Note: I made a mistake last chapter with the name of the Hutt Mission mentions (not Nilo, Omeesh, I forgot the slug had a name). Just wanted to clear that up in case of confusion!

I lied about many things. To others. To myself. Most of the time, it had been due to this ingrained lack of trust in anyone that I kept within my heart.

That day I had been betrayed.

It was a blur of a memory no doubt because of the Jedi. Or…for other reasons. Maybe I was lying to myself again. My mind, however, rapidly repaired the false memory, unwillingly, like a hand forced into flame. I'd ignored it, pushed it back into the depths of my broken mind because I feared it even more than the memories that were real.

The blues of hyperspace enveloped the cockpit of the Tabula Rasa—shadows formed on my first mate's face—blurring his features. Alen's voice was smooth as he called the crew to attention.

"Coming out of hyperspace in five…four…"

I turned. Most of my crew were the same. Blurry faces mixed in blue light. I opened my mouth to comment on this oddity yet we'd exited hyperspace before I could form words. The green jewel that was Corellia dominated the cockpit window along with a Class II bulk freighter. The CEC manufactured ship was about as inelegant as I imagined. Brown, ugly, irregular, yet perfect camouflage for the Czerka traders that were making this deal with the Exchange.

I turned to Alen and smirked at his tight shoulders.

"Why so serious?" I bumped my elbow with his. "It's a blaster run for the Exchange. We've made harder deals before."

"I…want to make the deal this time, Captain."

"You?" I snorted. "Alen, the last time you led a deal we lost out on credits. Too many. Oh, and Kel lost an arm."

"Wes. Please." He frowned at me after saying my name. "For once, just let me do this. Trust me."

And I trusted him. Of course I did. I knew him for years and perhaps…I would have even called him a friend.

But trusting him?

It was the biggest mistake of my career.

Alen left the ship, taking two other crew mates with him. I watched the bulk freighter outside the cockpit windows with a frown. Why was I worried? The deal was a snitch, Alen would have to mess up on purpose in order for it to go wrong. I glanced at the co-pilot controls, the one Alen had been sitting with this entire time, plugging in the hyperspace coordinates. Except…a red light blinked on and off in a pattern. A code.

My eyes widened.

No.

Before the transmission could end, I jumped into the pilot's seat and twisted the ship around, breaking off the bulk freighter. Out of nowhere, a troop of Republic fighters appeared near the aft.

Alen betrayed me.

No.

I sucked in a deep breath—the green planet drew closer and closer. Pain. Pain in my chest. Why? The faceless crew shouted at me yet I didn't hear their words. How could he? Blood dripped past my lips and suddenly I was on the ground. Dying. Bones broken…everything broken. I couldn't see anymore. Except the gray eyes. Couldn't feel anymore. Her soft hand grabbed mine. Why would he? You know why. All I wanted was to die because of the pain, because—

You. Know. Why.

I sucked in a deep breath as I opened my eyes. My body shook and I grabbed my chest as a phantom pain ripped across it. Sweat built on my face as I tried…to push the painful memory away. Yet, Yuthura's iron stare meant I couldn't forget it no matter how hard I wanted to.

She sat in front of me in the same meditation pose—crossed legs—yet her eyes had remained open. Her hand lowered after it hovered near my forehead.

This was a mistake.

As soon as I arrived at the training room, Yuthura told me to sit down and meditate.

I lifted a brow. "Shouldn't I be killing Lashowe?"

Yuthura shook her head. "It's too late now. Uthar already nominated her and she is his favorite to win. If she turns up dead, I will be suspect." She smiled. "And I think you're in need of a challenge. Killing Lashowe in this trial will prove that you are worthy of being my apprentice."

Little did she know, Uthar was already suspicious of her even before I told him of Yuthura's betrayal. My teeth clenched.

"So, how will I prepare for the Sith trials then?"

"You were right not to let me look into your mind before, but if you trust me," she said, "you will trust me to look."

I narrowed my eyes. "Why? What do you need to know? I'll tell you."

"You don't trust me then?"

I pursed my lips. "It's not that. It's…I hate when others try to look into my mind. Jedi or Sith. That's all."

"So, someone invaded your mind before?" She paced around me. I turned my head, trying to keep an eye on her, yet it became impossible once she paced behind me. "What were they looking for? Were they Sith or…Jedi?"

"That's none of your business."

"It is my business." She stopped behind me. "I sense…fear. You are afraid. Fear makes a Sith weak. If you hesitate for one moment during the trials, Lashowe will take advantage of you. Like all Sith, she is trained to bend the mind. She will break you—"

"I know fear." I spat. "It will not break me."

"Then prove it."

She sat in front of me, close. So close, her knees touched mine. I didn't say anything after that, and I didn't push the issue. She shouldn't have trusted me after all…I had already betrayed her. I couldn't let her figure it out so, as I closed my eyes, I let her into my mind and remembered a false memory.

Alen betrayed me and I made sure to forget it. Even Wes couldn't face that truth. No, had it ever been true? It was a falsity. Or—

Pain. It still poisoned my blood causing my body to shake. Stop. I couldn't…look weak. Whatever she did, it made me relive that pain over and over. A hand touched my cheek, my scar. The pain dissipated yet I flinched away as if her hand was a dagger. Yuthura flinched back and shock was written on her features like she hadn't meant to touch me. Her face became cold once more and she shook her head after the pain finally subsided.

"You still feel the pain of betrayal, smuggler. Your first mate ruined you. In the end, though, it made you stronger."

"I avoided it for a reason." I hissed out those words. "There wasn't anything that I could do about Alen in the Republic's prison. I pushed it away, because otherwise—"

"What is the purpose of shoving away your pain?" She tilted her head. "A Sith embraces it. The more pain we let in, the easier it is to bear. You saw the Lord of Pain, yes? That is a testament to the power it brings to a Sith."

I grew silent as I remembered that…monster. How easily he murdered that child. Just as…Yuthura had killed Liam. Murderer. I narrowed my eyes. I couldn't let her words get to me like this.

"The more pain you tolerate, the easier it is to inflict on others."

Her thin eyes narrowed and then wavered. Eventually, she smiled.

"What would a Jedi know?" She raised her hand. "Again."

I shook my head. "No. I—"

"Are you afraid?" She tilted her head. "I thought you said it wouldn't break you?"

Yes. But the longer she searched my mind, the easier it would be for her to find something damning. That and remembering these false memories, the lies the Jedi implanted in my mind, it hurt. I wanted to forget all of it and on Yavin I almost had.

I grabbed her hand.

Kriff—you're beautiful.

I was in the Ebon Hawk…with Bastila. I watched myself from the corner of the room, watched as we kissed again and again. It was another memory. A real one. One that I wanted to forget. It came back to me yet instead I watched on as an observer. Not feeling the kisses on my lips or the warmth of her breath. The sparkle of pleasure in her eyes.

I fell away from pressing her against the wall and sat on one of the bunks. She followed and kneeled over me, hooking her legs around my waist, and sitting on my lap. Her hair brushed my nose as she pelted kisses onto my lips.

She smelled like the gardens on Dantooine.

Warmth. The pain from before, from the false memory, drifted away but with it was another pain. This time from a true memory. Heartbreak. That bitterness clawed across my tongue. I watched as we undressed, I pushed her into the bed and took off the rest of her clothes. I looked away as I heard our pleasured breaths, felt horror as I saw Yuthura standing there, watching. Invading our privacy.

Her expression wasn't amused. Nor gloating. Instead…saddened.

"Stop!" I shot up and stumbled away from the Twi'lek on the ground. Before she could follow, I used the Force to push her away. She collided with the opposite wall and I didn't hear my words as I said them. "Don't—get out of my head!"

She grunted in pain as she pushed herself onto her feet, speaking as she did so.

"I can't believe you still think yourself to be a Jedi…after you fucked the Battle Meditator like a whore."

Anger flashed in my eyes. I saw red as I felt a buzz in the air and forced Yuthura up against the wall. Blood rushed through my veins, through my head. Her face flashed with fear as my grip with the Force held her throat. I was tempted to kill her, tear out her throat after she called her that. Yet, Yuthura was still needed for the Star Map, so I released her. She coughed after she fell to the ground.

"Ah." Her voice was hoarse. "Touchy. Did it mean more to you? Did you grow attached to her?"

Yes.

I stumbled back, feeling that pain in my chest once again. A combination of physical pain…and heartbreak.

"No. Not—" I grew cold. "I can't…love her."

"Can't? Why? Because you're Jedi?"

"It's…" It could never be. I was Darth Revan and she could never love a monster. Not if she was to remain happy. "I never loved her."

"Then…" Yuthura got onto her feet and approached me. She raised her hand and brushed my arm. "This shouldn't matter."

I tried to hold still, to act as if she wasn't phasing me, yet she smiled as her hand trailed up my arm to my face. Her hand rubbed my cheek, her cold fingers danced over the bump of my scar. I wanted to flinch away, yet I needed to prove that I never loved her. If only…so that she couldn't use Bastila against me too.

Her finger brushed my lip, breath hot on my face. "After you fucked her, you threw her aside like compactor trash." She untied her dark tunic, letting both loose ends hang over her breasts, revealing her pale stomach. "She meant nothing to you. Admit it. She was a whore all along." She moved my arm and my hand toward her stomach. "If I fucked you now, it would be just the same."

When her lips pushed against mine, when she forced my hand on her breast, I backed away as if she'd hit me with Force lightning. No. It was worse than that. A sickness grew in my stomach and I held my mouth as if trying to stop myself from throwing up. Kriff, I wanted to.

"Don't lie to me, Gale." Yuthura tied her tunic back up and her face was serious again. "That isn't how you fuck whores. I know from experience. You don't want to touch me. You love Bastila Shan."

From experience. Did that mean—? She said that with so much pain in her voice. As if she had been used…and disposed of like compactor trash. Maybe she looked sad back there because no one loved her like that, ever.

"You're not a whore."

Yuthura flinched after I said that.

"What?"

"Whatever happened to you…it wasn't your fault."

Her face twisted into a sneer. "Nothing happened to me."

I walked up to her, and this time I searched her mind on my own. She reeled away yet I could tell that I said something right since all of her defenses were down. I pushed further…a slug…green blood dripped down her hands.

"You killed a Hutt…Omeesh."

She was shocked that I knew but eventually, she forced out a laugh.

"That girl isn't really your slave, is she? Said she was a slave to Omeesh…like he was still alive."

"What did he do to you?"

"I am from Sleheyron if you must know. I am sure you don't need to know more."

"Sleheyron? Then you were a slave."

"Yes. I also said that you didn't need to know more."

I felt my face tightened with rage.

"How is it fair for you to invade my mind like that, invade my privacy like that, and when I ask a simple question about you, you rebuke it?"

Her chin rose, haughty. "You are my apprentice. I am your Master. You don't get to know anything about me."

"Why not? Is there any harm in telling me?"

"There is always harm in becoming too vulnerable. I will not be as weak as you desire." Yuthura sneered. "And this is a distraction. We are preparing you for the trials. Your love for Bastila Shan is a weakness you must purge—"

"You're afraid."

Yuthura snorted. "Afraid? I stopped fearing the Hutts a long time ago." Her lips pursed after she realized that maybe she revealed too much. Eventually, she sighed. "You want to know? Fine."

She sat on the mat and I followed her lead, sitting in front of her. We both stared intensely at each other until eventually, Yuthura broke the silence.

"Yes. You're right. I…was born on Nar Shaddaa. Was a street urchin, an orphan, until I was made a slave and sent to Sleheyron. To one of the Hutts. Omeesh was one of the Hutts who controlled everything on Sleheyron and a slave was nothing to him. A mere tool to be passed around as a reward. I was determined not to be 'nothing'. One night when the drunken worm had me alone in his chambers I stabbed him and escaped the compound." Green blood. A worm tail wriggling in the throes of death. "I stole onto a cargo ship and was not discovered by the crew until they reached the next system. They promised to bring me along if I let them use me as…their whore. I refused and so they left me for dead on a desolate planetoid, alone. But that was fine by me. I was glad to be anywhere other than Sleheyron."

A sense of dread hit me.

"How did you escape?"

"It was not luck that I was eventually rescued, of course. The Force was strong with me, though I didn't know that at the time. Not until the Jedi told me, that is."

My body grew cold.

"How…old were you?"

"A year or so older than that girl." She shrugged. "Fifteen? Sixteen? I no longer remember."

She was a victim just like the others.

"I'm sorry." I shook my head. "You shouldn't have had to go through that."

Her face twisted as if she'd become uncomfortable by my sympathy.

"Sorry?" She smiled. "No, Jedi. What I went through…it made me strong. Don't you dare feel pity—"

"Is that why you released Liam then? Because he reminded you of yourself?"

Her eyes narrowed. Then, as if I touched a nerve, she leaped onto her feet again.

"You know all that you need to. We can exchange niceties once Uthar is gone if you desire…" Her eyes sparkled. "And maybe if you get over Bastila Shan…I could give you something more."

I stood in order to make sure to keep eye contact with her.

"Why did you leave the Jedi? Didn't they help you?"

Her face scrunched again.

"You are very persistent, aren't you? It's annoying. Might get you killed someday."

I shrugged. "Haven't died yet."

"Well, I don't know why you even care." In the Force, I felt her mood shift from anger to…depression. "I wasn't…truly a Jedi. I only progressed to Padawan. After escaping from Sleheyron I was found by the Jedi. They took me in and trained me even though I was a bit older than most Padawans. Which meant I had discipline but no peace...and after my treatment at the hands of the Hutts there was little room in me for the ways of the Jedi."

"Why…is that?"

She shrugged. "As a Jedi, I felt like a slave again. Only this time I was a slave to ideals. They didn't understand the pain I went through, not while they sat in their ivory temples. I wanted to use the Force to free the other slaves I knew, to fight for what I knew was right. Yet, the Jedi told me that my anger and my quest for vengeance against the Hutts would lead to my fall to the dark side. Fighting Darth Revan was always more important to the Jedi Masters. They restrained me until I couldn't stand it anymore."

"And so you came here? To Korriban?"

She scoffed. "At the beginning of the war, Revan sent out a proclamation to the Jedi. Join or die. I joined because Revan fought for innocents while the Council sat back. The Jedi claim the dark side is evil, but that isn't so. If using the dark side could free innocents, how could it? I figured it was better to use this evil than to let another evil continue. Sometimes anger and hatred are deserved and right. Sometimes things change because of it."

"What has changed?"

She blinked at me and then sneered.

"Much has changed. I am more powerful than I was before."

"Other than Liam have you freed…anyone?"

Yuthura studied me for a moment—her intelligent gaze wavered after a minute of her thinking.

"No." She walked past me. "Haven't…had a chance. But I will. My anger has not diminished, nor has my desire to see change. The more time I spend with the Sith the more I am certain that one day I will be able to fight as I must."

"Will that happen after you replace Uthar as the master of the Academy?"

"Once this war has been won."

"But I thought peace was a lie?" Her face tightened with anger yet she didn't argue with me. Instead, she walked off. I turned so that I could face her again—she was trying to leave. No, run away. "Where are you going? Aren't we going to train for the trial?"

"I lied." She stopped by the doors. "You are prepared for the trials ahead. Lashowe will never have the power to stand against you. I…used our training as an excuse to look into your mind."

Of course, I knew it was an excuse to test my loyalty. But why was she telling me? Ah, no, I knew exactly what this was.

"I accept your apology."

She laughed. "You really are…" As she turned, I noticed the brightness in her expression. It dimmed when she saw me looking. "...strange. You have odd notions for someone hoping to become my Sith apprentice. What do you gain from this? Why did you want to know?"

Why did I want to know? Yuthura was a Sith, the Sith that killed a child, the Sith that invaded my mind and my privacy. She represented everything that I wanted to destroy along with Uthar and she was to die by my hand soon. No point in getting attached. I really should have spit in her face after she saw that private memory, not ask for her life story. Getting close to others had been a mistake before, and this time it was no different—

Carth's voice echoed in my mind.

Who was there to save Revan?

"I just thought we could become friends, is all."

She gaped and looked at me as if I was insane.

"Friends?" She smiled again and laughed. That brightness appeared on her face again. She waved a finger at me. "You are funny." Yuthura shook her head, lekku waving. "Alright, friend, while I am sure you will defeat Lashowe in battle, we will still need to face Uthar. That will not be easy…he has been around since Exar Kun's time. I have a plan to reduce our risk in our fight. Meet me after dinner at my quarters. I will explain the plan to you then."

She turned and left the training room with a slight limp in her step. My expression dipped as I once again felt a pain in the Force as she walked. I glanced back into the training room as my mind wandered.

Did I make a mistake?

I rubbed the rim of the half-empty glass of Tarisian ale. The ice collapsed as it gradually melted from the Korriban heat. I took another drink and grimaced at the watery taste. The bartender shot me a suspicious eye as he tended to the Sith soldiers on the other side of the bar. I'd been there for a while, of course, an hour or two just…wasting time. Thinking

Of course I didn't make a mistake. She's a Sith. She deserves to die.

Deserves?

I took another drink.

Who was I to determine what someone deserves? I was a war criminal. I deserved far worse than Yuthura who was a mere follower. If Revan hadn't gone to war, she would have gone to Sleheyron by now and liberated all the slaves that she could. The Jedi might have set her back but the Sith…set her back further.

She betrayed herself. She killed Liam and is using you for her vie for power. She deserves to die for that.

Yet it was because of me that Liam was even here in the first place. My mistakes meant he ended up here again. If the boy hadn't been recaptured by those Mandalorians, he would have never died. It was just my luck then, or destiny, that killed Liam.

Another drink slid down my throat. As I finished it, a body slid into the seat next to me.

"A bit early for a drink."

Jolee's voice cut through my racing thoughts. I gently set the empty glass down and shoved it aside. The bartender raised a brow at me yet I shook my head at his silent offer for another round.

"Why are you here?" I glanced to the side. Jolee looked healthier after our battle with the droids. Yet I could still sense pain in his leg. "I told Mission you should lay low for now until tonight."

"Oh, that was an order?"

I sighed. "Whatever. Yuthura hasn't killed you, so I don't think she sees you as a threat."

"Lucky me."

"Jolee…"

The old man raised his white brow.

"Yes?"

"Um…I was wondering…" Why was I stumbling over my words like a nervous child? I cleared my throat. "...if you had any advice."

He smiled. "Oh, I have advice, so much advice! Erm, what do you need advice for?"

"Are we able to escape our destinies?" I stared down at the empty glass. "Or am I just screwed?"

"Not all destinies lead to damnation, kid."

"Mine has. Will."

Jolee snorted. "That's your pessimism talking again. I may have a story. Hmm, have I told you about Andor Vex?"

"Nope."

"Ah, must have forgotten that one. Andor was a pleasant enough fellow, great destiny…all of that. Breath like a bantha. Huh, like you."

I smirked. "Did you annoy this person endlessly, too?"

"Oh, ho, ho, very funny. Is it my fault that some people are so easily annoyed? They're like impatient little children. With blasters." He cleared his throat. I considered stopping him but I had to wait until tonight anyway. And Jolee sometimes…well, he always seemed to know what to do. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. Andor Vex was his name. The Force swirled around him like a hurricane, that's how great his destiny was."

I paused in thought. "Is that what you saw in me before? On Kashyyyk?"

"Well, it's not so much a hurricane as a slight breeze. But that doesn't mean anything. Destiny is sometimes in the eye of the beholder."

"So, I could escape my destiny then?"

Jolee frowned. "Yes. And no. It's all relative. Anyway!" He leaned forward on his elbows. "Well, it turned out that poor Andor believed a wee bit too much in the infallibility of that destiny. That overconfidence turned out to be his downfall. I was pretty young, myself when it happened. At the time, I thought that Andor's destiny couldn't be more boring."

"How young are we talking?"

"Well, let's just say that I was a strapping young lad with a full head of hair and Coruscant was a small town with a well, heh heh." He sighed, looking longingly at the bar. He eventually snapped out of it. "I was just about to abandon Andor to whatever the Force intended for him when his ship was overtaken by a Dimean warship. Now, you've probably never heard of the Dimeans, but at the time they were a nasty lot led by a nastier overlord named Kraat. Tall fellow. Big teeth. Kraat has us hauled onto the bridge of his ship for questioning, and that's when I knew that Andor's destiny was at hand.

"Andor decides that his destiny makes him invulnerable and starts making all sorts of demands. Free me now, I'm not answering questions, blah blah blah. Don't you know who I am? Kraat decides he's had enough and begins crushing Andor's neck. I told the boy he should have kept his mouth shut. I think he agreed, too… or those could have just been gurgling noises. Well… well, anyway. Finally, Kraat has enough of Andor and tosses him aside into this giant energy intake shaft. Andor gets sucked in and starts bouncing around, heh, screaming… heh." I gave the old man a strange look. Jolee sighed. "Maybe Andor hit something sensitive on the way down or just didn't agree with the reactor core, next thing I know all the ship's alarms are ringing."

"Are you joking?"

"Nope! Everyone panics and I run, barely making it to the ship in time before the explosion. Kraat dies horribly, and the Dimeans never quite recovered. Changed the political course of the entire sector for centuries to come. I'd call that quite a destiny, wouldn't you?"

I blinked. "How…the hell is that supposed to make me feel better? You said not all destinies lead to damnation and you tell me a story about a destiny leading to someone's demise!"

"Oh, you're being dramatic. What I'm trying to say is that destiny, fate, what have you…it's all relative. So much so that you may as well make your own destiny. Andor surely didn't expect his destiny to end quite so violently. Yours…well, you expect it to end with damnation, but maybe it won't end the way you think."

I sat and looked Jolee in the face for a long time. Sure, it took him a while to make his point, but I understood it immediately.

"What if you feel like you made a mistake, but you aren't quite sure you should fix it?"

"Well, if you're pondering it I'd say you already want to fix it." He smiled. "So I say…do what you can to fix it."

"What if you start feeling remorse for someone so unequivocally evil…so monstrous…that you start to doubt everything you set out to do?"

Jolee sighed. "Okay, I can keep giving you advice but you're going to have to give me a bit more to go off of other than that, kid."

"I betrayed Yuthura," I whispered, low. "I told Uthar about her plans and she's been poisoned. I did it because she killed a child. That boy Liam. Killed so many…I did it because she deserved it. Yet now I'm starting to doubt if she does."

Jolee's face became serious.

"Why is that?"

"I…" My mouth hovered open for a split second. "I don't know."

He sighed. "My wife didn't deserve to die. Oh no." Jolee shook his head. "But I should have killed her anyway. Why? She didn't want remorse. She was intent on using the dark side to destroy innocent lives. She needed to be stopped if only to save others. Yuthura…whether or not she deserves remorse is up to her. If you think she will not listen, I wouldn't hesitate." He frowned. "Stop her no matter what—even if she has to die—but not out of vengeance. Out of a desire to defend."

Right. Jolee was right. Even if Yuthura had been put into this situation due to fate or through her own terrible luck, she had the power to save herself. If she didn't want to stop being a Sith, if she continued down this path, then I would have no choice but to kill her.

I nodded. "Thank you, old man. I will."

"Don't mention it." He got up and stretched. "I will 'lay low' as you request but I expect you to come back tonight as promised." He trailed off as a few more patrons entered the bar. "And, if it makes you feel better…I'm proud of you."

The lightsaber case reflected the lowlight as I took it out of the bag I stuffed it in. The abandoned storage room with the leftover parts from HK's construction hadn't been touched as I expected. The shell parts felt cold, lifeless. The lens had been set along with the emitter matrix and the spare energy cell I found with the parts. All that was left now was the crystal.

After I set down the pieces of the lightsaber, I sat in a meditative stance and pulled out the Mantle of the Force from my pocket. It was still warm even as it sat there. The light from it glowed so bright that the darkness from the room fled, barely leaving shadows. It remained in that tomb for thousands of years and still…it shined.

It wasn't meant for me. It shouldn't be mine. It should be with a better man. Yet, destiny wasn't inclined to listen to me, huh?

Closing my eyes, I used the Force to float the pieces of the lightsaber case. It appeared simple and smooth on the outside—Tabula Rasa, a clean slate—but within the mechanisms were intricate, small. Juggling the crystal with the Force, I slowly felt it…the light it gave out…like sunshine. Like her.

The crystal set perfectly as if it had always meant to be there. Like a practiced droid, I flipped the protective covering closed with the Force then snapped the pieces together carefully. The completed lightsaber slid into my hand…the warmth was still evident even as I held it.

Yet, for some reason…I couldn't ignite it.

I knew it worked. Knew that if I pressed the switch the beam would safely flash out. I'd done this before. Many times. War required it—a lost lightsaber here, a destroyed lightsaber there. A relinquished lightsaber…Revan wouldn't have kept his first one I don't think. Too many bad memories. But what kept me from igniting this one?

The blue blade arced yet connected with hers. Bastila's. Blocking me from striking Darth Malak.

I hid the lightsaber beneath my cloak, near my heart. The heat from it radiated out…reminding me of its presence as I stood.

It would be better if I never had to use it.

Yuthura's quarters were close to Uthar's and only a hall away beside the Sith Archives. Before I entered I stopped and crossed my arms. HK-47 stood there with dimmed eyes. Out in the open. Just…

I waved my arm.

"How the hell are you an assassin droid?"

HK's lights brightened. "Ah, hello, Master. Answer: You programmed me to be so and it brings me such joy to perform these tasks."

"You are standing here in the open. I wouldn't exactly call this subtle."

"Explanation: Why that is because it is easier to assassinate my targets if they are not expecting it! The Twi'lek meatbag believes me to be a mere protocol droid on the fritz serving her whims. Remark: I thought you knew this already, Master."

"You're not assassinating her. And how did she believe that?"

"Answer: Because I am convincing, Master." He let out a mechanical sigh. "Resignation: I am so…so very tired of this act. Query: Will you start being the Master I remember, Master?"

I waved a finger. "For the hundredth time it's not an act, and no, never!"

"Statement: A pity."

I narrowed my eyes. "Don't make me take out the hydrospanner again. I have one with me."

This caused HK to straighten despite already being as straight as he could be.

"Retraction: Err, I…yes, Master, I understand, Master."

"Yeah. Thought so."

The door to Yuthura's quarters opened and I glanced away from HK-47. Yuthura raised her brow at me and then glanced at HK.

"Your droid is rather peculiar… I think it needs to be wiped. It thought I was you and it was following me all day."

I felt my face heat up and then glared at HK. He simply blinked back at me. How did he even manage to slip the poison in her bath if he was being so obvious? Though maybe that was the trick. He was so obvious about it that Yuthura let her guard down around him. Huh.

"Forget…the droid." I waved HK to stay put. "What do you need?"

Yuthura led me into her quarters and the door shut behind me. Unlike Uthar's study-like quarters, Yuthura's room was decorated with ancient rugs, Sith jewelry, and paintings probably made by the Sith themselves. Her bed was in the center of the room—the red and black sheets were cleaner than the student's fare. I studied it before following her to the corner of the room with a table and chairs.

She picked up a wine bottle and poured it into two prepared glasses. I watched her back as she did so…eyes wavering suspiciously at the bottle.

"I would have discussed the plan with you earlier, but…" She put down the bottle. "I thought we could chat first, friend."

"Chat?"

She sat in one of the chairs with one of the glasses and nodded to the seat beside her. I sat in the cushioned seat while also picking up the wine she just poured. I was still on edge around her after what she did this morning…after she forced me to kiss her.

She swirled the wine around in her glass.

"This vintage is called the Sith'ari." She smiled. "Named after the legend."

"Sith have legends?"

"I know. Prophecies are usually made by Jedi. Sith cannot have visions, but this legend came from one of Uthar's artifacts. It says that the 'Sith'ari'—the perfect one—will one day lead us…and then destroy us. That destruction will make us stronger than ever." She stared at the wine and then took a drink. "Many powerful Sith call themselves that, like Bandon, as both a threat and a show of power. Some think the Sith'ari already came generations ago and Darth Revan and Malak are the result. Though it's just a silly legend. Not one many believe. Perfection is a goal, I think, rather than a state of being. The Jedi would argue that, no doubt."

I snorted. "Not Master Vrook."

"Ah. You're right. Forgot about that old coot. If only I killed him myself." She waved. "Go on. Drink. It's not poisoned."

She drank it again as if to prove it. I looked down at it and took a sip—the dry wine was smooth on my palette. Not too bitter.

"It's good."

She nodded. "I couldn't imagine having something so luxurious before. Didn't have a credit to my name."

"Me…neither."

I took another drink. She slipped something onto the table. A passcard.

"This will open Uthar's room." She then placed another device on the table…some type of weapon. "Switch this on with a twist and leave it under his bed. He will be gone all night. I made sure of it. After you kill Lashowe during the trial we will strike. Uthar will be too weak to stand up against us."

I eyed the devices and then nodded. I took the card and slid it into my pocket along with the device. Before I could ask any questions, Yuthura sat back and took another drink. "I'm not supposed to tell you how the trial is supposed to go, but you need to know as much as you can in order to survive."

I nodded. "Alright."

"If you have any weapons you will be forced to relinquish them to Uthar. That will not be ideal for our plan so I will hold onto your weapon for you." She held out her hand. I glared at it then nodded, taking out my newly crafted lightsaber and placed it in the palm of her hand. She smiled. "Ah. I see you created a new one. This…will be perfect." She hooked it onto her belt. "The task will be difficult. You and Lashowe will need to get to the end of the tomb and retrieve a lightsaber at the end. The tomb itself is trapped. You will need to use the Force to its fullest potential if you hope to survive."

I frowned. "What sort of traps should I expect?"

"Nothing good." Her eyes flickered as if remembering something. "My advice is to keep going. Don't stop or you will be gassed out. And the terentateks…"

"Terentateks? Plural?"

She smiled. "Two. They've been there since I took the trials. No one has killed them so don't even try. Complete whatever task Uthar asks of you and move on."

One terentatek almost killed us on Kashyyyk, but now I need to deal with two? Just my luck. I should have expected one really since we saw the corpse of one in our hideout.

"Any more bad news?"

She grew quiet, deathly quiet. Then, she set her glass of wine down.

"At the end of the tomb, you will face the Lord of Pain."

Oh, kriff. That was even worse than the terentateks.

"Face?"

"You won't be able to kill him. He uses…those children from Malachor to sustain his life. You must get the lightsaber and escape." I had a bad feeling the Lord of Pain was going to be guarding the Star Map. In that case, I needed to do more than just run. I would have to put him down if I had any hope of getting the coordinates. "The student who successfully brings the lightsaber to Uthar will be able to keep it during your fight. You will fight the survivors. If you're lucky, Lashowe will die to the traps in your way in which case you will not need to fight anyone."

But that wasn't true.

"Uthar plans to make me fight you."

Yuthura froze before she finished her wine and then placed it down on the table. Her face became grave…scary.

"How…do you know that?"

"Uthar told me."

Her lips pursed as she looked at me with suspicion.

"Why?"

"Because he wants to get rid of you. He told me that you have been suspicious lately, so he recruited me as well."

Her expression became thoughtful as, thankfully, she believed my lie of omission.

"What of Lashowe then?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Maybe he doesn't expect her to live. He said he wants me to fight you."

"Hmm…" She stared at the ceiling. "Of course it works out better that it is only the two of us in the tomb with him. It's what I wanted at the start. So long as we refuse to fight. But is there anything else I should know? Any trickery?"

Yes. I glanced at the door to HK-47. He had one more dose to give in order to completely weaken Yuthura. Yet, perhaps, it wouldn't be a good idea if I told her. If I could weaken both Uthar and Yuthura then all I had to do was waltz out of the tomb with the Star Map coordinates. It would be fitting if their trickery backfired on them both.

But she would know that I kept something from her, wouldn't she? She would be betrayed.

Did it matter?

It was cowardly. Dishonorable.

Honor is a fool's prize. I shouldn't let her sob story get to me. If she wanted to free slaves she would have already done so. She didn't show any remorse about being a Sith or killing Liam. She didn't intend to redeem herself until many innocents already died in this war.

I shrugged. "No, that's it."

"Well, I will keep an eye out. Knowing Uthar he will try something." She stood and walked towards the bed. "If all goes well, tomorrow I will be the leader of the Sith Academy."

There was something on my mind…ever since we had our talk this morning.

"After we kill Uthar, will you free those children?"

She turned and stared at me for a long time. Eventually, she shrugged.

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps? That was a yes or no question."

"It's far more complicated than that. I wouldn't wish to anger the Lord of Pain."

"Then kill him."

"I…" Her body tightened. "I am…not strong enough."

"When will you be strong enough?"

"I know this may sound strange, but only my compassion stands in my way, now. Once that is gone I will release the children."

I put the wine glass down and then stood.

"But your compassion is what motivates you to care for them."

"I...yes, of course. I mean losing my compassion as in...holding back…"

"Then you already have no compassion." I felt my lips curl into a sneer. "If you had compassion, you would have held back from killing a child."

She stormed up to me, getting close. Her voice hissed, eyes wide.

"I already told you I had no choice. Uthar would have killed him. If you had killed him yourself, I wouldn't have had to."

"And you despise me for that," I raised my brow, "don't you? You hate that I made you kill him."

Yuthura's expression shifted from anger to…something that could resemble remorse. Could. It could have also been a trick of the light or a mask she put on. She didn't have the strength to answer me though.

"Go. Now." She waved and the doors opened. "Plant the device. Rest. Don't even think of failing me. You and I are too far into this now to back out."

I searched her silver eyes one last time before I frowned. Her expression twitched after I did as if…she didn't like what was on my face. Disappointment. She didn't like it. I turned my heel and brushed past her, shoulders tight, and I only gave HK-47 one look…and only considered stopping his mission for a second.

A second too long.

The lights were all dim in Uthar's quarters and office, the passcard turned off all of the other defenses in his room. In and out. That's all. I passed Uthar's desk quickly and made my way to his bedroom. It was as neat as his office, less decorated than Yuthura's. I didn't waste time snooping as I bent low and planted the device on the bottom of the bed. It stuck onto the wood with sharp claws and a light glowed red before…a small stream of mist exited the metal tube at the end.

Poison…these Sith aren't creative, huh?

I sat up and walked back out into Uthar's office…but froze.

Revan's holocron beat red on the shelf. Like a heartbeat. It was just sitting there amongst other holocrons. Uthar wouldn't even notice if it was gone…and if all went well, he would be too dead to care tomorrow.

Wait.

Why was I even considering it?

Well, it was obvious, right? I needed to hear Darth Revan's words, my words so that I knew what not to do. I needed to know what I said and make sure I didn't repeat my mistakes. That was enough to convince me to step up to Uthar's shelf of artifacts and pick up the glowing pyramid. I didn't let it touch my hand for long out of fear that some…memory would return. I slid it into my larger robe pockets.

Later. I promised. I would look at it after we get the Star Map once. Only once. Then I will destroy it.

It's funny, huh?

The lies I tell myself.

Happy revenge of the fifth! Next chapter: the Sith trials begin :)

I wanted to get to the Juhani/Ebon Hawk round table scene, but that will have to wait for next time! Korriban is also finally wrapping up to both my relief and sorrow. Relief only because I've been looking forward to writing the later chapters :)

Until next time!