The Old Republic : The Third Lesson The Old Republic : The Third Lesson is a short story by Paul S . Kemp published in " Star Wars Insider 124 " . The story features the Sith Lord Darth Malgus , and serves as a prelude to Kemp ' s novel , " " . Both " The Third Lesson " and " Deceived " are entries in novel series , tying into the " " video game . Plot summary . After the Sith Empire lost the Battle of Alderaan , Darth Malgus felt rage burn through his body . He was unwilling to believe that the Empire had lost Alderaan to the Republic . Malgus felt the presence of a light side user and demanded that his pilot take him back . He scoured the area searching in the force for the light side user . Initially there was nothing , but then he felt him . He instructed the pilot to hover above the ruins until he returned although he was seriously wounded . A Zabrak Jedi revealed himself and ignited his blue blade and the two engaged . A boy named Veradun followed his father into the family ' s private zoo that was financed by the Empire . Veradun ' s father told him that he enjoyed the animals so much because he could learn much from them . When the child asked what , the father instructed Veradun to follow . The father led Veradun to a Kouhun tank and lifted a feeder rat above it from a nearby cage . The father dropped the rat in the tank and the kouhun bit it in half . The father asked Veradun why the kouhun killed the rat as Veradun had fed it only moments before . The boy answered that it was instinct . The lesson from that animal was that savagery was the province of animals , not men and that savagery was only useful if it was controlled and put in service to an end . Malgus realized that his bloodlust and anger had allowed him to be sloppy and overlook the Jedi ' s power . Malgus allowed himself to control his anger attacked the Jedi , blocking large amounts of rubble . Malgus came to the conclusion that he could have ended the Jedi at any time , but he needed the satisfaction of a lightsaber kill . Veradun ' s father showed him the viirsun next , an avian the Veradun found particularly boring . The mother fed the viirsun offspring some partially digested insects . But the offspring quickly attacked the mother and killed her . As it turned out , the viirsun wasn ' t one and was actually a mimnil , a creature that looked like a juvenile viirsun and had actually killed the viirsun offspring and waited for the mother . The lesson was that Veradun must trust no one , least of all those who appear weak . Malgus was surprised when he felt another Jedi in the force . The other Jedi switched on his lightsaber , but was quickly killed by Malgus when the Sith crushed his windpipe . Malgus felt a quick flash of anger from the Zabrak Jedi and the two fought once more . Malgus let Force lightning strike the Jedi , but he continued to fight never the less . When Malgus channeled more power into the Jedi , he fell to his knees . . . beaten . Veradun ' s father led him to a cage with a tarp over it . Veradun thought it must be new to the zoo , as he had never seen it before . His father told Veradun that the boy ' s instructors had seen few with his talents in the force and that he would be a great warrior . The father walked away telling Veradun to look inside the cage and figure out the third lesson . When the boy pulled the tarp off it , the cage was empty and realization struck home . Malgus turned off his lightsaber as a confused Jedi pondered why . But Malgus stepped forward and activated his lightsaber in the Jedi ' s chest . The look in the Jedi ' s eyes had said , " Mercy from a Sith ? " The question in the Jedi ' s eyes was one Malgus had asked himself countless times and one that his father had tried to tell him . Sometimes there was just a empty cage . . .