She Who Battles Monsters: An Assassin's Tale

[Mirdthestrill]

Wow, this new one got ready fast, I guess all that free time around Christmas and New Years refreshed my creativity.

 

I feel like this story is getting kind of boring, but I promise that I'll get to more interesting things soon.

 

Part 12: A Personal Hatred

 

 

That afternoon, we meet in one of the unused rooms. Meiko isn’t the best teacher in the galaxy, but she’s patient, and tolerant of my many errors. Her advice seems contrary to what I’d expect from the sith, but I’ve never been officially taught sith theory, only observed others, so I could be mistaken. And even this one lesson helps me feel like I’m regaining some of the control that’s been slipping since I got here.

As we work, I start to see a bit more of Meiko, too. She’s quiet, but not shy, and quite observant. Despite her obvious talent with the Force, she doesn’t seem to have many friends. The academy doesn’t really encourage friendship, but most of the others have a group to hang around with. Kalas is far too needy to make a satisfactory companion. Tyrin seems like he might be alright, though.

Dinner rolls around, and I’m so tired that I can barely see straight. I sit down and tear through my food- some sort of stew, I think- in the time it takes Tyrin and Meiko to get theirs and sit down. They sit next to each other, across from me, and start eating. Meiko is awfully close to him, and every time he talks, I see her perk up a bit. Why didn’t I notice that before?

I will admit, he’s kind of good looking, with his eyes such a startling blue next to that tan skin and brown hair. Not sure what about his personality attracts her, but I barely know him. I wonder if he notices, if he likes her in return.

We talk for a few minutes, Meiko trying to convince the two of us into a conversation. Finally, she says “Where’s Kalas?” If he was at the back of the food line, he might take a while, but he should still be here by now.

As if in response to her words, a commotion across the room catches my attention. It’s always nosy in here, between the collective sounds of almost fifty beings in their late teens and early twenties eating, talking, and arguing, and the endless amplification from the high ceiling. But this is different. Meiko leaps up and sprints toward the source. Tyrin and I follow.

Kalas is standing with a group of other acolytes, watching two forms fight in the gap between two tables. Quillan’s nose is bleeding and his arms are raised to protect him from Karanni’s blows. For her part, her arms are covered in what looks like electrical burns, but she’s on top of him, and it looks like she’s winning the fight. Quillan shocks her again, but she doesn’t cry out, continuing her attack. Her eyes have a kind of wild determination that borders on insanity, the kind I’ve felt sometimes in my darkest moments. I wonder what Quillan’s done to make her hate him so much.

Lord Eliss strides toward us and the students part. She force-pulls Karanni off of Quillan. He scrambles to his feet and glares at Karanni, arms crossed over his chest. “Follow me, both of you,” says Eliss. They do. Neither looks like they regret their injuries in the slightest.

“What happened between those two? Do they know each other?” I say. I’m not particularly fond of either of them, but it’s obviously personal.

Meiko shakes her head. “Quillan was at the academy when I got here, and Karanni came a month or two later. They’ve never liked each other, but if there’s a reason, I haven’t heard it.”

“Has this happened before?”

“Yes. Sometimes he attacks first, but it’s usually her,” Tyrin says as we walk back to our seats.

Hmm. Their vehemence suggests that one of them did something to the other in the past. Probably Quillan, since Karanni usually instigates it. I make a mental note to find out what it was; maybe I can use the information someday. But for now, I turn my attention back to the present. Kalas joins us and starts to eat.

He sighs. “Quillan’s so powerful. He’s probably going to kill me in the trials.”

“Rumor is that he’s the son of Darth Ixis,” says Tyrin, with just a hint of envy in his voice.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I reply. “If he was the son of a darth, I don’t think he would make any secret of it.”

“Still, he’s going to crush me in the trials.”

“What do you know about them?” I say. I’ve heard them referenced before in passing, but I’m not really sure what they consist of.

Meiko’s face gets, if anything, more sober than it was earlier. “Only that every acolyte has to take them at the end of the term. If you pass, then you have an opportunity for a sith lord to select you as an apprentice. If you don’t…”

She trails off, but I don’t need her to tell me what happens to those who fail. Sith have never given a thought to those considered inferior. But I knew this was dangerous when I came here.

“I hope they kill you quick.” says Kalas miserably. Pity and disgust mix in me. It must be awful to be so certain, probably correctly, of your failure. But to just give up like that is weak. Nothing in the future is fixed, but an attitude like that will ensure you won’t make it.

“Do you want to go up to the library?” Meiko says, obviously trying to change the subject.

“I thought we weren’t allowed upstairs. We can still go, but maybe we should wait till there aren’t so many people around.” I don’t object to breaking rules, it’s the only way I’ve lived this long, but Meiko doesn’t seem like the type. Besides, I don’t want to get caught.

“Officially, we’re not, but in reality, no one cares. Lord Erilinn said that as long as they don’t see us do it, it’s alright.”

“Sure.”

“Why not? I can study just as well there as in my room,” says Tyrin.

Kalas shakes his head. “I’m going to bed.”

 

 

[avatarearth]

I'm ba-ak!

 

Sorry, avatar, I didn't see your post until after my sub had already expired, so I couldn't respond, but I hope this update is self-evident. Hopefully I'll be able to prolong my sub for longer than 2 months this time, but rest assured that I'll keep coming back until this story is completed, or at least brought to some sort of closure.

 

no problem, it was really stupid of me to ask that since you had just said you wouldn't be able to post.

[Mirdthestrill]

So, this is the beginning of what was turning out to be an extremely long post, so I split it up into two.

 

This is the first of a couple of time skips that I'm going to make, skipping to the interesting parts of Kiarn's training.

 

Part 13: An Interruption

 

 

 

 

Two months later:

 

I stand in Lord Erilinn’s class, bathed in sweat, as I wait for him to give us new instructions. Beside me, Meiko congratulates me on my victory and wipes her forehead with the back of her hand.

 

My life has taken on a steady, though exhausting, routine. The morning exercises, usually running, but sometimes strength or flexibility training, are less difficult. I still don’t finish near the top, but at least I’m rarely last. Lord Rornak’s class is difficult, particularly since he’s discovered that I’m a friend of Meiko’s. I don’t let him push me around like she does, but I can tell that he doesn’t like me. I still don’t know what his problem with her is, and whenever I try to ask, she just shrugs.

 

Erilinn taps the wall with his training lightsaber for attention and we all look at him. His class is my favorite, not only because it has the most helpful teacher, but because it’s my favorite subject. Unlike Rornak’s eclectic mix of subjects or Lord Eliss’s Force techniques, I actually feel like I have a grasp on lightsaber combat. Not only have I caught up to the point where I can join in most of the lessons, but I’m actually enjoying it.

 

“I’m quite pleased with the progress of your duels,” he says. “But remember, just because this is a more aggressive form than many others, that doesn’t mean you can leave your defense open. Even if you defeat your opponent, I can guarantee you’ll miss your arm later. Now, I want you all to find new partners and-“

 

The door opens, cutting off her words. Eliss comes in, wearing a long, dark purple skirt with silver designs and a lighter-colored top that shows off her stomach and arms. The tattoos on her face and lekku extend across her shoulder and arms, but apart from a small one around her navel, her stomach is unmarked. I wonder if they mean anything personal, or are just to signify her allegiance with the sith?

 

She says something to Erilinn that I can’t hear, then leaves. He starts to follow her, but turns back to us at the door. “You can rest or practice, as you like.”

 

What’s going on? He didn’t look very worried, so it’s probably something minor. Most of the other acolytes sit down on the floor or go back to sparring. Kalas joins the former with a sigh, while Tyrin barely pauses in his exercises. He’s always been studious, but lately he’s become even more intense, practically disappearing most of the time.

 

Meiko and I also go back to our fight. Though I usually beat her fairly easily, I have the feeling that the outcome of a real duel between us wouldn’t be so certain. I may be faster and better with a blade, but she’s smart, and she wouldn’t be in Eliss’s advanced class if she wasn’t talented. Neither of us are fresh this time, so we make a lot of mistakes.

 

Still, I’m well on my way to winning when Meiko stumbles backwards, crashing into Karanni’s shoulder. The Zabrak turns, anger smoldering in her eyes, and I see Tamine pull her foot back. She, Quillan, and Kahnishh haven’t stopped harassing us, but since Erilinn stopped them from attacking us, it’s mostly been limited to childish annoyances. “Accidentally” knocking over our food, laughing at Meiko behind her back, scattering the contents of my trunk all over my dorm room. It’s immature, and it doesn’t take much effort to ignore. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that Quillan isn’t satisfied with being this petty.

 

“Who hit me?” says Karanni, and Tamine points at Meiko. Karanni crosses her arms over her chest, and I move over in case it comes to a fight.

 

“I’m sorry,” Meiko says soothingly. “It was an accident. I didn’t mean to.”

 

“I don’t-“ begins Karanni, but I step forward, cutting her off.

 

“You’re not hurt, are you? And she said she was sorry, and Lord Erilin won’t be happy if he finds you fighting when he gets back.” Karanni is one of the most aggressive students here, but I’ve noticed that the approval of the masters here is very important to her.

 

Karanni sighs deep in her thought, making it sound rather like a growl. As she turns a back to what she was doing, the door opens again. Everyone stops, expecting Erilinn to reappear, but instead, Lord Rornak comes in.

 

His padded vest is missing today, and he wears a light grey tunic with no belt. I shift uncomfortably. What does he want? “We’re going to be dueling,” he says. His eyes search the room. “Quillan, you may pick your opponent.”

 

Quillan strides to the center of the room, a sense of command evident in his posture, despite his short size. He looks around. I hope he picks me. Talented and a favorite of both Eliss and Rornak he may be, but Quillan’s lightsaber skills aren’t much better than Meiko’s. Humiliating him would be a pleasure. His eyes lock with mine, and I give a challenging smile.

 

“Kalas,” he says, pointing at the Nikto. I curse inwardly. Kalas is no good at anything. Although, I reason, he’s still much taller and stronger than Quillan. If he can use that to his advantage…

 

Kalas is shaking as he takes his place in the open circle that Rornak has directed us to vacate. He nearly drops the training blade before he can start. Quillan takes advantage of this in his first attack, though not as fully as he could. Instead of knocking the training saber out of Kalas’s weak grip, he simply tries to hit his body, probably hoping he won’t be able to mount a defense fast enough.

 

Amazingly, Kalas manages to block the attack and tighten his hold on the hilt. The small success seems to give him a bit of confidence, and he deflects the next attack as well.

 

Quillan’s face hardens and he strikes with more force next time. Kalas lets out his breath and stumbles backward involuntarily. In most circumstances, everyone watching would be excited by now, shouting and cheering for their favorite and shoving each other to see. The students of the academy stand quiet and still. I was fortunate enough to get to the front before the fight started, so I have a clear view of everything.

 

Although he manages to hold out for a few more rounds, I can tell Kalas is fading fast. Before long, Quillan get lucky and lands a blow on his arm. He drops the training saber. Quillan raises his own weapon and brings it down on his opponent’s arm as he scrambles to retrieve the dropped saber. I hear him grunt.

 

The training saber slides away from him as he reaches for it, and Quillan laughs. He brings the saber down again and I hear a crack. Kalas yelps. He finally gets hold of his weapon and tries again to defend himself, but he only seems to be able to use one arm. He blocks a few of the blows, but most land on his head and face. Bile rises in my throat.

 

Finally, Quillan touches his saber to Kalas’s neck. “Dead,” he says.

 

Lord Rornak smiles. “Very good, Quillan.” The zabrak smiles triumphantly and returns to the edge of the circle. Kalas pulls himself backwards with his good arm and Meiko squirms her way through the people towards him. When she reaches him, she helps him wipe up some of the blood, but it keeps running from his nose.

 

“Who would like to go next?” says Rornak. Several hands shoot up, including Tamine’s, Kahnishh’s, and, to my surprise, Tyrin’s. Why would he want to be part of that?

 

But, to no-one’s surprise, Rornak picks Karanni instead. She walks into the dueling circle, swinging her training saber with a familiarity that speaks to her skill. I’ve seen her fight before; she’s good.

 

“Who will challenge her?” says Rornak. He seems to be rather enjoying watching his favorite students beat on the others.

 

As I expected, no one volunteers. Someone nudges me from behind, perhaps urging me to take on the challenge, but I ignore them. The silence grows uncomfortable. “Well?” Karanni says loudly.

 

“I guess you’ll have to pick someone,” says Rornak.

 

“Hmmm. How… about…” She scans the circle. In that instant, I know who she’s going to choose. “How about Mei-“

 

“I’ll do it,” I shout firmly, cutting her off.

 

 

 

Was I the only one who thought "I volunteer as tribute!" at the end of that?

[avatarearth]

great as usual, hope kiarn mops the floor with Karanni

[Mirdthestrill]

Alright, next post is up!

 

Not that it super applies to this post, but I figure now is a good time to talk about content warnings. I will let everybody know right off that I don't do sex, and I'm not super comfortable with graphic violence either. That being said, this is a story about sith, and as they start to move into their trials, it could get a bit intense. I'll warn of anything stronger than characters getting beaten up (which we've already seen plenty of anyway), just to be on the safe side. And, additionally, if you ever want a summery of something I posted that you think you might not want to read, just pm me. Like I said, I don't foresee this being a problem, and I really don't foresee it getting much more intense that what's in the game, but I thought I should mention it.

 

Part 14: The Duel

 

 

Well, Kiarn, that was stupid, I think. The last time I fought Karanni was the day I nearly knocked her unconscious. I don’t think she’s forgotten. But even if she takes me down, I can avoid getting damaged as badly as Kalas did. I don’t think Meiko can. Besides, something in me is itching to show off what I can do.

 

As soon as I’m clear of the other students, Karanni leaps for me. Her body slams into me like a starship, knocking me to the floor, but I bring my training saber up fast enough to block the blow.

 

She presses down on her weapon, trying to twist it into my face and end the fight. But I’m not ready to give up yet. Using the Force to shove her back, I roll to the side and jump to my feet. Karanni seems surprised, but swings her training saber with just as much momentum as before. The impact races up my arms and into my shoulders, but I press against her.

 

I can’t out-duel her. I know that. She’s too strong and too tough and too skilled. But who said I had to follow rules? Who even said there were rules? We’re sith. I bring the heel of my boot down on the top of Karanni’s foot and spin to the side on it. She doesn’t seem as phased by it as I had hoped, but she’s still limping as she comes back at me.

 

I back away from her again, watching her technique. Someone jeers, Tamine, I think, but I ignore her. Karanni isn’t as agile as some of the others, but neither am I, so that doesn’t help me much. Her hair is too short to grab hold of without getting dangerously close. Dodging another slash, I notice her legs. They’re planted wide apart, holding her body rock steady. But her aggressive style leaves them wide open to attack. So I let her catch me and flinch visibly as I block her blow. She smiles, sure she has me.

 

The next attack is more decisive and leaves me with the opening I need. I swing my leg around, kicking her as hard as I can in the knee. Her leg buckles, but she stays upright. This time, she tries a lower slash and I can’t quite block it. The training blades are really only sticks, but Karanni hits with enough force to send me stumbling sideways, gasping.

 

My adrenaline is pumping now, though the firry strength of the dark side still escapes me. A second blow hits my shoulder and I almost drop the saber. The third time, I manage to get it up in time to parry. The impact jolts my shoulder and I see Karanni starting to regain some of her earlier confidence. As she pulls back, I swing the pommel of my saber into her shoulder and follow up with a quick strike to her other knee.

 

I can practically see her rage now, coming off her in dark red clouds, but I’m already backpedaling, staying out of her range. She leaps again, and once again, I sidestep.

 

But not fast enough. Her shoulder connects with mine, and we both tumble to the floor. My head strikes the floor and black spots cloud my vision. Karanni’s weapon is useless when she’s basically sitting on me, so she punches me in the jaw instead. I taste blood on my tongue. Feeling around for my dropped saber, my fingers catch on it and I clutch at it. As she raises her arm for another blow, time seems to slow and the Force takes over, not born of anger, but of the animalistic will to survive that’s protected me before.

 

The blade becomes an extension of my arm, stabbing into the soft tissue below Karanni’s ribcage almost on its own. Her hand raises to block the follow-up strike to her head and I let her, rolling out from under her and onto my stomach.

 

I wobble as I raise myself up on my arms. I don’t have much to get up before-

 

Something closes around my neck, cutting off my breathing. Reflexively, I reach up to pull it off, but find nothing there. It tightens, pulling m to my feet. Sharp pain shoots up the side of my face and both of my hands fly to my neck.

 

Karanni is smiling again and her eyes glow with a rush of dark energy. Through the crushing sensation, I throw my arm out and let violet lightning arc to her body.

 

“Stop!” someone shouts, but I ignore them. Karanni has to give up first. The lightning falters and I begin a fresh burst. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll have before I black out. A lightsaber activates somewhere and a form leaps into the sapcce between us. It catches my lighting on a red saber and Force-shoves Karanni, knocking her down. The grip on my neck relaxes and my knees buckle.

 

Somehow, I find myself sitting on the floor without remembering how I got there. My head feels like a thousand spice miners are trying to drill out of it. Lord Erilinn is standing in the center of the circle, talking, but I can’t pick what he’s saying out of the ringing in my ears. The room spins as I stand up, but I close my eyes and concentrate on breathing in and out.

 

When I open my eyes, Lord Rornak is leaving, and Erilinn is saying to Meiko “You should take him down to the med station.” She nods and leaves, supporting Kalas and shooting a concerned look at me. Kalas doesn’t look too good either; his nose is still bleeding and his arm hangs at an odd angle.

 

Erilinn offers his hand to Karanni. “You need to get checked out too.” She ignores him and gets up without assistance. Her hair is standing out from her head and though the fury has faded from her eyes, the look she gives me tells me to be careful: I’ve made an enemy today.

 

“Class is over for today, the rest of you can go to lunch,” Erilinn says. “Kiarn, stay here, I want to talk to you.”

 

 

Edited May 22, 2014 by Mirdthestrill

[avatarearth]

I have got to the point where whenever I see there is a new part of the story up I go YYAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!! And this one was just as good as the others.

[Mirdthestrill]

Thank you so much! I love writing (although having my ego stroked doesn't hurt either )and wish I wrote faster. I'm glad you like it. I'm sorry this one took so long, it was actually done Sunday, but my Monday was crazy, and it was pushing 11pm before I could even sit down at my computer, so I deiced to go to be instead.

 

This installment concludes the sidetrip I took here, and in the next part, I should get to "the exciting part", the part I originally had the idea for (I can't wait!). I must appologize if any of the lightsaber information here is wrong, I did my best with Wookiepedia and my own common sense.

 

Part 15: Of Sith and Staves

 

 

When everyone is gone, Lord Erilinn crosses his arms over his chest. “How do you think you did today?”

I raise one eyebrow at him. What does he want?

 

“Karanni was a much stronger opponent, but you still took her on. Why?”

 

“I thought I could beat her.” It’s sort of a lie, but the truth in a way too.

 

“Really?” He fixes me with his yellow stare. I’ve heard there’s a Force technique for reading thoughts. I wonder if he’s doing that now.

 

If he is, he doesn’t give any sign, just studies me intently until it’s all I can do to hold still. Finally, he breaks the silence. “You did well, Kiarn. You’ve improved a lot since you arrived. Would you like to join my advanced class this afternoon?”

 

This is not what I expected. I’m not sure what I did expect, but not this. Still, I’d be a fool not to accept. Everyone that I know of who’s in an advanced class does much better in the regular lessions. And the extra skills I pick up will help me impress future masters and do better in the trials. “Alright. Thank you, Master.”

 

“I will see you at 1600 hours. You may go to lunch now. But make sure you get looked at by the med droid too. That cut looks pretty deep. And you’re welcome.”

 

I reach up to feel my forehead and pull my fingers away sticky with blood. I don’t even remember getting cut. Walking down the hallway, I quickly discard the idea of going to the medcenter. I don’t want to get examined, even by a droid, and Karanni might still be there.

 

So instead, I just go back to the acolytes’ refresher. A few others are showering or washing their hands, but no one looks at me with undue interest. Everyone saw me fight Karanni, and battle wounds are commonplace here. One student even died from a head injury he got during a scuffle in one of the back halls. Whoever did it didn’t leave nay obvious evidence, and the staff didn’t investigate too closely. Officially, murder is banned, but no one truly cares. Except the deceased, of course.

 

I pull a tunic off the rack and daub at my forehead. It’s been long enough that it’s not really bleeding anymore, but there’s plenty of blood crusted in my hair and down the side of my face. I wash it off with cold water, ignoring the sting as sweat touches raw flesh.

 

My tunic is torn, blood-spotted, and covered in dust from the floor. I should put on a new one. Taking one in my size, I pull it over my head and use it as a cover while I take off my old one. In the past few months I’ve gotten quite adept at avoiding having to undress in front of the other students. If I change into the next day’s clothes after lights out, it also lets me sleep a few minutes longer in the morning. If my life has taught me one thing, it’s that you take whatever you can get, whenever you can get it. Fortunately, this pair of leggings is still decent enough that I can leave them on for now. As I leave, I toss both of the old tunics into the laundry chute.

 

Meiko isn’t in the mess hall when I get there, but Tyrin is. I sit across from him and eat my food without comment. He remains quiet, reading off a datapad from the library until it’s time to leave for Lord Eliss’s class.

 

As I walk there, I sense Meiko’s presence coming up behind me. It’s amazing how much I’ve become attuned to people’s individual Force signatures recently. The training must be doing something. She walks alongside me.

 

She’s worried. “Kalas’s arm is broken,” she says.

 

“You’re surprised?”

 

“I was pretty sure already. He’s supposed to stay in the medcenter till dinner, and it’ll be a while before he can spar with the rest of the academy. I hope he doesn’t get too far behind.”

 

Privately, I don’t think he can get much further behind, but I say “And Karanni?”

 

“They were putting kolto on her scrapes when I left, but she should be back soon.” She studies the cut on my forehead. “Are you alright? You should get them to look at that too.”

 

“I’ll be fine.” Her concern is touching, but unnecessary. To distract her, I say, “Erilinn invited me to his advanced class.”

 

“Really? That’s great!”

 

“What happens in one?”

 

“I’m not sure what Lord Erilinn does, but-“ She breaks off as Lord Eliss walks in and begins her lesson.

 

I will admit, I don’t pay much attention to class. Between the distraction of my aches and pains and the excitement I feel in spite of myself, I’m having trouble concentrating. I manage to avoid notice, however. Afterwards, Meiko stays behind for Eliss’s advanced class, and I head off to rest. While nearly seven hours of sleep would normally be adequate, the near constant physical and mental exertion is wearing on my body, even with an hour’s extra sleep in the afternoon.

 

Finally, the time comes for the class to start. I look for Meiko on the way, but don’t run into her. Realizing that I have no idea where I’m supposed to go, I return to the room Erilin and Rornak’s classes normally meet in.

 

My guess is right. A half-dozen other students are warming up or talking quietly in groups. They look up when I enter, but quickly see that I’m not Erilinn and resume their activities. I see Tyrin and walk over to him. He doesn’t really notice. As I approach, I hear him saying “Trust me, I’m worth it.”

 

“Yeah, right,” says the human male he’s talking to. “Then why do you hang out with those losers?”

 

He doesn’t respond. “I don’t need help to do well. All I’m suggesting is an alliance.”

 

“Forget it.”

 

I start to stretch my stiff muscles. He turns, looking surprised and a little embarrassed, and acknowledges me with a nod but doesn’t speak. I don’t care. He and I have never been close, nor do I have any desire to become so. I don’t need him, and he doesn’t need me. To seek out a relationship with him would be weakness.

 

Maybe my friendship with Meiko is becoming one too. I certainly proved today that it’s influencing my judgment. And now that I’ve caught up enough to join an advanced class… But no, I can’t. She trusts me. Besides, I might need her again in the future, I justify.

 

Lord Erilinn enters, cutting off my line of thought. I watch with interest as he unlocks the weapons cabinet and distributes training blades. To my mild surprise, Tyrin takes two, holding one in each hand like Erilinn does. I guess if you’re going to use an unconventional technique, you have to learn it somewhere.

 

I’m the last in line, and before I can grab a weapon, Erilinn says “Wait here while I get the others started.” So I stand by the rack of sabers while he quietly instructs the rest of the students on what he wants them to do.

He finishes and returns to me. “I invited you here because of two things. First, because you are a promising acolyte, and I wish to help you.” Makes sense to me. If you’re a teacher here, you bestow extra instruction and attentions on the students you think are most likely to succeed later, in hopes that they’ll become allies later on. It’s what I’d do if I was him. “The second is predicated on the fight I saw this morning. The way you were attacking makes me think that you might be better suited to a double-blade.”

 

“A what?” I know what one is of course, but never considered using one. Besides, I have to be careful not to reveal how much I know.

 

“A double-bladed lightsaber. It has a longer handle than the normal single-blades, with a beam on each end.” I give a grunt of understanding and he continues. “You use a lot of reverses and spins, but don’t tend to use many thrusts. That should help you adapt.” He continues explaining the weapon’s strengths and weaknesses as he pulls a pole from the back of the closet. I’ll have an advantage fighting anyone who’s not experienced with one, plus the visual effect is quite intimidating. I can attack faster and with more power, and will have two blades to parry with, but my mobility will be severely limited compared to a single saber, as will my versatility. Additionally, the elongated hilt can become an easy target. “And try not to impale yourself,” he says as he hands it to me.

 

I feel a bit of worry. What if I’m horrible at it? I push the thought away. I can ignore any humiliation if it makes me stronger. He leads me to an unused practice mat. “This one’s pretty long for you- they’re supposed to be around the wielder’s height- but it will do for now. Now stand with your legs about shoulder width apart. The resting position of your saber is a bit above hip level. Hold it overhand, no overhand. Move your grip closer together, too far apart reduces your flexibility.”

 

When my posture satisfies him, he says “Alright, you can try out some basic slashes and parries while I work with the others.”

 

I follow his instructions. The blade feels awkward in my hands; it’s too long and has more momentum than I’m used to. The grip in the middle throws me off too, and I feel lopsided.

 

Lord Erilinn returns just as I once again hit myself in the leg. “It’s a good thing we’re using training sabers,” he says dryly. “Saberstaves take a lot of dexterity. We can work on that.”

 

Taking the saber from me gently, he sets me to a series of painful stretches, making me contort myself in ways I didn’t know were possible. By the time my first advanced class ends, I feel as though each and every joint in my body has been dislocated and pushed back into place several times. Somehow, though, I’m oddly exhilarated.

 

 

Edited May 22, 2014 by Mirdthestrill

[avatarearth]

And here her training as an assassin begins.

[Mirdthestrill]

Yep

 

Part 16: The Trials

 

 

Two Years Later:

 

My eyes jerk open automatically as the lights come on. Another day… I can hear Kahnishh and Tyrin getting ready as I slowly uncoil my body from the knots it twists into while I sleep.

 

By the time I poke my head out from under the blanket, Tyrin has finished changing and Kahnishh is already gone. Not that he wears anything anyway, being a Selonian. Tyrin is still digging for something in his footlocker as I pull on my boots. He nods as I head out.

 

So far, the day has been just like every other one here, but something feels off. Well, there’s nothing to do, but continue on until I have something different to notice.

 

Like my first day here, we’re running. By now, I can do the entire distance without too much effort. Like everyone else, I now treat it as a speed contest. As is fairly typical, I finish near the front of the middle of the pack, probably between 15th and 20th, with Tyrin a few people in front of me. Meiko is about ten students behind me. Kalas, who always does well, knocked it out of the park today, coming in first. He’s grinning with pride as we all come into the mess hall.

 

I’ve decided that Kalas isn’t quite as pathetic as I originally thought. He has talent, his self-confidance just approaches zero on most occasions. It’s still weakness, but at least he has occasional flashes of usefulness.

We get our trays-it’s meat and grain again- and sit down. Meiko reaches the bench first. Tyrin pauses, looks at the seat next to her, and sits on the other side of the table. I can feel the spike of hurt in the Force and see it flit across her face, but she keeps her voice steady and her tone light. While I don’t really agree with her admiration of Tyrin- he seems too self-absorbed and withdrawn- at least she doesn’t pine after him like a love-struck schoolgirl. I could never be friends with her if she did that.

 

We eat. Though we’re never very loud, everyone seems especially subdued today. I wonder if they sense the strangeness I’m feeling as well. Despite his earlier good humor, Kalas looks despondent and Meiko picks at her food.

 

Something on the far end of the room catches my attention. Not just one, but all three of the Academy’s teacher are standing by the door, along with two other Sith I’ve never seen before. They remain there while the teachers advance through the room, Lord Eliss in the lead. As they do, my heart seizes with mingled excitement and fear. Something important is about to happen; the teachers take their meals in their private quarters, only visiting the mess hall when a disturbance necessitates their presence. Even then, only one or at the most two comes. Never

all three.

 

Eliss stops in the open space by the food line. She uses a subtle Force nudge to draw attention to herself, though she doesn’t need to. All eyes are fixed on the three of them. I should remember that technique. It might be useful later.

 

When she’s satisfied with our level of interest, she begins to speak, voice echoing in the high-ceilinged room. From what I can see above the heads of the other acolytes, the teachers are all dressed in fairly formal outfits. Eliss’s black robes are elaborately draped and cut away and trimmed with gold. Lord Rornak has on a set of flanged black armor that enhances his already wide shoulders and Lord Erilinn has donned a charcoal grey robe over matching pants and a deep blue tunic. All three carry their lightsabers.

 

Eliss starts to speak, and I have the impression that her dark eyes are fixed on me alone, though that’s bizarre. She’s not ever looking in my direction fully. “Students of the Sith Academy on Korriban. Today marks the first day of your trials. In them, we will determine which of you is worthy to become a Sith. Those who survive will finish their training under the direct tutilige of a Sith Lord. Those who fail…”

 

She lets the statement hang in the air. “Those who survive?” whispers Kalas, loud in the silence.

 

“What did you expect?” replies Tyrin coldly. “We’re Sith.”

 

Not yet we aren’t, I think, but keep my mouth shut.

 

Eliss continues, ignoring the whispers that still flit around the room. A stern look from Rornak silences them. “The first trial will take place tomorrow morning. Return to this room immediately upon waking. Classes are dismissed for the remainder of the day. I will remind everyone that any student caught outside the allowed areas will fail their trial. Immediately.”

 

She turns and leaves, the other two following her. The unknown Sith, who I’m guessing are here to observe the trials, linger for a few moments longer, their gazes sweeping the clusters of students, then they too exit.

 

As soon as they’re gone, the students erupt in hushed conversation. Everyone still seems to be feeling the intimidation of our unknown observers. It’s hard to pick out a voice from the crowd, but the faces I see range from excited to terrified. Kalas’s is sheer terror. Meiko and Tyrin both look very serious. For myself, I feel a tangle of emotions struggling for supremacy. Is the jolt of adrenaline from anticipation or fear? Or both? Either way, I have to calm down, think, plan. We have the rest of the day to prepare. What would be best? I was going to get some advice on a particularly difficult lightsaber move from Erilinn this afternoon, but that’s not going to happen now. Would my time be better served with practicing Force abilities or saber forms?

 

“Kiarn, do you want to practice with me?” says Meiko.

 

Should I? I’m sure they designed the trials to prevent students from helping each other through. Not that she needs much help, but it might be better for both of us if we learned not to rely on each other. A little late for that, though. Still, I can’t practice alone, and we might never see each other again after the trials, even if we both pass. Which, upon considering our prospects, seems unlikely. There are, if I remember correctly, forty-three other acolytes here. Neither of us is the best of the Academy in our respective areas of strength. She’s very weak on lightsaber skills and compared to everyone else, I’m painfully inexperienced, missing almost three years of instruction. The odds are most definitely not in my favor. Not that I’m pessimistic, or anything. “Why not?” I say.

 

“Can I come too?” says Kalas desperately.

 

“Yes, of course,” says Meiko. I would have preferred if he didn’t, but whatever.

 

“What doe you want to work on?” I ask her. After a brief discussion on practice topis, I look over at Tyrin, only to find him gone. Probably off practicing already. He’s always been studious, but lately it seems almost like an obsession to him.

 

I follow Meiko and Kalas off for a day of intense practice.

 

 

Edited May 22, 2014 by Mirdthestrill

[avatarearth]

Awesome, is this going to follow the inquisitor story our are you making a whole new story past korriban?

[Mirdthestrill]

Awesome, is this going to follow the inquisitor story our are you making a whole new story past korriban?

 

At this point, the official answer is "I don't know". I have a few things I'm considering, though:

 

Option 1. I can simply follow the class storyline for the Sith Inquisitor (or Warrior, if I really wanted to, since I haven't firmly placed Kiarn as one or the other by anything except lightsabers. Which could be changed.)

 

Pros: Less work for me, I know that it'll turn out ok (I won't end up with no plot resolution, or something like that). Plus, if I should end up not finishing for whatever reason, people will know how it turns out.

 

Cons: It's not as creative, if I'm going to stick exactly to the class story, I might as well just record storyline videos and post youtube links (not that there's anything wrong with that, I love watching those things, it's just not what I'm going for). Additionally, it overlaps with the "pro" of everyone knows how it's going to turn out already.

 

Option 2: I can create an entirely new storyline including Kiarn and other original characters. It may or may not reference other storylines.

 

Pros: More creative/original, I have more freedom to do whatever I want, more suspense for the readers.

 

Cons: A LOT more work (I'm basically committing to writing another novel [in addition to the one I'm already working on] without a super clear idea of where I'm going, and without the ability to go back and change things later if I decide to alter my idea), if I get interrupted for some reason, the story will remain forever unfinished (I know firsthand that that's hugely frustrating), there' not really any chance to meet up with inquisitor story later (the companions don't make sense without context, and what happens in act 2 kinda assumes act 1 happened, etc)

 

At this point, I'm thinking that I'll do a sort of a hybrid: Follow the general idea of the Inquisitor class story, with some major deviations (up to and including skipping planets, omitting companions, etc.). I'm hoping this can combine the best of both worlds, and I hope it won't be so far off that people want to hunt me down and burn me at the stake for breaking lore. I'm still not 100% on this plan, though, so no promises yet.

 

Oh, and I apologize that the posts have slowed down so much recently. It's a busy time of the year for me, but hopefully I should be back up to speed in a couple of weeks. I hesitate to plug myself, but while you guys wait for new posts, I'll point you to the Short Fiction Weekly Challenge Thread. There are a ton of great, witty, and dramatic authors there, and I've recently started contributing as well.

 

 

(And if you look close, you might get a hint about some characters that'll show up in SWBM in the future.... like I said, no promises.)

Edited February 4, 2014 by Mirdthestrill
accidentally posted incompleate post!

[avatarearth]

 

Cons: It's not as creative, if I'm going to stick exactly to the class story, I might as well just record storyline videos and post youtube links (not that there's anything wrong with that, I love watching those things, it's just not what I'm going for). Additionally, it overlaps with the "pro" of everyone knows how it's going to turn out already.

 

if you like watching class story videos I would recommend xLetalis, he has done all the classes except the bounty hunter(he just started one) these are his legacy story's,so called because his characters are related to each other and they appear in the story's of others in his legacy, this happens mostly in his light side sith warrior story so if you have time try this one, the interaction is mostly between his SI(poena) and his SW(cedonia), cedonia is the daughter of his smuggler and akavi spar. here's a link to his channel, I hope you enjoy his vids as much as I do.

 

http://m.youtube.com/xLetalis?uid=_UwerUx8bGApFn_oIAuilw&desktop_uri=%2FxLetalis

[Mirdthestrill]

Cool, I'll watch that when I get done with the series I'm on right now (from FluffyNinjaLlama on youtube).

 

I apologize again for taking so long to put this one up, and I promise I'll get to the trials themselves in the next post!

 

Part 17: The Night Before

 

 

I can’t sleep. I have to, it’s been a long day and I’ll need to be alert tomorrow.

We trained hard today, sparring until we could barely lift the training sabers and shooting endless bursts of lightning. I didn’t see Tyrin again after he disappeared at breakfast, and when we tried to return for a midday meal, we found ourselves locked out of the mess hall. No dinner either. I hope they don’t expect us to go the entire trials without eating. Unless the tests they have planned for us take five minutes each, this is going to be a multi-day operation, and I don’t have the body fat reserves to go multiple days at full activity like that. I don’t think many of the other students do, either.

 

So now I’m lying flat on my back, staring up at the blackness that conceals the ceiling. It’s completely dark when all the lights are off, no windows to let even a sliver of light in. My stomach growls and Kanishh snuffles in his sleep. A twinge of clatrophobia takes root in my gut, something I haven’t felt since my first day, when I rode the elevator down.

 

I can’t do this. I have to get outside and do something besides lie here with questions buzzing around like beetles. Sliding into my boots, I listen to make sure my roommates are asleep. As far as I can tell, they are.

The feeling of being closed-in lessens as soon as I stand up, but I continue out. Suddenly, I hear something behind me. Spinning around, I drop into a combat stance and send out a mental probe. My stomach drops in relief. It’s only Meiko. I straighten up and hope that anyone who heard that will write it off as someone headed to the refresher.

 

She’s carrying her boots in one hand – smart idea, that – as she moves closer. Her lips almost touch my ear, but even so I can barely hear her when she whispers “Can’t sleep either?” I shake my head and she says “Follow me.”

 

She leads me out of the dorms and through a series of hallways that I’m not very familiar with. Judging by the general direction, though, we’re probably going up to the atrium at the entrance to the academy. What’s she thinking? If we’re caught, they’ll kill us. And I’m sure someone will be patrolling the halls tonight.

 

But we encounter no one as we exit a small passage. Meiko remains silent and starts for the door. Where is she going? I’m too intrigued to consider staying behind. I follow.

 

The starlight coming through the skylight and bathes me in silver beams. I wish I was invisible. Lord Eliss said there was a Force technique for it, but that its uses were limited and our time was better spent on other things. Maybe she taught it in her advanced class?

 

We stop just outside the doorway to the academy and Meiko turns to the right, disappearing in the shadows behind the statue holding up the roof. Should I follow her? A hand appears from the darkness, beckoning me. When I step behind the statue, she whispers “Climb. There are handholds.”

 

I obey, feeling my way up the path of cracks and indentations worn by years of exposure. Behind me, I can hear her climbing after me. Before long, I pull myself out onto the statue’s horizontal thigh. Meiko comes after me. “So why did you bring me out here?”

 

“You seemed upset. I come here sometimes to think or meditate away from everyone else.”

 

“Why don’t you just use an empty room downstairs?” This must be where she was those times when I couldn’t find her. They weren’t common, but it did happen.

 

“Nobody ever finds me here. And it’s nice to have a place where no one’s watching you.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“The wind makes a good bit of noise most of the time. And we’re not allowed out here anyway. Why would they try?”

 

The thought relaxes my tongue a little. But only a little. “Are you nervous about tomorrow?” I say.

 

“A little. Are you?”

 

“No,” I say, too quickly, too defensively.

 

Meiko is quiet for a moment and I know she’s doing that disconcerting thing where it looks like she’s staring right at you. “You don’t have to lie, Kiarn. Nobody’s listening but me.”

 

But I do. If I admit that I’m afraid of what will happen tomorrow, that I’m weak, then… I don’t know what will happen. But I can’t talk about it. What am I afraid of, anyway? Death? Certainly not. I’ve devoted too much of my life to an idea that will almost certainly end in it to be frightened by it. Failure? Pain? I don’t think it’s that either. Or is it? I don’t know.

 

The silence is getting awkward. Finally, Meiko says “Kiarn, do you want to become a Sith?”

 

“What? Of course, don’t you?” It’s the only way I can see to the kind of power I need.

 

“I’m not sure.”

 

“Why wouldn’t you?” I can think of plenty of reasons why someone would hate the Sith, but none of them really seem to apply to her.

 

“Call it an ideological difference, I guess. I think the Sith’s view of the galaxy is entirely self-fulfilling.”

 

“How so?” I pull my knees up to my chest. I’ve gotten used to the normal chill that pervades everything here, but it’s cold on Korriban at night.

 

“’Peace is a lie, there is only passion’, right? ‘Through passion I gain strength, through strength I gain power’ and all that? But if you spend your life doing nothing but chasing strength and power, then of course you won’t have peace. You can never be satisfied and none of the Sith around you will be content to just let you take all the power either. The code becomes true just by your believing in it.”

 

“So what do you suggest? That we embrace the Jedi, become scholars and go on about bringing balance to the Force?” I’ve never met one, but that’s the distinct impression I get of them.

 

“I’m not sure what I’m suggesting. I just think that the Sith aren’t the right way. Besides, not all Jedi are like that.”

“Have you met one?”

 

She nods, just barely visible in the starlight. “Several.”

 

Usually, I avoid asking questions about people’s pasts. If I ask them, then they can ask me. But Meiko’s comments intrigue me enough to say “Where did you live before you came here?”

 

“Lots of places.”

 

“I thought you said we didn’t have to lie.”

 

“Alright. I lived at the Jedi Temple on Tython.”

 

I sit up straight in astonishment. “You’re a Jedi?” I guess it makes sense. Her skill with the Force, particularly its less offensive applications, her serine nature, and her un-Sithlike outlook all fit with a Jedi.

 

“Not anymore. In fact, I was barely even a padawan. On my first mission with my master, she was killed in enemy territory and I guess they thought I was dead too, because help never came and I couldn’t get a signal out. I wandered around Imperial territory for a while, trying to find a way to contact the Republic, until the Sith found me. Now I’m here and-“ Her voice cracks, and I know that she’d be crying if she had eyes.

 

“Oh. I’m… sorry.” Sympathy doesn’t come easily to me, but she’s earned it. I reach out and put my hand on her knee. She puts hers on top of it and it feels warm against my cold one. “Do the masters know?”

 

“I don’t think so. I’ve never told anyone, and I made sure the soldiers who found me didn’t know.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes, watching the stars. Something, a tuk-ata or k’lor slug most likely, shrieks in the distance. “What about you?” says Meiko. “How did you get here?”

 

I contemplate lying. There’s no way for her to check anything I say. But after all these years of keeping secrets, I long to be honest with someone. “I spent most of my adolescence the… property of a Sith named Lord Harod. One day, he sent me on an errand and I didn’t come back. I got as far as Nar Shaddaa before I got caught. Anyway, the bounty hunter had the terminal stupidity to drag me in while Harod was entertaining guests. He didn’t last long.” Talking about it, I can still feel the pain of electricity arcing through my body. “I had known that I was Force-sensitive for years, but I’d never done much more than hide it till then. The other Sith who was with him shipped me off to Korrian. So here I am.”

 

“And Harod?”

 

I can’t keep the triumph out of my voice. “I’m sure they buried him a long time ago.”

 

We fall silent again. “We should go to bed,” Meiko says.

 

“Yeah, I guess so.” I want to stay up here, but my pragmatic side realizes that we need to sleep. Besides, the longer we’re out of bed, the more likely someone is to discover that we’re gone.

 

We slip back to our beds without incident. There, I pull the covers over my head and fall asleep without difficulty.

 

 

[avatarearth]

Good as always.

[Mirdthestrill]

Part 18: Intellect

 

 

The lights flicker on at the usual time, but it takes more than the usual effort to drag my eyes open. Until I remember what today is. After that, I can’t get up fast enough. It’s not that I anticipate my trials, rather I dread them, but every moment delays the inevitable and sets me more on edge.

 

I pull on my boots and head out into the hall. The door that separates this wing of dorms from the main corridor is closed for the first time since I’ve been here. My heart skips a beat or two as I realize that we were lucky they didn’t close it before we got back.

 

The students are talking in hushed tones; others stretch or mutter things they’ve learned under their breaths. Some just stare listlessly off into space like they’ve already given up. The Force swirls around them, thick with emotion: excitement, worry, determination, terror.

 

Meiko finds me in the sea of red and black and leads me back to her room. It’s empty, so she sits on her bed with her knees drawn up to her chest and I perch on the unoccupied one. One of Meiko’s roommates was the guy who was murdered last year, and no one has come to replace him. We don’t talk, just wait. She’s calm, almost serene looking, but I can feel her nervousness spiking.

 

The noise outside is changing. Something must be happening. We jump to our feet and hurry to join the others. The door is open, and though no one is there to guide us, everyone starts for the mess hall by some unspoken consent. As we merge with the students from the other wing of dorms, a sense of alarm radiates from them.

 

Whispers flicker between the students, too quiet and quick for me to catch the substance of them. Kalas joins us and says in a too-loud whisper “Did you hear?”

 

“Hear what?” I don’t bother masking my annoyance.

 

He deflates visibly. “Never mind.”

 

“What happened, Kalas?” says Meiko.

 

“Cena is dead.”

 

“What happened?” Now I’m interested.

 

“I, uh, didn’t look, but someone said they used the Force to strangle her.” He looks more terrified than I think it should be possible for a Nikito to look.

 

Meiko’s expression turns even more serious than it was. “Do they know who did it?”

 

He shakes his head. I have my own suspicions, but am saved from having to comment by our arrival at the mess hall. Lord Erilinn stands alone in front of the double doors. He’s wearing the grey and blue outfit from yesterday and up close I can see that he has several silver rigs in his lip and two more in each eye ridge.

 

“Welcome, acolytes.” His voice is deeper, more formal than it normally is. “Today you will begin your first trial on the road to becoming a Sith. You’ve survived thus far, but the Trials will weed out the ones who cannot contribute to the Empire.”

 

He begins to pace back and forth slowly, hands behind his back. I can tell by his body language that he’s not as collected as he would like us to believe. I suppose it reflects badly on him if we don’t do well. “The Trials are arranged as a series of tests on various skills you will need as a Sith, each generally more difficult and complicated than the last. The students who perform the worst on each test will fail. The rest move on. Your placement in the last trial has no bearing on the next one, but be advised that potential masters can see footage of the trials, so don’t waste them.”

 

Erilinn stops and looks directly at us. “For this test, you will enter this room and take a seat. At each seat, you will find a datapad. Activate it and follow the instructions. You may enter.” He steps aside and gestures at the doors, which open smoothly.

 

Everyone remains silent as we file in. The doors slide shut behind us and I can hear a lock click into place. The long tables and benches have disappeared, replaced by tables no bigger than a half-meter square and plain, hard-looking stools.

 

Quillan and his posse sit down almost imidiately in the center of the room. Kalas slips into a station by the door and I head for the back corner, where I can keep an eye on what everyone else is doing. Meiko sits next to me and Karanni is a few paces away.

 

I pick up the datapad, which appears to be of the ordinary varity, a matte silver finish with wrapped handles on each side. While I’m waiting for it to power up, I check the back to see if there’s anything written on it. There isn’t.

 

Around me I hear exclamations of surprise and muttered curses. I can help but agree as I read the screen. Answer the following questions ..Immediately below that, it says Would there ever be a reason a Sith should refuse offered power? A keypad invites me to type my response.

 

They’re seriously giving us a written test? To become a Sith? But as I think back to Erilinn’s speech a few minutes ago, I realize that intelligence is a much a part of being a Sith as lightsaber combat is, and this is probably easier to do with such a huge number of students. They’re probably saving the more involved things for later, when there are fewer tests to run.

 

I should work fast. There’s no time limit mentioned, but I shouldn’t assume there isn’t one. Refusing offered power… hmm. “Obviously, if the power is a trap, you should consider carefully before you say yes,” I type.

But there has to be more than that. I don’t think future masters will be satisfied with obvious answers. Through passion I gain strength, through strength I gain power, through power I gain victory, through victory my chains are broken.

 

The answer is right in the Sith code. “Also, you shouldn’t grab power if you can’t hold onto it. If you take too much too soon, not only could you lose it, but you could lose much of your other power when fellow Sith see that you can’t hold your own.” Writing was never part of my education, but I’m hoping ideas count for more here.

 

I hit “submit” and the screen goes dark for a few seconds before a new question comes up. Who of the following is not on the Dark Council? This just requires a simple selection from a list of choices.

 

The third is back to longer answers. An unknown Sith Lord approaches you on the steps of the Academy and demands to know why he shouldn’t kill you that instant. What do you say?

 

The test goes on and on and starts to blur together. Questions about Sith theory and complicated hypothetical situations mix with basic knowledge about the Empire. Occasionally, there’s even some simple math problems that seem only included to throw me off. My stomach sends sharp pain through my abdomen and my mouth is dry.

Finally, the datapad says Await further instructions and the screen goes dark.

 

I look around, feeling drained. Around half of the others are done. Meiko is one of them, and she looks as bad as I feel. The room is mostly silent, except for the sound of our breathing and fingers and claws tapping the keypads.

I lose track of how long I stare into space before something catches my attention. The datapad’s screen flickers back to life, a single line of text in the center. Report to practice room 187b.

 

Glancing around, I can tell that everyone is getting similar messages. As I stand, the room spins and I can feel myself sway, but I grab the table for support and stay on my feet. Following the directions, I go to the room Lord Erilinn and Lord Rornak used for their classes.

 

I hope I did alright. I hope I made it to the next phase. At least if I failed, it’ll be over quickly. I hope.

 

 

 

 

I have to give a shout-out to my guild members here, I used some of the things they talk about in their in-character recruitment interviews as the basis for the "essay questions" Kiarn has to answer.

[avatarearth]

YAY new one, really looking forward to the rest of the trials.

[Mirdthestrill]

Thanks as always for the support, Avatar!

 

Part 19: Athleticism

 

 

The training room has been made over into a sort of substitute mess hall, with food set on trays. Lord Erilinn is there, looking grim. It’s all I can do not to attack the food with my bare hands, I’m so hungry, but I force myself to sit and eat slowly, with dignity. I can’t look weak.

 

Meiko sits next to me, face grey with exhaustion and worry. “How do you think you did?” she says softly.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Neither do I. I just put down what I thought they wanted to hear, but there was a lot I didn’t know how to answer.”

 

She’s right. However bright and talented she is, Meiko doesn’t think like a Sith. Do I? The thought frightens me a little. But I’m not like that, I plead with myself. I’m not going to become an evil person. I’m not.

 

When we finish eating, Erilinn sends everyone back to the dorms. I don’t know how long the first test took, but it must have been a while, because it’s definitely less than half a day before the lights go out and everyone settles into their beds.

 

I guess there’s plenty of down time at the Academy if you aren’t in an advanced class and you’re either overconfident or apathetic enough that you don’t study outside of class, but that’s never been the case for me. Even when I am free, I’m trying to find solitude, not socialize. So it’s kind of interesting to watch how the other students spend their free hours.

 

Some chat idly or review what happened that day and discuss what might be in store next. Others play simple games with dice or cads. Several of the burlier ones arm wrestle and I catch Quillan and Tamine kissing passionately in a shower stall. But most, like Meiko and me, simply sit quietly, enjoying the break from endless training.

 

That night, I sleep soundly. Meiko’s roommate never came back to his dorm this evening, and judging by the conversations I overheard, at least one other person didn’t either. I think I passed. I think I’m safe. At least until tomorrow.

 

The next morning, I wake up feeling more rested than I have in a long time, but apart from droids delivering meals, we have no contact with anyone that day. By noon, most of the students are showing signs of boredom. People are on edge, arguments break out over small things, and a few even escalate to fist fights. When the lights go out again, I’m grateful to be done with the monotony.

 

I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of a shrill alarm-like tone. Jumping out of bed, I hurry to pull my boots on. Tyrin is doing the same and Kahnishh untangles himself from his blanket and dashes into the hall. I follow.

 

The doors that shut the dorms off from eh rest of the Academy are open and Lord Erilinn stands in the passage. The agitation I noticed before the last test is stronger now, though he looks more like he usually does: a lightly armored chest plate over fitted robes in shades of grey. The facial jewelry is gone too. “Follow me,” he says.

 

We all do, and Meiko grabs my hand. Hers is shaking. “Do you think this is the next Trial?” she says in a low voice.

 

“I’m sure of it.”

 

Erilinn leads us to the room we used as a meeting place the day before yesterday and tells us to sit. We do, and he points to eleven of us, seemingly at random and gestures for them to go with him. Kalas and Quillan are among them. As they leave, Kalas flashes Meiko a nervous look. Though he made it past the first round (much to my surprise), it doesn’t seem to have helped his self-confidence at all.

 

We wait. After a while, Erilinn reappears and selects another group of eleven, this time taking Tyrin and Kahnishh. On or two people go back to sleep, but it would look weak if I did so. Besides, I’m too nervous to sleep anyway.

 

Finally, Erilinn selects me for the third group. Meiko and Karanni are chosen as well, leaving only Tamine of the students I know much about. He leads us to a large, open room with a high ceiling. Directing us up a set of stairs to a platform about four meters off the ground, he waits at the bottom. From here, I can see that the room is huge, the largest I’ve seen yet at the Academy, and filled with obstacles of various sorts.

 

“Try to reach the door on the other side,” says Erilinn. “Go!” He starts to climb the stairs, probably to observe.

 

Are we supposed to jump? I guess so. The floor races up to meet me and despite dropping into a three-point stance like I’ve been trained to do, the impact sends sharp pain into my ankles and wrist. I ignore it and start running.

 

From the ground, it’s hard to see what’s ahead. By the time I reach the first obstacle, a sheer wall with spikes at irregular intervals that I guess are meant for climbing, Karanni is halfway up it. But I can’t think about that. I have to tune everyone else out, pretend I’m the only one doing this.

 

The first spike is just out of my reach, but I manage to catch it on a jump and pull up. My boots have almost no traction on the polished surface, but there’s enough to claw my way to the next spike. The progress is slow, painful, but finally, I make it to the top.

 

The wall is far too high to jump from, but a series of repulsored platforms dot the space in front of me. Calling on the Force to assist me, I leap for the nearest one. I overshoot just a bit and find myself struggling not to fall. I’m a bit more conservative on the next one and eventually reach the lower platform on the other side.

 

A set of barriers forms a straight lane in front of me. I jog toward it, wary of traps. Sure enough, a scant two meters in, a laser beam shoots across my path at chest height. As I duck under it, another appears, this one close to my knees. I slow my pace to a walk. Beams continue to materialize just in front of me, vanishing when I’ve passed.

 

Erilinn’s emphasis on agility and dexterity in his advanced class has developed these attributes in me to the point where I have little trouble getting through the laser hall, but not everything is that easy. Next comes a dark shaft that I have to shimmy down, back and feet braced against the sides. Then a maze-like tunnel that requires pulling myself along on my stomach.

 

The course challenges every physical attribute I possess and leaves me gasping for air very quickly. I’m only vaguely aware of the other students, but I think I’m doing alright.

 

The door is in sight. It’s a straight shot, just twenty meters of open floor, and I’m close enough to the Cathar in front of me to tell that there are no traps. I put on all the speed left in me. Maybe I can beat him.

 

Someone screams behind me. I know that voice! “Meiko!” I call, looking back. She’s hanging a good five meters off the ground, wedged between two of the poles woven together in the haphazard network we had to traverse in the last challenge. She must have slipped trying to climb down. It’s easy to do, the poles have a bit of a give to them that makes them extremely unstable footing. I hope she can extricate herself quickly.

 

Looking back has delayed me enough that the Cathar is through the door now. Ten meters…

 

She’s still stuck. My mind pulls me back to my second day here, to the awful first conditioning run I had. Did others want to help me, but decide that winning was too important? But she came back for me, even though it made her last.

 

I skid to a halt and turn around. Another student passes me on the way back. When I reach the intricate network of poles, I climb to where Meiko is. “You shouldn’t have come back,” she says.

 

I shouldn’t. I don’t know what I was thinking, this was foolish and reckless and stupid. But I can’t leave now that I’m here. “Grab onto something,” I reply, tuggion on the bars that trap her foot. It doesn’t take much work to part them enough so she can get out.

 

We climb down, my pulse pounding in my ears and Meiko obviously favoring her leg. At the bottom, she says “Go on, I can make it from here.”

 

I’ve already wasted a ton of time helping her, why not finish the job? Supporting her on my shoulder, I start for the door. Two more students pass us. Just a little farther…

 

We’re there. I slap the button to open the door and stumble through it. Meiko limps to the nearest chair and sits down heavily. “Thank you,” she breathes, voice heavy with gratitude and exhaustion.

 

I look around and it feels like my body is being sucked into the void of space. Sitting in the rows of chairs, staring at us with confusion or disbelief or superiority, are exactly nine other students. I came in last. I failed.

 

 

[avatarearth]

Nooooooooooo.

[Mirdthestrill]

I've just realized that it's been almost two weeks and I haven't updated after a bit of a cliffhanger. I deeply, deeply apologize.I feel like every time I post on this thread, I'm making apologies/excuses for not posting more often, but I'll do it again. Just wanted to say that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, and I'm still working on this.

 

I won't make any promises, but the next one should be up on Sunday afternoon at the latest.

[Mirdthestrill]

And, here we go! I apologize again for leaving you hanging for so long.

 

Part 20: Skill

 

 

I try to keep a straight face and sit down with dignity, but it’s hard and I’m not sure if I succeed. My vision fills with black and my hands are shaking. I’ll admit it: I don’t want to die. Lord Erilinn enters by a different door than the one I used. “Thank you. You may leave.”

 

The other ten file past him and out the door. It takes every measure of my willpower to stand, to make my legs move, to not show any signs of emotion whatsoever. Despite the weakness that lead to my downfall, I’m determined to finish strong.

 

Erilinn puts his hand on my shoulder as I pass, holding me back. I guess they don’t wait very long to do it. He waits till the rest have disappeared around the corner, then whispers “You’re not out.”

 

“What?” I have no idea what he’s talking about.

 

“Two of the acolytes in the first set didn’t finish at all. You and your friend passed.”

 

Barely. A weight lifts from my stomach. I’m not going to die, at least not right now. I still have a chance to become a Sith. But a thought occurs to me. “How do I know you’re not lying? Why would you tell me?”

 

“I’m not lying, I swear.” His golden eyes meet my own.

 

“So why are you telling me?” I never take people at their word. Not that I automatically disbelieve them, but anyone can add ‘I swear’ to the end of a statement; it doesn’t make it true. The Force helps with the other students, but the teachers are too good at hiding their feelings for me to get a read on them, especially Erilinn.

 

“I don’t want you doing anything stupid. It’s my way of influencing the trials. All the masters do it.”

 

I’m not sure what to make of that. It certainly sounds like something that would happen in the regimented anarchy that prevails here. But why would he admit to it, especially to a student?

 

“You may return to your room now.” He seems tired. I leave and he follows for a while before breaking off, I assume to fetch the last group to run the trial.

 

The large door that’s been keeping the dorms separate from the rest of the academy is open, but the students stay in the same general area as when it was closed. Their eyes follow me as I approach, but I ignore them. My head hurts and my mouth is dry.

 

As I enter our wing of dorms, Meiko fairly tackles me. “You’re not dead!” she says. I can feel her body shaking. “I thought he was going to kill you, and it was my fault. I’m so, so sorry.”

 

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” I pull her off me. “I’m going to bed.”

 

“Is everything alright? What happened?” she calls after me. I can feel her confusion and worry, but ignore it. Throwing myself onto the bed, I roll onto my back and close my eyes.

 

“Kiarn?” Awkward silence, then I hear her leave.

 

I’m not mad at her. I couldn’t be. But I’ve reached the point I knew was coming, though I deluded myself into thinking it wouldn’t. My friendship with Meiko is getting in the way of my Sith training, and it has to go. I might be able to take it back up again later, but I doubt it. The life I’ve chosen is a lonely one, with no room for attachments, and I should have realized that a long time ago.

 

Before too long, I hear the last group come in. There’s talking and laughing, but everyone seems much more tired than they were even after the last test. No wonder. I know I’ll be sore tomorrow, lying here like this after so much exercise.

 

A droid drops off a meal, like usual. I should eat, but I don’t want to. The aftereffects of adrenaline leave me exhausted and nauseous. I think IL doze a bit. Meiko comes back a couple of times, but I pretend to be asleep.

 

Finally, lights-out comes. When everything is quiet, I slip out into the hallway. The doors are closed of course, and even if they weren’t, I’m not foolish enough to risk going out, but I have to move around. My feet take me to the refreshers, where I push myself into a corner and lay my forehead against a sink. The metal is cool on my skin and it helps calm the panic I feel whenever I remember how close I was to dying.

 

Eventually, alternating pacing and sitting calms me down enough that I think I can go back to bed. Maybe not sleep, but at least bed. On the way, I pause in front of Meiko’s room. Her bed is nearest the door, and I can hear her steady breathing that says she’s asleep.

 

My eyes start to burn and I rub at them fiercely with the back of my hand. It has to be this way, I remind myself. The Academy, unpleasant as it’s been, is predictable, safe, even, and I’ve started to go soft. To go weak.

 

Leaning against the stone wall, I close my eyes and remind myself why I’m here. At first I’m afraid time will have dulled the memories, but every image comes up sharp and painful. Pain, fear, loneliness, longing, they mix into a burning desire that dries my eyes and warms the cold lump in my stomach. I will get revenge, and it will be worth it.

 

The next morning, the inevitable instruction comes as we’re eating breakfast. I’m sitting in a corner by the large doors, chewing on my tasteless ration-bar-thing. Meiko is with Kalas-who bizarrely looks to have survived his trials yet again- and Tyrin. They’re too far away for me to hear what they’re saying, but Kalas looks worried and Tyrin looks bored, so it’s probably not significantly different from other mornings. Meiko looks like she’s listening, but can tell that a significant portion of her attention is focused on me. Regret pulls at me again, but in daylight, I can ignore it.

 

The door next to me opens ponderously and Lord Erilinn comes in carrying a datapad. Admittedly, I’ve only had two references, but his outfit seems to coordinate with how physically involved the next trial will be, so I study it closely. A dark purple outer robe, vaguely reminiscent of what Jedi are often show wearing, belted over a black tunic, fitted pants, and mid-calf bots buckled at the ankles. I’m guessing this trial will involve more activity than the first one, but less than the second.

 

He looks around. “Kiarn, follow me. Everyone else wait in practice room 187b.” Everyone gets up and starts to file out. I follow, puzzled and a little worried. Has something changed? Are they going to kill me now? So what? I say to myself. You meet it with your head high and your shoulders back. Don’t give them the satisfaction of knowing you were afraid.

 

Erilinn leads me to a room the same size as the practice room he sent everyone else to. The only things in it area deactivated droid and a rack of training sabers. He gestures for me to take one. They all look like they’re the same size. Unfortunately, that size is larger than what I’d prefer for a single blade, but still far too small for a double-blade, so I grab one at random and search around for the best grip.

 

While I do, Erilinn walks to the droid. “For this trial, you will fight this droid for as long as possible. Destroy it if you can. You may use the Force to enhance your own speed, strength, or agility, but nothing else.” He presses a button on the aback of the droid’s neck and its eyes flicker on. Moving to the edge of the room, Erilinn leans against the wall and crosses his arms over his chest.

 

The droid raises a saber like my own and approaches. Its first blow it slow and clumsy and I block it easily. Backpedaling, I keep my eyes on the droid. It follows me, swinging again. I could strike at it right now, end the trial right here, but something tells me there’s more to it than that. I can’t believe it’s this simple.

 

After a few more rounds of this, when I’m starting to wonder if maybe it is this simple, the droid parries and counterstrikes quickly. Ah, it’s increasing difficulty, then. Now, the droid is still slow, but its attacks have more finesse and sometimes it will feint or dodge. I have to pay attention, but it’s still not very hard.

 

An especially hard strike makes me stumble backwards and the droids programing steps up again. Hopping to the side to doge an attack, I see an opening and swing. It blocks, then ripostes with surprising speed.

 

I start to feel like I did when I fought Karanni: I’m quickly getting out of my depth. Block, parry, feint, dodge, they all start to flow together. The drive and fury of last night, suppressed but not forgotten, boils up again and instinct takes over. Guided by the Force, I don’t even need to see.

 

My body aches and my pulse mounds in my ears. Using the less-developed single-blade technique is telling on my skill level and a quick thrust nearly connects. I dive to the floor and sweep my legs at the droid’s. The metal frame is too heavy for me to topple, but I manage to unbalance it long enough to get up and start another strike.

 

We fight on and on, the droids fighting growing more skilled and mine less so as exhaustion sets in. I can barely keep up now. All I’m doing is holding off defeat. Red haze clouds my vision and the only thing keeping me from unleashing a torrent of lightning at the droid is the knowledge that I must not use Force powers.

 

I catch a blow, use the droid’s training saber as a lever to spin, try to hit it in the back. Sweat stings in my eyes and my breath comes in gasps. The droid turns, swings, misses me by half a centimeter. A sharp pain shoots rhythmically up my side. Attacks come hard and fast and I can’t keep up.

 

Something hits my neck and I hear a voice call “Hold!” The droid stops, but I keep my training blade up, wary of another attack. How did I do? It’s not just adrenaline making my heart pound now.

 

Erilinn straightens up and walks over to the door. “Follow me,” he says, tapping on his datapad. He leads me to another room like the one we waited in yesterday. How many of them do we have? I guess all it takes in an empty classroom and a couple of folding chairs, though there are only two in this one.

 

“Wait here.” Erilinn turns and leaves, his robe rippling with his quick stride.

 

I learned my lesson yesterday. Instead of collapsing into a chair, I start some cooling-down excersizes, beginning with running in place, moving to streatches, and finishing with a slow walk around the perimeter of the room. By the time I’ve finished, a twi’lek male who I don’t know as anything more than a face comes in and sits down.

 

Taking a seat, I wait quietly until Erilinn reappears once again with a human female, also unknown to me. He checks his datapad. “You can go back to your room, Kiarn.”

 

As I leave, I breathe a sigh of relief. I think I made it.

 

 

 

Author's Note:

 

 

I went with droids for testing lightsaber skills because I thought that having an actual Sith do it would cause two problems: First, it would blow the door wide open for tampering. As Kiarn learned, there's some that goes on already, but this would introduce more than I think even the Sith would tolerate.

 

Second, the difficulty would vary anyway, if the person who was doing it got tiered as the day went on.

 

[Mirdthestrill]

Part 21: Endurance

 

 

When I reach the dorms, they’re deserted, which makes sense. I’m overwhelmed with the desire to shower. I haven’t done it since the trials started, and this is as much privacy as I’m likely to get any time soon.

 

The showers are a trio of stalls in the back of the refreshers, just large enough for one person and separated from the rest of the room by translucent curtains. Meiko and I used to take turns guarding the entrance while the other showered. I’ll have to figure out some other way to do it now.

 

Hot water feels good on my tired muscles and I let myself enjoy the luxury for longer than I should. I’m preparing to step out of the stall when I hear voices. They’re coming into the refresher.

 

There’s no way I’m about to step out there without any clothes on, and I’m always up for a little eavesdropping. I might learn something useful. Moving slowly and quietly, I slide down to a sitting position, making myself as small as possible inside the stall.

 

The first voice is Karanni’s. “Why should I?” She doesn’t sound very upset, just annoyed.

 

“You’ve seen the rankings.” Is that Tyrin’s voice? I scoot towards the front of the stall and move the curtain aside just a hair. Yep, that’s him. But what rankings is he talking about? “We’re near the top right now, and probably going to be there after today. Together, we’d be almost unstoppable. We’d even be able to beat your brother.”

 

“I don’t have a brother.” Now Karanni sounds genuinely mad.

 

“Please, it’s obvious.”

 

“No. I don’t make allegiances.” I hear her stalk out.

 

Tyrin swears softly and I hear him moving around. A moment later, the shower on my right starts up.

 

Letting out my breath, I hurry over to the clothing rack and dress quickly. It looks like Tyrin is trying to form alliances against the other students. Karanni is a good choice. She’s powerful, tough, and should be easy to manipulate, since she waves her passions around like a flag. I wonder if he’s trying the same thing with others, how he’s fairing, who’s on his list to take out.

 

So, Quillan and Karanni really are siblings? It doesn’t surprise me. Family can certainly stir up the hatred within someone. I should know. And they clearly loathe each other. These “rankings”, almost certainly of how well we’re doing in the trials, don’t come as any shock either. I wonder how they got to look at them, and if there’s any way I could.

 

I pull my boots on and leave the refresher. Tyrin is still in the shower, so with a little luck he’ll never know I was there at all. The soft part of me wants to warn Meiko that Tyrin is up to no good, but I decide against it. You’re not helping her, remember? Besides, for all I know, she’s in on it, not that that’s particularly likely.

 

Something tells me I won’t sleep much again tonight, so I should go to bed, but I don’t want to. Instead, I install myself in a corner of the hall. From here, I can see everyone come in. It’s not truly hidden, but by pulling my knees up to my chest and keeping still, I hope nobody will notice me.

 

Soon, the Twi’lek I saw earlier comes down the hall. He doesn’t even look at me before going into his dorm. Weird. I left as soon as the third person finished, so why didn’t he leave whne the further person did? Ahh, Erilinn is probably saving out the two current lowest scorers. That must be it. If that’s the case, I know I’m safe.

 

A new student appears every few minutes, but no one else I know. Nearly everyone looks as tired as I am. There are a few triumphant faces, a few terrified ones, but most just look relieved.

 

Tamine reappears after a while. She doesn’t seem like the trial phased her at all. Her pale blond hair is no more than artistically tousled and she walks with a swing in her stride and a self-satisfied arrogance that dares anyone to disagree with her right to be there. But I can see that she’s as exhausted as everyone else. This front merely hiding her weakness. She’s rather good at it, actually.

 

Kahnishh is next, and her stops to confer with Tamine before they go their separate ways. Then comes another long interval of virtually unknown faces before I see her. Meiko’s head is down and she looks more drained than I’ve ever seen her. She’s limping, and as she approaches, I can see a bruise darkening on her face. The strip of fabric that she usually keeps over the place her eyes should go is sliding off, and she makes no effort to redo it. I shrink back when gets close, but she just walks past and goes into her room. I don’t think she even really saw me. At least I don’t have to talk to her right now.

 

Quillan’s posture rivals Tamine’s in attitude, though it probably doesn’t have nearly as much sex appeal on his scrawny, unimpressive frame. He’s better at hiding the tiredness I know he must feel, though. Now that I have confirmation that he and Karanni are brother and sister, I can see the resemblance. They share most of the superficial details, of course, black hair, red skin, the same black tattoos, and gold eyes, but they also have similar facial structures and even share a few mannerisms. I don’t know why I didn’t notice it sooner.

 

No one else comes for a long time. Finally, Erilinn appears with the dinner droid in tow. He waits till a reasonable group has gathered before announcing “Congratulations. You’ve survived my section of the trials. From now on, Lord Rornak will be in charge.” He turns and leaves, his steps slow and measured.

 

Great. While Erilinn’s tests are no stroll on Alderaan, they’ve at least been fair. I doubt we’ll get the same treatment from Rornak. Oh well, I never thought this would be easy.

 

As I suspected, I don’t sleep very well that night. Tossing and turning give way to nightmares that leave me shaking. When morning comes, heralded by lights and a deep-voiced shout, I feel less rested than I did when I lay down.

 

I drag myself toward the shouting. Lord Rornak looks annoyed. By the time most of us have come in sight of him, he’s already turned and started to leave. I follow, assuming that that, at least, is the same as when Erilinn was running things.

 

Meiko falls into step beside me. The bruise on her cheek is purple and brown now and she’s still limping, though it’s not as pronounced as it was last night. She keeps turning her head in my direction, like she wants to say something, but keeps her mouth shut. Good. I don’t want to talk to her.

 

Rornak leads us down a hall that we used to use for our practice outside of class. I’ve never seen one of the teachers back here, though. He stops in front of the first door he comes to, which is open, checks a datapad, and points to a student. “Get in there,” he says. The boy wisely doesn’t argue. Rornak shuts the door and continues on. At the next door, he repeats this performance.

 

What’s he doing? I thought at first that he was going to kill one of the failures, but this is starting to be a lot more people than I think they’d kill at once, and some of them are quite strong. We go along the hall, one student to a room.

 

Rornak wraps his huge hand around my upper arm, claws digging in. He drags me to the latest room and half-shoves me inside. I stumble forward and nearly run into the opposite wall. I turn around just in time to see the door shut, and upon trying it, find it locked.

 

The room-more of a closet, really- is about the size of a public refresher stall. The walls are the same reddish-brown stone that everything is made of and the floor is coated in a thick rug of dust. Apart from that, the only thing in here is a small camera mounted in the corner of the ceiling. Why am I here? What am I supposed to do? Break out? If that’s the case, I’d better get started.

 

Just as I’m bracing myself against the door to test its strength, Rornak’s voice makes me jump. “Wait for further instructions. If you leave the room, you will fail.”

 

Well, I guess I’m not supposed to break out, then. What am I being tested on? Might as well sit while I’m waiting. A cloud of dust floats up around me, making me cough. Wish I had time to visit the refresher before I came.

 

****

 

Hours pass. No new instructions come. I start to doze off a few times, but manage to stay awake. Of all the ways to fail the trials, the most embarrassing would be to sleep through them. Eventually, I can’t stand to sit still anymore, so I get up and pace. Back and forth, back and forth, my feet stirring a path in the dust.

 

****

 

At least it’s light in here. I’d have a lot harder of a time dealing with this if I couldn’t see. I haven’t had anything to eat or drink since yesterday night. At least I think it’s still yesterday. It’s hard to tell time when nothing is happening. My throat hurts. My head aches. I wish I could sleep.

 

****

 

I’m certain that it’s been more than a day now, and I’ve stopped feeling hungry. Now there’s just that lightness in my head that tells me that I’d better not try to do anything too physical. It’s really not so bad once you get used to it, though, and I’ve had plenty of chances to get used to it before this. It would be nice to be able to stand without seeing black spots, though.

 

It’s really hot in here. Why haven’t I noticed that before? Is this new, or has the temperature been increasing the entire time I’ve been in here? I hope I don’t sweat too much, I can’t lose too much water.

 

****

 

It’s gotten hot enough now that I’m seriously uncomfortable. It feels like the floor is burning my skin. All I want is a drink of water. What am I doing here? Why is this happening?

 

****

 

As if by magic, it’s cooling off in here. It’s just what I wanted. Now, all I have to do is get my hands to stop shaking and I’ll be fine. Sometimes I almost think Rornak might not be trying to kill me after all. Still, I’m so, so tired, and every time I try to fall asleep, he keeps blaring loud noise until I open my eyes again. That’s not very nice, is it?

 

****

 

I don’t feel very good. Maybe I’ve caught a cold. It’s certainly cold enough in here. My teeth are chattering and I feel like I have to throw up. I retch over and over again, but nothing comes up. Then I hear my mother’s voice. You’re sick, Kiarn, she says. Don’t worry about the mess; I’ll clean it up before anyone sees it. I can’t quite bring myself to push her away. I do feel a little queasy. She strokes my back. I’ll take care of you.

 

****

 

I don’t think I’m going to make it. Whatever Rornak’s test was, I obviously failed it, and now he’s going to leave me here to die. At least it doesn’t hurt very much, and I don’t even think it’ll take very long. Then I hear a voice. Somehow, I can tell that this one is real, and not a figment of my hallucinations. “The fourth trial has just ended. For your fifth, you have one simple task: escape from this room.”

 

 

[avatarearth]

<3 <3 really looking forward to the next one.

[Mirdthestrill]

Part 22: Cunning

 

 

Escape? I can barely move. How am I supposed to break down the door? I remember how solid it felt at first, and I wasn’t half-dead then. Still, I should try. Can’t give up now, can I?

 

I guess I’m lying on my face, though I don’t remember how I got there. Did I fall? My body feels heavy, so heavy. Raising myself to my knees makes my arms ache. Panting, I wait for my vision to clear. The room, more of a closet really, is still as small as ever, but now the door seems a kilometer away. As I start to crawl toward it, the nausea returns and this time I can’t even bring up bile. Reaching the door, I slump against it. The metal is cool and smooth against my skin. I stare at the intricate patterns of the dust on the floor. Did my moving around really do all that? The thought strikes me as funny and I laugh, a harsh, grating sound that reminds me of Tamine’s mocking.

 

Tamine. Quillan. Karanni. The Trials. How could I have forgotten? I push into the door with my shoulder. It doesn’t budge. I latch onto what little Force power I still have access to and throw all my strength into it, but it still feels as solid as the stone walls of the Academy itself. Exhausted, I let myself half-collapse.

 

There has to be another way out of here. Even at full strength, I doubt most of the students could break down a door with their bare hands. I don’t even think Lord Eliss could do it, though Rornak probably could and Erilinn might be able to. And I don’t think even the Sith would give an unbeatable test. Would they?

 

Something is wrong with my logic, I know, but my head is too foggy to figure out what it is right now. Near as I can tell, my options are to sit down and wait for coma to set in or to keep trying to escape. So I open my eyes and look over the room again. It’s as empty and bare as before, just stone walls and a stone floor and the eternal dust. Only a few cracks in the stone break up the monotony.

 

A crack! Of course! I bet something’s hidden in one of them. They wouldn’t do something as drastic as putting a hidden passage in every room, but maybe there’s something I can use. I pull myself over to the nearest one. It’s tiny, not even wide enough for my fingernails, and I don’t find anything.

 

The next is bigger, but twisty and jagged. Instead of simply running my fingers along it, I have to insert them over and over, all down the length of the fissure, to make sure I haven’t missed anything. The stone tears at my fingers and rubs them raw. I grit my teeth and keep searching. Wait, is that something?

 

Whatever it is, it’s buried deep. My fingertips just brush the tip of it. I could use the Force to retrieve it, but it’s all that’s keeping my conscious and coherent right now. I’m not sure I have enough strength left to move anything.

Jamming my fingers further into the crack, I manage to catch the edge of it with my nail. It’s thin and hard, whatever it is. After several minutes of painfully slow, tedious progress, it slides out.

 

A chip of rock. That’s all I have to show for my trouble. My eyes fill with tears and I hurl it across the room in frustration. This is stupid! Why am I even trying to please these people? I didn’t even want to be one in the first place!

 

Calm down, Kiarn, I tell myself. You have to focus. You can’t lose control now. I drag myself to the next crack. This one looks different, somehow. I don’t think these marks could have been made by the natural decay of stone. Could they? Oh, I don’t know. At least this one isn’t so painful to get into, though that’s not really going to help my fingers now.

 

Well, well, it looks like I was right. I pull out another object. This one is a slim strip of metal, about the length of my longest finger. I wonder what it’s for. It doesn’t look like something that would just be here. Back to the door, I guess.

 

Sure enough, there’s a slot on the door that looks like it’s about the right size. I slide the metal into it and it won’t come out again. The door still seems to be locked, though.

 

Something draws my eye up to the ceiling. I’m sure they’re watching me somehow, probably with a holorecorder up there. But wondering about it won’t help me now. Did the metal thing actually do anything? I try the door again. It’s still solid, but now I can hear something rattling in it when I fall against it.

 

Something else that requires the Force. Terrific. I close my eyes and reach out. This is harder, since I can’t see what I’m doing, but I pick up an impression of loose pieces dangling. Maybe if I bring them together? It takes a couple of tries, but eventually, the ends line up with each other. Something appears on the door, just in front of my face, some sort of grid in glowing light blue.

 

Leaning back and squinting to clear my vision, I stare at it. It looks like a keypad of some sort. There’s no numbers, just a square grid about twenty-five keys to a side. I tap the one on the bottommost left experimentally. It turns red, with some sort of symbol on it. The ones touching it also display various colors and symbols. I touch another key, this one on the same row, but just to the right of it. It’s green, with a different symbol.

 

A shock races through me and I pull my hand back. The keys revert to their original blank state. So, I’m guessing I’m supposed to tap them in some sort of order? I try again, this time starting in the middle somewhere. Another shock. Guess I have to start at the bottom, then?

 

I return to the first key I pressed and this time look before I go on. There’s no other red keys lit, but there is one that matches the symbol. When I hit it, everything goes dark for an instant, then returns, with only the square my finger is on right now and the ones touching it lit. I think I know what to do now.

 

Progress is slow. Every time I make a mistake, there’s another shock and I have to start over. But gradually, I manage to work my way up to near the top. My hands have started shaking again and I’m worried that I’ll accidentally brush the wrong one and have to start all over again. I can’t really remember what the entire sequence was, and I think I might be running out of time.

 

Finally, I hit a key on the top row, and the entire thing disappears. I hear a click from above my head and almost don’t dare to hope as I reach up to try the door one more time. It gives a little, and then slowly, ever so slowly, slides open. Without its support, I slide to the floor, but I don’t care. It’s over. It’s finally over. I can get out of here.

But I have to show them that they haven’t beaten me yet. I can walk out of here under my own power, head held high. I grip the edge of the doorway and try to pull myself to a standing position. All color fades out of my vision and I feel myself swaying. No, I have to stay alert. I can do this. Just put my right foot in front of my left, then left in front of right, right, left, right, left.

 

Who is that up there? Oh, good, it’s Lord Rornak. “I made it!” I try to call, but I can’t hear it. Did I not actually say anything? I try again.

 

This time, he turns around and his eyes meet mine. We hold the contact for a moment, then he turns his back and walks away. Why did he do that? He may not have been able to hear me over the roaring in here, but I know he saw me. Maybe he just wants me to follow him? I’ll have to run to catch up, though.

 

The floor slides out from under me and everything goes black.

 

 

[avatarearth]

Love it

[Mirdthestrill]

Part 23: Fortitude

 

Warning: There's torture in this one. It's not to intense, but it's definitely PG-13

 

 

When I wake up, I’m lying on something soft. My head hurts and my limbs feel stiff and cold. How long have I been here? And where is here? I force my eyes open and immediately wish I hadn’t. The room is eye-hurtingly bright, with a white ceiling. A medcenter? I guess that means I passed, if they’re bothering to take care of me. I hope.

 

Something is touching my arm. I roll my head over to the side and see a clear tube ending in a needle plugged into my arm. Although I bat at it a few times, my ravaged body is too weak to dislodge it. Eventually, I fall back into darkness.

 

This time my head is clearer and I can look around without being exhausted, though it still makes my dizzy.

 

Tamine is lying on the bed too my left. Her eyes are still closed. The other bed in here is empty.

I should try to get up. Who knows when the next trial is going to start? Maybe it already has. Ulling the needle out of my arm, I raise myself up on my elbows. The room is empty of even a med droid. Still, they have to be watching.

 

Tamine stirs, but her eyes stay closed. I look around, then back at her. This would be a good time to kill her. I doubt we’ll be alone together again during the Trials, and even if we are, certainly not with her comparatively helpless and me having the advantage of surprise. They pushed us to the limit in the last two trials. I’m sure they won’t be surprised if a few people die afterword. But how to do it? There’s not a lot of furniture in here, and besides, it can’t be obvious that she was murdered. I have this needle. Maybe if I puncture an artery? No, too much blood.

 

Thinking about blood reminds me of when I was little, probably five or six. My father killed a man by cutting off blood flow to his brain. I should be able to do something similar, and I don’t think the Force will leave any marks.

 

As I reach for the power, the door opens and I quickly let it go. Lord Erilinn comes in, and if he knows what I was about to do, he doesn’t show it. A med droid follows him. “You survived,” he says flatly.

 

“I did,” I reply in the same tone. The droid rolls across the floor and starts taking my vitals. I would really prefer that it didn’t, it feels like an invasion of my privacy, but I can’t object while Erilinn is here.

 

He leans agains the doorway. “Rornak didn’t think you would.”

 

That doesn’t surprise me, but I can’t think of anything to say that’s not defiant or an admission of weakness, so I stay silent. The droid takes a small amount of blood from my arm, pulls it into a slot, and lets out an affirmative-sounding tone.

 

“It says you can go back to your room,” says Erilinn. He pours something out of a pitcher on the counter next to the door. “But you should drink this first.”

 

I take the cup he’s holding out and look at the slightly off-colored fluid inside before taking a sip. It tastes kind of like blood: not sweet enough to cover a metallic saltiness. Trying not to make a face, I swallow. Despite the taste, it feels amazing going down, soothing my dry mouth and raw throat.

 

When I finish, Erilinn says “Time to go.” I’m not sure if I can stand yet, but he’s obviously expecting me to, so I set my feet on the ground experimentally. My knees buckle as I put weight on them, but I manage to keep from having to grab the wall to stay up. Tentatively, I take a step, then two more.

 

Erilinn leads me out of the room, into a sort of central hub with numerous other rooms like the one I was in branching off it. I’ve never visited the medcenter here before, but it’s bigger than I thought it would be. We head down a hallway and board an elevator.

 

I can’t help but watch him as we travel upwards. What does it want? I’m sure he doesn’t do this for everyone. Is it more of his “throwing the trials”?

 

He doesn’t look at me or say anything. When we reach the top, he motions for me to step out of the elevator and lets the doors shut. That was weird, I think, but realize that I’m not likely to come up with a satisfactory explanation right now.

 

It only takes a little while to get back to the dorms, in spite of my slow, unsteady walk. A few other students lay resting on their beds or sitting quietly, but not that many. There’s not that many of us left. I should try to count net time we’re all together.

 

Karanni doesn’t look like she suffered too much. Certainly she seems a little more tired, her cheekbones a bit more prominent, but she’s stretching and swinging an imaginary lightsaber like nothing happened.

 

I see Tyrin sitting on his bed and consider following his example, but before I do, I smell myself. My hair is greasy and tangled and my clothes reek of sweat and stale vomit. Another shower, then.

 

This time I get out quickly, though I will admit to drinking more than a little of the water. When I emerge, feeling at least a little less shaky, but now very hungry, what are probably most of the rest of the students have appeared. Meiko is standing at a sink, washing her hands, but I slip by before she turns around. I can feel in the Force that she knows I’m there, though.

 

Quillan stumbles into the dorms as I exit the refreshers. He looks terrible, and I feel a surge of pleasure that I’m doing better than at least one of my rivals, at least. Even though I just slept for who knows how long, I think I should sleep a little more. My head hurts and I’m still so tired…

 

Tyrin nods at me as I come in, but doesn’t say anything and goes back to what he was doing. It looks like a meditation exercise. I lay down, remembering the conversation with him and Karanni that I overheard before the last trial. Maybe I shouldn’t go to sleep. I may well be on his hit list along with Quillan.

 

For a few hours, I lie there with my eyes closed. Meiko tries to start a conversation, but I ignore her and keep pretending to be asleep. Finally, I hear a commotion outside and get up to take a look. Tyrin is gone, and everyone seems to be clustered around the central hall. My pace quickens. I know what this means: food.

 

I grab one of the proffered bowels of soup from the droid and take tiny sips of the greasy broth. My stomach cramps up as food hits it, but I keep going. I realize that I forgot a spoon, but I scoop up the limp noodles with my fingers and enjoy their pasty softness on my tongue.

 

A shadow crosses my lap and I look up. Tamine and Quillan stand over Meiko, who’s sitting a few feet away from me. “Give us your food,” says Tamine. I wonder where Khanishh is, then realize that he must not have survived. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Kalas since before the third trial either. I try to muster up some regret for Meiko’s sake, but fail entirely.

 

“No,” she replies. “You’ve had yours already.”

 

Tamine bends down and grabs Meiko by the front of her tunic. She may be weaker than she was before, but so is Meiko, and Tamine drags her to her feet. In the process, the bowl falls off her lap and spills its contents on the floor. Tamine’s face colors. “Look what you did!” she shouts.

 

Meiko presses her lips together and doesn’t say anything. A couple other students are watching with varying levels of interest, but most are too absorbed in their meals to care. Tamine shoves her against the wall and leans in close to whisper something I don’t catch. When Meiko shakes her head, Tamine lets her go and as she’s regaining her balance, punches her in the face.

 

My gut twists worse than it already was. They’re both pretty weak, so I don’t think they’d be able to do much damage, but Meiko isn’t the most sturdy of students, and if she gets hurt, I’m not sure if she’ll be able to do the next trial. You’re not supposed to care, I remind myself. She stumbles forward and Tamine brings her knee up into her stomach. I stare into my soup, which has suddenly lost its questionable flavor.

 

But I can’t block out the sounds. Meiko is definitely getting soundly beaten, though I can hear her attempting to fight back. Stay out of it. You can’t care about her. You can’t care about anyone. You’re almost a Sith. I set the bowl down and stand up. “Leave her alone.”

 

Tamine pauses and looks at me. “What did you just say?”

 

“Leave her alone. It’s not like she had that much soup left anyway.”

 

“So give me yours, then. I’m still hungry.”

 

“Deal with it.”

 

Tamine shoves Meiko away from her. “Fine”

 

I turn back to my spot, ignoring Meiko’s puzzled expression and the gratitude that’s starting to spread across her face. Quillan stands there, licking his lips as he holds out an empty bowl. My bowl. He smiles with a self-satisfied expression that tells me this was his plan all along.

 

“Why, you-“ I leap at him, clawing at his face and trying to sink my teeth into him. I feel the tingling sensation that signals that he’s about to shock me, but I’m too mad to care.

 

Someone pulls me off and I feel Lord Rornak’s claws gripping my shoulder. He pushes me roughly into the wall and says loudly “Anyone else who attacks another student will fail.” He looks at me and I glare at Quillan. “It’s time for your sixth trial. And since this… girl is obviously feeling quite well, she can go first. The rest of you, try not to kill each other before I get the chance to.”

 

He stalks back down the hallway and I follow him. Another trial already? I hope it’s not one of the more physically intense ones. I don’t think I can do much more than walk right now.

 

We go into a room, much smaller than any of the ones we’ve used previously, with the exception of the closet I was in for the last two. The only thing in it is a trio of chairs. Erilinn and Lord Eliss sit in two of them, and Rornak takes the third. Eliss still has that completely neutral, calm expression that’s her norm, and Erilinn looks like he just ate something that disagrees with him. This is not going to end well, I’m sure of it.

 

“Kneel,” says Rornak. I obey, kneeling in the center of the room, facing the three masters.

 

He lazily flicks his hand in my direction and immediately my entire body starts to hurt, an unclassifiable pain that’s neither hot nor cold, neither sharp nor dull. I stiffen, then force myself to relax. Tension will only make it worse. It intensifies, getting stronger and stronger until all I can see is a dancing red pattern. Never in my life has anything hurt this much. It wipes everything else from my thoughts and all I can think is that I must. Not. Scream. I can’t give Rornak that satisfaction.

 

Just when I think it can’t get any worse, it does. I lose all sense of time and place. I think I’ve always been here, always been trying hopelessly to resist the agony. It feels like I’m falling and then the pain stops. “Well, she didn’t last long,” I hear someone, a deep-voiced male say.

 

“No, she’s still awake,” says a male with a more normally pitched voice. I feel like I should know who they are, but I can’t recall.

 

I know what I have to do. Everything inside me rebels at the thought, but I draw on the Force to bolster my will, feeling the Dark Side’s flames licking inside me. “Keep going. I can do this for as long as you like.”

 

In answer, the pain starts again, as intense as it was before. This time, I can’t control myself, writhing on the floor and screaming until my raw throat wants to explode. Just let me die! Finally, I lose the capacity to even scream and just whimper incoherently until unconsciousness wraps me in its mercifully numb tendrils.

 

 

 

Author's note:

 

 

I'm not sure if the Mind Shard technique was in use at this point, but I figured that there would be something like it, even if this exact thing didn't exist directly. It's just such a Sith thing to know.