Bentre cast a sidelong glance in the direction of the orange-skinned Twi'lek girl as she meditated quietly. Today would have to be a different sort of lesson for his apprentice. Closing his eyes, the Sith ran quickly through the sequence of events. The history had proved to be an interesting one. He did not want to stray from the record more than necessary.

"I have shared many bits of wisdom with you over our weeks and months of training, Lav'anre. The one tale I have not related is actually one than has driven me these months. Today, I will tell you the tale of Darth Ferus." A minor tremor echoed through the Force in that moment. His words had been meant with confusion.

"Who?"

"Darth Ferus was a mighty Sith of old. He operated in the darkness, striking only when it was necessary. While others fought wars with Jedi with ancient machines or flashy shows of power, Ferus was a more cunning creature. While others marched to war, he led them from the rear. And then, during the age of Darth Bane, Ferus fled out to Wild Space. There he had constructed a shelter within a cave on a planet akin to Kashyyyk. Inside he had constructed holocrons, battle droids, tomes and all manner of tools. That was not the thing that truly set him apart from the likes of his contemporaries however."

"What do you mean, master?" Her tone was curious, but the girl's attention was already beginning to slip.

"According to the journals I have found, a few of which I believe are authentically his, though perhaps archival copies." Bentre shook his head without opening his eye. "Either way it does not really matter though. It holds many common threads with the whispers I heard of this Sith Lord long before finding them. For you see, Ferus was a wild man. Though, I suppose that calling him a man may have been a stretch. Whatever he was, he had an unbelievable appetite. He sought knowledge and power like a man stranded in the desert seeks water. More than that, he was ravenous. I am sure you have heard of someone being 'eaten up' by an obstacle or an opponent?"

The girl was silent.

"He really did it. For that man, it was no hyperbole. More than that, he seemed to assimilate knowledge more than learn it. By absorbing the strength and knowledge of his victims, Darth Ferus became a force to be reckoned with. Given enough time, the Sith Lord would have challenged even the strongest Force Users of his day."

"I have never heard the name of Ferus before today. How can that be?"

Bentre chuckled. "The really big thing that I have realized as I have garnered my own strength is probably the same reason that he is unknown to you, my apprentice. For you see, Darth Ferus feared loss. Darth Ferus hid himself away out of a selfishness that outweighed mere secrecy. Unlike the others, he feared he could not keep his secrets to himself. He was said to have possessed untouched youth, strength to rival a rancor, a mastery of the Force that would have caused a Jedi Grand Master to blush and a ferocity to rival a rabid wookie. He was a monster, pure and simple."

"What would bring down the likes of a Sith Lord of that nature?"

"The thing that brought about his failure is a common thread among many Sith of old. He trusted. Ferus trusted his apprentice a portion of his secrets. A young girl served as his right hand. The girl became impatient with the machinations of the Sith. She made it up in her mind that she was done with playing the subservient role. She struck her master at the one point that all sentients are weak- while he was at rest. She stabbed the monster to death with his own weapon while he laid in his bed."

"So, even the strong eventually fail?" Lav'anre was starting to piece together his lessons more quickly at this point in their training. It pleased Bentre to see her reason one without awaiting explanation. "Is the lesson here one about pride in one's own abilities?" Sometimes she was wrong, but there was something to be gained from failure.

"The lesson in the tale of Darth Ferus is quite simple. He assumed that by hiding he would be spared the ultimate fate that becomes all beings. While he grasped great power, he assumed that he was untouchable. Like so many Sith before him, Ferus came to believe that he would live forever. So, yes in a way it had to deal with his pride. But more so, he lost sight of reality while held in the thralls of power."

The apprentice nodded slowly without speaking. After several moments, Bentre opened his eyes and watched her out of the corner of his eyes for another few moments before he let out a sigh. "Do you have a question weighing on your mind, my student? I want no secrets between us."

The Twi'lek opened her mouth, though remaining momentarily silent. "You have never been one to tell stories just to make a point, master. There is always something that you want me to take away to apply on a practical level. Is that correct here as well?"

"You *are* picking up more quickly. Feel free to speculate. What do you believe is the lesson here?"

The girl nodded slowly, considering her next words. "Well, it almost seems like the lesson is to watch my own pride. I could also argue that Ferus' inaction was his undoing. If I were to examine the parallels between you and I versus Ferus and his apprentice, I could almost say that you are warning me against attacking you?"

Bentre had to suppress a laugh at this. He shook his head, his mouth twisted in amusement. "This Sith of old had a great deal of power at his hands. The lesson is less in what was done by the apprentice. Ferus proved a fool by failing to act. His desire to preserve that which would fail, his very life by the nature of the Sith being ultimately forfeit, he showed his greatest weakness. His apprentice killed him, and in an attempt to keep his own secrets many abilities were lost to antiquity with his passing. No, my young one, there are two things that you really need to understand."

"Oh?"

"Firstly, you need to ensure you are not destroying a tool or a legacy if you decide to take that path." Bentre let out a snort. "Also, if you plan to try and take me out, I caution you not to assume it would be half as easy as killing off any other Sith. If you are lucky my wife would be absent when you did the deed. Force help you when she catches wind of what happened though. No, rather you need to be sure that you are always the most direct-indirect cause of your master's demise if you decide to take such a path."

The girl raised a hand as though to protest. Stahoes shook his head, and continued. "The apprentice fell to those whose ambitions were greater than yours. This applies to more than Sith secrets so keep in mind this simple truth. Regardless of your path to power, never take on more than you can handle at the time, my student. Ambition is good, but even we of the Dark Side must show some measure of temperance. Think on the things I have told you, and in a few hours we will discuss your observations further. In the mean time, continue your meditations down here."

Without looking back, Bentre unfolded his legs to stand upon stiff legs. He had a lot to do yet and only so much sunlight in which to do it. Things were coming to a head in the Brotherhood. The Clan had to prepare for the storm that was to come. If not, there might not be anybody left who cared to plunder the gathered secrets, and perhaps Bentre too would fade into obscurity like many a Sith of old.

What does it mean to be a member of Scholae Palatinae for me? Well, there are many meanings.

First of all, our clan has taught me the true meaning of family and friendship. When I first came here to the DJB, I had no friends, no job, a broken heart after a runaway fiance, a disease doctors told me I couldn't handle, and depression up the wah-zoo. I was hesitant at first, and because of this I didn't join as quickly as I was invited to by Shadow, but I eventually took the plunge, downloaded Telegram, and decided to explore this new world. Immediately I encountered wonderful friends that were ready and very willing to get to know me simply for me: not because of what I could do for them, what my mental illnesses and medical conditions made me do, or what boobs I could show them on the internet. They wanted to get to know me because they saw something inside me that I didn't see. And through truly getting to know them and loving them, I learned a way to also get to know and love myself. I have made life long friendships in the Brotherhood that have taught me honor, responsibility, leadership, perseverance, stewardship, and most of all, worth. This clan helped me better myself and believe in my strengths while they ever so lovingly challenged my weaknesses, doubts, and invited me to explore the unknown with them. Because of all this, to be a member of Clan Scholae Palatinae has a much deeper definition. It means to belong to a family that never leaves people behind.

Secondly, being a member means to come to an agreement even if parties still disagree. Many political advancements in my DJB career and the careers of others has brought this to light several times. Just because someone disagrees with you, it doesn't mean they can't work alongside you or like you. That's something being in Leadership with CSP has taught me. Though my 'German' (as Jorm likes to call it) side comes out often and can make me out to be a real 'Lara bitch, at the end of the day, I am taught to recognize solution rather than dissolution. I have been trained to expect agreement even among people I disagree with. It has brought true balance to the Force for me, I suppose.

Finally, being a member means to be an explorer. I was always taught from the get-go to explore new fields of the website, explore new competition types, explore the wiki, explore the Shadow Academy campus, and to explore my own interests and the interests of others. When I came to the DJB at first, I wasn't a huge Star Wars Nerd. (I know, I'm a heathen. Shush. Just pass the holy rum.) In fact, it wasn't until I dove further into the Shadow Academy classes that I truly discovered my love for the realm, especially the Advanced Lightsaber Studies course. It fascinated me. Then when I watched the movies over again with a new perspective and a much older outlook, I was able to actually understand what a Republic was and the politics behind what was going on behind the screen in front of me. This brotherhood has given me a much broader perspective on the Star Wars Nerdom as a whole, and has allowed me to find my home within it.

So there ya have it.

Here is my submission for Devils Gift. It started out as something and became something else.