Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars: The Old Republic or any of the Star Wars franchise. No profit is being made from this story.
Author's Note: This story contains mentions of adult themes that some people may find offensive.
"Hm. Acolyte Kory. Step forward, please" said Overseer Harkun.
Kory's heart sank as she heard those words. She had a strong suspicion of what was about to happen next. Nonetheless she stepped forwards as instructed. Whatever happened she would at least meet it with dignity.
"Yes, overseer" she said, keeping her voice calm and polite.
He glared at her contemptuously. "You are a weak, pathetic rodent, and even a lunatic like Spindrall can see this. And that means…"
Without a second's hesitation he fired a blast of Force lightning at Kory. She screamed in pain as purple electricity crackled over her. He ceased the attack and she fell to the floor where she lay still.
The other acolytes watched with cold indifference, save for one whose face wore an expression of genuine sorrow for a moment before they masked their feelings with a look of feigned disinterest.
Satisfied that his example had been made, the Overseer introduced Ffon Althe to the other acolytes, deriding them and boasting of the Pureblood Sith's superiority to them before sending them off to their next trial.
Once the last acolyte had departed Harkun started to walk away when he felt a flicker in the Force. He turned and examined Kory's body. To his surprise he realised that she was still alive although her breathing was faint and shallow.
"Hmm, so the rodent has some strength after all" he mused. "Still the matter is easily rectified…"
He brought his hand up to fire a second burst of lightning to finish her but then stopped. He stroked his beard as a twisted, evil idea began to take form in his mind.
"Yes, yes" he muttered. "Why not? After all even an Overseer has needs. And she is just a slave…"
He took out his personal comlink and summoned a squad of service droids. With the speed and efficiency that were the hallmarks of the Sith Empire they arrived within a matter of minutes.
Harkun pointed at the unconscious Kory. "Take her to the infirmary."
"Yes my lord" replied one of the droids.
Dr. Cornelius Hale sighed as he idly scanned the screen of the data pad he held. It depicted the contents of a medical journal he had read several times before but there wasn't much else for him to do.
With another sigh he put the pad down on his desk and stood up to stretch his legs. He was a short human in his late forties, clean-shaven with short brown hair, pale blue eyes and sharp features.
He left his office and began to walk around the infirmary. It was fully equipped with the latest in Imperial medical technology, including several kolto tanks. As usual though it was completely empty except for him and a few medical droids despite the fact that Sith acolytes frequently ended up severely injured during their trials as he knew perfectly well. He could have easily treated them all but as most of them were killed for their "weakness" he was only ever required to treat fairly minor injuries. Sometimes he wasn't even able to do that as many Sith would stubbornly refuse aid rather than show any sign of weakness to their peers.
Such a waste he thought sadly. Moral issues aside it simply makes no sense. How can they expect to win the war by throwing away their own people's lives? Even the weakest person is still an extra pair of hands.
Just then his comlink beeped. He immediately pulled it from his pocket and pressed the button to receive the call.
"Dr. Hale, this is Overseer Harkun" said a voice he could do without hearing. "Prepare yourself, you're about to get a patient."
"Yes my lord" Hale replied feeling an odd mix of excitement at actually being able to do something productive and sadness that a fellow sapient had been hurt.
"Once she's healed have her sent to my private quarters."
Hale's excitement immediately evaporated as he realised what that could only mean. He was glad that Harkun wasn't there to see his appalled expression.
"I understand my lord" he managed to say.
"Good" Harkun said curtly. He then terminated the call.
As Hale stood and tried to process what he had just heard the door opened and a squad of droids entered bearing a gurney. Lying on the gurney was a young woman with fair skin and short red hair, wearing a simple brown outfit. There was a large, uneven scar on the right side of her face but it did nothing to detract from the fact that she was very pretty. The training sabre strapped to her back indicated that she was an acolyte.
His apprehension was temporarily pushed aside as his training took over and he quickly began calling directions to the medical droids. Within a matter of minutes the patient was floating in a tank of kolto. Bubbles drifted up from the breath mask that covered her mouth and nose.
Hale studied the readings and breathed a sigh of relief as he saw that the healing liquid was doing its work. Her life-signs were stable and slowly returning to normal levels.
"Don't worry young lady" he said despite knowing she couldn't hear him. "You'll soon be right as rain."
Then he remembered Harkun's instructions and his face paled. He instructed the droids to continue monitoring the patient and then went back to his office. Slowly, hesitantly, he took out his comlink.
"Overseer Harkun, it's Dr. Hale."
"What is it?"
"I um, regret to inform you that my patient will need at least a few days to sufficiently recover" he lied.
Harkun growled but replied, "Very well. Keep me informed." With that he broke the connection.
Hale went over to his desk and sat down heavily, almost falling into his chair. He slumped forwards, put his head in his hands and took deep breaths as he tried to calm himself.
What am I going to do?
He couldn't hand over the girl to Harkun. He had always known that the people he worked for were cruel and merciless but what the Overseer intended was going too far. It was a line that Hale could not cross. But at the same time what else could he do?
There was one possibility but it would mean taking a terrible risk. The consequences that would occur if he was caught… He forced himself not to think about that.
He was still wracking his brains for an answer to his dilemma when the door opened and one of the droids entered.
"Dr Hale the patient is regaining consciousness" it said in a flat monotone voice. Unlike those of the Republic, Imperial medical droids did not have good bedside manners. They were programmed purely for efficiency.
"I'll be right there" he replied.
Suspended weightlessly in the kolto tank, Kory stirred and slowly began to open her eyes.
Where am I?
Her eyes opened wide as she remembered Harkun blasting her with Force lightning and for a few seconds panic gripped her. She then calmed down as she realised that there was no sign of Harkun.
Once she had regained her bearings she became aware of the fact that she was floating in a tank of liquid and there was a breath mask over her face. Clearly she was in some kind of infirmary.
Before she could start to wonder how she had gotten there a door opened and a man wearing the blue and grey uniform of the Imperial Medical Corps entered. It was hard to tell while looking through a tank filled with clear liquid but she thought he looked troubled. He looked over at her and his expression immediately lightened. He walked over to the control panel and activated the tank's communication systems.
"Ah hello there young lady, glad to see you've woken up. I am Dr Cornelius Hale, head of the infirmary here at the Sith Academy. If you have any questions feel free to ask. The breath mask is fitted with a built-in microphone so I can hear you."
"Thank you doctor" she replied, her voice coming out slightly tinny through the speakers but perfectly audible. "My name's Kory."
"A pleasure to meet you miss Kory." He noticed that her eyes were a delightful blue-green colour.
"How did I get here? The last thing I remember was Overseer Harkun firing lightning at me. I was sure I was going to die." She shuddered at the memory.
Hale started to reply but then stopped. "Ah, I think it would be best if I tell you that later. For now you should rest and focus on getting better."
"Okay."
"Now if you'll excuse me I have some paperwork I need to catch up on. Don't worry, the droids will monitor your progress and contact me if there are any problems."
"I understand. Thank you Dr Hale."
Coward! Hale cursed himself silently as he returned to his office. He tried to tell himself that he hadn't told Kory the truth because the added stress would impede the healing process but he couldn't delude himself. He hadn't told her because he was afraid that if he did he would be committed to take a course of action that terrified him.
Too restless to sit down, he leaned on his desk with his eyes closed, trying to calm his thoughts. When that failed he started pacing around the room.
Dr Hale wasn't the only person who was agitated. As much as she tried to relax, Kory couldn't stop herself from wondering why she had been brought to the infirmary after Harkun's attempted execution. She highly doubted that the Overseer had changed his mind about her worthiness to be trained as a Sith.
Another thought occurred to her; even if he had done so, was that what she really wanted?
She already knew that the answer was no.
When she had first been told that she was a Force-sensitive and was going to be sent to Korriban for training she had been overjoyed to learn that she would no longer be a slave. Her initial joy had soon faded when she had realised exactly what the price of her newfound freedom was.
The Sith were utterly ruthless, devoted to the pursuit of power at the expense of all others. Despite knowing this Kory had offered support and reassurance to one of her fellow acolytes upon their arrival on Korriban. She had done so because that was how her mother had raised her to be.
Beneath the mask her lips curled into a small, sad smile at the thought of her mother. She had been a kind, loving woman who had done everything she could to make her daughter's life happy despite the daily hardships they had to endure, and to instil in her the value of compassion. It was a lesson Kory had learned well.
Her smile became a frown as her thoughts turned to what had happened next. She couldn't keep herself from imagining Harkun's harsh voice saying that in the end her mother's kindness had not saved her from the riot in which she had died. No doubt he would go on to say that such regard for others was a weakness and all who felt it deserved only death.
No! Kory thought angrily in response to the Overseer's imagined words. My mother was never weak. She stayed true to what she believed in and to what she taught me. She taught me that hate is easy, selfishness is easy, answering cruelty with cruelty is easy. The Sith way is only caring about yourself. That isn't strong, it's weak. Caring about others is where true strength lies.
She calmed down as she came to a realisation. Her doubts vanished as a sense of peace filled her. She briefly recalled what the hermit Spindrall had said.
"Peace is a lie. There is only passion."
Never.
She would never be a Sith. She would not follow a code that required her to abandon her heart. For the first time since arriving on Korriban she felt a weight lift from her.
I don't want to die but I'd rather die than let myself become a monster.
Just then she noticed Dr Hale walking up to her tank. He was smiling but somehow it didn't quite reach his eyes. She gently reached out through the Force and sensed that he was deeply distressed about something.
"Ah hello again" he said. "You'll be glad to hear that your injuries are almost fully healed. You should be out of there in just under an hour."
"Thanks doctor" she replied. She paused briefly and then said, "is something wrong?"
He looked up from the screen he had been examining. "I beg your pardon?"
"You seem troubled about something."
"Oh it's nothing. Nothing at all."
"I'd like to help. Would you like to talk about it?" Kory asked.
For a moment Hale couldn't respond. In the entire time he had worked at the Sith Academy no one had ever shown any regard for him or his own feelings at all. No one had ever done something as simple as ask how he was or offer to talk in a non-work related context. In fact most of the people here had barely even looked at him. Even before his transfer here, when he had worked aboard an Oppressor Battle Cruiser, the number of times anyone had offered so much as a kind word could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
That did it. He knew what had to be done.
"Miss Kory, there is something I must tell you. Something terrible."
"What is it?"
He took a deep breath to steady himself and said "Overseer Harkun ordered that you be sent to his quarters once you were healed."
Kory blanched. She was far more innocent than most of the former slaves but she was not naïve or stupid. She knew what that could only mean.
"I swear I never intended to do that" Hale quickly added. "I told him it would take a few days for you to recover so that I'd have some time to think of a way out."
She shut her eyes momentarily in relief. "Thank you doctor" she said. "You took a great risk to protect me by lying to a Sith like that. That was very brave of you."
He smiled bashfully. "Think nothing of it. More importantly I have a plan."
"What is it?"
"I'm going to contact an old acquaintance of mine who owes me a favour. He can smuggle us out of here and into neutral territory."
"You'd really do that to help me? Dr Hale… I, I don't know what to say. Thank you so much."
"I should thank you" he replied. "You helped me realise I was wasting away in here. Anyway I'm going to make that call. The sooner we get out of here the better."
The following day Dr. Hale was walking through the corridors of the Academy, pushing a repulsor sled upon which rested a single polymer crate. Hale concentrated on trying to appear casual, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary going on, and then wondered if perhaps he was trying too hard and was just making himself look suspicious.
He needn't have worried. The few Sith he encountered walked past without even deigning to glance at him, let alone say anything.
Inside the crate Kory was sitting huddled up in a ball. She had been given a small glowrod for illumination but right now her eyes were closed as she focused on suppressing her Force-signature so that none of the Sith would be able to sense her. Growing up in slavery she was well-versed in not drawing attention to herself but this was something quite different. It required her to keep a tight rein on her fear of getting caught so that the emotion wouldn't leak into the Force. It wasn't easy, especially as what little training she had received focused heavily on embracing fear and transforming it into anger and hate, rather than on clearing one's mind of such things.
Another reason why the Sith Code doesn't make sense she thought. How can someone focus without peace?
She hurriedly pushed the thought aside and regained her concentration. Thankfully her efforts were successful and no-one sensed her presence.
They arrived at the landing pad where an XS freighter was parked. As far as anyone knew Dr Hale had simply needed some replacement components for some of his medical equipment and had contacted an independent supplier. He had of course verified it with the Overseer by comlink and had gotten permission. He had also been allowed to take some defective equipment aboard the freighter so that the ship's captain could sell it for scrap. The Overseer had never suspected that the meek, unmemorable doctor would ever try anything underhanded.
The ship's captain, a red-skinned male zabrak dressed in a well-worn flight suit, was waiting at the landing ramp. He grinned broadly.
"Hello Doc. It's been a while."
"That it has Uaxu" Hale replied. He tapped the crate. "Here's the medical equipment I said I'd bring."
"Bring it aboard" said Uaxu, his eyes gleaming at the thought of pulling off something like this right under the noses of the Sith. "I want to see for myself if there's anything worthwhile in there."
"Of course."
Just as it seemed everything was going perfectly their luck turned sour. A harsh voice yelled "hey you!"
Startled they turned to see one of the acolytes striding towards them. Axel Thorne was a tall human wearing the black hooded robe of an advanced acolyte. His face seemed permanently fixed in an angry grimace and his pale blue eyes were filled with malice.
Oh no Hale thought. Axel was a mean, surly brute who enjoyed picking fights on the flimsiest of justifications. Aside from Harkun himself, he was probably the worst person here they could have run into.
"What do you think you're up to?"
"Ah, nothing important" said Hale. "Just getting rid of some broken-down equipment. Nothing that would interest you."
"I'll decide what interests me" Axel snarled. He glared at Uatu. "Open that crate, alien."
Hale stepped forwards, hands raised. "I assure you there's no…"
"Shut up!" Axel snapped. He drove a brutal punch into the doctor's gut and he dropped to the ground, curled up in pain. Uatu went to draw a blaster but before he could do so a surge of Force energy slammed him against the wall of his ship.
Inside the crate Kory was horrified to hear the sounds of her friend being beaten. She had to help him.
The crate had been rigged so that although it appeared to be securely locked it could easily be pushed open. She immediately did so, standing up as quickly as she could. Fortunately she hadn't been in the crate long enough for her muscles to seize up.
"Leave him alone!" she yelled as she brandished her training sabre. A yellow glow surrounded the blade as she activated it.
Axel was surprised but regained his composure in time to draw and activate his own sabre. She jumped down from the repulsor sled and came at him with a series of rapid strikes. Their weapons clashed with metallic clangs and crackles of electricity. Unprepared for such aggression he gave ground although he blocked each attack easily enough.
Realising that her momentum was about to play out Kory broke off her assault. Axel, having expected her to overextend herself, was surprised by this and his counterattack was a fraction too slow, allowing her to deflect it harmlessly.
For a time they seemed evenly matched. But Axel was older and more experienced. He feinted with a strike at her head and then dropped low to deliver a reverse ankle-sweep. Caught by surprise Kory lost her footing and fell. Axel was back up instantly, bringing his weapon down in a savage overhead slash. She rolled out of the way just in time and the training sabre struck the spot where she had just been with enough force to crack the permacrete.
Axel brought his weapon up again with a look of murderous glee. Caught up in his bloodlust he didn't notice that Uatu had recovered and was aiming his blaster at him until a stun bolt hit him directly in the chest. He was unconscious even before he fell.
Kory got up and hurried over to Hale. "Are you all right?" she asked.
"I'm fine thank you" he replied although he was still catching his breath.
"We can talk later" said Uatu. "First we have to get out of here."
They boarded Uaxu's ship, the Whirlwind, retracted the ramp and closed the main hatchway. The ship's captain raced into the cockpit and checked the sensors. Thankfully there were no weapon locks on them. Fortunately the Sith had little interest in a mere supply delivery and so his ship wasn't under observation. Such things were beneath them.
As he hadn't intended to be here long he had kept the engine hot. He sent a quick request to depart and got an automated response from a droid that he was clear for takeoff. Within minutes the Whirlwind rose up from the landing pad and took to the air.
By now Kory and Hale had joined Uatu in the cockpit. Both of them could hardly believe it as the ship broke atmosphere and flew up into the star-specked blackness of space.
"That's it we're clear" said Uatu in relief. "By the time they realise what's up we'll already be in hyperspace."
"This is Uaxu, captain of the Whirlwind" said Hale. "Uatu, this is Kory."
She smiled. "Hello. I'm glad to meet you"
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance young lady" said Uatu with the roguish grin that was practically a trademark of smugglers. He typed in a series of co-ordinates.
"Course laid in for Nar Shaddaa. It's neutral territory so you can lay low for a bit while you think about where to go from here. Until then you can stay at my place. Of course you'll have to work for room and board."
"That's fair enough" said Kory. "Thank you captain Uatu."
"Just Uatu" he replied. "And it's okay, I owed Doc one. Besides it was great to get one over on the Sith like that."
As the Whirlwind entered hyperspace Kory leaned back in her seat. She could barely believe that for the first time in her life she was free, able to live a life that wasn't under a Sith's heel. She was smart enough to know that the path ahead was unknown and uncertain but that didn't dampen the feeling of elation that was now overcoming her.
Unable to suppress it any longer she laughed in pure joy. Uatu and Hale were surprised but said nothing, just smiled fondly.
One week later.
Kory made her way through the densely packed streets, her small, slight figure allowing her to slip through gaps in the crowds. That was good, she was on her way back from buying groceries for Uatu and although he wouldn't mind, she didn't want to be late.
Unlike most smugglers that all but lived on their ships, Uatu maintained a residence and a more-or-less legal business on the Smuggler's Moon. Uatu's Electronics supplied everything from data pads to starship components. Uatu lived in an apartment just above his shop. Kory was allowed to sleep in the guest room in return for helping run the shop and doing various odd jobs.
Dr. Hale had had a lucky break. Two days after they had arrived he had gotten a job working for a local health clinic. He was delighted to be in a position where he could actually do some good for others. There were plenty here who needed help and he was happy to give it.
Kory however had no intention of staying here any longer than she needed to. As grateful as she was to Uatu, she disliked this place very much. The same reason it provided a safe hiding place for Dr. Hale and her made it a haven for criminals of every kind. With the Hutt Cartel in control the entire world was steeped in corruption. Everyone in the crowd was wary and suspicious of each other in a way that reminded her all too much of the Sith Academy. Furthermore the rampant heavy industry meant that pollution levels were obscenely high. The air was thick with smog and grime coated every surface.
She looked up as the sound of a swoop bike engine suddenly reached her ears. Although this particular neighbourhood was quiet by Nar Shaddaa standards, the total lack of traffic rules meant that swoop bikes and airspeeders zooming in unexpectedly overhead was not unusual.
It took only a second for her to spot the vehicle in question. It was weaving across the dark smog-filled sky in an erratic pattern that strongly suggested the driver was either drunk, high on spice or both.
As she watched the driver leaned sharply to the right, sending himself and his vehicle into a roll that sent him spiralling directly into a towering building where the swoop exploded in a fireball. Had the building been made of solid permacrete, then that would probably have been the end of the matter. As it was, the Hutt-owned company that had built it had instead opted for cheaper stresscrete. The result was that the explosion tore loose huge chunks of debris that plummeted towards the streets below.
Screams of terror filled the air as the crowds broke into panic and scrambled frantically to get clear. A zeltron woman was roughly shoved out of someone's way and fell to the ground. She looked up to see a chunk of rubble hurtling right towards her and closed her eyes.
A few seconds passed before she realised she wasn't dead and she opened her eyes to see that the debris that should have killed her was floating in mid-air. She stared at it in disbelief.
"Get clear."
She looked sideways to see a young female human with short red hair standing with her arms outstretched and her fists clenched tightly.
"Get clear" she repeated through gritted teeth. "I can't hold it much longer."
Fortunately the zeltron came to her senses and scurried out from under the debris. Once she was clear it fell to the ground with a loud crash!
"Thank you for saving me" she said.
"I'm glad to help" Kory replied with a tired smile as she wiped sweat from her brow. She hoped that in the confusion no-one had seen her. The last thing she needed was for some gangsters to think she was a Jedi and come after her.
The rest of her trip back was uneventful. What Kory did not notice however was that she was now being followed.
The human male watched curiously from one of Nar Shaddaa's countless alleyways as she disappeared into Uatu's Electronics. After a moment's observation he sent out a transmission.
The following day Kory was in the back of the shop, humming softly to herself as she sorted through piles of electronic components to separate anything that could be fixed and sold from the complete junk. Most people would have considered it menial and boring work but she didn't mind at all. She was used to performing such work and her current employer was far better than anyone she'd worked for previously.
Just then one of Uatu's droids came in. "Miss Kory, someone is here to see you" it said, speaking Basic with a cultured voice that would have sounded right at home in a senator's household on Coruscant.
"Someone's come to see me" she said. The droid's words puzzled her, she hadn't made any new acquaintances since arriving on Nar Shaddaa.
"He did not say your name but he asked if there was a human female fitting your description here and said that he would like to speak with you. Master Uatu instructed me to inform you that he does not appear to be either a Sith Lord or an Imperial officer."
Wary but curious, she made her way to the main area of the shop. Standing by the counter was a male human. He had red hair like her own, and a neatly trimmed moustache. His face was etched with hard lines but was still handsome. He wore a lightly armoured jumpsuit with a single pauldron on his right shoulder. Most surprising of all there was a lightsabre hanging from his belt.
The man was talking with Uatu who stood behind the counter. As she entered he turned and smiled at her.
"Hi there. I'm Duras Fain, Jedi Master" he said as he extended his hand.
"Hello. My name is Kory" she replied as she shook his hand. She kept her tone polite but she was very nervous. She didn't know much about the Jedi except that they were sworn enemies of the Sith. She may have fled the Sith Order but would this man care about that?
"One of my people here told me about what happened yesterday. You did a great thing by saving that woman's life" said Duras.
"Um, thank you" she replied.
"Talent like yours shouldn't go to waste. Like I said you did a great thing but you could do a lot more. I came to see if you'd be interested in joining the Jedi Order."
"I can't!" Kory exclaimed.
"Why not?"
She hesitated for a moment and then decided to just tell the truth. "I was a Sith acolyte. The Jedi would never accept me."
Duras chuckled. "I don't think there's many Sith acolytes that would save an innocent's life."
Uatu spoke up. "The Sith Overseer tried to execute her for being too nice and helping other acolytes. My friend and I smuggled her out."
"Ah now that sounds like what I'd expect from a Sith Overseer" said Duras. He turned back to Kory and smiled reassuringly. "It'll be fine. I know the Council can be well, rigid in their thinking but they aren't stupid. Besides I'll vouch for you and I can be very persuasive even without using the Force."
He paused momentarily and said, "of course that's assuming you do want to be trained. If you don't, then that's fine too. Nobody's going to make you join."
"I appreciate that" said Kory. "I want to use my abilities to help people but I'm not sure about being a Jedi. I've heard things about them."
"What kind of things?"
"I've heard that the Jedi don't allow anyone in their Order to have feelings or emotions. They don't allow anyone to truly love or care about others. I won't be a Sith, but I wouldn't be able to live in an Order that wouldn't allow me to be happy with friends or be sad if my friends were hurt."
"Yeah I know, the old "There is no emotion, there is peace" line" said Duras. "Thing is that's not completely accurate. Kory, we Jedi are still people. It's not that we don't have emotions, we just don't let them control our thoughts and actions. We aren't droids, we can be happy or sad the same as everyone else, we're just taught to cope with our feelings better than most."
"As for love… Well that's kind of tricky. Officially we aren't supposed to form attachments but it isn't that we don't care. A Jedi is meant to serve the Republic and the galaxy as a whole. If we loved someone so much that we placed them above all others and would let entire planets die to save them… well, you can see why that could be considered a problem."
"Like I said though that's the official version. Unofficially some of us don't see it that way." He grinned as he said, "the Council refuses to admit it but there have actually been many Jedi that married and had families. I have a wife and daughter and I love them very much."
"Really?"
"Yes, really. I've always been kind of a maverick, but I'm far from the only one to take liberties with the Code."
Kory thought for a moment and then made her decision.
"Master Fain, I accept. I want to become a Jedi."
Duras smiled. "Good choice. I'm sure you'll do great."
It took a few days for Duras Fain to contact the Jedi Council and make the necessary arrangements for Kory to travel to Tython. She used that time to sort out her affairs on Nar Shaddaa and say her goodbyes. On the day she was due to leave she went to Cornelius Hale's clinic and gave him a firm hug.
"Thank you again for saving me" she said. "I promise I won't forget you."
"As I said before, thank you miss Kory. You've helped me find a place where I can actually do some good for people. I know you will become a fine Jedi."
"I'll see you around."
"I'm sure you will."
"Entering Tython atmosphere now" the shuttle pilot announced.
Kory gazed out of the transparisteel viewport in wonder. Where Korriban had been a barren desert wasteland, Tython was a lush and verdant world teeming with life. She saw flowing rivers and lakes, green fields and forests.
That wasn't the only difference though. When she had arrived on Korriban, the world had felt stifling and threatening even before the shuttle had landed. Being on Korriban had felt like an invisible weight was pressing down on her. Tython felt different. It was somehow soothing and tranquil but with an underlying sense of power waiting to be released. Yet this power felt uplifting rather than oppressive.
The shuttle touched down at the landing pad of the Jedi Temple and the ramp lowered. Kory squinted momentarily against the bright sunshine as she stepped down. She was dressed in a light brown outfit that Uatu had given to her as a gift when she had left Nar Shaddaa. It was similar to the one she had worn as a Sith acolyte, although made of a much better quality material. Her training sabre was strapped to her back.
Her eyes adjusted to the sunlight and she saw a Jedi in front of her. He wore an armoured chest-plate and pauldrons over his robes and what remained of his hair was pulled back into a single topknot. Despite his militarist appearance his smile was kindly.
"Greetings Padawan Kory" he said. "I am Master Syo Bakarn of the Jedi Council. Welcome to Tython."
"Thank you Master Bakarn" she replied nervously. Despite Duras's reassurances she found herself again wondering if she'd be accepted here.
Syo seemed to realise this. "Fain told me all about your past and how he found you. He and I have had our differences but I know he is not a liar. He told me you would do well here and I agree. I will be honest, I cannot speak for every Jedi on Tython but I promise that you will be treated fairly. Discrimination is not permitted here. If anyone holds your background against you, report it to one of the Masters and those responsible will be disciplined."
"I appreciate that Master" she said. She relaxed, her concerns eased by his words.
"Come with me. I'll show you to your quarters."
She followed him through the corridors of the Temple. As they walked she saw Jedi apprentices, some on their way to their next lesson, other standing and talking. Nearly all of them gave her welcoming smiles. How different from Korriban where the other acolytes had given each other only glares and looks of suspicion.
Except for that one acolyte I spoke to she thought. I hope they're all right.
"We'll formally introduce you to the other Padawans later" said Syo.
Finally they came to a room. It was small and sparsely furnished but still far nicer than most of the places she had lived throughout her life.
"This is my room?" Kory asked.
"That's correct" said Syo.
His comlink beeped and he looked down at it. "Wait here. There's something I need to sort out. Once I'm done we'll see about assigning you a Master."
"I'll see you soon Master Bakarn."
Once he was gone Kory sat down on the bed. Her apprehensions about coming here were gone completely. In their place was a sense of contentment and belonging that she had never felt before. She knew now that this was where she was meant to be.
She thought about Dr. Hale, Uatu and Duras Fain. It was thanks to all of them that she had been able to come here.
Kory vowed silently that she would not let what they had done for her be in vain. She would become a Jedi and would use her gifts to save others from the Sith Empire just as she had been saved.
Author's Note: I'm not 100% sure of how the timeline works out in the SW:TOR game but from what I can gather the Sith Inquisitor and Jedi Consular storylines happen at more or less the same time. Kory's meetings with Duras Fain occurs shortly before he is afflicted with Lord Vivicar's plague.