| abstract
| - One of the Tribune's first assignments was to work with the Sith Lara Grayson to 'free' Venus Dekan from Caspian hands. It was here that Korolov and Grayson set off a bomb in Fountain Square that filled the fountain with millions of soap bubbles to distract the Caspian authorities from their true objective, Venus Dekan. With the Imperial Consort in tow, the pair made their way back to Korolov's ship Praetorian and returned to Imperial space. Emperor Valak liked how the pair worked together and sent them off to the Imperial fleet to assist Warlord Jarl Rellik in his campaign against the New Republic, aboard the flag ship HIMS Emperor Valak. While aboard, Korolov and Grayson were able to prevent a coup staged by a renegade Imperial Tech and an army of battle droids he had cobbled together. So too during this time, Lara noticed something rare in the Royal Guardsman. She reported this immediately to her master, who called for his Tribune to return to Dreven. Precipitating this, Valak had directed the Royal Guard to build a second academy on the planet Ord Trasi — a secret even from Imperial High Command. It was at this second academy that Vassily Korolov would again become a student. For Bacharan Valak was more than a leader, he was a Sith Lord, growing greater and greater in power as time progressed. He recognized the same thing in Korolov that Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader had sensed, a strong connection with the Force, coupled with his desire for revenge, and overwhelming hatred of the Jedi that would sculpt him to be the perfect weapon. So Bacharan Valak began to train him, first and foremost in concealing his power. Valak knew there would be a day he would have use of the Guardsman and did not want to reveal his hand before that day arrived. He was also taught to channel the Dark Side, drawing its power to make him, stronger, faster, and more destructive on the battle field. His training progressed slowly, as the Emperor's attention was needed everywhere. It was Lara Grayson that first showed him how to fight with the Lightsaber. However again, his training progressed slowly as duties elsewhere for both of them sent them in different directions. Lara Grayson remained on Ord Trasi to fight the Jedi, and Vassily Korolov returned to Selene where trouble was afoot.
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