Chapter Eight – A New Master

Aindri watched the charging acolyte with narrowed eyes. Within a second and a half, she side stepped his charge, grabbed one of his arms, pivoted, jammed her shoulder into his chest, shifted her centre of gravity, and lifted him cleaning off the ground, flipping the acolyte over her head. Another quarter of a second had the acolyte exhaling forcefully, pushing all the air from his lungs as his back slammed into the ground. He attempted to scramble to his feet but fell back to the floor shouting in pain and clutching his nose when she delivered a savage downwards punch.

"Acolyte." Looking up, she saw Tremel standing at the arenas' edge, his Force signature muddied by carefully hidden anxiety and resentment.

"My chambers, now." Turning on his heel he stalked from the arena obviously expecting her to follow.

Tormi, Venitas absent for a trial, met her eyes from her place in front of a practice dummy, shooting her a questioning look. Shrugging in response, she made her excuses to Rance and collected her things, ducking into the gloomy corridor.

Jogging along the quiet corridors, Aindri's mind raced. It had only been a day since she returned from the Wilds so she can't be having another trial so soon, but to be pulled out of morning training like this….

Something was wrong and her mind immediately jumped to Baras. The Darth was the only person she could think of currently on Korriban who could elicit such a response from him. Her thoughts were only reinforced when she entered Tremel chambers to find him with his back to her, hands resting on his desk, shoulders slumped.

"We must speak quickly, acolyte, there isn't much time," He began, pushing himself of the desk and turned to her, dark bags under his eyes and anxiety etched into his features.

"I may have made a slight…" He paused searching for the right words, "Miscalculation."

"Miscalculation?" She echoed grimacing, everyone knew that Sith who miscalculated often didn't survive long.

"The Beast of Marka Ragnos was a great source of dark energy here on Korriban. When it was slain, there was a tremor in the Force and Darth Baras felt that tremor and is now aware of you."

"He demands my presence."

Tremel nodded, a hint of caution in his voice, "Baras is a serious man but a master of deception. Everything he does and says is calculated," Tremel looked her directly in the eyes and held her gaze, "He will attempt to trip you up, test your true nature and get to the heart of who you are."

"Thank you, Overseer."

"We might not speak again acolyte, but you're the best chance of stopping Vemrin. If you fail I doubt there will be another strong enough," Shaking his head he regarded her with a sad smile, "Meet Darth Baras in his chambers and hurry he won't take kindly to waiting. Good luck."

Inclining her head, Aindri turned swiftly on her heel heading for the Rancors' den.

Darth Baras's chambers, were both larger and more ornate than Tremels, much like the man himself. Slightly taller than her, Baras was – for lack of a better word – fat, dressed in flowing pale blue robes with long pointed shoulder plates, which didn't do much to hide rotund his figure. His heavy ornate mask, blank and expressionless, underscored Tremel's point about being a master of deception, rendering it unnecessary for him to have to school his facial features. She couldn't even see his eyes, that which often revealed a persons' thoughts.

The Force clung to him like a shroud, bathing him in darkness and secrecy.

Aindri leaned against the wall as Baras gave what she presumed was meant to be an inspirational/threatening speech to a group of acolytes standing in a loose semi-circle, Vemrin standing off to the right, deadly intent masked by boredom. Boredom directed at the other acolytes, which she understood just by giving them a brief glance, and deadly intent directed at the trial itself.

"Most of you will not return from this endeavour. If you die, you will be forgotten. If you give up, you will be killed. Now, out of my sight."

It was certainly motivational as most of the acolytes hurriedly left the room, Vemrin following behind them, talking with another acolyte wearing a gold chest plate.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." The other acolyte confessed.

Vemrin snorted "You should. This is the end of the line for you Klemral, just make sure you stay out of my way." Klemral glanced at her curiously and then smirked at Vemrin, "Look here Vemrin, I see the upstart and Dolgis didn't return yesterday."

Vemrin glared at her and growled, his anger deep enough to ripple outwards through the Force. She gave him a smirk in return.

Baras stood and regarded them coolly "Klemral, Vemrin you have been dismissed."

Klemral bowed jerkily before hurrying from the room, eager to escape the tension building between them between her and Vemrin. Vermin narrowed his eyes, giving her one last hard glare before following Baras's instructions and storming out of his chambers.

The subtle smile fell from her face as Aindri schooled her features into neutrality, pushing off from the doorway. She walked forward and bowed before adopting a relaxed military stance she learnt when attending the military academy in New Adasta.

"You called for me, my lord."

"Yes," Darth Baras mused, his eyes skating over her form, lingering on the small cut on her cheek from where a shard of stone had sliced her skin during her fight with Marka Ragnos's beast.

"Are you having trouble with Acolyte Vemrin, supplicant?" He asked, tone lighter than what he used when addressing his group of acolytes.

"No, my lord, but he may have trouble with me." Now Dolgis was out of the way, Vemrin was down one less groupie and she had slain the Beast of Marka Ragnos, news which had spread throughout the Academy like lightning. Everyone knew of their rivalry, Vermin was running out of allies. Their next encounter, Vemrin would have to contend with her himself.

"He has been hardened into a lethal machine," Baras declared fixing her with what she assumed was a stern gaze, which instead echoed through his voice, the Force shifting and expanding slightly around him, "Vemrin has paid his dues. Fought a deck stacked against him to get here. You, on the other hand…"

Baras paused observing the acolyte before him. He knew of her heritage, how the Hallow Clan could trace back their line to before the Great Hyperspace War. Her father, Darth Canis, the clan patriarch was well known amongst Sith circles for his ruthlessness and cruelty. But apart from this, his network could find little information on her, from her early childhood, to her time before arriving at the Academy. Showing little Force sensitivity, she had been placed in New Adasta's military academy, in hope she would earn a high rank in the Imperial Military to make-up her lack of sensitivity, before an incident occurred. Its' nature was shrouded in mystery – only known that a member of the main family died – much like its aftermath and her subsequent disappearance, only for her to return, strong in the Force, when her family selected those who would attend the Academy. Even then she was supposed to be arriving in a years' time, so he had little idea the extent of this upstarts training.

"You on the other hand…" Aindri could almost feel him prodding her through the Force and she had to resit the urge to push back, to force him out. Instead she submitted herself to his ministrations, pushing everything the could show weakness to be exploited to the back of her mind, locking it all behind an iron wall he wouldn't be able to pierce.

Silence followed as Baras chewed over whatever he had perceived in his mind, "Overseer Tremel has done you, and this Academy, a great disservice."

Aindri was silent as Baras paced in front of her, him letting his discontent roil in the Force as he spoke, emphasising certain words to further voice his displeasure.

"Your warblade came early. Prisoners flown in for your convenience, even a beast here on Korriban instead of offworld in the wild. The pacing of the trials is deliberate and only full immersion over time produces results."

"Your mind is soft, unhoned," Baras growled, "Undisciplined."

She had been immersed, for most of her teenage life in fact – her uncle had seen to it, even if her mother and father did not. But Aindri held her tongue. Tremel's assessment and Baras's own presence in the Force in mind, he was likely watching her to see how she would react. To his displeasure, to the implications she was subpar, beneath notice. Unworthy.

"It is offensive," He continued, "To be presented with an acolyte who doesn't even have an elementary understanding of what it means to be Sith. The first month of trials should be dedicated to philosophy, conceptual tactics," Demanding, "Do you even know of the code?"

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Conflict is a source of progress, a lack of it stagnation. Unlike the Jedi we do not forgo conflict nor do we ignore our passion. Sith fully embrace both conflict and passion, use it to fuel our strength."

Baras stopped pacing and watched her with interest, it seemed this acolyte was much more prepared than he had expected.

"Through passion, I gain strength. Passion is what keeps all creatures alive. By denying passion, Jedi deny their true nature. Mastery over our passions is what gives Sith a strength the Jedi lack."

"Through strength, I gain power. Only those who have both the physical and mental strength necessary to overcome the challenges they face will gain true power. It is through this a Sith will achieve their true potential."

Her uncle was the same. He would accept neither apologies or excuses, only that she would stand up and face a challenge, whether head-on or through deception, and she would become stronger for it. It was the same with actions. Violence should never be committed for purely violence sake. Always with purpose, always with motive. Such as victory.

"Through power, I gain victory. A Sith must fight for very victory, achieve it through demonstrating their power is superior over their opponents. Through victory, my chains are broken."

One of the most debated lines, Aindri could certainly remember arguing with her uncle, and later Tormi and Venitas for hours on end over the meaning.

"Removing ones' restrictions, whether placed by someone else or self-imposed, to achieve perfection and fulfil their potential. Perfection is a goal to be worked towards rather than a state of being."

Personally, she found that throwing off ones' chains often lead to being shackled by new ones, seeking perfection often driving people to madness.

"The Force shall set me free," The Codes' final line and Tormi's favourite, "Only those who seek perfection through pursuing knowledge and mastery of the Force are rewarded. Follow the code, and a Sith becomes free of restrictions, physical or immaterial."

Baras had remained silent as she talked but she could feel his surprise through the Force, though he quickly buried it. Aindri had compromised, giving enough to show she understood the Code but not knowledge nor gritty detail of its application in combat and politics.

"Most impressive acolyte. Your ability is undeniable, even as you still remain lacking."

She read his body language and his tone. One needn't have the Force to know Baras was planning something, mind whirring with possible machinations. Sith politics, she reminded herself, was a game within which numerous games were played with many pieces being moved around a single dejarikboard.

"I am your master now, Tremel was becoming lax before you ever arrived and his unwillingness to adapt to the evolving Sith paradigm has become a liability. These are the actions of a traitor and traitors, are executed."

"And what of punishment?" She asked steadily.

Killing an Overseer would be a sure way to get her executed. One might believe her if she told the death was ordered by a Darth, but none would lift a finger to do anything to the acts' mastermind. It was a simple and easy way for Baras to be rid of both her and Tremel, hence her question.

"I grant you immunity. Now go and do not return until you've killed him. Bring me back his hand as proof."

Bowing her head in acquiescence she strode from the room, starting for Tremel's chambers for the final time, not entirely comfortable with the idea of the overseer's blood on her hands. Betrayal never sat right with her. Aindri snorted, for Sith betrayal was as common occurrence as the rising sun and setting moon. Her immediate family, her father, mother, brothers and sisters, and most Sith would jeer at her, accuse her of becoming soft. But others would understand her frustration with the constant infighting plaguing our Order. It weakened us, any fool could see it. Unfortunately, most Sith were fools and unless she was really dedicated and suicidal enough to attempt to slaughter vast swathes of their ranks, they were fools she would have to suffer.

Tremel looked up when Acolyte Hallow entered, surprised and suspicious she had returned so soon. He scrutinized her, but like always little gave away her thoughts. Her face was neutral and her body relaxed, only the tiniest indication of a frown indicating there was something though whether due to an issue or thought he could not discern.

"Acolyte, I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Has Baras sent you back to me?"

"He has sent me to kill you." She replied, drawing her warblade and holding it loosely at her side, but ready to snap to her defence should Tremel strike first.

"Then I have been outplayed," Tremel murmured, "Baras has the authority, but I did not expect something this overt. Either I did, or he forces me to kill you and to destroy my own plan. A master stroke."

"A cunning ploy." She agreed.

"Very well. You have your orders, acolyte. Know it gives me no pleasure to kill you," A melancholic expression marred Tremel's features, the emotion foreign on his face, as he ignited his lightsaber, crimson blade springing to life with a low-pitched whine, as if the blade knew there was little it could do to prevent its master impending death, "I'll try to make your end quick and painless. It's the least I can do."

Tremel struck, Aindri blocked, their blades clashing in a deadly dance of cool Sith steel and red-hot plasma.

Tremel showed strength and resilience in the end, and Aindri had to give credit where credit was due. Surviving in place where assassinations where an almost daily occurrence was no easy feat and one of his blows slipped past her guard to sear her arm. But one of them would fall and in the end, it was him. He fell with the knowledge that despite being seemingly out-manoeuvred, his plans would ultimately reach fruition.

It was a good death.

Entering Baras's chambers, Aindri handed the proof, no trophy – because that's what the hand was, a trophy – to her new master, her clothes splattered with fresh blood, her nostrils cloyed with bloods' coppery scent. A lightsaber would have cauterised the cut, but she was not Sith yet and so had no such luxury.

Baras took it, turning it over in his hand with a faint sense of surprise escaping through his chokehold on the Force to colour his signature, "I am impressed you had the fortitude to destroy him, you know he thought of you as family. How did it feel to betray him?"

She shrugged "I did what was called for."

"You mask your feelings well," Baras commented almost offhandedly, then admonished, "Make sure you do not suppress them," He slipped the golden band on Tremel's ring finger from the severed hand and held it out to her, "Here. Take this one ring as a memento. Remembering the past can strengthen resolve and embolden the spirit."

Or hold you back, Aindri couldn't help but think as she took the ring, slipping it into her pocket. She would have to watch out for Eskella. She would lose face if she at least didn't attempt challenge her fathers' executioner, though Aindri doubted she would go as far as to ally with Vemrin for her revenge

Baras stood from his desk, turning to look up at the statue of Emperor set against his chambers wall, and while subtle, she could sense his ambition when he looked upon the chiselled visage of the Empire's ruler.

"By destroying Tremel, you taken your first step to understanding the Sith Code rather than simply parroting it. You have freed yourself from his shackles and escaped his fate."

"And now I'm bound by your chains." She commented drily.

"You'll find they are a marked improvement, with much greater potential range."

Until, she was no longer of use. With his final breath, Tremel warned her not to trust Baras, a final lesson Aindri would take to heart. He may have only been her teacher for a short while but she would remember and honour their lessons.

"Dealing with Tremel has left you behind your peers," Baras turned to examine her in silence, his gaze drifting to the wound on Hallows arm before returning to her face, detecting not a single hint of pain in her features. She truly did hide her emotions well.

"Minutes ago, I sent Vemrin and my acolytes to collect inscriptions from the Tomb of Tulak Hord. Enter the tomb, and bring me a shard from each of the ruined shrines. I set no rules regarding how the shards are secured and they will stop at nothing. It is up to your discretion how you retrieve them."

Bowing her head, Aindri left Baras's chambers and was heading down the corridor when a Sith in blue inquisitor robes called her, asking if she was headed to the tombs.

"Good," She said upon her nodding, "I am Inquisitor Urinth and I have need of you. Whatever your master tasked you with can wait until we are through."

Urinth strode past her and she followed her curiously through a maze of corridors as Urinth explained to her of the captured Jedi in the jails. Understanding dawned as she remembered whole platoons of troopers going from tomb to tomb a couple of weeks ago. She had wondered what was going on but had only heard rumours, which while useful and normally uncannily accurate could be blown out of proportion.

"How did the Jedi even land on Korriban?" Aindri asked as they entered one of the many smaller chambers littering the fourth floor.

"Those who helped him are being hunted down as we speak, and those who failed to discover it have been punished. However, despite the blunder we can use this to our advantage." She raised an eyebrow in an unspoken question and Urinth crossed her arms as she leant back against the desk.

"Upon capture we found his mind simple to manipulate. We fed him false memories through a combination of drugs and sorcery and once he returns to his Jedi commanders and report the lies we fed him."

She nodded, "And the Jedi won't know his memories have been tampered with?"

"Indeed, and now all that remains is to stage his escape."

"And I'm young and new enough to the Academy to be a likely traitor," She hummed, "I'll go visit this Jedi now."

Urinth nodded her approval, "Good, do whatever is necessary to get him out of prison. You will find the Jedi in the academy jails, he is still confused so should not be overly difficult to convince. Do not fail."

Aindri raised her hand in acknowledgement as she left the room the door hissing shut behind her.

Descending to the academies jails, she found the Jedi's cell in an isolated area of the jail, cocking her head as she heard him reciting the Jedi Code. She debated for a moment before deciding on a sympathetic approach and talked with the Jedi, promising to retrieve his comlink and lightsaber from Tulak Hord's tomb.

The Jedi looked at her sadly as she stood to leave, "I'm sorry to have to ask this of you, I know the tombs are very dangerous."

She smiled down at him reassuringly, "I am prepared to take the risk." The Jedi smiled his thanks and returned to his meditation, she could feel the Force flowing around him as he sunk into its flow.

Aindri shook her head as she stepped into the tombs interior sending a shower of sand and dust down onto the stairs leading into its depths. Descending them, she arrived at a chamber occupied by several troopers, the odd technician working on deactivated and most likely centuries old droids. She shook her head upon learning of the ongoing slave revolt, aided by rogue troopers on less. How could they expect to rule the galaxy when they couldn't even keep their own soldiers in line?

Fully aware of Vemrin and the other acolytes head start, Aindri moved quickly cutting down both droid and rebelling slave. Rocky detritus crunched underfoot as she made her way through the tomb, a metallic scent invading her nostrils from where fresh blood had been spilled.

Finding the shrines holding the transcripts was easy enough, one located in a side chamber not far from the tombs' entrance, buried among the rubble of a broken alter in a small side chamber not far from entrance. Retrieving the first shard, she found herself in a large sand filled open air atrium housing crumbling statues and monuments, slaves and rogue troopers supported by ancient droids occupying an open space. She kept her guard up crossing the sand but whoever challenged her advance fell quickly to her blade.

The shrine in the archives housing the second shard were empty of slaves, but its chambers were instead infested with K'lor'slugs, Aindri's lips curling in distaste as fought onwards.

The third, she found in the tombs' western wing, running her fingers lightly over the archaic script, barely legible after more than three thousand years of disuse. Korriban's dry atmosphere did wonders for preservation but even it had its limit. It also in the western wing where she recovered the Jedi's gear, stowed away in an urn in one of the wide corridors.

Aindri retrieved the final shard in an area of the tomb overrun by shyrack, large bat like creatures, attacking her the moment she entered, their appetites aroused by the scent of blood on her clothes. By themselves shyrack weren't too dangerous but in a flock, they could threaten to overwhelm if one was not careful.

She left the tomb cataloguing her wounds, the only serious one a gash on her left shoulder she received curtesy of a group of acolytes who jumped her near the exit, hell bent on stealing her shards. She recognised Klemral as the who had landed the lucky blow, his ripped clothes and bleeding cuts indicating he'd had too much with the tombs' denizens. She dispatched him quickly along with the other acolytes. Her opponents had been weak and slow, she showed them no mercy as she struck them down.

Aindri smiled in anticipation, Vemrin's reaction when she appeared with the shards. She had no doubt he was already there, positioning himself as the only acolyte who'd successfully completed their trial. Though he wasn't far off given the corpses she had seen during her journey through the tomb, most of them had been standing in that semi-circle when she'd entered.

She wasn't disappointed.

When Vemrin saw her, shards in hand, he scowled and seethed in rage, his own shards spread on Baras's desk who looked up from his inspection when she approached, bowing her head and passing him her own.

"Superb" Baras mused, noting lightly, "It seems your hopes have been dashed, Vemrin."
Vemrin growled, tightening his fists in an effort to keep calm and show she hadn't got under his skin. His voice was low and even in the back of his throat like if he didn't, he would be screaming in frustration, "Appearances can be deceptive."

She snorted lowly in response and Vemrin glared at her, anger twisting his features, Baras noting the silent exchange.

"The tension is thick between you two," He observed, noting the silent battle of wills between the two, "A great source of emotion to feed on. I wonder what will happen when it boils over."

One of them would be dead. It was the inevitable outcome the moment they laid eyes on the other. No, it was inevitable the moment Tremel called her to the Academy to face her trials.

"I have much to consider. For now, you are both dismissed. Return to my chambers tomorrow morning."

Bowing, they left Baras's chambers, Vemrin shoving past her when they entered the hall, his hand inching towards his blade but unable to run her through with a Darth's presence so close by. Aindri moved away from him, heading to the infirmary to receive treatment for her shoulder wound.

Aindri was later reading in the archives – she had taken scans of both the shards she'd given to Baras and those left in the tomb and was now attempting to translate them – when Urinth approached her and informed the inquisitor, she'd returned the Jedi's belongings, and he was now ready to stage his escape.

A familiar signature, flitted across her senses and Aindri, put a finer to her lips her gaze drifting past Urinth to settle on the acolytes heading in their direction. Urinth shifted slightly to glance over her shoulder at them before turning back to her with a miniscule nod of her head.

"You have done well acolyte, you are a pleasure to teach." Aindri nodded her thanks and Urinth walked away as she motioned for the acolytes to sit down.

Phyne and Teeno had ambushed her along with their fellow acolytes early during her first month on Korriban. They had offered her their services in dealing with Vemrin, their rivalry well known even back then. She'd refused of course, which led to them sparring so they could prove their worth. They'd lost and she told them, rather than attack Vemrin to watch him instead. They had performed admirably, providing her with information on Vemrin's movements and allies.

"Vemrin's pissed," Phyne whispered, sliding into the seat opposite her, "Really pissed."

"Went toe-to-toe with six other acolytes," Teeno added, "Looked ready to murder someone."

Aindri nodded, not entirely surprised and told them to continue keeping an eye on him. She doubted Vemrin would doing anything between now and their meeting with Baras, but she would remain cautious now that they're rivalry was coming to a head. They bowed their heads, Phyne giving her a small smile, before leaving her to her thoughts.

Leaning back in her chair, Aindri tipped her head to look up at the ceiling, staring at seamless rock. Her time on Korriban was coming to an end. Regardless of who Baras chose, one of them would fall and one of them would rise. Picking up her datapad she left the archives and headed toward her dorm to prepare for her final day on Korriban.