Chapter Forty: The Valley of the Sleeping Kings

Sweat poured down my face as I went through the moves Darth Bane had instructed me through for what felt like the thousandth time. My ancestor's blade laid atop the sarcophagus at the end of the room. Bane had been pleased with my discovery, though I had removed the talisman before approaching my master again. I also didn't mention the Kissai who had shown me the way.

Maybe it was because I feared sharing in this little victory. Then again, I think it was more fear that my master would be displeased that I needed help.

Yet, despite his pleasure in my finding the saber, he had yet to let me use it. For three days, he had trained me in physical maneuvers and acrobatics. I had known how to fight for most of my life, but never before had I incorporated the Force in my movements.

Bane instructed me on how to leap higher. Move faster. Hit harder. All using the Force to propel myself. I was clumsy at it, at best, despite Bane's insistence that my lineage was one of power.

I fell after my final spin through a move, panting hard against the floor.

"Get up," Darth Bane growled above me, his form hovering in the darkness.

"I've done this a thousand times," I argued, feeling angry and worn. "I'm not getting any better."

"You must keep yourself strong. The purest expression of victory is through combat."

"I'm not fighting anything!" I yelled angrily, feeling my own Force signature strengthen through my rage, darkening the room.

"You're unfocused," my master insisted. "I feel your mind wandering to your curiosities about your past. About this planet."

"I-" I thought about arguing against that, but in the end, he was right. I felt him in my mind anyways. He knew the truth. "I'm sorry," I finally offered.

"Rest, my apprentice," Bane assured, though I could feel his frustration ripple in the Force. He floated over to his sarcophagus, gesturing to the lightsaber that laid there. "Your questions will be answered in time."

"When?" I asked, knowing it was out of turn but not really caring. Being in Bane's presence made me so...angry.

I felt my master's own rage billow and darken the room. I recoiled only slightly, feeding off of his energy. "When I say you're ready," he replied with menace. "Now get out."

I bowed my head immediately before retreating from the chamber.

Over a week had passed since I'd first arrived on the desolate planet of Korriban. Over a week that I had been officially training as a Sith apprentice. At least...supposedly I was a Sith apprentice. I didn't feel very...sith-like. I was angry a lot, sure. But I always had been. It wasn't like I wanted to run around slicing the heads off of everyone who ever wronged me.

But maybe that wasn't what the sith was.

Bane had been instructing me on the ancient styles of fighting. Apparently the jedi taught six styles of fighting, but Bane only believed in two. Well...three...but he insisted that Juyo was too advanced for me at this time. At my prodding, he'd only told me that I'd likely tapped into the style a little when battling Dooku, since it allows emotions to drive ones movements, making them unpredictable. Apparently it can be dangerous. It was surprising really, that despite Bane's teachings surrounding emotion and passion...he also insisted on never completely succumbing to them. He had said, "You're a Sith, not an animal."

Of course, none of this was helpful to me if he wouldn't let me use a damned lightsaber. I grumpily kicked at the ground as I exited the temple, making my way through the fading light of the setting sun back towards my shuttle.

My anger fell away upon exiting, though my frustration remained. He'd helped me use the Force to an extent, though it made me a bit uncomfortable. When I'd used it in the past, it had always been desperate situations. Or if I was trying to do it, the Force was almost...gentle.

Under Bane's tutelage, it was far more powerful, but angry and writhing. Difficult to control.

It made me nervous.

I figured that Bane could sense that. Maybe that was why he hadn't let me use my ancestor's lightsaber yet. I chewed my lips grumpily at my confusion. I was frustrated with everything. Frustrated with my new master. Frustrated that I couldn't move smoothly through the forms like he wanted. Frustrated that the jedi didn't trust me. Frustrated that Rex wasn't there.

And frustrated that I'd expected him to be.

I was nearly to my shuttle when my senses sparked to life. I mentally scolded myself for leaving my pistols aboard my shuttle. I mean...what use were they to me in training with my master? For starters, he was my teacher, not my enemy. And even if he did try to hurt me, I had a feeling a blaster wasn't going to help against a Sith Lord that was basically undead.

Thus, instead of drawing a weapon, I placed myself in a ready stance as I neared my shuttle, eyes vigilant. I hoped the Force training Bane had given me thus far would be enough. Whatever it was...felt dark.

When I rounded the side of the shuttle however, there was nothing there. Nervous, with the hairs on my neck raised, I slowly entered my shuttle. I didn't close the door behind me, since I continued to hold out hope that Yilria would return and answer some questions. Not that I was sure if she even needed the door open, but I guess it was the thought that counted. She hadn't come in yet, but I'd seen her outside my shuttle a few times, regarding me with an unreadable expression. Whenever I raced outside to speak with her, though, she was always gone.

I went about cleaning myself off from the day's training, changing my clothes to looser fitting pants and shirt. As I wiped away the wetness from my hair, I moved to cut the strands that were beginning to grow longer, curling over my ears.

"Nu kais zhol anas qo."

"Osi'kyr!" I cursed, whirling to see Yilria standing behind me in the cargo bay. She wore the same robes she had worn when I first saw her. I suppose that made sense, considering she was a ghost. "You scared me," I followed more calmly.

She cocked her head at me, her bone spurs shifting slightly when she scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. I put down the cutters to rummage in my drawer to find the amulet. Placing the Sith Abattar around my neck, I immediately felt its weight fall over me.

"I said that I liked your hair like this," Yilria said immediately. "It would look nice longer."

"Umm...thanks?"

She didn't respond, nor seem bothered by my confused state. She merely turned and walked out of the shuttle. "Come on," the Pureblood called over her shoulder.

I followed immediately, only to find a rather empty courtyard around me. During my time cleaning myself up, night had fallen over Korriban, bathing it in a murky darkness. "Yilria?" I called in a soft whisper. I wasn't sure why I was whispering. It's not like anyone else was—

"AH!"

I fell back hard against the gangway of my shuttle, a snarling black muzzle in my face. The creature was massive with glowing red eyes and a spined back. Its razor-like claws scraped against the metal of the gangway beside my head. I breathed hard, trying to control my fear as the creature regarded me. Its gaping jaws drew closer to my face as it snarled, but before it did anything, it sniffed quickly.

Its demeanor changed slightly. Still guarded, but almost curious looking. Confused. It backed off only slightly, its jaws giving me some room but its claws yielding nothing. I reflected the confusion I felt in the dark creature. "Why aren't you…" I breathed aloud.

"The tuk'ata are guardians of these tombs and companions to Sith Kings," a strong male voice spoke from somewhere behind the creature. "He can feel your royal lineage."

"My...what?" Nothing this voice was saying was making sense. Still, as I felt the owner of the voice approach, the creature-the tuk'ata-moved away. The imposing figure that stood at the end of my gangway was clad in heavy-looking armor. The being was massive, the skin beneath his helmet looking charcoal-like in color.

"Who are you?" I asked, still sitting on my shuttle.

"Many once knew me as the Sith'ari. Though my given name was Adas, King of Korriban."

I breathed out slowly in understanding. "You were a Sith," I surmised. "Is your tomb here, too? Like Yilria?"

"You speak of the priestess," he mused. "No, while my tomb is laid within the Valley of the Sleeping Kings," he said as he gestured to the valley lined with temples and statues. "Yilria is not laid to rest here."

"How can she be here then?"

King Adas, though I couldn't see his whole face, seemed wistful. My people died in many parts of the galaxy, whether it was during our crusades of expansion or under the tyrannical rule of the fallen jedi. No matter where they fall, though, we often find our way back here." He gestured to the barren planet, the tuk'ata sitting patiently behind him. "It is our homeworld, after all. She calls to us, even after death."

I cleared my throat, my mind reeling with questions. "You called yourself the...Sith'ari?" He nodded once. "What is that?"

"Perhaps you can ask your new master that," he sneered, turning away to walk with the tuk'ata.

My eyebrow rose as I scurried to follow him. "Wait, what is that about?"

The king regarded me with the yellow eyes of his species. "Our kind is not meant to bow before another. Especially one of your lineage."

I scoffed angrily. "Everyone keeps talking about my lineage but I don't even know what that is!"

King Adas was silent for a moment while he stopped in the dark moonlight of Korriban. My anger, though stronger and more wild on this planet, dissipated under his almost sad gaze. "Your lineage is my own."

"W-what?"

"You are a descendent of the first Sith'ari. An overlord praised by my people for generations after my death."

"I-" I struggled to find words. "Woah."

To my surprise, the king chuckled lowly as he continued walking, his tuk'ata dutifully at his side. I fell in stride with them, my fear of the creature waning under the shock of this new information.

"The Sith'ari will be free of limits," Adas said suddenly, speaking as if reciting a mantra. "The Sith'ari will lead the Sith and destroy them. The Sith'ari will raise the Sith from death and make them stronger than before."

He said nothing else, letting me absorb the words. "I don't understand how you can be the Sith'ari," I commented finally. "You didn't destroy the Sith."

"No," he allowed. "Nor did I raise them from death. I made us strong. Defended us from conquerors who ought to enslave us. But in doing so, I proved the prophecy wrong. I died defending my people. The Sith'ari was supposed to be...invincible."

I hummed. "That's unfair. No one is invincible."

"No, child. They are not."

"It's honorable of a ruler to die defending his people," I tried, truly believing the words. Adas glanced sideways at me, looking unsure, but gave me a nod nonetheless.

"Though many still regard me as the first Sith'ari, there have been others that believed they fit the role. Your new master is one of them."

I shifted uncomfortably under the piercing gaze of my ancestor. "In a way, he did save the Sith, didn't he? He kept it alive by making the rule of two."

Adas billowed slightly with anger. I felt the Force flowing through him, but it felt different somehow. I briefly remembered how the Republic scholar had mentioned that the Sith had called their use of the Force...magic. Was it really actually different?

"Your new master is not a true sith. He is a usurper who assisted in the enslavement of my people. Our people. The Sith'ari is supposed to be a true descendant of the Sith lineage."

I shuffled my feet over the sand-covered stones. "Bane is dead now...does it matter? There is no Sith'ari left."

"A new power-one that has sat in hiding for centuries-is rising again in the galaxy. And it is very much alive. Can't you feel it?" I shook my head in response. Adas hummed at me in thought. "You are young," he mused. "I am a part of the galaxy in a new way now. In touch with its energies more than any living being. As is your new master."

He spit the word master like it was sour on his tongue.

"Bane is teaching me to be strong," I countered lightly. "You act as if I am his slave."

My ancestor glanced sideways at me. "You have experienced slavery before, have you not?" I started, but nodded slowly at the king's digging in my mind. "The people Bane descends from enslaved the Sith race. He is a slaver. Nothing more."

"The Sith had slaves too," I tried again. "That's not something to be proud of."

"And why not? We were strong. We are meant to be masters."

I recoiled slightly at that sentiment, but said nothing. I could tell when I was about to start fighting a battle neither of us would win. Besides, Adas was talking. He was answering my questions-something Bane had yet to do. I wasn't about to lose this opportunity for knowledge by starting a moral battle.

"You think that Bane is just using me?" I asked slowly.

"I think that Bane feels this new power growing and senses the weaknesses there. He wishes to prolong the life of the Sith ways as he sees them. He wants a new Sith'ari."

I swallowed. "That's not...me, right?"

"You are a true descendant of the Sith. Strong in our bloodline. Strong in the dark side. But you are conflicted. I can feel it within you. Your new master does as well." Adas stepped closer to me. "Beware girl. Bane is a seducer. He will warp and control you until there is nothing left of you but what he wants."

Adas moved to walk away, but I called after him, making him pause. "It's just a prophecy, right?" I asked. "It's not real."

"There are some who call the jedi and the sith as zealots and imposters. Believing their beliefs to be falsified and mere tricks, rather than real power." Adas turned to me fully, regarding me with his piercing gaze. "So I ask you, girl, who are you to say what is real and not real? You have great power, but you understand very little."

"I want to understand. That's why I'm learning from Darth Bane."

His charcoal brow raised. "Continue your training if you feel you must. But if you truly wish to learn, you should learn from your ancestor."

"You?" I asked, earning an incredulous laugh. I scowled in return. "What? It's not like you're doing anything."

"Watch your tone, girl. You may be my descendant, but I am still a king. No. I meant your other ancestor who is far closer to you in time. She is where your bloodline first split." I stood in silence as Adas' image began to fade. "I speak of the priestess. Yilria. She was one of the first to mix blood with the fallen jedi."

MANDO'A

Osi'kyr— oh, shit!