I killed before. As Wes, I killed bounty hunters, other smugglers, people who usually shot first. Wes wanted to run away most of the time. I killed as a Jedi. Sith, usually, and the occasional Czerka employee. I killed…before. Mandalorians. Jedi. That I knew for certain.

So, then, this should have been easy.

Yet…

Mission hadn't said a word ever since I told them what I'd been tasked to do. Juhani didn't look happy about this either, yet she didn't protest. Jolee, on the other hand, seemed about as resolved about this as I was. The only one who had any excitement about this was HK-47…yet did he really count? They knew I had to do it. It was the only way I'd be admitted into the Academy.

Yet, they didn't want me to do it. And for that reason, I hesitated. I stopped and faced them.

"You can wait in the cantina if you want."

Jolee raised his white brows. "Kid, if you're going to attack or provoke someone, I'm not letting you out to dry."

Juhani nodded. "We're not leaving you. If you need to do this…murder someone…then we'll support you as best we can even if it's not right."

I huffed. "I'm not going to kill some innocent bystander. I'm going to kill a murderer. So, in a way, it's justice, right?"

Juhani's face twisted. "But there are other ways—"

Mission stopped her staring contest with the ground. Her gaze fixated on Juhani into a sharp glare.

"So? The Sith have done way worse—they deserve it."

"Mission—"

"Don't start, Juhani!" She grabbed my arm. "Come on, we don't have time for this. If she doesn't want to fight the Sith, maybe she should go back to the Ebon Hawk."

I frowned. "Wait, I don't think—"

Yet, my protests against this behavior floundered. Juhani's hurt expression flashed briefly as I was tugged down the hall—she ignored Mission and followed further back. Jolee had crossed his arms and let out an old, tired sigh. HK-47's lights gleamed.

Maybe Juhani was right. Maybe…there was another way.

Thirty minutes passed before we finally found them. The Sith colony Dreshdae wasn't as convoluted as Manaan or even the Dantooine temple. Near the exit to the colony, the hallway opened up into a large canteen. Littered about the tables were Sith soldiers of all types. The gray uniformed soldiers eyed us with suspicion as we walked slowly through the room.

I spotted her immediately.

The Sith woman, Lashowe, sat in the corner with a posse of other Sith students. Each one had a gleaming, golden pendant on their chest. Beside Lashowe, a younger man sat back in his chair and spoke with a boisterous voice.

"You hear the news? It seems Darth Malak bombed some Jedi base on Dantooine into asteroid dust. Ain't that a riot? The Jedi can't even save their own sorry selves."

Another student, a pale woman, scoffed. "Surprised they didn't see it coming. So much for their stupid visions, right Lashowe?"

Lashowe, who had been sharpening her blade, stopped once she saw me staring down at them. Her blue eyes narrowed yet a smirk grew on her face.

"Look here, Mekel, Rita... we have a group of newcomers to our little colony. A Cathar. A Twi'lek. A droid. Two humans. Sounds like the start of a joke. I don't believe I've seen any of them before, have you?"

Jolee huffed. "Well, if you'd seen us before, we wouldn't be newcomers, would we?"

The pale Sith, Rita, raised a brow. "Smart-mouthed newcomers, to boot."

"Look pretty fresh to me, Lashowe." The young man, Mekel, spat onto the ground then pointed at me. "He's a Jedi—has to be. I can sense him. Thought we had enough Jedi newcomers around here."

"You fallen Jedi are all the same," Rita spoke with a hissed breath. "Come in here, strut around, think you're better than those of us raised in the Academy. You better learn quickly who your betters are."

"Oh?" I pretended to look about. "Who would that be?"

Lashowe stabbed her knife in the wooden table.

"I don't know whether you're aware of this or not, but here on Korriban the Sith do as they please. Korriban is our home. We were always Sith. Our loyalties aren't contested like you Jedi. Quite literally, whether you live or die depends upon our whim. What do you think of that, hmm?"

As Lashowe spoke, I'd curled my fingers around the hilt of one of my blades. So, these students were taken at a young age and raised here. They still looked young. Barely older than Mission. Teenagers. Only…teenagers that wouldn't hesitate to kill. No wonder why Lashowe acted like a remorseless, sociopathic, animal. She didn't know any better.

My hand relaxed.

"Sith have tried to kill me before. You can try to kill me too. You'd fail like the rest, but you can try."

HK-47's vocabulator whirled. "Commentary: That's the way to tell the meatbags, Master! Charging blaster, just in case. This should be fun!"

Lashowe laughed. "What is that droid? And those are very brave words for such an insignificant person. You don't even have a lightsaber. Do you realize how many Sith are in here, tough guy?"

Jolee cut in behind me. "Twelve? No, wait, thirteen!"

He grunted after Juhani elbowed him. She hissed, low enough so the Sith students couldn't hear. "Stop provoking them, Jolee."

"Why—can an old man not get in on the action?"

"Action?"

Mission elbowed Juhani back. "Yeah, Jolee can fight just as good as us!"

"T-That isn't what I meant!"

Jolee was right though. There were only thirteen Sith in this room. We could take them. Easy.

I snorted. "I don't have a lightsaber…but that makes no difference."

Rita shot out of her seat.

"Ha! She has a lightsaber. So, a cat wants to be Sith? Let me kill them, Lashowe."

Rita unleashed a bright, red lightsaber. I unsheathed one of my cortosis blades with a sharp ring and Juhani followed my lead with her own lightsaber. Mission took out her blaster and HK charged his rifle. Jolee wisely stayed back yet I wouldn't be surprised if he used the Force to help us if needed. The crazed Sith cackled and looked as if she was ready to strike, yet Lashowe raised her hand before she could.

"Now, now, let's not be hasty. I'm bored and if we start fighting it's going to be over in five seconds." She waved at me, then sat back, eating a piece of fruit. "Perhaps mister tough guy with the toy knives could offer up some amusement in exchange for the life of the old man."

Are you kidding me? We didn't have time for this.

"Amusement?"

"Sure." She took another bite. "We need a show. Think you could give us one?"

I glanced back at Jolee, Juhani, HK, and Mission. All of them still held their weapons steady since the crazy Sith beside Lashowe still hadn't relented. They still had no idea who they were dealing with.

I put away my blade. In response, Rita sheathed her lightsaber with a groan. Juhani inched closer to me.

"What are you doing?"

Maybe there is another way.

"Oh, uh, sure…I know a joke or two." I laughed nervously, rubbing the back of my neck. "So, there are two Mandalorians out in the woods…"

Lashowe raised a bright brow. "Go on."

I paced around the table.

"One of them collapses. He doesn't seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other Mandalorian takes out his communicator and contacts his commander."

Mekel rolled his eyes. "I've heard this one—"

"Quiet!" Lashowe's serious gaze watched me.

My eyes scanned the crazed Sith. Rita eyed me back with intensity.

"He gasps, 'My partner has collapsed! I don't know what to do!'" I tripped on my own feet and into the table. Some of the fruit fell onto the floor. Rita's intensity lessened even though I was standing next to her. I continued the joke with a light tone as I bent over the table. "After a moment, the commander responds, 'Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure your partner is dead.'"

A single flick and one of my blades stabbed into Rita's arm. Both Lashowe and Mekel got onto their feet.

Rita had somehow fought through the pain and unleashed her lightsaber. I took out my other blade and blocked her incoming stroke—slicing off her weapon hand before she had another chance to strike. Still screaming, I pushed her to the ground with the Force and lowered my weapons at her.

The heat from a lightsaber touched my cheek. Lashowe's red blade hovered near my shoulder. HK had let off a blaster shot but Mekel used the Force on his weapon, leaving him disappointedly disarmed.

Juhani threatened Mekel respectively. Mission had ducked under the table and Jolee raised his hands—about to use the Force on Lashowe. The entire room had unleashed their own lightsabers and blasters. We were surrounded.

Rita still struggled. Both her arm and wrist bled puddles onto the dirty floor. If she got a medpack or kolto, she could survive. I didn't want her to die, really. If she passed out, I could steal the pendant.

I turned so that I could see Lashowe's gaze.

"After killing his partner, effectively making sure he died, the Mandalorian says on the communicator, 'Okay, now what?'"

Silence. Then, eventually, a laugh. Lashowe laughed. Then, Mekel started to laugh as well—nervously. The entire room started to laugh. The laughs went on for an uncomfortable amount of time until she spoke over my shoulder.

"Yes, that was a good joke. It was almost perfect."

With a flick, Lashowe's lightsaber stabbed down square into Rita's chest. After her screaming ceased, the entire room returned to normalcy. Mekel sheathed his lightsaber as Lashowe pulled her blade from the corpse of someone who had once been her friend. Then, she walked past me with a sly grin. "Next time, have a better punchline. One that isn't so annoying."

Jolee gave Lashowe a dark look. Juhani inched back away from the woman and her slimy friend as they passed. Mission got out from beneath the table and stood her ground. While HK…

He gave a mechanical sigh. "Statement: Well, that was rather underwhelming, Master. That annoying meatbag stole the killing blow."

No. I should have known the Sith wouldn't have let her live. In fact, I knew they would kill her. There is another way…a way where I didn't have to shed blood. A small part of me hoped…but no, this was how they acted. How they wanted me to act. How Revan wanted them to act.

This was my fault.

"No…" I muttered. "In a way, I did."

"Master?"

I walked over to the corpse of the Sith student, bent down, and took the pendant from her breast. I stopped to stare at the woman's eternally horrified expression. Regret—only for a moment. I passed my hand over her eyes to close them.

Now, no more regrets.

I had a mission to complete.

"Done already?" Yuthura's intricate face scrunched as if trying to hide her pride after I showed her the pendant. This time, Jolee, Juhani, and Mission stood behind me. There were more people at the bar—their voices loud enough to make it difficult to hear. She passed it back to me with a grin. "How did you get it?"

"How do you think?"

The Twi'lek chuckled to herself. "Ah, of course, then let's leave for the Academy right away." She finished a drink at the bar and glanced at my companions. "You will bring the droid for protection, I assume. But these…friends of yours will stay behind."

Juhani opened her mouth as if to speak, yet I interrupted her before she could do anything reckless.

"They're not friends, but they're coming with me." I pointed to Juhani. "And she wishes to join the Academy too."

Yuthura looked Juhani up and down.

"Truly?"

"I…" Juhani wilted—her accented voice wavered. "I—yes—the Jedi ways…only got in the way of my true love. R-Right."

Very convincing.

Yuthura wasn't that convinced either. "Hmm, yes, that is one of many reasons why the Jedi leave. A Jedi isn't allowed to love, after all. But neither is a Sith. Love is a weakness. Do you want to be a Sith? Doubt it." She waved a hand. "She will go."

"No!" Juhani grabbed the Twi'lek's arm before she turned. "I won't leave Gale behind even if it means my own death! I promised…"

I was about to cut in before Yuthura tried to kill her, yet the Sith let out a soft laugh. She turned to face me.

"You already have a loyal apprentice, I see. Fine, but if she turns out to be an annoyance, it'll be on you." Her brow raised at Jolee. "As for the old man and the girl—"

Mission jumped. "Don't worry, I'm just a slave, miss!"

She said that line with such gumption that I struggled to believe she hated the prospect.

Jolee's voice seemed to grow ten years in age. "Huh? Wha—? Sorry, my hearing's not so good. I'm just pleased the kid doesn't beat me so much anymore, yes ma'am. He once threw me at the wall with his terrifying powers! Back hurt for weeks. If I don't stop him, who knows what he'll do!"

I gave Jolee a hooded look. Did he really need to say all of that? Jolee responded with a twitch in his mouth forming a fragile smirk. As if to ask "was it a lie?"

"And he's just a…a senile old man that I found in a jungle. He won't stop following me. Thinks he can 'save' me. Crazy old coot." I nodded, then crossed my arms. "He's too entertaining to kill though."

I sensed something waver in the Force. A pinch of anger came from Yuthura's direction. Her yellow eyes narrowed at Mission then at me.

"I see." She seemed to consider this for a moment. Then, she sighed. "So long as they do not disturb your training or cause any trouble. Come along."

She said nothing else of it as she led us out of the cantina towards the Sith Academy. I suppose the defenseless act would have to do…

The dry heat of Korriban's atmosphere weighed on my shoulders as Yuthura led us past the guarded gate onto the surface. The red, dusty sands prickled my face. Juhani—my follower, Mission—my slave, and Jolee—the old man with a death wish, followed close behind us. HK-47 grumbled underneath his breath about the sand beside me.

Night was falling upon us and with it came a chill. The Sith Academy was camouflaged with the distant mountainside, yet I could see the point of the pyramid-like structure breaking the natural landscape. A howl that was the wind interrupted the silence.

Yuthura didn't let me stew in that haunted silence.

"What happened to your lightsaber? Did the Jedi take it?"

I released my grip on one of my blades' hilts—I'd unconsciously grabbed it.

"I…didn't need it anymore."

"Well, you will need something better than two kitchen knives. When you have the time, make a replacement. We should have the parts you need except for the crystal. You will have to find one."

I raised a brow. "Why help me?"

"It is good of you to be suspicious. It is quite simple. I only help when I have something to gain. And I have a lot to gain with you alive."

"What do you have to gain exactly?"

Yet Yuthura only responded with a sly smile. I didn't like the prospect of that.

A few Sith soldiers passed us—they were also on their way to the Academy. Two of them were familiar…

Carth and Canderous were squeezed at the back of the pack and a stalwart, dark-armored Sith that I assumed was Verena followed them. Both Carth and Canderous had scrounged up some Sith uniforms to complete the look. I made sure not to make direct eye contact with Carth even though I could tell he spotted us. They must have noticed us leaving Dreshdae and decided to cling to these Sith soldiers as camouflage. So far, so good…

Five minutes of walking the winding trail, we were before a large metal door. Yuthura nor the two guards posted made any mention of the Sith troops as the rusted door creaked open.

Inside, quiet. Something…burned within me as I took a step into the echoing chambers. So familiar, so much like Exar Kun's temple. Maybe it was deja vu or even bitter nostalgia, yet no, I could only sense a cold nothingness once the door closed behind us.

This is where history has been made. It was a spare, strange thought that caused excitement. A part of me wanted to be here.

Columns formed a circle around the large chamber, going up and up until the stonework hit the tip of the building. In the ceiling, a single light filtered the sunset down onto the center like a beam from a red lightsaber. As Yuthura led us further in, our footsteps echoing on the smooth stone, I touched one of the columns. Figures with worn-out faces and empty eyes had been etched onto the sides. Writing that I could barely make out marked the bottom—

Blood ran down over my fingers, warm. I looked up. A man had been pinned to it with an ancient blade. He was still alive. The ghost muttered something…

Help…me—

I flinched back and the man disappeared. Jolee grabbed my shoulder and I was quick to shove him away to keep up appearances. This place was cursed. Ghosts were in the walls. Literally. We needed to find the Star Map and get out of here as soon as possible.

In the center of the large room, an old woman, a meditating Sith, paid no mind to those that entered. A few Sith students surrounded her—one was chanting in the Sith language. His voice echoed on the pyramid walls. Unfortunately, I understood it. All of it.

"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 free me."

"This way." Yuthura swiped her hand and the door to the dim hallways opened. Carth, Canderous, and Verena disappeared into the opposite hall. We would have to find them later. "It is too late in the day for you to be introduced and Master Uthar doesn't like his lessons to be disturbed." She stopped and then nodded to one of the doors. "Here we are. You and the Cathar will be bunking with three others. The old man and…slave will have to make do."

The door to the dorm room opened. A teenager with a thin face, malnourished and not much older looking than Mission was relaxed, asleep, on one of the bunks. When Yuthura cleared her throat, he jumped up at attention. Fear graced his expression before he saw Yuthura.

She crossed her arms. "Initiate. You're fortunate that I wasn't one of your peers. They would have killed you for letting your guard down."

"I…" He glared at us, me in particular. "I would have woken up, Master."

"Doubtful." She marched over to the young man. "You are supposed to be at Master Uthar's lesson. I should kill you for the insolence."

The boy's face twisted and the fear he hid showed once more.

"I-It's…I…"

Yuthura grabbed the young man with the Force and shoved him up against the wall. This was the first instance I'd ever seen the Sith Twi'lek use the dark side. She closed her hand, choking the poor boy,

"How a runt like you even managed to survive initial training…" Before he suffocated, Yuthura released him. He coughed once then scrambled to his feet and rushed to the door. She stopped him with a flick of her wrist—throwing him back onto his bed. "Stupid boy. If you go now, Uthar will not be kind. Go on. Sleep. But your prestige will suffer for it." She turned and raised a brow at me. "I wouldn't sleep in if I were you…"

And she left as if she hadn't almost murdered someone there. The room was silent except for the young man's heavy breathing. I must have been staring at him for too long since his dark eyes squinted.

"What are you looking at?"

I shrugged and then made my way toward one of the unoccupied bunks in the corner. We couldn't make any plans while this Sith student was in the room, so may as well rest for a bit. I didn't have many belongings except for my weapons and the clothes on my back, so I laid down and stared into the ceiling. Jolee groaned as he sat against the wall. HK-47 parked near the door, eternally scanning for enemies. Before Mission slid to the ground next to the bunk, Juhani grabbed her shoulders.

"No, no…you can rest here, Mission."

Mission pushed her away and hissed. "No, Juhani, I'm a slave remember?"

"But—"

"You'd let someone else take your place?" The young man scoffed. I sat up and glared at him. He was messing with what looked to be a broken lightsaber. "You're not gonna last."

Before he continued to antagonize Juhani, I stood. He didn't stop fidgeting with whatever project he was working on.

"And who are you then?"

He glared up at me with a flash of suspicion. With a huff, he combed a hand through his hair.

"As if I'm not busy enough. Go pester someone else."

"Didn't realize asking for your name would bother you."

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I hurt your feelings? Why don't you run to Master Uthar and tell him all about it. I'm sure he'll be very sympathetic."

I rubbed the back of my neck.

"Is everyone here antisocial?"

He let out a curse and then threw the lightsaber across the room, almost hitting Juhani. "I'm not here to make friends, Jedi. So, go run along and find someone who gives a kriff."

Unfortunately, the way he acted reminded me of myself before I became a Jedi. No, before Wes became a Jedi. I walked over to the fallen lightsaber and picked it up in order to inspect it.

"The ignition port is jacked." I peered into the opened casket. "Even if you found a crystal that worked, it's not going to—"

The staff disappeared from my hand.

"Don't touch my stuff." The datapad disappeared from my loose fingers. Carth's furious face replaced it. I felt my face rise when the Sith student glared at me with full force. He then waved a finger in my face. "Who are you anyway?"

No, he couldn't be…but no, he was the right age.

"Dustil?"

After I muttered that name, the Sith student flinched. Yes, it was him. Had to be. He looked so much like Carth. And he was annoying like him too.

"W-What? How did you…?"

"Dustil Onasi?"

That caused him to take a step back—his eyes glazed over. Then, as if snapped out of some spell, he grabbed my dark tunic by the shoulder.

"I don't want to hear that name ever again. Ever. Or I will kill you in your sleep. Understand me?"

He didn't wait for me to agree, instead, Dustil shoved me away and stormed out of the dorm room.

Mission stumbled to my side.

"Wait…is that…?"

"Carth's son. He's alive." I sighed and sat on the bunk. "Knowing this place though…probably not for long."

With Dustil out of the dorm room, we now had a chance to talk amongst ourselves. And plan.

We needed to figure out which Sith tomb had the Star Map. The only one with that information, Jorak Uln, is now presumed dead. Which meant we would have to comb through each tomb and get lucky. Or…

Jolee, who sat next to me, hummed in thought.

"I hate to say it, but if you remember something else about that tomb, kid, this will make things easier for us."

I frowned. "I can't just force my memories to come back. It's not that easy."

"No." Juhani sat cross-legged in front of me. She'd been meditating. She already despised this place. "But perhaps Jolee and I could help using the Force."

"How?" I waved. "No. The Jedi would have tried that already."

"I'm not too sure about that," Jolee said. "I think they were content with keeping Revan locked away for as long as possible."

Mission sat forward with a pouting expression. "He shouldn't have to if he doesn't want to."

Juhani shook her head. "We…we're not saying he has to, just…"

"Well, I don't want to." I shook my head. "Everytime I remember…I change. It's too risky. We'll have to do this the hard way. We've dealt with worse. Manaan? Kashyyyk? Tatooine?"

Silence. Jolee was giving me that disappointed stare that I vaguely disliked.

"I mean, you'll remember everything eventually. Denying that isn't healthy at all."

I stood from the bunk. "How do you know that for certain, Jolee?"

"Well, if you're remembering some things, what's to say you won't remember it all?"

"That isn't going to happen."

"Revan—"

I flinched. "Don't—" I stopped myself before I could continue this argument. It didn't matter—who I was. What mattered right now…was finding the Star Map. Finding the Star Forge. Finding Bastila. Making this right. I turned. "I'm going to find the others. You guys snoop—carefully. Jolee, hide your lightsaber. HK—" The droid's lights flashed with joy at being addressed. "Patrol the halls and use your super hearing. See what you can find." His lights dimmed as soon as he heard the mission. "If we split up, ask around, maybe we'll find a clue. Something. And I'll tell Carth that Dustil's alive. If we get his son on our side, we could have an ally here."

"Wait!"

I ignored Mission's call and stormed out of the dorm room.

"Wessy, wait!"

Yet, Mission followed.

The Sith Academy hallways had the smell of an old Coruscant museum. Old, decrepit, as if some ancient mummies had been buried in the walls. I wouldn't be surprised if there were corpses in there. A few Sith soldiers gave us looks as we rushed through the hall. I had no idea where Carth and the others went, but I knew they followed soldiers so they must be wherever they are.

"Please…slow down…I can't…keep…up…"

"Why are you following me?" I finally stopped and Mission slid to a stop. "You should go back—you're safer there."

"I-I'm your slave. I have to follow you, right?" I leveled a stare at the young Twi'lek, not believing her lie for one second. She sighed once she realized she failed to convince me. "I…" She stuffed her hand in her pocket and her face was stressed. "You need me, right?"

I sighed. "No. I'm fine—"

"You told me that it's okay to be weak, remember? When you gave me this!" The coin. It flashed in her hand as she held it out. I didn't dare look at it. Another Jedi lie. "So then why are you pushing us away? We need to help each other. You can't do this alone!"

Was I? I stared back at Mission. Had I been pushing them away? I'd promised that I wouldn't, yet had I been doing it without realizing? The coin in her fingers was worn. As if a hand had occasionally rubbed it. I'd rubbed it. Before a big heist…

I took Mission's arm and shoved her hand back in her pocket, hiding the coin.

No. That was Wes. Not Revan.

"That wasn't me, Mission." Before she argued, I gave her a small smile. "You're right. Come on. Let's go find Orangy."

I felt relief when I saw Mission's stress go away at my false reassurances.

We turned the next corner, and when we did we stopped. A large commotion of Sith students were all gathered near the door out into the cold night. It must have been something since I could sense a wave of fear over the entire group—whatever they were witnessing wasn't going to be good at all.

I decided that Carth could wait—we had to see what was going on.

I ignored the complaints and curses from the Sith students as I shoved them aside so that I could leave. Outside, the wind once again slapped sand into my face. We'd left out onto the side of the great valley. Hundreds of torches tried to light up the valley yet it was an impossible task. Massive statues looked down at the earth and the people below them as if in prayer. They were lit up by beams of red light but otherwise they were hidden in shadow.

Two dark Jedi, one of which was Yuthura, stood on a raised dais in the center of the valley, lit up by more warm lights. I noticed some Sith soldiers stood on the side. Most of them wore masks so I had no idea if any were Canderous, Verena, or Carth but if we followed them, perhaps we could find them. In the meantime, we would have to watch and wait.

The other Sith beside Yuthura was a pale, tattooed man. Uthar Wynn. Yes, this was the headmaster of the Sith Academy. This must have been his lesson then. My gaze scanned the dais, trying to figure out what they were doing. There was a…cage.

A cage of children.

I grit my teeth.

Uthar had been in the middle of a speech.

"—we've had some examples, I will show you a demonstration of what the Sith can do. Most if not all of you except for Lashowe and Mekel have failed to raise your prestige. I ask myself: why? Because you all fear pain. We cannot afford failure anymore. Darth Malak might be a powerful Sith Lord, but he will need us in order to defeat the Republic." He paced across the stage. "Yesterday, I asked an important member of our Order to help…encourage."

Some of the students whispered amongst each other. Some muttered the words Lord of Pain or mysterious monster. I felt Mission grab my arm and, for once, I didn't shake her away to keep up appearances. There was something…stirring. Uthar walked away, facing the statues, bowing his head like them.

"For he's lived in agony for decades."

Boom. A rush, not the wind, of the Force. Another pale man stepped onto the dais with bare feet, bare chest, his pale skin freshly scarred like the surface of Korriban. His golden eyes watched us all. He didn't say a word. It was enough for everyone to grow quiet. Uthar was smiling at us as if he'd just brought out an attraction to gawk at.

"You know who stands before you—the Lord of Pain without a name. One of my dear friends from Exar Kun's day. It took a lot to convince him to leave his catacomb to show you the ritual." He nodded to the cage. "These children are tools—corrupted by Malachor's destruction. They are barely Force sensitive. Not enough to feel the Force in its entirety. It's what saved them. Or, at least, that is what the Lord of Pain has told me." Uthar grinned yet this Lord didn't smile back. It was unnerving. "They are Mandalorian bastards. Born in the tides of war from women who gave them up and became true Sith. They are nothing. Until now. Watch and learn. Perhaps then you will lose this foolish fear of pain!"

He waved. Yuthura opened the cage and the children shuffled back in terror. Mission rushed forward yet I held her back. Firstly, because she would have been killed the second she tried. Secondly…

Liam.

He was there huddling in the corner. That child I rescued all that time ago from the Vulkars. That's who he was then. A Mandalorian child born at the end of a war. And these bastards took him because of it. Took him…for what? Why?

A girl with dark hair sniffed as Yuthura pulled her forward by her chains. Even though Yuthura's face was stoic, I could sense a disturbance from her. Almost as if she didn't want to do this. I must have been mistaken though since she continued to drag the child. The chained girl wailed, she knew exactly what was happening.

And it happened in a blink. One moment, Uthar faced the valley, the next his lightsaber went through the Lord of Pain's torso. A killing blow. The students gasped in wonder after the scarred Sith hadn't even moved after such a mortal wound. One second. Two. Then, the red blade returned to its casket.

The Lord's eyes glowed bright yellow. The sniffing child tried to tug back.

With a raised hand, she lifted off the ground. Crack! The crying stopped…stopped because she was gone. The corpse of the child fell to the ground at Yuthura's feet—her stoic expression flinched.

Almost immediately, the burnt flesh of the Lord's stomach moved. It started to stitch together along with the rest of his scarred skin. Eventually, it became smooth, perfect. Almost…handsome, young.

Uthar interrupted this demonstration with a clap.

"Yes, yes! You see, once you have mastered the dark side of the Force, pain will only aid you. You will gain power. Immortality!"

A Sith student beside me shivered, holding his body.

"I-I don't want to become that…that thing!"

Some of the students beside him nodded while others gave them disgusted, vile looks.

"Cowards."

"Weakling."

"You still fear pain, Shaardan." That last one had been Lashowe. She smiled and then walked up to the edge of the dais. "Master Uthar, thank you for this lesson. The weak's only worth is to be a rung on the ladder to the top—as Darth Revan once taught us."

I flinched after she mentioned Revan. Right. This…this horrific display was partially my fault, wasn't it? Uthar nodded though he also gave Lashowe a dirty look.

"Revan failed in the end. Just another rung in the ladder." He scoffed. "And I did not ask, initiate. Know your place."

When Lashowe's kiss assing failed, she returned to the crowds. The Sith soldiers tossed the corpse of the girl behind the dais into the dirt. Just…left there for vultures. I reigned in my anger at the sight as the Lord of Pain finally left—still without saying a word. He walked through the valley of statues and then turned into one of the tombs. Disappearing into the darkness from whence he came. I wasn't foolish enough to try following him.

Uthar nodded. "Lessons are over for today. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me."

The crowd dispersed. Some of the Sith students gave me odd looks. I eyed the poor children yet they were being rolled away by a Sith troop down into what looked like a basement. We had to rescue them. Had to. I'd promised to save Liam, I should have saved him, and now was my chance. I moved in order to follow, yet Mission had frozen. She blankly stared out into the dusty valley, towards the corpse of the child, torchlight flickering over her blue face.

"Wes…" Mission's voice was low. "That…how could they do that? How could they…"

"And who are you?"

Time must have passed faster than I thought since the crowds were now gone and only Uthar and Yuthura were standing before me. Yuthura gave me an annoyed look—I'd ignored her orders after all—while Uthar looked me up and down.

"Curious. You are very strong in the Force—I would have remembered a student like this."

Yuthura cleared her throat.

"He's…no one. Just a new student I recruited. A Jedi. He knows nothing. Pay him no mind."

Interesting. Why was Yuthura trying to make him avoid me?

Uthar hummed. "That I'll judge for myself, thank you." His gray gaze burrowed into my forehead. "Tell me...what do you know of the ways of the Sith? What preconceptions has your mind been polluted with?"

I glanced back towards the dais where a murder ritual just occurred. I knew what I had to say then.

"You're monsters." Both Yuthura and Uthar narrowed their eyes yet before they could lecture, I continued. "But so am I."

Uthar stared at me for a moment then nodded. "Self-loathing. An answer I would expect from anyone who has been exposed to those sad relics amongst the Jedi. We'll beat that out of you, I'm sure."

"I'd rather hate myself, thanks."

Yuthura opened her mouth yet Uthar raised his hand.

"Why hate something beautiful? The Force is beautiful. The Jedi equate moderation with goodness and strength and excess with weakness and evil. That is their tradition and it is truly no surprise that they cling to it for comfort. We, however, do not treat the Force as a burden. We treat it as a gift, a thing to be celebrated. We use it to acquire power over others... and why should we not? Because the Jedi say we should not? We are as the Force is meant to be. The Jedi would hide that from you... they would tell you the dark side is too quick, too easy, all so that they need never challenge the passions that lie within them. Joining us means realizing your true potential. It means not stifling yourself solely for the sake of hide-bound shamans and their antiquated notion of order. Be what you were meant to be. Break your chains. Be free."

Did I want to be free? My body felt cold as I watched some of the torches dim, put out by servants or slaves. I watched the entrance to that tomb the Lord of Pain had entered. He was a walking corpse. How exactly was he free?

When it became obvious that I didn't want to continue discussing this, Uthar nodded. "You will learn eventually. In any case, I look forward to seeing you in action…?"

"Revan." I met his gray stare and he stared back with narrowed eyes. Then, I smiled. "But nowadays people call me Wes."

Uthar sneered. "You won't be joking for long, initiate. The path to becoming a Sith is a long and painful one where laughter has no place."

"Who said I was joking?"

"Wes—erm—Master Wes?" Mission tugged my sleeve. "It's getting late, you need your rest…"

Right. I was pushing it. He deserved it though. Uthar's tattoos bent with his wrinkled face as he strode past. Yuthura glared at me with both annoyance and interest as she left with her Master.

The last torch fizzled out.

:) Yeah, guess who? Apparently, Darth Sion had been around kotor 1 on Korriban, but a guy with powers like that wouldn't have been just some random Sith dude. He's still mysterious, as he should be, and he isn't as twisted as he was in kotor 2 (for example, he doesn't have a blind eye). I wanted to bring him up here before kotor 2 to help bridge the two games more (like I did with the Council scene on Dantooine). One of kotor 2's weaknesses is that it's a sequel and unfortunately it retconned a lot from kotor 1.

As for Liam and the children of Malachor, well they aren't like the Exile or Nihilus since they are "Bao Dur" levels of Force sensitivity but they are very similar. Maybe instead of a Force wound they're like a Force scratch? I really wanted to give Sion a reason for why he has his powers. Obviously, the dark side helps him with keeping his body together, but I always wanted him to have some connection to Malachor too. I will probably explain him more once I get to kotor 2 of course!

Anyway, I'm rambling XD! Next time, Carth is reunited with his son, and lessons at the Sith Academy truly begin...