CHAPTER 4

A large Imperial cruiser gently descended upon the academy, black and formidable. Landing outside the courtyard, one lone, hooded man exited the craft and swiftly made his way to the temple's entrance. He was tall, clad in red and black robes and wore a ghostly mask with markings engraved on its left side. As he reached the temple's entrance, Peligrous stood awaiting him.

'Matturn, you've finally come.' she greeted. 'I trust your standards are still especially high?' she added almost sneeringly.

'As long as I know there are still weaklings within our ranks, yes Peligrous, they are always high.' said Matturn in a sharp, commanding voice. 'Just so to make things as clear as Illum's ice, I only wish to see how experienced these "promising recruits" are.'

'Of course,' said Peligrous, making a small bow. 'But I can assure you, our most recent group have very noticeable potential, particularly one Intelligence found on Nar Shadda.'

Matturn made a derisive laugh.

'That so?' he said mockingly. 'Well if they are indeed up to my standards then you may, at last, have something positive to put to your reputation Peligrous.' Scowling slightly, Peligrous stood aside and motioned him forward.

'Follow me. I shall lead you to the training chambers.' she said sharply.

Matturn followed Peligrous into the temple, going through several corridors, all of which were decorated in Imperial banners and old Sith artefacts. For a while, there was an eerie calm. Few people passed them and the ones that did went by without a word to say, merely nodding, or bowing at their high authority. When in close range to the training chambers however, Matturn began to hear screams of pain all around him. He could feel the fear now, the hatred, a lust for vengeance that echoed throughout like the ring of a bell.

'Pathetic weakness.' Matturn muttered after hearing a particularly shrill shriek. Eventually, they made it to one final corridor with a pair of ancient doors engraved with Sith markings. Peligrous strode up to them and pulled them open with some force. She ushered Matturn inside and closed the doors after him. Matturn entered a dark, yet massive chamber. In front of him was a bannister that he leaned against to see below. Several small arenas, organised in a grid were brightly lit before him. Their floors were coated in Korriban's red dust and all of them were hosts to intense fighting.

'Well, what do you think?' said Peligrous eagerly. 'Impressive is what I would say.'

'Impressive is a word you say one too many times Peligrous.' said Matturn coldly. He continued to watch the action below intently until he sighed unimpressed.

'This is just as I expected. Most infantile. Some, I admit, have a rough idea as to how to wield a lightsaber, but it's not enough for me. I want promise, not shreds of potential. Sorry for wasting yours and my time Peligrous, but I thi-' Matturn cut himself off, noticing something in the corner of his eye. On the far end was an arena home to brutal display. Peligrous looked at him curiously, till she quickly smiled slyly.

'Has someone made you speechless Matturn? If so, then that maybe a first.'

'Almost.' said Matturn curtly. 'I want to get a closer look of that duel to the far left.' At last, Peligrous smiled trumphantly.

'Of course.' Leading Matturn to a small platform, Peligrous pressed a button, causing the platform to gently hover toward the chosen duel. Battle cries and yells of pain echoed across the immense room, but Matturn gave no care to them, not when he got an up close view of his promising choice. The two opponents could not be more opposite. One was a human man of a strong, tall build, who certainly used it to his advantage when fighting, using forceful strokes. The other was far smaller, but nimbler in build and attire, wearing simple black robes that hooded her masked face. She effortlessly blocked, parried and dodged her opponent's every move against her. That, alone with her white bladed sabre caught even Matturn's judgemental eye.

'Power with elegance.' he whispered before turning to Peligrous. 'Who is she?'

'Carletta. She's the one Intelligence discovered on Nar Shadda working as a mercenary. Lasc escorted her here a couple months ago.'

'A couple months? My, my, she certainly learns at a pace I like.' said Matturn with pronounced interest.

'Don't be too impressed. She was already of high skill when she arrived here. Self taught according to her, but I never believe anything that comes from a student that has a reputation such as hers. No other student has been able to beat her. Some of teachers don't even want to face her in training sessions after she forced one of them to find a new pair of limbs when he tried to discipline her.'

'So I take it you fear her?' said Matturn.

'Of course not.' said Peligrous indignantly. 'She maybe powerful, but she is far from becoming a Sith Lord.' The two Lords looked on at the fight. Carletta had now gone on the offensive, slashing with sweeping strokes and circling her opponent. It was a skilled plan of attack, but it dawned on the opponent too quickly however, as he thrusted his lightsaber forward, causing Carletta to dart back. With swift thinking, she sharply waved at the dust, blowing a thick plume into her opponent. Staggering back, he shut his eyes tight, calming himself for any possible onslaught. As the dust settled back down to the ground, he opened his eyes, feeling no strike or attack, when an invisible block of stone threw him off his feet and slammed him into the wall. Peligrous rolled her eyes at the crumpled and unconscious heap. Standing on the other end of the arena was Carletta, who still had her hand outstretched in front of her. Lightsaber still blazing, she went over to survey her defeated rival.

'Finish him Carletta.' said Peligrous coldly. Carletta stared up at her minute audience, making a quick glance at Matturn. Then she looked down at her opponent, considering him for only a moment when she stood defiantly before Peligrous and clipped her sabre to her belt.

'I will not slay someone who is only deserving of shame, not death.' Peligrous narrowed her eyes, scowling.

'Then you fail to fully grasp the Sith's concept of weakness. We will go over it again later.' she snapped. Carletta's only answer came to be a small bow, half respectful and half sarcastic, Matturn reckoned. She then strode off for the exit nearby.

'Nevertheless, a compelling use of swordplay.' said Matturn swiftly. Carletta peered over her shoulder and nodded gratefully in reply before walking away.

'This is my greatest problem with her,' said Peligrous with some hint of frustration right as a pair of temple guards carried the fallen student away. 'Whenever she defeats an opponent, she spares them. I've tried my best methods in making her accept our way of killing the weak, but they've had no effect on her.'

'When you say "best methods", do you mean simply electrocuting her, or some other crude exercise of torture?' said Matturn sharply. 'Because that will never work on a mind like hers. It's not hard for me to understand what sort of person she is: challenging. Yes, a very promising choice, but I must be sure...' Matturn crossed his arms in thought.

'Send her through the most arduous trials you can provide. I will make my decision at the end of the week.' Peligrous looked almost taken aback. Matturn didn't enjoy letting her feel smug in finding him a student, but at least he could take the consolation in surprising her.

'I can't be certain she'll even pass the first one, but there is perhaps a strong chance she could get through them with some of her sanity, so long as she keeps a readied mind.' said Peligrous.

'She will be ready if my suspicions of her are correct. And I do not expect her to succeed either, more so than you, but it is not how Carletta passes any of them, it is how she fails them that I'll be eager to see.' A soft metal thud came and the platform had returned to its dock. 'Thank you Peligrous for the tour. For once it pays off.' said Matturn snidely as he swept away before he could catch any glimpse of a victorious look from Peligrous.