Chapter 3

While unkind Madarra was fully cooperative, she answered all of my questions simply and knowledgable. apparently my new master wished to reestablish the old sith order, which he saw as a beautiful, endless cycle of ambition. He believes with the jedi gone and a madman ruling the galaxy that the time is perfect to do so. Donavin also noted that to improve on the old doctrines of the sith he would set two rules to be followed forever. The first rule forbids the killing of innocence and civilians, this is so that the general population never grow to hate the sith, thus leading them to revolt. The second was conceived so that those with the most power over the force would also be those in positions of political influence once the order grew large enough. The rule itself stated that one could take all of a superiors belongings and titles if he takes his life in an honorable duel. He hoped to achieve immortality that he could enforce these rules forever, but even if that didn't happen his personal apprentice also deeply believed in them and he would pass them down. When I asked what exactly a sith was, not wanting to make the same mistake again, she told me that Donnavin could, and would, explain it much better then her. It was kind of complicated and I wasn't quite sure I understood, at this I was told I didn't need to understand I just needed to obey; and if I did I would have all the power I desired.

I did as I was told after my questions were answered and went to explore the temple, the pain was a bit worse when I was moving but again I eventually managed to suppress it. The stone was of a dark tan color everywhere I went, it was chipped and ugly but still sturdy. I found my way to a large round room, from their I could see into a room that appeared to be a library. Curious I began walking towards it, it was a small room, about the size of the one I woke up in, it had two shelves which were packed with old smelling books and a computer terminal that I assumed stored more information. As I stepped closer I saw Master Donavin sitting and reading from a scroll, if he noticed me he didn't do anything to acknowledge it and I thought it best to leave him be. Turning from the library I saw on the opposite side of the central chamber a larger room filled with weapons, empty cages, and a few training dummies.

I heard grunts and pounding noises from inside and walked in to check it out. Inside was a man I hadn't seen before, or rather I hadn't seen all of before. He was muscular with scars all over his body. The most noticeable scars were running down both arms, they were evenly spaced and eventually stopped about half way down his right. He smashed into a dummy with some sort of long wooden pole, crushing it to pieces with breathtaking speed. I honed in on his face as I watched, it seemed to me like he was screaming in his head, though I wasn't quite sure how I could tell this; his face certainly didn't convey anything. Whats more it seemed like it wasn't just screaming, it seemed like he was yelling something specific but I couldn't make out what. I was focusing very hard trying to hear the words when suddenly his head went quiet and he spoke, breaking me out of the trance I seemed to put myself in.

"Do you need something?" his voice held a degree of anger but for some reason he didn't intimidate me the same way Master Donavin did. Maybe it was because he was younger, he looked to be in his late teens or early twenties. I responded immediately without thinking.

"Your fast." I said with mild awe. His laugh was short and humorless, like I had said something stupid.

"Can you move that fast with a real weapon?" I said genuinely curious. Now I really had said something stupid, his eyes drooped and he turned to me. His breathing was returning to normal and he looked a little calmer, though his gaze was still hard.

"A real lightsaber is notably lighter than this training saber." He said holding it up for me to look at. "I can move faster with a real weapon." I couldn't keep my eyes from growing wide with amazement, these people really would make me strong. He gave a light grin at my expression and his posture slackened a little. Suddenly I felt a chill go over me and he snapped back to attention.

"Go away now, I'm in the middle of my training." He said harshly as he immediately turned back around and continued to strike the dummy. I stood watching for a second before walking out of the room, I noticed Master Donavin had looked up from his scroll at us. I quickly retreated back to the chamber where I woke up, seeing that Madarra wasn't there I looked around. The fridge was filled with those nutrient rich meal replacement drinks, one of the cupboards was filled with glasses and the other was packed with ration bars. I guess my new master didn't splurge on living expenses, still it was much better then what I was used to. Keeping the food down was difficult but getting easier, and bland tasteless bars weren't exactly hard on the stomach. Their was also a small shower that looked like it was hooked up to a large water tank but I didn't use it.

With nothing else to do I decided to go check out the other two hallways. The only thing in them were rooms identical to my chambers. There were about two dozen of them and only three looked lived in. With how spread out they were I found it odd that two of the used ones were right next to each other. As I was pondering this I wondered in without thinking. There was nothing in there but a few books on the counter and an unmade bed. Just as it occurred to me I should probably get out before I was seen a hand with a grip like steel clutched my shoulder. I turned quickly to see the scarred man. Still pouring with sweat, and seemingly still brimming with the adrenaline of his training.

"It's not polite to enter someones chambers uninvited." His voice was very hard and threatening. Without saying another word he roughly lifted my left arm, before I could wonder why he pulled out a large combat knife and cut a deep gash near the shoulder. I was dizzy and couldn't think, I didn't even register the pain for a few seconds. I just stared ahead feeling the warm liquid run down my arm and drip to the ground.

"ow" I said softly then as the pain began to drown me, I gripped the cut and bit down as hard as I could trying not to cry out.

"Pain, is the price we sith pay for power. You will feel much pain before you become strong, you will be cut like this with every major offense against me or my master. Understand?" I managed a weak nod, wondering just what the hell I had gotten myself into when there was a soft hum and suddenly my wound stopped hurting. I turned my head to see a soft light coming from his hand, my wound had closed leaving behind only a scar just like the ones running down his arms.

"Because this is your first mistake I'm closing it much sooner then is standard, my master isn't so weak as to show this kind of mercy. You would be wise to learn fast." With that I nodded again and quickly ran out of the room. Scared out of my wits I ran into my room, Madarra had told me the sith were generally violent to their acolytes but this still threw me off. More than anything else I think it was the regularity of how he cut me that was most shocking. Like that there was nothing abnormal or exceedingly cruel about what he had done; though I suppose here, in this academy, there really wasn't.

I briefly entertained the idea of getting off this planet, I thought of a bunch of half assed ideas like stealing the ship, taking a hostage. Nothing that would work but as I was thinking it occurred to me; would I leave if I could? If that man was any indication this was definitely going to happen at least a few more times; not to mention how difficult I'm sure the actual training would be. My thoughts kept coming back to him destroying that dummy though, I had little doubt that if I stayed I would become very strong. Now more than ever it was apparent that war could break out any day, I needed to be very strong to protect Mary. I could endure this pain if that's what it took.

Planting that idea firmly in my head I lay down on my bed and let myself fall asleep. I don't now if it was this place, or the traveling, or the excitement but that night I dreamed of my home planet for the first time in over a year. It was the same dream I always had, the sky was red with blood and fire. Smoke came from the towers in the distance like they were chimneys, I was a toddler sitting in an apartment staring out the window at a bunch of monsters. They looked like humans but they weren't, I don't know how I could tell but I knew. There was blaster fire everywhere as they shot each other, laughing as they died. Then there was pounding on the door, I knew who was there but the man didn't. He opened the door and there the monsters stood. They were black silhouettes with, giant, glowing, red eyes.

"foooooood" they whispered demoniacal. Two of their evil head poked in from the side, one was crawling on the ceiling and one stood right there in the doorway. Soft laughing came from all of them.

"We haven't got any to spare!" the man yells one second before he is engulfed in their darkness. He gasps as they devour him and I hear a woman scream behind me; but then the dream changed, I wasn't filled with the fear I normally was. For the first time I felt something else, anger. It wasn't even anger at the shadowy monsters, it was anger at the man. He was supposed to protect us but he didn't, all he did was die! I was shocked with myself as it bubbled up inside me, finally letting it out as the creatures slithered closer to us and one roughly grabbed the pretty woman who had her arms wrapped around me. I screamed, not like a scared little boy would, it was not of fear but of wrath. The monsters all backed away, for the first time I had control. I think I was vaguely aware I was dreaming at that point. I looked at the closest one and smiled sickly.

"Die" I said softly and he did, he just exploded right there. It felt so good I laughed like the little boy I was. The others turned to run, I tried to stand to go after them but the woman hadn't let go of me. I turned to her, her soft peach skin had turned grey and her eyes were dead. I knew what was coming next.

"NO!" I screamed. The noose began to form around her neck, once again my emotions were different. Rather then the woe I felt every other time I was filled with hatred as she rose into the air and the noose finished forming.

"YOUR LEAVING TOO?! YOUR PATHETIC! YOUR WEAK!" I yelled at the body as I stood across from it.

This is usually the part where I wonder around outside until someone grabs me and throws me into a ship that takes me away but not this time. I walked into the bloodstained streets and began fighting, I was my twelve year old self now. I raised my hands and made the monsters explode with my will. I destroyed more and more and more burning with a sick joy as I did. I killed until there was nothing left, even the buildings were reduced to rubble. The hatred inside me didn't go away but it became docile. Like a vicious predator that becomes less aggressive as you give it hoards of meat. Then as I looked around chuckling softly to myself I leaned against a mound of rubble and contently rested.