Secrets – 3660.017 BY
"…And thus Naga Sadow carried out his master plan, launching a huge attack against the Old Republic. He aimed to take the Koros system and… there is somebody at the door," Kharvak lectured, before breaking off from his teaching. Zanleya automatically turned her head to look over her shoulder. "Interesting, someone has a message that they don't trust technology to deliver…" Kharvak mused, half talking to himself. A few seconds later the intercom chimed, as if the being outside had finally summoned up the courage to bother the Dark Lord of the Sith within.
Kharvak waved his gauntleted hand and the door slid open to reveal a young zabrak. She was jittering on the spot, practically bouncing from one foot to the other, eyes wide and pupils dilated. Kharvak said nothing, simply glaring the slave down from where he stood on the other side of the room. The zabrak gulped a couple of times, then with a timid voice delivered her message.
"Darth Tharmin… wants to see Zanleya," the slave said, her voice quivering like a reed in a gale. Zanleya's eyebrows rose in surprise, she had been fully expecting that whatever the message was, it was for the attention of her master. An alarm bell began to ring in the back of her mind as her brain processed where she had heard that name before. Darth Tharmin was the master of Lady Cåssie, the blue haired Sith she had met in the cantina the other day. As soon as she made the connection her stomach flipped and her internal body temperature dropped as icy dread flourished in her chest. She knew exactly what this would be about… and it was not going to be a pleasant chat. She turned to look at Kharvak, his expression was unreadable, almost as if he knew the message was not going to be for him.
"When?" She inquired, turning back to the slave.
"Err… immediately," the slave answered, the fear in her voice almost palpable, and with good reason. Though she spoke with the authority of Darth Tharmin, it was incredibly impertinent for a slave to order a member of the Sith Academy around. Zanleya clenched her fists and the zabrak flinched.
"Is that all?" Zanleya asked, putting on a tone of irritation to mask the fear that she herself felt.
"Yes… my Lords, I'm… err… sorry to interrupt," the slave added, realising that she probably should have said that sooner.
"Go and tell your master she will be along presently," Kharvak instructed.
"Yes, yes of course, my Lord," the slave affirmed hastily, bowing low and backing out of the room with the speed of a frightened sand-rat. The door shut behind the messenger and Zanleya turned to her master, not bothering to hide her trepidation from him, well aware he would be able to sense it anyway.
"I shall resume your lesson on Naga Sadow later. From your aura of obvious anxiousness you clearly know what this is about," Darth Kharvak stated. "Explain."
"I err… well I met his apprentice yesterday," Zanleya began, sounding almost as nervous as the slave had been. Kharvak waved his hand, indicating she should continue; as swiftly as possible Zanleya outlined the scuffle of the previous day. She explained Jensine's attack, how Lady Cåssie had come to her rescue and the bereaved acolyte's vendetta against her. However, she omitted the conversation following the near deadly incident concerning Lady Cåssie's love life, hoping that Kharvak would not notice.
"Interesting. It would seem you have made yourself an enemy," Kharvak said with what almost sounded like amusement. It was not what Zanleya had expected him to say, but she was glad he did not immediately press her for further details about Tharmin. She also noticed that he did not appear overly concerned about the cantina fight; while she still deemed Jensine foolish and naïve, had Jensine planned the attack more carefully she could have been killed. It was a fact that had kept her up the previous night. At the time she had dismissed the enraged acolyte as a fool that she would inevitably have to kill. Yet, when she had looked back on the incident it perturbed her, she realised quite how close to death she had come. If Jensine had found her in a quiet corridor, or caught her alone outside, there was a very real possibility she could have been murdered. Whilst she could reason that that had not occurred, that there was no point worrying about all the infinite ways events could have transpired, such logic did little for her unease.
"She could have killed me master!" Zanleya exclaimed, a hint of anger in her words at his apparent disregard for her wellbeing.
"And whose fault would that have been?" He retorted flatly. Zanleya gaped, staring up at him from where she knelt.
"W… What do you mean?" She said flustered, almost indignant.
"You knew she would be after you didn't you? You knew that you were going to have to look out for her? You knew you would have to be ready for the repercussions of killing Frendric, did you not?" Kharvak said condescendingly, knowing that the answers to his questions were negative. Zanleya snapped her mouth shut, her brow furrowing. "Surely you checked if Frendric had any connections once you had returned from killing him? Made sure that he did not have any brothers, sisters or lovers who would want to avenge him? And then if he did, investigated them, worked out where they were and if they were a threat?" Zanleya felt a bitter taste rising in her mouth, the one that usually accompanied her failings.
"No master, I didn't," she admitted resentfully.
"I realised," he stated simply. "Let that be a lesson to you then. When you take someone's life, make sure you find out who knew them, who their close friends were, their relatives and particularly if they had a lover. You need to know who to watch, who might be after you. It is rare indeed that somebody will be completely unconnected, somebody whom nobody cares for. Downtrodden slaves you can ignore, perhaps also a failed acolyte or a violent psychopath, but anybody else will have acquaintances and at least some of them will hate you for taking the life of their associate. When you kill, you must be prepared to spill the blood of others who form vendettas against you… and if you kill them too then you need to be prepared for further feuds with their associates in turn. So it goes on, once you embark on a path of murder, you must always watch your back or be prepared to make a brutal example of all of those who would make an attempt on your life," Kharvak lectured. It certainly did not help her mood, knowing that it was her own fault she could have died.
"Yes master, I understand now," Zanleya affirmed meekly. In all honesty she had not even thought about consequences, she had been so caught up with the fact she had killed somebody and irrevocably committed herself to the dark side. "But what if she had killed me master?" Zanleya asked meekly, wondering why he was so dismissive of the situation.
"Then you would have failed me. Naturally I would have personally executed her, but remember this, if you die because of your own oversight you will have proven you were unworthy of being my apprentice. You have progressed far since I first met you and I want to complete your training, but don't think that you are utterly irreplaceable," Kharvak answered. Zanleya nodded sagely, in truth she knew that Kharvak was not so strongly attached to her that he would not replace her should she fail. It was the way of the Sith, she understood that, once something proved to be weak or useless it should be cast aside. It was a cold truth, but she had to accept that if she died then in his eyes she would have proven herself to be weak and he was better off without her. Nevertheless, she liked to believe, if only in a small way, that he cared for her and would be saddened by her death.
"I understand master, I'll be better prepared next time," she vowed.
"Good, see that you are. Remember, knowledge is power, just as much as power is power," Kharvak said, intoning his mantra and catch phrase. "I sense you have a question, speak."
"Yes master, I do. You seem… happy… that I've made an enemy?" Zanleya said, a small smile played about Kharvak's red lips.
"Indeed I am, because it will give you good practice and training for when you become a Sith Lord and run a power base of your own." It was Zanleya's turn to smile. The mere prospect of becoming a powerful Sith in her own right was intoxicating and glorious in equal measure. She was also pleased to note that Kharvak seemed to think she could achieve it. Despite his cold attitude toward her and the fact he had just said she was not irreplaceable a mere sixty seconds earlier, he clearly did still want her to, even expect her to, succeed. "If and when you get there, you will need to be prepared to fend off jealous rivals, vengeful enemies and cunning usurpers. Power is not a birth right, it is torn free and claimed with bloody hands and then clung on to and protected with utmost prejudice. You will make many enemies as you take that power and you must be prepared to deal with them, such is the way of the Sith. Whether these enemies are Jedi, fellow Sith or forceless and ambitious citizens, you are certain to have them. So the fact that you now have chance to practice, to learn what it is like to have an adversary who desires nothing but your demise, is excellent. It will give you valuable experience whilst you are still within a relatively protected environment. Because make no mistake, you may think that the Academy is a dangerous place, but it is a mere playground compared to the real world of Sith politics," Kharvak explained.
"I see; what should I do about her though master?" Zanleya asked, referring to Jensine.
"That is for you to decide. You have studied the deeds of the ancient Sith, I have taught you much of the philosophy of our kind and the history of many other great Lords. You know how they have dealt with their enemies and the outcomes in each case; there is much that you can learn from the past. Pursue whatever course of action seems right to you. Whether you humiliate her, break her spirit, make peace with her or just plain kill her, it is up to you," Kharvak replied. Zanleya smiled malignly, her initial thoughts on the matter had simply been to watch out for Jensine and be prepared to deal with her when she made her move. The concept of striking first had occurred to her but not to the extent of establishing a proper rivalry in order to rehearse for later life.
"Yes master."
"Regardless, I am pleased that you have both received this lesson on the dangers of leaving loose ends after killing and that you also have the opportunity to practice facing an enemy. From what I know and from what you have told me, I doubt this Jensine will survive her training anyway, but I will watch how you handle this with interest," Kharvak said. Zanleya guessed at the true meaning of the sentence, he would judge her on how she dealt with Jensine and it would likely be critical to her progression as his apprentice.
"I won't disappoint you master," Zanleya stated with determination.
"I hope not. Sith politics is a vicious game and the longer you play it the more you realise that your mind and wits are just as much a weapon as your lightsaber. This is why I am so insistent on you appreciating the power of knowledge and information. A secret with which to blackmail a rival is just as powerful as the ability to beat them in a duel, if not more so. When you have enemies, you must make it your priority to know everything you can about them. Their weaknesses, pressure points, how you can blackmail them or threaten them and then you can decide how best to deal with them." Zanleya paid careful attention, realising that he was giving her hints for Jensine. "What you are about to engage in will be child's play compared to the real thing, but as I said, it will be good experience."
"Then I look forward to the challenge master," Zanleya said. Kharvak resumed pacing in front of his desk.
"Still, as interesting as the development concerning this foolish acolyte is, that does not explain why Darth Tharmin wishes to see you," Kharvak remarked, the offhand way in which he said it almost caught her off guard. The knot of apprehension returned to her stomach and tightened, made of both the anxiety of having to go before Tharmin and the fear that Kharvak would realise she was keeping something from him.
She pursed her lips and wondered how best to answer him. Hastily she tried to work out which of the two Darths she feared more. If she told Kharvak about Tharmin's secret, his romantic attachment to Lady Cåssie, then there was every chance Tharmin would realise and punish her severely when they met, for she had told Cåssie she would keep the information to herself. Equally, if she did not tell Kharvak and he realised she was withholding information from him, he was likely to chastise her himself. Whilst Tharmin would only have this one opportunity to vent his wrath upon her, she would have to see Kharvak nearly every day and he might keep inflicting pain on her until she broke and spilled the secret anyway. Suddenly she realised why ignorance of such matters could be a blessing. Which was the lesser evil, she wondered. Lying to Kharvak, she concluded, all this talk of enemies and the danger that real Sith posed to each other, only highlighted the fact that she did not want Lady Cåssie and Darth Tharmin as enemies in addition to Jensine. Jensine could be a problem, but thankfully she was only an acolyte, the other two were both leagues above her. At least Kharvak might spare her in the end as she was his apprentice and, while he never admitted it, she believed he did still have some attachment to her, not remotely romantic, but perhaps fatherly. Darth Tharmin on the other hand would see her only as a troublesome acolyte and a threat to his secret… a secret that if it got out could be used to blackmail him. Suddenly it occurred to her the power she held, she could blackmail him herself… she crushed the idea immediately, it was beyond stupid, but should the need ever arise it was a useful piece of information to hold. Kharvak's lesson from only a few minutes ago was brought into sharp focus. It reinforced her decision not to tell her master, she alone wanted that information and she alone would bare the weight and responsibility of it. Darth Tharmin would have realised the power she now held and that was undoubtedly why he wanted to see her, to threaten her into submission or warn her of the dangers of spreading his secret. She doubted he would be lenient or forgiving, but he would show even less restraint if he realised she had told Kharvak. She decided she would simply have to brave whatever storm Kharvak threw at her for lying. Then an idea occurred to her.
"I can't tell you master," Zanleya began. Kharvak stopped pacing abruptly and his expression hardened in the face of her defiance. "I learned a secret about him, something that gives me power over him, I couldn't tell you it even if I wanted to. I want to keep this information to myself, not only for my own safety but as a future insurance against him for when I become a Sith Lord," she continued. She put on a brave face, but knew that she was taking an incredible gamble. Then Kharvak did something she did not expect, he burst into laughter, a deep and hearty rumble. She had never heard him laugh before and the sound of it shocked her more than if he had force choked her.
"Well well well, that is bold indeed my young apprentice! Procuring information to blackmail a Darth before you are even a Lord yourself! I am impressed with your eagerness to join the game of Sith politics, but watch what you are doing, like any who have obtained the rank of Darth, Tharmin is not somebody to be taken lightly," Kharvak warned. Zanleya let out a breath she had not realised she had been holding, relieved that Kharvak appreciated her logic and was in fact impressed by it.
"I know master, I'll be careful," Zanleya said and she meant it with all sincerity.
"Good. I shall respect your tenacity this time and not demand you share this information. Go, you should not keep Tharmin waiting any longer," Kharvak instructed. Obediently but with fear and trepidation in her chest Zanleya stood and headed for the door, Darth Tharmin awaited her.