Dromund Kaas, 6 years ago.
It was an odd sight, too be sure. A tall, heavily muscled Pureblood man, with a small, Twi'lek girl trailing close behind, wearing what could generously be described as two tin cups, two handkerchiefs and a number of straps.
Of course, it had been an odd night as well, a high society party interrupted by the murder of the host, the claiming of the murderer as an apprentice and a rather poor choice of wines for the event.
Zedney sneered momentarily. The wine had half tasted of vinegar, and an Alderaanean red for that dish? Simply Inexcusable.
He stopped, and turned back to the girl, who smiled up at him, deception layered behind that mask of nervous fear. "What is it you are prattling on about?"
The girl cringed again. Definitely feigned again. "...I was only asking what I should be calling you. Is 'my lord' alright?"
Zedney shrugged. "It is acceptable, but I will insist upon Master for some occasions. And do you have a name?"
The girl blinked, in actual surprise, before being replaced with a veneer of eagerness. "Of course! I had thought you knew! Quarasha, my lord!"
Zedney nodded, and continued walking, making for a favored overpass. "Good. I will have a number of duties for you, Quarasha."
She rushed up to his side, again playing the part of the eager servant. How tiresome. "Yes, my lord, what sort of tasks will you ask of me, and what training will I need to fulfill them?"
"My 2V droid suffered a rather serious electrical attack, and will be unable to clean my ship or wash my clothing for some time. Your previous training should suffice."
Quarasha stopped. "What? You want me to be your maid?"
Zedney smiled a dark grin back at Quarasha, walking on. "I'm sorry, I thought you wished to undertake anything I asked."
She rushed forward, slipping back to the role of the servant. "Of course, my lord. You will still teach me how to use the Force, right?"
"Why would I teach a slave how to use the Force?" He stopped, reaching the overpass and turning to the enraged Quarasha.
"...what did you say?"
"I said, why would I teach a slave how to use the Force?"
"I am no slave. I slew my owner and I am free!"
Zedney smirked, seeing the rage on her face, plain as day. "Oh, you are still a slave. You have no idea how... pampered you were. You think to seduce me to showing you the true power of the Dark Side, but how can you understand that if you do not know what power truly is?"
"I know power! The Force is power!"
He shook his head. "The words of a slave with a new toy."
"NEVER CALL ME A SLAVE! I AM FREE!"
The wind was swirling around her now, skirts flapping around her. She was going to attack him, to force him to recognize that-
Zedney reached out with the Force, and lifted her into the air by her neck. The winds ceased as she clawed at her throat, trying in vain to remove the invisible hands crushing her windpipe.
"Do you feel free now?" he asked, just loud enough to be heard. The grip was precise: Just enough air getting through to keep her conscious. "You are still little more than a pampered slave, with no knowledge of what freedom and power truly mean. Would you like to find out?"
She nodded desperately, feet kicking wildly in the air. "Good," he said, smirking as he slowly swung her over the ledge of the overpass, showing her a thirty foot drop onto a pile of garbage beneath her.
"For the next thirty days, you will enter no public building, stay in no private building for more than a day. You will not leave Kaas City either. And then you will return to this spot, and tell me what you have learned of power and freedom. If you have not been killed. Do you understand?"
Quarasha nodded again, terror clear on her face.
"Good." And he dropped her.
He strolled over to the edge, once he heard the crunch, and watched the half naked girl pull herself from the garbage, limping slightly. He thought for a moment, realizing exactly how exposed she was, and pulled his own robes off, throwing them down to Quarasha.
No point in making things unfair, after all.
----
Thirty days later...
Zedney stood at the exact same spot on the overpass, a mug of warm cocoa in his hands, sipping it idly, waiting.
He was half expecting Quarasha not to show up at all, dead from exposure or hunger or the many threats that can take a person in Kaas City. Of course, is she did show up, it would likely be followed by some futile but proud looking attempt at-
Zedney held up his hand, catching the blade flung at his throat with the Force. "Ah, Quarasha, I see you have survived the month. Please, come out where I can see you."
Quarasha limped out of her hiding spot, the leg she landed on thirty days ago still showing some signs of discomfort, with a few bruises on her face, no doubt caused by a few now-missing drunks trying to ply their wares with the young woman. Still, at least she was better dressed now, having 'found' a simple tunic and pants, huddling from the cold under the coat that Zedney had left her a month ago. "Yes, I have survived, my lord. Do not do this to me, ever ag-"
She flinched as Zedney reached out to her, expecting an attack that never came. "Now, now, is that a way to talk to your master?"
"...no, my lord."
"Good. Now them, tell me, do you feel free?"
Quarasha stared at him, agape. "...I am free, my lord. I could have left the city at any time-"
"And you would have died in the wilderness, I assure you. Those instructions were for your own safety, as much as you may disagree. But do you FEEL free?"
"...no, my lord. I am weak, poor, alone, starving. True freedom is more than this."
Zedney gave a faint smile, taking a sip from the drink. "Good. You are learning. True freedom, apprentice, is freedom from everyone. That you need only rely on your own strength and power in order to survive, needing nothing else. And, like all truth, Quarasha, it is terrifying in its realiation."
Quarasha nodded weakly, staring at the mug. "...it is, my lord. Could I-"
"Now then, what is power, apprentice?"
"...power? It is... power. The Force. Being able to force others to do your will."
Zedney sighed, shaking his head and taking another sip. "Still, no understanding. Thing carefully, apperentice. What is power?"
Quarasha continued to stare at the mug, licking her lips. "...if you can't force someone to do something, then you don't have power over them..."
He shook his head again, and reached out with the Force again, dragging the Twi'lek into the air by her throat again. "Something more for you to think upon, then," he said, pulling her struggling form over the ledge, hovering over the garbage pile again. "In thirty days, I will return here again. Follow the same rules as before, Quarasha. I look forward to your thoughts on the matter."
Quarasha glared at him with another cold look of pure hatred."Fffffuc-" she squeaked out before letting out a scream as she was dropped into the garbage again.
Zedney smirked as she landed, and looked down at his mug. Still mostly full, and hot cocoa was hardly his favored drink. A shame to waste it.
The mug had been safely lowered to the ground when Quarasha finally clawed her way out of the trash again, being met with naught but a confused stare from her.
----
Thirty days later...
Zedney caught the two knives this time with one hand, smirking slightly. Quarasha was not disappointing him, it seems.
Quarasha limped up again, scowling at him. Her lovely curves were already melting off from hunger, and a new set of bruises were visible on her face and lek. But it was those eyes, powerful, rage-filled eyes that caught his attention. He knew that look, but it was a hot rage, and it would burn off quickly, or at least Zedney certainly hoped as much.
"You wanted to talk about power?" she said, snarling at him. "Then fight me, show me your power!"
Zedney smirked. "No."
"No? I am your apprentice, right? I should be allowed to kill you for your title!"
At that, Zedney laughed. "Is that what you think, apprentice? That power is so trivial, so easy a thing to measure? Truly, you still do not understand."
"Or maybe you don't!"
Zedney shook his head, still smiling, and reached out, lifting her again into the air by her neck-
At least until Quarasha gestured at him, pushing him with the Force, pushing him a step back, slight surprise on his face. She was growing powerful...
Quarasha landed on her feet, standing tall, not letting her limp show as she strided to the ledge. "Thirty days?"
"Yes, apprentice..."
She nodded, and lept over the ledge, landing in the garbage a few moments later.
----
Thirty days later...
Quarasha walked up this time. Her face looked more full, her stride more even, and her eyes more calm and thoughtful.
Zedney nodded to her. "What is power, apprentice?"
"...power is... its just power. Anything that gives you strength over another. I had power over my owner because he wanted my loyalty, and I knew it. You have power over me because you are stronger, and because I need your knowledge. And I had power over the fools in the street because they thought they they knew what I was."
Zedney smiled again, a small amount of pride showing. "You are learning, apprentice. Well done. Do you know why I have put you through this?"
Quarasha gave him an odd look, clearly wanting to imply a sadistic streak. "...no, my lord."
"You will need the training of the instructors of Korriban, who can teach you the minutia of the Force. Your are wily, cunning and ruthless. I am sure you will make a fine assassin, but only if you survive Korriban."
Quarasha nodded slightly. "...I heard some rumors of Korriban. Sending a pleasure slave there..."
"Yes, you would have died in short order, no doubt killed by some other acolyte to show how awe-inspiring his own might is."
Quarasha considered this, then nodded. "...then thank you, Master. But you could have told me."
Lord Zedney nodded. "Yes, Apprentice. I could have. Do you expect the life of a Sith to be easy, apprentice?"
Quarasha hesitated. "...no, my lord. My life as a slave was far easier. And I will not be a slave ever again."
"Good. Come then, Apprentice Quarasha, and we will begin your life as a Sith."
