"Wait here, Khem. Come only if I call."

Mordivai left the clearing and headed down the jungle trail. He had to step over a fallen sign which read, "Keep our trails clean!" followed by another one roughy tacked to the first that said, "Trail CLOSED by Imperial Order DEL-5693. Department of Leisure." The ground was spongy and damp, and already overgrown with briars, so Mordivai proceeded carefully. He had drawn his lightsaber and had pulled back his hood for better visibility. Rain pelted his head and dripped down the back of his neck. He wasn't sure if coming here was wise, but when dealing with the Sith, it was better to face problems head-on. If someone was looking to challenge him, they would find him another way, and next time perhaps without the advanced warning.

He moved as quietly as he was able while scanning the surrounding vegetation. He reached out with Force power to see if he could sense his opponent, and simultaneously tried to mute his own. The trail eventually ended at an overlook with a few picnic tables and a partially broken fence designed to keep hapless hikers from falling down into the valley. Mordivai stopped and performed a slow turn. He saw no one, felt no one.

A rustle from above startled him and he tumbled out of the way just as a figure leapt at him from one of the trees overhead. With a blur, Mordivai dodged the whirling blade of a double lightsaber, and caught the sight of a red face covered in tattoos before he was immediately forced to parry another strike. Mordivai struggled to keep the advancing Sith off of him, but his mind was a buzz with secondary thoughts. Who would want him dead? Not Zash surely. She could have killed him easily and he had barely entered her service. Someone getting revenge on Shastine? It didn't matter. He just wanted to stay alive.

The Sith was using moves Mordivai had never seen or been taught, and Mordivai began to suspect that it was only a matter of time until he was beaten. He opened his mouth to give a shout to Khem when the Sith dropped into a crouch and spun, knocking Mordivai's legs out from underneath him. He fell to the turf with a grunt, his breath pushed clean out of him.

"Good," the Sith said. "Sharp reflexes, solid instincts. I almost didn't even see you enter, you hid your presence so well."

"What?" Mordivai managed.

The Sith tossed back his hood and Mordivai stared into the stern face of a Twi'lek. In addition to the tattoos across his face and down his lekku, he also wore the branded markings of a former slave. Mordivai closed his mouth, realizing that he was gaping.

"I have an offer for you."

"You mean you're not trying to kill me?"

"Only testing your mettle. I've been watching you, but needed to see for myself. Who taught you the mind manipulation?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

The Twi'lek put away his lightsaber and took on a more casual stance. "You do it naturally then? Interesting talent. You were able to cloud my mind enough to stay hidden from me as you came down the trail, making you virtually invisible to even Force sight. I am Kryos, one of the overseers at the Sith Academy."

Mordivai got to his feet, a bundle of nerves awakening in his stomach at the mention of the Academy.

Kryos continued. "You survived the insanity of the Sith temple, and you took it upon yourself to rid us all of that annoying piece of fluff, Shastine. Congratulations, by the way."

"You know about that?"

"I make it my business to know. Mordivai, I would like to offer you a place among the ranks of the Sith assassins. You have already started on the path, and with advanced training, I can teach you to become unstoppable."

"I am already apprenticed to Lord Zash."

Kryos chuckled. "Don't worry about Zash. She deserves to have her feathers ruffled every now and then. She won't interfere."

"Will you teach me to use a double-bladed lightsaber?"

"You will get a new blade, and I will teach you move unseen, to better defend yourself and others, and I will show you how to make a clean and silent kill. We will hold your lessons here on Dromund Kaas. What do you say?"

"Are you basically asking me to become a hitman?"

"I see we'll have to work on your moral compulsions. Don't worry. Accepting training from me does not make you beholden to anyone. But you will earn the means to eliminate your enemies with better efficiency and skill."

Mordivai let the silence stretch for a few beats before answering. "All right then. I accept."

Kryos smiled, revealing a set of pointed white teeth within his red face. "Good. We will start tomorrow."

00o00

Mordivai began regular practice sessions with Overseer Kryos, perfecting not only his combat skills with a double-bladed saber, but learning to harness his budding abilities in mind manipulation. Mordivai recalled how he had hidden from the Sith on the Esseles when they had been searching through the passengers, looking for a red-head. He had also slipped into Shastine's manor, right past Ai'lanynn, without her noticing him. Now he was learning to perform these same feats more reliably, and to better fool other Force users. With practice, he was able to cloud minds so effectively that he became nearly invisible for long stretches of time, even while creeping about.

If Lord Zash was put out by his having a new tutor, she hid it well. Unlike most Sith, who openly assessed each other so that they could exploit weaknesses, Zash treated his self-improvements as a boon, praising his progress and musing about ways in which she could use his new skills. She was particularly interested in taking advantage of his proficiencies in subterfuge. So it was that Mordivai was sent away on a mission to far away Balmorra, a war-torn planet that the Empire had lost fifteen years ago to the local separatist faction. The Balmorran government had lost no time in allying themselves once again with the Republic, but that didn't deter Zash from digging up a cover identity and background for Mordivai so that he could travel there unmolested.

Mordivai stood now in a warehouse that had once been a cave, looking out over the wide open floor from his booth high on the cave's southern end. Dozens of Jedi from the Exploration Corps swarmed below, packing flora and fauna samples for shipment back to Tython. They were seeking to determine how the war had affected the environment here on Balmorra, and were particularly concerned with the loss of a few species all within the last ten years. Mordivai had learned more about the ecosystem of Balmorra in these past two weeks than he figured most people did in a lifetime. He soaked up the knowledge, trying to appear interested and trying to play the part. He was after all, supposed to be a Jedi assigned here t oversee the operation, and until his mission was accomplished, he had to keep at bay any suspicion as to his real identity and motives.

If only the Empire hadn't lost Balmorra to the rebels, none of this would have been necessary. The artifact Zash needed this time, however, was hidden perilously close to the Balmorran Arms Factory, deep within a military base. As luck would have it, the ExplorCorps had a research site in the mountains nearby, and so Zash made arrangements for Mordivai to take the place of a new Jedi who had been assigned as warehouse manager for this unit. Mordivai was not privvy to how the real Jedi who had been given the job had been disposed of, and he knew better than to ask. He had also never been trained in infiltration, but Zash assured him that his years spent as a Jedi would make this little ruse easy.

She had way too much faith in him.

It hadn't been easy at all. He hated wearing a dead Jedi's clothes, carrying the man's lightsaber (it had been modified to release a second, hidden blade at the opposite end when activated), and taking over the dead man's old life. He hated the way the other Jedi smiled at him, tried to make polite conversation, or invited him to join them at lunch. He was grateful that the members of the ExplorCorps all had Force sensitivity that was much less developed than his. Otherwise, he was certain that they would have found him out by now. His discomfort with the whole operation had to have been oozing off him in waves.

He was almost done, thankfully. He'd pinpointed the location of Tulak Hord's lost artifact and had made arrangements with the medical staff here to have him properly outfitted against the harsh environment which he would have to enter. The artifact had been buried in a vault which had been converted into a toxic waste pit. He had had some explaining to do as to why he needed to enter such a place, but he gave out what tiny shreds of the truth that he could. Lies were easier that way. He was on an errand for a scholarly Jedi on Coruscant, who was seeking an ancient text on the burial practices of some long dead civilization. Mordivai didn't want anyone else growing curious about this artifact which he was so determined to obtain, and so he hoped his explanation sounded mundane.

There was a knock on the door and a Jedi youth with a massive cowlick across his forehead entered.

"Where would you like these reports, Master Cale?"

"On the table is fine. Sort each set into those bins."

The Jedi nodded and began organizing the holodiscs. Mordivai continued to stare out the window. He had been eyeing the same person working down below for some time now, he realized, and suddenly he knew why.

The woman looked like Zayla.

Mordivai felt his heart pick up pace, both with excitement and dread. Was it really her? Her blonde hair was shorter now, but she had the same, familiar habit of tossing it back with her hand and hooking it behind her ear. Her injured arm, which had been removed at the elbow the last time Mordivai had seen her, had been replaced by a cybernetic one. She used it effortlessly, as if she had had many years of practice getting used to it. She was working fast, chatting occasionally with the Jedi next to her, and pausing to mark down crate numbers on a datapad. She looked happy. She had gotten her dream of being a member of the ExplorCorps after all.

Mordivai had so much he had wanted to say to her. Was it worth giving away his identity? That would be foolish, surely, and years had passed. It was likely that she had forgotten him by now.

Given the rustling sounds, the Padawan behind him was getting ready to leave. Mordivai had to make a decision. Once the opportunity was gone, he would probably never see Zayla again.

"Wait," he called to the Padawan.

"Yes, Master Cale?"

"Will you please...uh, there's someone I need to speak to down there. Zayla? Do you know her?"

"Of course," he answered. "I'll send her right up."

Mordivai turned away, his stomach roiling so badly that he felt a little sick. Would she be angry with him? He had so much to apologize for. Would she denounce him? Could he trust her?

He fidgeted nervously at the window, finally deciding to pull up his hood. He needed her fully inside the room, with the door closed, before he showed her who he was.

He heard her approach on the stairs outside, then the sound of the door unlatching and pulling open. He could feel her presence behind him. She was curious and a bit concerned. Perhaps she thought he'd caught her doing something wrong.

The door clicked shut behind her.

"Master Cale? You wanted to see me?"

Mordivai turned away from the window. "Thank you for coming," he quietly.

Her face was a mess of scars crisscrossing her cheek and chin. She held her hands clasped together, her whole hand lightly covering the cybernetic one. It was more like a claw and had only three fingers. No one would have called her pretty, not anymore. Mordivai felt his heart leap at the sight of her anyway. He would have given anything to see her smile again.

"You know my name but I don't think we have met." She peered into his hood.

There was no backing out now. In a few moments, he would have all his questions answered, for good or for ill. There was no point in prolonging the anguish any longer.

Mordivai pulled back his hood and let it fall against his back. "Do you remember me, Zayla?"

Her eyes widened and her good hand flew to her mouth. For several long seconds nothing happened. Then, finally, she spoke.

"Mord?"

She took a step closer, and then a smile, oh yes, that smile that Mordivai remembered so well, spread across her face.

"It is you! Oh my stars...Mord, I thought you were dead! I'd heard about Master Gatten, and I thought...but weren't you captured by the Imperials?"

"Master Gatten is dead, just like you heard. I saw…" He paused, startled by the lump that had appeared in his throat, "I saw it happen."

"Oh. Mord, I'm so sorry. We all were. And Master Praven too? I'd only heard about him, but you know," she smiled, almost wistfully, "….everyone knew Master Praven."

"Master Praven was captured. I don't know what happened to him." Mordivai stared at the floor, trying not to think about Praven's unlucky fate. He was certain that by now Praven had suffered a gruesome and protracted death. Mordivai cleared his thoughts, trying to focus. The conversation was venturing into dangerous territory and he needed to redirect it fast.

"I brought you here because there's something I've been wanting to tell you."

"There is?"

"I just...I wanted to say I'm sorry. About, you know, that day. And...everything that happened. I never should have kept you out by the ruins for so long. If we hadn't got talking...and...and everything...then-"

Zayla was shaking her head. "I don't blame you for what happened. I take full responsibility for my actions too, you know. I asked you to come. We made our mistakes, Mord, but what happened is over. And besides," she paused and gave him a smile that turned his legs to water, "you saved my life out there that day."

"You're not angry?"

"No, why should I be? Now we've both got scars." She shrugged and gestured at her face and hand, looking away quickly after. Mordivai realized that she was self conscious about her appearance. It pained him to see.

"I still think you're beautiful."

She laughed and poked her toe at the floor. "Thanks, Mord. I appreciate that."

"I mean it, you know." He did. To hell with her scars and her hand. He'd take her in his arms right now and show her just how serious he was if decorum allowed it.

She sensed the shift in the conversational mood and he could tell that she was growing nervous. She changed the subject.

"So…" She studied him, her face growing thoughtful. "...what about you? Where have you been all this time? How did you escape?"

Mordivai could see that this conversation was still far from over. Why hadn't he thought this through?

"I didn't escape."

"Did the Empire...did they let you go?"

She still didn't understood, Mordivai realized. Her face grew distant, her mind working on the details, hammering them one by one into place. Then he felt a chill come over the room.

"There's a reason you never came back to Tython then." There was a pause, and when Zayla spoke again, her voice came out meek and small. "You're not a Jedi any longer, are you?"

Mordivai couldn't bring himself to utter the words. He watched her expression change.

Zayla clapped her hand over her mouth again and shook her head as if to clear the thought away.

"Mord...why are you here? Are you...are you a spy? Was there a real Master Cale? No, I don't want to know any more about this." She took a step backwards and shot a glance at the door.

"I didn't have a hand in that. I swear to you. What happened to Master Cale was already done before I even knew of it."

Her whole demeanor had changed. Gone was her smile, her light-hearted, nervous laugh. She radiated shock now, and fear. That was the worst part. She was afraid of him.

"I did what I had to do. You don't know what it was like...what they did…" What I did, he added to himself. How could he ever explain? He felt angry, suddenly, angry at how little she knew about the galaxy. How could she judge him?

She had started for the door.

"Zayla." His voice came out sounding stronger than he'd intended. He lowered it a bit and tried to sound calm. "You won't say anything, will you?"

She stared at him wide eyed, and he saw her eyes flicker to the lightsaber on his belt and back up again.

"I'll be gone in a day or so," he continued. "I'm not here to hurt anyone. But I need you to be quiet. My life depends on it. Do you understand?"

She nodded and her voice came out as barely a squeak. "Can I go now?"

"Of course," Mordivai said. He watched her go. The door latched shut and he was overcome with shame and regret. This is not how he had pictured his apology going. He hadn't expected her forgiveness, but neither had he expected the strength of her fear and rejection when the rest of the truth became known. He was stupid for not seeing it now.

He slumped into a chair, hating himself more than ever.

00o00

After retrieving the artifact the following day, Mordivai headed straight to his ship and prepared to leave Balmorra behind. He stripped out of the Jedi robes as he was crossing the hangar, and threw them in a nearby waste chute, along with the lightsaber as well. It felt wrong to waste a fine weapon, but keeping it felt worse. He didn't want any part of that Jedi's death on his hands.

A good long shower is what he needed, something to erase the chemicals of the toxic vault and the slime of the collicoids off of him. He got the ship into hyperspace as fast as he was abe and then spent the next half hour in the refresher. He didn't think any amount of water would ever get him clean enough.

When he came out, he saw the holoterminal was blinking with a saved message. Zash, no doubt, already eager for his report and ready to send him on to the next world. He hadn't been lying when he told people he was an errand boy. He had, literally, killed to secure this job with Zash, and now all she wanted him to do was fetch things for her that she was too lazy to find herself. He didn't buy for a minute her claim that these artifacts would make him more powerful than ever. No Sith gave away power to another. No, these artifacts would be for her benefit alone. Mordivai may have not worn a slave collar any longer, but he recognized the feel of slavery just the same. He was trapped in this new life as a Sith, just as he had been trapped at the Sith Academy and trapped in Lord Shastine's service. When would he ever be free of it all?

He hit the button on the holoterminal and started to walk away. He stopped as soon as he heard the voice. It wasn't Zash.

Zayla's image hovered in the air over the terminal, almost life-sized. She looked apologetic and sad.

"I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday, Mord. I'm not angry and I don't hate you for what you've done. I want to help you. Come back to Tython and you can start over…"

Her words blended into a meaningless jumble. Mordivai didn't care to hear the rest. He could never go back to Tython. He could never be a Jedi. That life was over and gone. Zayla didn't understand at all. He shut off the message and wandered to bed for an early sleep, feeling more weary than he had in weeks.

A/N: So I think I mentioned that I started this story a good while back originally, before setting it aside and then taking it up again. Overseer Kryos used to be the NPC you spoke to on the Fleet as an Inquisitor when it was time to choose your advanced class. He's since been removed.

Thanks for reading, and Happy early Valentine's Day!