Opening My Eyes

[LadyM]

I arrived at the Temple on Coruscant after a long, and tiresome shuttle trip. My days spent at the Korriban Temple had finally come to an end, for it was said that if I wanted to attract the eyes of a Master to study under I had to either kill an Acolyte and take their place with their former Master or show my skill sets that I was capable enough to survive the lessons, tests, and teachings of the one that would eventually choose me. Though Korriban had it pros and cons, I heard through the grapevine that the once great planet known as Coruscant now housed a Temple and that the planet itself was fully immersed in the dark side. And I yearned for a change of scenery. Plus trouble seemed to plague me at Korriban.

Stepping onto the domed platform, I could literally smell the dark side pouring from every crevice and from every aspect of the planet. It was wonderful! As I moved through the corridors looking for my temporary quarters, I spotted several Acolytes lingering about. When I passed by them they began to snicker at me from a comment made about me and at once I felt my anger boiling over. Back at the Temple on Korriban, several of the teachers there tried to explain to me that my anger was a good thing to use but they never spoke of how to channel it. Because of this, I got myself in alot of trouble with the teachers and other Acolytes. And here again I felt trouble brewing.

Halting in my tracks, I whipped around pointing my finger at the human female who made the snide comment. "Find something amusing," I said, my synthesized voice echoing in the hallway, "Or perhaps it is amusement you are seeking and I will be more than happy to oblige you!" I did not have a real lightsaber yet, only the traditional training blade but I saw from my quick assessment that this female and her friends were also in possession of the training blades.

The female laughed at me making a comment that I was not worthy of her time. So I may her worthy of mine by reaching out and slapping her across the face. From my peripheral vision I saw other Acolytes begin to move toward us in hopes to see an impromptu fight or duel. Pulling from underneath my cloak I produced my training weapon and powered up the low grade weapon, standing poised to fight this female and any who decided to intervene on her behalf.

The human female finished rubbing her face and quickly produced her weapon and attacked me. My training with the lightsaber or in this case, the training blade, was very limited so when I fought this female it was both sloppy and unimpressive to any who watched. Luckily for me, the fight was broken up by a couple of teachers because she was starting to get the best of me. Angered even further from the mocks coming from the female and her companions after being chided for starting the fight by the teachers, I turned around and stormed off ignoring the words from one of the teachers at the Temple.

I needed to go somewhere and think. As I stared out through a window that showed the ruined landscape from the previous war, I felt a strong presence behind me. But my anger was in full rage so it would not allow for me to turn around and see who it was. My defiance was in full throttle.

 

[Negative Blessing]

From up above on the second floor of the Temple, the Sith Master was leaning forward watching the confrontation between the female human and what appeared to be a masked Twi'lek. She could feel the anger radiating off the Twi'lek and though it would in time give her strength, it would now be her undoing if not properly taught to harness it toward her passions. But her curiosity was peeked and was more than eager to see how this event would play out.

Never taking her eyes of the masked Twi'lek, the Sith Master observed how the girl was clumsy with the training blade and how sloppy her footwork was. Shaking her head in disgust she knew this Twi'lek would not last long in the Order. Even against the weakest of the Order this girl was miles from them. But something about her called to the Sith Master. The Twi'lek was showing she was not afraid nor showing signs she would back down in spite of being overwhelmed by the female human and it was this display that really caught the Sith Master's eyes. Several footsteps distracted the Sith Master as she turned her head to see some of the teachers here at the Temple move to stop the fight before it escalated. The Sith Master sighed to herself.

The Tw'ilek now left the area ignoring the remarks from the Acolytes and the words from one of the teachers and the Sith Master smiled to herself. Perhaps this one could be taught after all and would learn the way of the Dark Side through her teachings. Yes, she will become this Twi'lek's Master or kill her if she proves to be unworthy of the title Sith. Allowing the Twi'lek's anger to act as a beacon, the Sith Master followed it to its source.

The Sith Master found the girl gazing out the window, her anger and her hatred cascading all around her. The Sith Master stood behind the girl in silence and when the girl showed no desire to turn and face her, the Sith Witch forced her to turn around by using the Force to spin the girl around.

"You may defy the Acolytes....and you may defy the teachers at the Temples until your heart explodes from hatred. But you will never ignore me or deny my presence as if its not worthy of you to address," the Sith Witch spoke with icy, cold venom in her voice. Looking the Twi'lek up and down now that she is closer to the Acolyte, Grima Volitu smirks. "You are to be commended for your actions though the teachers here will disagree with me...but what they agree or disagree with matters not to me. A Sith should always be ready to defend themselves be it from weapons or....words...but you need to learn to control your emotions; especially your anger or it will eat you up and spit you out."

Motioning for the Twi'lek to walk with her, Grima leads the Twi'lek through the corridors in utter silence for some time. Grima could sense the fear and confusion in the Twi'lek by being in the presence of the Sith Master. "I am Sith Master Grima Volitu and you are right to fear me. But you have no need to fear me at this moment. I sense you have great potential in you but only if you allow yourself to reach it. By letting your emotions like anger and hatred dominate you, you are literally holding yourself back. And soon, you will destroy yourself. Now, I can teach you how to control those emotions....teach you how to properly wield a lightsaber....teach you how to use said lightsaber....and teach you about the Force and the nature of the Dark Side. All you need to do is pledge yourself to me and become my Apprentice."

 

[LadyM]

From beneath my mask I felt my face burn with fury from being chided by this Togruta but then I came to my senses when not only I felt her power flowing off her, but realized that she was not just a Sith Master but Grima Volitu. I knew that there were very few Togrutas in the Sith Order, if there were any other than the one standing before me. I began to apologize for my disrespectful nature but was gestured to silence by her left hand.

I listened as she said that I was to be commended for defending myself then as she spoke about controlling my emotions. I had heard this story before about my emotions, but up to this pointe, all I heard was stories and none had sought to teach me how to control my anger and temper.

The Sith Master beckoned me to walk with her and not wishing to incur her wrath, I followed. As we walked she first introduced herself, but I already knew who she was and was thankful that I had not caught her in a foul mood. But when she spoke of taking me as her Apprentice, my jaw nearly dropped. I thought she was leading me to a place where she could easily kill me without attracting to much attention. Instead, she was offering to instruct me in the ways of the Force, the dark side, lightsaber combat, and most of all, how to learn to control and use my emotions.

I walked in silence for a few minutes before I could answer. "Many of the teachers back on Korriban preached to me about my emotions, mainly my anger. Though all they did was preach. Over time, I fell out of favour with the teachers at the Temple and made many rivals from the other Acolytes. I came to the Coruscant Temple to start fresh and in no less than ten minutes found myself making enemies," I said my computerized voice bouncing off the corridor walls.

"Now I believe that the Force has brought me here for a reason. It has brought me to you. I pledge myself to your teachings and from this day forward will be your apprentice and call you Master."

 

[Negative Blessing]

"Pfft. The teachers...if they truly can be called that...know nothing of the Dark Side nor would they know how to instruct a bantha on how to walk through the sand dunes of Tattooine. If you had listened to whatever nonsense they tried to infect you with....you would be worse off than you think you are now," Grima said with a hint of anger in her voice. Her views and opinions of the teachers were no secret; she openly criticized them and their water downed teachings. "So it is done. You are now my Apprentice...and you will refer to me as your Master from this day forward until you either die from my teachings or survive them to be elevated to the rank of Sith Crusader."

The Sith duo walk through the hallways and after some time, Grima says to her new Apprentice, "You will meet me at docking bay 66 in two hours. There you will find my ship by the Zabrak standing guard outside. His name is Grundez and tell him who you are. Your training will not take place here or at any of the Temples except for Korriban...that will be our first destination....briefly."

Grima walked away from her new Apprentice.

 

[LadyM]

"I will make my way to docking bay 66 after having my stuff moved to your ship, Master," I said. I walked through the halls toward the Office of Adjustments with my mind swirling with the days events. I had barely been on Coruscant and I had already found a Master to train me. But as I walked toward my destination, it occurred to me that I would be returning back to Korriban. Though I had many rivals waiting for me back there, this time I would be returning with a Master and even more confidence in myself.

After spending two grueling hours dealing with an Imperial clerk, my stuff was now being transferred from the room I would never use to my Master's ship. Luckily for me, they knew the name of Master's Volitu vessel since she failed to give me the name. I wondered to myself if this was a test. I left the office and headed back to the space port.

Along the way I stumbled upon the female who tried to challenge me, even embarrass me, walking alone through one of the corridors. Though I was only beginning to understand the nature of the Force, I knew that she was radiating contempt and extreme hatred for me. As we drew closer, I saw her hand slip down to the hilt resting on her hip. She, like myself, only possessed training blades but even they could leave burns and scars on the flesh. And if I was forced too duel her right now and lost, it would probably scar my mind too. And if I lost, would I lose my Master?

She stopped in front of me staring not at me but through me. I could feel the heat of her gaze burning holes into me. What did I do in response? I laughed at her which only increased her hostility toward me. She began to accuse me of being weak and not a proper Sith, which again led me to another round of laughter.

"Your childish remarks and snide comments have no bearing on me. I have been taken as an Apprentice to a Sith Master. Perhaps you have heard of her, Master Volitu," my computerized voice said echoing off the walls. Her eyes went wide with surprise and her jaw dropped slightly. I ignored her and brushed past her, my left shoulder bumping hers.

Leaving her standing there dumbstruck, I made my way to the port and saw the Zabrak standing by an odd looking ship. After introducing myself, he granted me passage onto the ship. Now I just waited for Master Volitu to show up.

 

[Negative Blessing]

Grima had just completed a random inspection of the lessons being taught to the Acolytes from the teachers at the Coruscant Temple. Keeping her opinions to herself, not out of fear of offending any of the teachers but she was not in the mood to kill any of the fools who challenged her views, she headed toward her ship. She was ready to depart Coruscant and head to Korriban with her new Apprentice. Upon entering docking bay 66, Grundez informed her the ship was ready and that her Apprentice was already on board.

After a few hours of space flight her ship landed in a docking bay on Korriban. Ordering her Apprentice to follow her, the Sith Master made her way to the tomb of Ajunta Pall. Inside the tomb Grima ordered her Apprentice to sit on the floor of the tomb. "This is the tomb of Ajunta Pall...one of the greatest Sith Sorcerers. I do not know while you were here if you found the time to visit the tombs in the Valley of the Dark Lords but to me, this is the only tomb that truly matters." Waving her hands about, the Sith Master explains the brief history of Ajunta Pall and what he means to her and what he meant to the Sith Order.

"You can smell....taste...feel....and hear the Dark Side all around his tomb. I have brought you here for two reasons. The first reason is that I do not think you have truly fallen to the Dark Side. I sense some confusion in you and to become Sith...a True Sith...you must completely give yourself over to the Dark Side. The other reason is that if you are to become what you seek...then you must discover yourself here...your true self. You must shed your old life and embrace the new one that is waiting in the shadows for you to bring it into your light...or in this case, your darkness."

Turning away from the Twi'lek, Grima mentally opens the hidden door that to the naked eye looks nothing more than a simple wall. "For every Apprentice I take, I bring them here. In a way, its both a tradition and the first lesson I teach. Hidden behind that door lies a chamber. Inside that chamber you will witness horrors...visions....and things that once were and possibly what is to come. It is there that you will give yourself wholly to the Dark Side. It is there that you will redefine yourself and take your first true steps down the path to greatness. Survive this trial and you will be ready to learn from me....fail and this shall become your tomb as well," the Sith Witch says turning back to face her young Apprentice.

Without a word, Grima pointes to the door. A gesture that the lesson is to begin now.

 

[LadyM]

I stood up and walked over to the entrance and peered inside though I could see nothing but complete darkness. Also, I could feel a strong pulling of the dark side down the blackout tunnel and felt something between anticipation and fear coursing through me. I always thought that I had fallen to the dark side but I was lying to myself. Was that why I kept failing at the Korriban Temple? Was that the reason the teachers avoided teaching me? Was that the reason I kept making rival after rival? Did they sense my failings before my eyes were opened up to it? I quickly banished all these thoughts and stepped through the threshold and into the darkness.

I walked through the tunnel using both my hands as guides while I dragged them along the walls until I came into a great ante chamber. Once inside, I saw that it was empty except for myself. but I could feel a strong presence here. Just as I thought I had failed again, I caught a blue shimmering light to my left. When I turned to address it, I saw the scarred face of the woman who use to beat me when I was younger and subjected by Dorgau the Hutt materialize before me, followed by her entire body. This woman had made me angry but at the same time I feared her cruelty. I took a step backwards as she took a step forward pointing an accusing finger at me, her words cutting through me as she spoke.

But as I began to fear her, something began to change inside me. My fear started turning to hatred and anger. Looking into the eyes of that woman, I wanted only one thing. To kill her! I produced my training blade and as I began to speak to the woman, my voice no longer trembled with fear but it was strong and confident. Remembering the scar above my left eye, I began to step toward her and with one quick slash of my training blade, I sent the vision back from whence it came.

From behind I heard two cackling voices and when I spun around to address them, I saw one was Dorgau himself and standing next to him was the human pirate that sold me to him. Unlike the woman I had once feared, a fear that I just conquered, I had nothing but anger and hatred for these two. And revenge had always been on my mind. Though I knew they were nothing more than visions, I needed to hear the words. "You took from me my family and then you sold me off like I was some cargo. but worse than cargo, you sold me into slavery. I shall kill you," I said just before I attacked the vision of the pirate. Though the vision was unarmed and made no attempt to arm itself, I killed him for it none-the-less.

With that vision disappearing upon the touch of my training blade, I turned toward the Hutt with hate in my eyes and screamed, "And you! You have brought into my life nothing but pain and misery. It is because of your cruelty and greediness that I wear this mask to hide the scars upon my face, to wear this mask that has a mechanical device that helps vibrate my vocal cords so that I may speak. And when I speak, I sound like a droid of sorts. But it is not my face that is scarred but my body, mind, and soul!"

The slimy Hutt tried to slither away from me but I fell on him quickly, ending his existence. I stood there in the chamber, the only sound coming from my rasping breathing. I felt changed. I felt complete. I felt darker than I ever did before. I had finally given myself over to the dark side.

I returned to Master Volitu. "I now understand my emotions and what they mean. They give me power. They give me focus. They give me strength. And I rule them," I spoke with a stronger conviction in my voice that was never there until now.

 

[Negative Blessing]

Grima was leaning against one of the tomb's walls when the Twi'lek returned from her ordeal in the chamber. The Sith Master could already feel the change in the girl. She had truly given herself over to the Dark Side and in doing so, was now prepared to learn from Grima. "Always be aware of your emotions. They will grant you power and fuel your passion in the Force while adding power to your Dark Side energy. However, if you allow them to control you as I told you before, then you are doomed."

The Sith Witch pushed herself off the wall and began to head for the exit. "Come Apprentice, your training awaits you and there is nothing you can learn from this Temple that will be of any good to you. The time for you to embrace your future...your destiny....and your path is now upon you."

Grima led her Apprentice back to the ship and together they left for Dantooine. While on the ship Grima gave her Apprentice her first lesson. "During the course of our trip to Dantooine, you will sit in the guest quarters and there you will meditate on what you experienced in the tomb. There is no need to discuss with me what you saw or endured. That vision or visions are meant for your eyes only."

With her Apprentice now set upon her first lesson, Grima sat up in the co-pilot's seat looking out into the galaxy. Without looking at her pilot she said, "The galaxy is changing once again. The Dark Side holds supreme now Grundez...but for how long until the Jedi truly return to wage yet another war?"

 

[LadyM]

I sat in the guest quarters inside Master Volitu's ship, a small and dimly lit room. I never enjoyed space travel for the coldness of space was something I could never get use to. So doing what I was told by my Master, I blocked out all the distractions surrounding me such as the vibrations of the ship, the beeping noises from various machines and computers, and most importantly, the coldness of space. At once I began to fall into a deep and comfortable meditation state and once I was there, I began to reflect on my test in the tomb of Ajunta Pall.

I knew what I was seeing was not real but just fantasy, visions from the Force and the dark side. A feeling of satisfaction and completion washed over me when I thought about how I reacted and what had occurred. Though it was not a true completion. I knew Dorgau the Hutt yet still lived and one day I would meet him face to face and what was just a vision will come to pass. As for the pirate that sold me into slavery, I knew nothing of his fate but when the time will reveal itself to me, I will search him out. For that wicked woman who treated me so poorly, her face no longer haunted my dreams but soon it will be my face that will haunt hers. Patience is what I needed now.

As my eyes opened up and I came out of my meditation state, I noticed the ship was no longer moving. I stood up and left the quarters and found the pilot working on some sort of project only he knew of what it consisted. Upon seeing me, he directed me to exit the ship and told me all will be revealed to me.

I left the ship and saw that we were on a beautiful green and lush planet. When I turned my head I saw a beautiful architectural building and standing in front of it was my Master.