A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . .

STAR WARS
THE SITH, ZERO
ACT I
- The Way of the Dark Side -

The power of the dark side grows. The SITH EMPIRE has won a major victory against the Galactic Republic and its Jedi guardians, Conquering and enslaving many new worlds.

With a fragile peace in place, the empire sends its slaves to the ancient Sith stronghold of KORRIBAN, hoping to unearth relics of vast power that can be used to dominate the galaxy.

One slave, Louise -formally de la Valliere- powerful with the Force, has been released from servitude to master the dark arts of the Sith or die trying….

Chapter 5 -Act I-
The Sith Academy of the Force

[Attention all personnel, we will be leaving hyperspace in 3… 2… 1…]

Not a second later after the omnipresent feminine voice known as the intercom system finished its countdown, did the HSS Kryton lurch from hyperspace several million kilometres away from the ancient Holy World of the Sith, Korriban.

Normally, this would pose no issue for those aboard the Gage-class carrier, however, one passenger found themselves stricken by a rare condition known simply as hyperspace sickness. Said passenger soon came to the conclusion that space travel sucked and it was something she would never get used to.

The intercom blared to life once again, overpowering the sounds of gaging. [All neophytes, please collect your belongings and make your way down to the hanger bay. The shuttles departing for the Korriban Academy Landing Port will be leaving in thirty standard minutes.]

Louise groaned as the announcement died, pushing herself from the cubical she had just finished vomiting in. Silently, she cursed whatever deity struck her with such an ailment. Nevertheless, she heeded the words of the intercom, though before that she checked to make sure her uniform was not sullied by bile before washing the horrid taste from her mouth. Once satisfied, she quickly left the bathroom and headed down towards her quarters.

It had been roughly eight days since she was first picked up from the from the slave planet of Elu, or at least she thought it was. Time passed differently aboard the starship, especially without a sun to go by.

During the shuttle flight to he Kryton, she was asked a variety of different questions from the auburn Imperial Officer. Most questions she had already gone through with Lord Juyn during their dinners: Her name, age, species, birthday as well as a few other bits and pieces about her identity were all surrendered to the Imperial who dictated it all quickly and efficiently. However, that was only the beginning of it all…

Walking through the familiar steel halls, Louise soon arrived at her quarters. The door hissed open to reveal a smallish room built with the idea of pragmaticism rather than comfort. In place of walls, three bunk bed, one built into each side of the wall. In the centre of the room was a small table built for four with a few chairs, the only part of the room made for comfort.

Aside from herself, there was one other person in the room. She was one of the five other's who shared this room with Louise, and one of the many neophytes on the ship.

"You feelin' okay?" the girl asked, looking up from her Imperial issued personal trunk, dressed in her uniform ready for her first day on Korriban.

Just shy of nineteen-years of age, Kory Fyrus towered above Louise, standing around five-foot-inches tall. She was pretty plain in appearance-wise, with a head of copper red hair and a pale face covered in freckles. About the only thing that stood out was the long and uneven scar that ran down the right side of her face.

Kory, much like herself, was once a slave, but unlike Louise, she was a farmer, not a miner – her family had tended to the farms and plantation of the Sith garden worlds for centuries. She also served as proof that the Imperials treated slaves differently all over the Empire as whoever oversaw the garden world preferred letting the slaves work with little interference as long as they worked. If Louise was to be honest, she did feel envious of the girl when she first found out, but quickly squashed it; even if her face was marred, the girl was cute and her kind personality made it nearly impossible to hate.

"I'm fine. Just a bit ill," Louise replied, brushing off Kory's concern despite the horrid feeling that lingered in her gut. Looking around, she could see that aside from her own trunk and Kory's, the four others were missing. "Where're the others?"

"They packed and left. I stayed here waiting for you," Kory replied with a kind smile.

Louise returned the smile. While they might not be friends, Kory looked out for others. Waling over to her personal trunk, she opened it, finding most of her personal belonging staring back at her.

When she left Elu, she had nothing but the clothes on her back, that being the dress she was given by Juyn – which in actual fact had been a Sith robe. However, upon taking her first few steps aboard the Kyrton, she was promptly given a chest-like trunk containing some small clothes and three Academy uniforms.

The uniforms themselves were nothing special, just an amalgamation of a few articles of clothes. The top was a grey long-sleeve undershirt, covered by a loose-fitting jacket made of thin, yet tough red synthetic fabric. The bottom half was far simpler, comprised of a pair of leggings made of a comfortable elastic fabric, allowing a good range of movement, as well as a pair of calf-high boots and a utility belt.

Aside from clothes, Louise was also presented with her very own personal datapad and her first weapon, the training saber.

At first glance, the training saber was little more than a twenty-three-inch durasteel club. With a solid hit, it could deal serious damage to others. However, there was more to it then being a simple club: The training saber was designed to have the specific balance and weight of a real lightsaber, not only that but running along the 'blade' were thousands of microscopic venomous barbs. These barbs were harvested from the small pelko bugs and would cause burns and blisters upon coming in contact with flesh, it would also paralyse the surrounding area, mimicking the amputating effect of a lightsaber. During her eight days' worth of cram training, she had felt the pain of these barbs many times.

Her training saber was currently on her bed inside its sheath beside her datapad. After making sure all her clothes were safely away, she closed her trunk and summoned her datapad to hand with the Force, hiding it safely away in a pouch on her belt. Next, she summoned her training blade, almost immediately feeling the strange yet familiar sensation flooding through her.

Memories of the first time she held her training blade flashed to mind. She had been sitting on her bed in the safety of her shared quarters. It had only been two hours since she first arrived on the Kryton and her bunkmates were all out training while Louise adjusted to the new space. She had been contemplating something or other, fiddling with her training saber. At first, nothing happened, but upon grasping the hilt to pull it free, it was like an adrenaline rush; suddenly she felt stronger, faster, her vision sharper as everything around her seemed to slow just that little bit.

The shock caused her to drop her training saber in surprise, after giving herself a moment to compose herself, she picked the training saber up from the floor cautiously. However, the second she touched the hilt, the sensation filled her again. This time she did not drop it but began examining the weapon, trying to figure out what was causing the strangeness. Yet, she found nothing about the weapon that was out of the ordinary. No, it was her who was the source of the strangeness, specifically, the runes upon the back of her left hand… they were glowing.

She, of course, kept this to herself. While she might have trusted Lord Juyn, the rest of the Empire she would not – even her roommates. So, she told no one, something the Sith encouraged, and began getting into the habit of wearing a glove on her left hand. Though, this did little to hamper any curiosity she had.

From extensive experimentation, she learned a few things: she knew they were from her homeworld – in fact, the runes very much resembled the runes that would magically carve themselves upon bound familiar. She knew that they would only work with weapons, whether it be a vibroblade, training saber or blaster. And finally, she knew somewhat what it did and managed to break it down into three parts: The first part involved granting her enhanced speed and strength on par with an extremely athletic man, as well as good reaction time as well. The second involved numbing pain, which was both a boon and a curse; while fighting, it meant she was unhindered by pain, but outside of a fight, she had to deal with the burns and blisters that would result. And finally, the runes granted her knowledge on how to use the weapons; whether it be training sword or blaster, she knew how to use it effectively. She was by no means a master when the runes were active, but she could hold her own against the other, more learned, neophytes.

Was it cheating? Louise had no idea. All she knew was that it would keep her alive and that's all she cared about.

Quickly, she strapped the training saber's scabbard to her belt. Now, all she had to do was figure out how to get the trunk from her quarters to the hanger. It was not heavy, made from pretty light materials, but it would be unwieldy to lift.

Looking over to Kory, her answer was given quite simply: Just levitate it.

Taking a deep breath, Louise stood up and stretched out her hands, drawing upon the Force to lift the trunk from the floor. It was far easier than the previous attempts at telekinesis, but she knew there was quite the distance between her room and the hanger bay. Yet, she knew she could do it, and soon enough she was following Kory through the ship towards the hanger.

And as she walked, she could not help but contemplate, once again, what life would be like as an Acolyte of the Dark Side. She knew she was not an acolyte yet, she was just a mere neophyte until she finished her first trial, but that did not stop her from musing. From what she learned, life at the Korriban Academy was a far cry from her life at the Tristain Academy.

First off, the actual Academy could be called a veritable city, built to house a population that easily exceeded the entirety of Tristain, and possibly the neighbouring countries as well. But it was more than size and numbers that were different, it was how it was run.

There were no year levels or set classes one was sorted into, instead the neophytes were gathered into groups of six where they would be put under the responsibility of an Overseer. The Overseer's job would be to moderate and, as the name implied, oversee their training; they would plan their neophytes' trials and their schedules for lessons. Louise had already been sorted into her group, the neophytes she had been bunked with; their Overseer, on the other hand? She knew nothing about who they would be.

What she did know, however, was the Sith Lord who had claimed her and her fellow neophytes as potential apprentices. Continuing the theme of being contrary to her previous experiences with academies, Sith academies usually trained students for only a year, two years in unusual cases. This was because the Academy was to train students for their actual training as an apprentice to a Sith Lord, which lasted for anywhere to five to twenty years. The Sith who had chosen Louise, though, was someone by the name of Lord Zash. Unfortunately, aside from knowing the Sith's name and the fact they were female, she knew little else. If she wanted to learn more, she would have to go to the Academies archives.

Speaking of learning, the education system was quite different as well. From what she learned, most learning came from one's own hands. In fact, due to her status as a 'slave-caste', she had a far heavier workload than the others. Her education in the arts of the Force as well as the Empire at large was stunted, limited to whatever she had picked up on the Kryton and what Lord Juyn had thought her. Fortunately, she did not have to learn everything on her lonesome; various classes, lectures and other such lessons were available for neophytes to attend at their leisure as they were not mandatory. About the only mandatory part of the Academy were the trials.

Trials could be considered the Sith version of an exam. They were tasks neophytes had to perform to prove themselves to their overseer and the Sith who claimed them. It was odd and far more dangerous than her old academy. Lord Juyn had even warned that death was a high possibility and that she should not get attached with many of the neophytes in her group because they may end up dead. It was one of the major issues she had with the Sith Academy. Death was considered commonplace, to weed out the weak. If an acolyte died, then it was obvious that they were weak and as such unworthy of being Sith.

Louise shook her head, knowing that delving into that subject would not lead anywhere pleasant, and instead focused on keeping the trunk levitated in the air.

Soon enough, they arrived at the hanger. It was a massive, expansive room filled with shuttles. The floor was a dull black with white and yellow marking around, signifying different landing zones and other such things while the walls and roof were more of the same military grey. However, it was the hanger doors on either side of the ship which interested her the most; the doors looked like little more than massive windows with pale blue glass, but she knew that it was not glass, there was not even anything physical separating ship from space. No, instead an advanced piece of technology was installed around the rims of the massive doors known as a magnetic containment field generator which stopped the air from escaping into the void.

It was interesting, to say the least. Though, she was disappointed that the doors were not facing the planet… she had yet to see any from space.

Ripping her eyes from the starry void, she began looking around for the other neophytes, following Kory from the platform she stood upon and down onto the ground floor below. Many of the shuttles below had little groups of neophytes waiting for the ships to take them down to Korriban, and she knew one must be hers, she just needed to find it. Fortunately, she was quick to find them, in part due to the fact one of them was practically a giant.

"You alright, Louise?" asked one of the neophytes, a male human by the name of Niloc, his dark eyes cautious, as if she were to vomit at any second.

Louise nodded somewhat annoyed by his caution. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Good. But if you're gonna be sick, please aim elsewhere," he grumbled. Niloc was the odd one out of their little group of neophytes. He, much like everyone else in the sextet, was a slave, but he was a domestic slave belonging to a Sith Lord, not a state slave belonging to the Empire. He seemed to have loved his time as a slave and wanted to use his time at the Academy to prove himself to his former lord or die trying.

Others in their sextet were the identical twins, Wydr and Balek. Both shared the same hair, face clothes and even a similar build, so much so that the only difference she could see was their facial hair; Wydr had a single goatee while his brother sported a strange style that could best be described as two patches of long hair hanging from the sides of his mouth. They worked as manufacturers, building droids, vehicles, and other such mechanical wonders for the Empire. In this, both were well versed in mechanics, though Wydr seemed much more knowledgeable than his stronger brother.

Gerr was the tallest out of the group, standing nearly twice Louise's own height and twice as wide. He was pretty much all muscle, having worked in the cortosis minds where mining lasers were pretty much useless, making hydraulic jacks a lifesaver. When she found out how hard cortosis mining was, she found a new appreciation for her former occupation. It sounded like absolute agony on the arms.

Then there was Louise and Kory, the only two girls in the group and the only two who had hair that was not brown or black.

Six neophytes, all vying for the attention of one Sith Lord, yet only one would ever gain her approval.

However, there was a seventh hanging around the shuttle. It was a Sith Pureblood, one she had seen occasionally around the ship. Louise did not know much about him, other than his species, as he tended to keep to himself and sneer at anyone who tried striking up a conversation. Whether he was a neophyte, an acolyte or even an apprentice, she had no idea, but she did know his fanciful purple robes were not standard issue. It had actually been a surprise to see a male version of Rayne, especially as he seemed far more… human than Rayne; really, the only difference between him and a human was the red skin. While curious about why he was standing with them, the scowl on his face acted as a deterrent.

Soon, the seven were joined by an Imperial office. A slim man who only seemed only as important as his outfit. In a low drone, he began to explain to the gathered neophytes what would be happened when they land, even informing them of their Overseer, a human male named Harkun, who would meet them at the landing platform.

Once he finished his spew, he gestured for the neophytes to board the shuttle, wishing them luck on their first trial. With trepidation, Louise followed her fellow neophytes up the ramp and into the shuttle, hoping beyond all hope this flight would be better than her last.

...

While the trip was far nicer compared to her first ever flight in a shuttle, it meant it was by no means pleasant – especially during the dreaded turbulence. As such, Louise tried her best to delve into the great distraction that was meditation.

Eventually, though not soon enough, the ship landed on the platform. Louise, wanting to get off the death-trap as quickly as possible, managed to get off third, behind Niloc and Kory. However, she did not get far before she found herself stopping in her tracks, eyes wide as she took in the landscape that was Korriban. The platform was elevated, sticking out the side of a great divide which acted as a wall between the valley and the rest of Korriban, which gave Louise a breathtaking sight.

It was so unlike anything Louise had seen before; none of the lush grass that covered the fields of Tristain, nor the sprawling forests and especially not the monotonous grey slate that seemed to make up majority of Elu's landscape. No, Korriban could best be described as a desert, desolate and completely dominated by various shades of red stone, sand and dirt. But just because it was bare did not mean it was any less beautiful. The stone formations that litter the land looked absolutely gorgeous, spires of stone stabbed at the sky, the ancient pillars carved with intricate patterns and worn statues of the Old Sith towering above them all. It was magnificent. It was not just the simple sight that affected Louise, though, but the presence that seemed to permeate the land. The Force was strong here, powerful in the ominous sounding Dark Side. It made sense, this planet was the homeworld of the Sith species as well as the birthplace of the Sith Empire.

Of course, she could see the signs of the modern Empire, such as the landing planet and the faraway city of Dreshdae she could see far off on the horizon. Even the Academy, which she knew was kilometres and kilometres away, hidden behind the divide.

Someone shoved into Louise, interrupting her view. Snapping her head around, she found herself staring at the hooded Pureblood who flashed her a look of utter disgust before swaggering on his merry way. Shaking her head and flashing a glare at the man who practically oozed arrogance, but he ignored her. Bastard.

Giving one last look to the beautiful landscape before following leaving the landing platform, she quickly picked up the pace, walking down the path towards a smallish building built into the side of the outside of the Valley. Soon, she found her group of neophytes standing before a boorish looking man – the Sith Pureblood nowhere to be seen.

The boorish man – who, if the lightsaber was anything to go by, was Overseer Harkun – looked like one of the most displeased man in the galaxy in his red and white jumpsuit, grey pauldrons sticking out from his shoulders. Yet he still looked respectable, with a head of combed brown hair, a pointed goatee and sharp blue eyes. He also had a red tattoo on his forehead, wrapping around his right eye.

"Ah, the last one to arrive is finally here," he said with a sneer, and suddenly, Louise found her opinion of the man dropping. "I hope you don't think you're special, it would be a shame if all that freedom went to your head, or if you somehow got the idea that you didn't need your trials to become Sith."

"I apologise, Overseer," Louise replied, trying to keep her irritation out of her voice. Out of all the Overseers…

"Quiet you," he snapped, pausing as he regarded the rest of the neophytes with contempt. "Lord Zash has tasked me with sorting through you refuse to find one worthy of being her apprentice and I intend to do just that. Now, as for your trial… There lives a hermit by the name of Lord Spindrall who lives deep in the tomb of Ajunta Pall. Spindrall's a lunatic, but Lord Zash sees him as some kind of prophet. Once you find him, he will test you all and judge.'

"If you are competent enough to finish whatever test he has for you, you will be permitted to enter the Sith Academy where I will be waiting with his verdict. Don't keep me or Spindrall waiting." With one last glare to the gathered neophytes, he turned around and walked deeper into the building.

"Well, he's certainly abrasive," Wydr muttered once he was sure Harkun was out of earshot.

"Show respect, Wydr," Niloc snapped, crossing his arms in what he must have assumed was an imperious way, though it lost all effect seeing as Wydr was a few feet taller than the relatively short former servant. "He's a Sith Lord and we, mere neophytes."

"Still, I think we should all watch our backs around him," Kory said, wringing her hands.

"I wouldn't want to be Louise, though," snickered Gerr. "Seems to have been insulted by your tardiness."

"Hey!" the girl in question retorted. "I was only a few seconds late!"

"I don't think it mattered to him," Wydr said with a shrug.

"I don't think he needs much reason to hate us," Balek re-joined, clasping a hand on his brothers back.

"Before I left the services of Lord Hera'al," Niloc mused, "she told me that most slave-caste were treated with contempt until they've proven themselves. If we survive, he'll eventually warm up to us."

Wydr snorted. "I doubt it." Louise had to agree, and it appeared everyone else, aside from Niloc, did as well.

"Anyway, we should probably hurry up," Kory said, cutting their discussion short. "He did say we shouldn't keep him waiting…" Everyone seemed to freeze with that declaration from the timid girl, all turning to look at her incredulously.

In the next moment, almost everyone was halfway across the room, delving deeper into the arrival port as to get to the Valley of the Dark Lords as quickly as possible.

...

"Wow…" breath Niloc, his eyes wandering around the valley as he walked.

Louise could not help but agree. Her head craned around, trying to take in everything around her. While she had been impressed with the simple size and precise nature of modern Imperial constructs, the runes of what Niloc called the "Old Empire," were simply stunning. Splitting the Valley down the centre was a wide street, once made of smooth stone bricks, they were little more than cobble now. Lining the sides, she could see tall obelisks and imposing stone carvings of Sith and beast alike, though most had fallen into disarray.

Many grand tombs could be seen dotting the landscape, some built up high on ridges, others closer to the expansive valley floor. Each of them belonged to one of the legendary Dark Lords of the Sith and their servants; from the great King Adas to the last Dark Lord, Naga Sadow. They were massive, each their own veritable castle, and designed to show off the wealth and power of the Dark Lord who lay entombed.

However, just as it was outside the Valley, there were signs of the modern Empire built around, it was kept to a minimum – most of it being outposts that dotted the gargantuan valley, safe spots where Sith, Imperials and Acolytes alike could take shelter from the dangers that lurked amongst the ruins. Such dangers were creatures such as the tuk'atas, shyracks, hssiss or any other of the many dangerous creatures that stalked the valley.

And there, before Louise and her fellow neophytes, was the tomb of Ajunta Pall, sat in the epicentre of the massive valley. The tomb sat atop what could be considered a shallow flat-topped pyramid, standing like a sinister cathedral amongst the others. Despite the scars of war, she could see plain as day upon its exterior, it still stood as a guiding light to all around it.

The only issue was the tomb seemed to have an… infestation of sorts. K'lor'slugs, one of the many races of monsters that prowled the Valley. They were pale serpentine creatures that skittered across the ground upon six pointed legs that stabbed into the ground with each step they took. Their arms, as of course the creature needed arms, were similar to their legs, but closer to their head and posed much like a mantis. But, the most horrific thing about the creature? The fact it was roughly the size of the average human with a maw that looked far more like a gaping hole filled with sharp jagged teeth that could tare a man to pieces or swallow them whole.

As they drew closer, they could see more and more of the disgusting creatures. The six tried to avoid them and succeeded somewhat.

The sound of cracking stone followed by a sharp scream to her left jarred Louise. In a second, her hand grasped her training blade as she spun to face whatever the danger was. What she saw would have been funny had the danger not been five feet from her.

Kory was practically ten feet in the air, leaping away from a cloud of dust and dirt that had shot from the ground. Inside the dust cloud, she could see what looked to be a k'lor'slug tearing itself from the ground, it's feet stabbing into the stone as it lunged at Kory who was just out of reach.

With only a seconds warning from the Force, Louise soon found herself leaping into the air. The ground below her exploding from underneath as a maw of hundreds of sharp teeth shooting out of the ground, aiming to swallow her up.

When her feet hit the ground, she quickly pushed herself away from the k'lor'slug, seeing several other of the beasts crawling out of the ground. Fortunately, the other neophytes were fast enough to either defend themselves or put distance between them. While they dealt with theirs, Louise focused on her own.

The creature stalked forwards, its feet clicking against the stone as it moved; not wanting to be within range of its maw, Louise kept her distance, not sure how to proceed. The k'lor'slug shrieked, rearing back before lunging towards Louise, crossing the distance between them surprisingly quickly, only to crumple to the floor in agony as lightning tore at its body. Quickly moving while the creature was stunned, Louise raised her durasteel training saber, slamming it down on the monster's head repeatedly, as if she were trying to kill a particularly stubborn cockroach. By the time her k'lor'slug was still, bleeding green guck onto the stone ground. Around her, the other neophytes were dealing with the other k'lor'slugs.

Her eyes darted around, looking to the other neophytes as they dealt with their own. Balek and Wydr worked together with unsurprising cohesion, drawing three of the k'lor'slugs away from the group before tag-teaming the creatures with their training sabers. Gerr was fending off two of the creatures, using the Force to keep the creatures at bay, pushing them back with blasts of telekinesis. This left Kory and Niloc to face off against their own k'lor'slug with their training sabers. Kory looked to be struggling the most with hers, so without much pause, she moved to help her.

Raising her off hand, she summoned the Dark Side, unleashing it upon the unsuspecting creature. It fell to the floor, strange alien screams of agony escaping its maw, before Kory capitalised on its pain, quickly ending it. By the time they finished, Gerr had ended one of his own, wrestling the other to the floor, his training saber lodged in its mouth – it's screeches of pain, its mouth blistered and burned, mixed with rage as it tried tearing the man apart; the twins had killed one and were busy beating back the other two. Niloc, however, was still struggling with his own.

Acting quickly, Louise rushed to Gerr's side, swinging her training saber with her augmented strength, smashing into the head of the k'lor'slug which had pinned Gerr to the ground. Gerr acted instantly, ripping free his training saber before pushing the k'lor'slug onto the floor, straddling it. With his large muscular arms that spoke of years' worth mining, he brought his training saber down onto its head again and again and again.

Kory, while hesitant to act, ran to assist the others; helping Niloc end his foe just as the twins prevailed over theirs, beating them back and causing them to flee.

With no danger in the vicinity, Louise tried to get her heart under control. This was the first real fight she had since the pirate attack and she was thankful. Fighting beasts was a concept she was familiar with – people, she was not. A duel was fine, training even, but the thought of killing another still did not sit well with her. Often times, she remembered asking to join her parents when a dangerous beast such as wild dragons or manticores trespassed on their land, threatening commoners. She knew back then that something was wrong with her magic, but she thought she could still help, even with her measly explosions.

Around her, the other neophytes were recovering from the sudden attack. Niloc, as well as Wydr, were looking warily around the valley, making sure they wouldn't be attacked by anything else. Balek was squeezing his arm, blood dripping from a wound onto the ground, as Kory tried to assist him with some medical supplies she had with her.

Gerr, however, seemed to have taken the ambush as a personal offence. "Well, at least we know they can dig!" he cried, his breath heavy as he kicked one of the fallen creatures. "Kark it all…"

"Well, the instructors did say that we should always be on guard when in the Valley," said Niloc replied Niloc offhandedly, leaning on his training saber like a cane.

"We should keep our weapons out, there could be more," said Balek as Kory applied a gauze damp with what Louise assumed was kolto.

"I second that," grumbled Kory.

"Thirded," Niloc sighed.

Louise's lips quirked in a small smile. Her eyes drifted up to the sky, spotting the sun hanging in the distance. She did not know what time it was on Korriban, as apparently not all planets had a twenty-four-hour day, but she knew she did not wish to spend her time in the valley during the night. "Let's just get to Ajunta Pall's tomb before we attract any more attention."

With a small murmur of agreement, they were once again on the move.

...

"Welcome to Outpost Epsilon. Sergeant Cormun, Fifth Infantry company, Korriban regiment, at your service, sirs. You must be the hopefuls here for your trials."

"You've heard of us?" asked Gerr, expressing the same confusion Louise felt. They had just descended into the tomb when they were confronted by the man who called himself Sergeant Cormun. Dressed in red plated armour covering a black body glove, Cormun was a lanky man – though his armour made him appear larger – with dark skin, darker hair and defined features. Behind him was what looked like the outside of an Imperial outpost, built into the tomb with a few turrets and soldiers to guard the base. Its pragmatic designs of military grey durasteel contrasting against the dark red of the stone.

"Of course, sir," the man replied, straightening his spine as he spoke to the giant that was Gerr. "You would have been arrested for trespassing had you not been given permission by your Overseer. Aside from the outposts, the rest of the Valley is off limits to all acolytes and neophytes both."

"Speaking of, do you happen to know where Lord Spindrall resides?" Wydr asked.

"Lord Spindrall?" the Sergeant echoed thoughtfully for a moment. "If you will follow me, I can direct you."

With a slight shrug and a curious look to the other neophytes, Wydr replied, "Lead the way, Sergeant." And with that, the six followed Cormun through the tomb, past the outpost and down a nearby flight of stairs and through the lower chambers of the tomb.

They walked in relative silence, making sure no k'lor'slugs were around to dampen their day once again. Fortunately, the path to Spindrall's chambers was relatively free from the creatures, most being killed off by the failed acolytes who apparently came to Spindrall for sanctuary. Without the man-eating monsters around, Niloc decided to make some small talk with the soldier. "So… what do you do at the outpost?"

"I was stationed here to keep the k'lor'slug population under control," Cormun replied, "The damned bastards breed so fast that it's hard to kill them conventionally. We've managed to fend them off for now, but lately, they've been getting more aggressive."

"You've killed a lot of them?" Wydr asked.

"Yes, sir," he said. "As I've said, their difficult to kill, but when you've spent any amount of time in this tomb, you'll learn a few things."

"Could you give us any tips?" the neophyte pressed.

Cormun scratched his chin, humming in thought. "The underbelly's softer, not the chest area, but lower down on their body," he explained. "…They swallow anything, really, so if you've got a thermal detonator or any other type of explosive, throw one into their mouth and you've won that fight…" He continued on, giving advice – don't get too close, the average blaster is only useful against the young and the worker caste, stay away from the larger red ones unless you've got a plan – fairly standard things, he said. The other neophytes tried asking questions about Spindrall and the trial they would get, but there was not much he could say aside from a brief on the Sith Lord.

Louise, however, asked nothing. She did not feel comfortable asking the soldier any questions despite how kind he seemed, but she did listen and learn. As she did so, she kept her eyes around the tomb, taking in the sights. The tomb was old, that much she could tell just by looking at it from the outside, but on the inside, it appeared far less damaged, though the ware of time was noticeable. Dimly lit by strange glowing crystals that hung from the walls or nestled into the hands of some statues, as well as the artificial lamps of the modern Empire, keeping the darker corners filled with light for safety. While the lights were not enough brightening the darkest spots of the tomb, they gave enough light to shine upon the various grand murals and statues depicting various battles and ominous figures standing cloaked by robes. She could see a few branching chambers, some leading to what she assumed were sarcophagi built for the servants of the owner, other to the rest of the tomb.

Their conversation was brought up short, however, as they reached their destination.

"Just head down there and you'll meet Lord Spindrall," he said, pointing down a narrow staircase. "It'll lead you right to Lord Spindrall."

Following the directions down the staircase, the six came across two Force Sensitives donned in tattered black robes that covered most their features, however, she could tell they were both male humans. Training sabers hung from their sides, telling signs that they were probably the failed acolytes Spindrall kept around. They stood in front of an imposing double door with the image of a Sith carved upon it.

As they walked towards the two, Louise could not help but feel as if she was being sized up by the two, like a sheep before a wolf. It was unnerving, but she tried to keep it off her face. When they finally arrived, the two inclined their heads, one saying, "Lord Spindrall awaits in the sacrificial chamber. You will find it on the left."

Sacrificial chamber!? Louise though incredulously, but before she could press for an answer, the acolytes summoned the power of the Force, opening the massive door, the sounds of stone scraping against the ground grating to her ears.

Once the door was open, revealing a moderately sized chamber filled with what seemed to be training equipment. There were three other doorways, one on each side of the chamber walls, all three closed, aside from one, sitting on the right. Assuming this was the right chamber, the six began their walk towards the so-called sacrificial chamber. As they did, Louise could not help but stare at the failed acolytes, each donned in black robes, train with their training sabers or even the Force. Some, though, were not training, instead watching the six neophytes intently.

The further she walked and the closer she got to the sacrificial chamber, dread started knotting in her gut. Since discovering that the Sith Lord lived in some sacrificial chamber, unease set in her gut, but she tried to not let it show as she followed, but nevertheless it spelt uncomfortable thoughts about what trial awaited them.

Soon, they entered into the sacrificial chamber. The room was smaller than the previous but taller. A large dais sat centre at the back of the chamber, only accessible by a stone staircase. In front of the dais was a wide space, allowing enough room for a small assembly of people to stand comfortably.

At first, the six hesitated where they stood at the threshold, all their eyes drifting to the top of the dais. They could see a figure sitting at the top, their shadows flickering as the fire lighting the chamber danced in their braziers hanging from the walls.

Taking her eyes away, Louise looked to the other neophytes. They looked uncertain, aside from Niloc who looked reverent. Louise was uncertain as well; she was about to meet Spindrall and receive her first trial. She had no idea what it was going to be, whether it was dangerous or difficult, whether she would succeed or fail. Anticipation and fear filled her, but she was so close…

The Rule of Steel. She said to herself, closing her eyes. Remember the Rule of Steel.

Taking a deep breath, she began walking towards the Sith Lord. This seemed to snap the others out of their stupor and soon the six were halfway up the staircase.

But before they even reached the top, the large stone doors that sat at the threshold between the sacrificial chamber and the training room closed with a grating crash. All six snapped around at the sound, their hands gripping tightly to the hilts of their training sabers. Yet nothing. Shrugging in confusion, the six continued eventually arriving at the top of the dais. But before they could even announce their presence, Spindrall spoke.

"Slaves…" he said, though there was no animosity behind his words, unlike Harkun… just a statement of fact. "Welcome to my humble hole." The aged man – if his voice was any indicator – began to stand. "You're here for your trial, yes? To learn the ways of the Sith from a doddering old man in a tomb, and hopefully return to your master with the mark of my approval," he ended, now facing the six.

Spindrall looked much like the headmaster of her previous academy, but at the same time, he could not be any more different; his skin was a sickly hue compared to Osmund's healthy completion; his beard was as white as snow, but shorter, cut to a much more manageable length; and his eyes were a glowing yellow, boring into the neophytes, judging. Spindrall was also thin, his figure draped in dusty brown hooded robes. A lightsaber hung from his hip and a golden ring hanging from a chain around his neck. "Well?" he prompted when nobody replied.

"Yes, my lord," the six replied quickly, bowing their heads in respect.

"Of course, of course," he grumbled, much like any grandfather would, "I know the way of things on the surface – even in the deepest regions of this tomb, the reception is acceptable. Before I give you my answer either way; you must pass the Trial of Blood." With a snap of his fingers, the doors opened again, allowing six acolytes to enter the chamber before it suddenly closed once again. Despite how much of a novice she was with the Force, Louise could feel nervousness and resolve building within them through the Force. "These failures have been chosen as your foe. To each of you, one acolyte. Survive, and I shall teach you what I know. Die, and they shall take your place."

I… what? Louise's brain stalled. Around her, her fellow neophytes reacted similarly, though one at least was more vocal about it. "You want us to fight them, to kill them?" Kory asked, stunned the declaration.

"I shall say no more until you all have finished your trial." And with that, he turned away from them before beginning to meditate.

The six stared at the elderly man dumbfounded before slowly turning to face the six other acolytes who had just entered the room. Louise had no idea about the other neophytes, but she… did not know what she was feeling. Just numbness. She could say that she felt outraged, confused, scared, but truly there was just numbness. She did not want to kill anyone, she just wanted to learn, and now she was being forced to take part in a duel to the death with random strangers.

Niloc and Gerr were the first to move, though it was slow and cautious. Then the twins, leaving Kory and Louise to stand atop the dais with the elderly Sith Lord. Turning to Kory, she could see the girl's fear, uncertainty. Kory did not want to do this, Louise felt the same way, but there was no other option. Turning back to the gathered six failed acolytes, they knew they had to move.

Together, they descended the staircase, soon catching up with the twins despite how slowly they moved. She could feel the emotions flurrying in the air, anxiousness and fear playing a large part, not that she could blame anyone. They soon arrived at the bottom of the stairs. For a moment, nothing happened. The six acolytes sat seiza, their heads bowed and their training sabers sitting in their lap. It was silent. The shadows around the room flickering at the whims of the flaming braziers.

Then, in a near instant, the acolytes moved. Some using the Force to leap at their chosen neophyte, others using the Force to augment their speed as they charged towards them. Louise reacted as fast as she could, raising her saber to parry the attack, letting her foes weapon skim over her. Quickly, using her rune enhanced speed, she skipped backwards, making room between the two.

She could feel her heart beating quickly in her chest. She did not want to kill him, she did not want to kill anyone! The acolyte closed the distance, attacking in long wide and strong swings; his attacks were telegraphed, easy to see even without the Force. He was certainly no master with a blade, but then again, neither was she.

Their blades clashed, again and again. He was always on the offensive, she on the defensive. Around her, the din of battle was echoing in the chamber. The sound of durasteel on durasteel, grunts and growls from both sides. She could feel emotions running high, from fear to anger. Even her opponent's emotions were running high, every second his anger and hatred growing and growing. She, herself, felt none of that, she felt scared and confused. Why would the Sith want to have their students fight to the death? Was this some sick joke? But no answer became apparent.

She batted his blade away with a heavy strike. Unbalanced, he nearly toppled. It was an opening. She could end this fight easily. Just one hit to the arm to disable his sword hand, and victory would be hers… but she couldn't. She just couldn't bring herself to strike this man down. She hesitated, and as her instructors had said, it only took a second's hesitation for the fight to end.

Her arm was hit. It was not a hard hit, but she knew it would have hurt had her runes not blocked the pain, yet in spite of this, she could still feel the uncomfortable sensation of blisters rapidly forming under her shirt. But she knew that was not all.

Panic flooded through her as she felt her grip on her training saber loosening, the paralytic agent stalling all movement in her arm, and by extension her hand. In that instant, she could see her death.

With a casual swipe of his training saber, the acolytes training disarmed her. He kicked her in the chest, knocking the wind from her lungs. Knocked from her feet, she tried desperately to stand and lunge for her weapon, but before she could even make a move for her training saber, bolts of blue lightning slammed into her chest. For a split second, she was back on Elu being tortured by the guards. The familiar agony of electricity racking through her body. A scream of pain tore from her throat, her body convulsing, falling to the floor as lightning tormented her body.

The barrage of lightning ended soon, though, to Louise, it felt far longer. Her body hurt, aching, but she knew she needed to move lest she die. She pushed herself up, her eyes locking onto the acolyte. He was walking towards her, his pace steady and careful. A gleeful smile was plastered on his face. She could tell he thought he'd won and he wanted to enjoy the moment. But it was his eyes, his eyes that told her everything. In the instant her eyes met his, she felt as if she were staring at the pirate who killed Ren. Just like a pirate who would kill for a few measly credits, he was going to kill her for a second chance. Her blood boiled at the thought, her lips parting, bearing her teeth. He had his chance and failed – he was not going to take away her's. She had come too far to fail now.

Louise launched herself off the ground with new found strength. With a scream of rage, she shot her hands forwards, summoning lances of her own purple hued lightning. The acolyte did not have time to react before he was flung from his feet, slamming into the stone stairs behind him, hard. Yet, even then Louise did not let up her attack, unleashing wave upon wave of rage made manifest, sapping his life away. Soon his thrashing stilled, and she knew she had killed him.

Around her, the other neophytes had fought their battles and won. Gerr was panting, his arms steading himself on his knees, his acolyte's head nothing but a red mess; Niloc had strangled his acolyte, forgoing training sabres altogether; Wydr seemed to have snapped his acolytes while his brother had caved in his acolyte's skull. As for Kory's… Kory's was bruised and battered, but little else.

It was brutal and made Louise feel sick to her stomach, but even now, she refused to show it. Nevertheless, the six survived and… defeated their chosen adversary. They returned to the top of the dais where Spindrall stood ready to congratulate them.

"Excellent…" he began. "These former acolytes wanted nothing more than to earn their second chance for glory by killing you and taking your place–" Despite that knowledge, Louise did not feel any better – "But your desire proved stronger and their blood became the mantle of your victory. Well done – but, you are not Sith yet." Spindrall took a breath before continuing. "Peace is a lie, there is only passion; through passion, I gain strength; through strength, I gain power; through power, I gain victory; though victory, my chains are broken; the Force shall free me. These are the tenets of the Sith, but they are more than just words to be memorised. You must truly commit these words to heart, live them, breath them, and when you do, you will become Sith.'

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion – Conflict is the law of the universe, a constant; without conflict, life becomes stagnate. It is a simple statement, one that our enemies forget. As for passion… passion is the fuel which keeps us alive; it is our will to survive and our will to thrive; without passion, a great many things would never have been created, people never born, empires never forged. It is through passion, we crawled from our caves, survived the harshness of life and reached the stars.'

"Through passion, I gain strength – Fan the flames of passion, and you will gain strength. However, just as passion is not limited to lust, strength is not just limited to your muscles, but strength that encompasses many things; the strength one has when creating a plan and strategizing, the strength one has when building machines and the strength one has in battle. But there is more… passion gives us strength at the primal level; it is through passion all creatures, great and small, survived the harshness of life. To think us creatures beyond the need of simple passions in a delusion.'

"Through strength, I gain power – When you grow in strength, so do you grow in power. The strongest rules, but as I said, one is not only strong in how much the can lift. We do not allow novices to build our starships, to lead our armies, but those that have proven their strength, their power. However, you must also keep testing yourself; every experiment leads to a new discovery, even if it ends in failure. Every scar you earn is another lesson and through these lessons, you will grow. Without hardship, we do not advance.'

"Through power, I gain victory – Victory is only attained when you show that your power is superior. Without show this, your victory is little more than an illusion. Temporary. There is no victory unless you have shown yourself superior, shown that you have fought tooth and nail to survive. Without hardship, our victory has no meaning.'

"Through victory, my chains are broken – Many things in life will chain you down, from the obvious chains such as the stigma against you slave-borns to the subtle chains such as self-doubt or pride. You will never attain victory if you let these chains hold you down; it is only through passion, through will, that you will gain victory and break these chains.'

"And finally: The Force shall free me – Freedom is the end goal of all. One never revels in chains; some may say they do, but there will be something always gnawing away. While the majority must fight harder for strength, power, victory, we Sith have been granted a boon in the form of our connection to the Force. The Force grants us power beyond mere mortals and it is with this power we shall reach freedoms others could only dream of.'

"This is my wisdom of the Qotsisajak, the Sith Code. Do you understand?"

Despite the shock and resentment of killing an acolyte, Louise had listened on regardless. And truly, she did understand what he was talking about, the words singing in her ears, but still, the shadow of death hung over her head. She had killed today, forced to as a sick test. Nevertheless, she answered the Sith's question along with the rest of her shell-shocked companions. "I understand, my lord,"

Spindrall nodded, stroking his beard as he looked at them, evaluating them. "Then go, return to Harkun."

Without needing further prompt, the six turned and descended the stairs once more, their heads heavy with today's events and lessons. Louise, however, was thinking less on the lesson and more on the dead. Even now, she was forced to look at the corpse of the dead as she descended the stairs. Questions flurried around her head, nagging, wishing to be answered: Why did the acolytes need to die? What purpose did it serve? Why would the Sith force this upon her, upon them?

Louise stopped, just as they reached the end of the staircase. "Go on ahead, I wish to speak to Lord Spindrall."

Almost immediately, the neophytes' faces became anxious and worried. "Are you sure?" asked Gerr.

Louise nodded wordlessly.

"Be careful, Louise," replied Wydr. The rest nodded in agreement.

Kory walking up to her and saying, "We'll wait up at the outpost."

And with that, they turned back around and headed towards the large stone door, only looking back once, as if they were afraid she was going to die. To be honest, Louise felt like she was going to die just for asking her questions, but nonetheless, she steeled herself and began walking up the stairs once more, eventually reaching Spindrall who stared at her oddly. "Yes, Acolyte?"

Louise went to ask her question, but paused, fear gripping her heart. The thought that she would die becoming increasingly prevalent in her mind. She pushed on regardless, licking her lips as she said, "Why would you make us fight like this?"

Spindrall considered her for a moment, sizing her up as his eyes raked over her, boring into her. Finally, he spoke. "Normally, such a question would lead to a harsh rebuke from their lecturers, but I will humour you. However, before I answer, I would like your name."

Confused but willing to comply nonetheless, she gave her name. "My name is Louise."

"Well, Acolyte Louise, this has not been the first time this question has been asked," Spindrall said. "Some of the less intelligent members of our order might preach about weeding out the weak, and while this is partly the reason, there is more. In fact, it is the reason I am here. As for your answer… have you ever considered what would happen if we trained every single last Force Sensitive in our Empire?

"No, not really," Louise replied.

"We would have a great many Sith," he explained, gesticulating with his hands, "but it would be an unstable mess. While we strive for freedom, for perfection, there are elements of our Empire that hold us back and some come from the very core of the Empire itself: The Sith. Corruption stains some of our ranks; those too weak to resist the darker natures of their consciousness, far too high off their own pride and vanity. If we had too many, our order would be saturated by these undesirables, if we had too little our order would not be able to withstand our foes.'

"This is why we are so strict with our teachings, why we punish the failure of an acolyte harshly. However, I saw that we had gone too far with this. That is why I am here. I give those failed acolytes who fail a chance to save themselves from overzealous overseers and a chance to prove themselves once more."

Louise squirmed as she listened on, feeling uncomfortable by his words. "But isn't there something else they could do besides becoming Sith?"

"Yes, they could very well join the Jedi to learn the ways of the Force, or they could try and learn on their lonesome. Both are undesirable; the Jedi would simply turn them into a weapon against our order while someone untrained experimenting with the Force could lead to their corruption and the death of many. If they are not Sith, they will want to become Sith and may even fight us to get recognition." He paused, looking down at the door on the other side of the room. "Come, let me escort you to the door."

Without other options, she followed.

"I sense much potential within you, Acolyte Louise," he said as they began walking down the staircase, "but also much uncertainty. You have passion, but it is chained by your uncertainty and self-doubt. Break these chains, Louise, and become the Sith I know you can become. Do not, and you will fail, and you will fall." And with that ominous advice, they reached the end of the stairs. But before they reached the stone door, Spindrall stopped. He turned towards one of the fallen acolytes, the one Kory had fought, and with a sudden twisting motion with his hand, the acolyte's neck snapped.

At first, Louise could only gape at the sight, before her senses came to her. "Why did you do that?!" she asked, shocked by how casually he just desecrated the deceased.

"The red-haired neophyte, she did not kill, rather render her foe unconscious. I gave them a chance, and they failed." Louise was not sure if the last bit was talking about Kory or not. Either way, she felt a strong sense of foreboding about the rest of the day.

...

When Louise left Spindrall's little slice of Ajunta's tomb, she reunited with the other neophytes. When asked about what she asked Spindrall about, she answered with an abridged version of what she asked and been told, though left the latter half out. It was unimportant, and she really did not wish to press Kory about why she did not kill the Acolyte.

After that, they quickly acquired directions to the fastest way to the Academy proper – none of the neophytes wished to walk several kilometres down the twisting and dangerous path towards the Academy, especially with such a time-sensitive mission. Fortunately, it was close by, inside the tomb. Unfortunately, it was a skytaxi which meant flying. But when prompted with the decision between walking alone through the deadly Valley or not doing that, she chose the latter. It cost money, but at least she would not be killed, plus it taught her how to spend the credits she had been given upon being accepted into the Academy.

Never the less, the trip was pleasant. It took its time, did not fly too high and there was no turbulence. It was smooth. The sun was lower than it was when they entered, but there was still some time before sunset, this made the sight of the Valley from up high a lovely sight. Peaceful.

Soon the Valley ended, replaced by the massive sprawling complex that was the Sith Academy. It one word, it was massive. The centre of the complex was a massive pyramid which towered above the rest of the various buildings that sprouted from its base with several courtyards to break up the monotony. It certainly held enough room for thousands, millions of students, that was for sure. Even from where she stood she could see various acolytes, instructors and Sith wandering around, training or performing errands. However, she also knew that the main pyramid not only served as an Academy, but the meeting place for the ruling body of the Sith: The Dark Council.

The skytaxi landed in a large plaza near the entrance of the pyramid. It was a wide area with a few other skytaxis sitting in wait. A few acolytes and Imperials were meandering around, some walking with purpose, others lounging around. Without much prompt, they disembarked.

But before they could even take their first steps anywhere, they found themselves approached by a slender young man donned in black and red Sith robes. He was cute, in Louise's opinion, with pretty green eyes, black hair and pale skin, but he also looked incredibly grumpy – not hostile like Harkun, just grumpy, like someone had been caught spitting in his crème brûlée. "I am Assistant Overseer Markan," he practically growled. "Overseer has sent me to guide you to his office."

Without even waiting for a reply, he turned on his heel and began heading towards the massive pyramid. As they learned from his not so quiet grumbling, he had been pulled away from his "very important work," to do something so simple as finding Harkun's office. Yet, Louise seriously doubted it would have been so simple, if only for the fact she was almost swept away from the group as they waded through the halls, passing many busy Sith, Acolytes and Imperials. It was incredibly annoying especially because she was so short compared to the others. It was also around this time when Louise found her legs aching from all the walking, but she pressed on regardless.

Eventually, after quite a few more halls, a few large chambers and a few stairwells, the group finally arrived at the hall that would lead to Harkun's office. However, this was as far as Overseer Markan would take them. "Overseer Harkun is right down there, eighth door on the left," he said. "You will receive your personal map to the Academy via your datapads soon enough. Tomorrow, early in the morning, your schedules will arrive." And with that, he left the six alone to meet Harkun.

The Overseer's office was quite small and oddly sparse. She imagined it to be decorated like the various teachers back at her old Academy who each personalised their offices; Harkun's on the other hand, was… empty. Only a desk, a terminal and a desk chair sat in the room with a single statue of the shrouded form of the Emperor behind him.

"It took you all long enough," Harkun growled from his desk. "Though I suppose your tardiness has given me time enough to read through all of Spindrall's notes. I suppose you should be pleased that you've all passed… all but one of you, that is." Louise's blood froze as the declaration. She knew who exactly failed their trials. "Acolyte Kory, step forward, please."

"Yes, Overseer," she replied quietly, and suddenly, Louise did not want to be in the room anymore.

"Spindrall's account on how you faired in your trial was quite illuminating," he said, moving out from behind his desk, standing before Kory. "You're a weak pathetic rodent and even a lunatic like Spindrall can see this. Which means…" A nasty grin twisted onto his face, and before anyone could do anything, he shot his hand out blasting bolts of blue-hued lightning at Kory. The girl cried out in agony, convulsing as the lightning tore at her skin. Louise recoiled at the sight, horror twisting onto her face as she watched Kory fall to the floor, still. Her death had been quick, not even half a minute long, but Louise could still hear her screams echoing in her ears as she stared at the smoking corpse of Kory in shock.

It was like watching Ren die all over again; they might not have been close, but to die in such a way… Louise felt her eyes sting, she wanted to cry, she wanted to scream and shout about how unfair this was, how Kory should never have died.

The footfalls of boots on metal tore Louise's attention away from the dead neophyte. It was the Sith Pureblood she saw earlier that day, walking into the office until he stood beside Harkun, his arms crossed, smiling arrogantly.

"Meet our newcomer, Ffon Althe," Harkun introduced, gesturing to the Sith. "This is real Sith strength and he will tear you all apart and crush your bones, slaves. Look on him! No connections left in the world but pure Sith blood! This… this is Lord Zash's future apprentice! Not filth like you.'

Louise looked at the two, horror morphing quickly into burning hatred. Her hand itched, twitching to summon Harkun's training saber and gut him, and she very well would have, if the penalty of death not hung over her head – not that it stopped her before, but she would not lose control like she did before. She could do nothing, nothing but glare at the man.

"Unfortunately," he continued, ignoring Louise's glare, "the rest of you did indeed pass you trials and so I must give you your next. Niloc, Lord Lumyn wishes for assistance with a particular errand. Gerr, your trial is one involving a recent issue that the Imperial Officers wish to deal with concerning the bloodlines of our students, you'll find them set up near the administrative centre. Wydr, one of the scholars wishes assistance dealing with translating and transcribing ancient Sith texts, you will find them where you'd expect to find them. Balek, you get an interesting trial, dealing with a little pest problem near the east gate of the Academy. As for Ffon, Lord Zash requires her apprentice to be judged by Lord Spindrall down in the tomb of Ajunta Pall. I would hold off until tomorrow to meet with him. And finally, Louise; I wish to speak with you privately. The rest of you, leave us. You lot have until the end of next month to finish them and return to me."

The acolytes left the room quietly, still shocked over the death of Kory. Ffon followed soon after, only stopping to sneer at Louise, "You're next, slave."

Louise glared back, her hands balling up into fists, nails digging into her skin. She wanted to break his nose and make him take back his words. But she did nothing. She stayed quiet, seething, and waited for him to leave the room.

Only when they all left, did Harkun speak. "Now, listen to me. Spindrall is a lunatic. His approval means nothing. You are filth and you will die. Is that clear?"

Once again, Louise stayed silent, knowing that whatever would come from her mouth if she opened it, could very well lead to her death.

"Silent types…" he growled. "Your second trial; Lord Zash has requested a special trial for you, which you will no doubt fail. Go to Inquisitor Zyn in the jails. He will fill you in on the details… and most likely hasten your demise. Just like the others, you have until the end of next month. Now get out of my sight!"

Louise did not need to be told twice, turning around and leaving the murderer's office as quickly as she could. But upon leaving, all her anger dissipated, leaving Louise drained. She wanted to cry, to break down and beg to go back home, she wanted to punch Harkun and Ffon, to hurt them both, and she wanted to scream at Spindrall, ask him why he did not take Kory under his wing, but she just couldn't bring herself to do so. She was just so tired. She just wanted to sleep. And so, she did so.

She opened her datapad, finding a little notification stating she had received an attachment. While navigating the datapad was still difficult, she managed to bring up the map to the Academy. Following the map, she crossed the Academy, eventually entering the dorm section of the Academy, and soon she arrived at her quarters.

Pressing the control panel for the door, she waited for it to open up with the familiar hiss, revealing where she would be sleeping for the next year or so. It was a small room, spartan, with a single bunk bed in the far left corner. On the other end of the room were two desks, both with what looked to be two computers sitting upon them with desk chairs waiting to be filled. Next to the desks, were two trunks, one of who belonged to her.

Looking at the bunk bed and the second trunk, something clicked. Apparently, somewhere in this massive complex, she had a roommate. Who? She had no idea, but by the name on the trunk, it certainly was not anyone she knew.

Drifting to her trunk, she quickly opened it up. She unthreaded her training sabers scabbard and placed her training saber near her trunk, while she pulled out the robes she had been given by Lord Juyn. She was dirty, and she knew it. Monster gore and tomb dust covered her, and she wanted to be clean before hopping into bed.

Finding the showers was simple enough, being built quite close by to the dorms, so it did not take much time to get clean – just a short walk and a short shower. Soon enough, she was done, dressed in her robes with her uniform sent off to get washed, though, like the taxi, it did take some money from her account.

With that done, she headed back to her room, ready for bed.

The durasteel door of her dorm room slid open with a hiss, revealing her quarters once again. But this time, she was not alone. Standing the centre of the room was a crimson-skinned Sith Pureblood practising some lightsaber katas with what looked like an ivory broadsword. She reminded Louise quite a bit of Rayne, though there were several differences like her long hair and the lack of perpetual scowl… oh, and the fact she was completely nude and sweaty.

Then it got worse as the Sith seemed to notice that someone was standing at the door. Their eyes locked, green on pink and suddenly, Louise found herself emulating a deer caught by a hungry drake.

And then, as if to defy all laws of how horrible a day could be, the Sith said in the most cheerful voice she had ever heard, "You must be my new roommate!"