Chapter 11: Homecoming
Avaryss was startled awake when the shuttle finally lifted off from her destroyer. Despite her task being fairly straight forward, the Sith Lord had found little rest as The Emperor's Wisdom made the journey from Korriban to Oridanna.
After so many years of serving the darkness, her dreams still haunted her, tormented her by what might have been or what she had brought down upon herself.
Her dreams were the one part of her life that she remained unable to control.
They made it difficult to find rest sometimes.
She had been dozing in her seat when they finally had gotten clearance to leave. Three shuttles were being dispatched from the Emperor's Wisdom, the first carrying Avaryss and her people, the other two carrying her personal guard. All three ships were to be followed down by a squadron of supremacy class Starfighters, providing that extra layer of protection should they require it.
It had been enough to make her feel safe, safe enough that her exhaustion had finally caught up with her.
The hours before had not been pleasant for Avaryss.
They had not been pleasant at all.
Sleep had not come, and when it had it brought the strains of the old lullaby that had been haunting her these many months, that and the words of her mother, the plea to come home and that she was needed.
Why she was still hearing it, Avaryss could not say. After all she was finally going back to Oridanna, and as far as helping her people, well…that was what she was here for, provided they accept what she offered.
If they did not…well…she would do what was best for the Empire, as she always had.
The needs of a single world did not mean much in the face of preserving an Empire.
It was to the Empire that she owed her loyalty.
Once again she had been force to rely on a few hours of meditation to keep her mind sharp. By the time that the ship finally emerged from hyperspace, she was as ready and as well rested as she could have hoped to be.
After Colonel Glasc's briefing on what they might expect, she and her command staff made their way to the shuttle.
After fleeing five years ago in a packing crate, Avaryss now returned with a Sith house and a company of one hundred personal guards at her back.
In short, she was ready to put the affairs of Oridanna back in order.
She was ready to fulfill her mission.
IOI
Word had already been sent to the government tower in Danna City. They were to be ready and waiting when Avaryss and her entourage arrived. The Sith Lord now clad in a black imperial military uniform without insignia had made her way to the shuttle, her black cape with crimson lining flaring behind her. In her left hand she carried her helmet and mask, it was unlikely that anyone would recognize her after all this time, but she preferred not to take chances.
Andur Lylos had been fairly well known; there was a chance that someone in the government might recognize his daughter on sight.
She preferred not to cause any unnecessary distractions.
She settled into her shuttle seat next to Commander Holli, the changeling officer was one of the few people that Avaryss trusted implicitly.
She wanted her at her side right now.
Beric sat next to Xen, the two lovers whispering back and forth, her brother's words bringing smiles and the occasional giggle to the Sith Apprentice.
Avaryss tried to ignore them.
There was nothing worse than two people so attracted to each other that they made everyone else uncomfortable.
Colonel Glasc took a seat away from the others, closest to the cockpit. The loyalty officer was not one to make friends; he preferred his connections on the dark council to actual comradery.
Dym found himself seated beside Warmaster Bleez, the trooper sat silently, likely conversing with the troops in the other shuttle, the members of Avaryss' personal guard.
The Munn smiled at the officer. Clad in the robes of the Sith, with a helmet to hide his alien features the Munn was still testing his limits, what power he truly wielded as Avaryss' apprentice.
Now he had decided to test Warmaster Bleez.
Avaryss smiled slightly.
He may not be glad that he did.
"What do you look like under there," he asked the trooper, referring to the battle helmet the Warmaster wore, "I don't think I've ever seen you take it off."
"I prefer not to take it off," Bleez informed him, "It reminds me of who I truly am."
"I see," her new apprentice said, "But what do you look like under there, what does your true face look like?"
Bleez turned to him.
"This is my true face," the trooper said pointing at the helmet's face plate.
"I've never needed another."
"And why is that? What are you hiding beneath that bucket?"
Bleez looked at Avaryss, who shook her head no.
Dym had a right to ask questions. She would not have Bleez acting out of turn, but at the same time, the Warmaster did have a right to privacy.
Avaryss respected that.
Dym needed to learn to as well.
"I'm hiding nothing," Bleez informed him, "As to the face I was born with, I see no reason to show it. Perhaps I was horribly scarred during the war. Perhaps I'm of a species that the Empire has little respect for. Perhaps I'm a creature more beautiful than Xen, and wish not to show it."
Having heard her name, Avaryss other apprentice looked up and smiled.
"You think me beautiful, Bleez? I'm touched."
The Warmaster did not respond to the comment, Bleez's attention was fully on the Muun.
The trooper was starting to get annoyed.
"Whatever I was before has little bearing on my life now. I…am an Imperial soldier. I am the Warmaster of House Avaryss and the fist of my lord's vengeance."
Bleez tapped the face plate of the helmet.
"As I said, this is my true face. It is the only one that the galaxy needs to contend with; it is the only one that matters."
It should have ended right then, but Dym was not satisfied.
He grinned and focused all of his attention on the trooper.
"You will remove your helmet," he said waving his hand before Bleez.
"I wish to see your face."
The shuttle's passenger compartment fell silent; all eyes were now on the test of wills that was playing out before them.
Colonel Glasc looked particularly interested now; he, like everyone else on board, had never seen Bleez' face. No doubt he wondered about the person beneath the helmet, most did.
Avaryss had never cared, as long as the trooper did what was expected. She knew that Bleez had been born on a Republic world, but little else.
Was the Warmaster human or alien, Avaryss did not know. She assumed human because Bleez had been accepted into the Imperial army.
Beyond that…the Sith Lord knew nothing
She did not even know if Bleez was male or female, the Warmaster had never said.
Bleez glared at the Muun, despite not being able to see the Warmaster's eyes, it was clear that the trooper was both angry and insulted by the Sith apprentice's presumption.
"Despite the reputation of Sith troopers," The Warmaster began, "Not all of us are weak-willed. You may consider this failed attempt to manipulate me as your first strike, Munn. I only offer three to those who serve beside me and my master."
"Oh really," he said grinning, "What happens if I reach the third strike?"
"The cleaning crews get to see what color your blood is, and how hard it is to clean up after your body has been removed."
Dym looked surprised, but then…that look turned to one of pure anger.
Bleez did not even flinch.
Avaryss chuckled.
It took courage to threaten a Sith, even one who was only an apprentice.
Still…it was expected, Bleez was trained in how to kill a Force user. The trooper had been part of an elite squad when Avaryss had first met the Warmaster. The squad had specialized in neutralizing Jedi and other Force using targets.
No, Bleez had knowledge to back up such a threat.
Avaryss wondered if her new apprentice had the intelligence not to push this any further.
A fight between the two would be entertaining, but also costly. Avaryss would likely need them both in the coming days.
She would prefer if neither died at this moment in time.
Dym glared at the trooper, angry at the Warmaster's resistance, but then…that anger faded. The Muun's wide grin returned.
"I can see why my master chose you," he said nodding respectfully. "I will accept your desire for privacy."
Again Bleez looked at Avaryss, as if to ask if the Muun was being honest or if his comment was sarcastic.
Again the Dark Lord nodded, the Muun's response had been a genuine one.
Bleez could relax, for the moment.
Not that the trooper would forget. The Muun was still a Sith after all, and not used to being denied. This argument might come up again later, but for now the matter had been settled.
At least, until it flared up again, Avaryss did not believe the matter totally resolved.
Dym would wait, he might try to take revenge for this insult, but it would not happen now.
Bleez was smart enough to let it go, for now.
"Thank you apprentice," the trooper said returning to a more relaxed position.
"Your respect is appreciated."
Conversations once again resumed. Xen talked to Beric, Bleez went back to conferring silently with the troops that would be accompanying them. Dym closed his eyes, appearing to be meditating. Holli pulled out a data pad and began reading from some technical manual.
Avaryss settled back in her seat, and found herself starting to dose off. She had not wanted to, but sleep came for her just the same.
She fought it the best she could, but it had been a losing battle.
She closed her eyes…
…and her mother's words awaited her.
IOI
The shuttle bumped as it first began to break Oridanna's atmosphere. She had drifted off several times since the launch. Once she awoke to find Holli watching her.
She coughed and shook her head, trying to clear the last of the sleep from it.
"What is it Lujayne," she asked.
The Commander blushed and looked away.
"You were talking in your sleep, my lord. For a moment I thought you were speaking to me."
Avaryss frowned.
"I was talking in my sleep?"
"Yes, my lord."
What was I saying?"
Holli shrugged, the changeling looked uncomfortable.
"You kept asking of someone named Ro. Is Ro an old friend, my lord?"
Avaryss cursed under her breath.
Had she been dreaming about Roan Wilkes? She did not remember that.
In truth, she had hoped to reach out and find Fenn in the Force. She hated to admit it, but…seeing Xen and Beric together, seeing Taya laughing and playing with her little girl, it had gotten to her.
She was feeling…lonely.
She had wanted to see Fenn. She had needed to see him.
Yet, he still remained hidden from her. Was he still trying to protect her from finding out things that she shouldn't?
Was that why she had dreamed of Ro?
Had she even dreamed of him?
The dream had faded like a shadow, she found herself unable to remember what it had been about. She remembered something of being back on the family farm, but beyond that…nothing.
If it had been about Ro Wilkes…if she had focused on him…?
If it were so…then…well…damn it.
She would have preferred to leave the past in the past.
Do not forget what happened, the Darkness within her said, "Golan Wilkes betrayed your father to become Overseer. You were to be given to his son as a trophy. Do not forget that."
She hadn't, but at the same time.
She also remembered who had given her this information.
The man who killed our family told us that Avy," Keera reminded her, Can you honestly say that he did not have a reason to lie? Do you think he would not have lied if he thought your pain would make his boring work that more enjoyable?"
Avaryss' frown deepened.
In this, Keera had a point.
She had no idea if the Wilkes had sold her family out. It was possible, yes, but the evidence of it had come from a less than reliable source.
The enforcer her master had sent could have lied.
Avaryss shifted in her seat, now wide awake, she began to ready herself for her meeting at the government tower.
She was eager to speak with both Moff Galek and Darth Sadi; she preferred to get started immediately on ending the rebel threat.
The Empire could afford no missteps.
She needed to return things to normal and fast.
She noticed that Glasc was not in his seat, the door to cockpit hissed open and the loyalty officer returned.
He did not look happy. His face was twisted with anger.
"What is it Glasc?" she called out.
"What's going on?"
"We have been diverted, my lord," he informed her, "There is something wrong with the capital building's landing pad."
Glasc sighed.
"We have been given landing clearance for a pad outside of the city."
Avaryss frowned, her eyes narrowed.
What was this now?
It sounded innocent enough, but knowing all the problems in the Empire lately, she did not think it unwise to be a little suspicious.
She reached out with the Force trying to sense any possible deception. Sadly, deception was the word of the day in the Empire, especially since the Emperor's death.
Too many lords with too many different agendas, the Force revealed nothing of what might be waiting for them on the ground.
She frowned.
She had a bad feeling about this.
"Shall we return to the ship, my lord," Glasc suggested, "We can return when the pad in the capital is clear."
She was tempted to do so, make no mistake, but at the same time. It was possible that that was exactly what Moff Galek expected her to do.
"We shall proceed," she informed the Colonel.
She turned to Bleez.
"Inform our escort of the change in destination. I want a protective screen from the landing field to the capital."
"It will be done, my lord," Bleez promised, and immediately began issuing orders through the Warmaster's helmet comm.
Avaryss leaned back; her danger senses were both awake and alert.
It could be nothing, she thought, but if it wasn't?
"Prepare for trouble everyone," she called out.
As one her followers began checking their weapons, getting ready for a fight that may or may not be waiting for them on the surface.
She did not want to believe it, but at the same time, could not afford to take any chances.
The turbulence increased as the shuttles continued their descent to the planet. Oridanna was currently going through its winter cycle, which meant strong harsh winds. The windstorms of Oridanna were legendary; there were many stories of powerful gales bringing down ships as they came down through the atmosphere.
At the same time, those winds were known to provide enough power to see the planet's needs filled for a full year. Its people had long ago learned to make use of the planet's harsh seasons. Oridanna could be a rough place to live, but the people had adapted to its challenges long ago.
Now, it was a beloved home to many loyal imperials.
Avaryss was determined to see it stay that way.
IOI
The landing pad where the shuttles had been redirected was several miles outside the outskirts of the capital city. It served as a secondary launch point for two squadrons of fighters and bombers, should they be needed to defend the planet against outside attack.
Avaryss had frowned when she heard about this. Oridanna was quite deep in Imperial territory, she had thought such security measures unnecessary.
As it turned out it was one of many changes that Darth Feer had made to the world of her birth...
…Changes that she was quickly learning to hate.
It was these changes that made the rebellion that she now had to face possible.
Her dislike for her master and his policies continued to grow.
Shortly after assuming control of the planet, her master had played a little game with the rich landowners in Oridanna's southern provinces. He had manipulated them into preying on their smaller, less fortunate, neighbors. Promising them extra land and favors if they could deliver to him what he had needed.
They had carried out her master's schemes, seizing more and more land. The smaller farms had had no defense, most gave up quickly and those that did not were burned out of their homes.
The wealthy landowners grew wealthier under Darth Feer, they thought him one of them, and welcomed him into their councils, shared their secrets with the man who had expanded their holdings so generously.
They had all been fools.
The farmers had been out of their depth, they were not used to the power games played by a Sith Lord. Their previous ruler Darth Daverus had been a hands-off type of ruler, preferring to let the farmers do as they pleased provided they met their quotas and delivered the crops that they were contracted for.
Once the smaller farmers had been dealt with Feer had been free to deal with his now useless pawns, he revealed what had happened to the rest of Oridanna, stoking the fires of hate and anger against the wealthy land owners. Protests broke out, and soon the masters of the southern provinces found enemies on all sides. The common people of Oridanna complained to Darth Feer…who, being a generous lord, gave them the justice that they wanted.
He brought in troops and seized most of the land in the Southern provinces. The farms that rose from the ashes of that scheme were now all nationalized; Darth Feer's lackeys now had direct control over the Imperial food supply.
For a time her master was hailed as a hero, the one who had liberated them from the corrupt landowners that had caused so much pain.
That control had made her master very powerful. He had expanded the military presence on Oridanna, and ruled his new holdings with an iron fist, and with the Southern farmers eliminated, no one was strong enough to challenge the power of her master and his enforcers.
It had been a beautifully executed coup.
The Keera side of her hated Feer even more because of it.
The man has much to answer for, Keera hissed when she heard what had happened.
That is true, Avaryss agreed.
If she was to deal with her master, destroying the rebellion would be the first logical step, she would seize control of the planet for Marr and the cabal, and by doing so finally end her master's hold over her.
Avaryss welcomed that day coming.
She had been his servant for far too long.
The time had come to end it.
IOI
Her shuttles executed the standard leap frog formation, it was a security protocol used for shuttles carrying VIPs. The three ships constantly shifted position as to give no clue on which ship was carrying the people in charge.
As the landing field finally came into view, Avaryss noticed only a very small entourage awaiting her arrival. A single Imperial representative flanked by a two squads of troops, twelve Imperial troops and twelve Oridanna Security volunteers.
The sight did not please her.
No Moff Galek, she realized, and through the Force she could not sense another Sith…
…No Darth Sadi either.
Her temper flared.
Darth Feer had named her High Inquisitor of Oridanna. It would be by her hand that this rebellion ended.
Now…those in charge did not even bother to see her arrive?
It was insulting!
She was no mere Sith Apprentice. She was Avaryss! She was the Hero of the Battle of the Inferno Nebula! She was the destroyer of Darth Terrog!
The Dark Lord frowned as she snapped her helmet and mask into place.
She was tempted to kill the representative, to send his or her head back to Moff Galek in a box! It would be both a warning and a sign of her displeasure. Plus, it would be most satisfying; she would show the Sith of Oridanna that she meant business right from the start.
The idea definitely had appeal, but it was then that her training took over, not the training from Darth Feer, but what she had learned from Darth Marr and the rest of her allies within the Cabal.
Avaryss had been a great fighter, but rule acquired more than skill with a lightsaber or the power of the Force. The councilor had done his best to prepare her for what came after Feer, when she was master of all his holdings.
Yes, killing the people down there would feel good, but it would not be a smart move in the game of politics.
No, she should stay her hand, see who it was and come up with a more…insidious response to this insult.
She sighed.
She found herself hating politics; she preferred facing her enemy head on, to stand before a foe with a lightsaber in hand.
The shuttles finally touched down, she felt the sudden bump as the landing gear settled onto the pad.
A shiver ran down her spine.
After five years, she was finally back.
She was home.
She rose from her seat and made for the loading ramp.
It was time to meet the Imperial that Moff Galek had offered up to her as a sacrificial lamb.
She hoped that he had a decent excuse as to why the Moff and Oridanna's ruling Dark Lord was not here.
The hydraulics hissed steam as the ramp lowered. Avaryss began her descent, followed closely by the members of her inner circle.
This is it, she thought to herself.
Here we go.
She stepped out under the violet sky, and breathed in the air of her homeworld.
Avaryss sighed.
She was home.
IOI
The Sith Lord glanced around the air field, the fighters and bombers stationed here in their neat lines, the security fence humming with energy. The winter wind snapped her cloak as she drank in the details of the world around her.
Despite the distance of almost a half-decade, the memories her past came flooding back. The sunlight proved too bright for her over sensitive eyes, the filters in her helmet kicked on almost instantly, darkening her field of vision.
Oridanna, she thought wistfully, shaking her head.
My home.
Her shuttle had come down on the far left, with her troopers now filing out of the two ships to her right. The Imperial sent to greet her noticed. He had been standing before the ship in the middle, awaiting her there.
The man quickly turned and led his troopers to greet her formally.
She stood patiently, awaiting his arrival. Her eyes brows rose slightly as she recognized this one, remembering him.
Tall and slender, the human had changed little in the last few years. He still wore the same tan and black imperial uniform, the black cloak of office still hung from his shoulders. He was a little greyer perhaps, but that did nothing to take away from the rather…unpleasant presence she felt through the Force.
It was a presence that she remembered, she had felt it before, back then she had not understood what that had meant, but now…she knew.
She stood up straight and addressed the man.
"Magistrate Hissa," she called out.
The man stopped and bowed his head.
"Lord Avaryss," he said in the drawl of a lifetime citizen of this world.
"Welcome to Oridanna."
IOI
Errod Hissa had served with her father during the last war. Like most men of their generation, they had been the tip of the spear when the Empire began its assault on the Galactic Republic.
The similarities between her father and this man ended there, while Andur Lylos had earned his spot through success and hard work, Hissa had been born into wealth and had enjoyed the privilege of it, even while serving in the military. The Hissa name was enough to guarantee that the main gained his officer cylinders far earlier than most. When the war ended he had returned to Danna City and quickly rose through the ranks to become High Magistrate.
Her father had never really been fond of the man, even after he had been promoted to the rank of Overseer. Their positions guaranteed that they remained in the same circles, but beyond that there had been few good feelings between them.
She had only met the man once before, it was right before Beric left for the army. The Lylos family had been invited to Danna City for the ceremony that officially named Father an overseer of the Empire.
Avaryss had been nine years old at the time. Much of that night was a blur now, but she did remember one thing quite clearly.
Hissa had been more than smitten with her mother. She got the feeling that the man had some kind of history with her, but whatever it was had ended long ago.
Avaryss still remembered how Hissa had drooled over May Lylos, how his eyes always seemed to find her, and how he had gone out of his way to be close to her.
Looking back now, she realized that much of her negative impression of the man had come through her connection to the Force. Her powers would not fully awaken for another six years, but even at that early stage, she had felt the man's desires.
They had sickened and angered her then. Why she had not told Father about it at the time, she had no idea.
Now, a decade later, it was she that held the power.
She was more than tempted to use it.
She smiled and leaned forward, she did her best to radiate her displeasure.
IOI
"My welcoming committee seems a little small, Magistrate," she said coolly.
"I expected to see Moff Galek here."
Hissa looked down slightly, she could feel his discomfort.
"I suggested as much to him before I left, my lord. Sadly, the business of state keeps our beloved governor most busy."
"Too busy to welcome me," she inquired, "I'm surprised to hear that magistrate, considering all the problems the Lord Feer has sent me to deal with."
"You are quite right, my lord," Hissa said nodding, "Moff Galek should have been here. As to the problems you will find that they are not…formidable as some may think."
"I see," Avaryss said, her voice becoming colder by the moment, "then perhaps you can explain why this…rebellion I've heard about continues?"
He swallowed hard, his sense of discomfort ratcheted up several degrees.
"If I may be so bold, my lord, I don't think that these troublemakers deserve such a title. Calling them rebels gives too much credence to their small successes. They are criminals, nothing more, nothing less. I've already drawn up a series of plans to see these…outlaws brought to justice. Sadly, Moff Galek has been tying my hands, if I was given more free reign, I would have this matter settled in a matter of weeks."
Avaryss did her best to keep from laughing.
Father had always said that Hissa was an overreaching, fool. He had tried twice now to blame all the recent problems on the Moff. No doubt he thought that she might help propel him up the next rung of the ladder of Imperial power. That she had come looking only for a scapegoat, that would have been nice, but she had other matters to attend to.
She preferred to solve this problem, not merely cast blame.
Her father had said several times that Hissa would not be satisfied until he held the rank of Moff. He wished to be the first Moff actually born on this world. He had tried to build up support for years. He had sought to oust Galek and rise in his stead, so far that had not happened.
Now, he thought her the key to achieving that dream.
Ridiculous!
She was not surprised that Hissa had survived her master's purge of the previous regime. He was type of man who would happily turn over others if it made him look good.
Such men had their uses, but she no desire to ally with such a…person, and even if she did, she did not believe she could deliver what the man wanted.
Could she give him Galek's job, probably, but not without angering her master, Darth Feer had been quite clear.
She was to deal with the rebels, and nothing else.
She could not take any direct action, at least not yet.
In time, that might change.
She was just about to inform the magistrate of that when she felt a sudden shift in the Force.
Her danger sensed screamed at her.
She barely had time to respond, Hissa certainly didn't.
"GET DOWN!"
The missile came out of the tall grass to their right; it caught the Imperial shuttle right in one of its most vulnerable spots.
The shuttle which brought her to the surface vanished in a ball of flame.
Avaryss found herself lifted into the air, blown away by the shockwave of the exploding shuttle.
She tried to use the Force, turn the momentum to her advantage, but she did not get the chance. A piece of wreckage struck her in the head. Her helmet and the Force saved her from either having a crushed skull or being beheaded, but it could not stop her flight or how she came down.
Stars exploded before her eyes, pain lanced through her skull like a hot brand.
She struck the ground hard, her ears ringing. The sonic bafflers she wore in her ears doing little to stop the disorientation that came from being so close to such a large explosion.
She may have blacked out for a moment, because when she next opened her eyes, she found herself in the middle of a full scale war.
Everything around them was burning; she heard screams and blaster fire. Her vision was blurry, but even still she saw Bleez trying to rally her troops.
Form up you fools," the Warmaster shouted over the din.
Defend your Darth!"
She heard the sound of lightsabers igniting and the rapid fire sound of a repeating blaster.
She dared glance around.
The bile rose in her throat.
A single heavy military transport had crashed through the air field's security fence. Soldiers in makeshift armor were trading blasts with her guard, while the transport's heavy cannon focused on destroying not only the shuttles but the fighters and bombers that had been stationed here as well.
As she watched the shuttle closest to her blew up, again she was thrown back. She flipped over and came down hard, she hit so hard she bit her tongue, and warm blood filled her mouth.
Her head spun crazily, her stomach turned over, for a moment she thought she was going to retch in her helmet.
She did her best to hold it back.
Throwing up with a helmet and mask on was not something she wanted to experience.
She saw Beric covering Xen, she was grateful he was still alive. Holli had a blaster carbine and was fighting beside Magistrate Hissa and his surviving soldiers. Colonel Glasc lay on the ground not far from her, blood running from a nasty cut on his head.
He wasn't dead, she would sense it if he was, and she thought she could see the rise and fall of his chest. He still lived but.
A shadow fell over her, she looked up, her head throbbing, and it hurt so bad that she could barely think.
One of the attackers stood over her, a heavy blaster in hand.
"Die Sith," he spat, "For Freedom!"
She barely heard him, her vision seemed to double then triple.
She closed her eyes, trying to get her bearings.
In that moment she was no longer laying wounded on an airfield, she was standing outside the Lylos family homestead, her arms pinned behind her while one of Darth Feer's enforcers murdered her entire family./
When she opened her eyes, again she could almost see the enforcer, his image superimposed over that of the rebel killer. Both men glared down at her. She could feel the disgust.
They were going to murder her and there was nothing she could do…she was helpless.
Time slowed down to a crawl.
Helpless…
She was…
Some clicked inside her head. She gasped and blinked.
She looked up at the man and it was not fear that she felt.
It was anger.
It was fury!
It was hate!
The dark side burned away her pain, and in that moment, the world shifted.
Avaryss closed her eyes.
Keera Lylos opened hers.
I'm free, Keera thought, shocked that she had control of her body.
Avaryss was gone, or at the very least had fled back into her subconscious.
Time returned to normal.
Keera looked up at the rebel.
"For Freedom," the man shouted, he started to pull the trigger on his blaster.
Keera did not give him the chance.
The dark side rose up inside her.
She struck back.
She was on her feet in less than a second; she swatted the man's blaster out of the way, and seized him by the throat. Her metal fingers digging into his throat.
"No," she hissed as she cast life drain.
An orange light filled the man as she took every drop of life energy within in him; he turned to a dusty skeleton in seconds.
The pain of being flung around like a rag doll faded. Keera's body felt super charged.
The energy rejuvenated her, fueling her power, fueling her rage!
She shrieked like a maddened Tukata!
Not again, she thought.
Never again will I be helpless.
NEVER!
AGAIN!
She looked up and saw the heavy cannon on the transport swiveling towards her.
"No," Keera hissed.
"NOOOOOO!"
She reached out with her rage, or perhaps her rage reached out with her!
She raised her arms like she was flipping over a table.
The transport did just that, it flipped over like it had been struck by a giant's hand; the gunner and cannon were crushed together.
The remaining attackers panicked when they saw their escape vehicle destroyed.
The battle turned in the Sith's favor.
It became a massacre.
Bleez and Xen rallied their men; they began to push the rebels back.
Keera could have helped, but she was lost…out of control!
She lashed out at any enemy in her path. She did not even bother with her lightsaber. She struck back with the Force; she crushed limbs and skulls with a single wave of her hand.
Kill them, the darkness within her screamed.
KILL THEM ALL!
PEEL THE FLESH FROM THEIR BONES!
KILL!
KILL!
DESTROY!
She found one of the rebel fighters still alive, the man's leg was pinned beneath the flipper over transport, her tried to shoot her when she came up to him.
She dodged the blaster bolt; the Force had made her too fast for that.
She reached out with the Force she pulled the blaster from his hand and sent it flying.
She then reached out and seized him by the throat; the Force became an invisible hand.
She began to choke the criminal.
Her vision burned red, her vision blazed red, her face was hot, and it felt like it was raining lava.
Somehow, in some way, Avaryss managed to come back, managed to take back control.
She found herself in the possession of a prisoner.
She could still feel Keera in the back of her mind, trying to fight back, trying to emerge again.
She did not let her.
She looked down at the soldier.
He was choking; his skin was turning from red to purple.
She relaxed her grip, not enough for him to take a full breath, but enough to let him talk.
"Who sent you," she growled.
The man glared at her, he clamped his mouth shut.
She began to close her fingers.
He gasped as her grip tightened.
"Who…sent…you?"
The man gagged, but still kept his mouth clamped shut.
In that moment Avaryss was beyond pain.
He will suffer, she thought.
He will bleed.
I will keep him alive until I know the names of each and every one of his associates, he will name names, he will…
PEW!
A blaster bolt came out of nowhere; it hit the rebel between the eyes, turning his face into a burned and blackened mess.
Avaryss gasped.
She…
She …
What happened, she thought.
WHAT IN THE EMPEROR'S NAME JUST HAPPENED!
She looked over. Colonel Glasc was back on his knees, his blaster was in hand. His eyes were glazed, he was probably concussed.
He…he had killed her prisoner!
He had shot the man in the face!
DAMN THE MAN!
DAMN HIM!
"Death to traitors," he hissed.
The world turned bright red.
Avaryss threw back her head, and screamed.
She screamed in anger.
She screamed in frustration!
She had him!
He would have talked, given time!
Glasc had stopped that.
He had saved the man.
He…
HE…
ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!
Lightning exploded from the enraged Sith!
So close, she thought.
So close.
Now the chance to learn more about the rebellion was gone.
IT was gone!
She shrieked again and again.
Glasc you fool!
IT WAS GONE!
GONE!
LOST!
She fell to her knees, exhausted in both mind and in the Force. Destruction reigned around her.
She looked up, she saw a bloody and wounded Hissa looking at her, his eyes wide with shock and fear.
You should be afraid of me fool, she thought.
This is all your fault!
The pain in her head returned.
It was over, she thought.
Lost.
She almost sobbed, bitter angry tears.
GONE!
