Talo’Ra retired to her room that night with a real feeling of tired accomplishment. She had taken the first step to constructing her new lightsaber, and the lord Sinasi was pleased with her work. He had even commented on her growth in both power and skill, which was unusual for the Pure Blood. Usually it was never good enough and resulted in punishment. It could be physically choking, choking with the Force or shocked by lightning as impetus to improve or else.

Now, she wondered, would she have a potential ally in the Darth? He wasn’t on the Council but he was privy to their meetings since he was the head of Dark Champions who guarded them. Each Council member had two Champions whose sole job was to protect them from any danger, or die trying. It was a prestigious position that often led to advancements in either rank or respect which was almost as good. And now their leader is seeing her value. Cautious optimism was called for. It could just as easily be an elaborate trap for an apprentice to fall into, only to be slapped down into their place. Prudence, she thought again.

The next day dawned and she checked her schedule to see if she had been re-added to the class rosters yet, or if she still had a day to herself. Seeing that her schedule was clear she headed out of her room with a plan for the day. She would seek out Darth Freen in the med bays to ask for more advanced materials to study and ask for guidance on specializations. That would probably take most of the morning since Freen was quite insane, but a gifted healer and administrator of torture. Knowledge of biology could be used in either instance.

Her highest priority should be constructing her new lightsaber. Unfortunately the master craftsman, Lord Zeelu was rarely available in the mornings since she preferred to stay up late at night. This meant she had to wait until the afternoon for her chance to find the lord. She doubted she could get her out of bed early with high grade explosives. Not to mention the danger of doing so. The lord was not Order’s weapons master, but it’s possible she could be if she challenged Degriro for the position. It would be an extremely close competition and the apprentice wouldn’t want to bet on the razor thin margin between them.

The visit to the med bay went roughly as she thought. In order to get anything useful out of Freen, one had to subject themselves to constant rambling on subjects that rarely had a direct bearing on the conversation at hand. It took a keen mind to filter out what was relevant and what wasn’t. Most thought the Darth to be completely useless as a teacher, but Talo’Ra had discovered, as had apprentice Ganlaan, that the crackpot was a treasure trove of knowledge once you learned the filter.

The apprentice had just sat down to lunch with the Lord Kuriren again when her communicator lit up with another message. This time it was from Degriro. He had evidently seen her handiwork at his hideout and was displeased. The message read “Apprentice Talo’Ra. My hideout. The one without a door.” She chuckled evilly at this before showing the message to Kuriren.

“Without a door? What does that mean? I have been to his compound. All of the doors are guarded and reinforced” the lord said.

Getting a refill of her drink she informed Kuriren about the ‘remodeling’ she did in this hideout. They both laughed and ate as if they had all the time in the galaxy. They found that it had been more than an hour since the message had been received. The pair of them rose and parted ways before Talo’Ra finally left, making no hurry to arrive in a timely manner.

She boarded her new ship and was reminded that she hadn’t gotten it cleaned up as the blood stains were still all over the walls and floors. The course was set and she settled into the surprisingly comfortable pilots chair for a nap as she would need to be sharp and rested for this confrontation. The young woman landed the ship, exited it and entered the compound through the wide open security door. The remnants of the door were still there along with the impression they made in the permacrete walls, though the various debris had been cleaned up.

Turning to the left as normal she walked nonchalantly down the hallway to the shrine room. The heavy framework of the door opened as normal, though only remnants of shattered opaque glass were still in place around the edges. A majority of the glass had been swept away by the servants, but it was clearly a work in progress as glass crunched under her boots while entering the room. Seeing her master in his customary spot at the back of the room facing her, she stopped on the other side of what was once an expensive rug. He was wearing different armor and a new mask than he normally wore, no doubt because of the rumor she had heard. Giving the absolute minimum bow that could be tolerated when greeting a superior she commented “Looks like you had some vandalism here master.” She shook her head and made a series of tsk’ing noises knowing this along with her tardiness was going to aggravate him even more.

The imposing figure then stepped forward menacingly while saying “The door is of no concern.” He stopped right in front of the much smaller woman and peered down at her, looking directly into her eyes. “Have you put your past fears behind you now of being enslaved again?” His hulking form towered over the apprentice being that he was a full foot taller than her and three times as wide. He seemed made of nothing but bulging muscles earned from many years of hard work with his weapons mastery. Other than coming close to intimidate her, he showed no outward signs of anger at what he knew she had done to his hideaway. This he rarely did except in their practice duels. The difference was that this time he did not scare her in the slightest, on the contrary she was angered at the sight of him but kept it tightly under control. He noted her defiant stare barely masked by her normally unreadable face. He also observed the way she had entered the room with a vibrosword on her back at an angle designed for quick draw, and how it seemed to be a part of her. If he hadn’t been so angry with her, he would have been pleased to see the growth of his apprentice. Though recent events were blunting his anger with the good cheer he felt at the moment.

Talo’Ra’s reply was simple and sarcastic, in a tone of voice meant to provoke anger. “Indeed I have.”

Degriro’s eyes narrowed behind his mask as she continued to mock him, but he held himself in check as well, not willing to be lured into a fight with her. Instead he spoke of the trial she had been sent on. “You returning to my hideout is proof that you have succeeded. Your second trial, the Trial of Insight: Passed. Being able to put aside your fear and overcome the odds is part of becoming a powerful Sith. For that, I shall return your lightsaber to you.” Pausing only a moment to loom over her a moment longer to see if she gave any reaction to his words. Seeing none he walked back to his altar to pick up the apprentice’s weapon. Turning back to face her when the expected attack on his exposed back did not happen, he said “You will need this for your next trial. That is, if you feel that you are ready. The muscular man walked the length of the ruined carpet again to the sound of broken glass underfoot and stopped in front of his apprentice again.

As he extended his right arm, holding her weapon in his palm to return it to its rightful owner, he said “This weapon needs to bathe in blood.” The apprentice looked down her nose at the proffered weapon and considered it for a moment, never expecting to see it again, before reclaiming it and relishing the feel of it in her hands again. She clipped it to her belt in a familiar fashion while the lord continued speaking to her and eyes went back to him. “Are you ready to start your third trial?”

She looked directly into his new mask’s eye slit with her normal stone faced expression only marred by a hint of the anger she felt internally. Mockingly she replied “Why yes…. ‘Master’. I AM ready for another trial.” The sarcasm and intended insult washed over him with little effect as he could sense the rage in her. “What do you mean it needs to bathe in blood? You have seen me strike down many enemies of the Empire with this while we were out with the Legion. It has proven its worth as a weapon.”

“You’re right. That weapon has proven itself. You still have yet to.” She bristled at the comment, yet kept her cool, knowing the time was not yet right. When she did not reply to him, he continued “You are to go back to the temple of worship that you were raised in.” He looked down at the lightsaber on her waist and continued “That weapon will kill Yarnous, the man you used to look up to as a father.” He returned his gaze back to her face to see if there was any reaction in the young woman. “You told me that you cherished your freedom. Strike him down to be freed from your past.”

The apprentice narrowed her yellow eyes slightly as her expression grew even harder. A moment passed before she asked “Yarnous? What does he have to do with anything? I left my past long behind me.”

Degriro once again tilted his head to peer directly into the eyes of his apprentice. “I don’t believe you quite understand what a Trial of Sacrifice means. I said to kill him. That is all you need to know.”

Without missing a beat she fired back at him “On the contrary. I think I DO need to know more if I am to do what you want.”

“You do not need to know anything more than to kill the man I named. You already know where you came from and who he is.”

Talo’Ra dropped all pretense at keeping the purposefully stoic expression she normally had. Letting all the hatred, disgust and deep-seated fury show on her face, all mixed into a visage of defiance. The mocking tone taking on a harder edge as she said “Oh I know it, my ‘master’. I know it well.”

Degriro stood up tall then and pointed to the broken door behind her “Good. Then be gone from my presence and don’t return until you have covered your blade in his blood.”

She stood defiantly for several moments before finally saying “I understand you were made a Darth recently.” At his nod she said with an unenthusiastic and sarcastic tone “Congratulations.” Then she asked “What name did you choose?”

Degriro had been given the highest honor in the order, the title of Darth along with all its implied power and respect due to the station. He had been recognized for his tireless efforts on behalf of the Empire, the terror he inspired in his enemies and his faithful service to the Dark Council. The ceremony had been held in secret with few in attendance, but he felt an enormous amount of pride at the words spoken and the honors bestowed. He replied to her query with a simple answer, “Darth Wyckedd.”

She nodded at him in acknowledgement before saying “Darth Wyckedd. That’s, certainly a name. I guess.”

“You have your trial, I would suggest you getting started on it” he said, turning away from her and walking back to the altar of the wrecked room.

The apprentice watched him go while keeping a tight control on her anger. Without bowing she turned to go while still keeping an eye on him saying “Yes, ‘Master’.” She walked quickly down the hallway back to the landing pad and into her ship. She raised the ramp before stopping to lean against a wall and let her task sink in. Yarnous. A man she hadn’t thought of in well over a year though he had been dear to her once. Now she was to kill him. She went to the cockpit of the ship and took off back to Korriban to think about her next move.

___________

Days passed as she agonized over the decision of what to do. During this time she crafted a lightsaber superior to her previous one in every way. The crystal was more refined and the hilt itself was made without defect, unlike her first effort. After several exhaustive training sessions in honing her skills she couldn’t avoid it any longer and made preparations to visit her home world.

Packing lightly she only took some extra food, both of her sabers and doubled her normal medical satchel loadout. She’d given orders to have her ship cleaned out and the beds replaced with ones that weren’t filthy. She had discovered a captain's quarters that she had missed previously in the excitement of her previous trips on it. This room she had completely redone and a bigger bed installed. She stocked the stores of food, medical supplies and extra weapons.

Taking one last look at the supplies she had gathered she took her leave of the academy and put in coordinates to her home world. It was a long flight, made longer by her dread of arriving and moving forward. The landing was uneventful as she touched down a few miles from the temple at night and waited to see if there was any curiosity directed at the somewhat unusual sight. Several hours later she decided that no one had taken notice. She gathered her supplies and had simple garb so that she would blend in with the local denizens.

She laid down in her bed for a time to get a short rest in before leaving and contemplated her decision. She had learned that the only way to exist as a Sith was to have no weaknesses. This man that she held so dear and the temple she grew up in, was a weakness she could no longer afford to have. She had been betrayed once, and enslaved again. It would be the last time anyone would have control over her in any way and he was the key to making that happen. There was no way to avoid it, her master would ensure that he was a tool for her destruction otherwise.

With a heavy heart, yet a firm resolve she exited the ship and locked it with the new codes she had entered. She walked into the forest that surrounded the temple and quickly got her bearings, finding the closest path and marking the location of the ship in her mind. Moving at a steady but trail eating pace, she made her way to the temple.

As she got closer, there were places that she couldn’t resist seeing again. Special hideaways that she had found in growing up and now visited for a last time to burn the imprints of each into her brain. She reached the temple by the early afternoon and her eyes took it all in. The simple buildings, fields being tended by farmers, and a clearing dedicated to training. A group of students were busily running through the forms, led by one of the masters. She was greeted by a couple of the younger students who were done with their training for the day and were off to meditation.

Entering the grounds of the temple, she made her way to Master Yarnous’ quarters to see if he might be there for his afternoon meditation. Everyone knew it was actually a nap at his advancing age, but no one did anything but smile at the fact. Out of respect for him she knocked on his door gently instead of barging in to take care of the business she had with him. It was a short time later when the door opened and she saw his face again.

For the first time she noticed the age lines, gray hair and general haggard look of an old man. She always remembered him as a young and vigorous man, but now that she thought of it, it was the remembrances of a small child who refuses to see the truth as time goes by. What she saw now was a man past his prime, still active but not the powerhouse of physical might that he used to have. He saw her, blinked a few times before recognition dawned on his features and cried out in joy as he threw his arms around her. Involuntarily she embraced him back and felt tears running down her face as she felt his warmth again. It felt good, like all would be right in the galaxy and it was suddenly millions of times harder to accomplish her goal.

Pulling back from her he smiled at her warmly and he said “My girl, I never thought I’d see you again. Come in and speak to an old man. Tell me what you’ve been up to these last years.” He sat her down and put a kettle on to make some tea. As she sat, she found herself opening up to this man. She couldn’t seem to stop herself. She told him everything: Enslavement, freedom, the Sith, the academy and her training. She told of her betrayal, being enslaved again and then of her escape. She glossed over the bloodshed she had caused, but she knew he would figure it out. He was not a fool, no matter what he portrayed. She spoke for hours and only the tea kept her throat from going dry or hoarse.

The look on Yarnous’ face changed over the course of the tale. It went from the warm and welcoming face she had always known to one that was hard and horrified. He stopped her midway through the destruction of her master’s base of operations. Rebuking her for these actions he said “When did you become a murderer? When did I ever teach you that it was justifiable to ever take a life?”

She shot back “Even in defense of one’s self? In gaining the freedom of others? In stopping filthy slavers Hutts?!” They were getting heated now. They wrangled back and forth about the morality of the situations she had lived through. He stood his ground with the thought that all life is sacred, regardless of how evil they are. She knew that arguing with him was futile as he was steadfast in his ways, but she tried making her case anyways.

Eventually Yarnous raised his voice and said “Enough! I have heard all I will stand from you. You clearly never listened to a word I said!” he continued more softly “You have always been arrogant and head strong. I was foolish enough to think that you might change even after your arrest. That you would see the error of your ways once you knew the real consequences. But, I was wrong. You will leave this place and never return. You have no place here and I will not have you poisoning the minds of our young with your foul ideas. Now go!”

Gazing at the frail master, his face set in anger, this man she had loved. She now found her task to be simple. He had tried to shame her with his morality when she knew that the Sith way was the correct one: Might makes right. She had the strength and the power to make her own rules. Her face drained of all expression and the stone hard visage she showed everyone else was in evidence now. It gave the master chills down his spine as he felt the icy malevolence flow out of her.

“Very well Master Yarnous. I only have one task left here anyways. Thank you for making this easy.” Quick as lightning she drew her original saber, ignited it and stabbed him through the heart. The surprise on his face lasted only a moment before the light went out in his eyes. She pulled the blade free, disengaged it and put it back on her belt. Looking at the body of this man for a moment, Talo’Ra took her final sip of the delicious tea he had always made.

Regret at her actions assailed her almost immediately as she had truly loved him. He was the only father she had ever known and now he was gone. He had been killed by her own hand. Bitter tears ran down her face and her inner turmoil turned into rage. Only a small part of her mind wasn’t on fire with the burning fury she felt, and it was shocked. She thought she had been angry before, that was nothing compared to this.

She had been made to kill this dear old man, the father she never had. She had been betrayed and enslaved for a second time. She had been tortured, used and suffered the worst abuses imaginable in that enslavement: And it all came down to one man. Degriro had caused all of this, and now, he must die.

She was surprised at how still she had suddenly become. It was definitely the calm before the storm. Her determination was as hard as durasteel and deceptively quiet. She was laser on the only task that mattered to her anymore: Killing her master. Nothing less would satisfy her blood lust. For now though, she would depart this place.

She picked up the small bag she had brought with her, a little lighter than it had been as they had both eaten of the supplies in it, and slung it over her shoulder. Turning away for the final time she raised her hood and left his room, walking away from the temple that now meant nothing to her. The apprentice had thought about the possibility of having to lay waste to the whole place to escape the wrath of temple masters. Now she knew there was no point in it. No one knew what she had done yet, and it would gain her nothing. She walked the lonely way to her ship over the next couple of hours, entered the code for it and boarded. Once in orbit, she set the autopilot for Korriban after taking off then retired to her new ship’s quarters.