Thanks for the review, MistiWhitesun.
It is creepy to learn that there are other stories that are somehow similar to this. This story comes from an idea I've had for years, and I thought it was such a crazy idea nobody would write anything like it! I'll have to check those out, but I really doubt they are going in the same direction as this one. That would be truly insane. If the resemblance is just in the bringing people back to life, I've seen so many stories using the idea (including the Dark Empire comics and the novels with Callista) that I didn't think it would matter if the concept was used.
I apologize for any confusion. Sometimes I get a little carried away. The dash thing is something I will try when I figure out the weird editing features here.
Just to clear up any confusion, the people in the training center referred to by Sith ranks (Lord This and Lady That) aren't really Sith, though they use the same custom of changing their names and having titles. Of course some of them think they're Sith, but they are actually more of a watered-down version that was originally created as an experiment in organization and training methods at the Shadow Academy. The only traditional Sith in this story are from canon.
"Lady Cynaiad?" She whirled to face the speaker, the sleeve of her robe scattering the sliced remains of some unidentifiable small creature.
Melanc jumped back to avoid the debris, his lip curling slightly in disgust. One never wanted to get too close to the results of Kivyan's favorite hobby. Rumor had it that some of the things in various states of dissection lying about her quarters were once sentient, still living, or both of the above.
"What?" she demanded impatiently. "If I've told Agwara once, I've told her a thousand times to keep you pathetic, sniveling larvae out of my way. This had better be something important for once."
It wasn't bad enough that Brakiss had seen fit to saddle herself and her apprentice with a pack of useless idiot trainees during their time at the Shadow Academy. Their new superiors had dumped even more of the mindless garbage at their doorstep.
Thankfully, she wasn't required to take any part in their training and could leave that infuriating little task to Agwara. However, somehow they always managed to interrupt her when she was most absorbed in her work.
Melanc glared resentfully, then caught himself and returned to the standard blank expression that most tried to retain in dealing with Gir Kevian. It was impossible to actually look friendly towards her, but outright disgust could get a person in deep trouble.
"I've been sent to inform you that our group will be receiving a small number of new students."
He handed her a datapad displaying a list of names. Delbin Jaresh, Varsha Amethar, Taveiran Kehere, Orinda Rhywan. She hurled the datapad back at him, and he yelped as the transparent screen shattered, leaving tiny shards embedded in his arm.
"Leave. Now!" she spat, and Melanc scrambled out the door.
Cynaiad could not believe this. Why should she have to deal with traitors and juvenile delinquents, along with all of these other incompetent washouts?
She and Agwara were already the dumping ground for seemingly the majority of trainees too stupid to be trained elsewhere. The last thing needed was this.
All of the students on that list were involved in that inept escape attempt that had taken place a few days ago. Kehere and Jaresh had been well-known creators of trouble long before then. Now she would be forced to deal with them.
They would stay far away from her if they know what was good for them; they should have been executed on the spot after their little stunt.
She disliked the idea of more students at any rate. The ones already present occupied the majority of her apprentice's time, and caused her to behave strangely on occasion.
Lady Agwara was normally the picture of competence and obedience. Unfortunately, she had some quirks that had made Cynaiad nervous for most of the time they'd been acquainted. The last truly disturbing incident had occurred a long time ago, but Cynaiad had not forgotten.
This increase in the number of trainees bothered her. She knew they were likely to be more loyal to Agwara than to herself. While they were, in her opinion, weak and stupid on the whole, nevertheless she didn't like being so outnumbered.
She resolved to think this through more fully later, and returned her concentration to her work.