Chapter 18: The Mystery
Another restless night…
…Avaryss sat at a small table in her chambers in the government tower of Danna City. In her lap sat a data pad, its prompt blinking on and off, awaiting her next order.
The young Dark Lord frowned.
As a Darth she had access to most of the data stored in the Imperial Information network. Only a member of the dark council or one of the Emperor's staff could deny her anything stored here.
Knowledge is power, that old adage was true. It was even more true in the realm of politics where the entire galaxy seemed to rotate on secrets.
Right now, she sought to make sure that she was on the right track, that her allies had not steered her false.
She had started her search about an hour after returning from her journey out on the plains. Once she had made sure her two young guests were taken care of, Avaryss had retired to her quarters. She let Gnar handle things with Darth Sadi, she let him explain what had happened and the steps she had taken to establish her dominance over the people of Oridanna.
She had expected some response, perhaps a summons by the Lord of the Itae system, but, surprisingly, no summons had come, what that might mean, she could not say yet.
Maybe…Sadi approved of her actions today, maybe she felt that Avaryss was on the right track.
Whether she approved or not did not concern Avaryss, she had made the first move.
Now she would see how the other Darth responded.
She had concluded her evening by logging on to the Imperial information network. She had spent the next few hours going over the histories of the people that now led Oridanna. Both Moff Galek and Darth Sadi clearly had her master's ear.
She was curious to see just how they had gotten there.
The historical records were fairly straight forward on both, important dates in the lives of the two, their many commendations and victories. As she read, she recognized that what she was reading was not fully the truth, but…it did offer her some insight into what she would likely face later on.
As she read through the various reports, there was one name she was trying to ignore, one person that she was trying not to think about.
Magistrate Hissa had insisted that Ro Wilkes was the man she needed to help her advance her agenda here on Oridanna.
She was not sure she bought that; still…she could not deny it.
Ro Wilkes was not what he had been.
She tried to ignore it, just go to bed and forget about Ro. He was a tool to be used now, nothing more. Yet, when she closed her eyes, her mother's voice was waiting for her, imploring her to go home, that she was needed, and had to go home...
She was not sure how long she had tossed and turned how many times she had been woken by her mother's command; finally, she could not take it anymore. She got up, and now here she was back at work with her data pad in her lap.
The computer was still awaiting her next command.
All she had to do was enter Ro's name and what she sought would be at her fingertips.
She would know just what kind of a man he had become, and if he was everything that Hissa had promised.
She had seen a hint of that back at the fueling station, but now she desired something more concrete. She desired definitive proof that the young lieutenant was everything that Hissa said he was.
Is that the only reason you are interested in him?" Keera asked.
"Of course," Avaryss shrugged, "Why else would I be?"
Somewhere, deep inside her, Keera laughed.
"I think you are deluding yourself, Avy. There is more to it and you know it."
Avaryss sniffed.
What did Keera know?
"His room is just a level or two below yours," Keera reminded her, "How do you think he would react if he saw you again, if he saw beneath the mask and saw the woman that you had become? What would you say to him, what would he say back? Would he be happy? Would he throw his arms around you, pick you up, and spin you around like the old friend you were, or…"
Keera laughed, Avaryss could imagine the sly smirk on her face.
"Maybe he would want more, and maybe, just maybe, you would enjoy giving it to him."
Avaryss hissed.
"Silence," she spat.
"Why? Did I say something bad? Are you honestly going to say that the thought does not intrigue you, just a little?"
Avaryss' eyes narrowed in anger.
"Shut. Your. Mouth."
Her mind immediately went to several years ago, right after they had finished the harvest. Ro had borrowed a bottle of wine from his father's stores. The two of them had gone off together; they had had a picnic on the plains.
It had been…nice.
They had both drunk too much, either that or the wine had been too strong and they were simply not used to it. Anyway, the two of them had found themselves lying on a blanket under the warm Oridanna sun, giggling over one thing or another. Keera's head had been spinning slightly, but still she remembered what had happened next clearly.
She had looked up at her childhood friend and saw something…different there, something that almost took her breath away.
Had she been a little older, things might have gone…more swiftly then.
Ro had also looked at her with new eyes, eyes that had made her blush. Despite the warmth of the sun she had felt cold, and so Ro had pulled her to him, wrapping her in those strong arms of his. The two had ended up snuggling together wrapped tightly within a blanket. She had been…nervous at first, but only at first, the warmth of his body, the smell of wine and sweat, they had soothed her.
Ro had leaned down and kissed her forehead. Promising that he would always be there for her, that he would take care of her, looking back Avaryss preferred to think of that as her first kiss, her true one had been stolen by a Hutt spawn named Bryden during the early months of her Sith training.
She far preferred this memory to that one.
Even now she could remember how it felt, his arms, the feel of hard corded muscle, soft and warm under her fingertips.
Even now that memory made her body warm, her breathing and heart rate picked up.
They had done nothing that day, perhaps they had been too intoxicated, or maybe they had simply been too innocent?
Whatever the reason, they did nothing, just slept in each other's arms, but in doing so, they had planted a seed.
After all these years, Avaryss now wondered what would happen if she chose to revisit what they had started that day.
What it would mean if they did.
Keera had her own opinions on that, of course, it was rare that Keera was without an opinion.
"It had been too long," Keera said, "Far too long…"
Avaryss did not need to ask what it was. She knew.
It had become an itch of sort, an itch that had grown over the last few months.
"Maybe the time has come to scratch that itch again."
Avaryss sneered at that.
Did Keera truly understand what she was saying?
The very idea of it made her shake her head.
"And what about Fenn?" she asked, "Have you forgotten him?"
"Not at all," Keera replied innocently, "But Fenn is not here, is he? I'm not saying that we should marry Ro or anything, only that he could be…fun."
She could imagine Keera shaking her head.
"It has been two years, almost three. Don't you think it is time that we found…some release?"
Avaryss sighed.
It had been a while.
Fehl, her first love had died almost five years ago. She might have cherished her memories of him had Darth Terrog not tainted them. After Fehl, she had found a young Sith warrior named Urtel, a friend of Taya's husband Fimm. They had been…"Comfort partners" for a time, neither of them had been looking for a real relationship, just a bit of companionship, a means to slake their lust every now and again.
Thinking of Urtel made her sigh.
He had died on Alderaan a few months back, killed aiding House Thul, an ally of the Sith.
Even before that, it had been a while, Urtel's work had kept him away from Dromund Kaas, and she had been busy trying to be the hero that the Empire had needed.
Now…here she was back on Oridanna, Ro was staying here in the tower, his room not that far away.
She took a shuddering breath.
Desire before duty, young Sith.
She could do it, she could just go down to his room, take off her helmet and explain everything. If he was still the Ro she remembered he would…
She paused.
He would…what?
She had no answer to that question, not yet.
That is why she was currently logging into the Sith data pad, the records the empire kept on officials and their families.
If she wanted to make sure before she began anything, before she did something that might be stupid.
It was here that she would find the answers she sought.
She entered Ro's name.
His file came up seconds later.
Avaryss carefully read it, her eyes moving over the script.
Interesting, she thought…
…And most unexpected.
Most of it was basic information: Wilkes, Roan: twenty-one years of age (standard): Lieutenant in the Oridannan security volunteers
Avaryss looked at the picture the file contained, his eyes…they…looks so sad.
He does look good though, Keera added, and ooh, look Avy, he never married.
Avaryss hissed, wishing that the stupid farm girl would be silent.
She did not need distractions right now.
She was trying to think.
According to this file, Golan Wilkes, Ro's father and overseer for Orid and the surrounding settlements was dead; he had died a few months after she had left to begin her training. There was no record of how he died, but the suddenness of it shocked her.
He had been elevated by Darth Feer, she thought, for him to have died so quickly…?
Had he failed in some way, had her master's servants executed him, or had he been killed in some other fashion?
The file did not say.
As for the rest of Ro's family, there was even less information, the file listed his mother brothers, and sisters, as off world, location unknown. Unusual for the Sith and their imperial allies, normally they preferred to keep detailed and up to date records.
Something else you can ask Ro about when you finally let down your guard and speak with him honestly, Keera advised.
From what she was reading here, it did not sound like the rise of the Wilkes family had gone off as well as they had hoped for, or rather what Golan Wilkes had hoped for.
In his absence, his son had stayed, and not only that, he had thrived; she saw records of multiple commendations here, awards for both courage and valor in carrying out his duties.
Avaryss was impressed.
She read through the cases that her old friend had had a hand in solving, one stood out above all others.
She pursed her lips.
According to this, Ro Wilkes had aided in bringing to justice the brigands who had murdered Andur Lylos and his family.
Well, she thought with an amused sniff.
Wasn't that interesting?
As far as she knew, she had killed all the Sith troopers that had carried out her family's execution. She had not realized that any criminals had been chosen to serve as scapegoats. Which, apparently they had.
She shook her head.
According to the record of the investigation, Ro had killed the ring leader himself. It must have been a most impressive fight to be sure?
Yet, another thing she would have to ask Ro about.
Seeing the file on her family, she could not resist temptation. She was curious what was said about her father after his untimely end.
How did the Sith look at him now.
She called up her father's file, his service record, and history. Once again she saw the long list of citations for bravery and service. The edicts he had enacted as overseer, often with Ro's father at his side. The fact that this still made it look like the two men remained friendly all their lives were a bit annoying to her.
No record of Golan Wilkes selling her father out, no admission of what had truly happened to the Lylos family.
Avaryss sighed.
She should not have been surprised.
The image of her father stared back at her from the data pad; looking at him now…it was not easy.
Despite the fact that Ric looked so much like him, she had to admit that as the years had gone by it had gotten harder and harder to remember her father's face, the sound of his voice…it was all slipping away.
You do not need him anymore, the darkness whispered, you have the dark side.
That is all you will ever need.
She frowned.
She was not sure that was true.
Her eyes went to her father's personal file, the history of his life outside of his duty, the records of his family.
She found herself looking at the name Keera Lylos, her date of birth, even the age that she had died.
Avaryss chuckled at that.
Someone had told her once, long ago, that she needed to let Keera die, that it was the only way to achieve her desires, to let the dark side change her to such a degree that her past no longer mattered.
She had believed that…for a time, but now…Keera was back.
It called into question everything that she had done.
It wasn't I that gave me the strength to come back; Keera reminded her that was all you Avy. You chose to be me again, and that was all that I needed to find my way back into the light.
She thought she could hear Keera laughing.
And you consider me the weak one.
Avaryss did not respond to that, she would not be baited, not by Keera, not anyone.
She brought up Keera's file, read it; she was not surprised that the file contained no picture. She suspected Darth Feer's hand in that particular oversight. Darth Avaryss was a fairly well-known Sith.
No one would wish to see her power undercut by the fact that she had once been a simple farm girl from Oridanna.
One by one she brought up the files on the rest of her family. Anj, her baby sister had the shortest file, she had been so young when she died. Pamir and Talitha's files contained academic scores, and several educational activities they had been involved with.
Once again, the Sith need to know and document surprised her.
She has thought such things as her sisters' schooling was beneath the notice of those in power.
She had, apparently been wrong.
She closed her sisters' files, only her mother's file remained.
The dark lord frowned again.
It was her mother's voice that continued to haunt her. Did she dare to look into her mother's eyes again, to see her image? Would her history give her any clue of what it was that she wanted, why her eldest daughter had needed to come home?
Even now, when she closed her eyes, Avaryss could hear the faint strains of the old lullaby the words that had haunted her for years now.
She brought up her mother's file; she entered her pass code and requested all information on Mya Lylos.
She waited as the computer continued its search, she waited patiently.
Her data pad beeped.
There was no file to be found.
Hearing that made Avaryss blink.
What?
What do you mean there is no file?
She backed out, and entered the command again, once again typing her mother's name, and again…she got the same result.
No file found, her mother had no file in the Imperial directory.
Avaryss was not sure what to make of that.
She went back to her father's file again, his family list. She found her mother's name listed as Andur Lylos' spouse. She even learned her mother's maiden name. She had been born Mya Moritza.
Avaryss entered the name Mya Moritza into the data pad, it whirred again as it began to search for all relevant files.
The dark lord shook her head.
What was going on?
Mya Lylos had been a simple woman. She had been the wife of a farmer, a farmer who then became a soldier, and later an overseer.
How could such a simple woman be forgotten, and why?
Is she forgotten, the darkness within her asked, or was she erased.
Avaryss pursed her lips.
Why would someone need to erase her mother?
It did not make sense.
The computer beeped, the data pad had managed to download a file on Mya Moritza
Reading that file, it left Avaryss more confused than before.
According to what she was seeing here, Mya Moritza had first arrived on Oridanna twenty five year ago. She arrived just before the war to defeat the Republic had begun. That was all the information that the Imperial Information network had on her.
There was no listing of what ship she arrived on.
There was no planet of birth listed for the young woman.
And most interesting of all the only record of ever having been on Oridanna was her proof of marriage to one Andur Lylos.
No other information was included, not even a record of the birth of her children.
Avaryss did not know what to make of that.
It was as if someone was trying to erase her mother from existence.
Why? She wondered.
Who would want to do that?
She once again tried to bring up Mya Lylos' file, this time using a link to Moritza.
The screen on her data pad changed, she blinked as the pad issued a loud, yet high pitched tone.
The screen turned blood red, with the Imperial symbol in the middle of it. Text scrolled beneath the symbol.
Avaryss shook her head.
What had she stumbled onto this time?
The message informed her that all data related to the topic she was trying to answer had been declared classified. Any further attempt to access these files would be met with serious reprisals.
Avaryss tried to enter in her security override, as a Darth she had one, it should have worked anywhere in the Empire. It should have brought up any and all possible files on Mya Moritza and My Lylos
It did not work that day, however.
Again she was confronted with failure. Only this time, the file contained a warning anyone caught disregarding it would be taken before the Grand Magistrate had punished for her high treason and espionage.
Why, Avaryss wondered.
What was so important about her mother?
Why was her history being blocked?
Avaryss shook her head.
As a Darth she had security clearance, that clearance could only be revoked if someone believed that she had turned against the Empire, but that made no sense.
The only two offices that could block her request were the Dark Council, and the Emperor's staff.
She did not recognize the code that was used to classify her mother's file.
It made no sense, she thought shaking her head.
For once Keera was silent, she said nothing about Ro and how…useful he could be to them.
The dark lord scowled.
It seemed like she had stumbled upon a mystery, one that had nothing to do with the rebellion.
She sighed.
Who was Mya Lylos, and why was her history above even a Darth's attention.
What were you doing, Mom," Keera finally asked, "Why would the records of your arrival need to be classified.
She could not say.
Avaryss nodded grimly.
She would find out, if she was certain of anything that was it.
She would find out.
She was a Dark Lord of the Sith.
She could not be stopped.
She would not be denied.
