A/N: Chrosis demanded a new chapter immediately, so I wrapped this one up a little shorter than usual so I could get it out immediately. Now don't say I never do anything for you! :P It was at a pretty good stopping place anyways, but if (read: when) there are typos, that's why.

Chapter 54: Competition

Juhani woke up on a hard mattress in the middle of the Sith Academy, on the Sith-controlled world of Korriban, deep behind enemy lines. She hadn't been killed in her sleep, as she half-suspected she would be, which made this a pretty successful day already for her first one as a student for the wrong side. It took her a moment to figure out why she'd awoken, as the slate gray skies outside remained the same drab color from dawn until sunset.

A sound, she'd heard a sound.

She crawled out of bed, exhausted by the tension of the previous day, and ran a hand through her rumpled fur as she went to the door and it's impressive array of security locks. Apparently killing your opponents in their sleep was considered a cheap tactic, so the instructors thoughtfully ensured that you at least had to work at it. She finished disabling all of the security devices and opened the door to see Yuthura Ban, her new teacher. What her subject of expertise was had never really been explained.

"Ah, awake at last, my favorite prospect for this year. May I come in?"

Juhani hesitated, but she really had no reason not to let her in, and if the teachers decided to they wanted her dead while deep inside their academy, there probably wasn't anything she could do about it, anyways. "Um, yes, please, come in."

Juhani arranged herself in a cross-legged position on the bed. Yuthura considered the single, hard-backed chair, then decided to remain standing. "So . . . what has your impression of the Academy been so far? A little different from your time in the Jedi, no?"

Pushing her, always pushing her, just like back in the cantina. She clammed up, trying to get her mind working again, and determined not to tell her anything. "Yes, it seems quite different."

Yuthura smiled and shook her head fondly. "Oh, don't be like that. It's not as if I'll gain some strategic advantage from knowing a little about how the meal times worked, or the housing arrangements, or whatever." She winked conspiratorially at her, and Juhani blinked, flummoxed. She really didn't know what to make of this twi'lek. It was like . . . like she knew exactly what Juhani was, and what she was trying to do. And yet, if she did, she would do something about it . . . wouldn't she? It was almost like she didn't care why Juhani was here at all, and that shook her.

"Nothing? Ah well, give it time. You're still pretty newly arrived, I suppose I can't expect you to stop being uptight all the time right off the bat." She shrugged. "Well, if you're not up for small talk, then let's dive right into it. This competition is for keeps, and you're hand's-down the best candidate this year."

Juhani struggled to rise to the challenge, to make sense of all of this, so she latched on to the one thing that seemed to make sense so far. "You said I was your favorite? Why?"

Yuthura nodded firmly, a reassuring smile back on her face. "Absolutely you're my favorite. By my estimation, you are far more likely to achieve the prestige necessary to join the Sith than any of the others. As a matter of fact, I'm so certain of that that I'm willing to offer you an opportunity of the once-in-a-lifetime variety. Would you like to hear it?"

This was a mistake. Definitely a mistake. But then, not hearing her out, ignoring the request of the one person that was willing to reach out to her and help her to at least have a fighting chance at succeeding in her mission was also a mistake. "I . . . I will hear what you have to say."

"Good. I do so adore someone who's willing to take a chance. As I said, you're no doubt going to be the one Uthar chooses to become a Sith, with my help, of course. Once that occurs, he will take you into the Valley of the Dark Lords, to the tomb of Naga Sadow, to administer the final test. There you and I will be alone with him, the perfect time to, shall we say, arrange for a change in the academy's leadership?"

Juhani gasped. It was her first day, and her teacher was asking her to assassinate the head of the school? Her mind boggled at both the thought and the audacity of it. But then, as she started to think about it, she realized it was rather clever. Who was she going to tell? She couldn't exactly go to the authorities, or Yuthura would reveal she was truly a Jedi spy, as she had so recently implied, and her mission would be a failure. As long as Yuthura believed she could be corrupted, she would be safe . . . but only that long.

"And if I were to tell your Master Uthar?"

Yuthura shrugged, her smiled unchanged. "Why, if that were the case, I would be forced to reveal what I knew about you. In fact, if anything were to happen to me, I would have nothing to gain by protecting you. So, if you were to see any threat to me, it's really in your best interest to make sure I make it out the other side of it intact. Unless, of course, you were willing to kill me yourself." She leaned in closer. "But I think we both know you're not willing to do that. Because if you did, it would make you just like me." Her grin grew even larger.

"I . . . I will not be used like this, like some . . . some tool!"

Yuthura leaned back, her expression warping to deadly serious in an instant. She stared down at Juhani, considering her for a second, and then she attacked.

There was no time to react. The twi'lek was on her, lightsaber burning the fur at her throat as she crushed her down on her own bed, and death was in her eyes. "Get this straight, Jedi. There are two kinds of people in this galaxy. There are players, and there are tools. If you aren't willing to play, you are a tool. Understand that. Accept that."

And just as quickly she was back to standing, a bright, cheerful smile on her face once more. "It's not so bad being a tool, you know. Accept your role, and it can be quite pleasant for you. If you like, you can think of it this way. You're being forced to eliminate a Sith Master who's been corrupting Jedi youth! Do what I tell you and when the job is done, I'll let you escape to tell your wild tale of intrigue and courage in the viper's nest, how you single-handedly outmaneuvered and killed a Sith Master. I'm sure your masters will promote you, maybe even actually listen to you when you talk. You get what you want, and I get what I want."

"I . . . I . . ."

Yuthura rolled her eyes. "Look, what is it you're after? It's got to be the star map, right? The final test before becoming a Sith takes place in the tomb of Naga Sadow, a ruin on the surface visited by Darth Malak and Darth Revan a few years ago where they found the star map. I help you get in there to find your prize, and you help me by killing an oooo evil Sith."

The Jedi just stared at her, and Yuthura sighed. "Eventually, you'll realize this is the best thing for both of us. And to show you that I'm serious, I'm going to help you out with this competition. The first test is scheduled for tomorrow, a debate over the Sith Code. Now, do you know the Sith Code?"

Juhani mutely shook her head, too overwhelmed to form a proper response to the wildly shifting personas of the woman in front of her.

The twi'lek sighed once again, a mildly disappointed teacher learning her prized student had forgotten to do the reading. "Now then, let me walk you through it."

And so the Jedi sat and listened as the Sith made her complicit in an assassination plot, threatened to kill her, offered to assist her in spying against her own government, and then helped her with her homework. What was this place?


Carth practically had to drag Mission back to the ship. Jolee only came back slightly less grudgingly. Finally, though, he did get them back. Juhani was off doing the spying job, and there was no trace of Canderous. Normally he'd wave it off with a good riddance, but they were in far too vulnerable a position for the mandalorian to shoot off his mouth to the wrong people. Still, there really wasn't anything he could do about it.

The loading ramp lowered with a hiss of pressurized air and dust, and they all trudged their way up the ramp.

That was when he checked on Revan again and discovered she was gone.


They sat in a circle in the amphitheater once again, the one place Uthar was certain all the new recruits could actually find. There had been the usual amount of attempted spying and offered alliances and betrayals and whatnot. Nothing but a headache, as it was every year, these children playing their games. The only really noteworthy thing was that Yuthura had spent a couple of hours tutoring the Jedi.

She was turning this into a competition between their chosen candidates, but why? What was she hoping to gain out of this? Was she trying to go over his head, show the regional governor she could do his job better than he could? It was hard to say.

"We are all here for your first test, which is to dispel a few of the more stupid myths regarding the Sith. Firstly, that the true measure of strength is the capacity for violence." He glanced at Sharadan briefly, who looked back at him nonplussed. Idiot. "To prove to you that this is not the case, your first test is a debate, a competition to see which of you is clever and smart enough to convince your fellows of your position. The topic is the Sith Code. Who can recite it for me?"

Lashowe started to recite it immediately, but a quick look silenced her. "Speak when spoken to by a master, or you will not last long among us. Now, Lashowe, if you would . . ."

She looked back at him twice to make sure she was permitted to speak, then spoke, her confidence clearly shaken. Still, she made it through despite the added pressure, which was something, he supposed. It wasn't like it was particularly difficult to member.

"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."

"Very good. Now, who would like to begin and explain for us what it means?"

Not surprisingly, nobody offered to stick their neck out after he'd stepped on Lashowe. Yawn. "You, Mekel. Explain the first line."

"P-peace is a lie, there is only . . . only passion." He looked at Uthar uncertainly, who waved a hand for him to continue. "Well . . . peace is, ah, emptiness. Blankness. Death. Passion is what moves us, what, er, what changes us. Yes, it forces us to change, to grow and evolve. So true peace is a lie, because . . . because if we were truly at peace, we would be dead, individually, and as a civilization."

"Oh? And is that our law, Mekel?"

The student shook his head quickly, relieved to be confident of an answer. "No, Master. It is the law of the universe."

Not brilliant, but a solid analysis. He nodded approvingly. "Shardan, the second line." He was curious what the sociopath would make of it.

"Through passion I gain strength. Passion is what motivates us, what drives us to achieve. Without motivation, a reason to succeed, there is no strength."

"Lashowe, can you add to his explanation?"

"Of course, Master. Um, like Mekel was saying, passion drives conflict, and through conflict, through struggle, we become stronger. Caring about something, and especially the darker emotions like anger, passion, and fear, they drive us to fight, and fighting for it makes us stronger."

Uthar frowned slowly, then turned back to Shardan. "I will give you a chance to redeem yourself. The code says that passion gives strength. The Jedi say that peace gives strength. Yet though we are winning, and will win, this war, there remain some Jedi that could tear you apart with hardly a look, whatever your anger. How can both be true?"

Shardan struggled again, and Uthar was about to turn away when he burst out with an answer all in a rush. "Because they are relying on passion. It's just, it's not their own. They try really hard to get strong in order to help other people, instead of themselves, but they're still fighting, still struggling."

Uthar considered this, then nodded again. "Well put. The next line is 'through strength I gain power.' Mikaeda, what is the difference between strength and power?"

The twi'lek looked at him closely, trying to weigh the need to look weak with losing too much prestige with the Masters. She hesitated, then appeared to make the usual decision to appear clever but physically weak. "Strength is the personal ability to take charge and make decisions, a goal, a vision. Power is the ability to make those decisions and goals happen in reality."

Surprisingly sophisticated. Perhaps he was underestimating her. He passed it off with a mental shrug. "Jane, what do you make of the next line?"

The woman hadn't moved once during the test, sitting perfectly still, cross-legged with hands on knees, beneath her cloak and mask. Even now she did not move as she spoke. "Through power I gain victory. This is clearly false."

Uthar glanced sharply at her, surprised. Where was she going with this?

"Victory is often won through chance, a fluke, a stupid decision that proved to be the right one. When the code speaks of victory, then, it is perceived victory. Others will not believe a victory is legitimate unless you have the apparent strength, the apparent power, to win it. This is even more true internally. Often people do not believe they have won a battle long since over until they can show themselves they had the power to do it. More applicably, the code is teaching us how to become a Sith in our own minds. We cannot believe we have won the victory unless we believe we have the power, and we cannot believe we have the power to win unless we believe we were strong enough to win, and we cannot believe we are strong enough to win unless we believe passionately enough in what we are striving to do and become."

Silence. A pause, while everyone worked through that thought, including Uthar and Yuthura. He'd never really considered the code in quite that manner, before. It did make sense, though it seemed to hint at a far more introspective, far more self-critical utilization than he'd ever heard discussed before. He gave himself an internal shake. Time to consider it later, though he couldn't help but cast a pleased glance at Yuthura, who looked as contemplative as he. Let's see what your candidate can do then, hmm? The others looked disturbed, but they were irrelevant.

"And you, Juhani, the next line?"

For once, the Jedi looked comfortable. Yes, they had their cute little (carefully monitored and controlled) philosophical debates all the time, she would be familiar with this sort of thing. The cathar cleared her throat. "Through victory, my chains are broken. The chains represent our restrictions, both those placed upon us, and those we place upon ourselves. The goal of any Sith is to free herself from all such restrictions. It means that we cannot rely on others to save us, that only our own strength is sufficient. Help from others is tantamount to defeat, to chains."

How underwhelming. "You've each had a moment, then. The final line is, 'the Force shall set me free.' What does it mean? You may speak freely." He leaned back and crossed his arms.

Lashowe glanced at Jane for a moment then waded back in, trying to make up for lost ground. "It means that the Force is what makes us different from other people, what makes us better than other people. It is what turns our passion into strength, and our strength into power to find victory and win freedom."

The Jedi shook her head. "I think you are mistaken . . . I mean, you are quite wrong."

Well at least she was trying.

"It says that only the Force can set us free. Right there, in the code, it says that it is not we who can set ourselves free, it is only the Force that can free us. We are not the Force's master, but its servants."

Uthar glanced at Yuthura curiously, but her face was blank. This argument was one of the Jedi's favorites, but it was also completely contrary to her explanation of her assigned line. Was the fool really making a break into the open and trying to take them all on, arguing as a Jedi against them all as Sith?

Another silence. Mekel opened his mouth a couple of times but apparently couldn't come up with something to say. Uthar had all the usual counterarguments, of course, but he couldn't be sure if Yuthura was trying to maneuver him into something, so he held his peace, relying on the other students to sound out any landmines Yuthura might be laying for him.

"That . . . that can't be right. The Force is our tool, our means to power. Surely, you can't be a servant to your own strength . . ." Lashowe spoke hesitantly, once again charging in with more courage than sense.

Juhani shook her head. "Each line in the code speaks of our own strength, our own power, but the last line is different. It does not speak of us as the one that acts. It is the Force that makes us free; we have but to accept it, to receive it. The Force is the actor, not us."

That shut down the human.

Mekel took a shot. "But it says the Force shall set me free. It's like a promise, something solid you can count on. It's not like the Force can choose whether to save you or not, right? I mean, if a servant of yours does something for you, it still counts as you doing it. Like, Lord Malak might not have pulled the trigger on the turbolaser batteries that destroyed Taris, but it was still him that won that battle."

Juhani turned on him. "Perhaps, but that argument only works when you are capable of doing what you ask others to do for you. If you are forced to rely on something you can never do for yourself, then you remain within its power. If gravity holds you down to the planet then you cannot fly, no matter how many starships you construct to get around the problem. You are avoiding it, looking for outside assistance, because you cannot overcome it. The code says we must seek outward to be set free, because it cannot be found through individual power."

Nobody else was willing to step forward. Uthar glanced at Jane, hoping for some sort of response. His chosen candidate couldn't be out of it after just a single shot, could she? His jaw tightened slightly as she held silent and he opened his mouth to speak when she finally said something.

"You speak as a Jedi, but you refuse to follow the argument to its end."

The cathar frowned, facing Jane directly for the first time. "What do you mean?"

"The Jedi say there is no passion, there is serenity. They argue against struggle, even a hopeless struggle, for freedom. Why?"

"Because we are already free."

"And that is the lie. You argue that you are already free, that there is no need to struggle or fight. You have already become all that you are, all that you can be. Conflict, struggle, drags you down, it does not lift you up. You were the greatest you will ever be at birth, unmarred by this universe, and your only desire is to return to that state of innocence for the Force to intervene and save you."

The cathar moved almost imperceptibly, bothered by this description, but uncertain of any point of attack. "That . . . that can't be right. Surely, we must still strive to grow, to learn, to become more than we were, if only to help others weaker than ourselves."

The other students, Uthar noted, were all watching the two of them in fascination.

"Struggle against what? Struggle for what? As you said, our struggle is ultimately pointless, as strong or weak, only the Force can set us free from our weakness and limitations. There is nothing we can do to make any difference. So what is the point?"

The Jedi hesitated, uncertain, before turning the question back around. "If you agree that we cannot save ourselves, then why do you struggle? Why all of this about passion and strength and power, if it is all for nothing?"

Jane's voice continued with its level, relentless train. "To be Sith is to struggle. The Code is plain. It speaks of our desires, our struggles, and then it tells us that in the end, we are powerless. The Jedi Code says that we are already free, that we have nothing to fight for. The Sith Code tells us that that is a lie. We are not free. We are slaves."

Juhani gasped, and Yuthura looked startled, which was a huge tell coming from her. Well, whatever her move had been here, it seemed Jane had turned it on its head, which made this little exercise more than worth it in its own right.

"What?"

"Only the Force can set us free, thus, we are slaves to the will of the Force. To be Sith is to recognize that the chain exists, that only through victory are our chains broken. And yet, the only victory is to gain all power over ourselves, to become Sith no longer, but Sith'ari, which we have not achieved. The Sith are slaves fighting for freedom. We use the Force as our tool in the same way the Force uses us as its tools while we struggle endlessly in a vain pursuit of the freedom that comes from perfection.

"But . . . but if you truly cannot win, then why fight it? Why not submit yourself to the will of the Force?"

For the first time a hint of sardonic emotion entered into Jane's voice. "Why argue for the Jedi in a room full of Sith? Because we refuse to back down even to the inevitable. We refuse to be slaves, even to the Force."

Uthar stood. "Enough. Some of you have made good points here today, and I hope all of you have begun to realize the importance of ideas and perspective. There is more to strength than the ham-fisted waving about of force lightning. Now go and prepare yourselves for your next trial."


Uthar and Yuthura watched each other closely at their usual evening meal. Neither ate a bite. After nearly a full minute of silent staring, Uthar sighed and shook his head. This was getting nowhere. "Are the tombs prepared?"

Yuthura nodded. "Yes. That idiot Brakis tried to hang onto Ajunta Palls sword, claiming he never made it that far into the tomb, but Instructor Davies managed to . . . persuade him to part with it. It's been put back. The assassin droid came in last week and has been prepared in the usual way. Oh, and the hermit demanded an extra two reject students as payment for coming back, but it's been taken care of. It's all set."

Uthar blinked. This was all so wrong. Yuthura's attitude, her Force aura, everything told him that she was his enemy. But the one thing she wasn't doing was fighting him in any way. She was up to something, and it was going to be bad, but what? She certainly wasn't above having him killed if it would advance her plans, but nothing she'd done put him in any danger. So far, at least. He forced a smile onto his face they both knew was a lie and ended the meeting.


Juhani stood in the dust of the huge Valley of the Sith Lords, doing her best not to make the itching worse by rubbing the sand in her fur. Yuthura hadn't visited her last night or this morning, which was probably a bad sign. On the other hand, if she wasn't speaking with her, she could hardly force her to participate in the murder plot, so that was something, she supposed. She turned with the other students as Master Uthar arrived. He didn't seem to enjoy the dusty heat any more than they, and got straight to the point.

"Good morning, initiates. As we discussed yesterday, the Sith way is all about personal empowerment and growth. Therefore, the next stage of your trials will be less . . . structured. Around you lies the Valley of the Dark Lords. Four tombs lie here, that of Ajunta Pall, Marko Ragnos, Tulak Hord, and Naga Sadow. A challenge for you lies within the first three. Do not enter the fourth on pain of death."

Uthar looked at them each in turn, ensuring they took him seriously, then nodded and continued on.

Within each of these tombs lies a challenge that will gain you great prestige. Ajunta Pall possessed a powerful blade. Bring it to me. The tomb of Marko Ragnos has been taken over by a rogue assassin droid, which slows our study the tomb. Get rid of it. The tomb of Tulak Hord contains ancient Sith teachings on stone tablets. Bring them to me. These will be the main sources of prestige."

He waived expansively around the valley. "Beyond that, there are many opportunities to earn prestige. Speak with the other instructors, who will be your teachers once you have been chosen as a Sith and they may have more opportunities to gain prestige. That is all. May the Force serve you well."

The Sith master turned and walked back to the academy without another word, leaving the students both surprised and uneasy. That was it? Just, go do things? Juhani gave up and scratched at a particularly bothersome clump of sand. This was very . . . very strange. The students here had almost no structure, no guidance. It was so very different from the Jedi, where every step was considered, every trial prepared for and practiced. This was . . . she wasn't used to this much freedom.

Jane turned and started walking towards the tomb of Marko Ragnos. Juhani hesitated, caught in indecision without more guidance. It seemed foolish to charge straight in to the tomb of a Sith Lord of all things without at least some sort of study or preparation. And yet, she couldn't fall behind or her mission would become a failure. She stood a moment longer, paralyzed, then grimaced as Lashowe broke into a job after her. That decided it, and she broke into a sprint after them.

Unfortunately, her indecision ended up costing her. Jane stalked through the entrance to the tomb, Lashowe hot on her heels, but the human woman wasn't content to let anyone follow them in. She reached out with the Force and pulled hard on the propped up stone door, sending it slamming down with a thud that reverberated throughout the entire valley.

She looked around for some sort of mechanism or help, but there was no sign of the other hopefuls, and the nearest Sith was a distant shaped bent over archaeological work. There was nothing for it but to try to lift the thing, but she'd never lifted anything this big before. She'd never lifted anything half this big before. Back in the Jedi, she'd have been soundly reprimanded for attempting it without close supervision, and probably without working up to it with a series of smaller things. Unfortunately, there really wasn't time for that now. If she didn't want to fall behind, to fail, then she had to do it, and she had to do it now.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her combination of nerves and excitement at attempting something so bold, and sat down on the ground in her accustomed meditation position. It took a while to achieve the proper state of mind, but then she was ready.

It was a strange feeling. It felt like . . . like she was supposed to wait for something, someone to tell her to begin, or signal that it was time, but there was nothing to do, nothing to wait for. So she reached out with the Force, carefully feeling the edges of the huge stone slab. The good news was that it was a door, after all, designed specifically so that it could move. Well . . . may the Force be with me. And she lifted.

The door groaned, grinding away as her whole body strained to pull that hard on the Force. Millimeter by millimeter she forced it open, driving it back. She started to sweat with the strain, but she rose to the challenge, both relieved and elated to have something she could actually do on this mad world. At last, the stone yielded to her and slid open, leaving only a quick pull on the wooden support beams to wedge them back into place.

The Jedi opened her eyes to see what she had wrought, and couldn't help but grin. I did it! I . . . I was not sure I could, but this . . . wow! And, though she repressed the thought immediately, she couldn't help but note that she wouldn't have been allowed to attempt that for years back home, maybe even until she was a master.

And then she was on her feet and pressing forward, a little more confidently than before.