Chapter 2: Training Part 1

Disclaimer: Star Wars belongs to Disney, I only own my OCs.

Last Paragons

Alexandra shoots up from her sleep, cold sweat drenching her skin, looking around she remembers the events of last night and the horrors she felt. Walking through the hallway that felt more like a maze, she takes in the ship's interior. The girl eventually finds herself what appears to be the mess hall. Her new Sith Masters are already sitting down for breakfast save for Yuna who served as the chef.

Yuna sensed their new student, "Good morning, Alexandra."

The black-haired teen said, "Morning, masters. What are we having for breakfast, smells good."

Yuna answered, "Some local wildlife that live in the forest. Nothing poisonous if that's what you're concerned about. I may not be a renowned chef but I'm good enough to whip up a tasty meal. Please sit down, apprentice. You need all the energy you can get because starting today, your Sith training begins. I must warn you, though. Our training is nothing like Jedi training, it's far more demanding." Sitting down, Alexandra eats her breakfast. To her surprise the food was really good. Aside a few yawns the four of them ate their meal in silence. With a full stomach, the Sith trio lead Alexandra outside to start the girl's training.

Stepping outside of Kenta's star ship, the Twilight Dawn the three Sith Masters enter teacher mode while Alexandra sits on the stump of an old tree that was chopped down at some point in its life. It wasn't the most comfortable but it was better than nothing. She inhales a deep breath and looks up to Kenta as he stands in front of her.

Kenta cleared his throat, "Welcome to day one of your training, apprentice. Today you will learn the history of the Sith in addition to our version of the Sith Code. The Sith are the ancient enemy of the Jedi Order, having waged war against it and the Republic for generations. The Sith viewed certain things differently from the Jedi. They feel power should be used for the improvement of one's self instead of sharing it. They believe you need to work hard for every scrap of power and knowledge instead of having it handed to you on a silver platter like the Jedi do. To further distinguish themselves from their mortal enemy the Sith use their passion as a means to channel the power of the Force. The Jedi would tell you emotions such as anger, hatred, fear or other dark emotions empower us but it goes beyond that. Passion can take the form of happiness, joy or pleasure as well. This is what makes us different. The dark side is a quicker and easier way to power but not without a price. It may allow us to advance more quickly in learning Force abilities. However this malevolent power will take its toll on the body as one immersed themselves deeper in the dark side. The most common sign is the change of pigmentation of the user's eyes going from their normal color to a red-rimmed, luminous yellow and the skin would take on a deathly pale complexion. The hair would also change color making it appear the user was aging rapidly and the voice would become a few octaves lower and raspier. One thing that's bizarre is each user would experience different symptoms."

Alexandra tilted her head, "Like what?"

Kenta replied, "Some users wouldn't gain yellow eyes or their skin would remain normal. Aside the physical corruption, the dark side took its toll on the mental state of the user, making them paranoid, not trusting others and more prone to anger."

Alexandra rubbed her chin, "So unlike the Jedi, who train padawans to remain calm under any circumstance, the Sith let their passions guide them. But, if one can't fully control their emotions then they sometimes overlook this critical piece of Jedi training, and the Jedi can run amok. There are more things that make the Sith different from the Jedi, isn't there?"

Alec nodded with praise, "You're very observant, apprentice. Yes, there's more to the Sith. They'll use anything to achieve their goal of eradicating the Jedi. Unfortunately, the Sith Order's biggest weakness is our desire to obtain more power. It leads to infighting and this is what led the Sith to rise and fall throughout history."

Their pupil asked, "So what makes you three different?"

Yuna took over, "The Sith Code is as followed: Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The Force shall free me."

Alexandra said, "This is the code of the Sith? Seems more open to interpretation if you ask me. Can I assume you have your version of the code?"

Yuna nodded, "We do. Learn these words to heart, apprentice. Power requires understanding of oneself. Through understanding, I gain compassion for others. Through compassion for others, I gain serenity. Through serenity, I gain clarity. Through clarity, I gain true power. I shall always remain true to what is right and with the Force at my side I am free. Would you care for us to explain any of them?"

Alexandra responded, "Yes. 'Power requires understanding of oneself.' What does that mean?"

The redhead stated, "It means you have the power to change things for better or worse. With great power comes great responsibility. Every choice you make using such power is not without consequence. Power's a double-edged sword, but if you understand yourself, that power can be used to bring about change for good."

Alexandra asked again, "The second verse 'Through understanding, I gain compassion for others?' Sounds self-explanatory, I think it means that once that you understand yourself, you become more empathetic to others, you become more kind, right?"

Yuna nods, "Well said but this can prove beneficial in numerous ways. For example, it can gain you valuable allies even powerful ones such as Jedi who aren't fanatics of the Jedi Code. These kinds of allies will do whatever it takes to achieve peace even if it meant going against their Order's teachings or philosophy. Second, compassion could make undecided people believe what you're doing is for the greater good. Let's say there is a leader that rules his people with a dictator mentality. You use your compassion for them to make your case, telling those who are suffering they can rise up against that dictator and you would help them and thirdly, those people you rallied will look up to you."

The Sith apprentice queried, "And 'Through compassion for others, I gain serenity.' What's the meaning behind it?"

Kenta took over, "It stands by what it says. Through your compassion for others you obtain serenity. You know that you did the right thing and that brings a sense of joy and inner peace. 'Through serenity, I gain clarity' means you can think with a clear conscience. No hesitation, no fear. The fifth line 'Through clarity, I gain true power' ties in with the fourth. With clarity, you obtain a power you never thought possible. This power can help you overcome obstacles. The final line 'I shall always remain true to what is right and with the Force at my side I am free' is obvious. You shall always do what you believe is right and with the Force at your side, you are unhindered. What kind of freedom you have is for you to decide. We call this the Code of the Light Sith. It's what kept us sane during many battles against Lord Hoth's Army of Light. We stand by this code and now, so do you. We use the light side of the Force just not in the same way the Jedi do. The light side will always triumph over the dark side. Think of it this way, apprentice. The light side is a gentle river, calmly flowing through channels. The dark side is a flame that burns hot and strong. It provides strength and vigor but it burns out quick. So, which side do you choose? Do you choose the path that provides strength and vigor or the side that doesn't burn as hot but lasts much longer? To me, they are two sides to a whole. Of course, both the Jedi and Sith would tell you differently. Do you understand, Alexandra?" Seeing their student nod he studied Alexandra's frame, "Good. This concludes your training for today. Rest up because tomorrow, your physical training starts. Judging by your stature, I think you need to put on some additional muscle. Being physically strong is equally important as being strong in the Force." Alexandra frowned at him and Kenta held up his hand in a disarming gesture, "Don't take it the wrong way, apprentice. You can stand having some meat on you." The 19-year old turns around to return to the Twilight Dawn mumbling something under her breath.

Yuna and Alec join their leader.

Alec grinned, "I think you overdid it."

Kenta scratched the back of his head, "I was only telling the truth." That night, Alexandra sleeps on the bed in her quarters. The moment she hit the bed, the black-haired girl passed out.

The next day saw Alexandra go through intense physical training consisted of doing fifty pull-ups on the branch of a tree non-stop, sixty push-ups, twenty squats, running for a mile and more. Her body screamed and begged her to give up but another voice told her to endure and push forward. Realizing what was at stake, Alexandra drew upon her final reserves to finish strong. The moment she hears her Sith Masters tell her to stop, the teen collapsed from exhaustion. She could barely move a muscle her chest rising and falling as she gasps for air. Sweat covering her entire body caused the dirt from the ground to stick and smear against her, she haven't been pushed this hard since her PE teacher told the class to run as long as they could around the gymnasium. Her total time was almost forty minutes thanks to her stamina but immediately afterward she dropped from the exertion so exhausted she felt like she was going to die.

Yuna and Alec help her back to the ship where Yuna would help Alexandra clean up. During dinner, the poor teen had a rough time eating due to the soreness in her muscles. She fought through the pain and ate anyway, glad to have something in her system after so much work.

Once she was done eating, Alexandra retires to her quarters faintly hearing Kenta say tomorrow they would start her combat training.

'What have I signed myself up for? Leliana, where are you?' Was the last thought she had before passing out.

Had she kept her eyes open a bit longer she would have seen her Sith Masters standing outside the open door.

Kenta commented, "She's driven. She is progressing fast. During my first day of training, I wasn't able to do half of what she managed."

Yuna nodded, "I may not have the Force like the three of you but I can feel Alexandra's drive."

Alec said, "If she can survive her combat training, she'll have proved herself worthy of joining our Order." Waiting for his comrades to leave Alec quietly walks up to the young apprentice reaching for his belt he takes a thick black box and sets it on Alexandra's nightstand. Stepping back the electric blue-eyed Sith takes a final look at his apprentice before leaving her room, closing the door behind him.

A/N: Chapter 2 done.

Here Alexandra got introduced to the history of the Sith Order, what makes them different from the Jedi, the dangers of the dark side of the Force and the Light Sith Code her masters live by.

She also endured brutal physical training as well.

Things will get better after the next chapter.

Read and review.

Stay tuned for chapter 3.

Vader 23A