ALL IT COST HER

It wasn't even a day and she was already a widow.

Leena didn't bring Vette to the temple where she was supposed to get the Ravager. The apprentice didn't know what to do with anything anymore. Occlus must have already known Arrun died along with her other apprentices, acolytes, and servants. The Empire deemed this as a tragic event caused by terrorists.

When she came back, Baras proceeded as nothing happened. She didn't speak about the wedding, nor did she even entertain those who asked questions. "When I sent you into the Dark Temple for the Ravager, I thought it might be the last time I saw you, apprentice. This prisoner grows weaker by the minute."

"The wedding or the Dark Temple, you can only kill me once," Leena answered as he gave the item to her Master. He didn't seem to mind her words as long as he had the material he needed.

"You're wasting… your time. I… will not… ah!" When Baras placed the Ravager onto the Republic man's head – his eyes glowed red. Leena could feel his own life essence slipping away from his body. "Yes. The Ravager has seized his mind. Excellent! In his condition, we don't have long before the ordeal liquefies all brain matter."

"Maybe he'll last longer if you reduce the pain?" An innocent suggestion from the apprentice.

"The pain drives the device's effectiveness." He then turned to the prisoner. "Republic worm you have the information I desire. Tell me everything."

"I am…" he started off. From the pain he was experiencing, he was having a hard time and he didn't have any time to live any longer. Like a battery almost out of energy. "Republic… Information Service… on special assignment to verify… possible imperial spy… on Nar Shaddaa. Commissioned by… Jedi Council… acting on suspicions provided by… Master Noman Karr…"

"Noman Karr," Baras spoke his name with despise. "That's a name I grow tired of hearing."

"Are you going to keep me in the dark, old man?" Leena crossed her arms as she began to smart mouth her master.

"Noman Karr is a Jedi Master who infiltrated the Sith. I rooted him out, then he nearly destroyed me and fled. He's dedicated himself to proving that the Sith have spies imbedded within the Republic and Jedi ranks. I've thwarted him at every turn. But he's tenacious." He turned back to the prisoner. Wanting to root out his old enemy even more. "How did Noman Karr come to suspect my spy on Nar Shaddaa? Tell me, Republic wretch – what alerted him?"

"Master Noman Karr has… a new… Padawan. She seems to… know any being's… true nature. She senses… hidden darkness… and… untapped purity…"

"Astonishing. I've never heard of the Force granting such a gift. Tell me, how does her power work?" Baras continued.

"All I… all I know is…when Master Norman Karr brought her to Nar Shaddaa… this Padawan sensed… darkness in your spy… simply by… seeing him."

Leena looked at her master. "What… is a Padawan?"

"That is what the Jedi call their trainees. It means that she is not yet a Jedi." Baras answered, with concerns right inside of his mind. "If this young Padawan can see through deception and disguises with such little effort, she threatens everything I have worked hard for. Continue, Republic dog."

"Karr… believes his Padawan's… ability is foolproof… but the Jedi Council is… skeptical. I was to provide the proof… but… I wasn't… able… to report my findings…"

"At least the damage is not yet done," Leena spoke as she leaned against the wall. Baras, on the other hand, is already thinking about how this would work.

"For now, perhaps, but we can't have this potential doomsday weapon scouring the galaxy." Even when the prisoner is about to die, Baras continued to ask the questions. "Who is this Padawan, you Republic pest? Tell me everything you know about her!"

"She was found… on Alderaan. her power… first emerged… training on Tatooine. And… Jedi sent her another… agent… to investigate someone she suspected on Balmorra…"

"Master, he's dying…" Leena pointed out the obvious.

"I know that you fool! Is she human or one of the Jedi's cursed aliens? Where can I find her? What is her name?!"

'You could have asked her name first…' Leena thought to herself as she watched the Republic agent to slowly die on the torture table.

"I… have… nothing… no…thing… mo…mo—argh!" And he faded into death. "The Ravager has emptied his mind. This is all we have to go on… a few random places within the greater galaxy where Norman Karr and his Padawan have been!"

"It's a start, Master. That device did the trick."

"You are correct. We now have leads to follow. Luckily the girl is found on your home planet." Baras began to walk towards his desk. "Norman Karr is a relentless crusader, and his Padawan and her unprecedented power threaten everything I have achieved. Your duties are likely to take you to the far reaches of the galaxy, I will need to deploy you at will – and soon. You shall have a starship of your own. You have earned it and all the birthdays you have not celebrated."

Leena looked at him, wondering how the hell she would even celebrate even with Vette around. She doesn't really feel to celebrate her birthday in years. "You will go to my personal hanger in the spaceport and claim it once it is done."

"And when would that be?"

"Expect it to be in your possession within three days." The master assured the apprentice.

"This has been long overdue, master." Being stuck in Dromand Kaas for a solid seven years without much to do was rather tiresome. This drives the girl to do things to earn more knowledge, learn what her Master hasn't taught her.

"I am the one who dictates the timing of such things, Sern." The Master warned her of her tone. "I must ponder our next move. Once you receive the starship, I will give you further instructions from there." Leena bowed as she excused herself.

When Leena returned to the stronghold, Vette was waiting for her in the living room. To think that everything happened a few days ago – she couldn't imagine the horror inside of the apprentice's heart. The Twi'lek was worried for her, the apprentice didn't eat, drink – Vette didn't even know if she was sleeping properly.

Inside her chambers, the apprentice looked at the desk – four lightsabers in her possession. The lightsaber of Tulak Hord, the prize she got for becoming Darth Baras's apprentice. The two lightsabers of her mother, one was in the possession of her Master for unknown reasons, the other was in the possession of Dark Occlus – a woman who claimed to be close to her mother. And the last one, the lightsaber of her beloved Arrun – a man who she thought she would have forever until she died.

She was wrong.

What could she do with four lightsabers? She didn't know. Occlus hasn't returned from her off-world trip, people suspected Baras had a hand in this chaos and at the same time, there was no strong evidence against this whole suggestion. Nevertheless, it was a declaration of war against Occlus – a silent war within the shadows of the dark side.

In three days, she would go off-world and proceed to do things for her Master. People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy. She is to be commended for making it this far, she has revisited the dark moments of her past and now – she must face the present. She can't do that as Leena Sern, as a woman.

Her confusion is only natural, companions along the way as well as enemies will help her understand. She underestimated the power of the Force, and Leena knew that she cannot afford to make the same mistake twice.

There is no redemption for her, she knew deep down in her heart and soul, that she was not worthy of it. Apathy is death, worse than death because at least the rotting corpse feeds the beasts and insects.

She is flesh and blood, she can be destroyed, but as a symbol – she can be incorruptible, everlasting even. She must breathe in her fears and face them.

'To conquer fear, I must become fear.' Be the Sith she was always meant to be.

The thing about chaos is that chaos is fear.

The apprentice walked out of her chamber, holding out a datapad as she walked towards her companion. "Vette, would it be fine if you would run some errands for me?"

Vette tilted her head, looking at her friend with concern. "Uh, sure? What do you need?"

The apprentice gave her the datapad, the Twi'lek analyzed what was in there as Leena explained. "My measurements are on the datapad, I want you to find someone who can commit a cortosis armor for me in the city – I will pay for the expenses and even double the price if they can rush it in three days. If its high quality, I will triple it."

"Uhh… sure but why cortosis?" Vette asked.

Leena immediately provided an answer without even showing a hint of emotion. "The material is strong enough to stand up against anything, even a lightsaber." Cortosis has always been expensive to mine because it was so rare and it had to be absolutely refined. Unrefined cortosis ores are considered to be dangerous. "If they have cortosis-shield, they can name their price and I will double it if I have it in three days before we leave."

"Where… would you get the money? And where are we going?"

"Baras gives me credits for everything we needed, I've been saving up for years…" Leena sighed. "Baras will be sending me off-world, I'll be bringing 2V with me since he's familiar with the ship and I was also hoping to bring you along with me."

The apprentice gave out a sad smile, Vette smiled in return – taking her hands in assurance. Vette didn't need to say anything for Leena to get the message. The Twi'lek said nothing more and proceeded out to Kaas City and inquire about the armor her friend needed.

She sighed once Vette was out of the stronghold, the apprentice proceeded to the training room she rarely used for the past seven years. She would usually do her rounds by the balcony under the rain, she looked around – wondering what to do once she was gone from Dromand Kaas. It became her home and at the same time, it became her prison.

She had a lot of memories. Terrifying and happy memories clouded her mind. She closed her eyes as she remembered the day where she first met Arrun – like any other day in Dromand Kaas, it was raining and she was shaking from the constant nightmares she was receiving. Every time when he became closer to her, the nightmares lessened and lessened until they were gone for some time.

Now that he was dead, the nightmares were consuming her along with the darkness that was sleeping in her heart and soul.

Perhaps the nightmares were his legacy to her. He wasn't even her husband for a day, he was only hers for a few minutes, not even an hour – and he died in her arms. He died alone, he died for her – and she hated herself for that.

She hated Baras, she hated the galaxy, she hated the Force – and she hated herself for allowing all of these things to happen. She didn't ask for it, Arrun didn't ask for it – the horrors on her face on that day, even Vette couldn't forget it.

Vette couldn't forget Leena's shock., her sorrow and her anger at that one faithful day.

It was the first time, in those seven years together, where she saw Leena completely giving herself to anger. The hatred and passion the Sith kept on preaching, was all in her eyes.

Sometimes the apprentice couldn't even believe that he was gone. Sometimes Leena would find herself escaping through the night, walking through the jungle hugging herself. She would sometimes lookout by the balcony, in hopes that Arrun would just stand there waiting for her with a welcoming smile. She wanted to wake up every morning next to him with a loving smile, she wanted to feel his touch, his lips – she wanted to be his wife, have a family with him, has a future

And Baras took that future away from her.

He openly expressed how much he loathed Zylas for the past seven years. He openly expressed how much he had certain expectations for her, as Lord Sern's daughter. He openly expressed how much he would treat her like a common animal in a cage – tame her like a beast, teach her how to respond properly and proceeded with her missions without any hesitation or distractions. He would punish her for small mistakes, making sure she would leave no trace and would proceed everything neatly.

And in the end, none of that all matters to her now.

She needs this revenge like how she needs water.

The apprentice proceeded with her concentration, trying to touch the Force and see if what Arrun said all those years were true. She could feel its absence – the feeling of standing on top of a great mountain with the winds tearing about you, finding herself buried alive.

Trapped, helpless and alone.

The feeling of knowing what she wanted to say, but never finding the words. A kind of chorus replaced with silence, hearing his teachings without meaning. It was like having the energy of youth, then feeling the cloak of years fall upon her and knowing she is weak – fragile and afraid.

Like a beloved pupil whom he had shared everything, sacrificed everything, and having them turn from him – and forgetting all he was. His absence placed more holes within her heart, making them larger than the ones her mother left.

'Feel this moment.' The voice returned with the welcoming embrace of the darkness of her heart. 'For as long as it will last.'

The apprentice opened her eyes, looking around the room to find no one but her. The nightmares have returned and so did the voice, she didn't even know whose voice this belonged to. She gave out another sigh, looking down on her hands – reminding herself that he died in her arms.

"He died and you lived. I don't blame you for that, Sern." Leena turned around to find Darth Occlus by the door with her arms crossed. Removing her hood, the Dark Lord walked towards her and removed her helmet, revealing her face to the apprentice. "You feel the hole in the Force, so do I."

"Aren't you… angry?" Leena asked in curiosity. This woman who stands before her is a Dark Lord of the Sith, not only that, she's part of the Dark Council.

Occlus didn't show reaction as she gave her answer. "I'm furious. Everyone knows Baras is trying to break me to the core, and no one can really blame him for anything with a lack of evidence. This terrorist attack… as they call it, is trying to break the Empire's core and me along with it. Baras is a man who will see this Empire burn if he could be Emperor of the ashes."

"Mother said something similar to that…"

"Your mother is barely wrong on many occasions, but she was only human, and in the end, she paid the price for serving the Empire. I'm certain that you would seek her council through the Holocron, a child with nothing needs all the help she could get."

Leena looked at Occlus in the eyes, she could feel the dark side of the Force consuming the emotion and passion through the dark lord and at the same time – she was not driven with the madness of the corruption the Force grants other Sith before them. "What do you want?"

"I've been looking for a reason to cause some chaos." The Dark Lord said with a smile. She lost her son and yet, Leena didn't know what she was truly feeling – she lacked the discipline and training to even sense it. Baras was always more focused on her strength and power. "I like to stop and smell the blood and yet, even I know I can't avenge my son for what your Master did."

"What do you mean?"

"I warned Arrun that you would be the death of him, and he was so stubborn about it. Refusing to cancel the wedding or even the engagement as I suggested." Occlus began to explain. "Baras tends to make the dark council nervous, now my fellow Lords are questioning if I can take another apprentice – since all of them died in one day."

Leena paused for a moment, thinking of her words carefully. "I… I am sorry for your loss, my Lord."

"Betrayal is the Sith's endless game, Sern. Even my most prized apprentice knew that and now he's dead. I gave him everything he needed, the training, the knowledge, the growth and he gave all of that up for a pretty face." Occlus couldn't hide the hint of disappointment in her tone. "I heard you would be leaving Dromand Kaas, I won't stop you… in fact, I'm here to give you one last advice before you travel across the galaxy."

"What… kind of advice, my Lord?"

"Everyone wants something from you, anyone claiming otherwise is a liar." Occlus continued as she gently tucked the stray strand of hair from Leena's face, to the back of her ear. "Remember who you are. You are Lord Zylas Sern's daughter, born with an incredible connection to the Force – people will always want something from you."

"And what do you want?" The apprentice asked, looking into her eyes as the dark lord stood in front of her.

"Our revenge. And I always get what I want."