Destiny's Pawn: Korriban Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Through Passion, I gain strength

At dawn, ten Mandalorian men and their seconds stood in their places. The eleventh stood out like a Hutt at a dance recital. He wore no helmet, and his second stood by him, gold Cathar eyes assessing the others. The chieftains addressed them.

A man in the middle glowered at this newcomer from beneath his helm. "I cannot believe you have let this dar'Manda and his pet defile the contest."

Aj folded his arms. "Jagi of Ordo, your kinsman levels the same charge against you as you did him. Now, he's come here honorably. Whatever trouble you have with your kinsman, you settle as Mandalorians."

Canderous said nothing, just a cool nod Jagi's direction.

"Your task," said Gar. "Is to arrive at the waypoint we have placed on your maps. There are many paths, each with their own dangers and traps that come from Korriban itself. Long ago, Mandalorian warriors defended this planet from invasion, forcing the Republic away from this world. When their alliance with the Sith was over, they left their battle machines and traps behind them. He who emerges at the waypoint with proof of his journey will be declared the winner."

Brax peered out at the men from his ratted mess of hair and beard. "If one of your fellows or his second blocks the path or challenges you, fight him cleanly. This is as much a test of your honor as it is of your ability to survive. A dishonorable man's life, is as always, forfeit."

"To even attempt this task is a testimony to your bravery. To survive it will be a test of your strength, and to best your fellows is a test in skill and cunning." Aj's remaining eye was fixed on them.

The five chieftains stood up and saluted the eleven in armor and the twelfth in rags. "To the one who wins, we salute the victory. To those who fail, we salute your entrance into the Gods' armies."

The more foolhardy charged ahead, but the wiser ones took the opportunity to study the maps. Canderous was among the latter.

"Shortest route is where most of them will go – but the cliffs may not even be climbable at this point, especially if you're in the armor." He checked the topographical display. "A fall from that height, and you'll end up like a broken basilisk droid."

"The middle path?"

"Seems the smarter route, but slower. I'm guessing that place has mines and booby-traps enough to slow an army."

Juhani looked up. "A trap detected is a trap avoided."

"Middle path it is, then."

KOTOR1

Since they were "recruited" separately, it made sense for them to not be seen together as they left the Ebon Hawk for the Academy. Just as Uthar said, the guard at the gate let Carth through once shown the medallion. Once inside, he was met by a Twi'lek guard who addressed him as Uthar's "new hire," though the nature of the job wasn't something the guard was briefed on.

As they walked, the Twi'lek pointed out routine maintenance chores around the grounds, and casually mentioning that the detention and dueling rooms were where careless servants ended up when they failed in their tasks.

The servant quarters were closet-sized private cells with a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. A communal fresher station was at the end of the hall. Gas lamps and old-fashioned candles provided the light during the night, and a thin window carved from the rock allowed an anemic amount of daylight to enter the room.

"The datapad in the top drawer will have a list of tasks for you on it. Uthar is a fussy man. Very proud of his academy. He's generous with rewards for good servants, and equally generous with his wrath for bad ones," the guard said before he left.

Carth checked his bag. Mission insisted on giving him a few of her gadgets, and he was glad no one had inspected the contents. Computer spikes, a security override mechanism, and a stealth belt were among them. Throwing his travel bag into the wardrobe, he sat on the edge of the bed. For the first time, he was starting to think that coming into this academy through the front doors was a bad idea.

Keep your head. You're just here long enough to find Dustil and get out of this crumbling ruin. It's not like you're actually pledging loyalty to the Sith here...And this is also the best place to keep an eye on Kai...Revan.

As if to scold him, the memory of Manaan's sunset seemed to float to the surface of his mind. The details were perfectly captured - the way the brisk sea breeze felt, and the smell of the salt air. The harder he tried to push away the thoughts or bury it under his hatred, the more damn persistent it was.

Those beautiful dark eyes he could get lost in...She burned entire worlds.

Her soft hands tracing his face as if to commit it to memory...Those hands killed soldiers like me.

The memory of the kiss on Manaan and their aborted encounter aboard the Hawk seemed to set his blood on fire all over again. With a small groan, he buried his head in his hands and tried to banish it. She was Revan all along. She was betraying me from the start. If not for that…Sith, I wouldn't be in this forsaken place. I'd be happily retired on Telos...And me, fraternizing with the enemy. Let your guard down, and you get burned again.

"Query: Auxiliary Master, are you in need of assistance? Please tell me you need someone killed."

Oh, yeah. His little "present." She insisted that he keep the droid with him, and the Twi'lek guard said that they were in need of a protocol model. So, for the time being, he was still stuck with the red-plated metal maniac.

He looked up. Time to see if the droid had any use. "Yeah, HK. Says here that Uthar's going to give you low-level access to the datafiles. Guess he wants you to process grades and work with some of the practice droids. Generic protocol duties, it looks like."

"Resignation: Protocol duties are very dull. I do them only to maintain my cover as a law-abiding droid. Still, it is part of my function, and one I can certainly handle."

"I've...I've got to know if you can do this though. I'm going to need some access to the computers, too. Dustil is somewhere in this place, and you're going to help me find him."

"Query: And what is your assignment?"

"Let's check. Maybe they want me to clean the torture room or something -" Carth stopped in mid sentence.

He scowled and read the datapad again, trying to see if he had misread it the first time around. A small shiver went up the back of his spine. Something wasn't right at all.

Send the protocol droid to the archives, it said. I want you to report to my office immediately. I've tasks of a sensitive nature for you.

"Damn," he muttered.

"Query: What task have you been assigned?"

"I'm about to find out," Carth said. He pulled out his blasters and checked the clips, glad they hadn't decided to remove his weapons. Everyone here, even the servants, seemed to have a weapon on them of one sort or another - crude blades and blasters for the servants. The guards had assault guns or carbines. About half the students, including the ones who were Kairi's "classmates," were armed with lightsabers.

An armed society is a civil one, Saul said once. Carth wasn't counting on it.

KOTOR1

The little droid at her heels, Kairi slowly made her way through the main streets of town and back up the steep, direct path to the Sith academy. This time, upon seeing the medallion, guard said nothing as he waved both of them ahead.

Kairi hadn't gone far when Yuthura called out behind her. "Ah, there you are! My favorite prospect for the year."

Kairi waited for Yuthura to catch up. "Favorite prospect?"

The taller woman put her arm around Kairi's shoulders. "Absolutely. By my estimation, you have what it takes to surpass the others we've chosen for this quarter and become a Sith in full. I heard about what happened with Shaardan, by the way. You must be an empath."

"Yes," Kairi said. "Which is one of the reasons why 'there is no emotion' and 'there is no passion' became meaningless to me."

Yuthura sighed. "They might as well cut off your hands. If passion and emotion are how you perceive the Force then they served only themselves crippling you like that. Here, passion and emotion are fundamental tools."

"It no longer matters," Kairi said. "I am here."

"So you are. When I told Uthar about you, he insisted that you be placed in the Upper Tier. We have five other students who are in the running to become Sith in full this quarter, but I think you can handle the challenge they present."

They entered the main hall. The floor was made of the same volcanic stone as the walls, and the air smelled faintly of brimstone. Tapestries and friezes of Sith Masters and their deeds adorned the corridor walls. Statues honoring the greater masters, made of stone or cast in bronze, stood in niches. Kairi managed not to cringe as they passed by a Revan statue that wasn't yet complete. Carved slits in the wall let in the minimal sunlight.

Students in the lowest tier were dressed in gray tunics and trousers that somewhat resembled the Sith military uniform, the distinguishing marks were the academy crest patches on their arms and the medallion around their necks. Second-tier students were dressed in short robes or surcoats of the same ashen gray, again sporting patches on their sleeves and the prominent medallion. She could feel the toxic emotions of the place - greed, pain, ruthless competition, jealousy. Conversations halted as she walked by. All the better, she supposed.

"Mind you," Yuthura warned. "I think he only insisted upon placing you with that knot of students because he thinks to test them against a Jedi. Killing you would be considered a very impressive accomplishment. It means they'll be greedy. Come, he wishes to address the candidates in the rotunda."

KOTOR1

The newly-minted initiates were gathered in a rotunda at the academy's center. One of them ran his fingers through his wavy auburn hair and straightened his uniform. Despite being here for so long, he still hadn't been able to ditch the accent or, regrettably, the surname. Well, last guy who made an issue of it wasn't around to make fun of it anymore. One good lightsaber stab would do that.

The other candidates started enter the room, but he didn't step out of the shadows yet. Let's get a good look at the ones who were competing against him. Uthar only chose a handful for serious consideration, after all. He could hardly believe he had been among those chosen, even if he did earn his points, clawing his way up.

Lashowe had a walk like a Twi'lek stripper, chin-up, chest out, flaunting the assets. She probably slept with half of the first-tier males, and a couple of girls, too. He half suspected that her entire cadre was kept together by the periodic orgy. She invited him to join up, but he wasn't about to fall for her. She wasn't his style. Besides, Selene...

The thought made him feel a knot in the gut. Gone, they said. They brought what was left of her back and burned her like trash. Expected, maybe, but it still hurt. "No sympathy for the weak," was one of the core principles here, after all. Now that he was "free," Lashowe was doubling the charms. She'd be eating his saber blade if she kept it up.

Mekel was still avidly regaling an ill-looking Kel Algwinn with a story of his latest stunt. Kel scratched his way up the ranks by practically welding his butt to the library seats, able to quote long lists of accomplishments and the historical relevance of obscure Sith Lords and their apprentices. He was, frankly, a lot brighter than anyone else in second tier and Dustil envied him that. In the Dueling Room, Kel listed off the fewest kills, but acted with a swift efficiency, as if he wasn't all that interested in that part of the curriculum and just putting in what he had to in order to advance. It didn't mean, however, that Kel was lacking in the ability to take out an opponent.

Mekel was the direct opposite. Dueling Room champ, and only mediocre in his studies. Dustil knew the guy bullied other students into providing him answers to exams, preferring that to hitting the library. He was one of the main reasons the Dueling room now had limits on how many victims you could go through in a quarter. He toyed with his prey, goading them into rage, then cutting them apart a bit at a time until they perished. Mekel looked forward to the quarterly influx of hopefuls, the fodder for his cruelest jokes. Last quarter, he had convinced five hopefuls to charge into a tu'kata nest as "test," and laughed as the beasts tore them to shreds.

Shaardan was right on their heels. Back-stabbing little jerk. Only prestige he earned was what he could steal, lie, cheat, and brown-nose his way into. Force knew why he was in Upper Tier, much less chosen to be in the running for true Sithhood.

That's when Yuthura walked in, and she was escorting someone he didn't recognize. He knew all of the chosen, didn't he? Was she one of the new instructors? No, she wasn't wearing a uniform…His eyes settled on her belt. That explained it. That woman was another one of those fallen Jedi. Just what he needed - someone who hadn't earned their way, coasting in by claiming a "fall" to the Dark Side, and sailing over all the hard work.

Lashowe sneered. "Good morning, Jedi. Somehow, I knew you would get here." She looked up at Yuthura. "Met this one in the colony. Not much of a fight if you ask me."

Yuthura folded her arms. "Good, because she is now competing against you."

Shaardan elbowed Lashowe in the ribs and gave her a knowing look, which only seemed to infuriate her. "Look at it this way, Lashowe. How many points do you think we'd get in prestige by presenting her severed hands to Master Uthar?"

"If I wanted advice on prestige, you're the last person I would seek advice from." She folded her arms and turned her back on him, one foot arched and ready to deliver a savage kick should Shaardan continue to test her patience.

Mekel crossed his arms. "Figures she would have a fast ticket in. Don't get comfortable or arrogant, Jedi. That lightsaber may have put you in the door, but you have to earn your way from here."

Kel shrugged off this new competition, going back to his reading. Mekel marched up and tried to snatch it out of Kel's grip. "Must you always have your nose in a datapad, Kel?"

Kel was too fast for him, pulling the datapad out of reach. "I don't waste my time torturing hopefuls. I'm prepared for the valley, Mekel. Are you?"

Mekel sniffed with contempt, looking down on the other man. "And you're forever too busy in your studies to really embrace the Dark Side and all the fun that comes with it. You'd make a fine Jedi, Kel."

"Enough!" Yuthura scolded them both.

There was an echo of footsteps and instantly, Yuthura bristled to attention. The other students followed suit. The great doors at the far end opened and in walked the Academy's headmaster - Uthar Wynn. His mottled, ashen skin, decorated with vibrant runes and ritual markings lent an appearance more ghost than man. He wore light dueling armor with the academy crest vibrantly displayed on the back.

"I see your late entry, Yuthura. What do you bring before me? A human woman...Ah, yes." He sized her up with the greedy eyes of a child in a sweet shop. "Bristling with the Force, as well...Yes, I can see why the Jedi would let this one go. Tell me your name."

"Kairi Niko," she said.

Dustil had to hand it to her - she didn't seem intimidated. Even after all these years, Uthar still put fear into him.

Uthar walked around her, inspecting her like one would assess a slave on the auction block. "Fallen Jedi tend to have a short life within these halls, Kairi. They still wish to associate the light with goodness and strength and they are unable to draw upon their darkness, though the Light has forsaken them. You, however…" He looked down on her. "Tell me, little one, what do you know of the Sith? What lies and half-true nonsense have they filled your head with?"

Kairi met the challenge. "The Sith are...powerful, Master Uthar. Mighty with the Force, and strong in number. Aside from that?" She cleared her throat. "I am always willing to learn more."

The answer seemed to please him, stepping back. "No doubt they fancied you a Consular. That is a diplomatic response, if not the core of the matter. Your open mind is very promising as well."

He stepped away from Kairi and into the center of the rotunda. "The Jedi treat the Force as a burden and curse. It is their tradition, and it's no surprise they cling to it for comfort. They do not celebrate it for the gift and pleasure it can be. Afraid of their shadows, and hiding from their passions - they haven't strength of those such as us." He looked to Lashowe. "What say you, Lashowe? Are you ready to grow in your power?"

Lashowe thrust her fist into the air. "I am very ready, Master."

Uthar grinned. "Brash and fiery. The Force serves you well indeed." He eyed Shaardan. "And you, Shaardan?"

"Oh, I'm ready, Master. Power is all there for the taking."

Uthar shook his head. "Don't let greed make a fool of you, boy. How about you, Mekel? Dare you embrace what the Dark Side can offer?"

Mekel bowed with a flourish. "I most certainly will."

"A lot of anger there. Good, lad. Make sure you can put it to proper use. Kel Algwinn? How ready are you to learn the way of the Sith?"

"I am...always ready." Kel did not take his eyes from Uthar as he executed a precision bow.

"Discipline and curiosity...keep your wits about you, however. This is no place for doubt in a Sith's heart. You'll learn - or die- soon enough. I am pleased to announce that all of you have reached Upper Tier. Out of you six, one of you will become a Sith in full."

"Six?" Lashowe looked around. "If you include this Jedi cast-off here, I only count five."

That's when the last student stepped from the shadows, lighting his saber just in case any of these jerks made trouble for him again.

"Yeah," Dustil said. "Five of us and that dead Jedi."

"You made it, Dustil. Congratulations!" That was Kel, all right. Dustil had to wonder sometimes why the guy was here. He just didn't seem to have the anger or malice it took to be a Sith.

"Well, well," Shaardan said with an unctuous smile. "While you're at it, Dustil Onasi, glue that hand to your forehead, you of the perpetual state of woe."

"How 'bout I use it to knock your jaw off, pretty boy?" Dustil brought up the saber and just waited for Shaardan to ask for it. "You say you want to imitate the greats of the Sith? How about Malak?"

Yuthura intervened. "Turn off that saber, Onasi."

Dustil powered it down and holstered it reluctantly.

"As Uthar has said," Yuthura said sharply. "None of you are a Sith in full just yet. Here, all life must compete to flourish. You must prove yourselves worthy. Look into the eyes of your fellow students, for they are also your competitors. Only one among you will be granted the title of a full Sith. The others will have to wait, or they will perish."

Uthar walked into the center of the room. "An act of worth grants you prestige. Gain enough points of prestige, and you will be worthy to continue. As you are all now of the upper tier, you have been granted access to the Valley of the Dark Lords and its tombs. You are expected to assist with the recovery efforts there. The tombs are dangerous, but there is no reward without risk. Bring your findings to me, should any of your efforts there bear fruit."

He gestured around the room. "The rest is for you to discover. Welcome to the Dark Side, my children, your chance for true greatness. You are now dismissed."

Uthar left the room, heading for his office. Yuthura gestured for Kairi to follow, and they vanished into the dormitory wing.

Lashowe still protested. "That Jedi shutta hasn't earned her place. Why does she get to be here?"

"I don't think she's abandoned the Light Side at all," Mekel said.

Shaardan said nothing, merely eying the place she had stood with a shudder.

"Maybe Uthar wants us to fight her," Kel suggested. "After all, if we do become full Sith, we'll have to fight Jedi."

Dustil didn't say anything. He learned a long time ago that no one else could be trusted, especially with Selene gone. Let the others be distracted by the Jedi - he was going for the real prize, which was in the tombs. And with the rest of them distracted, he could get them out of the way. After all, no one took him seriously until they were eating his saber, and he wasn't above using that fact.

KOTOR1

The students other than her had rooms already, so Yuthura escorted her down the long corridors to a room at the far end of a hallway. The cell was a simple students' quarters. Inside the wardrobe, Kairi found the short robe and gray leggings of the second-tier uniform.

"You will find it fits perfectly," Yuthura said. "I had the liberty of having the droids scan you for measurements."

"Thank you, Mistress," Kairi said. Even if Yuthura was a Sith, that was no reason to forget one's manners. "So why am I your favorite prospect? Because I am a fallen Jedi?"

Yuthura laughed. "I've seen, and cut down, plenty of fallen Jedi. No, you're different. I can sense power in you."

Kairi didn't like how that sounded. If this Sith considered her powerful, it meant she was already getting more attention than she needed, and a Sith's attention was never good.

"Discipline and respect for one's betters also has a place among our kind, and many forget that - and make a fatal error. You do not seem as likely to make such foolish mistakes. Again, I think the only reason Uthar's put you in with that class is to see which of them successfully kills you. I think he's the one making the mistake."

Kairi was tempted to press the matter, but decided patience would give her the answers. "I will not disappoint you," she said noncommittally.

Yuthura's smile was predatory. "I know you won't. Of course, the hardest part will be eliminating the others."

Kairi shrugged off the outer robe. "What can you tell me about them?"

"Kel is bright, and very strong with the Force, but he is too trusting. He lacks the necessary ruthlessness. Lashowe? Charasmatic…" Yuthura shook her head. "Good saber stance, reasonably intelligent, and ruthless…but again, she still trusts. Use that. Mekel knows how to harness his dark emotions, and he's quite good at dueling with the lightsaber. Still, not very cunning."

Kairi found herself committing this information to memory. While raiding the tombs would grant a lot of prestige, eliminating her classmates from the competition would be a faster, and somewhat more practical, way to advance and as necessary to survive…

It shocked her when she realized she was thinking this. These were the thoughts of a Sith…of Revan.

Yuthra's lekku tapped in time with her foot as she thought. "The last one, Dustil, is Uthar's favored pick. He's not the best at anything, but he is a good balance of intellect, Force aptitude, and saber fighting. He lost his lover recently, so he will likely be distracted." Her voice dropped. "Don't underestimate the lengths he will go to in order to survive. He's left many classmates dead when they did. Dustil was brought here as a slave, and the others still think of him as such. Every point of prestige, every moment he has walked these halls, he has earned in blood and struggle."

Kairi tried not to shudder. Of course, she had seen the stark resemblance between the younger Onasi and the one she knew well. Dustil had the same auburn hair and angular jaw - even his emotional pattern and Force aura felt similar, though the younger man was marked by the desperation of a wounded predator. If possible, Dustil would be spared. However, if he proved a danger, then it would be easier to blame the dangers of the academy...

"So, I gain enough prestige to become a Sith in full, then what happens?" Kairi asked.

"Oh, I'm so sure you'll surpass them," Yuthura said. "That I'm willing to make you an offer of the once in a lifetime variety."

Kairi had a suspicion as to what it might be, and a fallen Jedi would make a better candidate for it than a student who had any residual loyalties…"I'm listening."

"Good. I do so adore someone willing to take a chance. As I said, you will no doubt surpass - or destroy - the others to become the one Uthar chooses, despite his plan to have one of his students kill you. This year, the final test will be in the tomb Naga Sadow, in the Valley of the Dark Lords."

"What's so important about the tomb?"

"The tomb is an ancient ruin on the surface. Several years ago, Revan and Malak entered that tomb. There, they discovered an artifact - called a Star Map - of great importance. The artifact itself it not important. The fact that Uthar will be alone with us is important."

So, I will have to eliminate the others to get to the Map. The rest was just as Kairi suspected. "Isolate Utthar and then the pair of us make our move. Pupil against master. Sounds familiar."

"As well it should. It is central to our beliefs. Uthar cannot prevail against us both. It is my obligation to replace him when I am strong enough, and after I take you as apprentice, you will have the duty to replace me one day."

It was a perfect opportunity to get the Star Map. It was also a way she could ruin this festering breeding ground of Sith and what it represented, shutting down a large part of Revan's legacy. If she had been crafted as a weapon, why not act as one? "Very well. I agree."

Yuthura sighed, and the Twi'lek's relief washed over Kairi like gentle water. "I'm so glad you see it my way."

Kairi tried not to think of that. The Twi'lek woman's piercing sadness and fault lines of bitter righteousness left small and fleeting gaps, gaps she could not exploit at the moment. "Would retrieving artifacts from the tombs be a good way to earn favor with Uthar?"

"They are the best way to earn favor with Uthar, other than eliminating you competitors." Yuthura folded her arms, but the edge of one head-tail kept tapping her shoulder in a gesture of being deep in thought. "Do you know the Code of the Sith?"

Kairi shook her head. "I'm afraid I..." she almost admitted "forgotten." "I may have heard it once. 'There is no comfort; there is suffering. There is no love; there is loss. There are no noble acts, only futile ones.'" She sighed heavily. "'There is no salvation; there is oblivion.'"

Yuthura shook her head. "No, that is not the Code. It's Revan's contribution - her litany."

"So, the words are Revan's." Kairi said.

Yuthura paced to the room's center. "It was Revan's way of explaining the futility of the Light Side. All things are born in darkness, all things end in darkness. Given this, acts of charity and mercy are fruitless things. A single candle can brighten a small room, but it cannot light the universe itself. Candles also spend themselves in this process of giving light, dying with every flicker. The Light Side is a fleeting illusion at best."

Kairi felt cold and sad. All the friendship and comfort she had given and been given from the people aboard the Hawk? They'd not need comfort had she not existed. They would recognize it soon enough, she supposed, just like Carth had. And the good they had done on Taris and Dantooine? Gone, dead, and destroyed - utterly futile in the end. "I...understood those words. It's why I'm here."

Was that a fleeting moment of sympathy she had sensed from Yuthura? If so, it passed too quickly to register fully. "If you know there is no refuge in Light, then you will also come to recognize the strength in Darkness." Yuthura cleared her throat.

"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."

Kairi pondered the words and repeated them quietly.

Yuthura explained further. "The Force is our servant and our master, our companion and teacher. It selects the few of us to stand above those who cannot hear it."

Kairi sniffed with derision. " Just like the Jedi, more talk about how we are 'apart and above' other life."

"They only acknowledge the truth as it is forced upon them, it seems. They still think a lack of conflict betters sentient creatures. But without conflict, without struggle, how are we to better ourselves?" She paced the room as if lecturing a class full of students, and not just one person. "I told you back in the cantina how we are like the beasts of the jungle and desert. We are always on guard, always ready for the kill. And what keeps even the most rudimentary creature alive? Fear to run and anger to fight, hunger for food and mates. And a creature never takes more than it can guard." Yuthura fingered the lightsaber at her side absently when she halted. "The Jedi distance themselves from the harsh realities of nature, the very primal forces of creation. In the process, they submit to the very fear they throw their empty words against."

"Perhaps," Kairi said by way of an answer. It should have repulsed her to even be listening to such things, and if Bastila could see this...

"Passions sustain us and give us strength. Even as a Jedi, you must have known this. The Force grants you a keen empathy, and Jedi demand that you deny the very thing that fuels your strength,. You can feel, and you cannot stop feeling. Again, why look at this as a burden? I'll place you with Genyaa in your meditation classes. She is Zeltron. She will allow you to appreciate that talent."

"And the part about the chains being broken, what is that about?"

"The goal of any Sith is to break free of the chains and restrictions placed upon us - both the ones placed upon us and the ones we place on ourselves. Our teachings talk of what can happen if a Sith were to break free of all their restrictions - perfect power, perfect destiny. I wonder what such a being could be like," Yuthura admitted. "But I guess that you have had a long day, and you cannot afford to be late for your studies tomorrow morning. There is still much for you to understand."

Somehow, just being here felt like a betrayal, but could she really afford the ignorance of the Sith ways when Revan's legacy loomed over her like a shadow?

There is no ignorance... To understand Revan, she would have to understand the Sith.

Kairi bowed slightly before the Twi'lek woman. "I will meditate upon your words." She summoned one last question, however. It was something she had to know. "What do the Sith believe of love?"

Again, Kairi felt the fault lines of bitterness and isolation that riddled Yuthra's presence. "Love," explained Yuthura. "Is most dangerous of all. It can lead to rage and fear…lust, possession." She shook her head, the lilac-colored head-tails folded behind her back. "But it also can lead to generosity, pity, compassion, and mercy - and all of those are far worse."

It was like a vibroblade in the gut or a drink of carbonite. Despite their motives, there were still too many things Sith and Jedi shared. "I…see. Thank you, Mistress."

"You are...welcome," Yuthua answered before stepping out the door.

KOTOR1

Uthar's office and private chambers were past the dormitory wings, and Carth had to fight the urge to hunt through them, knocking on each door to see if he could find Dustil. The datapad said "immediately," and knowing the Sith, Uthar was going to be a stickler for that.

Head down, listen carefully, play along. While it wasn't widely known that he had been cross-trained for intelligence missions, the training still would stick. Unfortunately, his reputation as a war hero diminished his usefulness in that regard, even as it increased his skills in others. On the Spire, he was there to keep his eyes on the Jedi, and Dodonna wanted him to be the Republic's eyes on the Hawk as well.

He came to the heavy stone door and knocked on it.

"Come in. You will find it unlocked."

Carth opened it and walked inside. Unlike the opulent quarters of the Manaan Sith master, this suite was rather sparse. The office was in a room to his right. To his left, the door was open. Carth walked in to find Uthar having lunch. Before him was a portion of roasted fowl, which he ate with fingers, stopping every so often to rinse his fingers in a dipping bowl.

"Please, have a seat."

Carth nervously sat across from Uthar. "Uh...you said you had a job for me?"

"A few tasks of a sensitive nature, yes. By killing Northal and taking the medallion, you proved yourself adequate for it."

"What kind of jobs?"

Uthar leaned back. "Since Lady Revan fell, this academy has been overrun with eager younglings. You are no youngling. In fact, you seem a bit like I was when my own master found me. I was older, and served as a soldier for Exar Kun's armies. However, the Force had other ideas, and I am here."

The hair on the back of Carth's neck stood up as the temperature seemed to drop. "So, you're interested in recruiting me."

"I'm interested in seeing what you'll do with your own potential," Uthar said. "Call it an indulgence if you must,. You lack the means to kill me, but not the will to challenge me. That alone is a rare combination. I miss debating philosophy and history. I miss the company of a fellow fighter and grown man. Perform a few tasks, debate me at dinner, learn from me and teach me in return, and you'll have your pick of compensation."

There was always a trap involved, Carth knew. It is a curse of human existence to live life facing forward, and understanding backwards. When events happen, the importance of them can't be ascertained until far later - and sometimes far too late. It is also known that once one has agreed to the Dark Side, even under coercion, that it will follow that person's soul to the end of their days.

"My pick of compensation?"

"Oh, yes. You may take anything or anyone from this academy when you are finished."

"I'm in."

Uthar's smile was positively snake-like. "Welcome to greatness."