The Old Republic: The Third Lesson

Darth Malgus was consumed by a burning fury following the Sith Empire's defeat in the Battle of Alderaan. He refused to accept that the Empire had lost control of Alderaan to the forces of the Republic. Sensing the presence of a light side user, Malgus ordered his pilot to return to the battlefield. He began to search the area, using the Force to locate the individual aligned with the light side. Initially, he found nothing, but then he detected the presence. Despite his significant injuries, he instructed the pilot to maintain position above the wreckage until he returned. A Zabrak Jedi then revealed himself, activating his blue lightsaber, and the two engaged in combat.

A young boy, named Veradun, accompanied his father on a visit to the family's private zoo, which was financially supported by the Empire. Veradun's father explained that he found the animals fascinating because of the lessons they could teach. When the boy inquired about these lessons, the father instructed Veradun to observe. The father then led Veradun to the enclosure of a Kouhun and retrieved a rat from a nearby cage to use as food. The father released the rat into the tank, where the kouhun promptly killed it by biting it in half. The father questioned Veradun about the kouhun's actions, considering that Veradun had fed it just moments before. The boy replied that it was due to instinct. The lesson derived from this animal was that savagery belongs to animals, not humans, and that its usefulness lies in being controlled and directed towards a specific purpose.

Malgus came to the realization that his intense anger and bloodlust had made him careless, causing him to underestimate the Jedi's power. Regaining control of his emotions, Malgus launched an attack on the Jedi, deflecting large pieces of debris. Malgus concluded that he could have defeated the Jedi at any point, but he desired the satisfaction of a kill with his lightsaber.

Veradun's father then directed his attention to the viirsun, a bird that Veradun found uninteresting. The mother viirsun was feeding her offspring partially digested insects. Suddenly, the offspring attacked and killed the mother. However, it was revealed that the creature was not a viirsun, but a mimnil, a species that resembles a juvenile viirsun, which had killed the viirsun offspring and waited for the mother to appear. The lesson was that Veradun should trust no one, especially those who appear to be weak.

Malgus was taken by surprise when he sensed another Jedi presence through the Force. This second Jedi ignited his lightsaber, but Malgus swiftly eliminated him by crushing his windpipe. Malgus then detected a surge of anger from the Zabrak Jedi, and the two resumed their battle. Malgus unleashed Force lightning upon the Jedi, yet he continued to fight relentlessly. As Malgus amplified the power directed at the Jedi, he was finally brought to his knees, defeated.

Veradun's father led him to a caged area covered by a tarp. Veradun assumed it was a new addition to the zoo, as he had never seen it before. His father mentioned that the boy's instructors had noted his exceptional talents in the Force, predicting he would become a formidable warrior. The father then departed, instructing Veradun to uncover the cage and determine the third lesson. Upon removing the tarp, the boy discovered the cage was empty, and the realization of the lesson dawned on him.

Malgus deactivated his lightsaber, causing confusion in the Jedi. Malgus then stepped forward and plunged his lightsaber into the Jedi's chest. The Jedi's expression conveyed the thought, "Mercy from a Sith?" The question reflected in the Jedi's eyes was one that Malgus had contemplated countless times, and one that his father had attempted to convey to him. Sometimes, there is simply an empty cage...