Chapter One: Korriban

It was odd being on the shuttle as it left the hanger of the much larger dreadnaught ship and descended to the red planet. Traveling through space was not the odd part, he had experienced that several times before, but rather it was odd to be in a shuttle that wasn't completely full. In fact, this one held only five individuals. The two pilots were locked in the cockpit and just outside that door sat two imperial troopers acting as escort for the last passenger. Glailen Reichscher was that passenger and he sat almost at the very back of the shuttle which could comfortably carry twenty people. The distance between he and his escort emphasized just how empty the shuttle was. Perhaps what was most abnormal about the situation was, at least to Glailen's mind, that all of this was being done for him. He was, however, not one to question the demands of his superiors.

A week ago, he was training as an initiate. Then he made a mistake and was certain his story had come to an abrupt end. It should have, if he was being honest with himself. That had not been the case though as shortly after he was risen to acolyte and now was being shuttled to the destination where all trials to become Sith took place. In moments he would finally set foot upon Korriban. He hadn't even completed his training at the facility but was sent off so quickly there hadn't been an opportunity to question the impropriety of it all. This unexpected treatment and honour, he was told, was owed to an influential overseer named Tremel.

There were more than a few questions Glailen had and he was sure the answers would come soon enough. For now, however, he was distracted by the growing sense of Dark Side energies he felt. The closer the shuttle moved to the birthplace of the Sith, the stronger the feeling became. It was no surprise of course; millennia of the Dark Side being concentrated on the planet's surface had caused the great power to seep into the soil and permeate within the world. All the greatest lords of the Sith had walked upon the planet and soon Glailen would as well.

"ETA sixty seconds," a female voice stated over the intercom. Glailen knew that meant they'd entered the planet's atmosphere and he felt himself fill with anticipation.

He looked out one of the few viewports on the ship, which he had made sure to sit next to. When he peered through though all he could see was red dust whipping past which, he had to admit, was disappointing. Glailen was just about to look away when suddenly the view cleared and he saw it. Situated as a beacon to the glory of the Empire and the Sith, there on the horizon stood the Sith Temple. It was ancient and terrifying and beautiful; filling Glailen with awe as he gazed upon the mighty structure. It was surreal for him to finally see it in person after all the years he was told that this place, as an aspiring Sith, was where he needed to go. The whole scene was enough to make him forget everything else.

At least for a few seconds.

With a sigh, Glailen leaned back in his seat as he felt the shuttle begin slowing for its landing. He was on Korriban now and despite everything that had happened recently – everything that had happened since the Jedi ruined his life – he had no illusions that things were only going to get harder. He remained calm though, his pulse slow and his breathing even. Whatever came next, he would meet it with survival as the only acceptable outcome.

The shuttle touched down with a light but sudden stop. Glailen rose to his feet and moved to face the hatch as his escort flanked him on either side.

"You are clear to disembark," came the voice again. The hatch opened on cue and without hesitation, Glailen walked forward into the light. Once outside the ship he stopped and took a quick look around to get his bearings. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting but he could honestly say what he saw was not it. They certainly hadn't landed at a spaceport but rather more of a modest docking outpost for shuttles. Only a couple of additional landing pads were attached to the building and the area appeared deserted but for a few maintenance droids and a single dark-skinned human man. Overseer Tremel, no doubt.

Glailen descended the gangplank towards the waiting man but his eyes continued to move. He had been taught to always survey his surroundings as one could never be certain what would prove useful to know. To the left, well beyond where they had landed, he could see several large anti-air guns; a reminder of the constant need to guard the Sith home world of any future invasions like the one many years ago that had destroyed so much. On the right of the station could be seen enormous statues of ancient Sith lords and Glailen found himself curious to know all of their names. Glailen reached the end of the landing pad where a walkway descended to where the man waited, behind him, hanging from the station, was a large banner depicting the insignia of the Empire. Beyond the station rose a copper-red mountain of modest size.

Glancing to his side, Glailen found the two imperial troopers who had accompanied him were bowing to him before backing away and returning to the shuttle. Glailen watched them for a moment, wondering if he would ever get used to the deference he was afforded by virtue of being a Sith – especially when he wasn't even one yet. That wasn't important now, however, for he was alone. That was probably for the best, really. Better if he was left to act alone to act in the interests of the Empire. All he needed were the skills he gathered, the weapons he could carry and a chance to prove his worth.

Glailen walked down the walkway and got a closer look at the other man. He was dressed as an overseer and being stationed on Korriban meant he was respected within the Order. It appeared he was in his later years but Glailen would be sure to avoid raising the man's ire. After all, he doubted the lightsaber at the man's hip was just for show. Meeting the eyes of the other man, Glailen could see there was power and wisdom behind them, of that it was obvious, but there was something else. Something barely hidden.

Stopping with a few feet between them, the acolyte bowed his head respectfully. The other man did not immediately speak and Glailen felt nothing in the force but he imagined the overseer approved by virtue of not offering berating remarks. The overseer looked the younger man over a moment before nodding to himself, apparently pleased by what he saw.

"Good," he began, "you've arrived. We have little time but there is much to do." Abruptly the overseer turned around and began walking towards the doors leading into the station. Glailen quickly moved to catch up and walked alongside the other man as he continued speaking.

"I am Overseer Tremel. For decades I've administered the acolytes who have come to this world to become Sith. Few have what it takes to survive the trials – fewer still are capable of becoming Sith. Do as I say and you will achieve power you could never dream of. Fail to do so and you will die." Once more Glailen found himself caught off guard by how things were unfolding. Tremel was wasting no time as they made their way through the halls of the docking station. Glailen weighed the words carefully in his mind but ultimately only one thing mattered.

"I'm a survivor," he said evenly. The overseer gave him a sidelong glance.

"You'll need to do more than simply survive. There is a threat to the sanctity of the Sith. It comes from within." With each word Tremel's voice managed to sound more serious.

"I have brought you here ahead of schedule to be my tool in combating this threat. Success," he said pointedly, "will bring great rewards."

Glailen considered a moment before responding, "of course, Master, I will not fail you." There was no response from the overseer but he openly studied the acolyte.

The pair exited the station on what Glailen presumed was the opposite side as he was once again facing the mountain he had noticed earlier. They were on a platform that overlooked a valley leading to said mountain and swinging to the right to wrap around it. On the left side of the mountain was a large and jagged cliff face that looked to rise up a couple hundred meters to a plateau. Tremel did not pause, heading over to a hovercab with a droid at the controls.

"Make no mistake, I am taking a risk with you and I want to see it pay off." The overseer stopped at the hovercab and faced the new acolyte.

"A test is required to see if you're worth any more of my time. Consider it your first trial, if you will." Tremel pointed towards the mountain without taking his eyes from Glailen. For his part, Glailen kept his eyes trained on the other man, still gauging who he was dealing with.

"On the other side of that mountain," began Tremel, "lies the Sith Temple. You must reach it before nightfall. You could go around, whether by following the valley or scaling the cliffs, or you could use the tunnels that pass through the mountain. How you achieve your goal is no important to me but you have a timeline to adhere to." The door to the backseat of the hovercab opened and Tremel stepped inside but the door did not immediately close.

"Reach the temple on time and we will continue with your trials. If you die then this will have been a waste of my time and you will be forgotten. If you fail to arrive on time then don't bother at all or I'll kill you myself." Without another word or a chance for Glailen to respond, the door slid shut and the hovercab jerked into flight. Glailen watched as it rose higher into the sky and flew off until it was no more than a speck in the distance. He understood what he had sensed in the overseer earlier. The word whispered from his lips, "desperation."

With a sigh, Glailen shook himself into action. He had a mission and limited time to see it done; he could do some thinking after he had a better idea of how he was getting to where he was going. There was a walkway at the other end of the platform that led down into the valley and as Glailen descended it he considered the options before him. Immediately he dismissed the idea of climbing the cliffs, with any equipment he would be asking to die. Staying with the valley looked to be a long walk but offered a clear view of his surroundings and how much time he still had. Only problem was he had no idea how far the valley would take him before the temple would be within reach. Finally, of course, there was the third option, which seemed the easiest choice on the surface. The shortest distance between two points was a straight line and the tunnels through the mountain likely offered the closest representation of that. Tremel had all but stated as much.

There's no way it's that easy, thought Glailen, glaring at the mountain as though he could discern its secrets. Going through the mountain would make the most sense to anyone at first glance and Tremel knew it. The mere fact he had pointed it out set off alarms in the mind of the acolyte. Korriban was a world upon which only the strongest survived and as such Glailen was willing to bet he would find many dangers in the dark and hidden places above the surface and below.

He considered his options as he descended to the sandy valley. There was no good choice but he knew he would be a fool if he thought there would be. The training to become Sith was not designed so that the weak would thrive. Acknowledging this fact seemed to suddenly make everything clear in Glailen's mind as he eyes settled on the ruined entrance to the mountain. If he was too afraid to explore the dark depths of the rocky monolith than he had no right exploring the dark side of the Force. With renewed conviction, Glailen crossed the small valley to reach the mountain, navigating the fallen pillars at the entrance and following the ancient path laid out before him. Only a few feet in and the path suddenly turned right and led down, far beneath the surface. Right to it then.

As he found himself creeping deeper and deeper into a subterranean world, Glailen wasn't sure what he had been expecting to encounter first. He was, however, quick to admit to himself that he had not thought he would find a trio of imperial troopers; their red armour marking them as part of the Korriban garrison. They were gathered at the bottom of the stairs Glailen was descending and the attention of the look-out was directed into the chamber. One of the other two was clearly injured and the third one was seeing to them. None noticed Glailen's approach until he was a couple of meters away when the sound of his steps had become too loud. The look-out spun around with his rifle raised to point at Glailen's chest but the acolyte did not react to the threat. Drawing his weapon would likely be met with blaster fire and Glailen was not interested in either the troopers or himself being hurt because he managed to sneak up on them. Instead, he stopped moving towards the troopers and waited for them to realize he wasn't a threat.

Almost instantly the look-out lowered his weapon and, without his helmet, Glailen could see the shock written plainly on the man's face. Glailen crossed the remaining distance between them more quickly, curious as to what the troopers were doing in such a place. The look-out saluted when he was close to which the acolyte nearly responded in kind out of habit but stopped himself. He had to remember his place in things.

"I have no idea what you're doing here, sir, but I admit it's good to see another living person." Closer now, Glailen could see that all three troopers were injured but the look-out kept to his military discipline and spoke calmly. Still, the relief from the three was a strong thing in the Force.

"Your people look worse for wear, what happened?" asked Glailen. The look-out glanced at the other two for a moment before answering.

"I'm Sergeant Cormun, Fifth Infantry, Korriban regiment. My squad was sent down here to deal with the k'lor'slug problem. This is all that remains of us." With a new appreciation for the situation, Glailen reached out with the Force in search of threats but could sense nothing.

"K'lor'slug?" No doubt something Tremel purposefully left unmentioned earlier. The sergeant looked surprised at the question.

"You don't know what k'lor'slugs are?"

"I only recently arrived planet side. Haven't had an opportunity to familiarize myself with the fauna of Korriban." Cormun appeared to look at Glailen as though he had changed forms. He quickly collected himself.

"Forgive me, sir, I just assumed – well, it's not important. K'lor'slugs are large subterranean beasts with razor sharp claws and mouths large enough to take your head off in one bite and that's just the small ones." An involuntary shiver swept through the sergeant as he relived a memory. Glailen waited patiently for the man to continue.

"Until recently they caused the odd casualty or two now and then, all part of living on any world with its unique life forms, but now they're infesting this place, the tomb of Ajunta Pal, and the Dark Council has taken notice. So here we are. It wouldn't be such an issue but the beasts breed faster than we can put them down. We aren't even the first squad to be sent down here." Glailen quickly stamped out his curiosity. He didn't want to know how many had died trying to complete a mission that was looking increasingly underestimated by those in command.

"Sounds like this operation requires a great deal more firepower to achieve results," the acolyte replied evenly.

"No argument here but someone higher up doesn't agree." A flash of irritation spread across Cormun's face but was gone in an instant as he continued.

"We were given the greenlight to try a different tactic though. If we can destroy the nest then the k'lor'slugs will likely abandon the tomb so we came down here with an explosive powerful enough to do the job. Took a while to get permission from the Sith to do it but too many acolytes have ended up as victims of the creatures. Problem is we can't get close to the nest and we've tried." Anger and regret began to radiate from the sergeant but the only indication he was feeling anything was his hands as they squeezed tight against his rifle.

"We've…we tried our best," Cormun spoke in a near-whisper, "but there's no way we can do it alone." He looked away, no longer able to meet Glailen's gaze. The acolyte looked at the sergeant, then at the two surviving troopers sitting quietly and clearly trying to make it look like they weren't listening very intently. He weighed the options in his head. He should go. This wasn't his fight; these troopers were doing what they were told and he had to do the same. The clock was ticking – he had no idea how far he would have to go before he reached the temple. If he was to be Sith then he couldn't afford mistakes.

'Don't be like them.'

Damn.

"Your squad is in no condition to see this mission through. Return to your garrison, sergeant. Get your people the medical attention they need." Cormun gave Glailen a look that said he thought the man was an idiot but he covered it up with a shake of his head.

"We can't go back without some measure of success or we'll just be sent back if not shot on the spot."

"Return to your superior and tell them the mission was a success," responded Glailen patiently. "I'll see to the rest." The acolyte held out his hand towards the other man who struggled with an onslaught of shock and confusion.

"The bomb, sergeant," stated Glailen. Obediently but slowly, Cormun picked up a satchel lying behind him while not taking his eyes off Glailen.

"Those beasts – they're smarter than they look." The sergeant gingerly handed the satchel over to Glailen who promptly slung it over his neck. He held out his hand again.

"You're not going to change my mind. Your rifle." Cormun looked questioningly at the acolyte, unsure of the request.

"If I'm going into this nest then I'll need more than this practice blade." The sergeant's eyes widened in realization before he hastily handed the weapon over.

"Yes – yes, of course." After a moment the trooper also produced several power packs which Glailen was grateful for. He imagined a reload would be in order before all was said and done. Glailen examined the rifle while Cormun helped his two squad mates to their feet. The relief and gratitude that reached Glailen through the Force was something he could only describe as humbling.

"Which way am I going?" asked Glailen. The sergeant turned around and pointed towards a tunnel.

"Can't give you exact directions – didn't get very far, ourselves – but we know it's down that way. I suppose," he began nervously, "if you start encountering an increasing number of the beasts then you'll know you're getting close." With a sigh, Cormun faced Glailen and snapped to attention.

"Thank you, sir," said the sergeant with a salute. Glailen gave a final nod of acknowledgement before stepping past the troopers and proceeding further into the foreboding tomb. Cormun had said the k'lor'slugs were responsible for a number of acolyte deaths; perhaps he would be one of them. It wasn't the plan though.

As Glailen moved through the tunnel he kept feeling out with the Force for any sign of danger or hint that he was on the right path. Luckily, he found that the tunnel, though winding, did not branch off too often and when it did he trusted his instincts to carry him the correct way. Occasionally he could sense a presence on the edge of his awareness through the Force – sometimes multiple presences – but never saw a sign of the creatures he was on a mission to destroy. At first, he thought they were simply not aware of him but it wasn't long before he could no longer believe that, which begged the question of why they weren't striking for him. While pondering this question, Glailen remembered the words of warning from Cormun. The k'lor'slugs were smart. A smart strategy of attack would be to surround the target first. This last thought succeeded in souring Glailen's mood.

There was no going back, however, and so he could only go forward. As he moved steadily through the tunnel, he held his blade defensively in his right hand and his rifle was at the ready in his dominant left hand. Despite how unlikely it would be given the enclosed space, Glailen wanted to keep any threat at a distance with steady blaster fire but he would be ready to ward off any attack with his blade. In theory, at least. The practice blade was made to hurt what it struck but not kill. He would have to rely heavily on Cormun's rifle.

Glailen was beginning to wonder how far he had walked when he suddenly felt a presence surge towards him. He held his ground and prepared for whatever threat was coming though he couldn't see anything. Ahead was just a long dark tunnel but it felt like the presence was right before him. It drew so close that Glailen considered something in the tomb was disrupting his ability through the Force.

The ground at Glailen's feet erupted in a spray of debris sending the acolyte stumbling and falling onto his back. Through the dust he could see the outline of an immense shape rise from the ground. Glailen didn't hesitate, unleashing a hail of blaster fire from where he lay. The creature screeched in pain before lurching forward and falling at the acolyte's feet. Cautiously, Glailen rose to his feet and examined the first k'lor'slug he had laid eyes on, noting its many tunneling claws and large circular mouth lined with teeth. Evidently the species was not very resilient to imperial rifles and this Glailen was grateful for.

Alarms went off in Glailen's mind as suddenly he could feel an onrush through the Force. He struggled to assess the situation and determine the best course of action. As feared, he was indeed surrounded. Remaining was out of the question, he had to push on and punch through anything that blocked his path. If the beasts were allowed to strike from all sides, then there would be no hope for the acolyte.

Glailen rushed forward and leapt over the new hole in the ground but took only a couple of strides before sensing an immediate threat from behind. He whipped his blaster around and fired at the k'lor'slug that had begun crawling out of the hole. It died quickly to some well-placed bolts to the head and slumped down, hopefully to act as a decent obstruction for any others using the tunnel. A terrible sound of stone being smashed apart drew Glailen's attention to the k'lor'slug that had just come through a wall behind him. He had only enough time to raise his practice blade defensively as the creature lunged for him with its open mouth. The blade became caught in its teeth and Glailen sidestepped, allowing the beast's momentum to carry it to the ground before the acolyte fired twice at the back of its head. He moved quickly now, taking off down the tunnel at a sprint before any more k'lor'slugs could appear and attack. As he raced along, Glailen could sense he was still being hunted and stopping for a moment would see him soon overwhelmed by what he was certain were dozens of k'lor'slugs in pursuit. All he could really do was hope he ran into the nest and that the detonation for the explosive would be enough to force the beasts to leave him be.

Thoughts of dying alone in this dark place, ripped apart by ravenous creatures, came unbidden to his mind. Panic threatened to take hold of him but Glailen tightened his control and focused on surviving. Reaching a point where the tunnel branched off in four directions didn't help things, though. Skidding to a stop, the acolye took an instant to evaluate his options before choosing the tunnel second from the right and taking off at a sprint again. Even as he resumed his run, Glailen fired a few bolts back the way he came and was rewarded with shrieks of pain and rage, though their closeness did not fill him with confidence.

Glailen wasn't sure how long he followed the tunnel but was keenly aware of his tiring legs which presented another issue. Should he keep going until he physically could not continue or would it be better to hold his ground and fight while he still had energy to expend? To Glailen's immense relief he could put off that choice for the moment at least as he spotted a luminescent glow approaching rapidly. It appeared to mark where the tunnel opened up into a chamber. This was confirmed in moments as Glailen passed into a massive chamber and found that the light came from hundreds – thousands – of pulsating eggs. The Force had guided the young acolyte to where he needed to be and this realization was enough to strengthen Glailen's resolve.

He would not die in this place.

A split second was all he had to take in his surroundings, noting several additional tunnels leading away from the chamber, before being forced to take action. He turned and began blasting away at the mouth of the tunnel he had just come from, hoping to keep the k'lor'slugs back for just a few precious moments. It was an effort not to fumble with the explosive as adrenaline flooded Glailen's system but he remembered his training. Think of what makes you angry, in the moment and in the past. Focus that emotion into a fire raging with passion and draw strength from it. With that strength, unleash your power!

With the bomb tucked under his arm, Glailen quickly found the button to begin the countdown sequence and pressed it. He grabbed the bomb and hurled it towards the center of the chamber where it disappeared amongst a cluster of eggs. All of this took mere seconds but then Glailen heard the familiar sound of a blaster running on empty as the rifle ceased kicking in his grip. He turned his attention to where he had been firing to find a dozen k'lor'slugs lay dead but their sacrifice was not wasted as several of the beasts now reared up no more than a meter away from the acolyte. There was no time to disengage as the creatures came on with terrifying screeches. Filled with determination, Glailen met their ferocity in equal measure. Claws swiped at the acolyte and large maws lined with sharp teeth lunged at him but Glailen dodged or deflected it all while taking each chance he had to lash out with his blade, intent on wearing down his opponents. There was no time to think as Glailen allowed his training and the Force to guide his movements. His blade was soon covered in the green goo that was the k'lor'slug's blood as the sheer force of his blows proved quite punishing but with the sensation of warm liquid beginning to cover his own body, the acolyte knew he wasn't escaping unharmed. Pain was a distant thing not worth noticing but encroaching exhaustion was far more dangerous to ignore – to say nothing of the timer ticking away on the explosive further in the chamber. Something had to be done quickly or it wouldn't matter who won the fight.

Glailen pretended to be pinned by an attack from the slug on the left, giving the middle creature all the incentive it needed to rush in but the acolyte sidestepped away at the last moment. The two beasts collided together as Glailen directed his attention to the one on the right and dashed closer even as it slashed wildly with its claws. Glailen ducked under the crazed attack before swiping up with his blade to strike beneath the k'lor'slug's mouth. It howled its pain before falling forward, stunned. The acolyte wasted no time as the creature hit the ground before jumping on it and leaping off to pass over the surviving k'lor'slugs. He didn't look back as he ran for the tunnel ahead, the one he singled out to escape through whilst fighting the beasts with his sword.

The fight hadn't taken long but precious seconds were wasted when Glailen needed all the time he could get in order to escape the imminent explosion. He had just reached the tunnel when the bomb went off and the world became chaos. A deafening blast overcame Glailen before he could realize what was going on and a wall rushed up behind him, flinging him forward several feet to land on the trembling stone. The blast forced loose stone from the surrounding walls and ceiling. Dazed, Glailen could only glance up before the tunnel began collapsing around him and what little light available was stolen from him.

'Don't let them change you. They'll try to, demand that you conform to what they are but that's not you and it shouldn't be.'

Slowly Glailen regained consciousness but it was hard to think. He shifted on the floor where he lay on his stomach, testing the reaction of his body. The mere act of breathing brought pain and uncontrollable coughing which in turn brought on a wave of agony. Worst of all, there was no light. The acolyte couldn't hold in the groan of despair that worked its way up his throat as he thought about the cage of darkness he was trapped in.

'You can be so much more.'

Gritting his teeth, Glailen attempted to get up but found a solid wall keeping him down. There wasn't even enough room to bring his hands close to his chest to push up with. How was he going to get out? There was no one coming for him. Was he supposed to just lay there and slowly die over the coming days? Glailen couldn't believe this was happening, that he should be faced with an inescapable doom and be driven mad by it.

'Don't be like them. Be better. For the Empire.'

Anger surged within the Sith acolyte. That he should die without any recognition, without anyone knowing his story. How could he perish in such an idiotic way? Buried alive after blowing up a few eggs? Unacceptable! He was more than that, worth so much more and he dared any one to deny it. The anger boiled over into hate and he latched onto it; riding that wave of emotion and dipping into the power it offered. It didn't come willingly but he was no asking. He gathered all the power he needed from the Force until he felt he could hold no more. Only then did he release it.

An explosion of stone shook the tunnel as the great weight pinning Glailen to the ground was thrown off. Rocks were flung away in every direction, disappearing down the darkened tunnel, striking the walls and ceiling and loosening more stone with the impacts. Glailen was in danger of being buried again but this time he was ready as he flung his hands up, directing the Force to shield him and tossing the rocks aside.

For a time, the acolyte remained immobile where he had risen from his tomb. He breathed heavily, feeling an exhaustion unlike any he could recall. Struggling to maintain consciousness, he took a step forward and stumbled, falling amongst the unforgiving rocks around him. Fresh pain enveloped him as his limbs struck the cold stone and solid edges dug into his sides before he came to rest on the floor.

Long moments passed in the deep silence without movement.

An arm moved. Then a leg. Minutes later Glailen attempted to rise. He collapsed almost immediately. At some point he tried again and found greater success.

"I swear," he ground out through clenched teeth, "there's no way my story ends by being buried alive."

Once the acolyte found his footing, he shuffled forward a step and then another. He would keep moving forward for as long as it took. Wherever it took him.

It was getting late and Korriban was not a world one would want to find themselves without shelter when night came. That was especially true when a storm came through as looked to be a case this day. From where he stood near the Sith Academy's main entrance, Lieutenant Garus looked out towards the wilderness of Korriban as one might study a map, albeit one with a filter of swirling sand. He wondered how many acolytes had failed to return to the temple and how many were forced to remain away for one Sith-related reason or another. But that wasn't really his concern, he needed to worry about the troopers under his command and not what the Sith chose to do with their fresh blood.

As it was, Garus had it fairly easy this day. Everyone from his command was accounted for, though that did include a few casualties. Still, if Cormun and his squad had really succeeded then at least the Sith wouldn't insist on any more troopers being fed to the damn k'lor'slugs. That, as far as Garus was concerned, made this a good day. Perhaps tomorrow he would change his tune but for now the lieutenant was content to sleep with some peace of mind.

Tearing his eyes away from the increasingly chaotic scene, Lieutenant Garus offered a final salute to the guards on duty, who promptly returned it, and began making his way over to the much less daunting structure of the Imperial Garrison.

Movement caught Garus's eye and he turned to look at the troopers again. He found them gathering together, saying something amongst themselves, but as one noticed their superior watching he quickly pointed past the lieutenant. Curious, Garus turned around and looked into the cloud of sand blowing along the landscape. It took a moment but he managed to make out the silhouette of a person walking towards the academy. Well, a lucky latecomer.

When the figure drew closer their features were revealed and Garus heard his breath hiss unbidden through his teeth. The figure – a man – looked to have had a cave collapsed on him. His clothes were darkened from blood leaking from multiple lacerations and what skin could be seen was bruised to some degree. Despite his unpleasant condition though, the man maintained a steady pace and approached as one bound by singular purpose.

As the man came close, the lieutenant glanced off to the side at the sun dropping low on the horizon.

"A good thing you made it back before nightfall. In your condition I don't think you'd find surviving till morning an easy task," said Garus as he returned his gaze to the man he presumed to be an acolyte given his attire. The man though did not say anything, acknowledging the lieutenant's presence with a mere flick of the eyes and he did not pause in his shuffling walk. Clearing his throat, Garus opted to try again.

"You'd do well to seek medical treatment or you might not heal too well from," Garus paused and waved a hand to encompass the man, "all of that." Still the man did not pause but instead carried on right past the lieutenant but as he did, he tilted his head to look back.

"I believe you are correct, lieutenant, thank you." Nothing more was offered from the man as he continued past the guards and up the steps before disappearing into the academy itself.

Garus shook his head, mumbling, "crazy Sith." With a start, the lieutenant glanced around to check for anyone standing close enough to have heard him. Luckily no one else was about at this time. Still, one couldn't be too careful with what they said about Sith. Especially on Korriban.