Survival of the Fittest
Jaira answered the holocall from Ventress and a holo-image of the Sith Assassin appeared in front of her.
"Greetings Ventress, how goes the Initiates?" Jaira asked, hoping to be impressed by her report but was sadly disappointed.
"Splendidly my lord but there have been a few incidences that I would like assistance with," Ventress revealed, "There have been a lot of Initiates found dead throughout the Academy over the past few weeks."
Jaira growled, "Have you located the perpetrators?" she inquired, hoping for an affirmative answer but got the opposite.
"Not as of yet my lord," Ventress answered, "Very little evidence was left at the murder sites," she explained.
"Very well, I am on my way to Korriban now. Expect my arrival later tomorrow morning," Jaira informed Ventress.
"Of course my lord," Ventress said before the transmission closed and the Assassin turned to the occupants of the room behind her, "Find me those imbeciles" she yelled, sending the team of investigators scrambling to get out of her way.
"Have the Initiates to assemble in the hangar bay by 0600 to greet the Empress upon her arrival," Ventress ordered as she passed the Platoon Leaders who all bowed and called out in unison, "Yes, my lord."
Then they all left to relay their orders to the Platoons under their command with haste and without delay. It did not take long for Kytan to reach the barracks for his Platoon and upon arriving called them all to attention.
"The Empress is on her way here to Korriban. we are all required to assemble at the hangar bay to greet her by 0600," Kytan announced, "If anyone is late or misbehaves they will be dealt with by me accordingly."
The room remained silent as the Initiates under his command continued to stand at attention, "Am I understood?"
"Yes sir!" all six Initiates called out in unison.
"Good," Kytan said before moving on to his private room at the opposite end of the barracks after releasing the Platoon from attention.
"Why do you think the Empress is coming here?" Meko asked no one in particular.
"It probably has something to do with all the dead Initiates that have been popping up all over the Academy," Valaro suggested, "About time too that those responsible learn their place and receive a punishment for the crimes."
"Why would anyone be so stupid as to kill other Initiates and risk getting caught?" Kalei mentioned.
"A fool that's who," Valaro stated.
The next morning, the Sith Initiates were all lined up in assembly formation ready and waiting to greet the Empress to the Academy. The hangar bay was filled with low chatting voices until Ventress entered and everyone went silent for fear of being punished. It was not much longer before a ship landed in the hangar bay causing an even more deadly silence to fall over the Initiates who were all nervous as to what the Empress was doing on Korriban.
"Welcome my lord," Ventress greeted as she knelt down on one knee as the loading ramp of the shuttle dropped and Jaira walked briskly down to stop in front of her.
"Ventress," Jaira greeted stoically as the Sith Assassin rose to her full height once again. The two of them walked alongside each other back towards the main building of the Academy through the rows upon rows of Initiates. Jaira was very impressed by the assembly of her army being there in the hangar bay to welcome her to Korriban. That was until she reached the doors and a single Initiate stumbled through them and then froze on the spot when he spotted Jaira.
"Why are you late?" Jaira asked accusingly as the Initiate fell to his knees at her feet begging for mercy and forgiveness for his tardiness.
"Please my Empress I was ambushed in the hallway by someone," the Initiate begged and as the boy's Platoon Leader approached with his lightsaber ignited.
"Did you not hear me warn you Royaz?" Kytan growled angrily as he was about to strike the Initiate down.
"Stop!" Jaira ordered and the Platoon Leader stopped to look at her, "Bring him with us, his attacker is not here which means another Initiate is not here of their own choice," she added and Kytan followed her order.
Upon reaching the old Dark Council Hall Jaira turned to Royaz and Kytan, dismissing the latter from her presence.
"Now are you sure that you were attacked?" Jaira inquired seriously.
"Yes my lord," Royaz replied confidently looking straight at her enabling Jaira to believe he was not lying.
"Very well, who was your attacker?" Jaira asked.
"I didn't see who it was, I was on the way to the hangar bay and was struck from behind," Royaz explained, "I believe it is possible my attacker was in the hangar bay when you arrived," he added sounding very sure of his theory.
"Oh, and how can you be sure of that?" Jaira inquired.
"Because I left my barracks to get to the hangar bay early, at 1400 hours," Royaz said confidently.
"Very well, you may go," Jaira dismissed him, "Oh and Royaz, if I do find out that it is you who is responsible for these killings then you will be dealt more severely than I was originally planning," she warned with a dangerous tone.
"Of course my lord," Royaz said as he left the hall.
"Is he?" Ventress asked when they were alone once again.
"No, he is not the murderer," Jaira stated confidently without hesitation, "I would like to see the bodies," she informed Ventress who led her to another room down the corridor from the Dark Council Hall.
"All of them are the same," Ventress informed her, "They were killed with a lightsaber impaling through their back and left out in the open," she described as the sheets were taken off the bodies.
"A cowardice attack and these were all model Initiates, this one was a Platoon Leader was he not?" Jaira pointed out as she gestured to the body of a sixteen-year-old boy.
"Yes," Ventress said, "Nikjulak was amazing with a lightsaber and very strong in the Force for one who wasn't born Force sensitive. He was actually about ready to leave to join the main forces of your army."
"I would like to meet his Platoon if you don't mind," Jaira said.
"Of course this way my lord," Ventress said as she led her in the direction of the correct barracks.
As the barracks belonging to this particular Platoon was on the opposite end of the Academy, it did take a while to reach their destination.
"My lords," Naquim greeted them outside the entrance to her Platoon's barracks, "What can I do for you?" she asked.
"We wish to meet your Platoon," Jaira said, "I assume you only just became the Platoon Leader?" she inquired.
"Yes my lord and of course we are at your service after all," Naquim said as she opened the barrack door and entered after Jaira and Ventress. Upon seeing who had entered the barracks the Initiates inside jumped to their feet and stood at attention.
"I was just informed you all recently lost your Platoon Leader to the killings that have been happening," Jaira informed them, "I was wondering if any of you knew anything about what happened?" she asked looking at them all individually. Then when she looked at one of the boys he looked away from her and Jaira quirked her eyebrow curiously.
"What is your name?" Jaira asked looking at him directly with her full attention.
"Kruznul my lord," the Initiate replied.
"You will have to come with us," Jaira said as she turned and left the barracks with the Initiate following behind Jaira and Ventress. When they reached the Dark Council Hall Jaira turned on the Initiate aggressively who went into a state of shock as he tried to make sense of everything that was happening.
"Who is responsible for the death of your Platoon Leader?" Jaira growled.
"I don't know my lord, please?" Kruznul begged desperately.
"I'm sorry but I don't believe you," Jaira stated confidently, "You either are the killer or you know who it is."
"I swear my lord I don't know anything."
"Pathetic," Jaira snarled as raised her lightsaber to strike the Initiate dead and then stopped when he screamed a name.
"Ninom!"
Jaira stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the name and asked Ventress, "Who is Ninom?"
"Ninom is in this Initiate's Platoon, he is a quiet boy but would have no real reason to kill any of the other Initiates," Ventress answered the question.
"So Kruznul you are telling me he is the one responsible for these killings?" Jaira inquired.
"No but he was attacked and managed to escape from whoever it was, he's been gloating for weeks that he saw his face," Kruznul revealed.
"Very well, thank you Kruznul you are free to go and tell Ninom to come here," Jaira ordered and the boy scrambled away and out of the room before she changed her mind. The Empress and Sith Assassin did not have to wait long for Ninom to arrive in the Hall who knelt down in front of them.
"You requested my presence my lords," Ninom said calmly.
"We have received information that you saw the perpetrator that is responsible for these deaths," Jaira informed him of the situation.
"I don't believe there is only one my lord," Ninom revealed.
"Really?" Jaira inquired, curious to hear what he had to say about the supposed group of individuals.
"Yes I was attacked by more than one person but I only recognised one of them," Ninom said.
"And who is this individual?" Ventress asked.
"Erakite," Ninom said, "He is in Platoon K7 and his Platoon Leader is Morani."
"Very good, thank you Ninom you may go," Jaira dismissed him.
"You will reveal the rest of your group who have been killing other Initiates," Jaira ordered as Erakite was tortured for the information which had been going on for over an hour.
"I don't know what you are talking about?" Erakite spat as the torture stopped for a few moments to allow Jaira to talk to him.
"You know exactly what I am talking about," Jaira said simply, "And you know what? I am sick of all this waiting for you to reveal who your friends are so I think I will just make an example out of you."
"What? No please," the Initiate yelled as he was dragged by two Assassin droids towards a balcony that overlooked where the entirety of the Academy's Initiates had been gathered waiting to see what was going to happen.
"Let this be a warning to all who may think of following in the footsteps left behind by the Initiates who have decided to kill other Initiates to obtain power in my army," Jaira said in a booming voice so it would reach everyone in the audience. Erakite was then beheaded by Jaira's own red bladed lightsaber and his head went toppling down into the crowd below. The observers moved away from the rolling head as if it was infected with a contagious plague and they would die if it touched them.
"Remember this, otherwise you will suffer the same fate," Jaira warned for the final time as she walked back inside and headed straight for her ship which was waiting for her in the hangar bay. Besides the Empress now needed to focus on the next task that required her full attention if her plans were to move forward with precision.
A/N: Sorry about the long cliffhanger, life has been hectic crazy.
Ashlyn Dubreas.