Chapter One – Arrival on the Sacred World.

Captain Adasi stood behind on the bridge of the harrower-class dreadnaught The Reclaimer, silently watching the tunnel of swirling blue and white light, passing mass-shadows breaking up their ever dancing patterns. The floor vibrated softly beneath his feet and he breathed deeply, revelling in the thrum of the engines and the knowledge that the whole galaxy was stretched out before him.

"Sir, we are approaching the Horuset System" Called an ensign from one of the bridges many consoles and the admiral, turned slightly to give the order to prepare to exit hyperspace. Not that it was necessary as all crew members were already in their positions. Imperial efficiency at its finest.

"Emerging from hyperspace now." Gradually the tunnel faded and narrowed into thin columns of light as dreadnaughts hyperdrive deactivated. Starlines shortened and condensed, becoming the vast expanse of realspace as The Reclaimer was ejected out of hyperspace just beyond Korriban's orbit.

Korriban's small orbital station bathed in the planets orange glow, dreadnaughts drifting through the planets exosphere. Starfighters danced across open space, casting dark specks on the moons hanging just beyond Korriban's horizon and thin patchwork clouds wandered lazily across its surface, affording Adasi a good view of bright red sands. As soon as they left hyperspace the admiral began barking out orders and he dragged his eyes away from the viewpoint to fully focus on his commanding officer.

"Ensign have PL-1 Kanra prep shuttle TTS-08 for flight down to Korriban," And when admiral turned to him, he was decidedly not happy by his superiors next words, "Capitan, meet our guest and escort them to the hanger."

Suppressing a grimace at his orders, Adasi nonetheless saluted before walking briskly out of the bridge and towards the crew decks. Unease pooled in his stomach, only growing as Adasi approached the private quarters, normally housing senior officers, currently accommodating their guest. Reaching the door, he swallowed his discomfort but before he could knock the door slid open with a whisper and a soft, almost melodious voice called from within.

"Come in." His discomfort returned only this time with a shiver dancing along his spine. Emperor, he disliked Sith. Mentally shaking his head to dislodge the dangerous thought, Adasi stepped inside the room and stood at attention by the entrance.

The Sith, Adasi was surprised to see, was a young woman, her light brown skin smooth and unmarred by the ravages of age. He had been expecting a hulking brute upon learning they'd be transporting a Sith to Korriban with the normal contingent of troops. Dark red hair lightly brushed her shoulders, framing a diamond shaped face and bangs gently shadowed closed eyes. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she painted a picture of something untypical for a Sith, one of calm serenity. But her peaceful demeanour only served to unnerve him further, as he could only compare it to a peace akin to that before a wild storm. One which threated to destroy anything that dared crossed its path. An incomplete Atorian puzzle cube sat in front of her rotating slowly in mid-air, the remaining puzzle pieces floating in the air around it.

Adasi had seen Sith use the Force before, but he still watched slack jawed as the remaining pieces slotted lazily into place. Puzzle complete, the Sith opened and titled her head, regarding him quizzically with stormy grey orbs.

"A-apologies my lord," He stuttered, realising he'd been staring and took a breath to calm himself before speaking again, "We have arrived in the Horuset system and a shuttle has been prepped to take you down to Korriban."

The Sith inclined, which Adasi took as a sign of dismissal and hurried from the room.

Aindri chuckled lowly at the officers' reaction and uncrossed her legs, leaving the puzzle floating in the air, to place her socked feet on the floor. Reaching for her black boots from where they had been discarded on the floor upon her arrival, she pulled on her boots and stood, hearing a small pop when she stretched her muscles. Slipping on the dark grey outer tunic, which had been resting on a chair, over her black shirt she reached for the scabbard holding her training saber and clipped it to her belt.

Shifting slightly from foot to foot, Adasi snapped to attention as the Sith stepped into the hall, jumping slightly when the puzzle dropped into her open palm. The Sith chuckled and by the time he had come to his wits, Adasi had to jog to catch up to her as she strode towards the elevator at the end of the corridor.

"What is your name Captain?" He blinked at the sudden question and startled as he was, he took a moment to respond to her query.

"Adasi, my lord." He replied, tapping the elevator control panel and she hummed thoughtfully as the doors hissed shut and elevator shuddered slightly before it began its descent to the hanger.

"And how long have you been in the Imperial Navy?" Caught off guard by the follow up question, he glanced at her warily wondering why a Sith of all people was asking him these questions.

"Ten years, my lord." She hummed again before asking him another.

"Have you enjoyed your service?" Adasi fought off a sigh as he decided that she was simply prattling inanely on a whim, though he supposed that was better than the alternative. He had after all, spent the better part of his career trying to avoid drawing the attention of Sith. Whilst it almost certainly guaranteed a high position in the military it also increased the chances of death by unfortunate accident. He also had better things to do than entertaining a Sith's whims, his mind turning to the large stack of paperwork likely awaiting him on his desk back in his own quarters.

Stuffing down his growing frustration, Adasi replied with the safest possible answer that was also nearest to the truth, "I would say so my lord."

Aindri glanced at him and nodded in satisfaction, the remainder of the journey was done in silence. Exiting onto the busy hanger deck, a large military shuttle sat waiting at the far end of the hanger. A platoon of troopers, likely assigned planetside, stood talking to each other or were checking their gear as they waited to board.

"You have my apologies my lord, but were unable to completely alter this shuttle's original schedule of transporting troops to Dreshdae and we must retain a shuttle for emergencies."

"It will suffice." Said Aindri, she would, in all honesty, be more irritated if military matters were disrupted solely for her, "Though I suspect, given your experience with Sith, you were expecting me to demand you to drop everything to accommodate me and throw a temper tantrum if you do not."

Adasi blinked but otherwise kept his expression neutral even as he panicked at the Sith's words, as that was what he expected. Aware that he needed to tread carefully less he insult her and alarms bells ringing in his head, he opened his mouth, prepared to lie through his teeth to deny the statement.

"No, my lord I..." He began, trailing off when the Sith looked at him pointedly

"Captain when speaking with me, you will speak honestly. I detest liars." He stood there frozen as temperature dropped, the Sith's eyes now a pale yellow hue.

"Yes, of course my lord. You have my utmost apologies." He held his breath as she watched him briefly before her eyes returned to their natural grey. Nodding at him in acknowledgement she continuing on towards the shuttle, though this time she kept pace with him.

Kanra, the shuttles pilot, excused herself from a conversation with one of the maintenance personnel and walked over, saluting him before bowing to the Sith

"My lord, I am the pilot who is to take you down to the surface." Kanra informed the young woman who inclined her head in greeting before she asked the young pilot for her name.

"Kanra, my lord." The young Sith nodded before she did something that neither of them had expected.

"You have my thanks Kanra, as well as my apologies for disrupting your flight schedule."

Kanra blinked in surprise, and Adasi was sure he had misheard. He had never seen a Sith thank anyone, much less apologise. Kanra recovered first, but then she had less experience dealing with Sith and so she had little idea of how unusual this was.

"No thanks and apologies are necessary my lord! It is an honour to serve the Sith." The young Sith chuckled slightly before smiling softly at Kanra.

"Indeed, it is my hope that we work together in the future." The standard Imperial mask of polite and respectful acceptance was broken by Kanra's massive grin as she nodded eagerly.

"I hope so too. It would be an absolute honour, my lord. If you would excuse I need to start the final checks." The Sith nodded and Kanra bowed deeply before spinning round and dashing towards the shuttle.

"She's certainly eager." Aindri chuckled with amusement as the young pilot sprint ahead of them.

"The state of our forces being what they are, her training was rushed. This is her first posting so she hasn't had much experience with Sith yet and still retains a bit of that childhood awe." Adasi replied.

"Yes, it will be a shame when that is lost. Such is the inevitability of conflict." Aindri sighed as she watched Kanra enter the shuttle.

She maybe Sith, or soon to be, but it always saddened her when innocence was lost and Kanra reminded her little brother who, if he saw her now would be both proud and smug. She was going to Korriban, where she would train and eventually face the Sith trials, she could almost imagine the 'I told you so' smirk on his face. He was one of the few people in her childhood who had always believed in her, even when she still hadn't exhibited Force sensitivity.

Adasi remained silent and, Emperor help him, found himself actually beginning to respect the Sith standing beside him. Clearing his throat he started to relay the information that he had received regarding what the Sith should expect once she arrived on the planet.

"You will be dropped off at the Korriban Arrival port near the Sith Academy. It is my understanding that someone from the Academy will be meeting you planetside."

"Thank you Captain," The Sith replied and turned away from the troops to face him for the first time since she'd left the room, "Go. I know you find babysitting a Sith acolyte a waste of your time and that you are eager to get back to your post."

Adasi stared at her speechlessly, his mind working overtime to figure out what exactly gave his thoughts away. He was sure his mask hadn't slipped even once and even though he was no expert, he knew how to bury such feelings deep in his psyche. He was startled back into the present as the Sith hummed slightly and he became aware that whilst he had been standing there a couple of minutes had already passed.

Adasi coughed, "Err… yes. I mean no. I mean thank you, my lord, if you'll excuse me," He bowed slightly before turning swiftly on his heel and starting towards the exit. Hurrying out of the hanger, he found himself hoping this rotation would end and The Reclaimer would be returning to the frontlines, preferably soon.

Aindri watched in carefully concealed amusement as the captain walked out of the hanger as fast as he could without appearing rude. She knew her actions would confuse and unsettle him, but it was too tempting to resist. Shaking her head slightly, she turned swiftly on her heel and resumed walking towards the shuttle as its ramp thudded onto the hanger floor, the troopers standing at attention as she strode past. Entering the shuttle she took the seat nearest to the ramp since she would be getting off first, leaving the remainder for rest of the troopers who began filing and stowed their gear in lockers above their seat.

"Command, this is shuttle TTS-08, requesting permission for travel to Korriban." She heard Kanra's voice from the cockpit as the ramp slammed shut sealing the shuttles interiors.

"Permission granted TTS-08, you are cleared for landing at the Korriban Arrival Port."

It never ceased to amaze her how sharp her senses became after meditating, as Aindri found that she could hear even the quietest of sounds, see the minutest of details, detect the faintest of scents and tastes and feel the gentlest of touches. Though the enhanced senses did come with their downsides and Aindri suppressed a wince at the loud noise as the shuttles engines roared to life. Thankfully her hearing quickly returned to normal and the roar of the engines soon died down to a subtle hum.

Leaning back against the wall of the shuttle, Aindri closing her eyes and refocused her mind. Submerging herself in the Force, she could feel the ancient darkness had suffused Korribans' very atmosphere gently probing her mind. Allowing the darkness to enter her mind, images flashed rapidly before her eyes; vast stretches of red sand, towering red cliffs, crumbling ruins filled tombs, their walls etched with ancient Sith markings. Suddenly an image and the roar of a hulking, monster of a beast flashed in her mind. As she attempted to focus on the image, Aindri was thrown back into reality when the shuttle floor jolted as it hit the landing platform. She looked up as Kanra appeared in her vision and informed her that they had arrived at the arrival port.

Aindri stood as the hydraulics hissed and the ramp unsealed itself from the shuttle door and walked out of the shaded interior and onto circular landing pad, Kanra and another trooper following close behind her. Horuset shone with a baleful glare, high in Korriban's orange sky and she waited for her eyesight to adjust to the light before she observed her surroundings.

A statue of the Emperor, flanked by a pair of Imperial banners, stood proud and tall against the durasteel of the building at the end of catwalk and the Sith Academy, carved in gleaming red stone, loomed in the distance. Looking up she also could see the artillery that had been installed in the aftermath of reclaiming the planet from the Republic. Looking back towards the catwalk she saw a man with dark weathered skin, wearing scarred black battle armour, and closely cropped wiry grey hair walk out from the shadow of an open doorway. She recognised him from when he was visiting her father on Ziost during the clan gathering and knew that he was an overseer at the Academy.

Tremel stopped just short of the ramp and examined the acolyte standing at the top, his gaze drawn to the dark red hair which denoted her pureblood ancestry. Through the Force he could sense the power and strength that was belied by her lithe, yet athletic, frame. It wrapped around her like a cloak and the darkness caressed her skin like a mother welcoming her young child home after a particularly gruelling day.

There was a confidence in the way she stood, like nothing or no one could touch her, her posture straight and her presence unwavering. Somehow making the plain and simple grey tunic and black leggings that she wore seem regal. He had seen the brief flash of recognition in her eyes and she now regarded him, equal parts curious and analytical.

"At last you've arrived. Good, good. There is much to do and every moment is critical."

Dismissing Kanra and the trooper, who both bowed to her, Aindri walked forward to meet with the overseer at the bottom of the ramp.

"I'm Overseer Tremel and for decades, I've administered the trails that prove who is and who is not worthy to join the Sith Order. The trials are a chance to weed out the weak. Those who face them either survive and become Sith, or die."

Aindri regarded him with a neutral expression even as her suspicion grew. Acolytes could spend years on Korriban without even beginning their trials, and the fact that she was starting hers as soon as she arrived meant that there was something else at play. Even so, while she disliked being kept in the dark or being someone's pawn, she wouldn't let that stop her from being Sith.

"I will be Sith." Aindri stated firmly.

"That," Tremel replied calmly, "Remains to be seen Acolyte," Turning he began walking down the catwalk, the soft click of boots on metal the only indication that she was following him.

Aindri quickly fell in step besides the overseer, and as they walked past the statue of the Emperor, she couldn't shake the feeling that those eyes, shrouded in shadow beneath its hood, were watching her every move.

"You are here and ahead of schedule because of me," Said Tremel before looking at her, "I expect you to obey."

They entered the shade of the building, and Tremel stopped, turning to face her fully, "You face your trials, you serve me, and I will make you the most powerful acolyte here."

Aindri remained silent as she wondered whether it was within Tremels' ability to promise such a thing. Tremel took her silence as either acquiescence or understanding as he continued to speak.

"The trials themselves are difficult enough, but they are hardly the greatest threat you face." She arched an eyebrow, her interest piqued by what could be considered as more dangerous than the infamous Sith trials.

"There's an acolyte here named Vemrin. He's your enemy, and he will try to kill you so we must prepare you for when that time comes." Tremel watched for her reaction and he wasn't disappointed, her voice betraying on emotion but had an edge to it, which made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

"Then I will destroy him."

"With my guidance, sometime you will destroy all your enemies," He smiled before looking at the vibrosword strapped to her waist in disdain, "That practice sword is insufficient, the blade of lesser acolytes, you need a dominating weapon."

Aindri glanced at her weapon, which was slightly chipped and worn down from years of use. It had always served her well, but she knew Tremel had a point and understood the importance of having a good weapon. It could make all the difference in a fight.

Aindri glanced at her weapon, which was slightly chipped and worn down from years of use. It had always served her well, but she knew Tremel had a point and understood the importance of having a good weapon. It could make all the difference in a fight.

"In the tomb of Ajunta Pall, there is an old armoury. A strong Sith warblade awaits you there. The tomb is thick with K'lor'slugs, deadly, savage creatures. Be speedy but careful. They have been the end of many an acolyte."

Aindri would like to see the beasts try; if they lacked the instinct to avoid her, she would not hesitate to feed them their own heads. She was already looking forward to facing Korriban's supposed horrors and she hoped that they would provide her with a challenge, even if it was only slight.

Tremel paused briefly at the flicker of excitement that appeared in the acolytes grey eyes before, after thinking back to see if he'd forgotten anything, giving her his final instructions, "Once you acquire the warblade, I suggest you spend some time in the Tomb bloodying it. Then come to me in my chambers in the Academy."

Walking away briskly, Tremel disappeared from sight through another doorway and left her standing alone in the empty room. Aindri sighed and turned back to face the catwalk, frowning as she cast her gaze towards the horizon. In the distant dreadnoughts crawled lazily across the sky in low orbit and one of Korribans' many moons hung visible in the sky, whilst gigantic monolithic statues of bowed slaves stood in an eternal vigil over the Valley of the Sleeping Kings. Distant rusty mountain mesas, like the ones that ringed the valley, climbed high into the sky.

Tremel had a purpose and a plan in bring here, of that she was sure. She had become a pawn in an invisible game, between him and an invisible opponent. She wondered how many other pieces were in play, who they were and what roll they played in the players schemes. Still, she had worked too hard to get where she was now and she didn't plan on dying on Korriban, not when she knew that it was only the first step. And especially not because of some power play between Sith. No, she would not die, rather she would not only survive but also thrive.

A wind began to pick up, ruffling her hair, and as she took a deep breath to taste the air of the ancient Sith homeworld, Aindri allowed her frown to be replaced by a feral smile. Monsters, deadly trials, extremely competitive acolytes, and permission to run wild in the tombs, this was definitely going to be fun.