The abrupt change in living conditions was quite a shock. Talo’Ra had run the gamut in her life from poverty to slavery, slavery to climbing the rungs of power and now living as a fugitive. The important part of that thought is that she was, indeed, still living. 

 

The last two weeks had been a game of cat and mouse unlike any she had ever experienced. She had been both the cat and the mouse before, but now was a whole different level. Three days after the warehouse slaughter, the servant that regularly cleaned her room was killed by an explosion. The bomb had been planted somewhere in the room to cause maximum damage inside, while not affecting neighboring rooms.

 

She had heard that Degriro had been prowling around the academy. The more grief he took from his peers, the more he realized just how much prestige and respect he had lost in the humiliation of their fight. He was something of a laughing stock now, not that anyone would say it to his face. He was still incredibly dangerous as the Blade Master. However, behind his back, the laughter followed him everywhere he went.

 

It seemed that the secret of the massacre in the warehouse was intact. The other three had returned to their normal lives as if nothing had happened. Five days ago, word reached her that Ruqua, the Cathar, had managed to defeat their master in the normal manner laid out by the academy: A measured contest, in which the apprentice employs whatever tactics they think will work to defeat their master. It could be any number of surprises, up to and including; poison, companions or sheer skill.

 

Knowing Ruqua, she was arrogant enough to take him on alone. Was it hubris though? When you bring the kind of ferocity and talent to the table that the Cathar did, one can afford to be arrogant. Talo’Ra had fought both of them on many occasions and she knew just how skilled each of them were. The margin between them was razor thin already, and Ruqua was still growing in power and skill.

 

The apprentice wasn’t able to find out what exactly had happened, but it didn’t matter now. The Cathar was raised to a full Lord of the Sith earlier that day. Degriro’s first apprentice to survive long enough to do so. Talo’Ra angrily thought about how that should have been her place of honor and not that cat.

 

She was angrier with herself than with anyone else though. If only she’d had more self control and not given in to the blinding hatred. If she had bided her time, she could have brought her power to bear on her former master in the ‘Hallowed Grounds’ arena. Once she had bested him there, she had no doubt she would have been raised and free to pursue her own avenues of power.

 

Instead, she squandered this by lashing out and not even finishing the job properly. He had been at her mercy and she didn’t follow through. The pain of injuries sustained clouded her ability to think clearly. The thought of simply humiliating him seemed like a good idea at the time. Now she was paying the price of a bad decision.

 

What a fool she had been. Her new master, Darth Asmenys, had already shown her much in the ways of subterfuge and cunning. Degriro was a master of the blade and patient, but wasn’t much of a strategist. His way was brute force with little in the way of subtlety most of the time. This had its own merit when used as a weapon to fool the opponent into misjudging reactions.

 

However, it did require his high degree of fighting prowess in the Force and weapons. She did not have the same skill that he and Ruqua shared, she was more balanced in her skills. Now, she needed to develop her mind in order to stay alive in this trap of her own making. While they travelled to his secret compound, her new master had called her a blunt instrument.

 

He said, “Anyone can swing a lightsaber around like a wildling, or crush the life out of some insect, but can they topple a government without firing a shot? They, like you, are a clumsy and blustering Kath Hound. Sure they are powerful in large groups, but the cost in valuable resources is high when they start getting shot down and killed.”

 

He had stopped to look at her again and asked, “Do you know what Asmenys means girl?” She shook her head “My chosen name means dagger, or blade. An assassin’s blade to be more precise: A delicate and extremely powerful tool in the right hands and conditions. The trick is to engineer those conditions to make a single strike, a fatal one, and for none to be the wiser.”

 

Her reaction to his words seemed to satisfy him. He turned back to the dark path they walked and started leading her again. They had travelled by a circuitous route with many switchbacks meant to expose and confuse any pursuing them. Finally they reached the destination he had intended.

 

He stopped well away from and pointed to the building across an opening. Then, he did something. She didn’t know what, but she suddenly felt illusory. Like nothing more than a shadow in the night. She was about to ask him what had happened when it dawned on her that she could no longer see the man with her. She looked down at her own legs and was mildly surprised when they weren’t there anymore.

 

This must be the cloaking skill that Ukodi uses when he vanishes in a fight. She’d never been on this side of it before. It was spooky, and yet oddly exhilarating. She felt a hand grip her arm and lightly pull downwards. She knelt next to the patch of what seemed like sentient mist beside her and the hand squeezed briefly before letting go.

 

The apprentice got the message. Not only were they watching for any pursuit, but also traps. Most likely it was also a test to see if she had any self control at all. A trait she had shown little aptitude in since her escape from the so-called pleasure dome of Nurella the Hutt. She had let anger control her after that and that had led her to these circumstances.

 

She decided in that moment of watchful waiting that she needed to regain control over herself. Naked aggression and rage had carried her far, but in the wrong direction. She knew now that she needed to learn some moderation in her new reality. The alternative was certain death if she didn’t flee and disappear somewhere in the galaxy. Even the Mandalorian bounty hunters can be evaded with care.

 

The precaution of stopping to watch paid off when a figure appeared out of the gloom from the direction they had come. She glanced again at the empty mist next to her and wondered if he knew, or if this caution was just standard procedure for him. She reflected upon what he had said in the hour or so that she’d known him and decided caution was his natural response.

 

The figure skulked around in darkness between the lights along the road. If it was tracking them, then sooner or later it would find them. She reached for her lightsaber and started to slip away when the invisible hand grabbed her arm again to hold her in place. The danger she perceived was only visual, but nothing resonated in the Force. Still, she felt the risk was too great to allow. She tried to shake the hand off, but it only gripped tighter and then there was a great weight on her shoulders making it impossible to stand.

 

Finally she gave in to his will and sat still to watch. Their follower moved into the light and she could see the horns on its head. The Devaronian stumbled and fell down in a heap of trash, a bottle rolling out of his hand. He started yelling unintelligibly and thrashing around in the rubbish. He regained his feet and went after the bottle, kicking it further away as he chased.

 

Once the being was out of sight, the pressure on her shoulders ceased and the hand squeezed her arm again. They waited in uncomfortable silence for several more minutes when she felt the hand pulling her on this time. “Come” was the only word he said before setting off in the shadows again.

 

They moved slowly, the Darth’s hand was her only guide. At last they reached the building they had been watching and slipped around to the alley beside it. A darkened doorway awaited them. The door slid open with a quiet scraping noise, revealing pitch black inside. The hand urged her through the opening and she complied.

 

After the door scraped its way closed, a pinprick of light shone forth from the emptiness beside her. It was barely enough illumination to show the floor in front of them. The hand let go and the light started to move to her left. She followed it for several feet until they found a large hatch in the floor. The hatch opened itself and the light moved down the stairs it concealed. When she was half a dozen steps down, the way behind them closed seemingly on its own.

 

A dull click sounded and then she suddenly felt substantial again. Another dull click and light fixtures began to glow in a wave away from them down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was a tunnel that was lit in the same manner as the rest. They reached the end of the tunnel where a solid door waited.

 

Asmenys pressed a button and a screen winked on showing the view of hidden cameras on the other side. Both angles showed the way was clear beyond. He pressed the button again and the screen went black once again. Another button press opened a hidden door to their right where a covered land speeder sat next to a large external door. A soft click extinguished the chain of lights behind them.

 

They climbed inside the speeder to the sound of the engines priming. He operated the controls which did several things at once. The hidden door closed, night vision clicked on the screen in front of them as all light went out and the large outer door opened. A quick maneuver and they were out speeding away, the door closing quickly behind.

 

“What was that?” he asked in an exacerbated voice.

 

“A garage of some kind I suppose.”

 

Disgustedly he said, “Not that you idiot. I meant you not waiting for that drunk to pass? Is that how you do things? Were you going to kill that Devaronian?”

 

She blinked. “I thought he had been following us. I was going to get rid of that threat.”

 

“Did it seem like a threat to you? Or are you just a trigger happy moron and I am wasting my time?” he spat at her.

 

He couldn’t be preaching against killing. He’d threatened to kill all of them himself if he hadn’t thought of a better use. If he was to be believed, he had arranged the carnage they had engaged in. She hesitantly said “I was just trying to be proactive in covering our trail.”

 

“By leaving yet another body in your wake? One by our entrance and exit to the academy grounds? Did you want to put up some signs as well? Maybe paint an arrow towards the building? Or perhaps you wanted to hire some singing acrobats to perform outside the doorway?” His mocking tone fairly dripped with acid. “Need I remind you that you are now being hunted by some powerful enemies?”

 

Her cheeks flushed as she lowered her head in embarrassment. Quietly she said, “No. I. I guess I didn’t think it through.”

 

“You don’t say?” he replied. Her anger burned inside her but she kept quiet. “Can you be taught apprentice? Again I ask, did I waste my time in overestimating your potential?”

 

“No my Lord. I’m just. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I hadn’t anticipated any of this happening. I was so blinded by my anger that I never planned beyond getting revenge by killing Degriro.”

 

“Well you certainly screwed that up didn’t you? He is still alive and will be seeking his own revenge when he realizes what this will do to his reputation. You have made an incredibly dangerous enemy that you should have killed. Honestly girl, what were you thinking? Did you think making him look bad would go unpunished by him, or his allies? Were you counting on the universe to just wipe the slate clean once you walked away from an incomplete job? I want to know! Do you have the brains of a womp rat?”

 

“My lord… My lord, I wasn’t thinking cl-”

 

He cut her off, “No! You weren’t thinking! And if you don’t start, you will be useless to me.” They drove on in silence for a while before she finally answered him.

 

“Yes my lord. I realize I have made mistakes recently and now it has all fallen apart. I do not know what to do anymore. I’ve dug a hole and have no way to get out.” She grit her teeth at this admission and the words that must come next. “Will you please teach me?”

 

His good eye looked at her from the side and he reveled in her discomfort. They rounded the last corner before reaching his compound when he finally broke the silence. “I will be your new master and teach you the ways of cunning and tactics. You will vow to follow my lead or I will end you here and now.”

 

She bowed as best she could from a sitting position, “I do so swear to follow your commands, my master.”

 

Satisfied, he drove the speeder towards the hidden door built into a cliffside. It opened as they approached and he slowed their speed to make it through a tight fit. It was a short trip down a tunnel and then he parked the speeder. Once out, the Darth showed his new apprentice around the compound. She quickly discovered that he had simply taken over a natural cave system.

 

There was a cluster of eight larger rooms used as a command center, and further along was a group of five rooms for personnel. Two were small barracks and the other three were serviceable apartments for guests. Asmenys' own room was larger than the apartments but was still understated, with seemingly basic decorations adorning it.

 

Upon closer inspection, seemingly innocuous items caught her attention for being highly valuable. She looked around again and wondered if there were more treasures hiding in plain sight. Perhaps one of the paintings? All of them? The statuary? An interesting question that she would like to answer, but it could wait. The question of survival was of much more interest to her at the moment.

 

The Darth showed her the kitchen, and gave her guest codes for many of the doors while he decided if he could fully trust her or not. The ‘or not’ part had her concerned. Unless she had a great deal of luck on her side, she did not think she could beat him in a fight. The power that emanated from him was unlike anything she had felt before.

 

He told her to take one of the guest rooms as her own and rest after she had eaten. He was going to do the same. Come morning he would wear his formal robes and go back to the academy via a normal route. It was time to do some snooping around with this change in both of their circumstances. After the events of the previous forty eight hours, she welcomed the thought of rest.

 

She had spent the next day wandering from room to room and inspecting the tools that were available. He had an impressive array of equipment that all lent itself to espionage. She was surprised to find a pair of library archives. One had zero room left for data, while the other was in nearly the same condition. Clearly this Sith Lord valued knowledge, both as a tool and a hobby.

 

When he returned the next day, he presented her with as much of her belongings as he could gather in a short time and in secret. She had told him what was the most important to her if he had to make a choice. The vibrosword she had escaped the Hutts with, some datapads with items she found interesting and a necklace she had admired. They both knew clothing could be replaced and was not a consideration.

 

Asmenys had managed to get the sword and one of the datapads she had hidden. The rest had been destroyed as he had little time to spend. He couldn’t find the necklace in a hurry, so it was a loss. Doubly so when the bomb went off the next day, killing the cleaning servant. It wasn’t ideal but at least she had something to call her own in all this.

 

Word of the explosion reached them via one of the eyes and ears he had in the academy grounds. His network was only told to notify him when something of note happened. They had no idea that the girl who occupied that room was now his possession. Nor would they, they were simply useful tools.

 

Over the following week the Darth questioned his new apprentice about her abilities and experiences. He had her relate her combat and healing skills. He took special interest in her escape from the ‘Pleasure Dome’. “Ahhh, so you DO know how to plan ahead. It sounds like it was sloppy and excessively bloody. Plus they could have retaken you with only another one or two mistakes.” He paced about the room while thinking. “Yes, it was sloppy, but you did well as an apprentice. You got your revenge, exacted punishment and affected your escape with a daring plan all at once. Good. Planned and executed with the patience you will need.”

 

Her confidence bolstered by even this backhanded way proved her self evaluated worth. Her new master required every detail she could remember of the days between her escape and the final confrontation with the Blade Master. He would have every piece of information he could get at his fingertips. One never knew what could be useful in the future.

 

The day after deposition, a third library archive was delivered and installed next to the first two by tech droids. All of the data she had provided was transcribed from recordings and added to the libraries. He activated a subroutine that would cross reference all the dates and events.

 

After that was completed, the pair of them discussed their next move. As they discussed, he taught her how to use Force cloaking. He was pleased with her aptitude as she picked up the skill quickly. Not enough to run while cloaked, but if she stood still or moved slowly, she would remain out of sight. He decided that she needed to go back to the academy as a test of her new skill. If she held herself in check and managed to stay undetected, then they would move forward with his plans for her.

 

Rather than going at night where she would have a good chance of pulling this task off, he took her in at midday. He made a tour of the premises and she was to follow him as best she could. He kept an eye on her every time she appeared to change positions and then vanish again. Guard patrols made her life miserable, but she managed to avoid them.

 

The trickiest time was when two council members stopped him to bring him up to date on the latest happenings. They all had a good laugh at Degriro’s expense. Asmenys said “But, why didn’t he kill the Blade Master when he had the chance?”

 

“She.” Councilor Lok’Too corrected. Asmenys made an inquiring noise. “It was a girl. Tal-something.” The Councilor was chortling while relating the story. 

 

The infectious nature of laughter had Asmenys chuckling while he asked “OK ‘she’. But, why didn’t this wonder-girl kill him?”

 

Lok’Too said “Who knows! She’s an apprentice. They don’t do anything right.” Laughter grew until Councilor Vostis was laughing so hard that she needed to lean against the wall to hold herself up. Her hand landed mere inches away from where Talo’Ra hid. The fear rolled off her in waves as she tried to keep as still as possible. She feared that her heart was beating so loud that it could be heard all the way down the hall.

 

Once they had all parted ways, master and apprentice made their way back to his personal transport. He took his time in getting into the transport to allow her time to crawl towards it. Security cameras were everywhere, especially in the docks, so she could not afford to be seen. The silence in his transport was broken only by the words “Well done, my apprentice.”