I wipe the sweat off my forehead and steady my lightsaber, its red glow and hum filling the small room I'm in. I'm in an abandoned warehouse in the lower levels of Coruscant, training under Lord Revan's watchful eye. It's the dead of night and no one knows I'm here. I snuck out leaving Han and the kids asleep as I've been doing for the last year and a half to conduct my training in the Dark Side. Always making sure I'm not followed, and always getting back before any of them wake up, so that none of them learn of my secret.
It's a hard life working as a Senator during the day, a wife and mom at home with 3 kids, and training as a Sith Lady during the night. You can imagine how hard it is to juggle all 3. The first 2 jobs are exhausting enough as it is but Revan's training is rigorous, pushing me to my limits and past them. He's a very strict and demanding teacher. Sweat is pouring off of me and I am completely exhausted, I've been going for the last 3 hours now without rest after a particularly long day at the Senate Chamber. But I am dedicated, this training has become my secret obsession. Striving for more power in the force, for the knowledge of the Sith and how to harness the Dark Side. Most nights I sneak out to come here, I also come here during lunch breaks, or make excuses so that I can get away and come train. I spend most of my free time doing this, and it has paid off. Revan's lessons are making me stronger and I can feel my power growing every day.
I eye the training remotes circling around me, there are 5 of them shooting powerful blasts from several directions, set to the highest non-lethal setting, they really hurt when they hit you. When I first started this most of these bolts hit me leaving nasty bruises and welts all over my body, I had to cover them with makeup and wear long sleeves to hide them lest Han learn what I was doing. But I've gotten a lot better at it since then. Pushing myself beyond my limits, soaking up Revan's teachings like a sponge.
The remotes continue to circle, looking for an opening in my stance. I patiently wait for them to launch their attack, watching their every movement, feeling them in the force.
'Remember anger young one, it is the essence of the Dark Side. Frustration from fatigue, failure and even pain can be used to channel this. To increase your power'
Remembering Revan's words I draw on my exhaustion to increase my anger, feeling the Dark Side answer with a wave of power that revitalizes me and clears my mind in the process. Suddenly I hear the slight whir signaling the remote's weapon getting ready to discharge, and feel it in the Dark Side a split second before it happens. Bringing my lightsaber up, down and to the left I quickly deflect all the shots. They continue firing and repositioning for a better shot, all easily deflected as well. They've been doing this non stop for the last 2 hours, shooting in random patterns and directions.
Not a single shot has touched me.
Still he continues to watch unfazed. It's frustrating to say the least...frustration I use to feed the Dark Side.
More and more bolts come, I see them easily, knowing where they're going to go even before they fire, and effortlessly deflecting the shots. I've struggled with my mounting fatigue at times, but none of the bolts get by me. Revan continues watching me work, suddenly 5 more remotes come to life and join the other 5 attacking me. It becomes much more challenging as the bolts come faster and faster combined with my exhaustion, but I'm deep in the Dark Side and it's like the bolts are moving in slow motion. Most I deflect with my lightsaber, others I just dodge, placing my body in positions to avoid the bolts. A few I even absorb with my free hand, using the force to channel the bolt into adrenaline.
'Remember passion and love. Some Sith believe these feelings are of the light. In truth there is no greater fuel for the Dark Side'
I think of my family, my love for them and use it as motivation. My fatigue is burned away. Bolts fly from every direction but I barely even notice them. As I can feel the Dark Side flowing through me, giving me the strength, energy and vision to block them without effort. I'm entranced so deep that I barely even notice when Revan adds 10 more remotes to the attack. Without the force I would be weak and vulnerable to this onslaught, but with the Dark Side as my ally I see and deflect them easily. It's mere child's play.
Suddenly rapid fire turrets emerge from the floor and walls, set to non lethal. They join the barrage of laser fire coming at me.
'Remember hatred. A great source of power for the Sith. Feel it but don't let it consume you, out of control rage is harmful even to us. It clouds judgment'
I think of Vader, and of Obi-Wan using my mother as a shield against him, and causing the death of Alderaan by taking me there. The hatred burns through me like liquid fire, changing my eyes from brown to yellow and red. I feel the Dark Side greatly increase my physical strength at this, allowing me to deflect all the bolts away without even trying. My fatigue has all but vanished, I'm not even breathing heavily anymore.
This continues for another hour when a gesture from Revan suddenly makes all the remotes fall to the ground...and 10 lightsaber dueling droids come to life, surrounding me and igniting lightsabers. Droids that were difficult to find and program, I had to use my Senate connections to get a hold of these things off the black market.
I reach out to the Dark Side again, drawing in its glorious power and I spring into action taking on the droids. Expertly programmed containing forms and techniques that were downloaded from Revan's holocron. All of them using lightsabers set to kill. But it doesn't make any difference, empowered by Revan's teachings and the Dark Side I cut through the droids like butter, as if they weren't even there. No droid, no matter how expertly programmed can match the power of the force. In a matter of seconds all the droids become scrap metal. Using the Dark Side I lift the remaining pieces and pulverize them into the wall.
"Excellent work young one, indeed you are powerful. With the Dark Side as your ally there is nothing you can't accomplish. Even I'm amazed by the progress you have made, you grow stronger with every session. Soon, very soon you will crush the Jedi vermin and reform the Sith Empire".
"Yes Master"
"There is little more for me to teach you, I feel you are ready to take the mantle of Dark Lady of the Sith".
I bow before him. I've spent almost 2 years training endlessly for this moment.
"It is an ancient Sith tradition for an initiate to take a new name upon training. Signifying the transformation that person has made, their rebirth in the Dark Side of the Force as a new being. From this day on you will be known as Darth Sadus".
"I am honored Master Revan"