As she opened her eyes, the first thing Satele felt was an awful headache. Then she squinted into the late afternoon light, and then slowly pushed herself up on her elbows. As she managed to get on her knees, a few seconds later, an extreme nausea engulfed her body. While down on all fours, she threw up on the dry, sandy ground.

"Oh…Maker." She mumbled as she felt another wave of nausea coming over her.

Then she threw up again.

Malgus silently watched while she emptied her stomach. For some reason, he felt a little guilty about what was happening to her. If he was a different man, he would have been comforting her right now, but this was not his way. He was a hard man, bred and trained to fight for the Empire against the Republic. He had no softness in his heart for anybody or anything, except for the animals that he used to take care of back on his home planet when he was a child. However, that was a long time ago and now, he had duties and there was no time to be sentimental.

Getting up from the pillar, he stretched his long, muscular limbs and then he approached her. While she was still doubled over and gagging, he reached down and grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her up.

"Here." He said, holding out a small, black handkerchief.

Without saying anything, she took the offered piece of cloth and wiped her mouth.

She had never felt this weak and depleted in her whole life. She had no idea how long she had been out, but one thing she was sure of, the disturbing images that she had dreamed of were still haunting her. With red, watery eyes, she looked at him and she was about to say something, when her knees gave out and losing her balance, she almost collapsed back to the ground.

Quickly, he caught her and with a swift move, he picked her up.

"Don't...touch….me." She growled, feeling irritated and angry.

Ignoring her words, he started to walk toward a large remnant of a building that stood at the rear of the wide valley.

"We're not leaving yet." He said eyes locked onto the building. "There is something I want to see."

She wanted to scream and tell him to go to hell, but she had no desire to start an argument. She wished to leave this cursed place and never to return. Although the voices in her head quietened down a bit, she still feeling sick to her stomach.

Holding onto his wide shoulders, she closed her eyes not wanting to look at him.

To be this close to him felt extremely inappropriate and uncomfortable. She wanted to be far away from him and from this place, however, she had no choice but to comply and hoping that soon, the Republic forces will show up to diminish this despicable attempt to take back the Sith world, she hopefully thought.

Stepping through the wide, gaping doorway, Malgus stopped and put Satele down. Taking out his weapon, he activated the lightsaber, enveloping the pitch-black darkness with its bright crimson glow.

"What is this place?" Satele asked, anxiously looking around.

"We are in the Tomb of Naga Sadow." He replied as he pulled her with him. "There is something here I want to see."

There was a wide, long stone walled corridor ahead, and that is where they were heading. After a few minutes, they came upon an intersection, where another corridor ran from left to right.

Malgus had seen the map of the tomb and he already knew which way to go.

Passing the intersection, he kept walking until they reached a large, empty pool full of human and alien skeletons.

With horror, Satele looked at their jagged, deformed bones in a pile settled into the bottom of the pool. It looked like a massacre, she thought horrified.

The bones of many loudly crunched beneath their boots, as they made their way through the other side. Walking in front of her, with ease, Malgus stepped out of the pool and then he turned around to help her out.

Instead of reaching for his offered hand, she lifted her arms up in front of her and with a firm tone she asked.

"Would you mind removing these handcuffs?"

When he didn't reply, she added with defiance in her voice.

"I can take care of myself. I don't need your help."

Looking at her and with a sly grin, he said.

"They will stay on."

"Do you think I'm going to run away?" She asked with disbelief.

With a frustrated sigh, she looked down at her feet and as her eyes scanned over the bone graveyard, she asked.

"Who are these people and why are they here?"

"Thieves of the Republic and the Empire." He replied. Then he added as he impatiently reached down and pulled her out. "This pool used to be filled with acid."

He didn't want to waste time on her futile pleadings. He wanted to see the Star Map with his own eyes.

Acid? She thought amazed, as he let her go and motioned for her to follow.

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a wide, round stone chamber. In the red glow of his weapon, the haunted chamber looked menacing and felt extremely cold. Here the temperature significantly dropped, and Satele noticed puffs of hot air were leaving her mouth as she breathed out.

Walking up to the middle of the chamber, Malgus stopped in front of a deformed metal husk of a Star Map. Running his hand over the smooth metal, he let out a sigh and then he turned her way and said.

"So many had sought the Rakatan's knowledge. Their superiority was outstanding."

"Is this what I think it is?" She asked, eyeing the contraption.

"Oh, so they do teach you some useful things at the Jedi academy?" He mockingly asked.

With a frown, she looked at him and then she replied.

"They teach plenty."

"Well maybe not enough." He said tersely. Then he looked at the mangled Star Map again and then blew out a frustrated sigh.

"Looks like someone tried to destroy this once." He murmured to himself. He was hoping that with the help of this machine he could find the other locations.

While he was occupied with the machine, she curiously looked around in the cold and uninviting tomb. The walls and ceiling of the room were adorned with countless ancient markings. Some she recognized, but there were others she had never seen before. The sensation of doom and fear was clearly palpable, and she wanted nothing more but to get out of there.

When Malgus looked up, he noticed she was shivering. Now is a good time to find out, he thought with apprehension as he approached her.

"Tell me Satele, what did you see in your dream?" He asked standing in front of her.

Staring into his golden irises, she felt the anger rising within her again. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down and while her teeth chattered from the cold, she said. "Amongst the many things, I saw the rise and the fall of the Empire. I saw death, life, love and lust. And I saw you sleeping an endless dream."

"Endless dream?" He asked gazing into her eyes.

"You will be defeated Lord Malgus." She added feeling a momentary excitement looking at his baffled expression.

With a penetrating gaze, he said. "You are a bad liar, you know that right?"

She was going retort him about his accusation of being a liar, but changed her mind. She didn't know what he might do. She was at his mercy and she could only hope to stay alive long enough to escape and to see her friends again. Even Jace, she thought amusingly, I would love to see him again. Although within the Jedi order attachments were illegal, however, there was one occasion, when secretly she allowed Jace to hold her and kiss her. His warm embrace now was a distant memory as she stood shivering in front of her sworn enemy.

There was an uncomfortable eerie silence between them as seconds went by. Then, he took a deep breath and said.

"We need to get back to the ship." As he walked away from her, with a cold tone, he added. "Keep up."

An hour later, and after a very quiet ride, they arrived back at the spaceship.

After she was escorted to a holding cell, Malgus received a call from the Dark Council.

A tall, Pureblood Sith lord's glowing image showed up in front of Malgus. His piercing yellow eyes looked at Malgus and as he spoke, his tentacles around his thin lips moved every time he opened his mouth.

"General Malgus." He started. "The council requires you to return to Dromund Kaas."

"My Lord." Malgus bowed his head. "My place is here on Korriban."

"We are grateful for your victory and also saddened to hear the passing of Lord Vindican. However, we decided to appoint someone else to look over the reinstatement of the Sith Academy and the restoration of the Valley."

Malgus was in shock to hear this. He thought that he was going to be the one who would bring the Sith world back to its former glory. Now, he wondered what the council had in mind for him. Also, he was curious to find out whom the council appointed in his place, but he was in no position to question their decision.

"Lord Adraas would arrive soon to your location." The Sith said. "As soon as he takes over the responsibility, you will immediately leave and travel to Dromund Kaas."

Adraas? Hearing his name made Malgus's mind go dark. His fuming thoughts of his long time rival was disturbed when the Sith spoke up again.

"You will also bring the Jedi padawan with you."

For a second, he was confused. He never mentioned that he had acquired a prisoner. Then he remembered that his Captain also reported to the council. With weary eyes, he looked at the glowing image of the Sith lord and with a forced smile, he replied.

"As you wish Lord Vowrawn."

"See you soon." The Sith replied. Then the call was disconnected.

Burying his face into his hands, Malgus took a deep, ragged breath and then with rage, he punched the table in front of him, causing everything on it to scatter all over the room.

The anger and frustration he felt at that moment was overwhelming. He was so enraged; he felt the need to kill someone.

In her cell, Satele was having dinner that one of the soldiers had brought for her. Feeling extremely famished, she quickly finished off her plate. As she lifted her glass to her lips, she spilled some of the water on her top. Not finding a napkin, she reached inside her pocket and pulled out the black handkerchief that slightly smelled of vomit.

Frowning, she quickly dabbed down her top and she was going to throw it away, when she noticed something. There was a letter V embroidered in the left bottom corner.

V? She thought confused. Whose handkerchief is this?

Quickly, she looked at the other corners, but there was nothing else. Whoever this belonged to was most likely dead by now, she thought sourly. Or maybe it was his wife's, she thought. She never asked, but he could very well be a married man. However, she knew that there was one similarity between their orders. Neither Jedi or Sith was allowed to have attachments. No family was ever allowed, which brought back some unpleasant memories into her mind.

Quickly shaking off these thoughts, she walked into the neat and compact refresher and washed the piece of cloth under warm water. Then she placed it on the towel rack to dry.

Closing the door, she got out of her clothes and after turning on the shower; she stepped under the hot water to wash off a few days worth of sweat and dirt. While lathering up her body, she closed her eyes and tried to recall some of the images she had seen while she was on Korriban.

But as much as she tried to recall her strange dream, she just couldn't get the images back into her head. Now, everything looked blurry, and the harder she tried to think about them, the more her head started to hurt again. Reaching for the shampoo, she started to wash her hair, when she heard the front door open.

Instinctively, she grabbed hold of a towel and wrapped it around herself.

"Who is there?" She called out.

"I'm just collecting the dirty dishes." The soldier's young voice drifted through the closed door. "And I brought you some fresh clothes."

Letting out a sigh of relief, she waited until he left and then throwing down the wet towel, she quickly washed the shampoo out of her hair.

That night, while lying in bed, she started to think about the endless possibilities of what could happen to her. She had to think clear, and be wise not go against his wishes.

Malgus, she thought with distaste. He killed his Master, the one who ended my Master's life.

Suddenly, his image invaded her mind, the image of her Zabrak Battlemaster. She missed him terribly and she wished that he were still here and alive. He was a great man and an excellent teacher, and now he was gone. The dreaded war would most likely involve all of the galaxy again, and she was not looking forward to seeing the distraction it would bring.

She sensed that Malgus had a plan. Although she hated him for what he is, somewhere deep inside, she felt a tiny spark of affection toward him, which she couldn't understand why. So far, he treated her fairly, however, she was certain he was hiding something. As her mind started to unravel, she closed her eyes and within minutes, she was fast asleep.

Her dream took her back to Korriban, where the thousands of voices were waiting for her to return.

Malgus couldn't sleep. Folding his arms beneath his head, and while he fumed on the inside, he stared at the ceiling of his chamber thinking about meeting Lord Adraas again.

That despicable prick, he thought bitterly.

He couldn't understand why the council would choose him to take care of Korriban. He was indeed a powerful Sith, but also scheming and untrustworthy in Malgus's eyes. He hated the man and he hoped that one day their path will cross and then he would choke the life out of him for good.

Then as he shut his eyes, the image of Satele appeared behind his closed eyelids. He wondered what she had meant about her visions. He knew that everyone responded differently to the dark forces that haunted the surface of Korriban. She took it very well, he thought as he shifted on the bed. She is strong but needs the right guidance. I can be her Master and teach her the ways of the Force. Her and I could be an unstoppable force to reckon with, he thought excitedly. Then another, somewhat different, and more unconventional thought invaded his mind.

Suddenly his mouth felt dry and as he licked his lips, his pulse started to elevate thinking about her becoming more than just an apprentice. This guilty but pleasant thought sent a shiver down his spine. She was not bad to look at and he didn't mind mixing business with pleasure. Still, he didn't know her well and of course trust was something that she was not willing to give him. However, there were other techniques that were widely used within the Sith Empire to entice the subject's interest toward the Dark side. But this was the last resort he wanted to use.

Two days later Adraas's ship arrived. After properly greeting each other, Malgus invited him to his private chamber to have one last dinner before his departure. He also sent for Satele per Adraas wishes. He wanted to meet the Jedi padawan, which didn't sit well with Malgus. He would rather not want to bring her into their meeting. However, Adraas insisted and Malgus had no choice but to comply.

As Satele was escorted into the chamber, both men looked up, turning their attention toward her.

She looked different in black, Malgus noted, as his eyes roamed over her lean figure.

While they ate, Satele silently observed the two men. Right away she noticed their undeniable dislike for each other. While Malgus was quiet and withdrawn, Adraas on the other hand was the complete opposite. His charming personality even won Satele over making her laugh, which caused Malgus to feel annoyed and jealous. Every time she laughed, he couldn't believe how carefree and beautiful she looked. At that moment, he hated Adraas more than he had hated anyone in his life.

After dinner, Malgus made sure that Satele was back in her cell. After he walked her through the door, he was about to leave when Satele asked the question she was itching to ask, but was afraid to bring up in front of Adraas.

"What does the Dark council want with me?"

Turning around, he looked at her and then he said.

"I don't know."

"Am I going to die?" She asked searching his eyes.

With a concerned face, he gazed into her wide eyes and said.

"The council will not touch you, I can promise you that."

"Why are you doing this?" She asked stepping closer to him. "What do you want from me…. really?"

"What do I want from you?" He asked, also stepping closer. "You really want to know?"

As he towered over her, suddenly a nervous sensation traveled through Satele. The possible danger of her situation instantly gave her a fluttery feeling inside her stomach. They were alone, and if he chooses to, he could have done anything with her. Sith or no Sith, he was a man and she knew very well what type of danger she could get herself in very quickly. She was definitely not looking to have any physical contact with him.

Stepping back, Satele composed herself and then she said.

"I'm getting tired. I would like to retire for the night."

"Very well." He replied looking away from her lips.

As he walked out, he turned back and said.

"Be ready. We leave early tomorrow."

Nodding her head, she watched as he stepped out of the room and then locked the door behind him.

The next morning, accompanied by a few soldiers, Satele was ready to board the ship. While Malgus was saying farewell, Satele couldn't stop noticing Adraas's exclusive attention toward her. The night before at dinner, she found him charming, but to a certain limit. She knew it was unwise to play with fire, and he was definitely a burning flame that could hurt her tremendously.

As he extended his hand toward her, she placed hers in his and then he slowly lifted up her hand and kissed the back of it, while his burning gaze never left hers.

The touch of his hand and lips felt rather unpleasant. Pulling her hand away, she forced a smile and then was ushered into the ship.

A few days later they arrived at the home planet of Malgus, Dromund Kaas.

The large, blue globe looked amazing, she thought gazing out the window, as they were ready to approach its surface.

After landing at the spaceport, they all stepped out of the ship and were greeted by soldiers of Kaas city.

Malgus was happy to be home, but he was not looking forward to meeting the council. It never ends well, he thought anxiously. He didn't know why they called him back, but I will find out soon, he thought annoyed, as they made their way toward the Dark Temple where the council was waiting for them.

Satele felt lost looking around in this new and dangerous place. She had heard of this planet and its city before, but this was the first time she had set foot on it.

When she thought about the Sith world, she imagined that it would look cold and uninviting. However, to her astonishment it looked fairly inviting and full of life. There were a lot of people on the streets going about their business.

When they finally arrived at the temple, she was taken aback by its immense size and authoritative presence. The steps that led up to the main door were beautifully carved out of precious stones. On either side of the stairs were large stone statues of long gone Sith Lords looming over the newcomers.

Looking straight ahead, the enormous crimson flags with their Sith symbols adorned either side of the main entrance, showing everyone who the temple belonged to.

While she curiously looked around, she heard Malgus's voice.

"Let me do the talking." He said as he walked beside her. "If they ask you a question, just answer it politely. Do not anger them."

"I promise." She replied feeling anxious. She was in their territory and anything could happen or could go wrong, she thought, as a nauseating feeling engulfed her body.

As soon as they stepped through the large doorway, her heart painfully constricted for a few seconds. The suffocating presence of the Dark side of the Force was overpowering in here. For the first time in her life Satele felt truly scared. This fear like a suppressed dark thought was coming from deep within her, trying to break its way out.

Passing the doorway, they walked into a wide, round chamber with dark walls that matched the floor. The council's chamber reminded her of the tomb they visited on Korriban. However, this place was on a much bigger scale with high-pitched roofs and tall, lean windows.

Their steps made squeaky sounds throughout the chamber as they approached the large stone table where several Sith lords were waiting on them.

Stopping in front of the council, Malgus respectfully bowed his head and then he greeted them all.

"My Lords." He said. His deep voice bounced off the tall, dark walls. "I'm here to receive your orders."

"General Malgus." The Pureblood Sith stood up and walked up to him. "Your service to the Empire is greatly appreciated. With the passing of your Master, we declare that you will take his place, and from now on your new title will be Darth Malgus."

Bowing his head, Malgus replied.

"I'm honored my Lords."

Then the Sith approached Satele, who stood behind Malgus.

As his eyes roamed over her, he clicked his tongue and said.

"Interesting."

Walking around her, he quickly measured her up and then as he stood in front of her again, he said to her.

"I can sense your thoughts young one. You want to hurt me."

Satele coldly stared into his eyes. Yes, she wished she could hurt not just him but all of them. Somehow these peculiar thoughts invaded her mind and as much as she tried to dismiss them now, she was not able to do that.

"If you want to unleash your fury young one, I can definitely assist you with that." The Sith tauntingly said.

"Darth Nox." He called out. "Let's teach this young padawan a lesson."

Immediately, Malgus wanted to protest, but he knew better.

Satele watched as one of the members of the council stood up and walked toward her.

His tall frame was covered with dark clothing, embroidered with intricate letters on both of his sleeves and the front of his tunic. She had no idea if he was human or not, young or old due to his face hidden behind a strange looking metal mask.

"Give her a weapon." The Sith said looking at Malgus.

As he handed Satele his weapon, he looked into her eyes and in an irritated low voice, he said.

"Next time learn to conceal your thoughts."

Satele wanted to apologise, but she knew that was pointless. She was on her own and there was no one to save her, but herself.

Swallowing hard, she took the weapon from Malgus and held it firmly in her hands.

Stepping back, Malgus looked at them both and then his attention turned to Darth Nox as he activated both ends of his double-edged lightsaber.

As soon as the Sith's weapon was activated, Satele also turned her weapon on.

It was a strange feeling to hold a Sith blade, however she had no choice but to use it to save her life. She wished that Malgus had a double-edged lightsaber, she felt more confident using a weapon like that.

Quickly spinning her weapon a few times in front of her, Satele tested the unusual weight of it, and then she took on a fighter stance waiting on the Sith to attack.

He swiftly approached her and lunged the end of his weapon at her left side, barely missing her dark tunic.

She quickly encountered his attack and with a graceful move, she spun around and slashed at his leg. The two red blades collided at his shin and then he pushed back hard, trying to unbalance her.

Satele had very little time to react, before she was going to hit the floor. Quickly, she did a backflip, hitting him under the chin. The heel of her boot made a loud clang sound on the bottom of his mask as her foot connected with him.

Amazing, Malgus thought with awe, as she gracefully landed on the smooth polished floor. Then she sprung up and attacked the Sith again. Their fight was an amazing sight to behold. Their skill levels were nearly identical. Throughout the fight, Satele's acrobatic stunts helped her to evade his deadly attacks. A few times she came very close to defeat him, however, every time she managed to accomplish that, he fought back ten times harder, slowly tiring out Satele.

Malgus anxiously watched them. He wished he could interfere, but it would be futile and foolish to defy the council. He just hoped that she was strong enough to win this test. This is not how I wanted this day to end, he thought disheartened.

She was on her own and she needed to draw strength from the Dark side to defeat him.

He knew the style of Darth Nox. He was fast and agile. Although, he was not as powerful as some of the others, his unique technique was to tire out his opponent and then go for the final kill.

After what seemed like an eternity, Malgus noticed that Satele was slowing down. She was getting tired and he could tell she wasn't going to last long.

While his hands curled into fists, and as his pulse accelerated, through flaring nostrils, his breathing became rapid watching her path to doom. Use it; he thought angrily looking at her. Use it NOW YOU FOOLISH GIRL! He screamed in his head.

Then the Sith's weapon reached her and grazed the left side of her tunic, burning her flesh.

The red-hot sensation that followed was astounding. Satele had never experienced a pain like this before. The smell of her burned flesh made her sick to her stomach. Instantly, she panicked and then tears started to swell in her eyes.

That's it, she thought with despair. I'm going to die today.

Clutching at her side, she kept holding off the Sith. However, she was getting weaker by the second and then in defeat, she fell to her knees and waited for death to come.

As he was about to make his final move to strike her down, something inside her awakened. This raw, peculiar feeling rushed through her body, like a broken dam. Destroying every single good and moral thought that had been drilled into her since childhood, by completely taking over her whole being.

As her lightsaber collided with the Sith's, she looked up and while her burning gaze was on her opponent, she sprung up and viciously attacked him again.

Now she had found a new strength within that helped her to overcome her fear of death. With a few powerful moves, she swiftly pushed her opponent back, making him fall down with a loud thud. As he hit the ground and while she stood above him, with an enraged expression she was about to cut him in half, when suddenly the voice of her Jedi Master Ngani Zho sliced through the endless darkness of her clouded mind.

The greatest weakness is the heart. Not even your mind can control what you feel. Put aside all feelings and let the Force guide your way.

The crazed trance that she had been trapped in, immediately diminished as her mind cleared. With icy blue eyes, she looked down on her opponent and then she staggered away from him, collapsing onto the floor.

"Well done my dear." Vowrawn spoke up while a sly grin appeared on his crimson face. She is going to be a great asset to us he eagerly thought looking at Satele's pale, sweat drenched face.

Turning to Malgus, he said.

"Return in three days, and then we will inform you of your new mission." Then he added. "Go and visit your father, he's been asking about you."

"Yes my Lord." Malgus replied. He was about to go to Satele to collect her, when the Sith spoke up again.

"She will stay here."

"But my Lord." Malgus insisted. "She is hurt and I can bring her to my father's estate to take care of her injury."

He dreaded the thought of leaving her here within their clutches. Over the years his trust in the council had greatly diminished, and today's little 'show' didn't make it any better. He didn't want to leave, not without her.

"If we don't take care of her injury, she might die. My father has a medical facility to help her to get better. Allow me to take her."

For a few uncanny seconds, the Sith looked at him and then he walked toward Malgus, and while his eyes bore into his, he said.

"In three days we will see you both."

"Yes my Lord." Malgus replied feeling relieved.

After collecting his weapon, he was about to help her up when she said.

"I can walk."

"As you wish." He replied as he withdrew his hand.

Standing up, she looked back at her opponent who already was back on his feet looking their way. Then she turned her back at him and started to walk toward the exit. Her body felt weak but her spirit was soaring high. She couldn't believe that she defeated a Sith lord.

Although her victory came at a prize, she was still happy nevertheless.

Not knowing what they were planning to do with her, she had three precious days to come up with an escape plan. She couldn't wait to make that happen and leave this place behind.

To be continued...