Abattoir/Part 8

Nineteen years earlier

"You're not gonna make it!" Odelia fretted.

"Yes I am," Alecto whispered back. "This is easy."

"You!" Huriah pointed a purple clawed digit at her as Grisk continued to wail in pain. "Little green trash! You're next."

"Yes Huriah," Alecto answered. She strode to the platform's edge, her forehead already beaded with sweat, but the heat rising from the fire below dried her eyes out, and she rubbed them uncomfortably.

"Now!" Huriah ordered.

Alecto looked at the narrow railing, then pulled off her boots, stuffing her socks in them and holding one in each hand.

"Are you crazy?!" Odelia hissed. "It's so hot!"

"I hafta balance!" Alecto returned. She knew it was going to hurt, and the hurting made her scared. But Huriah would hurt her if she didn't try, and if she fell…she had only to listen to Grisk's cries to know that would be a whole lot worse than hurting. She stepped onto the first railing.

The flames didn't reach this high, but their heat had still turned the metal rail hot, and Alecto whimpered as the soles of her feet burned. She forced herself to take another step, squeezing her jaw until her teeth hurt—a couple of her big girl teeth were still coming in, and Darwa had just knocked out one of her baby teeth last week, so she couldn't squeeze enough to make the pain go away. She could hear Odelia fretting behind her, and she wanted to go back and put her boots on, but Huriah would whip her for that; Sith didn't retreat. And she knew she was right; she needed her toes to grip the bar, and her boots would slide.

"Faster!" Huriah snarled.

Alecto walked faster, hoping little quick steps would hurt less than slow ones. She got to the first island and stopped, dancing from foot to foot, closing her eyes and hoping they were too dry to cry; Huriah wouldn't like that either. She looked at the next railing, and this time she hesitated; she knew now how much it was going to hurt, and it scared her. Being scared made the Force help her, she knew, and she could use help. Being angry made the Force help too, but she never knew whether Huriah would be happy about her being mad at him; it changed day-to-day, challenge-to-challenge.

Huriah raised his hand, palm out. "Start walking, trash, or I'll push you off that ledge."

If the metal hurt this much, falling would be even worse; Alecto had been burned before, and she didn't ever want to be again. She started walking, crying out when her feet touched the hot metal, but she didn't stop. Holding her boots to either side, she raised and lowered them when she needed to shift her balance. It would be easier to drop them and just use her hands, but she knew the beating she'd get for sacrificing her equipment to the flames. Odelia had started to cheer her on; Alecto wobbled, but got to the second island. One more rail and she would make it to Huriah.

"What are you waiting for?!" he demanded.

My feet to cool down! she wanted to reply, but she wasn't that dumb; her thighs still hurt from the caning the last time she had mouthed off, and she remembered them taking out a kid's tongue not long after she arrived. She went onto the last rail quicker, trying to get it over with; the end was still so far away, and the heat was making her dizzy. Her speed cost her precision, and she shook on a step, one foot sliding off the rail. She wobbled on one leg, arms swinging her boots in the air, and Odelia screamed.

Not the fire! she thought, panicked…and finally the Force came to help. She wanted to keep wobbling, but instead she put her foot down firmly and wrenched herself back upright. She wanted to cry and give up, but instead she slid her feet together, bent her knees, and jumped. Her spring carried her into an aerial cartwheel, and she touched down next to Huriah with a big grin. She knew the floor had to be warm—the starting point had been—but it felt nice and cool on her toes, and she smiled up at Huriah.

He bared his teeth and Alecto's smile vanished, but the Velmoc did not raise a hand to strike her. "Put those back on," he commanded. "Next."

Alecto pulled her socks and boots back on while Darwa plodded his way across, secretly hoping he would fall; he had to crawl on his hands and feet and came off the last rail with blistered palms, but he made it. He stood with the others behind Huriah, but Alecto crept as near the edge as she dared to cheer Odelia on.

"Don't wear your boots!" she urged.

"I have to!" Odelia said. "It'll hurt!"

"Yeah, but it helps!"

"Get moving!" Huriah commanded.

Odelia started walking in her boots, holding her hands out sideways for balance. Alecto grimaced, but at least her friend wasn't trying to shuffle sideways; Grisk had tried that and fallen, and though he had leapt out of the flames, he was burned pretty bad, and Huriah said he wouldn't get help until everybody was done.

Odelia made it to the first island, taking a minute to bend her knees until Huriah barked at her to continue and Grisk sobbed again. She walked the second bar, but started to slip at the end and had to launch herself forward, landing hard on her stomach on the island. Alecto squeaked in distress, covering her mouth with her hands. At Huriah's command, Odelia got up and continued, but she was winded, and in a couple steps she slipped again and fell.

"Odelia!" Alecto cried. Her friend reached and just caught the bar, crying as the metal burned her hands. She hung upside down like a sloth, ankles crossed and fingers laced together, sobbing.

"Get moving, worm!"

"You can do it, Odelia!"

Slowly, so slowly, Odelia started inching along. The flames were closer to her back, and Alecto saw her bending her knees and elbows to keep away from them.

"You're really close! Just a couple more meters!"

Odelia dragged herself on, coughing, until she finally reached the platform. Alecto lurched forward to help her, but Huriah kicked at her and she retreated. She was afraid Odelia would fall into the flames trying to twist around, but somehow the Human got enough of a grip to drag herself up. She collapsed on the platform, crying and blowing on her burned hands.

"About time, worm," Huriah growled. He glanced at Grisk, then gestured to two other students. "You, you. Drag that thing down to the medbay.  The rest of you, with me."

They followed, and Alecto finally got to Odelia's side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Odelia muttered, wiping her eyes and looking at her hands. "What about you?"

Walking hurt, but Alecto knew hiding pain was good. "I'm okay," she lied. "It just stings a little bit."

Huriah led them to a brightly lit room, where several grown-ups in fancy robes were talking. When they turned, Huriah barked, "Hands and knees, scum!"

The all got down; Alecto was relieved to be off her feet, while Odelia whimpered as she put her palms on the ground. A Sakiyan was in the center of the pack, and it was he who spoke to Huriah. "Do any of them show promise?"

"In time they might be worthwhile, my lord," Huriah answered. "Some of them."

My lord. Huriah was big and loud and mean, but he wasn't a lord. It always meant special when Sith Lords came to visit, but special wasn't always good.

The Sakiyan looked at them in thought. Another alien came to his side; he was all thin muscle and sharp ends, and his eyes were scary—angry and crazy and happy all at once. Alecto still stared, though; he had tattoos on his beak, and that made Alecto think of other Mirialans, from before.

He felt her gaze and turned those scary eyes on her, and Alecto lowered her head. The alien sauntered over and snickered. "This runt's afraid of me."

"Agile though, Davad," Huriah noted.

"She one of your maybes?"

Alecto waited with bated breath. Was it good to be a maybe? She wasn't sure what the grown-ups were talking about, but being singled out rarely meant anything good here.

"Yes."

She waited for the pain, but the crazy-eyed Sith Lord just walked away. After a moment the Sakiyan said, "Look at me, all of you."

They did. When he had their attention, he said, "I am Lord Warlese Oruval, and I am the headmaster of the Sith Academy on Korriban. Some of our students have now gone to serve other Sith Lords, and other students…have proven themselves unworthy.  It is time for us to take more students."

Alecto was focused like a laser now, and she was not alone. The Academy! Going to any Academy was better than being here, but Korriban! That was where the best Sith went. And Lord Oruval wanted more students…

"Tomorrow I will exam your class to see which of you is worthy."

Alecto risked a glance at Odelia, unable to hide her grin. Maybe they could go! They could get out of this bad place and go to Korriban to be real Sith. Everything would be better there.

"I shall take one of you."

Alecto's heart sank, and she blurted out, "Just one?"

Huriah took the beating stick out of his belt, but Lord Oruval raised a hand, and Huriah paused. "Being a Sith Lord means being the best," Lord Oruval told her calmly. "Faster, better, stronger than anyone else. My Sith students go on to destroy the Jedi; I do not take second best."

Alecto wanted to destroy Jedi, but she didn't want to go all alone. She didn't dare say anything else, though, and after a moment Lord Oruval waved in dismissal. "Get out and shove some food down your worthless mouths, trash," Huriah said. "I'll get you when we have some use for you."

They all got to their feet and left, some alone, others in twos or threes. Odelia waited for her, then said, "Korriban!"

"Yeah, but…he said he's only taking one. We can't both go."

"Oh." Odelia looked at her and frowned. "Oh. Yeah."

Alecto didn't want to stay, but she didn't want to leave Odelia here either. She bumped Odelia with her shoulder, and Odelia risked taking her hand, gentle with her burned palm. "Do you wanna do some shooting practice?"

Odelia was a great shot, and Alecto had gotten to enjoy it too; the holos were so realistic, she could see the blood and smoke coming off the Republic soldiers she shot. Odelia had helped her get over her uneasiness with it last year, and already that seemed ages ago, but today Alecto found she wasn't in the mood. "Eh, I dunno."

"Zableek said the Zygerrians are supposed to drop off another slave load tomorrow," Odelia offered. "We could go watch."

"What about the test?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, maybe we can watch after."

They had dinner in the common area; there wasn't a lot of food left, but Alecto didn't feel like trying to fight the other trainees for it today, and Odelia agreed. "We gotta be tough tomorrow," she said. "Don't want to get hurt any more."

As they made their way back to their cells, Alecto asked, "Who do you think will win tomorrow?"

Odelia looked at her strangely. "Who do you think will win?"

"Maybe Darwa," Alecto grumped. "He's really big and strong."

"He's a dummy," Odelia dismissed. "They'd never pick him for Korriban. 'Derrrrr…what's a lifesaber?  Is it so I ken stop somebody's life? ' "

She put on a face to go with her deep, derpy voice, and Alecto giggled. Odelia laughed too, but they both quieted down as they got to the cells. "Maybe it'll be you."

"Me?" Alecto asked. "I don't know. I wanna go to Korriban, but I'm little."

She crossed her arms grumpily. Odelia shouldered her. "But you did good today," she said; she was frowning now. "And you're quick. You do good at a lot of things.  Remember when I had to help you, when you got here?  Now you're helping me!"

"Sometimes. But I wouldn't want to go without you," Alecto said. "You're my best friend!"

"And you're mine," Odelia said. "But if I could go to Korriban…"

"Would you leave me here all by myself?"

Odelia must have heard the hurt in her voice. Her mouth twisted—Sith weren't supposed to be weak—but she smiled after a second.

"I'm glad I had a friend like you here, Alecto." She hadn't said Alecto, of course; she hadn't been 'Alecto' then. But Alecto had long repressed the name Odelia actually said, the name of a frightened, useless little girl from Mirial, and even in a dream she heard the name she had taken for her true self. "Friends forever and ever."

"Forever and ever," Alecto promised.

They said their good nights and went into their cells, and little Alecto fell asleep looking at the rock wall. It was only years later that it occurred to her that Odelia said had.