I'm still on a roll, but studying for Human Geography and Classical Mythology has thrown me off a bit.

Now for the conclusion of the trip to Korriban!

xXx

"This is not good."

"Tell me something I fucking don't know."

"Don't get so bitchy with me. I'm not the one you're pissed at."

"Fine. Sorry."

"Pardon my psychotic jokes once again. I know Darth Maul would make one of the lousiest dates in the universe of any reality, but this is going overboard. Even for him. I saw the look on your face when he grabbed Harlene. You looked ready to kill him."

"Then your powers of empathy need fine-tuning. I didn't want to just kill him. I wanted to slowly fry him to a crisp."

"Yeah. It must be frustrating. To choose pyrokinesis as your main Psi talent and then have a reality where you almost never use it."

"I manage. But that's not the issue at hand. Maul's heading for Darth Sadow's tomb containing a trap set by two dark side ghosts, and Harlene is sitting on another temple trying to get her bearings."

"Does she have problems with males?"

"No. But that's mainly because she was very young when she suffered those molestations. All our females were, me included. When your in an environment where people show you compassion and understanding, its easy to forget or suppress memories of past trauma. He grabbed her in a forceful manner which caused her to snap."

"Think that'll be a problem later?"

"It should fade as she grows older. She's very intelligent, but she doesn't have a photographic memory."

"Like you. You don't forget."

"Its not that I don't forget. I can't forget."

xXx

Harlene watched the bloodred sky above her head on her perch of another of Korriban's temples. The golden lightening crackled incessantly through the clouds in a mesmerizing display. It was times like these that Harlene wished that evil wasn't sometimes very beautiful. But she was grateful for it all the same. It helped to ease the storm that was raging in her own mind. After delivering her threats to Maul she had cloaked herself and fled to a pile of rubble. Hiding in the shadows, she had sobbed her pain and humiliation out, while clutching her chest with both hands. Her skin crawled with the memory of his fist pressing into her and that intimidating way her towered over her. Her anguish was so great she couldn't find the strength to use her emotional powers

(you are no coward child. Feel. Even if it is not a good feeling)

To bury her mind into blissful peace. Other memories she had suppressed surfaced and mercilessly tortured her until her sobs almost progressed to screams. Even in her agony, a deep hatred pulsed in her. She regretted not plunging that dagger into Maul's throat. She regretted the unexplained automatic program that prevented her from killing virtual characters. She regretted threatening him instead of beating him to within an inch of his life. It was all his goddamn fault. The evil, fanatical overbearing bastard. All her sympathy for him had vanished in an instant. Why the hell had she agreed to this? She knew that a civil companionship between them would be nothing more than an illusion. She hated him. Hated him.

Horrific thoughts raced through Harlene's mind for a while before the fires of her rage began to fade into embers. It had calmed her to the point where she could process the events of what had happened clearly and draw a more accurate conclusion. Anger was an emotion that clouded one's judgment to points where all rationality flees the mind. Now more cool-headed, she had wiped her eyes, and then flew up to the highest point of a temple to think.

It had been a misunderstanding. Pure and simple. She had struck a blow to his titanic sized ego by presuming he would need the help of a little girl like her, and he had retaliated in the basic Sith way: physical overbearing intimidation. The more subtle Sith way was psychological overbearing intimidation, and unfortunately for Maul, that didn't work on her. But if that was the case, why hadn't he grabbed her by the throat instead of the chest? Probably because he thought she would electrocute him before he got his point across if he cut off her air, she thought bitterly. Like all Sith, Maul was an self-absorbed bastard, but Harlene knew he would never, ever do what she had feared. One of the very few things she trusted about him was his strict code of honor. Yes, she had offended him, but didn't regret it. She hadn't studied Korriban to a vast extent during her research, but she knew enough about it to be more than cautious. Korriban was, in blunt terms, a graveyard. A graveyard filled to the brim with ghosts, whispers, and mummified corpses.

However, the real dangers consisted of Force-sensitive monsters that guarded the tombs of the dark lords. Harlene had scanned up ahead before her and Maul's…tiff and found no trace of them. So Maul should be okay. For now at least. She would stay here for a little while longer before checking up on him.

Harlene held out her hand to the sky. A bolt of golden lightening streaked from the heavens to land in her outstretched palm in the form of a sphere. She could feel its power crackling. The heat of it warmed her skin in a comforting manner. It looked like a glowing, miniature sun and she stared at it in transfixed wonder. Apart from creating the element of her unique Psi talent, electrokinesis automatically enabled her to control it even if it didn't come from her body. In other words, all electricity bowed to her will. That was how she had been able to paralyze Maul's nervous system. She had interacted her own electricity with the electricity that already resided in Maul and caused a minor overload without harming his other systems.

She continued to stare at the glowing sphere in her hand. It seemed so strange to be able to wield such power. True this was a virtual world, but the sensations felt no different than the real world. She hadn't lied to Maul when she said that a large part of her confidence stemmed from her powers and the immortality program. Otherwise, she had no doubt that her insecurities would be greater. Not as great as a regular person's though. Maul had been right when he assumed that she did not fear death, which she didn't. None of the Error Correctors did. They had all lived with death and much, much worse for months, even years, before government agents gathered them off the hellholes they once called home to see if they spoke and acted beyond their years. It was the only way to determine if they could handle the harsh training and demands of an Error Corrector.

Harlene stood up and leapt off the temple. Floating, her eyes scanned the ground below. It seemed so small and insignificant from up above.

Yes, having power was so liberating. And her power would only grow as time passed and as she trained harder. But as she said to Claire, she couldn't afford to be arrogant about it.

Arrogance, like fanaticism, was self-defeating.

xXx

Darth Maul was getting closer. The dark power that enthralled him the moment he had set foot here, was growing by the second. He had never felt so powerful in his life. The dark side seemed to attract to him like a magnet, feeding the core of his strength in a way he would have never thought possible.

At last, he was at the entrance. Excitement surged through him. This was the tomb of the dark lord Naga Sadow. One of the greatest founders of the Sith Empire. Maul stepped into the dimly lit room. He immediately noticed it wasn't much different from the rest of the temple. There wasn't anything particularly extravagant about it. Ancient Sith writings engraved the walls almost consuming them utterly. Candles Luminescent fungus casting eerie, pale shadows provided light, but only enough so that a one could make out their surroundings clearly.

There.

A large cloaked statue of the great dark lord was placed in the middle of the back wall. The Sith's stone face gazed down upon him in a fierce, scrutinizing expression, as if staring into his soul to see if Maul was a worthy disciple of the dark side, but he barely paid attention to it. Lord Sadow, while great once, was now an element of the past. And his opinion of Maul meant nothing. Only Lord Sidious mattered. It was for him that he had agreed to go with Harlene here. He would meditate and focus his growing power. His wish was so that it would make him more attuned to the dark side so that he could show the Jedi the true nature of the Force and more importantly, become a better servant to his master.

He took a step toward the statue.

"Ha, ha, ha."

Maul's encounter's with Harlene had so far taught him two important things. One was the price of underestimating an opponent, and the other was to never let a disembodied voice catch him off-guard.

In the blink of an eye, Maul's double-bladed lightsaber was ignited and his body crouched in a fighting stance. At first he thought Harlene was playing a trick on him, and the only reason that caused him to dismiss that suspicion was that he could feel a presence in the Force. It radiated cold amusement.

"Who's there?" Maul hissed. "Show yourself!"

The laughter echoed off the walls again, but this time, it was stronger.

"You can put that away, tainted servant of the dark side." the voice was silky and taunting. "You can only hear us, and it will not save you from what we have in store for you."

Maul went perfectly still before savage fury spread like a wildfire in the depths of his heart at the audacious statement. Tainted servant of the dark side, was he?

Bloodlust darkened his vision. "Who are you to judge me?" he snarled. "Show yourself, and I will demonstrate how tainted I am."

A deep chuckle. "I do not mean tainted in the way you think. There is not a trace of light in you. You radiate pure darkness as if you were born from it. You exhibit all qualities necessary for a heir to the Sith. Yet you have one very great flaw. And it is because of that flaw that you will be eliminated."

Maul narrowed his eyes. "You are spirits of the dark side aren't you?" he said in a low voice. "Long dead apprentices who haunt Korriban."

"Very good," the voice said mockingly. "Yes, we were killed before we could achieve the status of dark lord."

Maul grinned maliciously. "You were unworthy of the mantle, yet you accuse me of being tainted," he remembered something Harlene had said before. "You are as hypocritical as the Jedi."

"Even the Jedi are superior to you, tainted apprentice," the voice replied unfazed. "They are able to think for themselves. You do not. You believe that your sole purpose in life is to serve your master. You believe you are nothing without your master. Were your master to perish, so would the entire Sith order. You nothing but a sword that will be cast aside without a second thought once you gain the slightest bit of rust. You are not a true heir to the dark side."

"Therefore. We will do the master a favor and eliminate you."

A bellow of rage welled up in Maul's chest. Before it could be released, he heard a loud slamming noise behind him. His head snapped back and saw that the entrance to the tomb was blocked by a large, stone door.

"It's a pity really," the voice said with a trace of regret. "Your abilities are unparalleled. You would be sufficient in eliminating quite a few Jedi. We would wait to destroy you if we could, but this opportunity may never present itself again. And it would be more sufficient for the master if he were to acquire a new, true apprentice as soon as possible."

Maul's hands clenched on his lightsaber with such strength that it was almost groaning under the pressure. Whatever anger he had over Harlene's presumptuousness was nothing, absolutely nothing compare to this. He wished fervently that these despicable excuses for dark side apprentices were visible and among the living. He would derive great pleasure in drinking in the fear in their eyes when he ran them through with his lightsaber.

"You think to trap me here?" Maul's voice was barely above a whisper, yet cold enough to turn Tatooine's climate into Hoth's. "It is a small wonder you were killed before you could achieve your Sith titles. I will not be held by a mere door."

The voice laughed. "Are you thinking to escape the way you arrived? Your companion is gone, tainted apprentice. She will not save you."

Maul gritted his teeth. The condescension in their tones fed the fires of his rage. "The girl is nothing. There is only my master. I am my master's servant."

Another laugh rang through the chambers, full of cruel mirth. "Stupid fool. We are shocked that even you cannot see it. This your little friend's doing."

Darth Maul froze as an icy ball of suspicion rolled in his stomach.

"What?"

"Why else do you think she offered to take you here in the first place? Certainly not for companionship." The last word dripped with mockery and scorn. "She knows your only purpose is to kill Jedi. And she admires the Jedi. So we struck a deal with her. She would lead you here, and we would eliminate you for her. And in the process, our goal would be achieved."

The ball of ice instantly melted in the raging furnace that erupted like a Mustafarian volcano, spreading molten lava everywhere. Maul's fury burned to a point where he thought he might exploded in a spontaneous combustion of flame.

That was it. That was why she had brought him here. It made perfect sense. She had lied to him. And in his blindness, he had believed her. Even worse, he had related those lies to his master.

Fool he raged to himself FOOL!

He imagined the girl's face in his mind. Laughing. Sneering. Mocking. Gloating over her triumph at having tricked a Dark Lord of the Sith.

It burned him as if he were in an actual, physical fire. The hatred. The humiliation that he had fallen for such a trap. That he had…

"Yes,"the voice hissed. "We can feel your hatred. It rages. It burns. Oh, how it burns.You feel betrayed, don't you? Another unforgivable flaw. Treachery is the way of the Sith, yet you did not foresee this. You have honor, tainted apprentice. You would never admit it out loud, but you trusted her. Even after she threatened Lord Sidious, you trusted her. If only a little bit. You have only yourself to blame for this. Now take your hatred and use it so that you may die in a blaze of glory."

The chamber rumbled as one of the side walls opened. A low growl echoed ominously in the distance. Maul held his light saber ready. A pair of yellowish-red eyes glowed from the blackness of the opened wall, and from it emerged a large creature with pale blue skin, wicked claws, and a spiked head. Its mouth was open revealing fangs the size of Maul's forearm. It snarled in bloodthirsty anticipation as it eyed its prey.

"A Sith Hound," Maul sneered. "This is the best you can do?"

That appalling laugh again. This time filled with glee. "Not just a Sith Hound, tainted apprentice."

The sentence was barely finished when three more of the creatures emerged, snarling and growling.

"We know how skilled you must be, considering you were trained by Lord Sidious. So forgive us if we do not underestimate you."

Maul backed up warily as the creatures approached. Their bodies filled up more than half the room. A shadow of doubt entered Maul's mind. These were the creatures who guarded the tombs of the dark lords and he cursed himself for not remembering. They were also Force-Sensitive. Defeating them would not be easy.

The doubt vanished as he thought of Harlene, and his hatred was renewed, fresh and dark. Baring his own teeth in a snarl, he waited for one of them to make the first move.

He did not care for the pathetic accusations of those dark side spirits. They were nothing. Less than nothing. Only his master mattered.

He was his master's servant. He would not fail. He would defeat these creatures, and emerge more powerful than before.

Two of the hounds lunged. With a roar, Darth Maul leapt to meet them.

xXx

Harlene soon learned that even in the old Sith Empire, the warriors of the dark side didn't limit themselves to just lightsabers. She had gone flying to clear her mind further for a little while before deciding to explore more of the tombs, and in the process discovered a room filled with weapons of all kinds. Stopping by a rack of blades, she removed a sword and examined it.

The blade was long and slim, though not as slim as a katana. She ran her hand over the cool metal and lightly caressed its tip with her fingertip. Even with the slight touch, a small cut opened.

Still sharp she thought and examined the small wound for a moment before healing it. In fact, all the weapons, while ancient, looked ready for use at a moment's notice. She then examined the handle. It was black entwined with some kind of silver metal. Harlene's first thought was of snakes and shadows. The weapon was very well made and looked like a work of art, but Harlene could felt an ominous tingle as she held it. No doubt that like the statues, the weapons her were infused with dark power to keep them in prime condition for all eternity. It gave her no sense of security or freedom like her katana and lightsaber did. Whenever she held a katana, she felt a sense of honor and pride that she wielded a weapon of the great samurai warriors. This sword however, made her feel the way she did whenever she held a gun. It made her fully aware of the true purpose of weapons.

Killing people.

It didn't disturb her. She had taken lives when she was little more than a toddler. That was after she had lost her emotions, but even now with those memories she felt no remorse or unease. She killed whenever her gang had been threatened or their food was about to be stolen. Darwin's theory of natural selection never made more sense than on the harsh, unforgiving streets of Ybor. Only yourself mattered, and if you didn't have the guts to do what was necessary to ensure your own survival, you were as good as dead. It sickened her to no extent that that included letting yourself get violated, but telling herself that those monsters weren't worth her life provided some comfort.

Harlene knew it was pointless to dwell on the past, but sometimes she wondered what Ybor was like now. Nobody ever talked about it. Whether on the news or in the paper. Everyone just avoided it or pretended it didn't exist. People with no shelter were killed in Ybor everyday and sometimes police officers came to clean up the messes, but the bodies were always cremated with no record. If you lived in Ybor and had no home, you would die a nameless and faceless death. Harlene remembered little of her parents, but she knew they had been followers of the Christian faith, and in their memory, she chose to continue to be a follower of the religion. It was easy to believe that it was God's will that she had been taken from Ybor to be an Error Corrector of the American government. Another thing that helped to ease her confusion when she wondered why she of all people could be so fortunate.

Harlene smiled when she thought of what Jacob had said earlier. She and her creed were the unknown envy of the world because they met the requirements of having no home or family, gaining strength from their ordeals on the streets, be under the age of five, and having an utterly fucked up life.

She made to put the sword back on the rack when she felt a push in her mind and her body froze. It felt psychic and it wasn't painful, but there was a sense of severe urgency in it. Harlene immediately recognized it from her training.

Error. It was an error in the plotline.

But here? How?

The psychic push of the interface warning her suddenly increased. A vision flashed in Harlene's mind.

Darth Maul had his lightsaber ignited and was fighting four large blue creatures with glowing red eyes and hideous claws. Harlene knew they were the Force sensitive Sith hounds who were the guardians of the tombs of the dark lords. And she also noticed three very crucial details.

The room Maul was in was sealed off. While one of the Sith hounds appeared dead, three were still alive and fighting. And Maul, while slashing his blade with no sign of faltering or tiring, had a long cut across his chest, staining his clothes with blood.

Horror-filled adrenaline flooded Harlene's system.

"Oh, God!"

The sword fell from her hand with a clatter and she teleported away.

xXx

Darth Maul was emerged in the dark side. It roiled and permeated his every cell, strengthening his dodges and blows until they were faster than a normal eye could follow. He may not have gotten to meditate on the power here, but he knew it was feeding the energy in his system. The growing frenzy of his hated was amplified by keeping a constant mental picture of Harlene in his mind. He imagined her jeering at him, mocking him that she had managed to gain an almost non-existent sliver of his trust, but it was enough that she could lead him into this trap. In a way, Maul actually felt a bizarre sense of gratitude for her through his immense rage. This betrayal had unlocked a new type of hatred, one that he thought never existed, and it was making him strong.

Unfortunately, not strong enough.

Maul jumped over a swiping claw that would have taken his head off and aimed a vicious slash at the creature's neck. He barely nicked it when the Force gave him a warning and he back-flipped over the tail of the second creature. In a whirl of speed, he twisted his body around and sliced of the third hound's longest claw and jumped over a sweeping tail. He leaped onto an outstretched paw and aimed the point of his lightsaber at the hound's forehead but had to dodge again when the second hound swiped at him.

Maul gritted his teeth. These creatures were fast. Very fast, and to add insult to injury, they were Force-sensitive. And he was at a severe disadvantage being out numbered. He had killed one of them already and dealt a few injuries to the others, but the first hound had managed to wound him. He could feel the long slash on his chest burning. The wound wasn't too deep and in a way, it was useful since the pain helped to fed his hatred.

He would not fail. Those incompetent dark side apprentices were fools. He was a full-fledged Sith Lord, a nightmare of the JedI knights, and most of all, he was his master's servant.

He would not lose.

Two of the hounds were suddenly in front of him while the third was in the back. The two front ones aimed a flurry of bites and slashes at him in blurring speed. The dark side was with them as well. He dodged eight blows but when he tried to put the beasts on offensive, they viciously attacked again forcing him on defensive. He twirled his double-bladed light saber in an intimidation tactic he always used in battle. Psychological attacks were sometimes even more useful than physical attacks. It worked. The hound to his right paused warily in its strikes. He back-flipped over the claw of the hound to his left and severed the other one's arm clean at the shoulder. The beast roared in rage and pain, collapsing on the ground. Maul sneered. Pathetic. These were creatures of the dark side who guarded the tombs of the ancient dark lords? Apparently, they needed to learn the imperative lesson that there is no pain where strength lies. He immediately lunged for the second hound. The creature managed to dodge five slashes but the sixth caught it over its right eye. Blinded on the side Maul was on, it couldn't regain itself fast enough. Maul sliced off the monster's head at the neck. It fell with a sickening thud to the ground along with the rest of its body.

Triumph and vicious satisfaction surged through Maul. He sincerely hoped that those dead imbeciles were watching. He wanted them to see how foolish they were for underestimating him. He would show them what a true Dark Lord of the Sith could do.

He leapt onto the corpse of the dead hound and flew at the one behind it with Force-assisted speed, his lightsaber aiming for the creature's forehead. Victory flooded him.

Then the Force screamed a warning at him. He tried to twist in midair.

Too late!

The tail of the supposedly helpless Sith hound slammed him hard in the gut. The wind was knocked out of him as he was knocked into the opposite wall. Drawing on the dark side, he managed to regain himself and land on his feet.

Breathing hard, he looked up and saw the two remaining hounds approaching him, snarling and growling, their eyes blazing. The one who had struck him was limping on only three legs, but still able to fight. Maul backed up a step and clenched his jaw when he felt a searing agony. Looking down, he saw a huge gash in his left side from the hound's spiked tail. Blood was flowing at an alarming rate from the wound. Maul focused on the dark side and managed to decrease it a bit. Looking at his approaching adversaries, he cursed himself. He had sworn to never underestimate an opponent again, and now, he had broken it and this was the result.

Maul locked his eyes with the hounds. He wouldn't be able to fight for much longer. He could stave off the pain of the wound, but it was deep enough so that it shredded a few abdominal muscles, and it was still bleeding.

He was not afraid. Sith had no fear. He would die like a Dark Lord of the Sith would. On his feet, and fighting a worthy opponent.

Raising his blade, he prepared himself to lunge…

…and ended up freezing in shock when the two hounds exploded into brilliant arcs of blue electricity.

They roared and twisted in pain and surprise, but managed to turn around to see who was attacking them. Maul followed their gazes. His eyes nearly bulged when he saw a familiar small, black-cloaked figure with electricity streaming from her hands.

Harlene?

His incredulity immediately faded to pure unadulterated fury. Did she come back to gloat over his death?

She appeared to be straining while holding the two monsters in her power, but turned to look at him.

"YOU ARROGANT BASTARD!" she screamed, her face twisted in outrage. "I TOLD YOU WE SHOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN SEPARATED! I OUGHT TO PUNCH YOU INTO OBLIVION WHEN THIS IS OVER!"

Maul wasn't sure if it was her words, or the fact that she was attacking his enemies, or the look on her face. But in that moment, he knew he had been tricked and not by her.

His hatred and humiliation increased twice-fold and took an entirely different turn.

xXx

Harlene bit down on her jaw and channeled more power into her arms. It was one thing for a Fledgling to paralyze a creature the size of a human. It was another thing altogether to paralyze the nervous system of an incredibly tough creature the size of an elephant. The two Sith hounds were snarling and thrashing to get free of her hold. Pretty soon they would.

And Maul wasn't helping the least bit by just staring at her as though he had never seen her before.

Fed up, Harlene raised her voice again, louder this time.

"MAUL! STOP DAYDREAMING LIKE A FUCKING AIRHEADED SCHOOL GIRL AND HELP ME!"

She could see he was wounded and pretty badly, but another of the very few things she respected about him was his iron will against pain. Sure enough, her oh so inspiring words snapped him back to reality. And just in time, for the three-legged hound had broken free from her hold and turned around for the Sith behind it. Electricity still pouring from her hands at her own opponent, Harlene spared the battle in front of her a glance. Maul was standing strong, but the fluidity of his movements had decreased considerably. He wouldn't last much longer.

Harlene managed to keep the other Sith hound in her electricity, but his strength was pushing her back.

More power.

(stand firm child)

The barrage increased.

(stand firm child)

Harlene's hands began to burn from the overload. She fought to keep from screaming in agony. The Sith hound was starting to falter.

More.

(you will stand firm)

A horrible pain suddenly sliced Harlene's mind like a fine blade.

Psychic overload.

Come on she mentally begged through the agony. Come on just a little more.

Blood poured from her nose and into her mouth.

(you will never fall if you stand firm, child)

She gave one final push. The pain was like a dozen razor blades, but at long last the hound collapsed, its corpse twitching from the severe energy. Harlene swayed on her feet. Her hands and head felt as if they were on fire. Her lids fluttered as exhaustion threatened to take over.

(do not, child)

No…no! She couldn't fall unconscious now…she had to…had to…

Summoning every ounce of will power she possessed, Harlene turned her head and saw with her faltering vision a dark humanoid shape swinging a red beam of light at a much larger blue shape.

There.

Praying to God for strength, she teleported to where the dark figure was and wrapped her arms around it.

Please Christ, please Christ, please Christ…

A second later, she felt a hard surface beneath her. Rough hands were shaking her by the shoulders and a voice was urgently calling to her. Her lids fluttered open. All she saw was a blur, but she could decipher faint traces of a red and black face with burning yellow eyes.

"wha' 'append?" her voice was slurred with pain, her tongue felt thick and dry as a desert. Her nose felt clogged making it hard to breathe. "You alrigh'? Di' we 'ake it?"

She was fading fast, but not before she heard the voice speak an undecipherable affirmative and the head nodded.

A faint smile touched her lips.

"Good," she mumbled as her eyes closed and the world went black. "'at's good."

xXx

(A/N): Special thanks to Gundam Chief who gave me the idea for Harlene visiting Korriban in the first place. It is due to him (or her) that I was able to come up with all this good stuff. Not to mention it helped solve a few problems I've been having trouble with deciding what to do. Thanks, pal! I hope it satisfied your expectations!