Crossroads (Jinsala)

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"What do you mean we were attacked?"

On the view screen Dackler Prown shifted uneasily, as if unsure of how to answer. Ezra looked back from his place behind his desk with jaded eyes, his finger slowly rapping on the counter top to punctuate the amount of time passing between the question and the answer.

"Several warehouses and processing plants were raided. The entire operation was quick, and no unnecessary loss of life was reported. They broke in, took enough foodstuffs to feed an army, and disappeared back into the sky. But..."

"Spit it out, Minister."

"We have reason to believe the invaders may have been Imperials. They did not wear traditional uniforms or armor, but they were clearly military and well trained. Star Destroyers were spotted just outside of orbit. I don't think the Alliance would ever be so bold as to make a move like this, and these were no pirates or terrorists. The Reavers wear telltale masks and the Sons of Coruscant are not so well organized."

"And they may return, Minister. Suppress this from the galactic news as best you can. For now. I do not want anyone else thinking we are weak, and if we need to we may be able to spin this into our benefit."

"Yes, Lord Na'chtion."

The screen winked off, leaving only a dark screen that reflected back his own face. For several minutes he remained sitting, thinking, pushing between stratagems to find the best reaction to this unwanted news. Tanaab has always been a weak planet. An agricultural gem with little natural defenses or a standing army. It relied on the Republic and later Imperial navy to protect it, and since their succession from the galaxy they have had little luck in raising the forces to protect it and instead relied on the cold war to protect their interests. One side would not dare stand against them for fear of driving them to the other side, even though that was a place they never wanted to go.

Someone had called their bluff, and he would be required to reply in kind.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. A glance to his handwritten schedule reminded him that it was Acolyte Jinsala, who had been called up for "Private tutoring". Another lie in the spreading web that was the Sith Order, and the school used to protect their identities. An existence now called into question, and threatened with destruction. The river had been blocked, and they would be forced to divert elsewhere.

"Come in."

[Jinsala Wayani]

She had managed to settle in, but her temper still got the best of her on occasion. The gift of the strange creature from Ezra kept her centered to some extent, constricting around her leg or mid section depending where the serpent was twined at the time. But she had already been marked as someone out of reach for the boys who wanted her. And someone no one wanted to be near, but the girls who envied the attention the boys paid her.

Ezra had been training her under the guise of private tutor to the trouble kid, and she had played it up on occasion when there was need. But in truth, her temper was more in control now than it had been for most of her life. He had explained to her what and who she was, and she had never been more at peace within her own existence in a long time. And while she saw more in Ezra than the Master and tutor he was, she knew to keep her thoughts off the subject when near him. He wanted nothing to do with her in that capacity. So she would never allow herself to be chided for her childish feelings.

As the knock was answered, she stepped in and closed the door. She wore the training tunic and breeches that all the students wore, her cloak fastened around her neck but brushed over both her shoulders to trail down her back just under the braid of crimson that was plaited down her back. "Master Ezra," she acknowledged him as she moved towards his desk and nodded with respect.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"Ah, yes. Student Wayani" With the lukewarmest of smiles, a sight rarely found upon his face, and hands clasped upon the desktop, he watched patiently until she closed the door. When that latch clicked into place he liked to imagine that he could hear the seams pressurizing against the frame; creating a sound proof room once again.

"May I remind you, Acolyte, that while I appreciate your enthusiasm to our cause, when in the public you are to refer to me as Chancellor. We can never be too careful. Our independent force academy attracts the many eyes of the galaxy. Some rightfully watch and wait for a new coming of the Sith, so that they may burn us to ash once again, while others may look to exploit, or dare I say even attempt to sway us to their cause. To many more we are but a stumbling block in their grand schemes and ambitions. We must be ever vigilant in safeguarding our true nature, lest we become provoked before our time is ready."

Motioning to the seat before the desk he rose from his own and moved to the holovid screen that sat on the wall just behind his desk. After several minutes of tweaking with the controls and finding the correct image, he pulled up a map of the planet. Rotating the green and blue sphere around he brought it far from where Pandath and the Academy sat. Tapping the screen once more caused a few crisp aurebesh names to rise from the topography. The names had little meaning to him, or to her.

"These are farm collectives. All part of the great agricultural machine that feeds this planet and produces it's wealth through trade. They were all attacked a week ago, and pending a lengthy investigation by our friends in the government, they tell me that the Empire was likely to blame. This... is exactly the provocation we are not yet prepared for. We cannot fight the Empire, nor can we risk appearing weak lest we attract more enemies."

Returning to his chair once more, and with hands steepled against his chin, he ask a question of his Acolyte, and her answer may weigh more upon her future than she realized.

"Pop quiz: What course of action should we, the Sith Order, take?"

[Jinsala Wayani]

As she was reprimanded for her slip of salutation, she nodded. "Yes, Chancellor. I'll remember."

Moving to the offered, chair, Jins took a seat and watched as the screen was queued up. As he spoke of the attack of the farms, she frowned. Innocent lives being destroyed as markers upset her. Suddenly he was asking her opinion and the fiery red head was momentarily at a loss for words. But it was a serious question and he wanted her answer.

"I would say action would be best. You are right that weakness would be something you... we can't risk." She frowned a moment and rose up from her chair. She turned around and set her hands on the seat back as she pondered a moment. "The question I have is, did the Empire actually do this, or was it meant to look like them? I mean, if the Empire and Republic are both dependent on the students here, then sabotaging the food supply seems a bad move. If they didn't do it, then who did and will the Empire come to our aide? If it was the Empire, is there a chance the Republic would come to our aide?" She wasn't sure if it was the right answer, but with a few too many variables still out there, a true answer wasn't something she could commit to.

"Either way, once we find out who did it, I think it may be worth going to the source and making the Sith presence known if we are strong enough to do so. With enough numbers, in a few strategic places, to make a big bang at the right time, we could let them think we can be a problem to them anytime we are crossed." She wasn't sure if it was right or not, but that is what she'd do.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Silence owned the room for several moments as Ezra weighed her answer. The silence was finally broken by the snap of his fingers, and from within her clothing the viper released it's hold and came slithering out on to the desktop to wrap around Ezra's extended hand.

"Unfortunately we can never know for sure who was responsible unless one of the parties take responsibility. However, the evidence strongly points to the Empire. It was a blitzkrieg strategy like they are famous for, with incredibly precision and organization. I hardly think anyone else was capable of such a feat. It was also their ships and their weapons used. The only missing piece of evidence was a telltale Stormtrooper or an actual Imperial Insignia. The Minister will be making inquiries of the political arena, but I doubt he will accomplish much. Indeed, action would seem the best recourse. However, we are too few to make reveal ourselves just yet. If we strike back publicly then it is only a matter of time before a naval fleet positions itself above us and glasses the castle from orbit. We lose before we ever began."

The serpent continued to slither around his hand, rotating between fingers and around his wrist. Never ceasing to move.

"So what course of action do we have left? Well, we very well could strike out against local dissidents to drive home that we are not defenseless, or we could even get revenge by devastating an Imperial colony. They would never know it was us, here on Tanaab, but it may just yet strike fear into their hearts to keep an eye out for a new enemy. That's a paranoia we can capitalize on, and that could buy us more time to grow. It is unfortunate that we would not be able to participate in that strike. Our identities could never risk being revealed. Not yet.

We would need a disposable army then, would we not?"

[Jinsala Wayani]

Jins nodded as he spoke. It did, indeed appear to be the Empire. When he spoke of retaliation and a disposable army, she nodded. "If not disposable, at least separate from us and the school."

Thinking for a moment, she watched the serpent on his arm. Slowly a smile began to form. "Aren't there groups who despise the Empire? Radical groups even here who are just looking for a reason to cause the Empire some pain?" She ceased her pacing and moved up beside the desk. "Why don't we let them do the job. I'm sure you have a network with which to pass information. Let it leak out that the Imperial town or city closest to the strike zone had been responsible for giving that knowledge up." She watched his reaction as he spoke. "Their rage will be enough to spurn them to take revenge. Wouldn't it? The Academy could make an announcement that they don't condone the violence, which would be extra layer of protection here as well. Someone else sheds blood but by your hand of guidance, it will be the right blood. And if those who attack are killed as well," the young Sith apprentice smiles as she shrugged. "At least it won't be ours... Right?"

It sounded good to her, like playing chess. Ezra would move the pieces. In time, such a revelation that it had been his doing all along would go a long way in creating a power base for The Order.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"The Empire has many enemies, yes. History has shown that they much prefer to raise walls than build bridges. However, most of them are not capable of striking out against the Empire, and if they can there will be little they can do to hide from the retribution. I doubt many would take the burden of fighting a shadow war for us, and we have little to offer in compensation that could not be traced back to us. A decent tactic, for sure, and one that we may employ at some junction, but not just yet. It is good for us to stay open minded, to think ahead, to anticipate and have many possibilities for recourse prepared. In fact, we already have an army. Would you like to see it?"

Perhaps it was a bit self servicing to pet his ego so, but then again there was not a single thing in the entire galaxy that Ezra loved like he did his children. Sith Alchemy was the rare joy in his otherwise mundane academic life. The splicing together of bits of this and that to create something entirely new, and giving it form and life with the force. There was no joy like that found in the fevered act of creation. All that work, to create something so beautiful. It was not as if he was going to pass up the opportunity to show it off to those he trusted with the sight.

[Jinsala Wayani]

Jins listened to Ezra and smiled. It made sense and she was glad her idea hadn't merely been dismissed out of hand, but explained why it wasn't a feasible choice.

But as he mentioned having an army, she couldn't hide the smile on her face. "An army... you have one?" She took a step forward as her eyes widened in almost feral curiosity. "I would like that very much," she answered at his invitation to see them. "I would like that, very much." A hand rose to brush a crimson strand behind her ear. She had thought her life would be in a vastly different place at this time in her life. The idea, in hindsight, that she was a Force user with such a powerful Master, hiding out under a façade as he learned to master her own skills at a prep school, and about to see an army that her own mentor was so proud of, his demeanor, which never seemed to change, actually had... it all added up to a place that clicked in her. This was where she was supposed to be.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"Right this way."

Those chosen few that could be counted among the secret ranks of the Sith Order were made increasingly aware of the many secret passages that weaved many paths through the castle, it's outlying structures, and the catacombs below. It would come as no surprise to anyone when the bookshelf at the back of his study swung aside to reveal a small turbolift. It easily fit a single person, and usually Ezra was it's only passenger as he ferried himself to and from his laboratory. With Jinsala in tow, and like Sianna before her, Ezra was forced to cram into the body of the lift; a thing that triggered his aversion to physically touching others but he accepted the discomfort as a necessity.

The trip felt like it took some time, traveling downward. It passed the catacombs level and continued further. Passing through not one but two layers of the ysalamir barrier. Their identity must be masked at all costs, and the darkside was like blood in the waters to the sharks of the Jedi and Empire. Passing through the barriers was like stepping through a static field. One moment he was fully connected to the force, and then for a moment it was gone. It was a horrible emptiness to lose that connection; but there was also a freedom to be disconnected from so important a thing. Even if just for a moment before his extra senses become flooding back in.

The door finally opened and the quintessential sterile laboratory stretched out in front of them. Beakers and equipment arrayed neatly on tables. Doors split the lab to the left and the right, but straight ahead was a massive viewport; curved for optimal viewing but all that could be seen was the blast doors that sealed off it's opposite side. There was a weight to the room, and there should be, so deep underground. There was also a pervasive moisture; a dankness and smell like the den of an animal. Leading the way to the window, Ezra pressed the large switch beside it and the blast doors peeled open to reveal only darkness.

No, not just darkness. The light of the lab behind them was reflected in many sets of eyes looking back from far below in the darkness. Flipping a second switch lights came in beyond, revealing a natural cave. It was moist, the humidity visible in the air. There were strange plants and organic constructs, and littered among them was dozens of small creatures unlike anything found in the galaxy. They had long bodies, short powerful limbs, and from every surface spikes rose from the leathery carapace. Their mouths were holes filled with teeth and from them dripped viscous liquid. Insect-like wings fell from their bodies, looking horribly out of place on such an obviously grounded creature.

The light brought more. From tunnels in the walls and floor they emerged until the room was bristling with the creatures.

"These are... my children. Sithspawn, created with the force, with Sith Alchemy. From the essence of many they were sewn together into a new being. From the mighty Boma a hunter's strong body, from the Acklay a strong carapace, and from the Hssiss Darkside Dragons a powerful toxin and scales. Dozens more filled in the holes. Modern technology would struggle to create such a being, but with the darkside of the force a creature like this can be twisted into form through great struggle and pain. The Jedi are afraid to change or create life with the force, and they are weaker for it. There are no limitations to what Alchemy can create."

[Jinsala Wayani]

Jinsala nodded to his invitation and followed obediently. As they entered the lift, she realized her hands were precariously close to places on his body she probably shouldn't be. Not realizing how aversion being touched, she lifted one hand to rest on his chest and the other she folded against her back, trapping it against the turbo wall. "Sorry," she muttered as the door closed.

Having never been separated from the Force before, the loss of it actually made her cry out like a wounded animal. Her hand reflexively clutched a handful of his top. The other clenched into a fist for lack of something to grab. It was like feeling death, but still being alive. The sensation left her heart racing and her breathing shallow. But a couple heartbeats later it was back and she felt the color rise on her cheeks for her reaction. Had she been able to, she would have backed off, run, anything... But instead she simply released his shirt just as the lift deposited then their destination.

Swiftly she took several steps away from him, her voice stammering an apology. "I'm sorry, Mas... Sir," she caught herself. "I wasn't prepared. I'll do better going back up." Then she swiftly added, "I can go up after you... If you want...I meant..."

She but her lip again and growled at how weak and pathetic she must seem to him right now. A small flair of her aura pulled before she caught and reined it in. She then took a deep breath and followed him to the portal.

While many would have stepped back in horror and shock, Jins stepped forward. "You... made ... these?" The admiration and are was as plain now as her embarrassment and humiliation had been moments before.

She lifted a hand to the barrier between her and then and shook her head. "Ezra.... They are amazing!" So excited she didn't realize she'd said his name. She turned her head to look at him as he looked at his children. "Can they procreate or are they sterile and only made here in the labs?"

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"An excellent question."

Was Ezra immediate reply, his face beaming with satisfaction at her asking such a relevant question. It proved all the more that he was right to rescue her from that backwater planet and sponsor her in the Academy.

"No. They cannot procreate. They lack reproduction organs completely. Their purpose is not to breed, or sustain their own numbers. They simply exist to rip and tear; to destroy all before them. I experimented with reproduction to increase their numbers, however they become too distracted with it and their populations exploded out of control and they exhausted all resources quickly. In short, it was unsustainable. In this form they are singularly focused."

Repressing the button caused the blast doors to slide shut again with an ominous thud. Turning around he headed through one of the adjoining doorways and into a laboratory. This one had several circular, enclosed operating theaters. Each was left dark, the observation windows shrouded to hide whatever lurked inside. From several the rumblings of life could be felt in the force, along with the sensations of pain and terror. It was a dull, ruddy thread woven through the background tapestry of the force in this place; made all the more aware by the lack of distraction from the world beyond the ysalamir barrier.

Stepping up to one of the theaters the windows were opened and inside could be see a mass of flesh that seemed without meaning or purpose. There were exposed organs and blood dripped from mangled limbs; twisted and deformed like some animal had been turned inside out, twisted about, and then inverted back. It was impossible to tell what it had once been, but one could almost see the shape it was becoming. Something similar to the brood of Sithspawn seen just moments before, but bigger. There was no life in the room. Whatever it was, or had been, was gone.

"In a combat situation the ability to reinforce one's troops is a necessity. Entire wars are lost prematurely when supply lines are destroyed. I desire something more self-sustaining. To accomplish this I have become devising a brood mothers, like a Queen Ant it would birth new drones to reinforce the brood. As you can see it is not quite complete yet. I like to figure out the shape I desire before I shape a living specimen. When it is finished, as I currently envision, it will be capable of producing unceasing broodlings with only a supply of biomass to feed it. The biomass will be collected by the brood as it rips and tears it way through an enemy. Any living tissue will suffice.

There are other obstacles, of course. Will the Sithspawn I have be capable of ferrying back the biomass once it's dead, or will I need to create a new Sithspawn with the sole purpose of collection dead biomass for the Queen. Also, will the Queen be capable of directly ingesting biomass in any form or will it have to be transformed into something more palatable. I'm considering another Sithspawn form that accomplishes this, with some sort of acidic excretion that can break down the proteins in the body into something more resembling soup. Yes, that is a good idea. I will explore that later. For now, finishing the Queen is my focus. The shape is proving difficult. Birthing canals, multiple stomachs, deciding between placentas or eggs. So many variables."

[Jinsala Wayani]

It didn't pass Jins notice that her mentor actually beamed at her. Having never seen his face light up like that, she actually blushed a moment and looked away back into the pen below.

As he spoke of their inability to procreate, she listened intently and nodded. "Probably for the best," she agreed. "I can imagine the inability to manage them. Short life spans, deadly damage is probably the bets course."

As he shut the portal and turned away, she glanced up and moved to follow him. As the feeling of pain and terror and life and death assailed her Force senses, she actually gasped once more. Though different from the complete absence of the Force she felt on the lift, this was almost a bombardment of it. It took barely a heartbeat to compose herself this time. She was getting better at it. She came up to the opened theatre and raised her hands to the separating barrier and tilted her head as if in touching the window, she could actually hear what was happening inside. Her right hand lifted and lightly drew on the glass as she tried to outline the various parts of it.... "Head... limbs... torso?..." Her words were soft, almost muffled as if she were trying to actually puzzle out what had once been in the room.

Ezra's speech of making a Brood Mother was not lost on Jins, despite the look that made it seem she was ignoring him. As he finished talking about the complications, troubles and choices he had been thru and still had ahead of him, she spoke back at him. She didn't turn, but she continued to trace on the window. This time, she was tracing something more concrete, not trying to figure out the abstract.

"A brood mother would be an interesting idea if a whole city or planet was something you were trying to conquer. Regardless of form, there is no way any infant she breeds would be ready for combat for some time. Even if you can get it down to a week, your campaign would likely be over by then." She slowly moved to the other enclosures. One to another she went, her hand rising each time to try and sense what was occurring inside. Some she felt pain in, others, merely the feeling of life. But it was almost abstract in the feeling. Most times she could tell if it was a being, animal or plant that was giving off the life signature. But this time, every time, she only felt life. "How long would you need her to reproduce? Perhaps she would only need to be programmed, and created, to provide a focal point for the other creatures. Her 'births' would be additional sustenance for the soldiers spreading out around her."

She turned to look at him. "If you made it so the fighters couldn't venture but a given distance from the Mother, you could centralize your attacks. Keep them from ambling off further and further. if she makes sustenance from whatever is fed to her, basically her 'excretion' then it also keeps them close." She wasn't sure how he would react to her completely changing his idea, so she also started to think along his lines as well. "And if you do want her to breed, I would consider placentas. It allows for sooner maturation. Eggs have their own length of time to mature as well as what's inside them. But perhaps there is also something in between. Something soft and mailable that doesn't need to be in egg form. But would be similar to the composition, nutrition and protection of an actual inner placenta. It would allow for the birth of something with a short gestation to be set apart from her without her needing to carry it. It would allow for quicker, more swift laying, so to speak. If you use internal placentas inside the creature, you may limit the amount of creatures she can create in a given time because of space issues."

She watched his reaction this time. It had made sense in her head... both ideas. But the question was, would he see it that way? Or would he see someone trying to usurp him and claim to know better?

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"There are no bad ideas. Not at this stage. However, what I want and what I can create are two very different realities. In order to achieve a desirable aspects I have to locate the corresponding trait in an existing species and vivisect it from them. The brood in the other room are all created from pre-existing alpha predators. With sufficient bio-mass Sith Alchemy could, in theory, be used to create sithspawn from scratch, but I am far from that level of control. I am not Exar Kun. I lack infinite resources and time. My limitations are supplemented with modern medical technology, with the force being the stabilizer and fusion between the various parts."

Ezra neglected to mention just how little he was formally trained in Sith Alchemy. The sudden and unforeseen fall of the original Sith Order on Korriban had left many of the Order stranded without resources, and then his own master Baralai Lotus disappeared into the ether, only to reappear from time to time. Almost as if taunting Ezra. He had continued his studies without Baralai. He even returned to the Sith Temple alone to reclaim his master's journals and tomes of knowledge, and in doing so defeated the horrible beast that lurked there; waiting for the Sith to return. Ezra was more or less self taught at this point, and he very much doubted that he would ever bridge the gap to a truly great Alchemist without a venerated Sith Master to show him the way.

Within his sphere of knowledge he was already one of the most venerated Sith that still lived. The rest were dead or lost.

"In the end, the perimeters of the Brood Mother's existence all hinge on her purpose. Our purpose. Will the brood conquer and devour an entire planet, or just a population center? What would the gain be other than massive death? If unleashed would they become an uncontrollable wave that consumes the entire galaxy? It is difficult to say. Without a proper test against I cannot even be sure if the brood is capable of defeating even a single defense force, much less an entire city or planet. They could have a fatal flaw that I have overlooked."

[Jinsala Wayani]

Jins listened to her Master. It was obvious he had great plans, but it was in materials and skill that he was falling behind. When he spoke of sufficient biomass and power being able to create whatever he wanted, something occurred to her. "Why does it have to be the brood? We are learning of viruses that can be slipped covertly into a computer system, like a small creature, and made to do everything from manipulate it, to shutting it down. Why not think along that line? Something small, bug or insect like. There are plenty of creatures with deadly venoms that would be easier to cross as small animals or insects. Creation and procreation to maturity would take a fraction of the time, more could be easily transported, and lifespans would be much easier to manipulate."

She set her hand on the view window and her fingers moved as she spoke as if, subconsciously, she was reaching in to stroke the nightmare behind the barrier. Did it surprise him that this revelation of his sparked her curiosity... Made her heart race at possibilities... Or even intrigued her like nothing else in her life has?

Her voice was thoughtful as she tilted her head slight as if trying to hear something no one else could. "You could transport so many more of them. Control them much easier. And if you gave them hive minds and mentality, as long as you controlled where the queen was, they wouldn't stray far. So no worries of offworld breeding and population control."

Her final sentence was almost whispered and full of awe. "They'd be perfect..."

[Ezra Na'chtion]

Perfect. That was a bold statement to make of anything. There were very few things in the galaxy that could even boast of perfection, and none that could actually live up to the claim. Perfection was an impossibility. It was a never ending goal to strive for, to motivate you to greater and greater achievements. Ezra did not believe perfection existed or could exist, but he would never let that stop him from trying. Defend your limitations and you own them.

"Effective, perhaps, but a plague would hardly instill fear of the Sith and the Darkside. There is more to the sithspawn than just killing. They send a message, they instill fear. A plague is something people run from. A swarm of monsters tearing apart everything in their path creates terror. A plague will not protect us should our enemies arrive at our door. The brood will. They will destroy everything in front of them. The greatest Sith Alchemist to ever live created massive warriors of pure strength. Warriors nearly unstoppable, but ultimately defeated by the ravages of time. A reproducing sithspawn, on the other hand, will live on forever. They only need the right direction to complete them."

Stepping away from the surgery room he walked to a particular desk in a laboratory filled with desks, counters, and work stations that were indistinguishable from this one. Activating the console he brought up a hologram. It displayed several known species from throughout the galaxy; a large snake, a reptilian alpha predator, and the common human. Lines drew them together to reveal a prototype creature; a large creature with the tail of a snake, the upper body of a human, and the entire thing covered in scales. It's snake head complete with fangs. It had a clearly feminine figure.

"Another approach I have considered is creating a commander, for lack of a better term. A sithspawn that can control and direct the brood when I am not present to control it. Something more valuable, stronger, and more capable. They would be harder to produce and would require considerable skill and time, but in the end they should have the ability to control the brood. The brood will not wander too far, they will gather resources as dictated, and protect the queen. It will understand my orders and wage the war the way I wish it. With it, we will not even have to involve ourselves. Maintaining the secrecy of our existence is paramount, or we will be destroyed before we can even begin."

[Jinsala Wayani]

Fear... not panic.

That's what Ezra was going for. Suddenly Jins felt silly for even recommending the bugs. "You're right. They would swat at bugs, but they would bow to the brood." She half murmured it in realization. She turned as he walked away and a moment later, followed.

As the computer pulled up the specs, her fingers reached out to scroll the screen down to the various varieties of DNA he had chose from and would choose from. "She's beautiful, Ezra..." Her mind tried to grasp everything the computer was noting such as weaknesses and strengths of each species as well as compatibility. "Perhaps I should ask Instructor Cohen if I can change my major to molecular biology. I have no idea if I have an aptitude for the sciences," she turned to face with a mischievous grin, "But it would help, would it not?" She was unsure if biology or genetic engineering would be better. But one way or another, she wanted to see her Master succeed in this endeavor. The idea that a brood of Sith Spawn would be at her mentor's beck and call actually thrilled her like nothing had in her past.

It never occurred to her that it wasn't a healthy thing in most people's eyes. In her own mind, it was like having a desire you didn't know you had, brought to your attention. And suddenly you craved it. She didn't realize her desire was leaking. Desire to succeed in this with Ezra, desire to succeed as a Sith in her own right, and even a desire for Ezra, himself. The last was a feeling deep enough and slight enough that she wasn't even aware it was mixed in with the others.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"There is no such thing as wrong knowledge. Every thing is beneficial. Even incorrect information, with it's faults identified, can provide valuable information. When I was still a child I mastered what little Tatooine had to offer. I studied abroad, beneath many tutors, scholars, and scientists. Some were not worth the time I spent with them, but I still learned much. However, no teacher has been as paramount as failure. My introduction to Sith Alchemy was brief and fleeting, lasting not even a solar years before the original Sith Temple on Korriban was overrun and the Sith Order routed and nearly destroyed. I taught myself from there. Twisting and mangling corpses, and each time I failed. But I learned. Even the brood has failures. Perfection is a goal we seldom accomplish, and yet we strive all the same. No doubt the brood will fail one day and we will learn and adapt."

"Our only true enemy is time. The time needed to progress, and the limited time each of us have in this galaxy. That, however, can be manipulated. Our own bodies are just as much templates waiting for change as any of these other components I use. They can be made better. Perfected. Perhaps even time can be defeated. We won't know until we try. I have many thoughts on the subject, but it is hardly the time to explore that path. Someday. When we have established our power base and we no longer have the need to cower and scrape. Then perhaps we will shed these forms and ascend to something better."

[Jinsala Wayani]

She hadn't truly given a thought to learning from those who seemed to know less than her. But in his speech, Jin realized that she had learned from others whether she realized it or not.

When he spoke of living longer and perhaps even shedding this form, she smiled. "If you have done all this," she motioned to the brood, "in your life so far, I can wholly believe you'll accomplish twice as much in the time to come." She nodded and looked back at the creatures. Was it strange that she actually wasn't repulsed by them? Once more her hand reached up to lightly caress the barrier between her and them. Without looking back at her mentor, she asked with an almost unhealthy glee, "So what do we do now?"

While her question was mainly about the pursuit of his goals, she was also referring to her training. Dropping her hand, she straightened a little more and looked at him. "What do I need to do now?" If she remained down here assisting him and never returned to the mundane classes above, she would be content. But she knew that wasn't possible either.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"As always, we bide our time. We grow stronger every day, even if only in the smallest of increments. It is still strength gained. So we work on ourselves. It will never be said that the Sith rested on their laurels and retired themselves to legend. Come, let us pursue a more immediate goal. I want to show you my meditation chamber."

Taking the lead once again Ezra lead the acolyte through the lab; away from the thrumming machine and smell of disinfectant and surgical steel. Away from the heat and moisture of the animal enclosure. Deeper into the underground, as if the catacombs had no end. Every corridor passed stretched into the distance, and the marriage of old stonework and new durasteel was clearly visible. The old foundation taken and built upon. Repaired, reinforced. A new interpretation of the form. So was the legacy of the Sith; doomed to repeat cycles of life and death as each chapter rose and fell, only for the next to built upon it's ashes.

Ezra was not satisfied with the cycle. He would create an Empire that would stand forever. Eternal and forever strong.

Meditation was not often popular among the Sith, and Ezra was no exception. He could see the value of forced isolation, and perhaps a focusing of oneself was important for some individuals. He was, however, always at ease. Always calm and in control. Meditation held no value that he could not find in a moment of respite anywhere. His chamber was something else. Referring to it as his meditation chamber was a bit of a misnomer. It was simply an easier term for others to grasp. Truly it was more of a focusing or amplification chamber. A means of recharging rather than a focusing of internal fortitude. The design was not wholly his own, and borrowed heavily from the typical meditation chamber design. A rounded chamber meant to focus the energies of the force on to the occupant kneeling at the center.

"Are you familiar with the Shard?" Ezra asked, as the door to the chamber slid open to reveal a seemingly mundane and empty space.

[Jinsala Wayani]

Jins nodded. "I can work on myself." She was certain it was going to happen. And she also had no doubt that 'resting on their laurels' wasn't something that would be used in reference the Sith as long as her Lord and she were around.

As he asked, she felt her eyes widen in curiosity. "Meditation chamber?" She had come across the reference of one on a tome she had found buried in the back of the Archives. So her curiosity became piqued enough that following him was more important than remaining to commune with the creatures beneath them in captivity.

Her hands reached out now and again to caress the walls. The old stone was cool and damp, the new durasteel supports were cold and dry. She followed her mentor thru the labyrinth. Given time, she could find her way out. But in a panic, she wasn't so sure. That thought made her concentrate even more.

When he asked about the Shard, she bit her lip in thought a moment, then shook her head. "No, Master... I haven't." She stepped into the empty space and looked around, expecting him to keep going into the next room. "But I will make it a point to study about it, Sir." She didn't like not knowing something he wished to discuss. But she was discovering that there was little, to next to nothing, about the Sith that she truly knew.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"The Shard..."

He began as he crossed the threshold of the chamber, stepping delicately through the space. Some might find the space claustrophobic, but he had never been afraid of tight spaces himself. At the other end of the room he touched one of the many identical durasteel panels that created the domed room. With a wave of his hand the switch was manipulated within and the panel slipped forward away from the wall and then slid aside. Behind the panel was a complicated looking series of tubes and circuits that culminated at the center where stood a large, sand colored gemstone. It was raw, uncut. Imperfect.

"...are a sentient silicone-based species. Living crystals, if you will. Not only do they possess the standard classification for sentience but some can even be force sensitive. I've even heard rumor that a Shard Jedi can be found at the Ossus Temple. Truly marvelous things, in their own right. A testament to the infinite creativity of nature. However, I find their existence lacks purpose with the exception of those who manage through incredible odds to procure the means of leaving their world. A very rare few. Beyond those force capable, the rest of the species lacks direction and just multiplies. I find that... unacceptable. Fear not, I have found a new purpose for them. Come."

Reaching into the alcove he ran a finger along one of the jutting facets of the gemstone. There was a stirring in the air, a dull vibration of emotion that was unmistakable as it reverberated in the force: Fear. A great and hallow fear. Like the feeling in the pit of your stomach when, as a child, you waited in your room for your parent to come to punish you.

"Can you feel it?"

[Jinsala Wayani]

Jinsala had followed her Master as he lead her to their destination. She listened intently as her curiosity once more was piqued by his passion in the explanation. It never ceases to amaze her just how much she didn't even imagine existed. And here she was with a man who not only knew of their existence, but knew so much more about them.

The closed in room didn't bother her. Open spaces were far more daunting to her. Forests, crowded transfer stations, place like that, unsettled her more because there were places for people to hide that she couldn't see.

The exposure of the crystal ended her peripheral thinking and drew her once more back to his voice and the crystal in the wall. "A Jedi Shard... That seems interesting indeed." She was impressed that something someone would consider a mere bauble, was capable of defending itself. And in the case of The Force, that meant the ability to FEEL.

When his finger caressed the crystalline form, Jins raised a hand to her chest and gasped. When he asked if she felt it, she actually shuddered and without thinking, a mental barrier slammed up between her and the nearly audible scream she had sensed. She had practiced the barrier in class a few times, but it had never manifested like this. The deadened emotions were an almost physical weight off her mind.

She had no idea Ezra would feel its hard snap into place. But she took a couple deep breaths to slow her racing heart and nodded. "It's scared..." she looked at him as the pieces fell into place. A soft smile of understanding lighting her face up. "It's scared of *you*!" The appreciation and realization of that was more than evident in her voice.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"An understandable reaction, considering the circumstances. I had hoped it would understand that, unlike it's pointless existence back on it's homeworld, here it has purpose. They all have purpose."

The panel was secured back into place and Ezra, taking Jinsala's hand, lead her to the center of the room.

"Several of the panels host a shard. Each connected to the circuitry of the room. The Darkside of the force is most accessible through emotional disparity. The heights of joy and love as well as the depths of hate and fear. The more raw the better. It creates a connection, almost like a floodgate opening. Like a beacon in the dark attracting the insects of the night. It has a great effect on the individual, who can use his or her own emotional state to achieve a great degree of power. However, this emotional... bank can be tapped into by others. We can use the extreme emotional states of others to raise our own. Do you recall when we met? That encounter on Tatooine? You taped into a great primal power. Raw and destructive. That is the power of emotion. It is the dark secret that the Jedi try to hide. Kneel."

Finishing with a command, he placed one hand on the back of her neck and the other on her shoulder and pushed her down as she assumed a kneeling position. He stood behind, one hand still on her neck.

"Now... feel."

With a wave of his hand the door to the meditation chamber slammed shut, and the whirl of activating circuitry could be heard warming in the walls. The feedback field was activated and the lights dimmed to a more soothing intensity. Then it happened. The meditation chamber was suddenly filled with the wailing screams of pain as electricity was fed into the crystalline bodies of the Shard. Without the force their cries would go unheard except by their own kind. It was like dark waves of crimson pain were rolling into them, breaking upon them like rocks. It filled him, like water into an empty glass. He could feel himself growing stronger. In this moment the darkside felt like it was a physical tool that he could hold in his hand.

But Ezra could feel his apprentice struggling in the waves that threatened to drown her. He belt down, placing his lips against her ear. His arm moving to wrap around her chest, holding her in place.

"Don't fight it. You only struggle against yourself. Accept it. Lower your barriers. Let it first consume you and then, when you have finally lost yourself in it, take it's power as your own. It's yours. Take it!"

[Jinsala Wayani]

Jinsala listened as her Master spoke of potential and worthiness. His lack of surprise at the Crystal's fear actually didn't surprise her.


When he took her hand he would feel her pulse race. He didn't strike her as a personal type man, despite her desires when she was alone. So when he took her to the middle of the room while speaking of how emotions were used to girl the Force and that 'other's' emotions could be tapped like a well of power, her heart race faster as a million possibilities ran thru her mind.


But then Ezra told her to kneel, and she couldn't hide the curiosity on her features. The hand on the back of her neck and the press of the other one to her shoulder made her shiver a moment. "Yes, Master," came out as a half muttered utterance of obedience when her knees hit the floor.


The feeling of his fingers sliding around her neck as he walked behind her was like a direct line to his power. She could feel his aura as if leaning into a waterfall. There was definitely a pressure there,but nothing solid enough to support weight.


Then,suddenly, several things happened at once. She heard him command her to 'feel' and she had no choice but to obey. The thing she felt, was the flex of his power as he shot the door and set off the cascade of circuitry in the walls. Then it slammed into her like a runaway tauntaun. The pain of the crystals and the fear and rage filled the chamber. Every second building to a crescendo of sensory overload she never dreamed possible.


Her back bowed in a desire to rid herself it the pain. Her hands reaching, out at first, as if she could could use them to block the overload. To her credit, her cry of surprise and agony was brief once she was hit. Squeezing her eyes shut, fists now clenched at her side,she struggled to will her novice shields to be strong enough to block out the screams she heard in her very soul.


Ezra then he leaned down and whispered against her neck. For whatever reason, she didn't care at that moment, she heard him above all the chaos. His command to accept it, to ride it like a wave, and to not fight it, was like a command to cut off her own head and hand it to him. She continued to fight even as his arm reached around her and bound her physical form to his.


But then something happened...


Unable to keep the barrier up, it failed and fell and she was left without shields of any mental or physical manifestation to stop the power roiling around and thru her. That's when it clicked. To ride the power... rise above it... use it. She let herself drown to the point she almost felt her heart burst from the incoming power. Her breathing became labored and shallow as if she were hyperventilating. For a moment, her hands reached up to grasp at his arm as if to tear herself free with the thought he was doing it to kill her. But like any cup, once it's full, there is nothing left to do but drain.


She let loose a breath she had been holding, and went still in his arms.The noise of the screams of release were slowly ignored as layer by layer she peeled back the maelstrom of Force power around her. And instead of it slamming against her, she managed to channel it. It began moving around her as 'she' willed it instead of as like waves slamming on the rocks. Her voice was raw like she had been screaming. She moved the power around her and thru her, then moved it around the two of them. Had she been able to see it, the eye of the storm they sat it was slowing and building as if awaiting a command. “What do you want me to do with it, Master?” The death grip her hands had had on his arm became loose as the desire to not let go was one of choice and instead of the need to be released.


Her control was tenuous, and the Force flared and spun on the leash of hard won control. Ever once in a while her breath would hitch as a scream or blast from the Shard caught her off guard. She was shaking in his arms, but this time it was from exhaustion, not panic.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"Never forget that this power is fleeting. Like a dying sun it flashes hot, goes supernova, and then the energy is displaced into the cosmos. It will allow you to rise to levels of power the Jedi could never hope to achieve, and when it is gone you will be exhausted. It is a double edged sword to be used wisely and sparingly."

The screams died down to a red hot hum and then faded to nothing. Just whimpers escaping from the walls. The current was gone, but the energy remained like hot coals in his chest. Releasing her chest he reached down and grabbed her arm roughly and lifted her hand in front of her face.

"This power can be used for so much. There is no end to the applications. I use this chamber to empower myself to greater heights of Alchemy. With this power I fuse bones and rend cartilage into new shapes. Life is created at my fingertips as I sew corpses together with the force as my needle. Ugly, undesirable forms are given new purpose. This galaxy is full of imperfection, and I bring order to this chaos."

His other hand snaked up from his side, hidden away until now. There was only a flash of metal to be seen before the knife was dragged across the palm of her hand, cutting deep before pulling away and tossed across the chamber so that he could grab her once again, holding her back from furfiling the basic human need to cup the wound; to staunch the bleeding. Instead he held her hand up for her to see the blood and meat with one hand, and with the other he pinned her other hand to her chest. The darkside gave him a strength that one would not expect from his small form.

"The Darkside has the power to destroy, and the power to heal. It is not the healing of the Jedi. It does not let you wave your hand and wish the pain away. No. The pain is important. We are nothing without pain. Life is suffering. The darkside can mend flesh as much as the light, but it sustains the pain so that we may learn from our mistakes. There is a cost to be paid, and the coin is pain. Observe."

Pressing his fingers into the wound he channeled the force into the wound. There was no numbing the pain as the flesh was stitched painfully back together. He could feel it through her, and her pain served to power him more. It could create an infinite loop, but there were great risks. The pain could drive a person insane, or cause great trauma that they might never recover from. It was hard to stop. It felt so good to inflict so much pain. He did stop, almost immediately. The blood was coagulated and scabbing, but the would was still open. Still a painful wreck.

"Fix your hand, my Apprentice. Focus. Find the pain. Use the force. Reach out with it. Reach deeper. Even deeper. Until you can see the individuals sinews of the muscles, the cells that compose your flesh, and the rigid walls of the bones beneath. Now grab those those severed tendrils of flesh, like tree roots that have been severed from the riverbank. Merge them back together, will them to life. Use that well of power in your chest. Right. Here."

Grabbing the hem of her shirt he pull it down, stretching and tearing her shirt until it gave way enough to reveal the center of her chest, where he tapped against her breastplate. He could feel the power welling up inside her, just waiting for direction.

"Use it to rekindle life into the dead cells. Bring them back to life. Mend them together. It will hurt. A lot. Use that pain. It's not as strong as the pain of others, but it will sustain you. Do it."

Ezra had been here himself once, under the tutelage of Baralai Lotus. He knew she would fail. It was so difficult a task especially without great medical knowledge to aid in the task. He had failed himself, causing improper cell replication that bubbled up and deformed the wound and threatened to lose him the very appendage he had attempted to repair. It was all part of the lesson to be learned.

[Jinsala Wayani]

Jins gasped as the silence came. The power still washed over and around her like being caught in a volcano you couldn't escape from. But at least she stopped her own cries listened to her Master's words. The image of the supernova was one she understood and hey mind clung to it. "Use it before it's gone," she murmured with a nod of understanding.

As Ezra spoke of shifting and molding flesh, and heels up her hand, she thought he was going to ask her to create something. Not thinking, she absently leaned back into him, waiting to feel his guidance.

Jinsala was about to say something when her mind was assaulted one more... this time by her own physical pain. She wasn't quick enough, or strong enough, against his Force skill and strength, to escape as he sliced open her hand. With so much overload already, she screamed out and struggled. But it was like fighting a steel cage, for all the good it did her.

He spoke to her of power and pain. How they were interlocked. The black rage in her mind mingled with her pain till she couldn't tell where one was and the other wasn't. Another scream bounced around the sealed chamber as fingers probed the wound, sealing it in its wake like some crude cauterizing tool. She struggled harder, her own aren't a momentary boost but lost in her lack of control.

When he pulled his hand free and told her to heal herself, her initial reaction was to shake her head. He'd ruined her hand. Sure, it was her left, but it still looked like an arthritically twisted appendage of torn and melted flesh. But then she remembered the creatures in the other room. They hadn't been ravaged or torn or looked like so much rotted flesh.

Taking a couple ragged to stop her near hyperventilating, she concentrated on her palm. Tears clouded her vision, but she couldn't do anything but blink them away. Her cry this time was a deep gutteral growl as she first used the Force to tear the wound open again. She forced her hand open and flat as best she could in hopes of making the bones align properly. She knew nothing of how muscles were twisted and wrapped with tendons and blood vessels, but she closed her eyes a moment to try and remember 'something' that would help.

A second later she stared into her bleeding, head going light from the pain and bloodloss. She images the myriad of blood vessels meeting end up end to make the circulation right. She tried to imagine the muscles righting themselves. But in the end, the best she accomplished was a very clean scar on the surface. That she could Invision. THAT was something she'd seen plenty of and understood. But under that surface, muscles had filled to bone and vessels were mismatched and knotted too nothing could flow properly. Her hand was half cupped as if she had been holding a large call and it was gone but the form of hand still held it. The pain made her heart race faster again and she shook her head recognizing her failure. Sure, it was neater on the outside, but under the surface it was a mass of fused flesh and bone that would never function again.

Her failure realized, she flailed against him once more. But, once more, her lack of concentration in the overload of her pain, his power, and the feedback loop between them kept her from thinking rationally enough to escape. Though her growls and whimpers as she struggled against him, thankfully, were in control enough not to become screams.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

There was so little for him to watch. Instead he felt her choices, honing in on the damage tissue and observing the repairs she attempted. She blundered as he expected and instead of nearly threading each fiber and sinew back together she instead fused it together like a battlefield medic. The bleeding was stopped, which was commendable, but her focus on repairing the surface left him disappointed in the end. Appearance meant nothing. Functionality was everything. What she had now was a hand with the mobility of a rock tied to a stick. A club hand would not suffice. Not for his apprentice anyway.

Grabbing her hand roughly he jabbed his thumb where the wound had been, and it tore open again. The fibers were still freshly repaired and not properly fused. It was like tearing through cast-plast film. Everything she had done was destroyed, her flesh torn asunder once more. At first her fear and shame had been something for him to feed upon, and now the pain was rich and flowing just like the blood from her hand. It was more than enough to keep him fully powered as he ripped the last hasty repair apart and begin to stitch her hand back together.

Ezra did it slowly. Slower than he had any need to. He wanted her to feel the pain, have it dragged out before her. He wanted her to know what failure felt like, and most of all he wanted her to learn from it.

"For thousands of years the Sith thought that power was absolute and the greatest accolade attainable. They fought among themselves, stole and cheated, to become the strongest. Many sought great heights of control of the force, or incredible feats of physical strength. Some knew a deeper truth. Knowledge is power. There is much to be gained through knowledge, from the simple to the most complex. My knowledge of the structure of the human body allows him to stitch your wound together with such perfection that it is almost as if the injury never occurred. Almost."

Pulling his thumb away revealed the wound closed again, the damage repaired, but a white scar sat where the blade had rent her flesh.

"You focused too much on appearances, my Apprentice. Never forget that form and functionality will always be more important than an appealing facade. I could strike your entire hand from your wrist, and create you one better. Not something smooth and soft, but something ugly and powerful. Striving for beauty will only cause additional complications to an already arduous process. Evolution often moves along these lines, using billions of years of selective breeding to achieve what is most desirable. We do not have that luxury. Stand."

Getting back up he offered her his hand and helped her to her feet.

"The human body is a great example. No species is found as plentiful in the galaxy as the human. Across a hundred worlds and yet the form is essentially the same. It defies mammalian evolutionary paths and sheds it's protective fur but adopts no further protection. Think how much greater a human could be say with leathery skin, or scales for additional protection. Additional lids in the eyes for protection from dust and sand. Longer legs, shorter legs, four arms, a tail for counter weight or even tool manipulation, claws..."

Each time he listed a new item he prodded the corresponding point on Jinsala's body. As he ran his hand along her hand from the knuckles to her fingertips, he let her hand drop and reached up and grabbed her breast through the fabric of her shirt, cupping it and squeezing it a look of disappointment tinged with disgust washed over his face and releasing it.

"Breasts serve no purpose without pups to feed. Reducing them to only when needed would give females a greater range of motion; making them more skilled warriors and tool operators. Such a flawed design, in the end. It is disappointing that this is what we have amounted to over so much time. But we have alchemy. These forms are fleeting. We have the power to create new bodies. We are only limited by our imaginations, and our knowledge. Inspiration is found everywhere in nature, just waiting to be adapted and applied.

So tell me, my student. How would you improve my body?"

[Jinsala Wayani]

His disappointment was palpable and evident as her Master jammed his thumb into the palm of her hand and retore the wound like his finger was the edge of a light saber.

She was so deep in pain, and all screamed out that, though her mouth gaped open, it was a voiceless scream that breathed out of her throat.

To his surprise she would get one good jolt of strength trying to escape. Her mind screamed that he was making it worse as a lesson to her to do it again... And better.

"Eezzzrrraaaaaaa......" His name on her lips was both a plea and a curse as she stared at the bleeding hand, feelings of pain flooded her entire body almost as if the Sith Lord was tearing apart more than her hand. As he dragged the lesson on for what seemed like an eternity, she tried to scream but her voice was so hoarse now it was merely a forced breath that was as ragged as the wound. Her struggling, though it never ceased, was useless against his strength... Which was more than enough as it was fed by her struggling.

When he finished the sealing of the tear he had made, twice, the scar was as she would have expected from a shallow knife wound more than a few weeks healed. Her gasp as he ended the healing, and subsequently the drawing out of pain, left her breathless and weak. Her head swimming from the trauma.

When he finished his lecture of functionality over appearance, he let her go and stood up. She collapsed completely to the floor, wincing as she went to all fours and the wounded hand stung a moment from being stretched as she caught herself. She took two deep breaths before managing to pull herself together enough to take Ezra's hand and stand up on shaking, weak feeling legs. "Yes,... Ma... Master..." she managed to get out, but her voice was hoarse and not very loud.

As Ezra continued his lesson on biology and evolution's shortcomings, he poked a part of Jins' body. The first couple times, she visibly cringed as her mind imagined him using his power to warp her into the images he was describing. When he let go of her hand only to grope her breast, her reflex was to slap him away. But again, it was a weak and pointless gesture that ended with her hands at her sides, fists clenched in both pain and shame as he spoke of his disgust for her body.

She had guess he wasn't interested in her as anything other than a student. But even this pained her deeper than she wanted to admit. To not want her was one thing... To be disgusted was something else.

The apprentice reflexively crossed her arms over her chest as he released her. When he was done he asked her a question she hadn't actually considered. The pause was noticably long before she spoke with a raspy voice, arms going to her side as she forced her weary and abused body to stand up straight and minimize the shaking.

"Perhaps another pair of arms. Would help with holding and manipulating your test and creation subjects. Perhaps the ability to close your auditory senses off at will to spare your head the pitiful wails of those same subjects. It's apparent you don't need to hear or see pain to feel it and draw from it." She would have left it at that but a bite of anger rose and she sneered slightly as she blurted out, "And as my breasts are so pointless except for when pups are involved," the word *pup* was almost spat at him, "perhaps your own reproductive organ could retreat inside you like that of a dog when not needed for his bitch. To not be a distraction or bother, of course."

Her references to dogs was to remind him he had done the same to her. If she was repulsive to him, then she'd treat him the same. By now she was pushing back the pain behind a wall of growing anger. Without realizing it, she was more steady on her feet and had stepped up to him as well.

[Ezra Na'chtion]

"That's the ticket. Think broadly and differently. There are many paths that can be taken. Not all are viable but all are worth exploring so long as knowledge and experience is gained through the failure. That is how we grow. Try, fail, try again. I don't think there will ever be success when it comes to Sith Alchemy. Not in a definite form. Only attempts that are more successful than others. It is imperative that we record our knowledge so that we will not forget those failed steps. It is important to know where and what we came from, to better inform us on where we are going.

Speaking of which, I think it would be in your best interest to see where this all truly began. The Sith Temple still stands on Korriban, hidden in the Valley of the Sith Lords. While it now plays the part of tomb rather than temple, it is still a monument for our kind and a testament of what our progenitors achieved. I have taken all the most valuable artifacts lest they be stolen by bandits but there is still great significance to be found within those walls. The remnants of the library, the sealed tombs of great Sith warriors, and the bones of those who died forcing us from our home. When the opportunity presents itself, I will take you there. The next school holiday will give us the time we need for the trip."

Clasping his hands behind his back and completely overlooking her emotional state, Ezra walked around her and toward the door, which slid open in advance of him. "In the meantime, study. Study as much as you can. There is nothing that can replace knowledge. It will be your greatest weapon. Very soon I will need your help with a special project; the next step of the Sithspawn's evolution, and the future of this very planet. So many things to do, my apprentice, and so little time. With your help we will even the field."

[Jinsala Wayani]

"Yes, Master..." she said to his retreating back.

As he disappeared, whatever hold he had on her severed with the closing of the door. It was as if strings that had been holding her together were finally snapped. She fell to her knees and hands with an audible cry of pain and rage. Biting her lip till it bled, she kept repeating to herself to not make a sound. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of screaming for him anymore... if she could help it.

And something told me, she never would be able to 'not' scream... if it was what he truly wanted.

She spent some time, gasping and trying to put herself together. After what seemed like an eternity, she managed to pick herself up and get back to her quarters. She ignored the jeers and stares of a few who taunted her. One student tried to block her path, but her single look was all it took to make the girl back off with a blanched look. Whatever was in Jinsala's pain and rage was evident in her eyes.

Back in her room, she collapsed on her bed and cried herself to sleep with a promise to herself, her Master, and any gods who would listen, that she WOULD grow in power so she would never feel that helpless again. She hoped it was the lesson he had wanted her to learn, cause it was the one that was seered into her brain.