Chapter 3: The Sith Apprentice
Naruto returned to the academy after killing Dolgis. He headed to the medical bay first so that he could heal and be prepared for his next trial. He then slept off the rest of wounds.
He woke up the next morning. After he had finished his morning meal, he returned to Tremel's office. When Naruto entered the room, he saw Tremel standing there, his expression grim and worried.
Turning to him, Tremel said "Acolyte, I am glad that you have returned from your trial in triumph. Though there is a problem. When I sent you into the tomb of Marka Ragnos, I may have made a miscalculation in my haste to prepare you."
"What kind of miscalculation?" Naruto replied.
"The Beast of Marka Ragnos was a great source of dark side energy here on Korriban," Tremel explained "When you killed it, there was a massive tremor in the force. Darth Baras has sensed that tremor and is now aware of you."
Naruto thought it was interesting that Tremel said tremor, not ripple. Clearly, the giant monstrosity was very attuned to the Force, if it's death caused a tremor.
"He demands an audience."
Thinking quickly Naruto asked, "What can I expect from Baras, Overseer?"
"Baras is a serious man and a master of deception. Everything that he does and says is calculated. He will attempt to trip you up, test you and get to the very core of your being." Naruto nodded, indicating that he understood. He then waved his hand for Tremel to continue. "You must always take him seriously. And I cannot emphasize that point enough, that you always should take him seriously."
"I should be able to handle Baras."
"Baras is usually the one who does the handling" Tremel countered. "This may be the last time we speak, Naruto. You are the best chance there is to stop Vemrin. If you fail now, I doubt there will be another acolyte strong enough."
"Now, meet Darth Baras in his chambers," he handed over a map to the location, "and be quick about it. Darth Baras doesn't take kindly to being kept waiting."
As Naruto left the room he pondered why Tremel had called him by his name. Was it possible that Tremel held some sort of affection for him? Naruto filed away this information for possible use at a later date.
Hallway
Naruto reached the second level of the academy where Baras's chambers were located. As he entered the corridor that led to the room he saw a group of acolytes standing at the far end of the hallway. They were all humans and appeared to be led by a largely built male and a female.
Naruto approached cautiously, wondering if Vemrin had decided to send more assassins after him.
The male approached him "Hey ,you!" he said.
The female shook her head and muttered something that sounded like 'be careful'.
Turning back to the female the male replied "Come on I'm antsy for some action. You there!", he pointed at Naruto, "You the big shot everyone has been talking about? The one Darth Baras has summoned?"
'This one is a bit slow. Would I be here if Baras hadn't summoned me?' Naruto thought dryly.
"So what if I am? There a problem with that?" Naruto replied. As he said this he drew his warblade and held it ready to attack.
Before the male could say something even more stupid, the female intercepted him "Please pardon my overeager friend. It's just that we have heard so much about you."
"And we want to get in good with you."
The female glared at the male. "Teeno!" she snapped "What my blunt partner meant to say is that if you need anything...or anyone taken care of, we'd like you to consider us."
"She's talking about Vemrin. We'll kill him for ya."
The female acolyte scowled at Teeno. "Sorry, I should have had him muzzled. Anyway, what do you say? We know Vemrin sent Dolgis to try and kill you. Do you fancy returning the favor?"
Naruto thought this over as he sheathed his blade. "No," Naruto said, shocking them at the revelation. "I'm reserving the pleasure of killing the fool for myself."
"And we would not wish you to deprive you off the pleasure, but-" the girl tried to say but Naruto interrupted.
"You're not listening." Naruto said as he drew his blade again. "Clearly, you require a demonstration. Arm yourselves."
They did so hesitantly. When they were ready, he struck.
The fight, if you could call it that, was over in 10 seconds.
They all groaned as Naruto sheathed his blade and they pulled themselves to their feet. "Now, if you can't even take me at 20%, what chance do you have against Vemrin?" Naruto asked as he crossed his arms.
"That was 20%!?" Teeno asked in shock. Teeno felt like a Terentatek had punched him in the face.
"This changes everything!" Phyne said in shock, "From what we here, Vemrin is your physical equal. If we can't even beat you when your holding back…" Phyne trailed off.
"No, I fought you with approximately slightly higher skill level than Vemrin. He was never my equal." Naruto said as he walked pass them. He stopped and turned around.
"Don't throw your lives away trying to get in good with an acolyte. The Sith way is survival of the fittest. Live to fight another day and improve your own skills. And refrain from trying to get in good with another Acolyte. Had I been a crueler Sith, I would have sent you against to weaken him and he would have killed you all."
Naruto nodded to them and then continued on to Baras's office.
When Naruto entered the office he saw five acolytes, including Vemrin, standing in front of a desk positioned at the back of the room. Darth Baras was seated behind the desk.
Examining him Naruto was so far unimpressed. Baras was overweight and short and unlike most Sith did not make a very intimidating figure. That is till one got to the mask. It was gun metal grey and carried no visible expression. Naruto suspected that Baras did this to remind his peers that he was a cold and calculating man, and should not be taken lightly despite his outward appearance.
He refocused his attention to what Baras was saying, just as the Sith lord finished. From the sound of it the acolytes had to retrieve something from one of the tombs. As the acolytes began to leave Naruto saw Vemrin and another acolyte approach him.
When they finally reached him the second acolyte said "Look here, Vemrin. I see the upstart but no sign of Dolgis."
Before the three of them could continue, Darth Baras interrupted "Klemral. Vemrin. You have been dismissed!"
After the two of them had left Baras turned his attention towards Naruto. "Are you having trouble with Vemrin, supplicant?"
"Trouble? He's weak. He is about as troubling as a gizka, My Lord." Naruto replied.
Baras nodded at this and then continued. "Vemrin has paid his dues. He has fought a deck that has been stacked against him. You on the other hand..." Baras got up and walked around his desk to stand in front of him.
"Let me have a closer look at you. As I suspected. Overseer Tremel has done you and this academy a great disservice. Your warblade came within a day of you arriving. Prisoners flown in for your convenience. Even a beast here on Korriban instead offworld in the wild!"
Baras continued "Thanks to Overseer Tremel, your mind is soft, unhoned and undisciplined. If you had followed the trials correctly, this would not be the case, for only immersion over time produces results that prove who is worthy to join the Sith."
Naruto thought over what Baras had said. By following the path Tremel had set out for him he had gained less experience that Vemrin, which could be a deciding factor over who Baras choses as his apprentice.
Turing to Baras Naruto said "My apologies, Lord Baras. It was never my attention to offend." Naruto thought it was a good idea to try and get on Baras's good side, as it would prove useful in the future.
"But it is an offensive. I have been presented with an acolyte who doesn't even have a basic understanding of what it means to be a Sith," Baras replied "The first month of trials should be dedicated to philosophy and the understanding of the Sith code. Recite the Sith code for me and explain it's meaning."
Peace is a lie. There is only passion.
Through passion I gain strength.
Through strength I gain power.
Through power I gain victory.
Through victory my chains are broken.
The force shall set me free
Once Naruto had finished he paused absorbing the word he had just spoken. He could sense the surprise that Baras felt, "Now, as the meaning's of each line." Naruto said as he continued.
"The First line says Peace is a lie, There is only Passion. The "peace" refers to the lack of conflict, an agent of stagnation. Conflict, however, is seen as the source of progress for both single beings and the civilizations. The necessity of conflict is a law of the universe and not just a Sith Way of thinking. Fundamentally, the Code of the Sith express's our rejection of selflessness and our full embrace of passion and lust. The deeper nature of the Sith Order was a predatory one, a contest for the survival of the fittest. Only the strong should survive to become Sith."
"The Second Line says Through Passion, I gain strength. The Sith see themselves as seekers, challengers of old and stagnant ways, in touch with the laws of nature and the universe. We see the Jedi as denying their natures and afraid of the truth around them. Passions were what kept all creatures—from the most rudimentary to the most evolved sentient—alive. We believe that mastery of our passions gives us strength the Jedi lacked and could never hope to wield."
"The Third Line says Through Strength, I gain Power. The stronger a Sith becomes, either in the Force, with a lightsaber, or expanding his knowledge and powerbase, the more power he can achieve and wield, but a Sith must always had to fight to hold on to that power."
"The Fourth Line says Through Power, I gain Victory. The Sith do not believe that victory by any means is desirable, but believe that unless victory proves your superiority, it is an illusion and temporary. Though there might be different types of victories—peaceful victory, victory by sacrifice, even a truce—Sith dogma teaches that unless the victory is achieved by demonstrating that one's power was superior, it is not true victory."
"The Fifth Line says Through Victory, My chains our broken. The true meaning of this line is debated by many Sith. Here's how I interpret it. The chains represent someone's restrictions; not just on a Sith but any being in the universe. The restrictions could be those placed upon them by someone else, or restrictions that one placed upon oneself. The ultimate goal of any Sith is to free himself from such restrictions, but not in the simplistic meaning of just being able to do whatever he wants. The Sith desire to free themselves in order to reach and fulfill their potential. We want strength, power and the ability to determine our own destiny, which, in turn, allows one to do whatever they want for the most part."
"The final line says, The Force shall set me free. The Sith believe that those who strive for perfection through knowledge and mastery of the Force will be rewarded. The Sith also believe that those who followed their code are free of the mundane restrictions of others, that they strive for a greater purpose and thus threw off the restrictions normally placed upon them by society and other organizations."
"That is how I interpret it, anyway." Naruto said he finished.
Baras said nothing for a full minute, absorbing what Naruto had said, finding that Naruto actually knew the meanings of each line better than any acolyte he had ever met in his long life.
"Clearly, I misjudged you in my frustration, Acolyte. You understand the Code better than many full-fledged Sith." Baras acknowledged.
"Tremel didn't even bother to check if I knew the Code, my lord. I studied it before I came to Korriban." Naruto said. Baras nodded in acknowledgement.
Baras continued "I am your master now. Tremel was becoming lax long before you arrived at the academy. He is still caught up in the old ways and cannot manage to adapt with the evolution of the empire. These are the actions of a traitor. Traitors deserve to be executed. I grant you immunity from punishment. Kill Overseer Tremel and then return to me with his hand."
Naruto smiled "Yes master."
"Go now. Tremel shall still be in his chambers. Do not return to me until you have killed him" Baras said shortly. Naruto nodded and then left from the room.
Tremel's office
As he turned the corner he saw the overseer facing him lightsaber in his hand, but not yet ignited.
"You sensed me coming then." Naruto said. It was a statement not a question.
Tremel nodded. "I know why you are here. Baras has sent you to kill me," Naruto nodded "If you succeed, I am no longer in his way and if I kill you, I destroy my own plans. A master stroke indeed."
"I must warn you though. I do not intend to lose." Tremel said his voice calm showing no hint of emotion.
Naruto replied darkly, "Neither do I." As soon as the words had left his mouth, Naruto released a powerful Force Scream. Tremel was blasted backwards off of his feet, slamming into the far wall. The scream did not stop at causing damage to Tremel though, it tore through the room shattering vases, cracking the walls and floor beneath them.
Naruto stepped slowly towards Tremel, who had just staggered to his feet. Naruto saw that Tremel was keeping his weight off of his right leg and limping slightly. Tremel ignited his lightsaber and charged towards Naruto, who blocked the strike that was aimed at his head. Naruto fell into Soresu, deflecting the strikes of Tremel's Ataru.
Naruto began to notice that his older opponent was tiring, the energetic sequences of Ataru too much for his old body to sustain, whereas Naruto had conserved his energy by using Soresu, not that he needed to. Seeing Tremel's weakness, Naruto went on the offensive slamming a strong kick into Tremel's right leg, he felt the bone crunch beneath his heel. Despite this, Tremel was able to keep up a defense and Naruto switched to his preferred form, the reverse-grip Shien.
A series of powerful, sudden blows were sent towards Tremel, who barely managed to deflect them. His strength and speed augmented from killing Ragnos's beast, Naruto brought his weapon down in a vicious overhead strike sending Tremel's lightsaber flying out of his hand. He then ravaged the overseer with three rapid strikes with his blade, the first two slicing horizontally across Tremel's chest and the third strike cut into Tremel's left shoulder.
Tremel fell to his knees unable to continue the fight. "You fought bravely, Overseer. Die with your head held high," Naruto said as he was poised to finish it.
Tremel rose his head as Naruto stepped forward for the killing blow. "The purity of the sith lies in your hands now." he said. Naruto didn't care for Tremel's ideals, but he would let him die in peace, as a thank you for all he had done for him.
Naruto removed his head. His task complete, Naruto cut off Tremels hand and summoned Tremel's lightsaber.
Naruto pressed the activation stud. He watched as the scarlet blade sprang from the weapon. He gave it a few practice swings. He'd keep it hidden until he could get another one, so he could use his preferred method of fighting.
As Naruto proceeded back through the academy, he saw many acolytes staring at him or more likely the blood soaked warblade that was strapped to his side.
Baras's office
When he finally reached the room, he saw Baras standing in front of his desk, examining something that lay on top of it. He turned at the sound of Naruto's approach. "The acolyte returns and with a bloodied weapon. Tremel is dead then? Show me his hand." Naruto handed it over.
After he finished examining it, Baras began to laugh "Yes now you have proven yourself worthy. Take this one ring as a memento. Remembering the past can strengthen both your resolve and your spirit."
Baras handed over the ring Naruto had been examining earlier. Nodding in acceptance, Naruto slipped it onto his right ring finger.
Baras continued "I'm impressed that you had the strength to destroy him. Did you know that he thought of you like a son?"
Naruto waited a moment before answering considering his words carefully, no doubt that Baras was testing him. "Tremel held me back yet he gave a good fight. It felt great to defeat and kill him."
"Good, remember that feeling. Not every kill, not every victory, will be as meaningful. By embracing the Sith code and killing Tremel, you are now free of his shackles. And you have also escaped his fate."
Naruto replied "And now I'm bound by a new set of shackles. Yours."
Baras chuckled at this, pleased that he had realized this "Perhaps. But you will find that their reach is far greater."
"Now, there are sacred ruins in the tomb of Tulak Hord. Retrieve a shard from all three of the altars there and the return to me. Vemrin and my other acolytes have already begun."
"I will return soon, Master." Naruto bowed and left.
Naruto found the shards easily, after cutting down shyracks and engineers and soldiers corrupted by the dark whispers of the temple. He would have left to come back to his bunk for the night, but he had met a driveling excuse for an engineer, talking about the Red Engine of Tulak Hord.
He desired a challenge and decided to investigate.
Naruto entered the room where the artifact was. He didn't notice a Force Ghost appear behind him.
Naruto was then thrown across the room. He looked up only to see a ghost as he was then lifted up and Force Choked.
"Yes, Yes." The ghost said after a moment as he let Naruto down, coughing and gasping to fill his lungs with air. "I felt your movements in the Force. And they stirred me from my slumber."
He looked up and saw the ghost, recognizing the mask from his studies. "Tulak Hord." Naruto said.
"Yes, I am Tulak Hord. Dark Lord of the Sith, Lord of Hate, and Master of the Gathering Darkness." The ghost of Hord said. "I have been watching you since you arrived on this planet. You remind me of myself when I was young, kid. Slaying little Marka's pet was proof that I was right to take an interest in you."
"You knew Marka Ragnos?" Naruto asked in interest.
"Of course," Tulak said, "Little Marka was a just a young apprentice at the time of my death, but I saw him one day leading the Sith to a golden age in my dreams, so I took him under my wing and taught him what I could in the few years prior to my death."
"You probably didn't notice when you fought his pet, did you?" Tulak Hord asked, to Naruto's confusion. "You ingested some of it's blood as you killed it from the inside. Drinking the blood of a Necro Terentatek while it's still alive enhances your physical prowess and strength in the force, not to mention greatly increases your résistance to Force abilities, and makes your skin and bones 3 times stronger. You can even subjugate normal Terentateks with your will and make them obey you."
"How do you know so much about them?" Naruto asked.
"Because like you, I also killed one when I was a young apprentice. The powers it gave me when I drank it's blood served me well during my 500 years of life." Tulak reminisced. "Now, I imagine you are here for the knowledge I stored inside the Red Engine."
"Yes." Naruto answered.
"The knowledge I stored away in the Red Engine is my most coveted artifact. My personal holocron. It contains every piece of knowledge I ever learned, including my lightsaber skills, Force Abilities, and Sith Rituals. These skills, abilities, and dark rituals allowed me to remain undefeated on the battlefield and made me the most powerful Sith who has ever lived and likely ever will live."
"You have proven that you are worthy to learn it's secrets. The first condition was killing a Necro Terentatek and drinking it's blood. The second is being strong enough to cause my spirit to manifest." Tulak Hord said. "Now, you must free it from it's confines. TO do this, you must pass one final test. You slay the Red Engine's protector."
Naruto heard rumbling behind him. He turned sharply to see a 20 foot tall bipedal monster. It had red skin, with four smaller forelimbs too small to be useful and two tentacles around the jaws. It had two sets of red eyes.
Naruto stared at it, not responding for a bit…
…
…
…
"IS THAT A FUCKING LEVIATHAN!?" Naruto shouted at Tulak in anger and fear. Naruto barely pulled out the win against the Necro Terentatek. With a lot of luck and skill. Full-grown Leviathans were superweapons capable of ravaging entire armies and made even that Necro Terentatek look like a cute puppy.
"Calm down, this one isn't even an adult. It's still young. It doesn't have the signature blister pods on it's back and can't breathe fire. I altered this one with Sith Alchemy so it would still be difficult to slay but could eventually be slain. I do want my knowledge to eventually be passed on to someone worthy." Tulak Hord said with a chipper tone.
Hey, he was meticulous in protecting his knowledge.
"This is the test. Defeat the Leviathan youngling, and you will gain the knowledge of the greatest Sith who ever lived. Fail, and you will become Leviathan food. Good luck," Tulak Hord said as he floated into the air to watch.
Naruto drew his warblade, just as the Leviathan charged. Not taking a risk, he rolled away just as the Leviathan headbutted the wall, using the Force to enhance his speed and agility. One of the tentacles lashed out at him, trying to stab him. Naruto barely dodged it and chopped the tentacle off, causing the Leviathan to roar in pain.
It pulled it's head away from the wall and lunged, trying to devour Naruto. Naruto used Force Speed to dodge both the main head and the other tentacle, slicing that tentacle off as well. The beast roared and pulled back.
'I can do this. I can do this,' Naruto frantically repeated in his mind. The beast charged again and Naruto was able to use Force Speed to dodge the head butt and sliced that the creatures leg as he rolled. Naruto came to his feet behind it, only to see it's tail coming at him. Naruto was still rising and couldn't dodge so he raised his arms to guard.
The tail slammed into him and sent him flying up and away, slamming into the wall 60 feet up, leaving an imprint in the wall. Naruto felt like every bone in his body was cracked and several internal organs were ruptured.
"Hm, I guess it was too much for you," Tulak Hord's shade said in disappointment as the young Leviathan waited for Naruto to fall into it's mouth.
As Naruto fell, he thought he was done for. He felt like he could not even move and he was barely conscious.
Then he remembered something. Vaylin. Her smile, her playful expression, her innocence. She was the reason he had come to Korriban. She was the reason he was doing all this. So he could gain the power to save her. He loved her. He may have been 13 at the time, but he was sure that, looking back on it, that he loved her. He swore he would save her from Valkorion, no matter what.
"I…" Naruto muttered as he fell.
"I…will…" He muttered further as he fell.
Then, exploded with rage. "I WILL NOT DIE HERE!" He shouted as he thrust his hands forward and torrents of blue Sith Lightning erupted from his hands, shocking the monster as it screeched in pain.
The Leviathan stepped back as Naruto landed on his feet.
"Smart move, boy," Tulak Hord commented from his position in the sky. Leviathan's could only be killed by four ways. The three known ways, were from enough lightsaber strikes to pierce it's brain, concentrated blasts from turbolaser cannons, and Sith Lightning barrages. Young ones were even more susceptible to it, as they did not yet have the tough skin the adults possessed yet.
The fourth and unknown way was a special ritual that had to be performed by the creator of the Leviathan. Said ritual was inside his holocron, along with the knowledge of how to make a Leviathan.
Naruto, in a fit a of rage, roared as he blasted it further with lightning, making the creature shriek in agony as it was forced further back. Naruto Force Gripped his Warblade and used the Force to slam with the force of speeding assault ship into the creatures neck, embedding it deeply.
"Oh, I see what he's doing." Tulak commented as he saw his plan, and he saw it was a smart one. Naruto let up the barrage for a moment and concentrated all his power, using his dark emotions to further fuel the power of final assault.
"RAAGH!" Naruto roared as he unleashed the strongest torrent of Force Lightning he could muster. The torrent of blue Force Lightning shocked the Leviathan, who roared in agony. Naruto kept up the barrage for 3 minutes.
The Sith Warblade, due it's properties, constantly absorbed and discharged the electrical energy, until at the end of the three minutes, the Leviathan's insides were charred black and it was dead.
Naruto, exhausted, fell to his knees and his hands touched the ground to prevent him from completely falling as he panted, drawing precious air into his lungs.
The Life force of the Leviathan traveled up into the Red Engine and a lightning bolt exited it, destroying the container that housed Tulak Hord's holocron. Naruto pulled himself up as he limped and saw the black Sith holocron with red marking in the ancient Sith language.
Naruto picked it up. "Congratulations boy," Tulak's shade said, "You have acquired the knowledge of Tulak Hord. Use it well, and tell no one that you have this, or you will find your life cut short by those that would seek this knowledge for themselves. Now go forth as my disciple and bring death and agony to all who oppose you!"
"Great Lord, before you go. I'd like to ask, how did you die?" Naruto asked.
"I was betrayed and stabbed in the back by my apprentice. Take this final lesson to heart. Beware your apprentice. Beware your allies. Beware your master. Expect betrayal from all of them, and you will never be taken by surprise." Tulak Hord's ghost then vanished from sight. Naruto stared at the most coveted holocron in history and grinned evilly.
On his way back, he killed the fool that told him about the Red Engine and after hiding the holocron away safely, went to the medbay to bathe in a bacta tank to heal his more extensive injuries. After a few hours, he returned to his bunk and he went to bed.
Next Day
Naruto strode into Baras' chambers the next morning. His blade also had fresh blood on it. Apparently Klemrall and a couple of other acolytes hoped to ambush him as he walked through the corridors. Before Klemrall could even utter a word, he cut them all down with a single stroke of his sword.
Baras stood straighter as he saw the promising acolyte approach and hand him the tablet shards wordlessly with a triumphant grin. While Vemrin turned away, audibly cursing and scowling.
"The prodigal supplicant returns. And with all the shards from Tulak Hord's tomb. Superb." Baras nodded in satisfaction then turned to Naruto's rival. "It seems your hopes have been dashed, Vemrin."
"Appearances can be deceptive." Vemrin scoffed, crossing his arms and failing horribly to keep a nonchalant expression.
"Excuse Vemrin, supplicant. He expected you to fall flat on your face." The Sith Lord patronized.
"Oh, I don't mind him, Lord Baras." Naruto waved his hand casually, "The look on his face as His world crumbles around him is very satisfying indeed."
Vemrin spun and growled at him. "Why you...!"
"Perhaps so, acolyte." Baras interjected, taking their attention off each other for the moment. "With this task complete, it seems both of you are now on the precipice of becoming Sith! The tension is great between you two. A great source of emotion to feed upon. I wonder what will happen when it boils over. However, only one of you will be given the chance to claim a special lightsaber and stand at my side as my personal apprentice!"
Both acolytes stepped forward. "At first, I thought it would be you, Vemrin. But I have changed my mind."
Vemrin's look of arrogance vanished from his face within the span of a single second. To be replaced by one of shock and pure rage. "What?! But I've done everything you've asked. Better than any other acolyte in the academy! The honor should be mine! It has to be mine!"
Naruto turned to Vemrin and smiled cruelly, "This is as it should be. Get used to living in my shadow, weakling. Though you might not have long to do so." He had chosen his words deliberately and they had the desired effect. Vemrin howled with rage and drew his warblade intent on murdering Naruto. Naruto drew his as well. However, before Naruto could strike Vemrin down, his rival had been thrown across the room with the force, colliding with the opposite wall. He turned to see Darth Baras with his hand outstretched.
"ENOUGH!"
Both acolytes obeyed. Baras turned his head to Naruto, when he spoke his voice had returned to its usual cold tone, "When you first arrived, Vemrin was every bit your equal. However, as you stand before me now, I sense the force is much stronger with you, Naruto, and I sense greater power sleeping within you just waiting to be unleashed. In the end, it was a very simple decision."
Baras then returned his attention to Vemrin, who was still lying up against the wall, "Now Vemrin, go wait in my antechamber for your instructions. This instant!" The dark lord's harsh tone on the last two words made it clear that defying this command meant certain death. And so Vemrin slunk off to wait for Baras.
Once Vemrin had left, Baras returned his attention to Naruto, "Now I do hope you realize how fortunate you are to have been singled out. If you become my apprentice, the galaxy will unfurl before you."
Naruto knew that Baras was exaggerating a bit, however he knew from his own research and what Tremel had told him Baras had significant influence among the upper echelons of the Sith Order. This was because Baras served directly under Darth Vengean, the Dark Council Member in charge of the Sphere of Military Offense and Baras also controlled the most vast and extensive network of spies in the Sith, who only answered to him. While many Sith lords controlled similar groups, the one that Baras commanded was rumored to have infiltrated the Jedi order itself.
"I look forward to fulfilling that role, master", Naruto replied showing that he was ready for whatever lay ahead.
Baras showed no reaction to this. "The lightsaber you will seek is old and powerful. It is kept in a forbidden chamber in the tomb of Naga Sadow. Where no sith since the dark lord's time have set foot. Very few know how to find and open the secret entrance. But there is a Twi'lek in the holding cells who was caught breaking in there. I hear she can be quite willful. Take and make her show you the entrance to the forbidden cave. By any means necessary. Do you understand?"
"Of course, master. I will take care of that." Naruto said.
"Other acolytes seeking to complete their trials are sent to the tomb," Baras continued "where academy laws are waved. They will try to kill you. This test will determine if you become sith. So prepare yourself, for to step into the tomb of Naga Sadow is to breath in death itself. Now, go."
Naruto bowed in respect and left.
Academy Jail
When Naruto arrived down in the academy jail, he saw that jailer Knash was enjoying himself by activating the blue Twi'lek prisoners shock collar. The Twi'lek was unsurprisingly complaining about the treatment she was receiving, "Ouch! Cut it out, will you?"
Knash just smirked back at her, "I'm getting my fill of fun while I still can, slave," he heard Naruto enter the room and turned to face him, as if on cue. "Word around here is that you might become Lord Baras's apprentice. Nice work, if you can get it. So I hear that you will be relieving me of this Twi'lek. She's a pain in the neck."
"Ha! Who's a pain in the neck? I'm the one wearing the shock collar," the Twi'lek said. Naruto had to admit she has guts.
Knash just grunted in response, "Consider that a little going away present. Anyway seems like you're going to be useful for something after all," he gestured to Naruto, "this bruiser is going to be taking you back to the tomb where we caught ya."
The Twi'lek turned to Naruto and smirked, "None of you can figure out how to activate the statues that open to the forbidden cavern huh? Got some kind of business in that secret Sith chamber do you?"
"No, of course not. I thought I would just come down here and take you out for a stroll around the tomb," Naruto replied his voice dripping with sarcasm.
This seemed to surprise the Twi'lek who had a blank look on her face for a moment, however it soon changed back into a cocky grin. "I suppose I can play tomb tour guide," she said "a lot of work went into cracking that nut. But I did it once and I can do it again. Just to be clear though, I'm officially on strike when it comes to domestic duties", she said smiling the whole time.
"I can guarantee you, a servant maid is the last thing I need." Naruto chuckled once again at her attempts at dry humor, before he gained a lust-filled look in his eyes, eyeing her beautiful form in those tight clothes. "You could help me bust a certain pair of nuts though..."
Vette was stumped trying to come up with a reply. Everyone she came across within the Empire always seemed to want to torture, yell at her, or kill her. But someone openly flirting with her like that? That left her stumped. "Ahhh, um. Okay, well maybe things are looking up for me. As if they could get any worse."
Naruto turned his attention back to jailer Knash and gave him the signal to let her out. Once she had got out she said "Lead the way. I'll show you the unlocking points throughout the tomb and then open the secret entrance for you."
"Here, take this shock collar controller. I'll set it to a higher level." Knash said as he handed Naruto the controller. "Use it enough, and she'll show you the back door to her mother's house."
"Just showing me her own back door will be more than enough." Naruto muttered while eyeing her slim and petite body. Something which was not lost on the young Twi'lek and made her shiver a little; in fear or excitement, she couldn't tell.
Now, Naruto still loved Vaylin and would keep to his oath to save her from Valkorion, but he still had needs, and they were large indeed.
Naruto nodded his thanks and then he and the Twi'lek left the room.
"So, you're the guy who tortured those poor souls way back when right?" Vette quipped, "You know my name. What's yours?"
"You will learn my name once you have earned the privilege of doing so, little bird. Perhaps once this errand is done." Naruto replied, not breaking his stride.
"Well, for starters. My name is Vette. Not 'little bird', buddy." The Twi'lek admonished, "C'mon, what's yours?"
Naruto halted abruptly and spun round, causing Vette to bump into his chiseled pecs. "You will address me as 'my lord' until I see fit to tell you my name. Understood?"
"Okay, okay!" Vette raised her hands in surrender. "Don't be so pushy."
They continued their walk down the academy hallways. Naruto was silent, but Vette continued making comments.
When they finally reached the tomb, they stopped for a moment outside examining it. Naruto could sense the power of the darkside throughout the tomb. Once he was done he turned to Vette and gestured for her to lead the way.
Later
After getting through the tedious searching, they had gotten all the statues and now they had reached the bottom of a set of stairs and found themselves in a large empty chamber. "Hey, this is it. The entrance to hidden cavern is in here. Just let me get my bearings," Vette said.
She walked around the cavern examining every surface as she searched for release for the entrance. As she did this Naruto examined the cavern, for a bit. Naruto turned his head back towards Vette, who had stopped between two of the statues studying the space between them in great deal.
"This is it. Just give a minute to get it open."
Naruto stood there, watching her work. He felt something through the Force. A familiar presence. Vemrin. Naruto had sensed him following him and Vette from the Academy, and now he was trying to stab him in the back. He waited until Vemrin was within striking distance before acting. At the last second Naruto spun round, dodging the stab and slamming his boot into Vemrin's ribs in a vicious roundhouse kick. The force of it sent Vemrin flying back, landing 20 feet away from Naruto, crashing into the nearby wall.
He got to his feet, grasping his warblade in his hands. "Take your time slave. Just have the entrance unlocked by the time I've finished killing your former master." he said, addressing Vette.
"Getting a little ahead of self aren't you Vermin?" Naruto replied. "And besides you'll do nothing of the sort. It's rather fitting that you meet your end in a tomb isn't it?"
"Stop calling me Vermin! My name is Vemrin! My passions run deeper than yours! I am the true essence of what it is to be Sith! My legacy has suffered for long enough! After today you will be forgotten! This ends here and now!" He screamed.
Naruto turned his head and spoke to Vette, "Keep working will you. This won't take too long."
Both men had their weapons drawn. Naruto initiated the fight beginning with a slash aimed at Vemrin's shoulder. He parried and responded with a thrust to Naruto's abdomen. Naruto side stepped it, taking advantage of Vemrin's own move, he slashed downward, forcing Vemrin's sword to the ground. Naruto respond by delivering a backhand to Vemrin's face, breaking his skull and sending Vemrin staggering back.
He got his blade up just in time to block Naruto's follow up strike. He tried to push back against Naruto, but his strength, even enhanced with the Force, was nothing compared to Naruto's own natural strength, especially not after the Terentatek. They exchanged strikes for a moment. Naruto quickly realized that Vemrin had no defense. His Soresu was atrocious. It was likely that Vemrin never had been put on the defensive, and felt that he didn't need to work on the form. Naruto knew how to quickly defeat him.
Naruto used a Force Push against Vemrin, not enough to blast him off his feet yet enough to send him staggering backwards.
Taking advantage of the opening, Naruto charged forward, switching to Juyo. The angles of his attacks becoming more and more unpredictable. Vemrin could not hope to stand against this onslaught for long.
Eventually after a short while of sustained combat, Vemrin's guard failed. His blade was knocked aside leaving an opening for Naruto. Taking advantage of it Naruto thrust his blade, piercing Vemrin straight through his heart. He looked down at the blade in his chest in disbelief. It was all quite amusing really. Vemrin's blade clattered to the ground.
Naruto withdrew his blade. Vemrin fell forward, blood dripping from his mouth. "Becoming Baras's apprentice was my destiny. Did I really come so far. Face so much adversity. Only to be found unworthy?" This small effort seemed to have exhausted him, sending him falling flat on his face.
Naruto scowled down at him. "I have waited a long time to kill you," he said "And for the record, you were never worthy of being Sith. You are nothing more than a mad dog, a beast without reason, unworthy of being Sith. And consider this….Killing you was far too easy." Before Vemrin could say another word, Naruto brought his boot crashing down onto his skull. He continued this action until he felt the skull start to give way. He smiled before he finished it, crushing what remained of Vemrin's head into small pieces of bone and brain.
Turing back around Naruto saw that Vette had got the door open, having been so absorbed in the battle he had heard the door open. Looking at the Twi'lek Naruto sat that Vette had a slightly nauseated look on her face.
"Sure! The secret entrance is right here." The bubbly Rutian Twi'lek skipped to the back of a statue. An audible click was heard, followed by the ground shivering as the wall next to the statue opened up to reveal the hidden tomb. Vette stood next to the entrance with hands on her hips and a triumphant smile. "Uh… You're welcome?"
Naruto was most impressed. It seemed this treasure hunter turned slave girl was more resourceful and cunning than he thought. Yes, she would definitely be part of his entourage now. He walked up to her and gave her beaming smile. "You have been most helpful. Thank you, Vette."
For a second, Vette's smile was replaced by a blush and a coy look of genuine appreciation. Something which didn't go unnoticed. "It's nice to be acknowledged. Thanks."
"Stay with me, and I'm sure I can acknowledge more of what you have to offer, little bird." He stepped closer to the Twi'lek and pulled her body abruptly onto his, eliciting another squeak from her. A hand snaked around her waist, while the other found itself caressing and squeezing her ample buttcheek.
"H-h-hey! Don't t-touch the merchandise!" She stuttered and feebly attempted to push the Sith acolyte away.
"Something tells me that you'll be my merchandise once this is all over." He purred softly in her ear. "I'm sure we can work something out once this is done."
"W-well, I-I-If you say so…" She whispered, her blush turning her cheeks more purple than he could ever imagine. "C-could you let me go now?"
"All right… for now." Naruto relented, enjoying the reactions Vette was giving. He gave her one last surprise in the form of a playful slap across her ass cheek before letting her go. The spank caused her body to visibly tremble in surprise as the mix of pleasure and pain from the spanking. Directing a weak glare at Naruto's back, she followed her current master further into the tomb.
They came upon a set of steps. At the top was a sarcophagus.
Naruto moved up to the sarcophagus where the lightsaber was inside. Approaching it, Naruto used the force to lift the lid of the sarcophagus. Looking down into it he saw that the body inside was reduced to a skeleton. The lightsaber was clasped between the corpses fingers. Naruto used the Force to rip the lightsaber from its grip. It was simplistic in design, probably designed to make it easy for battlefield maintenance.
He activated it, a crimson blade appeared from the hilt. Naruto gave it a few practice swings, it was well balanced. Deactivating it, Naruto attached it to his belt. Turning around, he walked past Vette. "Let's go."
The Academy
Once they had returned to the academy, Naruto and Vette went up to Baras's office.
As they entered the corridor, Naruto saw yet another group of acolytes waiting for him. Why was it that almost everybody tried to ambush him here? Were they brain dead? However ,this time there was one among that he knew, Tremel's daughter Eskella. She must have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to take her revenge.
Once she saw Naruto, she shouted, "You! Murderer!"
At Eskella's shout, the other acolytes with drew their warblade's ready to attack. Naruto held out a hand at Vette and motioned for her to back up, which she did. However, Eskella did not draw her sword, instead she approached Naruto. "My father was a staunch traditionalist and was especially hard on me. But he was my blood. Did you think you could kill him and get away with it?"
"Umm, refresh my memory a bit. I kill many peoples father's nowadays." Naruto mocked, deciding to mess with her. "Who told you I killed your father?"
"Everyone knows you did it. The whole place says so," She growled in hate.
Naruto sighed and said, "Well, I suppose I can't kill the whole place, so you'll have to do!"
Naruto seized both of Eskella's Companion's in a Force Choke and choked the life from them in an instant.
He gripped Eskella's befroe she could draw her blade and backhanded her, cracking her skull and causing her to stagger. Naruto's hand dropped to his belt and he drew his new lightsaber. The crimson blade ignited and Naruto decided to end the fight before she had a chance to begin. His lightsaber moving at blinding speed as he severed Eskella's hands, preventing her from unsheathing her weapon. He finished it by severing her head from her body.
Once that was done, they proceeded into Baras's office. Naruto secretly activated a recording device. Baras had been watching what happened outside. "I am beside myself. Not only did you make the Twi'lek cooperate but you also managed to retrieve the lightsaber. You use it well, for one who has just begun to wield it. Your display against Tremel's daughter was very impressive. Vemrin was not in my chamber as I instructed. I can only assume he tried to follow you and claim the lightsaber as his own."
Naruto nodded, "He tried and he failed. Vemrin was nothing if not... consistent."
"Bravo. I see you may indeed become one of the most powerful sith in the galaxy. Your trials are now over. You are now my apprentice."
"Thank you, Master." Naruto said.
Baras ignored this and continued, "This is only the beginning. With you as my right hand, we shall crush the enemies of both the Empire and the Sith. I must convene with the Emperor and let him know of your progress. I am sure he will be impressed." Before he left, Baras handed Naruto a shuttle pass, "take this it will allow you transport to the imperial fleet and then onto Dromund Kaas. Meet me in my chambers at the Citadel after you arrive."
"Pass my regards onto the Emperor." Naruto said but was ignored.
"You may keep the Twi'lek slave. Consider her a gift. If she is of use to you that is."
Naruto and Vette left, as he prepared to take her to Dromund Kaas.
Chapter End