LESSONS FROM HER MASTERS  

The evening in Taris wasn't as cold as Dromand Kaas. Leena had her helmet off as she and her apprentice were resting for the night. Individual quarters were prepared for them but the Sith Lord refused, telling her apprentice that they would camp out for the night where the risk of being attacked by wild beasts or enemy scouts was high.

Leena was staring blankly at the fire they made as the both of them were surrounded by silence. Jaesa was meditating quietly in front of the Master, having her alone with her thoughts.

The fire was a symbol of life and passion. She thought back through all those years she's been with the Sith. Tremel was the first master she had, a man who seemed to have owed Lord Zylas Sern something so great that he took the advantage of training her daughter. He told her that there was nothing fair in battle, with the galaxy being the arena that encourages violence and conflict – with peace being nothing more than an empty word.

Tremel was a man who valued judgment, something that she took rather seriously when she was young. Never waste potential resources. She didn't grant mercy because she thought they deserved it but rather because she saw some use of them. But she wondered why she granted mercy to those Jedi she faced before.

Baras on the other hand was a more difficult Master. She was a slave, his most promising dark apprentice. A self-made man with so many songs to sing. To observes and remain in the shadows can be a great asset but it won't save her forever. That's what she learned from him. She learned by playing this dangerous game that she wouldn't win her way with his way, his rules. She won't be fighting him yet. t wasn't the right time.

Was there someone in her service that she trusts completely with Baras around? No. She doesn't. It was the safest and wisest answer. To look around herself, she was surrounded by liars for years – and every one of them was better than her. Regardless of Baras's words to her of praise and hope for success, distrusting Baras was the wisest thing she did since Tremel was murdered.

Baras is one of the most dangerous men in the Empire.

"Master?" Leena turned her attention to the apprentice who had a worried expression towards her. "Vette… would say how much of a good person you are, despite all of the blood you spill for your Master. All those… those missions—"

"You're wondering why I didn't go to the Jedi for peace of mind? Or to have my freedom?" Leena spoke sternly as the apprentice nodded. She knew that Jaesa would ask something like that to her – considering that her actions reflect light, the mercy she showed to Master Yonlach, to her parents, and Master Karr. Cyrus said something rather similar, on how the Jedi could heal her, save her, how there was hope for her.

"I could never be with the Jedi." She said. "True both philosophies and codes are flawed for the Jedi and the Sith – but what is the Galaxy? Does it only revolve on the Republic and the Empire? The Jedi and the Sith? No – there's more out there then the battle of conflict within the Force, and yet conflict is a part of our way of life regardless if you feel your connection strong, or weak, or no connection at all."

The Master continued. "The Jedi would have you believe that peace is a desirable goal. That peace out of the spirit is the way of the Force is mastered, that lack of conflict makes a better man. The Sith know different, it is our passion, our hate, and our desire that fuels the Force. It is a conflict that improves a lot of civilization and singles being both. Conflict forces one to better oneself. It forces change, growth, adaption, evolution, or death. These are not our laws, but the universe. Without conflict, you have only stagnation. That is why the Jedi only understand the Force partially, they fail to understand the fundamental nature of the force, that it is conflict."

It has always been the struggle of having to look at both views of the Force, and yet, sometimes she couldn't help but feel that she was obligated to answer the call of the dark side. The allure of power and the call of the dark side is always present – which made things all the more difficult to walk with the Sith. "One quickly learns that the Jedi Code does not give all the answers. If you are to truly understand then you would need the contrast, not adherence to a single idea."

"How were… how do you know the Jedi teachings?"

"While I had Baras to teach me the ways of the dark side and the Sith, I held myself responsible for the lessons that my late husband influenced me. Until he… introduced me to someone from the Jedi Order." The apprentice listened carefully to how her Master came to be. The power she gained, the mistakes she made, there was so much to learn about from her.

"He taught me everything without reservations, without judgment – he was a good mentor and a good friend. He was the first Jedi I met, and for a while, I thought that the Jedi weren't as bad as I was told they were and I was wrong." She spoke in a rather bitter tone.

"I was often told that my act of kindness and mercy was an act. A way of manipulation to gain something more easily, looking for a shortcut to make my position better and stronger – but the Jedi often forget that the Sith is what they made us be. If it wasn't for their arrogance and their ignorance with the Force, perhaps the balance would have still be valued within the Jedi Order and the Sith would be nothing. But that is not the case for the two Orders. The Jedi will not admit it but they're fools to pretend that they are warriors who cannot live without war or conflict."

"What are the Jedi?" Jaesa asked.

"What do you think, apprentice?" Jaesa turned silent. Wondering that for herself. "What are the Jedi without the Force?"

Leena's gaze went back to the fire. The Force has a plan for her, Arrun would always say that – and yet she didn't quite understand that even as of now. She didn't want any of this. The suffering, the power, the fear, the hate – none of it. But no one could choose their destiny, which is why she was forced to do her duty.

Great or small she must do her duty.

With the Master being difficult, Jaesa found herself asleep as Leena kept the fire going through the night. She didn't feel like sleeping at all she couldn't remember when she had a fruitful sleep in the first place. On Korriban, it was twisted and turns with nervousness if she was able to fulfill the legacy that was left for her. When Tremel was murdered, it was now a constant instinct of fear.

She felt restless on the idea that she didn't know when she could be killed. There was no guarantee for people like her. There is no such thing as safety for a Sith.

'You have to be safe.' She closed her eyes as she heard Arrun's gentle voice. Be strong.

'It's easier said than done.' She thought to herself. It's not easy to see what has never been there. Arrun was there when things became difficult, and so was Vette. It was rather hard for the Sith Lord to imagine how her life could be without the two of them keeping her sane. She never wanted anyone to die for her.

And there she stood, becoming a monster to kill another monster.

Occlus found herself alone in the dark council chamber. With all of the other Dark Lords gone and retired for the evening. The masked woman had no companion insight, Talos wasn't allowed in the chambers of the Sith Academy for he wasn't forced sensitive. Even if she granted him clearance, she didn't want anything idiotic to happen. She was more concerned about what bloodthirsty acolytes could do to him if he decided to run his excited mouth on artifacts.

She found herself thinking of the young Sith Lord. As a powerful woman in her position, it was embarrassing and considered a weakness to the teachings she should have been protecting. The Empire's history, its philosophies – she strongly believed them but Occlus also believes that it was simply lacking.

With the Emperor an absentee ruler, the dark council made sure that everything runs smoothly for the sake of the people under them and, for their survival. In all of her years on that seat of power, it wasn't so difficult to see that the Sith could fall with such selfish actions. Vengean wanted war and has successfully convinced the council to do so. The Republic didn't hesitate on returning the favor.

Her worry was more on Baras. On what he did to the girl to make sure that such actions were dealt with. By pleasing his Master, Occlus could already see the big picture. It wouldn't be long for Darth Vengean to be replaced by his apprentice. Just as Zylas was.

'They are a threat to the Emperor!' The paranoid voice rang through her head. She remembered the moment very well despite her old age. It was a frightening thing, even for a Sith of her stature all those years ago.

The Battle of Alderaan had its scars on Darth Occlus even if she won't admit it. 'They are children!'

'They won't be children for long.' Sith is often living in hatred, pride, and fear – Occlus was no exception. She remembered how Zash was fond of her compared to a pureblood Sith. A species that was supposed to be her better and yet there she was, more promising and more powerful than every slave around her. Her overseer was never pleased with her and spite her for the power she gained.

She was once told that without Zash, she would be nothing.

But they were wrong. She became more without her Master. She had survived in a galaxy that didn't want her. She knew that she lost the game and there was no point in playing again, knowing what it did to her apprentices and her son.

Occlus smiled, behind that mask of hers. It was only appropriate, for a self-made Lord with so many words to whispers. One can learn so many from losing as long as they were left alive at the end. She knew she can't win against Baras at this stage of the events, not this way – it was his game, his rules. She wasn't going to fight him. She was going to let his weapon fire back at him.

Quick tempers and slow minds won't let her advance.

"Here to gaze upon the throne again, Baras?" She turned to the entrance to find the man standing there. Two masked Dark Lords silently pushing the pawns forwards. "When you imagine yourself up there, how do you look? Do all the Dark Lords simper and bow, the ones who have sneered at you for years?"

Turning towards the Dark Lord who stood up from her seat walking towards his direction. "You must know that I admire you."

She nodded. "And I admire you – Baras. And yet here we stand, in mutual admiration and respect, playing our roles." Occlus wasn't a fool, she knew how much she enjoyed playing the game with a man such as Baras. To play against one of the most dangerous men in the Empire, it was exciting for her. A former slave who climbed in the steps of power.

A man with no motive is a man no one suspects. To always keep their foes confused, for them to not know what they are or what they want – they would never know what the other would do next.

"I live to serve." For all those years playing, Occlus knew those words to be false. To understand a person's motives, they always had to play a game. To assume the worse.

He wants something.

And she knew exactly what he wants. The conflict between her and Zylas, it was he who started it – and even when he denies it, she knew he wanted one of them to die. Turn against one another, and when the one who dies lie on the floor with a pool of blood, he would strike for the other.

He would stand on top of the ashes of the Empire if it meant grasping power. Sometimes a commander may choose to share details of his plan, often he may not. In either case, obedience must be instant and complete. Such automatic response relies on trust between the commander and those commanded. That was the difference between their network of spies.

Occlus was being served out of trust and was worshiped.

Baras made sure that they were feeding on fear and the empty promises of a Sith Lord.

The Dark Lord turned to Baras and spoke calmly. "My son said the same thing, Baras. And look where it got him." The trust she gained from her men can only be obtained through leadership. Occlus knew that Arrun lacked in that aspect, but perhaps, Leena was able to understand and comprehend the whole idea.

There is more to being a Sith than bringing fear to enemies and those under them.

Leena opened her eyes, her attention was on her sleeping apprentice. A young soul who has yet to understand how things work around the Sith. To have someone to look up to her, she didn't know what to exactly feel – what to expect. She was afraid of what could happen to the poor girl if she decides to tap herself onto the dark side of the Force. Be corrupted like those fallen Jedi before her. Or balance it with the understanding of both the Jedi and the Sith with an open mind.

"Lord Sern, I presume." Out of instinct, the Sith Lord ignited her lightsaber as she turned to face the man who stood there with a smile upon his lips. His eyes were orange, showing the full corruption of the dark side. His aura was as terrifying as the other Sith in the Empire, his expression seems like a man calculating ahead of her. She knows if a man is dangerous when she sees one. "No need to be violent, my Lord. I am here to be of assistance."

"Your name, now," Leena demanded. Jaesa slowly woke up to find her Master standing on the defensive, waiting for the mysterious Sith to attack. She was alarmed and yet, she could feel that this man wouldn't attack – even when her sense of urgency tells her that he was dangerous.

The Sith smiled. "I am Ares Terra. Apprentice to your mother, the late Lord Zylas Sern."