Below the thick forest canopy, where the trees and undergrowth gave off humidity from the morning sun, Cinis waited for her Master to arrive for the morning lesson. She was crouched over an expanse of red dirt, eyes narrowed as she concentrated. Her finger pointed at the ground and a line appeared. The force was at her command as she created shapes and arranged sticks and leafs to better see everything.

"Impressive."

The voice didn't startle her, by now she was used to him appearing without a sound.

"Did you recreate this all from memory?" Darth Kyves asked, unfolding his arms and studying her work.

"Yes, I've mapped out every level of the academy in my mind and, well, there it is." Cinis shrugged, thinking that it wasn't the best use of her talents. She hadn't been in training for very long. Each day was longer and more exhausting. In her minimal spare time her body needed to recharge, and while she did, she memorized many things.

"Level seven. You have the wrong number of rooms on the east side, there's supposed to be six."

With a flick of her wrist, the sticks and dirt cleared, leaving an empty space between them. Cinis adjusted her weight from one foot to the other, making sure that her posture showed alertness and respect to the Sith Master. After the first few days of intense conditioning and drills, Cinis caught on fast to his expectations.

Her instructions were to do exactly what Master Kyves told her. Anything less was failure. Without question, she committed each lesson to memory. With each new lesson came a new trial, and it was nearly impossible to keep up. Running until her legs were numb and working her way through countless exercises until her body nearly gave up, this was what she looked forward to after training with Kyves.

Those who couldn't handle the training were exploited by the other students. They sought out ways to release tension when the Masters weren't looking, ways that resulted in both injury and death. So far, Cinis managed to avoid such encounters, but had the feeling that she was always being watched.

"Tell me why you're here?" He asked casually. The only other time he'd asked such a question was on her first day of Sith training. It was as much a test of her character as it was now to see how she'd progressed.

"I'm here at the Sith academy to learn about the force and how to use it."

"Is that all? You can gain knowledge anywhere."

"I left behind everything to come here and learn wisdom from Sith Masters. I'll give up more if that's what it takes." Her eyesight blurred for a second as she thought about the truth behind her words.

"And what do you have to offer?"

The truth was that Cinis was drained of mental energy and didn't feel like she was worth much, right now. She was nobody, just the unfortunate subject of a prophecy she knew little about. Her focus at this time was only to keep up and learn as much as she could. Power came at a price, and if it meant submitting to a spiteful Master, she'd gladly endure it.

"I offer up myself. I will fully submit to the will of the dark side."

It was hours past curfew. Cinis couldn't sleep, so she snuck out of her room to go for a walk. She planned to go outside and enjoy the night scenery, the night sky always looked spectacular when Yavin's eighth red moon wasn't in the way. Something else caught her attention. Trusting her instincts, she wondered along through the lower levels of the academy, not searching for anything in particular.

As she walked casually through a hallway, a door opened to her left. Lady Xeno emerged; her wavy blond hair was a mess and one of her shirt sleeves hung off her shoulder. She kept her warm gaze fixed on Darth Kyves, who was standing inside the room, only wearing shorts and a bathrobe.

Had she been able to gather her wits, Cinis might have run away without getting caught. But she was dumbfounded by the sight. Her jaw was probably hanging as she watched the two exchange a notably passionate kiss before…

"Cinis!" Darth Kyves saw her. She was in trouble now, she could tell by the murderous look he was giving her. "Come here, now."

For a long second, she debated with the idea of making a run for it, but she would have to face him again all too soon. As Lady Xeno quietly left the vicinity, Cinis walked toward Darth Kyves with small, slow steps. When she was close to the door, he roughly grabbed her arm, yanked her inside his room and closed the door.

"What are you doing?" He demanded to know.

She couldn't bring herself to answer him, his naked torso was covered in the same black and red tattoos as his face and arms. He towered over her, his long lethorns hanging before her face, making her cringe. Before she could answer his question, he continued ranting.

"I know that this is not the first time you've been snooping around, acting like you own this place, and it will stop tonight. If I ever catch you following me again…"

"I didn't know this is where your room was. And I'm not following you, I swear!"

His nakedness was disturbing to her, so she tried to look at anything but him. They were definitely in his living quarters. There were multiple screens inlaid to one wall, all of them were off. There was also a side room, she could see into it, and the bed appeared untidy.

Darth Kyves placed himself between her and what she was looking at. Then his hand sailed across her face. She covered the spot, it stung badly and her eyes welled up with tears.

"Do not interrupt me." He snarled. "You will speak of this night to no one. Now, get out of here."

His blood red eyes burnt into hers, and she immediately moved towards the door. The moment he turned away she paused, slightly curious about what he might be hiding from her. She wasn't exactly sure what kind of scene she'd accidently interrupted, but she had a few ideas. Wanting to ask about the intrusion, she took a courageous step forward.

She hadn't moved more than two steps when a dozen strands of force lightning hit her. Her body convulsed, she fell to the ground and had no control over her own movements. For the next few seconds she spasmed as more of the lightning engulfed her body. When it was over she was left lying on the floor, her stunned muscles on fire and her body trembling.

"Get out!" His voice was so quiet that she barely heard it over the ringing in her ears.

With a great effort, she picked herself up from the ground and stumbled out the door.

Down the passage she staggered. With one hand against the wall, she tried to keep her balance, she thought she was seeing double, and everything was a blur. When she got to the staircase, she saw a figure coming towards her, and she moved aside so they could pass.

"Cinis, what did you do?" The voice whispered, though not with concern.

She squinted, trying to make out who it was. It was Jarvon, it made no sense to her that he was also wondering around this late.

"Get out of my way."

"You're going to fall over.

As he said this, she swayed forward. If not for Jarvon's open and ready arms, she would've collapsed. He kept her on her feet, and she was glad that she didn't pass out. The lightning made her weak and so tired. Jarvon put an arm around her waist and helped her get up the stairs. Although she appreciated the help, it also made herself feel pathetic and vulnerable.

"My Master takes his anger out on the wrong people sometimes. It's best to steer clear of his wrath if you can." Jarvon said, making a guess as to why she was feeble. "He doesn't know what to stop."

Cinis blinking, trying to see straight. They were almost at her room, and she brushed off Jarvon's hand from her waist. He was concerned for her, but she couldn't put a finger on why he should be. They were in competition against each other, caring and helping was not their agenda. Manipulation and deceit were. Her only conclusion was that he was messing with you head.

"I don't need your help." Her voice was raspy, but stern. "Go away."

She didn't wait to hear a response, she turned away from him and walked in the opposite direction. Back in her room, she quickly stepped into the refresher to expel the contents of her stomach. After cleaning the sweat off her face, she tiptoed into the sleeping area. No one had noticed her absence or return. Shy lay down on her mat. Despite the aching muscles, the closed her eyes tightly and tried to sleep.

The Coruscant sky lanes were bustling with never ceasing, always moving air traffic. Speeding along with other countless inhabitants, Darth Oomis navigated his V-wing during the mid-day commute. Hundreds of ships few around him; cruisers, yachts, shuttles, and carriers. They contained thousands of humans and aliens, but inside his closed air-speeder was silence. The hum of its engine was the only sound to accompany his mission.

His mind was not as amiable. Although it had been nearly a month since he had discovered Josie Devis to be Darth Blazes chosen descendant, the implication of what she might be capable of was unsettling. Doubt surrounded the validity of the prophecy. Much of the knowledge he possessed was unconfirmed. The only information with concrete truth would be found within Blazes own holocron. Its contents would provide invaluable insight about her life events.

The details that Darth Oomis sought after had led him in a maze of false leads. He'd been to many planets, searching records and libraries, all in pursuit of the history surrounded Darth Blazes. The most he could find were historian's notes. They alluded to war threats from an impossibly powerful woman. However, the descriptions of Darth Blazes character and identity varied, and so, therefore did the stories about her.

Here on Coruscant, at the very center of the universe, he was now taking a different approach to seeking out the desired information. While this was a significant undertaking, today he had other business to attend to. At the capital district center, he lowered his speeder onto a landing platform. Two security guards were waiting for him, they remained silent as they escorted him inside the building.

Security left him when they reached the conference room. As he stepped inside, visual sensors indicated his presence and the lights came on automatically. He was the first to arrive for the meeting, thus the room was unattended, each chair at the long table was empty.

Darth Oomis walked around the room and observed the view through a large window out onto the skyline. His intention for being early was purely to take advantage of the crystal clear holo connection. Inside a pocket of his robes, he removed his com unit and took a seat at the head of the table. A few seconds later, the voice of Darth Kyves answered.

"My Lord, I trust that your journey is going well."

Although his subordinate could not see his expression through the voice only com, Darth Oomis scowled. He despised pleasantries, knowing that Kyves would overexert his manners only when it benefited him. In this case, he knew how eager Kyves was to have him return to the Yavin base academy, and Oomis was in no disposition to be rushed.

"Never mind that," He snapped. "I wish to know about Cinis."

"The girl is exceedingly talented as you so believed." Kyves paused, no doubt to ponder over what he considered the High Lord would want to hear. "The abilities that I have observed in her are vast but undeveloped. Her mind is tainted by her background and she has difficulties grasping Sith logic."

"Then you must give her that which she is lacking, experience."

"Should I test her with the Mind-Dwellers Folly?"

"Yes, and take note of her weaknesses. Do not falter to exploit her failures, this is how she will learn hatred and in her anger she will begin to understand the Sith ways."

"I will do as you say, my Master."

He could imagine a smile spreading across his face. Kyves had his way with the students, toying with their emotions until they were putty in his hands. There was no hesitation that Kyves was already instilling thoughts and feelings into Cinis that would be useful to him.

It was a cold morning as Cinis waited for Darth Kyves, she was impatient, getting suspicious when the Sith Master did not arrive. The sun rose behind her and began to emit warm rays. Her clothes were already soaked through and the heat only fueled her discomfort as she sweat. The river was on the other side of the temple and Cinis longed to cool off in it. She was so tired and sore from the previous night. She dared not disobey Darth Kyves, so she continued to wait, sinking to the ground and leaned her head against a tree.

Cinis awoke suddenly and looked around. In the distance she saw a cloaked figure walking towards her. She picked herself off the ground and stood ready, without looking skyward, she tried to determine how long she'd napped. The shadows were still relatively long, the temperature hot and her backside soaked through. It was hard to tell.

There was something different about the way Darth Kyves arrives. His pace was slow and he kept his face covered until he loomed over her. He lowered his hood, and his red eyes burned into hers. Without a warning, his lightsaber blazed to like and he brought it up towards her throat.

She flinched as the saber scorched her skin but it did no further damage. The tree at her back steadied her as she grasped at the bark. With what little bravery she felt, she kept eye contact.

"Go ahead and cry like the little girl you are and I will end you."

Cinis blinked, her rapidly beating heart betrayed her fear. All she could do was concentrate on breathing. She dared not move, any little change in movement and the blade would kill her. The smell of her burning flesh was almost too much and she mentally fought to control herself.

A moment later the saber blade vanished. Cinis exhaled, feeling relief with the immediate danger gone.

Darth Kyves tilted his head back and laughed deeply. Thoughts of running away from this mad man crossed her mind, but Cinis knew it wasn't possible. With great care, she lifted a shaking hand to feel where the blade had burned her throat. The area was sensitive and it felt like a fire remained.

"Go back inside, I have more lessons to bestow upon you."

There was a lump in her throat preventing her from saying anything, so she simply obeyed. Cinis briefly checked over her shoulder and saw that Kyves was following her. The burning of her throat continued and she hoped that he hadn't inflicted permanent damage. Perhaps this was to ensure that she remained silent about certain events she witnessed the night before. It that was so, then Cinis was sure that he'd made his point.

She returned to the academy with Darth Kyves and he directed her down the stairs until they were in the pitch black emptiness of the basement. A glowrod penetrated the dark, it's light hit the walls and revealed nothing save for a dozen stone pillars.

"I'll make this simple since you currently lack the ability to speak. Have you been down here before?"

The thought of lying didn't even cross her mind. Cinis nodded, recognizing the strange chill she only felt in this area of the large temple.

"Do you know what lives here?"

The question was perplexing. Cinis expanded her awareness only to find that she and Darth Kyves were the only living beings there. She shook her head, now afraid that he was about to give her a real test.

"It is time we see how much you're actually willing to sacrifice to become a Sith." He took hold of her right hand and ran a sharp blade across her palm.

A guttural noise escaped her lips as she tried to refrain from screaming. Her throat burned and it hurt far more to swallow the pain. Blood dripped from her hand, and when it was released, she made a fist. The light went out and a second later she heard the old stone doorway close. She ran over to the door and attempted to open it. Any force technique she tried did nothing to make it budge.

She was alone in the darkness and felt like the spot she stood on would soon become her tomb. Silent tears ran down her face as she succumbed to self-pity. Why was Kyves being so mean to her? Hadn't she sworn to keep his secrets and paid for knowing them dearly? What was she supposed to do now?

Survive.

Go home.

Run. Hide.

Follow your destiny!

The voices sounded to be right in front of her, but even as Cinis reached out her arm, she knew that nothing was there.

Josie! A familiar voice caused her neck hairs to rise. Please, it sobbed, help me!

A faint light showed the outline of a girl she knew too well. Cinis blinked, sure that it was a hallucination. When she opened her eyes, she could see a pale imitation of her sister laying on her side, struggling to cross the room.

"I can't help you." Cinis called out, then, as an afterthought, "because you're not real."

No, I'm real. Please help, I don't know what they told you, but they're going to kill me if we stay here.

"Fine then!" Cinis shouted, the action hurt, but she hopped that Darth Kyves could hear her. "Go ahead and die!"

Her sister screamed and writhed on the ground, she was in obvious pain but Cinis couldn't see what was causing it. Another figure appeared suddenly, his features were distorted as he came running towards her. Caught by surprise, Cinis ran away from the presence of her father. She didn't make it far before she hit a pillar. The impact on her face and forehead sent her to the ground in a daze.

How dare you dishonor your family by questioning our reality.

Her father raised a fist and hit her jaw. The impact had her tasting blood. Cinis got to her feet, but she was met by another apparition.

It's all your fault! Her brother pointed a finger at her. You let this happen!

"Shut up!" Cinis demanded. She stretched out her arms and sent out the most powerfully force wave she was capable of. It seemed to work until something, or rather, someone took hold of her wrist.

I still believe there is hope for you.

Cinis didn't bother with a reply as she pulled away from the image of her mother. She placed bother hands on the top of her head and tried to rationalize the dream. It wasn't possible for her to be asleep, this had to be a test of the mind and nothing in the physical sense was really there.

"You are all dead." She announced with authority and they vanished. What she was left with was clarity of her chosen path.