Loyalty/Part 16

Alecto returned her lightsaber to her belt and nodded to Megaera. "Thanks for the warning, Little Flower."

Megaera bowed her head. "You protected me, Master. It was the least I could do."

Seeing they understood one another, Alecto turned to the rest of her adepts. "It's regrettable that Lady Basrasht chose to spite the Council's law, but you've all done a good night's work. Ikkyn," she called, because the Anzat had appeared in the doorway only a moment before, "any casualties among the brethren?"

Even from across the room, Ikkyn's eyes looked mad and dangerous, but Alecto knew that danger would never be for her. "The Xexto broke Rosyit's leg, but he's alive; Zurgharjhen got there in time."

Alecto studied the Irrukiine. "You have the Brotherhood's thanks for that. And it sounds like you saved Nillan, too; I never got the impression you were all that fond of him."

Zurgharjhen spared Nillan a glower and a growl. "I'm not. But you commanded we serve together and work as a team."

"And…?"

Zurgharjhen flexed his powerful hands, obviously not following. He pointed toward Naathree Basrasht's corpse; Alecto noticed he did it with the hand from which she'd taken a finger. "She was our enemy; she threatened us all."

"And what threatens one of us, threatens all of us?"

"Yes, Master."

Alecto smiled, pleased. "Good. Very good.  There may be hope for you yet.  Acolyte."

It took a few seconds to register, but then Zurgharjhen knelt and pressed all his hands to the floor. "Thank you, Master."

Alecto sensed his attitude was more triumph and vindication than humble gratitude, but she didn't begrudge him that. Nodding, she said, "Rise. Go out to the forest and wrap up the rest of Basrasht's people.  Make sure Varriben and Fruuna are still alive, too."

As he headed out, seeming unbothered by his injuries, Crile asked, "What about this one, Master?"

He stood guard over the Squib, who was staring at Basrasht's corpse and only looked away when Alecto approached.

"What's your name, Squib?"

"Sk-Sk-Skalacornitythrulos," the Squib stammered. When Alecto raised an eyebrow, it added, "But just Skala's fine!"

"Tell me, Skala, were you eager to go back to Dromund Kaas with Lady Basrasht?"

The Squib's big eyes widened, darting from Alecto to the dead hulk and back several times as its jaw worked around words it couldn't form. Alecto called, "Megaera?"

Megaera cocked her head, then shook it. "She wasn't, Master."

The Squib—apparently a female, though Alecto couldn't tell—flashed a frightened look, but Alecto snapped her fingers. "Right here, Skala. Given how Lady Basrasht mismanaged your talents, are you still interested in becoming a Sith, or do you just want to be done with all this?"

The Squib blinked. "My…talents?"

Megaera, who was still staring at the Squib, said, "She—"

Alecto raised a hand. "Oh, I can guess. Squibs are good spies, Skala, and obviously good trackers.  My adept Varriben is passable swordsman at best, and no Sith sorcerer.  But he's a capable spy, and he has a cunning mind.  There's much more to being a Sith than that short-sighted fool told you.  Sith can be useful in many ways.  But there's hardship and suffering on any path through the dark side, and you have to want it enough to fight through.  Do you?"

"I…I dunno."

Alecto nodded. "That's fair. I appreciate your honesty."

She raised her eyes to Crile and gave him a chin nod, and he ignited his lightsaber for a downstroke. Skala screamed and ran for it; Crile's first cut missed, but he tugged Skala back with the Force and cut her down on the second try.

"Shiak next time, Crile," said Alecto. "Faster and cleaner."

"Yes, Master."

Alecto turned to Megaera, whose eyes had widened. "Thought she might be the newest member of our little Sith smorgasbord?"

"I…"

"Do you know the difference between her and you, Megaera?" When Megaera shook her head, Alecto said, "Lady Basrasht brutalized and wasted you both, and you were both afraid, but fear only opens the door to the dark side; you have to walk through it. The Force shall free us only when we demand our freedom and refuse to take 'no' for an answer.  Skala was just being blown on the wind; you had the strength to seize your destiny.  That strength is why you'll be a Sith Lord someday, and she never will."

Megaera looked thoughtful as Alecto turned away. "Crile, get this heap out of here; leave her for the forest animals. Nillan, Lukurt, collect up all the lightsabers and anything else valuable her Sith may have been carrying.  Oh, and Ikkyn, make sure Rosyit gets that leg tended to."

As they all went about their assignments, Megaera asked, "What about me, Master?"

Alecto turned back to her, letting her face cool just a little. "You go bring Rewz's body back here so we can burn her. She died for you, after all."

Megaera paled. "I'm sorry, Master."

"Sorry is for Jedi. Sith commit to improvement; weakness and vulnerability are failings, but it's much less forgivable to fail the same way twice."

Though she swallowed, Megaera raised her head and nodded. "I won't be a liability anymore, Master."

"Good. Don't be.  You…"

Alecto trailed off, and Megaera frowned. "Master? What's wrong?"