CHAPTER 16

Carletta had never felt so swallowed up by the Dark Side until simply standing on the wet, green surface of Dromund Kaas, which had to be saying something, given her experiences. She felt a sheer chill, a swirling emptiness that was somehow alive she thought. There was not even a distant glimmer of the Light here. She wondered if a Jedi would be weakened if they ever visited. But she had little time to ponder the planet's atmosphere and got her bearings back in following Matturn and Jadus through the thin woods. They weren't running, but their strides were long and swift, leaving Carletta with the need to almost jog in keeping up.

'How far are we from the city?' she panted.

'A mile's walk.' Matturn answered. 'I do hope that isn't too taxing for you.'

'Not at all. I just don't like getting soaked.'

'Compared to your previous experiences, I think you can manage a rainy day.'

The trio trudged through with the glowing sight of the citadel growing closer and closer in less time Carletta had expected. When they were within metres of the place, they were met with a tall durasteel wall decorated in floodlights. Jadus urged them to edge around it, leading them to some thick bushes that hid a large vent duct growing out of the ground.

'We're lucky security isn't quite as tight as it used to be.' Matturn remarked, while Jadus cut open the vent with his lightsaber.

'Only because I remotely deactivated the venting systems defence weapons.' said Jadus coldly. He gestured them to jump in, which they so did, but Carletta felt the beginnings of concern. When her feet hit the floor, a metal bang echoed across the vent, causing her to pause for a moment. Jadus swiftly followed her in.

Creeping through the vents was not as bothersome as Carletta originally anticipated. A cool breeze constantly flowed and there was enough room for her to walk, albeit with the need to crouch.

'How long will it be till we make it out of this place?' she asked quietly.

'My old quarters are deep within the citadel. I estimate it will be a few hundred metres.' said Jadus.

Carletta frowned at the great length and it didn't take long to discover why that was so. Twists and turns led them in circles. As they moved through the narrow labyrinth Carletta could hear muffled noises, such as voices, footsteps and even the clash of lightsabers before Jadus directed them to a vent with orange light beaming through it. Matturn kicked it open and dropped down. Carletta did the same and stretched her back, feeling stabbing pains in her spine.

When she focused on her surroundings, she found herself in a large room full of red. The lighting was slightly dimmed, but she could tell no one else was there. A large chair stood against the wall before the main doors, which Matturn found to be locked. When Carletta explored further, she found a desk, a small bedroom and not much else. Either Jadus ransacked it all before he left, or he was more minimalist in the ownership of items.

'Let's not waste time, we need to reach the main vault, grab the blueprints and sneak away before any security is alerted to us.' Jadus urged. "Main vault"? Carletta thought, wheeling her head round at the mention. Surely it meant the Vault of Knowledge was only a stone's throw away...

The trio cautiously left the room, entering a gloomy hallway with reddish light bathing them. Not a soul, or droid was to be seen, not yet anyway.

'How far is the vault?' Carletta whispered.

'Not close, but it's not tricky to reach it. It's getting inside that's the challenge.' Matturn answered as Jadus gestured them to head left.

'Won't there be cameras, droids and guards along the way? That sounds like a challenge to me.'

'Not unless there's an accident with the security grid. As soon as we reach the first terminal, you will short it out. All power will be out, but engineering works quickly here, so time will be of the essence. When the power does return, you will create a distraction in setting off the alarm in the hangar bay. It'll keep a good number of the guards far from the vaults whilst me and Jadus infiltrate them. Can I be confident in your success?'

'O-of course, I just don't understand why you didn't brief me before we got inside here.'

'Because that would make such a test too easy. To become the master, one must be adaptive to their situation, or sudden change. It's something you have a talent at, which is why this is a perfect chance to fully live up to your potential and I expect you will not disappoint me.'

Carletta curtly nodded her certainty. She grew used to Matturn unexpectedly throwing responsibility at her, but as right as he was in saying she was adaptable, it didn't stop her feeling daunted, even threatened by the place she would sabotage. She'd read all about the citadel (thanks to Matturn's insistence) and despite never setting foot inside it until then, she could paint a vague picture in her head on where to go. However, with it being the very heart of the Sith Empire, it was, naturally, the home to the greatest and most powerful Sith Lords as well as their most sacred relics. Any challenger she may face would likely be leagues beyond her skill. She doubted they would even need to draw their weapon to kill her, yet she had no choice but to take the risk. If there was a no turning back point, it was here.

The trio crept through the corridors, using the Force to detect any nearby presence, but Carletta found it difficult. The whole planet was coated in the Dark Side, but the Citadel bared an even more concentrated influence that clouded their vision. She'd grown used to the unpleasant feel, but it didn't change her mission being made more arduous.

Eventually, Matturn stopped and found a power terminal and ushered Carletta to it. She had a talent with most things electrical, having been the one in her village to repair the generators which frequently broke. Matturn had noticed this ability when she fixed his ship's lighting system and gave her the mucky job in also being his personal technician.

The wiring wasn't tricky to understand. In fact, it was remarkably similar to the ship's wires. Unfortunately it also meant there were bundles of them that needed to be checked for the sake of possible mistakes. As if it couldn't feel more pressurized, Matturn impatiently tapped his foot, earning him a private roll of the eyes from Carletta. There was a strong impulse to ask him if he could do better, but anger was the last emotion that needed to be used. Beads of sweat slowly trickled down her face as she finished identifying the wires and pulled a pair of pliers from her belt. Tools were something she always carried around.

'In case you've forgotten Carletta, haste is something that needs to be used throughout this mission.' said Matturn dangerously.

'I'm doing my best, I just need a bit more time!' Carletta hoarsely whispered before a clunking found its way into her ears.

'Someone's coming!'

'Keep working, we'll handle it.' said Matturn before he stalked off down the corridor with Jadus in tow. Although free from her master's air of impatience, Carletta felt no lessening in the pressure. Carefully cutting specific wires, she listened intently for what went on around the corner. There was little sound though, save for a soft gagging that could've been her imagination. When the last wire was cut, she grasped the end of another and fused the two ever so gently. At first there was but a small spark, until the lights went out, hums and whirs from the vents and walls grew silent and only darkness could be seen. Luckily, Carletta's eyes were keenly trained not to be blind in the pitch black as she glimpsed Matturn and Jadus making their return.

'It's done, but we won't have much time.' she told them.

'Better than no time at all, let's move.' said Matturn curtly. Carletta followed the two through the twisting corridors, noticing the guards were no where to be seen. An unusual shudder came over her when she contemplated the fate Matturn and Jadus handed them. It brought a grim reminder of the people she was dealing with, which left her questioning why she didn't feel the same way during the battle on the Star Destroyer. Perhaps, she reasoned to herself, that in those brutal moments she did not think with her typical mindset, but more with one like theirs. It cast a sobering view of the Dark Side's power, its corruptive persuasion, something she could no longer afford to get lost in.

'We'll split up once we reach the next intersection.' said Matturn, snapping Carletta out of her trance.

'Oh, very well.' she answered, taken aback which Matturn plainly noticed.

'Don't get wrapped up in your own world, Carletta. It's how most apprentices often seal their fate...'

The bitterness in his tone caught her attention, prompting her to suddenly wonder Matturn's past, which had grown into a reoccurring thought. It was not something he openly spoke of, but of the few times he mentioned anything relating back to his life before meeting her it was spoken with a dissatisfied mind. At that point though, Carletta pictured an idea of what it might have been.

'You had an apprentice before me, didn't you?' she asked bluntly. Matturn stopped in his tracks for a split second, his posture more alert, before continuing.

'I did, but it is an unimportant detail to you. Especially right now.'

His voice didn't divulge his thoughts, but Carletta could sense his feelings open slightly through the Force, ones of sadness, disappointment and, unsurprisingly, anger, yet it did not feel directed at anyone. Maybe she wasn't seeing clear enough, but it felt aimed towards himself.

'Not to you though, and as an apprentice it is only my duty to seek knowledge from my master, particularly when it is to learn from their predecessor's mistakes. Your apprentice didn't live up to their potential, did they?'

Although she clearly pushed her luck, Carletta knew she was too integral to the mission to be punished for her prodding and waited patiently for response. It wasn't the most private of times to discuss such a matter, but with Jadus' morosely taciturn nature it was as good as just the two of them.

'He didn't,' Matturn began. 'But it doesn't change the fact that he was talented. Together we wandered, expanding our knowledge of the Force while enforcing the rule of our Empire. He absorbed everything I taught him, any challenge I handed him he accepted eagerly. Too eagerly, I might add.

'There came a time where we had to venture to Geonosis. The locals, who build our war droids, were rebelling, violently. Any nearby Imperial vessel was ordered to offer assistance to the struggling forces. Of all the times to rebel, the Geonosians couldn't have picked a more perfect opportunity. The War was keeping most battalions spread thin and far away.

'It took a month, but we quelled the fighting, yet, as you can imagine, the damage was done. Factories burned, tactical blunders led to bloodbaths and in one of those bloodbaths my apprentice led a squad straight into the catacombs. Foolish boy, he never took warnings wisely. I searched that maze for hours before I found him. Needless to say at that point he had little to say to me.

'In a way it was my fault for not holding his leash and when the Sith community heard of the tale I was never left thinking otherwise. To have a failed apprentice is mostly considered a shame upon the master, but the War quickly made me old, forgotten news, leaving me in the ironic position to feel thankful for it. I spent time in solitude, patrolling our borders and kept myself away from teaching. As it turned out, being so near to Korriban's academy was all too tempting to inspect. Usually, I found nothing that might be an improvement over my previous student's faults. Either they were too brash, too furious, or simply too stupid, but then I saw you. Not perfect, but intelligent and, as proven, enough survival instinct to let me consider you had a real chance. If you simply adopted a more ruthless attitude I'd possibly think you a prodigy. Possibly, of course. I've lived a life that has taught me that nothing is set in stone.'

Carletta had expected to have opened a can of worms, she just wasn't sure how much would pop out. To hear Matturn open up so willingly indicated a need to let his story out to someone who wasn't too much of a Sith to not care. It shone a light through the mask of an embittered, cruel, calculating man and revealed an almost mournful teacher that did not show an interest in the fury of war. She had never thought she would feel sympathy for someone as cold hearted, as murderous, as single minded as a Sith, especially for one who began his teachings with a kick in the face and not so much trained her at times as he did torture her. Yet there she stood, having proved herself wrong, almost on the cusp of telling Matturn she was sorry for his loss until she remembered herself and merely nodded at Matturn as he looked over his shoulder at her.

'You think I could be a prodigy?' she asked with honest interest.

'Anyone could, they just need the right way of thinking in order to attain greater knowledge and power. With small changes in your thinking, you would have the potential to join the Dark Council, but don't take that as total praise. To do that you need to hone your skill, fully embrace the Dark Side as a necessary ally and not be afraid to undermine and manipulate all of those around you. That is if your heart aims for the typical desire of control, or you could go my route. Travel the cosmos, gain a greater, more rewarding view of the Force and observe its influence. It may not be now, in fact it will likely take years before you reach that junction, but nevertheless there will be a time when you have to choose what kind of Sith you aim to be. Keep that in mind Carletta. It'll be the biggest choice in your life.'

There were few ways to unravel some pure, profound honesty from a Sith Lord, yet Carletta seemed to have inadvertently stumbled across a method how. Her only remaining predicament was figuring how to respond, unsure whether Matturn grew tired of her prodding, or he found it a relief from the tense situation. Perhaps an interest to see his apprentice become bolder in her curiosity. She made the call to play it safe however by using the typical slow nod and empty voiced response.

'Yes, my master.'

It was the oldest trick in the book, yet its effect never wore off from excessive use, as Matturn replied with a similar nod that told Carletta wordlessly his understanding, and perhaps even respect. She wasn't sure, the masks they wore always made things more vague, even when using the Force to fully read someone's feelings. She soon expelled her thoughts though, observing Jadus and Matturn's quickened pace through the empty, inky black corridors. It was the first sign to tell her she would face her biggest challenge soon, too soon for her liking.