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“No!” she snapped, causing Set to flinch in his bed. “That is the old way. Lesser followers would unite their inferior skills to bring down a strong leader, weakening the Order. This goes against everything the Rule of Two stands for.

“If I am to become the Dark Lord of the Sith, I must prove myself by facing my Master alone. If I am unworthy, then I will fall … but the Order will remain strong under his leadership.

“Do you understand?”

Set understood all too well. “The Rule of Two guarantees that each Master will be more powerful than the one who came before. It culls the weak.” Good for the Sith as a whole, but not so great if you’re the one getting culled.

Zannah may have been willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good of the Sith Order, but Set wasn’t ready to do the same. Of course, he was smart enough not to say so out loud.

Instead, he asked, “What made you choose me?”

“I have been seeking an apprentice for some time now,” Zannah explained. “When I stumbled across your path on Doan, I knew it was more than mere chance.

“You are strong in the Force, and you have rejected the Jedi and their teachings. You are intelligent and resourceful. But your potential is unfulfilled. You have not dedicated yourself to the dark side. In your quest for the talismans of the ancient Sith you are like a child playing with his toys.

“You have no thoughts of the future. No ambition. No plan. No vision. That will change if you agree to be my apprentice. Join me and I will show you your destiny.”

“My destiny?”

“For thousands of years the Jedi and Sith have waged an endless war against each other. The Jedi believe the war is over. They think the Sith are gone. But we still exist in the shadows, planning our revenge.

“With patience and cunning, we are laying the seeds of our ultimate victory. Generation after generation our power and influence will grow until one day we will destroy the Jedi, and the Sith will rule the galaxy.”

Set wasn’t interested in ruling the galaxy. Or destroying the Jedi. It sounded like a lot of work. It’s not like you’ve got a lot of options. She’s not going to just let you walk away if you refuse.

Aloud, he said, “The Rule of Two dictates there can only ever be two Sith, so how can you take me as an apprentice if your Master is still alive?”

“If you accept my offer, you will accompany me as I go to face my Master,” Zannah explained. “But you must not interfere. If he falls, then I will take you on as my apprentice.”

“What happens to me if you fail?” Set wondered.

“If I die, my Master will need a new apprentice. If he judges you worthy, then you will replace me. If not …”

There was no need for her to finish the thought.

Set wasn’t crazy about the deal, but he understood the position he was in. Refuse, and she would kill him. Accept, and there was a good chance he would die anyway if Zannah proved weaker than her Master. And even if she was victorious, he would be returning to the life of an apprentice … a life he had been eager to escape while he was with the Jedi.

But there was one thing worthwhile in Zannah’s offer. He had been given a glimpse of what she was capable of during their one-sided battle in his living room. It might be worth a few years of following orders and calling her “Master” if he could learn to command that kind of power for himself.

“You said you can help me reach my full potential. Teach me how to unlock the true power of the dark side.”

“If you follow me,” Zannah promised, “you will become more powerful than you ever imagined.”

Zannah could sense Set Harth’s reluctance to become her apprentice. He lacked the burning hatred of the Jedi and what they represented; he had little interest in embracing the greater destiny of the Sith. But it was also obvious that he was tempted by her promises of individual power.

Set cared only for himself. He would accept her offer only because he saw it as a means to an end, a way to make himself stronger. Zannah knew this, and she was prepared to accept it. She would have preferred to find an apprentice