Darth Revan felt it before the ship landed on the crusty, dry earth. A weight, so heavy, so…familiar. Which meant they found it.

Malak followed him off the Republic transport ship out to the valley the charts directed them to. Smooth edifices dotted the edges of the mountains—they were both dwarfed beneath enormous structures. Statues of Sith unknown to even him had been left behind by their builders. They approached a collapsed temple that hugged the mountains beyond. Dark bricks and statues had fallen either due to explosions or by something more…powerful.

Malak's shadow crested his side.

"I sense something in the ruins, Master."

Revan had as well, yet he wanted his apprentice to notice. Two dark shadows were hidden behind the walls of the temple. He raised his hand and Malak stopped walking as he pulled out one of his lightsabers.

The inhabitants must have realized they had been spotted. Two robed figures stepped out from the stone-carved door. Their hoods hid their faces beneath shadow. The shortest one, the Master, led the tall one towards them.

Revan felt the weight again, the cold. Eventually, when they were merely three meters away, they stopped.

"..."

An old man raised his hands before the humming of a purple lightsaber.

"Alright! I know…I know what you seek!"

Revan lifted Jorak Uln and slammed him against the wall with the Force. He didn't kill him though. No. He had his uses.

The night was cold and the valley kept the chill closer to the ground. A robed figure led them through the dark valley with a burning torch. Malak's large feet kicked a rock the size of a gizka. It crumbled into pieces.

"This is a trap."

Jorak chuckled darkly. "A trap? No, I have waited for over thirty years for a Sith Lord to find the Academy. And you have no choice but to listen to me. Exar Kun told me to destroy all of the records he took of the tombs upon his death. Now only I know everything there is to know about the ruins. There are hundreds of tombs within the valley. It would take someone years to catalog all of them. Years for you to find the Star Map."

Malak grumbled to himself. Revan shot him a glance through his mask and his apprentice quieted. He knew that Jorak could have been leading them into a trap, yet he hadn't wanted to say it out loud.

They stopped before an elaborate stonework door. Jorak's shadow flickered over the markings and ancient symbols that had all worn away due to the harsh winds of Korriban. Jorak Uln turned to face Revan. His wrinkled hand that held a burning torch shook.

"Here we are, my Lords."

Revan said nothing to the old man and used the Force on the stonework door. It slowly opened and the two Dark Lords entered the darkness of the Sith Tomb. Once the door closed behind them, Revan took out his lightsaber. The purple light illuminated the chamber.

Statues of ancient Sith lined the walls. Cobwebs and dust painted the ceiling. Rubble littered the ground from the infighting after Exar Kun's war.

"We'll kill that old man after this, right?" Malak's voice echoed, metallic-like due to the bronze edifices. They stepped into another chamber. "He knows too much, Master."

"Knowledge has its uses." Revan didn't bother to face his apprentice as he spoke. "Jorak will lead the Sith Academy as he did during Exar Kun's time."

In the next room, Revan could feel it clearly now. The same sensation he felt when he first stepped foot within the Dantooine ruins. The old man hadn't lied to them. The last Star Map was close.

Malak snorted. "Jorak may have been a great Sith once, but he barely put up a fight. And you want him to be the headmaster of the Academy. Why? He'll betray us in a heartbeat."

Before Revan entered the next corridor, he stopped. He faced his apprentice who flinched at the motion.

"What Jorak knows about the ruins makes him too valuable. And, if he died, Uthar Wynn would take his place."

Malak smirked. "How is that a bad thing?"

He still didn't understand.

"Wynn is ambitious. Foolish ambition isn't what I require on Korriban. I require obedience."

"But a Sith isn't obedient, Master."

"You obey me. Why is that?"

Malak's face twisted. "I…" He glanced to the side. "You…because…"

"Your ambition requires obedience due to your weakness. Someday you might take my place if you have the strength. Not today."

Revan turned and continued through the endless halls of the tomb. He could hear Malak's heavy footsteps behind him.

"And if Wynn decided to take Jorak's place? If the Master is weaker than the apprentice, how can one be obedient then?"

Revan stopped and felt a tingle within the Force. A wave of…betrayal. He stared in silence at their wavering shadows. Then, he turned and Malak's face twisted as Revan marched closer. So close that, even though Malak towered over him, he could sense the fear he felt after the mistake of revealing his intentions. Instead of punishing his apprentice, Revan felt a smile curve his lips.

"It would be a mistake."

Malak let out a shaky, angry breath.

"Why?"

"You know the answer, Malak."

"Because…you're not…" His eyes glowed yellow. "You're not…weak."

After a millennia seemed to pass, Revan turned and continued down the hall.

"Don't let foolish ambition blind you to our goal. We must find and use the Star Forge to take the Republic. I will do it with or without you."

Silence.

"Yes, Master."

Revan felt another weight on his shoulders as the shadows of ancient Sith statues passed over him as they continued through the tomb. This was why he had to remain vigilant. One sign of weakness, one moment, one opportunity, and Malak wouldn't hesitate. If his apprentice wanted to take his place before this war had even started, Revan would have to kill him first.

It's not your fault, you know?

Revan felt his foot skip. He righted himself again as they entered the next corridor. They finally arrived. The large hall led to a grand, empty chamber. In the center, the Star Map lay dormant. Revan tilted his head back at his apprentice.

"Jorak chose obedience today. Smart." He strode up to the control panel. "And in the tomb of—"

A hand grabbed my arm. A rush of wind and I was on my feet, pinning my attacker against the wall. Weapon—where was my weapon? The Force would do—

"Wes, kriffing, it's me, let go!"

Carth. It was Carth. My vision cleared. His eyes narrowed at me with suspicion and concern. I blinked a few times then relaxed, closing my eyes. Finally, I released the pilot and staggered back, rubbing my face. That…wasn't like me at all. The room shook and wavered around. It took me a moment to process what I had witnessed.

"What happened?" I could see the concern still written on his face. "What did you remember?"

I blinked as I tried to recall and make sense of the images.

"...the Star Map is…"

I stopped.

"Wes?" I sensed him in front of me. "What's wrong? You have to tell me what—"

"I'm going to kill him." My teeth clenched. Malak followed through with his betrayal. How foolish. Normally, I would have felt nonchalant about it. It's what Sith did after all. Betray each other. Yet, a deep part of me felt enraged. It was nonsensical. "Malak will die for what he did. I'll make sure of it."

Carth frowned. I could see something shine in his eyes. Fear? Or…no, he wanted to hurt Malak just as much as I did. He didn't want to say it, of course, but there was still this hesitation with him when it came to agreeing with me. He let out a long sigh—then rubbed the back of his neck while looking off to the side.

"Look…I know it's…just, you have to tell us what you saw. We're approaching Korriban. Mission and T3 changed the designation of the Ebon Hawk so the Sith shouldn't jump us as soon as we leave hyperspace but…"

"They could recognize me."

"I mean, yeah, all things considered. Sure, Revan wore that mask all the time but you also have a bounty on your head." That was true, and I didn't have a lightsaber to defend myself if the wrong sorts tried to claim my bounty. That had to be rectified as soon as possible. "Maybe this time you should—"

"I'm not going to sit around the ship and wait for the Sith to come to me." I opened the door to the fresher. "Don't worry, I have a plan."

"A plan?"

I shot him a look.

That made him go quiet. Finally. I shook my head and entered the fresher. What remained of the mirror reflected my weathered face and hair that knotted over my shoulders. I took out the razor and shaved off the beard, wincing after I accidentally cut the burn scar. As the blood trailed down my cheek, I eyed myself in the broken pieces of the mirror again.

No. Still too…recognizable.

I took out one of Canderous' knives that he stashed in the drawers and eyed the dull edge.

"Nice haircut."

Canderous made that sarcastic comment as soon as I stepped out into the main hold. For once, the cold recycled air brushed over the nape of my neck. I hadn't had a short cut since…well, probably in years. I rubbed my bare neck and shrugged this naked feeling away along with Canderous' comment.

"I tried, alright?" I straightened. "Go get the others. We need to come up with a plan."

"Huh, I suppose you'll be ordering us around now instead of the princess."

I paused—realizing that was exactly what I'd done. I'd given an order as if it was natural and I had expected it to be followed without question. Canderous didn't question it. Of course, why would he?

Five minutes later, Carth, Juhani, Mission, Jolee, and Canderous stood around the holoprojector as we always did before we landed on a planet with a Star Map. HK-47 stood in the corner—I figured the assassination droid would have something useful to say about the Sith world. Even Gil had joined the meeting—Mission held the creature close to her chest.

Fortunately (or unfortunately), this was going to be the last time we would have one of these meetings concerning the Star Maps.

Carth glanced back towards the engine room.

"Verena wouldn't come out."

Canderous snorted. "Cowardly, Echani."

"It's her right," I said. Even though her knowledge would have been useful with what I know now. "I had a dream…a memory…of the Star Map. It's in a tomb, but unfortunately, that doesn't narrow it down. There are hundreds of Sith tombs scattered about the valley. The leader of the Sith Academy, Jorak Uln, knows the location of the Star Map. We'll need his trust if we're going to find it as quickly as possible."

"And how are we going to gain that trust, exactly?" Jolee asked. "Doubt a Sith will listen to a Jedi."

"Well, then you already know what we have to do." I glanced to the side at HK then stared back into the cracks of the wasteland planet. "I will approach Jorak as a Sith."

Carth's expression tightened.

"A Sith?"

I gave Carth a hooded look.

"Yes."

"I'm…not sure if that's a good idea. If they find out what we're up to…"

"They won't. Not if I'm convincing."

"Convincing?" Mission's voice trailed. "You don't mean…"

I took a deep breath. They probably weren't going to like this considering. Hell, I didn't.

"I'll have to do…questionable things or they won't believe it."

A dark glimmer entered Carth's eyes. Jolee raised a white brow. Canderous chuckled darkly.

"I don't see a problem," the Mando said.

Juhani glared at him. "Of course, a Mandalorian doesn't see a problem." Her eyes softened once she met my gaze. "There has to be another way. For me to even contemplate doing awful things…even if it is to get the Star Map…"

I looked her over. She didn't look comfortable with the idea even if it was for the greater good. This was my fault. Why should I ask her to do this?

"You don't have to. You can…pretend to be my slave or something. I can do this alone."

Her lips pursed then her body straightened—confidence gleamed in her eyes.

"No. I…I can do it."

I frowned. She didn't look convinced. Hopefully, she wasn't agreeing because she didn't want to appear scared or "weak."

Jolee had gone quiet. Not a good sign.

"What sort of 'things' will we have to do, hmm?" he finally asked.

"At the least, kill Sith in brutal ways. At worst…I will have to use the dark side. A little."

Jolee's face darkened. "A little. You say that like it's as easy as tying a shoe, kid."

"It's not going to be easy, old man."

"So, you don't have a problem with that? Using the dark side? Even a little?"

I hesitated then looked over the rest of the crew. Their faces were about as concerned as I expected they would be. Maybe, well, yes I did have a problem with it. I didn't want Revan to come back. But what other choice did I have? I wouldn't be convincing otherwise.

"If it's to save Bastila and the galaxy, then no. I don't."

The old man's body sagged. I scanned his wrinkled face. I could feel the lecture coming. But, instead, he sighed.

"Well, at least you're honest about it."

I raised a brow. "You're not objecting?"

"It's as I said, kid. I'm not here to judge. Yet I, for one, will not partake in the dark side even if it's for 'the greater good.' But I will be there to help you."

Alright. It was better than nothing. It was probably a good idea to have someone with a clear head around. I nodded and glanced over at Carth and Mission. Carth still didn't look convinced. In fact he seemed…afraid. Mission actually looked worried. I was more concerned about her than Carth, really.

"Mission?"

Her glazed eyes cleared. "Huh?"

"It's not going to be safe. There will be a lot of dark Jedi—"

"No." Mission's face stiffened. "I'm coming with you. You need my help." I pursed my lips. I wasn't going to deny that I needed help, or that Mission wouldn't be of any help, but I didn't want to lose her like I lost Bastila. If they discovered she wasn't who she said she was… Mission must have seen the doubt in my eyes. "I'll be alright, I promise! It's not unusual for a Sith to have a Twi'lek slave, right?"

"Mission…" That was Carth. "That isn't a good idea. The Sith—"

"He needs all of us, Carth, remember? He—" Gil meeped in her tight grasp. "I…please…I'll be stealthy. They won't know I'm there."

I let out a long sigh. After all that's happened, it wouldn't be right to deny her request.

"Alright." I looked up. "I trust you, Mission."

Her eyes gleamed then she nodded her head with a slight smile.

HK-47 staggered forward.

"Recommendation: I say we instead sneak into the Sith Academy, capture this Jorak Uln, and torture him for information. Statement: It is what you would have done before, Master. Anything more would be a waste of our time."

I cringed. "HK, the leader of the Sith Academy is probably resistant to torture."

"And we're not torturing anyone!" Carth cut in.

HK's lights dimmed. "Observation: You make a good point, Master, although I do wish you would keep your orange meatbag gagged. His fleshy lips are flapping about at an increased rate and I find it quite annoying."

"You know what, I'm not surprised you programmed this demented machine with the kriffing things it says!"

I crossed my arms, ignoring Carth's comment, and looked HK up and down. What he said reminded me…

"HK, do you know anything about the Korriban Sith Academy?"

The droid blinked. "Answer: Unfortunately, not so much, Master. Although, at times you did assign me to one of the hunters that were trained there. Oh, and I hated when you assigned me to a hunter, Master. Those meatbags always slowed me down and we were supposed to take our quarry alive."

I blinked. "Hunters? You mean…Jedi hunters?"

The droid let out an annoyed hiss. "Answer: Yes, Master. Jedi 'hunters.' Correction: No, more like…distractions."

Hadn't that been what Verena was? At least, based on the files we retrieved on Manaan. I didn't know that the hunters had been trained there as well. It made sense—after all, they stole children and took them to the Academy.

The wheels of an idea turned within my head.

"HK, tell me about these Jedi hunters. How are they recruited? Why didn't Revan use Force sensitives instead?"

"Answer: I do not know, Master, you never told me."

Great. I eyed the group and they all looked back at me with puzzled and concerned gazes. While I did say it was Verena's right…I doubt we could navigate the Academy without her help now.

A blaster. I hadn't used one in a long time—before I'd thought it was the only weapon I'd learned to use. Canderous showed me the loot they'd "bartered" from Suvam Tan and most if not all of it were weapons of various quality. I picked up a blaster and weighed it in my hand. Light.

"Arkanian." Canderous nodded. "Good quality. Not the best blaster, of course, but it's the best one here. You can take that."

I frowned. It…didn't feel right. I was used to holding a lightsaber now. No. I had always been used to using a lightsaber. I placed the blaster down with distaste and Canderous raised a brow at me. There weren't any melee weapons except for the two short blades carelessly tossed onto the floor near one of the old Wookiee containers.

I picked them up and hooked the black belt around my waist, the two hilts rested on either side of my hips. I looked up and Canderous nodded again with a slight grin.

We were about to exit hyperspace in five minutes. I had some time to do some convincing.

"Verena?" I knocked on the silver door that led to the engine room. "Verena, we're going to land soon." Silence. I had expected that. T3 beeped up at me and I pointed at the door controls in response. The little droid began to work at the locks and, ten seconds later, the door hissed open.

The Echani sat in the middle of the room, crossing her legs, deep in a trance or meditation. I let out a long sigh as I walked into the engine room—T3 wisely stayed back.

"Verena."

She opened her silver eyes.

"I do not wish to speak to you, Revan."

"Do you remember why you joined us?" She scoffed yet didn't respond. So, I kneeled. She scooted back and I sensed fear within her as I drew closer. "You wanted to know why Revan betrayed you."

Her chest rose and fell as I sensed her fear rise.

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Right, because now you want to atone. Like I do."

That caused fear to be replaced by anger. She shot up from her sitting position and grabbed Yusanis' blade. I stood with her but didn't touch my own blades.

"What do you want? I already said that I'm done serving you."

"The Sith Academy also trains the Jedi hunters." She didn't respond to me after a while so I took that as a yes. "This is your chance. If you help Carth and Canderous infiltrate the hunters, you'll have a chance to stop them from kidnapping more children. To destroy them."

"Why should I? You started this."

"I know. And I want to stop it."

"Ah, I see. Since it all went wrong for you, now you want to seek redemption? Funny."

"You ran away." Silence. Her thin lips shook. I continued. "You didn't help them. You sat back and did nothing. Not until it all went wrong…for you."

She walked up to me with a raised hand. I didn't flinch because even though I could sense her desire to strike, she didn't go through with it. Instead, her thin shoulders fell along with her raised arm.

"You're right." Her gaze fluttered to the ground until her shoulders tightened once again with confidence. "I did nothing. But it's not the Echani way…to seek vengeance."

"It's not vengeance. It's justice."

Her silver eyes met mine. "You said that to us Echani once. First, it was about the Mandalorians. Then it was about the Republic. Now, it's the Sith." The anger was replaced with sadness. Loss. "Look at what 'justice' got you, Revan."

"You'll refuse to help because of me? Because if that's true, you never wanted to be redeemed."

"No. I want to help. I do. But I fear what your help will make us do."

A deep, dark pit grew in my chest. It was fear, I knew, yet I had to push it aside. No emotion.

"So, you'll do nothing again." I tried to calm my voice, but it was hard. "I'm afraid too, you know? I don't know…why I turned. I don't know what to do to prevent it from happening again. But you remember. You know what you did. You have a chance to stop history from repeating itself." My breath became ragged after speaking. "That's why your mother forgave you, right? She believed in second chances."

A light, a realization, flickered within Verena's eyes. Eventually, her grip on Yusanis' blade relaxed. For a long time, she stood there. Thinking. I really hoped that I got through to her. Otherwise, it would all be for nothing.

Then, she walked over to her corner and picked up a mask. It was the same one I saw her wear the first time we met in that alleyway on Tatooine. She placed it over her face and her voice became distorted.

"All hunters that have been properly trained are required to wear this mask. It's one of a kind. I can get them in. But if they learn who I am…they will kill us."

I nodded. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

"No. Not you. For once, you will have to trust me."

She looked down at Yusanis' blade and, without hesitating, she let the blade down, resting it against the wall. I'm sure she felt naked too without her weapon at her side.

The stars melted into view and with it a red, dark planet. Despite the sun being close to the surface of Korriban, there was a shadow that covered most of the world. Or, perhaps, that is what I sensed through the Force. Neither Carth or Canderous made a comment about it as the Ebon Hawk turned towards the barren planet. As we entered the dusty atmosphere, the shadow below only grew until what should have felt hot, scorched, felt cold and icy.

It was, unfortunately, a familiar sensation.

Juhani shivered.

Fortunately, we found a place to land—a small settlement named Dreshdae if the port authority wasn't lying. The settlement sat near the side of a massive valley that scarred the surface. There, the darkness felt the strongest.

Jolee chucked. It wasn't one of his humorous chuckles.

"Yup, this is a Sith world alright."

Canderous, who leaned against the wall at my right, unbuckled, scoffed.

"Mandalore was here once—Mandalore the Indomitable. Mandalore the Ultimate didn't dare go near the place. Said it was cursed like Malachor."

Cursed. That's what it felt like. This place was cursed. Or haunted.

I didn't wait for Carth to put down the landing gears. I got out of my seat and made for the ramp.

"Wes, wait."

Carth called out to me. Everyone ignored him as they made for the ramp. I wanted to ignore him too, but I could sense the unease.

"What?"

"Are you sure about this?"

I studied his concerned expression.

"I don't know. Am I?"

"You weren't being serious back there were you?" He fully turned. "About using the dark side?"

"I told you, Carth, I'm always serious. Now, can we—?"

"Bastila wouldn't want you to use the dark side even a little bit, would she?"

My false, sardonic expression fell. Kriffing…why did this bastard always have to make a point? I huffed, shaking my head.

"Look…we'll worry about that later, alright? If we're lucky, I won't have to."

With that, I left the cockpit and made for the exit ramp.

Dirt blew into our faces after I pushed the button to release the ramp. The smell of ash, dust, and decay hit my nose after the ramp opened up. Below, a Sith officer dressed in a gray outfit looked us up and down as if…unsurprised by our appearance. Beside him were a few lower-ranked officers who gave us a similar look.

Already there was a troop of them. This wasn't going to end well.

Pushing aside the dark feeling, I marched down the ramp, shoulders tight, confident, ramp rumbling with every step. I made sure to wear the old Sith robes I'd taken from the Leviathan just to make sure I looked the part. Everyone followed, even Verena who wore her dark mask to hide her identity.

I walked up to the Sith officer with a stoic, expectant expression. The port authority that stood beside him raised a datapad.

"Huh, I see. So, it really is the, ah, Ebon Hawk, sir. The designation threw us off."

I suppressed a flinch. No…how did he know? Before I blew our cover, the Sith officer that stood next to the port authority spoke to me.

"The Ebon Hawk is a Republic ship. And you're a Jedi."

I straightened and grabbed one of the hilts to my short blades.

"How did you know that?"

"Are you joking? Every bloody Sith in the Empire has been informed about you and this ship." Great. Even worse. They already knew who we were. I sensed everyone else behind me tense as well into fighting stances. Yet, the troop hadn't moved to attack. Instead, the Sith officer waved a hand. "Relax. We were ordered to send any Jedi over to Master Yuthura Ban. As much as I would like to, we cannot collect your bounty ourselves."

I blinked.

"Yuthura Ban?"

The Sith scanned me with cold eyes. He grabbed the datapad from the port authority. As he scanned the datapad, he talked to me as if I was a rat under his boot.

"You're cleared for entry."

"What?"

The Sith passed the datapad over to the port authority.

"I've informed Master Ban of your arrival. If you wish to trespass with your lives intact, I'd go to the Drunk Side and speak with her as soon as possible."

And, with those ominous words, he marched off down the metal halls of the port.

"You should have stayed on the kriffing ship!"

Carth's whispered words shot over my right shoulder. The rest of the crew had gone silent. We'd decided to explore the halls of Dreshdae before making our way to this Yuthura Ban. The halls were pristine. Immaculate. Like the Sith base on Manaan, there wasn't a dust particle misplaced. Almost machine-like. A group of dark-armored Sith soldiers stopped to gawk at us as we passed. Not for long. Their leader yelled insults at them and they fell in line in perfect formation. That's what the Sith were like, after all, inhuman.

HK-47 clanked close behind me. Mission and Juhani had taken the front while Verena hung in the back. Jolee walked at my side. I heard Canderous grunt on my left.

"They recognized our ship, fly boy. It would have only been a matter of time…"

"This is a trap. We could have made up something. We could have lied and said we stole the Ebon Hawk."

"Oh?" Jolee cut in, finally. "Then what would we do after that? How would we get into the Academy and find the Star Map, hmm?"

"Who knows? Anything would have been better than walking into a death trap."

Canderous chuckled. "Well, unlike you, I actually like a challenge."

HK's metal voice cut in.

"Statement: As do I, meatbag."

Canderous snorted. "See? Even the tin can agrees."

"Of course that murderous thing would kriffing agree with you, you—"

"Uuuugh." That had been Mission. She turned back to face us. "Can you guys shut up? Jeez! You're both giving me a headache. We need to actually think of something."

Juhani looked back at us. "She has a point, you know." Then she looked directly at me. "Are we really going to do this? I agree with Carth, we're walking into a trap."

As we continued walking, I felt a strange shift. I'd felt it ever since I woke up…after that vision. No—memory. I crossed my arms, trying to hide my discomfort, yet I don't think either Jolee or Juhani were fooled.

"If this was a trap, they would have attacked us at the space port. What would drawing us out and letting us into Dreshdae prove?"

"Well, they're leading us away from escape, firstly," Carth said. "Secondly, we would have escaped if we were at the space port."

"But that's the thing, Carth…I don't think Yuthura wants us dead."

"Why do you think that?" Juhani asked.

I recalled a memory, one from Manaan. Elassa hadn't tried to fight. No, she tried to convert. Jolee must have known this as well since he wasn't as on edge as everyone else. Even though I could predict what Yuthura wanted to talk about, it wouldn't hurt to have a backup plan.

I stopped and faced Verena. Everyone else stopped with me.

"Verena, you take Carth and Canderous. Try and find a way to get them to join the Jedi hunters. Jolee, Juhani, Mission, and I will pay Yuthura a visit."

The Echani's body scrunched—it looked like she was about to object—yet after I raised a brow at her, she relaxed. She let out a long sigh, disturbing her mask's vocabulator, then waved to the pilot and Mando.

"You two, come with me."

Carth glared at me. "You're already splitting us up?"

I didn't glare back.

"You think it's a trap, right? Wouldn't it be a good idea to split up then?"

"Yes, but I'm not letting you out of my sight, Rev—" Carth stopped himself from continuing as a troop of Sith marched past us, giving us suspicious looks. He cleared his throat and then walked up to me so that he could whisper. "I know that I have no choice but to follow your lead, but I don't trust this place. If I leave you to your own devices, then—"

"Juhani, Jolee, and Mission will stop me then."

"Sure they will—"

I sneered. "If you can't trust me, then at least trust them."

That caused Carth to close his mouth tight. Everyone around us gave both I and Carth awkward stares. This intensity…I knew Carth was still against this whole thing. Yet, why didn't he understand that none of us had a choice here?

Eventually, Carth let out a silent curse and then turned to stomp down the opposite hall. Verena and Canderous had no chance but to follow.

After we parted ways, Juhani, Jolee, and Mission followed me to the place the Sith directed me to with held back scorn. HK-47 gained a few looks of curiosity. This settlement, Dreshdae, had mostly living quarters—we passed signs mentioning "blocks" or "wings." Other than Sith, however, bounty hunters and thugs of all sorts and species traveled about. Merchants set up within specific corridors—hell, I wasn't surprised to see Czerka selling weapons and armor to the Sith.

We wandered in the market corridor, making sure we were within each other's sights, trying to find this damn cantina. Juhani stuck close to my side and behind me, I heard Mission whispering at Jolee.

"I thought Carth stopped…well, stopped being a dumb mynock-face about all this."

"It's as I told you before, kid." Jolee's cracked voice echoed throughout the halls. "He's allowed to be angry considering. His trust was broken. Again. It'll take time."

"Kriff that! How many times do we have to tell him that Wessy's not him anymore?"

"Gale?"

I flinched at Juhani's voice, both because I hadn't heard her call me that in a while and because I needed to pretend that I hadn't been eavesdropping there.

"Yes?"

She was frowning. "I've sensed…well, you've been off ever since we landed."

I raised a brow. "I've been off for a while, Juhani, you'll have to be specific."

"It's…I don't know, it's hard to explain. You're just so…distant."

We passed an Ithorian trader selling exotic goods—still no sign of the cantina.

"Distant?"

"You don't have to suppress your feelings like this, you know? You can tell us when you're uncomfortable." Juhani's yellow eyes managed to meet mine. "Bastila was like that a lot with us too. She rarely told us anything—even though I could sense her unease. If you're still feeling burdened by—"

Fortunately, before she continued and before I could get a chance to deny anything, we stopped. Why? Because a group blocked our path. A Sith instructor with a piercing voice scolded a group of younger humans—students.

"No, no, no." He groaned. "Do you honestly believe that the Sith are in need of such sniveling cowards? Mercy is a weakness. If your leader shows weakness, it is your duty to kill him and show true authority. That is why the Sith are strong." He pointed at one of the students, a young man. "You—kill her."

I unconsciously placed a hand on my hilt. The student stuttered and stared at the blond woman he was directed to kill.

"W-What? No—I—"

Before the poor boy finished his sentence, the woman slashed his neck with a vibroknife. He fell to his knees…blood spilled onto the woman's boots.

The Sith instructor smiled. "Yes, yes, good. You see—that is how a Sith acts in the face of weakness. Five points, Lashowe."

The blond woman, Lashowe, didn't even react. Instead, she ripped off some of the dead hopeful's cloak to wipe off the blood from her knife. Her cold, blue eyes briefly made eye contact with mine. A hand, Jolee's hand, grabbed my shoulder and we went the other way…

I felt a spike of terror. Terror that I would never admit.

We eventually found it. The Drunk Side Cantina. Not a creative name. After I opened the door, there was a shout, and a body collided with the wall next to me. A Mandalorian? The heavily armored Mando coughed and fell to the floor. HK-47 readied his rifle and I pushed it down before he did anything reckless. I sighed. What did we walk into this time? Some more Mandos had vibroblades raised at the ready before…

A pale-and-purple Twi'lek with intricate tattoos looked at the bunch with a scrunched, disgusted expression.

"My Master and I have tolerated your presence here only because you weren't worth the effort. Now you are annoying us. We will not tolerate this anymore. Leave."

A blue-armored Mando, a female from the sound of her voice, growled.

"You touch one of my men again, aruetii, and you will bring on the wrath of Mandalore."

"Mandalore?" The Twi'lek looked past her towards us…for some reason. A smirk lit her face. "I don't see Mandalore around here." The female Mando pounced but before she could skewer the Twi'lek, two red Sith lightsabers blocked her way. The Twi'lek shook her head then "tutted" with amused disappointment. "Nice try. Since I'm feeling particularly merciful today, I will let you leave with your life as long as you and your tribe of drunken barbarians never set foot in Dreshdae and the ruins again."

The female Mando paused in thought, then took a step back.

"Revan hid the mask here. I know it."

That line perked my interest. I stared hard into the back of the woman's helmet. She was a part of one of those Mandalorian groups searching for Mandalore's mask? The Twi'lek unleashed a red lightsaber of her own.

"Is that a no?"

More silence, and based on that silence I knew the Mando wouldn't answer. Without another word, she stormed out of the cantina past us. The one on the ground groaned and as he stumbled to his feet he looked at us. His stare lingered on Juhani for an uncomfortable moment until the female Mandalorian called back after him. He rushed after his leader, bumping into Juhani—hard enough that she almost fell.

The Twi'lek had returned to the bar and upbeat music raged within the small space. There weren't many other aliens in this bar…not a surprise. The two Sith guarding the Twi'lek gave us a sneer as I approached. This must have been Yuthura Ban.

Before I approached, I whispered to Jolee, Mission, and Juhani.

"Probably a good idea if you three stay back…"

Mission crossed her arms. "Stay back?"

"Yes." I crossed my arms as well. "If this is a trap, we shouldn't crowd her."

The old man sighed. "Alright, just be careful, kid."

"Yes, be careful," Juhani parroted.

I shook my head at them as I walked away.

Without waiting for Yuthura to notice me, I collided with the bar stool next to her. The Twi'lek hadn't made a single move after I sat, only took another drink from her glass. I waited for her to acknowledge me, but after a few minutes, it became apparent that she was ignoring me. While I wanted to ask what that deal with the Mandalorians was about, I had more important concerns.

"Are you Yuthura Ban?"

She finally stopped drinking and turned to face me with her thin brow cocked.

"Ah. The neophyte. Got a haircut, I see."

My breath froze along with my heartbeat. I tried to calm my anger as I spoke.

"You know who I am."

"Well, it was an educated guess. Both the Dark Lord of the Sith and his apprentice placed a bounty on your head. They said both you and Bastila Shan were riding around the Ebon Hawk. Nice job stealing Davik's ship, by the way. He used to swing by. Good riddance, really." She took another drink. "I'm actually surprised to see you here."

I placed a hand on one of my blades at my side.

"If you know who I am, then why haven't you tried to kill me?"

Her pale eyes watched me for a long time. Eventually, she let out a small laugh.

"You're asking a question you already know the answer to. Feigning stupidity…you do this often?" When I didn't answer, her head shook. "First, let me ask—what happened to Darth Bandon?"

This Yuthura was far more perceptive than I anticipated. My gaze drifted away and I met Jolee's form. The old man sat in the corner but I could tell he was keeping an eye on us. Juhani and Mission sat at one of the booths. If things got rough…

I met Yuthura's yellow gaze.

"I killed him."

This made her brows raise.

"Of course you did. Did he suffer in death?"

"Why do you care?"

She waved a hand. "Just…interested. We were in the same training group."

I sneered. "He tried to electrocute me with Force lightning…turns out he should have been aiming it away from the water he was standing in." I let out an unconscious snort. "He was cooked alive."

"Enjoy that, did you?"

I blinked and a faint feeling of disgust drifted in my mind.

"No. I…"

My mouth slammed shut. Her smile grew. Kriff. Fortunately, she didn't comment on my objections and took another drink.

"You're powerful. Very powerful. Darth Bandon was Malak's apprentice for a reason. I like making friends with powerful people. That's why I haven't tried to kill you or your friends. I wonder, why haven't they come over to say hi?" I opened my mouth to argue, but she raised a hand and a glass filled with some sort of ale slid across the bar. Yuthura passed it to me. "No matter. They'll miss out. Here. A drink. It's on me."

Even though I didn't trust her—I wouldn't doubt she could have poisoned that—what she said was true. A Sith like her would be interested in power. So, I picked up the glass and drank. She watched me the entire time, slits of eyes studied me like some strange creature.

After I drank half of it, I decided to change the subject.

"Fine. You don't want to kill me. I get that. But what about those Mandalorians…why didn't you kill them?"

Yuthura shook her head. "You really think the Sith are bloodthirsty animals, huh? That we all kill first and ask questions later?"

"You don't?"

"If I killed their 'Mandalore,' those brutes would come back with more men and more trouble. They think their stupid mask is here. If I killed her, that would have been more than enough proof that it is."

I wasn't getting anywhere with that so I got to the point of this conversation.

"Who even are you? What authority do you even have here?"

"Took you a while to ask that." I wanted to bite back but Yuthura didn't give me a chance. "I am Yuthura Ban, second only to Master Uthar of the Sith academy here in Dreshdae."

I kept myself from flinching.

"Master Uthar?"

Hadn't that been Jorak's apprentice…? Oh, no.

Yuthura nodded, unaware of my shock. "I am the one who decides which few of the many hopefuls who travel here to train actually become a Sith. I make sure that any Jedi that land here are sent to me first. Even those with a bounty like you. Is it your desire to enter the Academy? Is that why you are here?"

So, she didn't know about the Star Map. Otherwise, she would know why we were here. Made sense. Darth Malak only seemed to reveal information about the Star Forge to those closest to him. Therefore, I decided to play coy.

I rolled my drink between my fingers and stared up into the ceiling.

"Maybe. I haven't given it much thought."

A pause. "And yet here you are on little Korriban, just by accident? I find it hard to believe. If it amuses you, however, I'll play along and give you my recruitment speech." She jostled in her seat and then cleared her throat. "We wield ultimate power, Wesley Gale. To be a Sith is to taste freedom and to know victory. Nothing is as glorious as bending the Force to your will."

"To your will? Well, a lot of the hopefuls here end up dead against their will. Saw one get his throat sliced by one of his own out there." I took a drink. "That doesn't seem glorious."

"Still playing games? Okay, I'll keep playing. We make no apologies for the weak. If you cannot clench your fist and know when the moment comes to strike, there is no place for you amongst us. Of those who come to train, those who are weak return home. If they are both weak and foolish, they die...but it was their choice to come."

She was lying. So many hadn't been given a choice. A choice between torture and release, sure, and even though I should have been trying to convince Yuthura that I wanted to join the Sith, her lies were starting to piss me off. And I already knew that she wanted me, desperate for me, to join.

I turned to face her and tilted my head. A small smirk grew on my face.

"Why not be a Jedi? They don't seem that bad, you know, meditating, preaching…you actually sound a lot like them right now. The preaching part, I mean."

I sensed it. A slight tinge of annoyance.

"The Sith are nothing like the Jedi. They are hide-bound relics who burden themselves with tradition and with the protection of the weak and ungrateful. They are pitiful and misguided. Why would you take a gift as glorious as the Force and squander it? Weaken yourself deliberately and shackle yourself to outdated mores? Our gift has made us superior. It is our rightful place to rule. How can anyone deny that? Yet the Jedi do so and call us 'evil' because we do not."

"So, destroying Taris—that wasn't evil?"

Yuthura sighed. "Is the sarkath beast who dominates his jungle evil? The tuk'ata who leaps on the squellbug for the kill? These are things of nature, of the universe. We are no different from this. Taris lost that battle. The Force is part of the universe, part of the same laws. We were gifted to set us above the rest...to deny nature is foolish."

"So, the weakest die while the strong survive?"

Her eyes lit up. "Precisely."

"Well, wouldn't that mean that in the end there would only be one Sith left? There is always someone stronger, always someone weaker. It sounds less like nature and more like extinction."

Yuthura's face scrunched. She was becoming annoyed…too annoyed. I would need to tone it down.

"What exactly are you trying to prove here? You aren't asking these questions because you want to know. You're still playing games."

I shrugged. "I only want to make sure that the organization I wish to join is a good fit. If you can't defend your own ideals, then how can I be sure those ideals are right?"

The Twi'lek's confident body language shrank as I spoke. Her gaze drifted away watching the numerous patrons.

Eventually, after a long silence, Yuthura spoke. "There is something odd about you that I cannot place…" She tapped the side of her glass in thought. I steadied my thoughts and let nothing show on my face. Eventually, she met my gaze. "I can sense pain. A deep pain. You've touched the dark side before. Is that why you're here? Did the Jedi say that you are too corrupted? Too imperfect? Perhaps…you asked too many questions?"

I opened my mouth to deny it but…she wasn't wrong. I had fallen before. Her body shifted until she was close to me. Too close. I wanted to inch back, but to do so would be showing her weakness. A light smile played on her lips. "You are far from the first lost Jedi who has come here with hesitations about joining us. The first step to becoming a Sith is to admit that you never needed the Jedi in the first place. You're not broken. You're not evil. 'Evil' is a word trumpeted by the weak to ease their heart. It is true that the Force exacts a physical toll on some...but not a single one of them has ever regretted it. Mere sacrifice in order to become something greater. Anything else you hear is propaganda." She sat back. "Does that convince you?"

A touch of bitterness that I couldn't place stirred within my mouth. How exactly was she wrong? The Jedi had abandoned Bastila, too afraid of me to even try to help with this mission. They hid in their temples while millions, billions, died. Was Revan…was I right to defend the Republic from the Mandalorians?

We never had a choice, did we?

I felt my head sink, so much so, that I took one final drink. No. I would have to stay focused. The Sith have taken Bastila. They almost killed me. I wasn't truly joining them. I couldn't. But…that didn't mean I also didn't despise the Jedi for what they did to Bastila either.

So, I turned and met Yuthura's yearning stare.

"You're right. That's why. I'm interested."

Her body relaxed. "Hmm…well, somehow, I'm not convinced."

I sat up before narrowing my eyes at the Twi'lek.

"How can you be convinced? I want to join the Sith."

Yuthura took off a golden pendant from her dark jerkin. She showed it to me.

"Bring me one of these and I'll consider it. It's a pin worn by our students. Usually, I give these out to prospective students if they are deemed worthy but…I think you need a challenge."

So, she was playing games now. I glanced over to Jolee, Juhani, and Mission. HK, thankfully, hadn't said a word behind me.

"So, you just want me to steal a pendant? That doesn't seem challenging."

"Oh, but it is. The academy students are always on guard so stealing it won't be an option. You will have to kill for it. I will only give you until I finish my drinks. So…one hour?" One hour? How the hell did she expect me to find a student in one hour? Her smile stretched. "Ah, I see panic in your eyes." She took another drink. "A Sith knows how to get things done. If you intend to become one of us…get it done."

I stood and searched the cantina. No students were around, which meant I would have to search Dreshdae. The thought of killing someone in cold blood for a stupid pin…but no, I needed to. It was the only way I was going to convince Yuthura that I wanted to be a Sith.

I rushed out of the cantina. Jolee, Juhani, and Mission rushed after me.

"Kid!" I shook Jolee's hand off my shoulder. "Hey…care to explain what happened—?"

"I don't have time, Jolee!" I scanned the market corridor. No Sith students. What if there weren't any students here? No…there was that one. The Sith woman who killed that boy in cold blood. She had to be close. I needed to find her.

I stepped around the old man and made for the outer halls. Mission stopped me next, standing in front of me with crossed arms and puffed chest.

"What's going on? Wes—"

I walked around her. "Not now, Mission."

Finally, Juhani stopped me, pulling me back.

"Whatever it is she asked you to do, Gale, we can help."

"You can't."

Her face dipped. "But—"

"She told me that I need to kill someone and I only have an hour to do it."

"What?"

Everyone's expressions shifted as they all shouted that at the same time. Over the deadly silence, HK-47, who had always been following behind me, let out an evil mechanical chuckle.

"Elation: Oh, finally, Master! We're going after a target!"

Apologies for the long delay! Real life kicked me in the ass and the forced hiatus gave me slight writer's block with this chapter. A lot of setup but the real meat of Korriban will come once they're in the Academy :) In fact, next time we'll be getting into the Academy. Yuthura Ban is one of my favorite underutilized kotor characters so she'll have an expanded role for sure.

Also, I want to thank KobeTeknavorg for your kind words! And thank you for those sticking with this story!