Capítulo 2: THE IMPORTANCE OF JUDGEMENT
Everything that was taught to her was a matter of life and death for the past three years. Tremel wasn't allowed to be kind in Academy grounds after all. She was walking on a road either to safety or ruin. Hence, it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected.
The Sern legacy was all that mattered, if her brothers weren't dead then she wouldn't be suffering from rapid speed this much. Even with the treaty of Corrasunt, war is still hidden under it – the boiling tendencies of both Jedi and Sith, the Republic and the Empire. Warriors like her would be fighting her battles forever if she were to survive Sith Academy and become Sith as her father hoped her to be.
On her way to the prison, she could already hear the jailer's voice from outside. "One more chirp from you little bird, and you will regret it."
"Chirp, chirp, chirp." A female voice seemed to take the bite for the sake of annoying him. Afterward, Leena began to hear the sound of agony through shocks. She must have had a shock collar around her neck. Ow! Jerk! If you don't like that, just say so. I can do other animals too. Dire-cat, frog-dog, kowakian monkey-lizard, you name it."
When she went in to find the commotion, it was a Twi'lek inside a cage and shock collar around her neck indeed. A slave in a cage.
"You. I'm Jailer Knash. I run these cells and slave pits. You're the acolyte Tremel sent for the test, right? He thinks highly of you."
"That's good to hear, I want to do well." She said with a polite nod. Young girl, an innocent girl. Her eyes met the blue twi'lek from inside the cage. She seemed around the same age as her or probably a year younger.
"You should know this situation is highly unusual." Said the Jailer as the girl's attention went back to him. "Normally, an acolyte gets off-world for the interrogation. Overseer Tremel had these three shipped in for you." Usual special treatment, Tremel wanted her trials to go fast and smoothly if she were to keep up with Vemrin. She knows as much.
"He thinks you're the next coming of Exar Kun. But you ought to know, Tremel ain't the only one paying attention to you. Now, these three prisoners have been transferred here for you for your inspection. You gotta interrogate them as needed and then decide their fate. The convicted are usually executed or given a trial by combat to see if they're worthy. Whatever you decide, you will be the one to carry out the sentence."
"As it should be." She said and wondered what Tremel would ever want to do with three criminals. He had faith in her judgments but she wondered how far will that faith even go.
"Hmph. Fine, let's get started. This one on the left—" the jailer began, "You freaks aren't getting anything new out of me. Just do whatever you're gonna do." The woman spoke in defiance and yet confident.
"You can either talk to me or the inquisitors. And I promise I have a much sunnier disposition." Leena spoke her piece.
"Get lost, kid. I've been through this routine. I already know all your inquisitors by name!"
"Impudent to the last." Said the Jailer which made Leena look at him, wanting to hear what he has to say about it. "As I was saying, she was sent to kill an Imperial spy in the Yavin system. Throughout her torture, she maintained that she was hired anonymously."
"Get it through your damn head—I had no idea he was an imperial and I don't know who hired me!"
"So, you're telling me you're not a Republic assassin?"
"I'm not political. I work for whoever pays."
"The point is, she doesn't deny the charge. So, now you must decide—execution or trial by combat. Which do you choose?" the jailer asked the girl. As young as she was, even he didn't know how could a kid make such a decision. Kids aren't usually born evil after all.
"Neither actually," That answer surprised him. "She could prove useful. Send her to Imperial Intelligence."
"I won't work for free." The woman blurted out.
"Hrmph, you spared her. Interesting." Said the jailer as he began to massage his beard. With that, they proceeded to the next one. A bald man. "Please. I am a fellow Sith, judge me with an open mind and grant me a trial by combat, I beg you."
"What's your name?" Leena asked as she looked in the man's eyes. But the Jailer spoke instead. "This pile of waste is Devotek. Once a valued Sith champion, until he botched an important mission and caused a thousand imperial deaths. Now, look at him."
"I severed faithfully for twenty-four years, then one mistake and they threw me away." Leena began to think. This one served the Empire well and loyally. With a single mistake, he became an outcast, inside a cell-like he was nothing.
She wondered, what if this is also done to her in the future? "Now, I have been left here to rot. Please, let me feel the weight of a weapon once more." Though she could feel, this one is a Sith of honor. She didn't want to kill him but she needed to prove her worth to Tremel and make sure he wasn't disappointed in picking her – she didn't want to disappoint her father back at home as well. And she wanted to set an example for her sister that she too, can be a role model like their brothers were.
Something to be proud of. "I don't do charity work." The girl stated. "Feel the weight of a weapon in your throat."
"I die a disgrace." Lifting her hand up, she closed her eyes and began to focus. The force was strong with this one – she did want to honor him by granting trial by combat, but she needed to be safe. If she lost – he would be granted freedom.
There was no room for mistakes as she stood behind the long shadow her mother left behind. Choking him to death was one thing. Even with such power and authority, the Acolyte felt rather… isolated. "Good, I won't have to look at his sad, weathering face anymore. Thank you." Bid the jailer with a smile.
The only problem was that she knew what she had to do but it just didn't feel right for her. "And he won't have to look at yours either, Jailer."
"Well this last prisoner for you, is a bit of a puzzle." He began to explain as both of them walked towards the alien behind bars. "He's called Brehg, and he's a jittery little wretch, suspected of supplying forged documents to Republic agents. Strangely enough, he maintained his innocence despite being severely tortured."
"That's because innocent I am!" answered the alien as he pleads to the human acolyte. "Believe me, you gotta—I had nothing to do with forging no papers. Set up, I was set up!"
"Are you trying to tell me you've led a clean life?"
"Well, that I never said. I did some time, I did, in a Republic jail for forgery, so I was the perfect candidate to implicate in this. But straight I've been since getting out, I swear!"
The jailer sighed. "He's never wavered from that line, and the evidence is circumstantial. I suppose it's actually possible he didn't do it. So, what do you decide?"
"I don't care if he's innocent or not." He lied. "Torture him enough and he'll confess." Lifting her hand once more, she began to choke him. The force wasn't always kind depending on who the user is, its an entity as others claimed. A tool for peace or chaos.
When she let him go to speak, he pleads. "Please! No, not fair, it's just not fair!"
"Shut up, you fidgety fool. The decision's been made." Said the jailer. "Well, that's that. You're an interesting one, kid. I can see why many people are keeping tabs on you. Head back to Overseer Tremel, see what he thinks of your choices."
Judgment.
Everyone who had a connection to the force always had a choice. To be peacekeepers like the Jedi and protect those who are defenseless or be chaotic power-lust creatures who want to climb on the ladder of chaos, much like the Sith. There's no middle ground within the force, that's what she believed.
Raised as a little Sern girl with her father and sister, now being trained as a Sith who was expected to walk the same path as her late mother. Tiresome, expectations – she needed to live with them through the rest of her days. She lived in the shadow of her brothers as a child. They were male after all, the male line has always been preferred. She even remembered her uncle suggesting to her father to set her up for an arranged marriage.
Luckily, he said no.
She's the best bet for the Sern bloodline after all. Sith heritage was considered, in other terms, holy for those in the political agendas of the Empire.
She was truly lucky that her father said no. Probably because she was only a child. Who knows what his answer might be once she comes home a full-grown woman and a Sith Lord – if she survives her trials and training first.
She thought about it, long and hard while walking towards the chambers of the overseer. Vemrin was mixed, lucky that he was able to obtain the force. Lived through hell until he was found and brought into the academy, and in any means to survive, he needed that apprenticeship from Darth Baras. And there was her, a half-blood with a strong connection to the force since young and should be able to follow into the footsteps of her ancestors for the Sern legacy to continue.
She passed by a man on her way to the chambers, once she entered, Tremel didn't hesitate to greet her. "Sorry if I made you wait, Leena. These interruptions are incredibly annoying." Standing up, he also didn't hesitate to proceed to the results of her trials.
"On to the business at hand: your test in the jails." She looked at the overseer in a rather nervous state. She killed a man. It was her first kill and she didn't like it. "First, the assassin, Solentz. She attempted to kill an imperial spy but was unaware of her client's affiliation. You assigned her to Imperial Intelligence. I commend you, that was excellent thinking. Never waste potential resources."
Praise, she didn't expect that from him at this time. They were in a rush after all. "Thank you, overseer. I'm glad you approve."
"What's more important is that Darth Baras would approve." He claimed as he proceeded. "Now, Devotek, a former warrior. He wanted combat, but you struck him down." She gulped unintentionally. A Sith champion was her first kill and she felt that her blood was tainted with black by this guilt. "Perfect. The man was utterly useless."
"I… do not choose to waste my time, overseer."
"Once something is used up, it should be eradicated," Tremel answered. She looked at him and wondered again, what if she ended up like that Sith champion? Used as a tool and once all used up, disposed of.
"Lastly, the forger you sent back for more torture even though he seemed innocent. Strong decision. Leave no stone, unturned."
Then she asked, "And what… if it turns out he is truly innocent?"
"It's always best to know beyond any doubt. After all, what is one man's sanity or life versus the fate of the Empire?" The Empire. For a moment, Leena was aware that Tremel sounded like her father for a moment. A military man loyal to the Empire and only for the Empire. "Each time, each prisoner, you made the best possible decision. You may yet be able to challenge Vemrin for Darth Baras's attention. To celebrate, a small reward."
"Thank you very much, overseer."
"Thank yourself, Leena. It's performances like this that might just beat the extreme odds we're facing; failure doesn't run in your family. Now, because I force you into the Academy ahead of schedule, Darth Baras will be predisposed to judge you severely. And by severely, I mean fatally. Now, we must hurry to your next trial. Every moment that passes we risk discover before we're ready."
"Overseer, may I ask you something?" As curious as she was, she seems to need an answer for this one.
"What is it, child?"
"Why did I have to choose the prisoner's fate? What does this have to do with being a Sith?"
"Valid question," the overseer acknowledged. "Sooner or later, you will be placed in the field where the battles commence. One day you will go against republic scums, slay some Jedi along the way and you will learn how to embrace the spoils of war. And in war, there will always be prisoners who are smart enough to work with you or be stupid enough to be brave. The best thing of all is to take the enemy's territory whole and intact, to shatter and destroy it is no good – we need resources we could use against them, like what you did for the first prisoner."
"Always remember that peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains will be broken. The force shall set me free. The Sith code reminds us that passion is our drive for success and victory but remember, Leena – use your brain to think and grab the best outcome of things. That is the purpose of judgment and that is the importance of it. A good man does everything in his power to better his family's position. In this case, it's you as your mother's daughter."
He continued on, with no hesitation as he walked towards her and gently placed the hair in front of her shoulder, behind. "If your mother was still here, she would defend the Serns, to defend her blood. And you must remember your position and who you are." The girl was slowly resembling her mother as she grows older. "In the caverns of Marka Ragnos is the beast he left to guard his legacy."
Legacy… she thought to herself as she continued to listen. "Go there, sit among the flames and wait for the beast to come to you."
"I break beasts' necks in my sleep." She said with confidence.
"Don't be rash." He warned. She was exactly like her mother when she was around this age, possibly even older. "Defeating this creature will take your best effort. Return to the Valley of the Dark Lords and find the tomb of Marka Ragnos. I'll see you when the beast is slain. Good luck."
Excusing herself, she knew that the future of her family will be determined in the next few years once she keeps this up and stays alive for most of it. She could establish a legacy that will last for a thousand years.
That's the burden on her shoulders ever since her brothers were gone. If anyone can seize one of their own, and hold them captive with impunity – then they are no longer a kind to be feared. A rare enough thing, a Sith, who lives up to her reputation.
Slaying the beast wasn't so easy with a warblade and a practice sword. She needed to convince the overseer if she could replace the practice sword with a more significant replacement for better performance. As tired as she was with three trials within three days, hell she would need all the sleep in the galaxy for this. Thinking about her delightful bed waiting for her was ruined when Dolgis came into her vision.
Oh, bloody hell! She complained. "Well, look who's here. Remember me?"
"I never forget a face." She shook her head. "Your name is Dolgis, right? Vermin's boy."
"Very good." It was like he was praising a dog. "It's good to know the name of your killer. Notice anything interesting? No witnesses mean no rules. No more shortcuts. No more special treatment. You're just gonna be another dead failure on Korriban."
"Hate to break it to you, Dolgis. But failure doesn't run in my family." She answered strongly, taking out the warblade instead of the practice sword. As much as she had the skills to actually go for two blades, all she needed was one.
"One blade?" Dolgis mocked as he took out his. "What's the other one for, girl?"
"For display." She lied. On-point and on position. The acolyte charged towards the Sern heiress, it was like a little dance. Play with those who think they're superior to you and she will have her new toy. With a single thought of just hitting her hard, because of her small body she was more flexible, faster even as she moved to the side.
His practice sword hit the floor and the girl was behind him, kicking his ass as he fell down on the floor. Child's play for her, really. Comprise distances, great and small; danger and security; open ground and narrow passes; the chances of life and death. What is a single man against a little girl?
If he is arrogant, pretend to be weak. She thought as she watched the acolyte stand up. Filled with frustration, he charged again, mindlessly towards the girl. She had the advantage and dodged, him hitting the wall and her, swinging her warblade towards his knee.
He screamed as she applied enough strength for it to crack. If he is relaxing, attack and gives him no rest. Dolgis was furious now, defeated by a little girl? No chance. No way.
It was an insult. What made her so special that Overseer Tremel wanted her trials to go at full speed? What. Made. Her. So. Special?
Charging towards her once more, but he was slower. She managed to dodge his swing one more time and hit the knee from earlier, causing him to kneel down. Standing behind him, the girl brutally hit his shoulder causing him to scream even louder. She took his arm and pulled it through the back – making his joints dislocated in the process.
"No! Plea—GAH! Hold up! Hold up!" He began to plea as the girl let go of his arm. "I was wrong. What they're saying about you is totally true. So… so strong. I don't want to die!"
"Leave." She said. "Next time you won't be so lucky." She didn't want to kill anyone within Academy grounds after all. She didn't enjoy the sensation of killing.
"You won't see me again. I promise." He swore as he lumped out of the picture in a hurry before she could break his other knee and shoulder.
She could have killed him. He wasn't of used to her anyway, he can't offer anything to her – he doesn't have the resources she needs to survive in this academy. Her choice of judgment may have been the best for the prisoners which pleased the overseer, but overall, her morality—no, her guilt was starting to get the best of her.
And it was a failure.
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