't expect a slave to be a match for me in intellect!" Ffon exclaimed. "I've been trained under the greatest teachers -"
"Calm down Ffon," Harkun interrupted. "I certainly do not expect this slave to be a match for you. That's why you will have separate trials."
"Truly, your generosity astounds," I sighed.
"You're only digging your own grave," Harkun spat.
Ffon looked at me and chuckled, but I didn't break my gaze with Harkun.
"Ffon, you will go to the library on the second floor of the Academy and translate the following texts for Lord Zash," Harkun explained, handing Ffon some tablets.
"Yes, overseer," Ffon replied, turning around and leaving.
"Slave, deep in the ancient, monster-infested tomb of Marka Ragnos, there is a holocron filled with dark secrets and encased in a great stone monument," Harkun said with a very sinister tone. "No one has figured out how to release the holocron from its stone prison in over a thousand years. You will bring this holocron to me, or you will die."
I shrugged. "Well, it beats going to the library I suppose…"
"Spoken like the idiot you are," Harkun retorted. Truly, this man was an imbecile. "You will bring back the holocron or hope that the spirit of Marka Ragnos himself returns to end your miserable existence. Now go!"
I thought about that exchange as I took the taxi to the lower areas of Korriban. The red landscape didn't do too much to inspire me, anyways. If Harkun was so intent on having this Ffon guy succeed, why did he stick him in the group of slaves? Sure, it would probably be easier, but if this guy was so good then he shouldn't need the help. I decided not to think about it too much; when I was in charge, these guys wouldn't be worth anecdotes.
I got off the taxi and went walking along Korriban's less colonized area. It was nothing but red rock and desert everywhere. There were some members of the Imperial military dotted around, but they looked quite out of it, the heat probably driving them mad. They left me well enough alone, so I did the same.
I made my way to the tomb, which looked exactly like the first one. I sighed, not really looking forward to this again. Just inside the entrance stood another acolyte, leaning against the wall. He gave me a look and a sinister smile, standing up straight and reaching for his saber. As I drew mine, he sprinted towards me. He raised his arm for an overhand strike, and I smiled. I sidestepped to the left, and brought my blade upwards to meet his, slicing right through his wrist. He dropped to the floor and screamed, clutching his arm. I continued walking in, and the other acolytes let me without another incident.
Within the room I was looking for, there was the great stone monument that Harkun had spared no effort in selling. There were a handful of shyrack around the monument, but I cut them down moments later. I climbed up the stairs to the top of the monument, staring at it intently. Honestly, I had no idea what to do.
"Let's see how you like this!" I yelled, smacking it with my saber.
The tomb shuddered, and more shyrack began pouring out from the walls and ceiling. I cut them down as they approached, the pile of dead bodies piling up at my feet. As the last one fell, I took a deep breath to rethink my situation. Clearly, that was not the solution.
"Just open damn it!" I yelled again. I extended my arms and shot lightning at the monument.
As the stream of Force energy poured into it, the monument shuddered again. I continued, unrelenting, throwing more of my energy at it. Eventually, I saw the top start to crack, until eventually it opened, revealing the holocron. I stopped, breathing heavily. I grabbed the holocron from the pedestal, staring into the tiny cube that had caused me so much annoyance. I tucked it into my back pocket and left quickly.
"You shot lightning at it?" an acolyte asked. "How come nobody else thought of that?"
Nox shrugged. "I can't speak for the others, nor do I know what they tried. As the head of the pyramid of dark knowledge, I planned on going back into the tomb at some point to find out how I opened it. Until then, nobody knows."
There was a period of silence. "Why did Harkun love Ffon so much?" someone asked.
"He was pureblooded," Nox responded. "Harkun despised anything else, which was quite annoying. However, I was about to find out just how much he loved his new pet."
"You better not be wasting my time, slave," Harkun said as I entered the room. "You better have the holocron."
I could see the smirk on Ffon's face, clearly doubting that I succeeded. Both his and Harkun's eyes widened, and I heard a gasp as I pulled the holocron out. I handed it to the overseer, and he quickly snatched it, looking it over. I turned to Ffon, still visibly surprised, and stared directly at him. He scowled and turned away, his ego hopefully brought down a bit.
"A fake, or stolen from the library, probably. I'll deal with you later," Harkun said. I knew that he was lying, but I also knew that he wouldn't let a slave have the upper hand in a conversation. "Now - I believe it's time for another demonstration. Gerr, step forward."
"Yes, overseer," Geer responded, stepping forward. He was slightly taller and more well built. His face betrayed his emotions, however; he was terrified.
"Ffon - kill him," Harkun commanded.
"With pleasure, overseer," Ffon responded, stepping to the front of the group.
Gerr turned to run, but Ffon extended his arm and a blast of lightning came streaming out. Gerr dropped to the floor, writhing in pain as Ffon let the torrent course through him. He stopped the stream, then pulled out his blade. Gerr slowly looked back, just in time for Ffon to slash him across the chest. As he collapsed, Ffon sheathed his blade and returned to his spot.
"Let Gerr be an example to you," Harkun announced. "Ffon destroyed him easily, like he will destroy all of you. Are there any other objections?"
"You are only giving us power, Harkun," I said.
"And your comments are only hastening your own death, slave," Harkun responded.
I heard a snicker from beside me. I looked over and saw Ffon, once again staring at me and trying to suppress a smile. I turned back to Harkun, vowing to have them both dead one day.
"Now, the rest of you know the next trial. Go," Harkun commanded. "You, slave - you stay here."
I watched as the other three acolytes left. At the start, there were seven of us, now there are four. I knew that the other two - twins, probably - were no match for myself or Ffon. That meant that all I could do was pass my trials, bide my time. I had to utterly destroy Ffon; simply beating him wasn't an option at this point.
"Now, slave," Harkun said, really putting emphasis on the word 'slave.' "You think yourself pretty clever getting that holocron, don't you?"
"Stop with your taunts and give me my next trial," I responded. I was done with his sarcasm.
"If you wish to prolong your life, you will not make demands of me again, slave," Harkun spat. "Now, for your trial: The last, darkest secrets of Tulak Hord are buried in his tomb. Lord Zash wants this text."
He handed me a datapad with info that Lord Zash was looking for. Clearly I was meant to find texts that correspond with this info. I scrolled through the list, mostly drowning out Harkun.
"But," he continued, "The final resting place of the dead lord is not so easily trespassed. You will not be the first to die there."
I looked up at him."I will return with the texts."
"Do not come back here until you've gotten that text from Tulak Hord's tomb. Out of my sight, slave," Harkun commanded, again putting emphasis on the final word.
I turned and left quickly. The first tomb was just outside of the academy, so I made my way inside. Imperial guards patrolled the first half of it, but as soon as I stopped seeing them, all I saw were shyracks. These guys were everywhere; I cut a countless amount of them down before finding the tablet. I took a piece for authenticity, before scanning the rest. After scanning it, I made my way back and to the other exit, seeing that I had two more texts to find.
I emerged from the tomb in yet another valley full of red rock. Similar to the last, there were crazed Imperial troopers everywhere. I made my way around them quickly, trying to get this trial finished quickly. Despite avoiding the guards, there were still plenty of shyracks in each of the last two tombs. I could see how acolytes could get overwhelmed in this trial. I trusted my bladework, and swiftly grabbed the last two texts. Again, no signs of the other acolytes anywhere. After grabbing the texts, I made my way out of the valley, trying not to waste any time.
Once I returned to the academy, I started thinking about who would fail this. Clearly I had finished it, and if Ffon was as good as Harkun made him sound then he must've cleared it. There were only two others, and if they were twins as I previously thought, they would definitely help each other finish. I honestly had no idea what to think. I took a deep breath before going down the hallway to Harkun's room.
"Yes, yes. Remarkable. Magnificent," I heard a voice say off to the side.
I looked over and saw what must've been Lord Zash. She was young, with short blond hair. I saw her studying the holocron that I had brought back. While I had no idea what was inside, she was gazing over it, clearly intrigued by what she saw. She must've been a curator of knowledge or something. It made some sense why Harkun wanted Ffon to be her apprentice; her intellect would be matched by his raw power. Truly an interesting thought.
"You, slave. Wait, no - acolyte," Zash said, looking up at me. "You're the one who brought me this magnificent holocron from the tomb of Marka Ragnos, yes?"
"Yes, my lord," I responded. "I found the holocron."
"Unbelievable. One thousand years, buried in that tomb. Sith Lords passing it by. And then - the most unlikely person comes along," she says, in a very praising tone. "Tell me, how did you manage it?"
I shrugged. "I shot lightning at it, and it opened."
"Such a simple solution - why did none of us think of that?" Zash asked. "We must have thought too deeply on it, believed too strongly that it could not be done. Or perhaps we were simply not meant to open it."
I shifted back and forth, uncomfortably trying to get going and finish this trial.
"Your work so far - in bringing back this holocron and now the text from Tulak Hord's tomb - has me intrigued," Zash continued. "I am watching your progress eagerly. I have high hopes for you, acolyte. Sky high."
I swallowed a lump. "I hope I live up to them," I responded.
"Good luck, acolyte. Good luck," she said, before turning and leaving.
I stopped for a second. That was Lord Zash, the Sith that all of us were fighting over. The survivor of our group becomes her apprentice. Not only has she given me special trials, but I have completed them all well above her expectations. I remembered back to Spindrall's advice, "He may raise his fist to strike, but it is Lord Zash who determines where the blow will land," and smiled. Things were looking up for me.
"I was just about to send Ffon off," Harkun said as I entered. "What delayed you, slave?"
I pulled out my blade and cleaned it on my tunic. "I like to stop and smell the blood," I responded.
Harkun's brow furrowed. "You'll be smelling your own blood soon," he responded. "Now, did you collect the text from Tulak Hord's tomb?"
"Just take it already," I responded, placing them on the desk.
"Give it here - most likely it's been badly damaged," Harkun said, not even looking at it before placing it off to the side. "It's what we get for sending a careless lowlife to do a Sith's job. Isn't that right, Ffon?"
"What are we waiting for, overseer?" Ffon asked. "Why don't we kill this wretch now?"
"You have a big mouth, slave, but no combat skills," Harkun told me. "I don't want to see you again until you've satisfied the Korriban instructors."
I looked at Ffon. It was still unbelievable how prejudiced Harkun was against me, to the point where Ffon could openly talk about the two of them murdering me. As much as I wanted to, there was nothing I could do. Even if I cut Ffon down where he stood, there was no way I could match Harkun in combat. If by some miracle I did, I'd have the rest of the Academy to take on. I decided that, more than ever, I had to out-maneuver Ffon in the trials.
"The training facility is on the second floor of the academy, and is usually reserved for Dark Lords and their apprentices," Harkun explained. "This is not a promotion, and you are not to speak to anyone except the training master when you are up there, understand? You are not fit for their presence."
"Please tell me Ffon can come," I said, sneering. "We'll have so much fun."
"Ffon has been training at combat his whole life. He was born to be Sith. You are just as likely to chop off your own arm as not, slave," Harkun spat, really loving to put emphasis on that last word. "Now get going to the second floor training grounds. You don't want to keep the instructors waiting."
As I left, I heard the two of them snickering behind me. I smiled, knowing that my combat abilities were much stronger than either of them knew. I made my way up to the second floors, getting looks from every Sith Lord and apprentice I saw. The lack of training blades and abundance of real lightsabers made me a bit uneasy, but I quickly made my way to the training room.
Once inside, I looked around. There were training blades of different sizes and styles along the walls, and a series of training dummies in the corner. The one thing it was missing: an instructor. Confused, I looked around for a spot where they could be. As I grew increasingly nervous, I began to think about what was going to happen. Was this going to be some surprise test?
"Hello there, friend," I heard from the door. "You remember my brother and me from downstairs - with Harkun, right?"
I turned around and saw the twins. Their names were Wydr and Balek, though I never remembered which one was which. They were both tall, similar hair and facial hair. They both stood just inside the doorway, on either side, blocking me in. I had a bad feeling about things before this, and now I was sure of it.
"Sorry it had to be this way," Balek said.
"We don't like it any more than you do," Wydr added. "Well - maybe a little more."
I narrowed my gaze. "What's happening here?"
"I'm sorry man. I liked you. I really did," Balek told me, apparently not the wordsmith in his family.
"But Harkun made us a deal, see," Wydr explained. "We kill you, we go home."
I was stunned. The sheer length that Harkun was going to in order to get me killed was appalling. I was enraged. I vowed right then that I would kill Ffon and Harkun, personally. In my anger, I could feel my head clearing, and my muscles loosening up. I knew exactly what I had to do, and if the Sith Code had any truth behind it, I had the tools to do it.
I looked directly at Wydr. "You will regret that," i said flatly.
"We don't want to," Balek told me. "But we know we can't be Ffon, and we'll never be Sith. At least this way, we can go home - alive."
"Quiet, Balek. The time for talk is past," Wydr said, drawing his blade. "Fight for your life, acolyte."
Balek also drew his blade, as I did. Secretly, I had been itching for a good fight, since I hadn't faced a decent opponent since Spindrall's tomb. The difference was that the acolytes I faced in the tombs weren't in nearly as good shape as these two, and were probably way out of practice. For all I knew, these two were individually as good as I was, meaning I had my work cut out for me.
They charged, and I raised my blade to block. I strafed right and threw my blade up, dodging the attack to my left and blocking the one on my right. Wydr was now between me and Balek, meaning Balek had to step around him to get to me. This allowed me to step back as the brothers coordinated their footwork. I continued to circle as they struck, blocking one blade as I dodged the other. As I circled, they constantly got out of position, allowing me to only face them one on one for a couple seconds at a time.
I did a backhand block as Balek brought his lightsaber down, sending it off to the side as I dodged Wydr's blow and circled left. I took a chance to gain the upper hand. With Wyrd behind Balek, I took an overhand strike at Balek. He blocked, and I stepped around him, extending my hand out. The Force blast hit Wdyr as he tried to get around his brother, and he flew back. He slammed into a training dummy, the force of the impact knocking over weapon racks. The racks landed on top of Wydr, knocking him out.
Without hesitation, I pushed the attack on Balek, still shaken by my assault on his brother. While he was much stronger, I was faster, so I alternated which side I struck. Balek struggled to keep up, and stepped back to try and get some space. He was scared, but he didn't channel his fear the way I channeled my anger. I pressed the assault, waiting for Balek to make a mistake. He did, parrying a forehand strike too wide. I brought my blade up and it cut clean through his wrist.
He screamed and dropped to his knees, clutching his forearm. I slowly walked behind him, keeping my blade pointed at him. Looking over, I saw Wydr emerge from the pile I had buried him under. I could see them staring at each other in silence; Wydr too stunned to speak, Balek too weak. I stood behind Balek, watching them, embracing the power I had. With a sneer, I thrust my blade forward, straight through Balek's back. He let out a small gasp, and I could feel the despair from Wydr as his brother slumped to the ground, dead.
Wydr screamed, grabbing and activating his blade. He used the Force and leapt at me from across the room. I blocked and sidestepped, his blade crashing into the ground. He hit me with a flurry of blows, powerful and fast. As he was much larger and stronger than I was, I had to deflect his blows rather than block them. This was difficult, but I noticed that he had terrible follow-through, causing him to slam his blade into the ground constantly. This gave me an idea.
He set up for an overhand strike, which I deflected and sidestepped. His blade crashed into the ground, and I jumped back. As he turned around, I lifted a weapon rack with the Force and launched it at him. He deflected it with his blade, but I threw another. I hurled every weapon and stand that was lying on the floor, all of them aiming at him. His strength was failing, as multiple hilts and racks hit him as he slowed. His blade was knocked out of his hand, and he dropped to his knees and covered his face.
As the final, crushing blow, I Force lifted his brother's body and threw it at him. They collided, and Wydr fell backwards, his brother landing on top of him. I grabbed Balek's blade off the floor and walked towards them. I saw Wydr look up at me as I activated Balek's blade. I thrust the blade downwards, piercing both of them. Wydr gasped, before mouthing the words "I'm sorry." His eyes rolled back into his head as his head fell backwards.
I deactivated my blade and sheathed it. I stood there for a second, breathing heavily, the adrenaline rush wearing off. I had just killed two acolytes, whose only goal was to go home alive. I had to remind myself that I was not guilty; that honor went to Harkun. He tasked these brothers with killing me to further his own agenda, and that task ended with these two dead. I looked visibly angry as I left the training room and headed back downstairs.
"Well, well, look who shows up at long last," Harkun said as I returned. "I half expected to hear you'd crossed some Dark Lord and finally got yourself killed. None of the others have shown up either. I assume they're dead by now - which means you and Ffon are the last ones."
"So I just kill Ffon and I'm Sith, right?" I asked, still quite angry. "This shouldn't take long."
"Wrong. Your final trial will be to retrieve an ancient map from the innermost chamber of Naga Sadow's tomb - which has not been breached in thousands of years," Harkun explained. "But before you get the map, you'll have to awaken an ancient assassin called a Dashade that sleeps in the tomb. You cannot access the map without him, understand?"
I nodded. "I think I can do that much," I responded.
"Oh - and one more thing. You'll be competing with Ffon for this map. Whoever brings it back will be Lord Zash's apprentice. The other will die." Harkun sneered as he talked. "And Ffon's already started - so my advice? Run, slave. Run."
"Ahem, one moment, please," Lord Zash said, walking into the room.
Harkun's eyes nearly flew out of their sockets. "Lord Zash - what are you doing here?" he asked, panicked.
"Overseer," Zash calmly replied. "Are you implying that I - a Lord of the Sith - don't have the right to go where I please within the Academy of the Sith?"
"No, of course not, Lord Zash," Harkun replied, his face going more red than his lightsaber.
"Good. I saw the last acolyte arrive. I wanted to see the hopefuls off on their final trial." Zash looked around the room. "Where's - um - what's his - the red one, Ffon?"
Harkun's shock level went up immensely, Zash hardly bothering to remember the name of his star pupil. "He finished his trial early, so I sent him on rather than keeping him waiting for this -"
"Pity," Zash interrupted. "I just finished translating the wonderful text this acolyte brought from Tulak Hord's tomb, and it's most illuminating. I don't know that the map can be retrieved without it."
I looked at Harkun with the most malicious smile I have ever done. "Well, well, well. It's a good thing I didn't start running, isn't it, Harkun?" I asked.
"It's too late," Harkun stuttered. "Ffon's already left. You can't just -"
"Give one acolyte an unfair advantage over the other?" Zash interrupted again. "Overseer, when has being Sith ever been about being fair?"
Harkun took a step back, and I suppressed another grin. Looks like his shenanigans had been found out.
"Now, my dear acolyte, here is what you must do to free the Dashade," Zash told me, in a very sweet tone. "There are rods scattered throughout the tomb of Naga Sadow. These rods are the keys to the chamber where the ancient assassin is imprisoned. You will place the rods in the chamber door and electrify them."
I couldn't help but take another look at Harkun, who was visibly panicking. He knew that without this information, it was very likely that his prized student would end up dead, and that I - a slave - would end up victorious.
"I don't know exactly the reason," Zash continued. "But it is clear you will not be able to retrieve the map without the Dashade. But be careful - he is very dangerous."
"I have yet to meet a danger I cannot defeat," I said. I saw Harkun visibly shudder hearing that.
"I will return when both acolytes are back from the tomb." Zash glared at Harkun. "You will not do anything to further affect the outcome of the trial. Understood?"
Harkun swallowed a large lump. "Yes, Lord Zash," he muttered.
"Good - and good luck, acolyte," she said, turning and leaving.
"Now, one thing that some of you might not know is that killing is allowed within Naga Sadow's tomb," Nox explained. "That means that I could've killed Ffon while looking for the map, or vice versa."
"Did you kill him?" someone asked.
"I didn't try to kill him inside, no," Nox responded. "Not only did I not actually find him, but it wasn't really on my mind. I found it more satisfying to imagine his face as he realizes who won."
"Do you think you could've beaten him in a fight?" someone else asked.
"No," Nox said flatly. "Ffon had teachers preparing him for combat for longer than anyone else in our group. If we had to square off inside that tomb, I would be dead."
Everyone murmured, taking in the fact that a Dark Council member admitted to being weaker than someone.
"As I will explain to you in a bit, improving my bladework would be top priority," Nox continued. "However, there was one more impossible feat I had to pull off first."
This tomb was like all the others, dark, cold and uninviting. The only difference was the abundance of acolytes. As I said, killing was legal in here, and this ended up being the refuge of the acolytes who failed their trials. They didn't attack me, however. Word must've gotten out about the last assassination attempt on me. These acolytes decided not to test their luck; a wise decision, I must say. I gathered the rods as I made my way through the tomb.
As I got deeper into the tomb, the amount of acolytes got lower. Replacing them were droids, who were not as cautious. Although I managed to sneak around most, I had to cut a few of them down. Turning down one hallway, I ended up in a massive chamber. At the center was who I assumed to be the Dashade, floating in a stasis field. As he was in the middle of a giant pit, I continued along the walkway.
Cutting down more droids as I went, I eventually made it to a room with four altars. Seeing both the door closed and a lack of Ffon, I smiled. I placed the rods on the altars, thinking of Ffon's face when I come back with the map. Lord Zash smiling and praising me, Harkun stuttering and dumbfounded, Ffon laying dead at my feet. The thoughts comforted me as I finished with the altars and went to meditate on the center platform.
I stood, channeling my emotions, letting my hatred give me strength. I heard the sound of electricity, and opened my eyes in time to see a stream of lightning pour out of one of the altars. It hit me, and I writhed in pain. Soon a second, then a third, then all four rods were shooting lightning at me. I dropped to my hands and knees, the pain almost unbearable. This was like nothing I had ever felt, and I was sure that I would die right there.
It was then that I came to my senses. I had survived acolytes and animals and Harkun for this long; I wasn't about to let some sticks end my life. I stood up, every fiber in my body screaming. I faced the door, and thrust my arms forward. Lightning poured out of my body through my hands, and the entire tomb trembled from the impact. I could feel the power coming from the rods flowing through me, and into the door. It flew open and the lightning stopped. I lowered my arms, catching my breath. I was ready for anything.
I approached the stasis field, and got a good look at the Dashade. I had never seen one before, nor had I really read anything about them. He was large, bigger than the twins, and was grey all over. It had an enormous vibrosword attached to its back, which seemed counterintuitive for an assassin. The beast was not unconscious, however. It shifted its gaze to look at me as I approached.
"Ha! All the world conspires to mock me. Ha!" the Dashade said in its strange tongue. I had a universal translator with me so I was able to understand the language. "Tulak Hord! I waited for you. I did everything you said! And this is what you send me?"
I watched the Dashade, unsure of what it's talking about. Sure I knew who Tulak Hord was, but what was this monster's connection to him?
"Ha! Fate is cruel to me, little one. But not as cruel as it is to you," the Dashade told me. "You have made a terrible mistake."
"These were the instructions Zash gave me," I responded. "I am to free you and you will take me to the map in the final chamber of the tomb."
"I am Khem Val, servant of Tulak Hord, who was called Lord of Hate, Master of the Gathering Darkness, Dark Lord of the Sith," the beast said. "Together, Tulak Hord and I devoured our enemies at the battles of Yn and Chabosh and brought the entire Dromund system to its knees. And now I await his return."
"I hate to be the one to break it to you," I told Khem, "but Tulak Hord is dead."
"Dead? My lord, why didn't you come for me?" Khem asked. "I would have died with you - no, I would have slain death itself…"
I didn't pity the Dashade, but I did understand its pain. Losing someone and not knowing for as long as it did couldn't be easy.
"As for you," Khem continued, looking at me, "you should not have come here. For I hunger - and I will devour you!"
The stasis field suddenly started to tremble, and sparks began flying out of the machine. In a flash, small explosions went off, and Khem Val fell, free from the machine. He jumped down from the platform, looking me right in the eyes. He pulled his massive vibrosword off his back, and I grabbed my blade in return. He slowly walked towards me, and I stepped back, holding my blade out. More than ever, I was terrified.
Khem raised his blade to strike, and I deflected it to the side, not willing to directly block a shot that strong. Faster than I expected, he circled his blade around for a second strike, which I deflected and sidestepped. The walkway we stood on was narrow, however, which left little room to move around. As Khem went for a third swing, I had no choice but to block it. The force of the hit sent me stumbling back, nearly knocking the wind out of me.
I could tell that Khem was not at full strength. As we continued to duke it out, I noticed my deflections were tiring him. He was slowing down, his strikes becoming more sloppy. I deflected a backhand strike, and Khem immediately swung his blade up for a downwards smash. I sidestepped right and circled as his blade crashed into the ground. With a swing, I sent my blade into Khem's, knocking it out of his hand and into the chasm below. Panting, I held my blade out to his chest, and he dropped to his knees.
"Ha! Defeated! Defeated!" Khem said, frustrated. "Why did you not come for me, Tulak? Why have you allowed your servant to be reduced to this?"
I sighed and sheathed my blade, confident that the Dashade was subdued.
"Fine little one," Khem continued. "In my great weakness, you have defeated me, so I must serve you - that is the law that binds me. But you are not my master."
"I am your master," I responded, impatiently. "Get used to it."
"As you say, little one," Khem said. "But someday I will regain my strength."
"Speaking of Khem," Nox mentioned, "how about you show yourself?"
There was a collective gasp as the Dashade appeared from a side room. The students had all read about the Dashades in their studies, but nobody had seen one in real life; they were all presumed dead. Khem's menacing stare seemed lost on them, the crowd in a bewildered state at the sight of the beast.
"You certainly know how to make an entrance," Nox remarked.
"So that's the beast in the tomb?" someone asked.
"I am Khem Val, servant of Darth Nox, heir to Tulak Hord and Kallig, head of the Pyramid of Ancient Knowledge," Khem said. "And I will tear you apart where you stand without a second thought, should Nox command it."
The person who asked the question shrunk down, clearly not willing to speak again.
Nox chuckled. "Alright, enough of that. Let's get back on track."
Khem grabbed another vibrosword from the machine, and we set off down the tomb. Immediately, we were greeted by a solid rock wall blocking our path. I looked over at Khem, and he nodded at me, walking up to the wall. He took a second, before letting out a roar and slamming the wall with his fist. The wall exploded outwards into the next room, rocks crushing the shyrack within. Khem walked in and I followed, pleased.
We walked over the rubble and dead corpses, making it to the final room. Inside was a Tarentatek that must've been the size of a small building. It was so large that it completely blocked the stairway leading up to the map, which was just behind it. I tried to rack my brain for answers, but one thing was clear: there was no sneaking past this beast.
I went to draw my blade, but felt a hand on my shoulder. "Let me, little one," Khem said, drawing his vibrosword.
He walked in front of the monster, and it screamed. Khem screamed back and charged it. He lept, jumping higher and farther than I thought possible, and plunged his vibrosword into the beast's chest. It howled in pain, thrashing violently. As it thrashed, it ejected Khem's sword and Khem with it, and he went flying into the wall. He somehow landed on his feet despite the impact. Sword still in hand, he rushed the beast again.
Furious, the beast raised its hand to strike. Khem rolled out of the way as the Tarentatek's hand crashed into the ground. With lightning fast reflexes, Khem jumped and threw his sword at the beast's hand. It hit, and the beast howled in pain as the sword pinned its arm to the ground. Khem charged the monster, once again jumping up to it. With the same scream as when he destroyed the wall, he walloped the terror right between the eyes. It tried to fly back, but with its arm still pinned to the ground, it stopped abruptly. The most disgusting sound could be heard as every single ligament in the monster's arm must have been destroyed.
Khem retrieved his sword from the beast's hand, causing the Tarentatek to make a tiny squeal, too weak to do much more. Without hesistation, Khem drove his sword into the beast's neck, silencing it permanently. I could feel the stream of dark Force energy escape from the beast, causing the air to thicken. Khem pulled his sword out of the beast's neck, and turned to me. I cleared my head and nodded, taking the map from the console.
"My first true fight in a long time," Khem suddenly said, with a sense of pride. "That monster's Force energy was especially satisfying."
One person stood up. "If you were able to best Khem just a few moments prior, where did he get the strength to demolish that beast?" they asked.
"A valid question," Nox responded. "The only conclusion I could make was the sheer amount of dark side energy that Khem was able to consume."
Nox pulled up a quick diagram of the dark side infused Tarentatek. "This monster was almost completely dark Force energy, meaning Khem had a lot to feast on," Nox explained. "As I had very little at the time, it more came down to who had the better bladework. Seeing as Khem had been in that stasis field for centuries, it was no question who was superior."
"You were indeed a strong acolyte," Khem declared. "I am glad you were the one to free me."
"As am I, friend," Nox said. "Now pay attention, this was my favourite part."
"I'm telling you, Lord Zash wants the impossible," I heard Ffon say as I walked in. "No one is ever going to get that map."
"Nobody except me, you mean," I said in the most passive-aggressive tone I could muster.
"The map. And the Dashade!" Harkun could barely speak he was so flabbergasted. "Get that monster out of here this instant! And give me the map."
"No, it's not possible!" Ffon was equally shocked. "You wretch, you filth - you must have cheated somehow. How did you do it? How did you release the monster?"
"I am not a monster," Khem said, stepping to my side. "I am Khem Val, servant of Tulak Hord, devourer of the rebels at Yn and Chabosh, consumer of the Dromund system. And I am hungry."
Ffon nervously stepped back. "R-right. You - you must have cheated - you must have. You'll pay for this"
"Ffon! Patience," Harkun advised, regaining his composure. "You will have your chance at this whelp - after you personally deliver this map to Lord Zash." In one swift motion, he grabbed the map out of my hand.
I didn't even flinch; secretly, I was hoping he'd do something like that. "Eat them both, Khem," I commanded.
"With pleasure," he responded, reaching for his vibroblade.
"Keep your pet at bay for just a moment, acolyte," I heard Zash say from behind me, walking in. "I would have a word with Ffon."
"Lord Zash?" Ffon asked.
"Yes, Ffon," Zash calmly replied. "Now where's my map?"
Ffon stumbled for a second, before retrieving the map from Harkun's desk. "H-here, Lord Zash. Right here," he declared.
"You found it for me, Ffon?" Zash asked with a delightful tone. "How wonderful."
I stared daggers at Ffon. "You are one dead man," I said.
"Silence!" she commanded. I stepped back, but kept my gaze on Ffon, ready to grab my blade.
"Ffon will tell me what happened, won't you, Ffon?" she asked. "You wouldn't dare lie to me, would you?"
Zash slowly stepped forward, directly towards Ffon. "Because it would be a shame for me to discover that you lied to me. Now one more time - did you bring this map back from Naga Sadow's tomb?"
"I - I - no. No, I didn't. I didn't. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Ffon muttered, hanging his head.
"Harkun, you fool," Zash exclaimed, turning to him. "In any other group for any other lord, this young man would have torn the other acolytes to shreds. What were you trying to prove? That you could outsmart me? That you knew better than me what kind of person I wanted for an apprentice? You fool."
Harkun could only watch as Lord Zash shot the most powerful stream of Force lightning I had ever seen at Ffon. He writhed in agony as the dark side energy poured into his body, coursing through his veins. Zash lifted him into the air, a very blank expression on her face given the circumstances. She ended her lightning, blasting Ffon backwards. He hit Harkun's table, knocking it backwards as his corpse dropped lifelessly to the ground.
"There's your pet, Harkun. Clean this mess up." Zash turned to me. "Apprentice - meet me in my chambers upstairs," she said.
"As you say," I responded, bowing.
"This is not the end," Harkun spat as Zash left. "Without Lord Zash to save you, you're nothing. I have connections that will hunt you wherever you go."
I threw my dagger stare towards him. "That's big talk for a worm like you," I responded angrily.
"Get out of my sight, slave. Your new master is waiting for you upstairs," Harkun said with his teeth clenched.
I turned and left without another word, glad to be rid of that wretched old man. Once I was a fair distance away from Harkun's room, I allowed myself a moment of satisfaction. Not only had I thwarted him at every trial, but I had watched his pet die at his feet, and acquire a Dashade assassin as an assistant. I vowed to carry this momentum forward, and use it to crush anyone that would stop me, whomever that may be.
"Ah, my magnificent new apprentice," Lord Zash chimed as I walked in. "I believe congratulations are in order."
I bowed. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity," I said.
"You've earned it, my apprentice," Zash replied, putting as much emphasis as Harkun did on 'slave.' "Now, I was just looking over this astonishing map you brought back, and I can tell we have a lot of work ahead of us."
"Murder and mayhem await," I replied, eager to get going.
"Patience, my apprentice. We must go about this with tact. All in good time," she assured me. "You must meet me on Dromund Kaas. There we can talk more."
I nodded. "Dromund Kaas. Got it."
"I will meet you in my chambers in the Citadel in Kaas City," Zash explained. "There we can speak more freely of the work ahead - without the fear of unfriendly ears."
She reached into her desk and produced something. "This is the lightsaber I had as an apprentice. I want you to have it," she said, tossing it to me.
I caught the lightsaber and ignited it. I swung it around a few times, getting a feel for it, reveling in the power. "I shall wreak havoc with it wherever I go," I promised.
"Magnificent. No doubt you will," Zash responded, amused. "Now remember. My chambers. The Citadel. Dromund Kaas. It's imperative that we get to work on this as soon as possible."
I bowed, and Zash exited the room. I lagged behind for a minute, admiring her office. Even though I watched Ffon die right in front of me, it was still hard to believe that Zash had picked me as her apprentice. She had power, and I desired more power. If I could follow Zash, perhaps this was my ticket to true freedom. I thought about this as I left Zash's office.
"Stop right there, slave," someone I learned to be Ortosin said, blocking my path. "Dark Skotia has a message for you."
This Ortosin was slightly taller, with dark skin. His voice was slimey, and made my skin crawl. "Who is this Darth Skotia?" I asked.
"Darth Skotia is Lord Zash's superior and your worst nightmare," Ortosin responded, sneering. "The message is this: You will not go to Dromund Kaas."
Two acolytes appeared from around the corner, standing behind Ortosin. "Everything you've done here, everyone you dealt with - Lord Zash included - is insignificant," he explained. "Dark Skotia has eyes and ears on Korriban. He knows what your master is up to, and he is displeased to say the least."
I stared directly at Ortosin, seeing Khem in my peripheral vision and relaxing a bit.
"On Korriban, Lord Zash may have her way. But on Dromund Kaas, it's a different story. So you see, you have to die," Ortosin declared.
"Khem, what is it you do to Force users again?" I asked, not breaking eye contact.
"I consume them and spit out their bones," Khem responded, drawing his vibrosword.
One of the acolytes stepped back in fear. "Um, Ortosin - is that a Dashade?" he asked. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."
"Coward!" he exclaimed. He drew his lightsaber and ignited it. "Fight, you fool!"
I ignited my own lightsaber just in time to block a strike. I stepped back into Zash's office, and Ortosin followed me. As the two acolytes followed us, Khem intercepted them, allowing me to fight Ortosin on my own. To any spectator, this would be a truly entertaining spectacle. Two acolytes squaring off against a Dashade, while two apprentices dueled on the other side. Not your average Sith rivalry.
I danced around with Ortosin, deflecting his strikes as I took my own. We both had very similar styles, in the sense that we'd deflect strikes wide so we could circle around for an attack. This left our blades spinning in large arcs, yet always meeting in the middle. I tried to use footwork to create an angle, but Ortosin seemed to step perfectly, as if he knew where I was moving. Did he watch my fight with Wydr and Balek?
I heard a scream from in the room, and knew that Khem had felled one of the other acolytes. I also saw Ortosin's expression change in response, and took a chance. Deflecting an attack left, I threw my right fist forward. Faster than I could see, Ortosin raised his hand and caught my fist. I froze, stunned at his reflexes. He sneered as he released my hand, Force pushing me backwards. I flew through the air and hit the wall.
As I hit, I thought I heard another scream from the other acolyte. Clearly that wasn't the most prominent thought rushing through my head as I slid down the wall. I slowly stood up, Ortosin walking towards me. I saw my lightsaber and Force pulled it towards me. In a flash, I saw a red arc cut clean through it, and the lightsaber halves fell to the ground. I saw Ortosin with a malicious grin, raising his lightsaber to strike. I closed my eyes and braced myself.
There was a clash, the sound of the lightsaber hitting something. I opened my eyes to see a stunned Ortosin, his strike blocked by Khem's vibrosword. Khem moved to punch Ortosin, and his strike was not blocked, his fist slamming into Ortosin's face. Ortosin stumbled back, and Khem spun around, throwing a backhand slash that cut through Ortosin's neck. His head flew backwards, as his decapitated body fell to the floor.
Khem gave me a disapproving look, sheathing his blade and walking towards the exit. Breathing heavily, I straightened myself, disappointed with my failure. I took the lightsaber out of Ortosin's dead hand, mine being put out of service in the fight. Taking one of the acolyte's blades, I skewered Ortosin's head and stuck it to his body, leaving this by the entrance as a warning. Leaving the Academy, Khem and I said nothing to each other as we boarded a shuttle to the Imperial Fleet.
"As you can see, overconfidence is the downfall of many Sith," Nox explained. "I had spent my trials hacking apart exiled acolytes, tomb beasts, and a half-paralyzed assassin. Facing a real Sith in combat was my wake up call."
"So who was Skotia?" someone asked.
"Darth Skotia was someone I'll talk about again in a little bit," Nox answered. "Until then, we're going to be changing locations. Go out to the shuttles and we'll depart for the Imperial Fleet right away."
Everyone stood and bowed, funneling out of the room. Nox watched them all leave, his crew staying behind.
"Andronikos, Talos, take the ship to Dromund Kaas," Nox instructed. "Ashara, Xalek, pack things up here and tell whoever's waiting that they're allowed to use the room. Khem, with me." Everyone nodded as they went about their business.
Alright then, Nox thought, let's continue this walk down memory lane.