Chapter 55: The Raid
"According to my source, the rebels have two primary targets for today, the Imperial Armory in Worro, and the spore processing plant outside of Kinsen."
The war council took place aboard Avaryss' interceptor. Her old crew stood around her, listening as Beric Lylos outlined what his friend had discovered, what the rebels were planning to do today. They were joined by Ro Wilkes, Magistrate Hissa, Warmaster Bleez, Taya, and the Nass-creature, the beast that now preferred to be called Abominus.
The monster's presence did little to put them at ease, it crouched on deck like some predator ready to spring, its powerful wings folded behind its back. She could have left it back at the tower, but Avaryss thought it wiser that the creature join them. Abominus was a powerful weapon; she would be useful in the fight that was coming.
Plus, Avaryss did not dare leave her to her own devices, who knew what havoc the creature might get up to if left on her own. Yes, she was bound to serve her mistress, but that didn't mean that she might find some kind of loophole, some means to hurt Avaryss or her cause.
Nass had been clever in life, clever and cunning, Keera could only guess how smart Abominus was, if she was even half as smart as the girl, she had been spawned from…
…The Dark Lord could not take that chance.
She could feel Abominus' gaze upon her, feel the anger the creature felt towards her, it would not hesitate to try to rip her in half, if it was not bound to her, it likely would have tried.
It was risky, bringing her along, but Abominus needed to learn sooner rather than later who its master was.
The monster was needed here, she would serve her mistress's needs, or she would die.
That was all that was left for the creature now.
Avaryss trusted Taya to watch her, she had more experience with Nass than the dark lord did, and she had no love for her old ally, who abandoned her during her last few months on Korriban.
No, Taya understood what needed to be done, if it came to that.
As for the rest of the mission, Keera trusted her brother and his contact, she hoped that he had not only news, but a means to turn what was about to happen to their advantage, or at least she had…before her talk with Lady Synestra.
Beric Lylos frowned as he looked at the blinking red lights on the hologram. Both locations on the map were high value targets for the rebels of Oridanna, and both were necessary in maintaining Sith interests and advancing the war effort. If either was to fall, the Sith Empire would suffer a major blow, and the flagging strength of the rebellion would be revitalized, they would be able to expand their war again, maybe this time as a true military threat.
Everyone on the ship knew that, and recognized the need to end the threat right here and now.
The dark lord certainly did, but…
She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.
But…
…In that moment, Avaryss realized that she didn't care, she was only partially listening to the briefing, it did not seem important to her anymore, nothing did.
Her recent conversation with Synestra Feer occupied her thoughts, what it meant, and how it affected everything that she hoped was to come.
What did the Empire matter when her future was gone? She was starting to fear that all was lost, that she was destined to be simply a footnote in the long history of the Sith Order.
She was shocked to discover, that it didn't matter at all, nothing did.
Only the face of her master mattered…
…only her desire for revenge!
Her vision was tinged with red; everywhere she looked she could see her master's face. She could hear Darth Feer's cold laughter.
It was almost too much for her to bear, almost…
She shook her head, trying to regain her focus, not to think about what she had learned, her human hand automatically drifting to her belly, thinking about what had been taken from her, what her master had stolen from her.
Her rage continued to boil, it was now…almost impossible to resist.
She was no longer sure that she wished to resist.
As her brother continued to drone on and on about this strategy and that plan, she found herself lost in the past, thinking about what joining the Sith had cost her, the price she had paid for the power she now wielded.
Had it all been worth it, she asked herself, or had it all been…for nothing.
It was all about him, she realized, Darth Feer. In the beginning he had stolen her past; his men had murdered her family, and sent her down a path that would lead her to his service. From that point on, since her days as a Sith Hopeful, up to today, she had been nothing more, nothing less, than her master's slave. She had been a slave with power, true, but she had never really had a chance to explore her own interests, the desires that could have defined her life.
Feer had taken her past, and used her present to redefine his role in, not just the Empire, but the Sith Order as well. He had advanced far beyond what he should have, and all because of her actions, the role that she had played had brought him to the dark council chambers, had put him in a position that he was actually able to challenge for the throne, and still…that was not enough for him, it would never be enough!
A low growl escaped her throat…it was not enough to take who she had been, and what she had become, but he had also made sure that she would have no future beyond what he allowed.
He had taken away her future, twice, first with his decision to have her…operated on back on Korriban, and then not bothering to tell her about Terrog's retro-virus, the very virus that was now killing her. Yes, she had a way around it, but that was not the point, she shouldn't have needed to seek out a new body, she should have been allowed to live her life.
Feer had taken that from her, used her until she was all but used up.
He would have happily kept her in the dark, let her continue on as she always had until she had simply dropped dead. Never having known that she was sick, never having known how he had used her.
She shook her head, again seeing his smiling face before her eyes.
Damn you, master, she thought.
You've taken everything from me!
EVERYTHING!
"Are you alright, my lord?"
Commander Holli's question drew her back from her musings, the frigidly black hatred that threatened to swallow her whole.
"I…I'm fine, Commander," she lied, "Lets…um…let us remain focused on the briefing.
Holli returned her attention to Beric's prattling, but Keera could not.
Feer had taken so much from her, the life of a Sith had taken so much from her.
She was not sure how much she had left?
I…I don't know how much more we can take, Keera thought, She felt like it was all slipping away, that she was slipping away; nothing seemed to matter anymore, not the Empire, not the war, nothing.
She was starting to think that if she lost anything else, if she lost anyone else, she would not be able to handle it. She was barely holding it together as it was.
Dr. Vrann had warned her; the virus affecting her brain chemistry could do far worse than simply kill her, she could suffer a complete and utter psychotic break. She could snap, and lose all touch with reality.
She hated to admit it, but in this moment, that didn't sound that bad. If felt like reality was determined to break her, to leave her with nothing.
It was as if the Force itself was working against her, that it was betraying her, and in the center of that web of betrayal sat Darth Feer.
It had always been him, she realized.
It had always been him.
"Stop it," Avaryss hissed, "Pull yourself together."
"I can't," Keera almost whimpered; she had managed to keep from falling apart in front of Synestra, but now, after having thought about what had happened again and again, she was almost at the end of her rope.
"Yu can and you will," Avaryss hissed, "We are so close to absolute victory. You just need to hold on for a bit longer. We will deal with Feer, once we have dealt with the rebellion.
Keera wanted to believe that, she…
"Lord Avaryss?"
Beric's words reminded her where she was again, she blinking and looked up at her brother, pretending that she had actually been paying attention.
"Yes, Captain?" she asked.
Her brother gave her a curious look.
"Do you have anything else to add, before I go on with the battle plan?"
She tried to think, come up with some idea simply from looking at the map, trying to let her eye guide her back over what he had said, trick him into believing that she had actually been paying attention.
Sadly, she had nothing.
One she looked at the map, all she could see was Darth Feer's face, hear his words.
"Scream for me, daughter," he whispered from the shadows.
"Scream for me."
She saw visions of how her life should have been; they danced before her eyes; a life not only of power, but happiness as well. She imagined living on Dromund Kaas with her husband, and their family. She imagined the children that they would have.
Sometimes it was Ro she saw at her side, he was her husband, other times it was Fenn, after he had finally abandoned the dogmatic lies of the Jedi, regardless, she now knew that those dreams were nothing, flights of fancy, and fantasy.
Darth Feer had made sure of that.
He had made sure she didn't have a future….
Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
When she thought about what happened, all it did was piss her off!
The anger helped, she supposed, it was far better than despair, it kept her centered, focused on her vengeance, her thirst for vengeance.
She smiled at her brother, not wanting him to see how weak she had become.
"Continue with the battle plan, captain," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
She nodded respectfully.
"So far I like what I'm hearing."
He nodded.
"The information provided us by Lieutenant Rance has revealed that the attack will begin an hour after dark. A strike at the Spore processor first, followed quickly by a raid on the Worro armory."
"Have we managed to confirm that these attacks will take place?" Avaryss asked.
"It seems so, my lord," Hissa answered, "The security system at the Worro armory has just flagged an attempt to access the systems there; using the command codes that we discovered were used by the rebels in previous raids.
Hissa grinned.
"They will find their codes not so useful this time."
A sly smile came to Avaryss' lips.
"Made some changes to the system, have you Magistrate?"
"The codes will continue to function as expected, however they will not be shutting down the security systems completely, just enough to draw the enemy out, and into our trap."
"We don't want to spook our prey too soon," Beric agreed, Spore plant raid will be the rebels' first strike of the evening. According to Rance, they will do nothing to jam communications; they will want to draw out as many of our forces as they can."
"They wish to clear out any possible reinforcements for the armory?" Xen said with a sly grin, they want all our forces focused away on their strike on this processing plant?"
"That is what it looks like, yes," her lover agreed, "Once the rebels hear that our reinforcements are moving to aid our people in Kinsen, they will strike hard at Worro, stealing as many arms as they can."
"It is actually quite a brilliant plan," Dym said thoughtfully, "If we drive them off from the spore plant, it is likely they will gain enough new weapons from Worro to continue their war against us. If we choose to defend the armory, they steal enough processed spores to refinance their entire operation. They win either way."
Xen gave him a curious look.
"How valuable are these spores?"
"Close to a hundred million credits, easy," the Muun answered, "More than enough credits to revitalize their flagging strength, might even be enough to start hiring pirate gangs again, like they did back on Pholis."
"Which is why they must be stopped here," Beric said grimly. "We've been forced to pull troops from the defense of the capital to make this strike work, but if all goes to plan, the rebels will suffer a very bloody nose today."
Avaryss's crew nodded.
The scenario that her brother was outlining sounded reasonable, but again she could not shake the feeling that she was missing something.
Again, it sounded almost too perfect.
"What if your guy has gotten it wrong, soldier boy," Rink asked.
"Rance wouldn't lie to me," Beric Lylos replied, "I know him too well."
"I'm not saying that he is lying, I'm saying that what we might be looking at here; is some kind of double feint."
The former street rat shook his head.
"You said we needed to draw defenders from the capital to make this plan of yours work, what happens if the rebels chose to hit there instead, what if what your man heard is all some mass deception, a means for the rebels to hit a larger target, a target left all but defenseless, by our moving our forces around?"
Necris looked at the map and nodded.
"Rink is making a good point," the necromancer agreed, "If this is being just a feint…"
"We are ready for that too," Beric said, "The enforcer have remained behind in the capital, in case they are needed, plus, Captain Kannady had moved down two full battalions to the surface, they will be there if the capital should fall under attack.
Beric pressed a button on the holo tank, a third target flashed before their eyes.
"The battles in Kinsen and Worro are important, but they are also just a pinning maneuver. Rance's information also included the location of the Rebel's main broadcast center, a center that will go online moments after the raids concludes."
He looked at Avaryss.
"We believe that Tahl Moritza himself will be there for that broadcast, and that he will have Talitha at his side."
Beric smiled.
"This is our chance, my lord, our chance to rescue her."
Avaryss frowned, again this sounded almost too good to be true.
"How can we be sure that Moritza will be there, and that he will have Talitha with him?"
"The rebels only have this one facility," he told her, "Simply sending a recorded hologram won't work this time, if one attack should fail, Moritza will need to adjust his message accordingly, as for Talitha being there…"
Her brother shrugged.
"My source says that they have doubled security at the broadcast site, that Moritza is holding something very valuable there."
She nodded.
Her brother could be wrong, but if there was a chance of getting Moritza, and saving Talitha, they could not pass it up.
"Very well," she said, "We will need to hit the facility the same time that the battles are going on in both Worro and Kinsen."
She smirked.
"And to even further sell how seriously I'm taking these attacks, I will lead our forces in both Worro and Kinsen."
Beric's brow furrowed.
"You?"
She nodded.
"How do you plan on being in two places at once?"
"Three, actually," she said tossing her helmet to Necris."
The Devish caught it with a toothy grin.
"So," she purred, "I will be playing the role of the master during this attack?"
"In Worro, yes," Avaryss said, "Ro and his volunteers will be with you. Seeing him there will help sell the deception."
"Are you sure about this, my lord?" Ro asked, sounding worried, "I would rather be at your side during…"
"You will be; that is what the rebels in Worro will believe."
"And what of Kinsen," Hissa asked, "Will another of your apprentice be there as well?"
"I will be there," she promised, looking at Holli.
The Commander nodded.
She knew what was expected of her.
Dym will stand with the Avaryss in Kinsen, Taya and Abominus will go as well. When my face is seen, it should go a long way in convincing the enemy that I'm on the battlefield."
"And where will you be truly, my lord?" Hissa asked.
"Where else," she said with a smile, "I will lead Beric's team against the rebel broadcast facility, Xen and I will make sure that no further transmissions are sent from the site, and I will recover my sister as well."
The Dark Lord looked at the map and nodded.
An interesting plan, Avy, Keera agreed from her place in the back of their mind.
If we can get Moritza, drag him back to the capital in chains…
I will not waste my time on a trial, she replied to her other self.
A head will suffice; the rebels and officials of Oridanna will finally understand that the war is over.
Oridanna is and will always be a Sith world.
I will accept nothing less.
"What kind of defenses are we looking at," Xen asked, "We will need all the strength we can muster to crush this threat."
The rebels have few military vehicles," Beric answered, one heavy troop transport, and two repaired walkers. My source believes that they will be used to secure the armory."
We will have proper armor there and waiting when they arrive," Hissa promised.
"See that you do," Avaryss said.
She turned to her crew, her inner circle.
She smiled.
"We have done much together my allies. We have bled together, endured together. Now we must prove our mettle again."
She looked at them each in turn.
"I would gladly trust my life to anyone in this room. What we have faced together forged us into one of the greatest crews in the Empire."
Abominus cackled.
"Do you include me in your loyal crew, Avy?"
"I trust your ambitions Abominus," she replied, "If you want to possess your father's holdings one day, you will do as I say."
She turned to Taya and HK.
"Keep an eye on her for me. You both know what to do if she proves…untrustworthy."
The assassin droid looked at the monster; a shudder ran through its metal frame.
"Eager statement: Oh master, I do love when you say things like this, I so look forward to carrying out your orders."
"We will handle it Avy," Taya promised, "All will be as you wish."
Good, Avaryss thought with a nod.
Very good.
"Tahl Moritza has lived long enough," she declared, "He has twisted a loyal imperial world and turned it into a hotbed of traitors and dissidents."
Her eyes narrowed at the mere thought.
"Tonight we prove the strength of the Imperial fighting machine, not just the power of the Force, and the strength of our military, but the courage and skill of our warriors.
She grinned hungrily.
"The day has come my friends, the day of reckoning; the end of the Rebellion is at hand. For the Sith!"
"FOR THE SITH!" her crew shouted.
"LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!"
"LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!"
Yes, Avaryss thought.
Now it begins…
…The beginning of the end.
IOI
The shuttle skimmed low to the ground, its bottom brushing the tips of the long grass of the Oridanna plains.
Avaryss felt the thrill of it all; being only a few centimeters from certain death excited the Dark Lord.
Xen's skill guided their ship towards their target.
She looked over her troops, twelve trained commandos, handpicked by Beric for this mission. They moved like machines, checking over their weapons, and armor, readying them for battle.
A good crew, she thought, she could feel their eagerness to destroy the enemy. Their desire to protect the Empire from what they thought was its greatest enemy.
She was eager to fight at the side of these men.
She was eager to end Tahl Moritza, once and for all.
She moved and sat down next to Beric, he was all business; she could barely sense his emotions.
That was good.
She needed him cold and frosty today.
If they were to save Talitha, they needed to be ready.
"Once we've secured Talitha, I want you to get her out of there, nothing else matters."
He glanced up at his sister.
"Nothing? What about you Sister? What if you were in danger?"
She gave him a sly smirk.
"I can take care of myself, besides, Tahl Moritza is mine."
A shiver ran down her spine.
"He will suffer to his last breath."
He nodded.
"I understand your anger, sister, but don't let it blind you. We've a chance here to end the fighting here. We should focus on that."
She nodded; she knew he was right, but…
She was so angry, she had so much rage!
Darth Feer was not here for her to unleash it, and if she didn't unleash it, she would be overwhelmed by it.
No, she needed to end Moritza, she hungered for it.
He needed to die.
He deserved to suffer!
She felt warmth on her lips, she reached up with her right hand and wiped at her nose.
Her fingers came away bloody.
She frowned.
Dr. Vrann warned her of this. The treatments helped, but they were not a cure.
Bloody noses would become more and more common for her over the next few months. It was a small symptom of her failing health.
It was one problem of many that she was facing.
It didn't matter, not in the long run.
She would soon crush the rebellion, and in her victory, she would finally secure Oridanna, her homeworld would be in her pocket.
She found herself thinking about Darth Sadi, she was not sure what business had taken the woman away, but it didn't matter.
She would not be here to claim this victory over the rebellion for herself.
It would be Avaryss and Avaryss alone that would seize the laurels, this would be her triumph.
It would be a victory for both her, and the Empire.
Even if that meant less and less to her, she still desired victory.
Through victory my chains are broken.
Yes, she thought, she longed to break her chains.
She desired to be free.
Her holo communicator chirped; she raised it; the image of Magistrate Hissa appeared. He was currently aboard the Emperor's Wisdom, monitoring the various battles from there.
"The attack in Kinsen has begun, my lord," he informed her, "Reinforcements are being deployed."
"Excellent," she replied, "Tread carefully, Magistrate, let us not spook our quarry, just yet."
"Fear not, my lord, we will draw them out, and in."
"Good, any word from the capital? Any surprises?"
"Nothing, Warmaster Bleez has not contacted me."
Good, she thought.
In this, no news was good news.
Warmaster Bleez had returned to the capital, the trooper would lead the Enforcers into battle if that is what was required.
She smiled at her pet Magistrate.
"I'm going comm silent now; I will contact you again when the battle is over."
"As ordered," the man said, "Good hunting, my lord."
"May the Force serve you well, Magistrate.
The holo vanished, she put her communicator away.
If something came up in the capital, Bleez would be able to handle it. She had no doubt.
Avaryss was not concerned about that, the Force seemed to be singing to her now; she sensed that she was on the right track, whatever was coming; she was where she needed to be.
It is almost over," she thought.
"My victory is at hand."
She put on a Sith war mask, it was not as strong as the one that Necris was wearing as part of their feint, but…
It would protect her when the bolts started flying.
"Approaching drop point," Xen called out from the pilot seat, "prepare to engage."
The troopers brought up their weapons, she heard the sound of power packs humming, the sound of heavy blasters coming to life, their safeties off.
She gripped her lightsaber firmly with both hands. She was so eager for this, so eager to wash her hands in blood.
She could not change what Feer had done to her, she could not change what Terrog had done to her, but she could influence this. She could kill the rebel leaders and save her sister.
She was most eager to kill something, it would be glorious!
Beric brought up the holo-map that his source had acquired.
She regarded it thoughtfully.
Once this place had been an estate for one of the southern landowners, one of many that had fallen when Darth Feer had claimed the land for himself.
Now it was a rebel stronghold, a place for dissidents, she would bring it down around their ears, once she had gotten her sister to safety.
"Remember what I said, brother," she said, "Talitha first."
"I will do as you ask, sister, all will be as it needs to be."
She nodded.
Good.
Xen's voice rang out over the vehicle's loudspeaker.
"Landing in three, two one…"
The ship hit with a bump.
"DOWN AND CLEAR!"
The transport's doors swung open, Avaryss leapt out, followed by Beric and his troopers.
She landed on the ground, the winter wind blowing her cape; she did not ignite her lightsaber yet.
She looked around quickly reaching out with the Force.
She sensed no danger, no blaster fire rose to greet them. The transport lifted and withdrew to a safe position.
Avaryss' eyes narrowed, they had come in low, to avoid detection on enemy scanners, but the ship was not invisible, any rebel sentries should have seen their arrival.
Something isn't right," Keera said, "Why are we not under attack?"
Avaryss frowned; it was a good question, a very good question.
Why weren't the rebels coming out to meet them?"
As quiet as shadows, Beric deployed his troopers; they spread out in a flanking pattern, advancing on the target.
Her brother stayed close to her, he would be both her guard and her back-up if she needed it.
They moved forward, predators hiding in the long grass, Tukata waiting to spring on their prey.
Her heart beat quickened; she could barely contain her bloodlust.
Be here," she thought, "Tahl Moritza, you had better be here.
Tonight, we dance the final dance.
She lost track of her troopers, they were so quiet, so professional.
She was grateful that they were on her side.
They came to the edge of long grass.
Her eyes widened as she peered out from cover, her smile turned predatory; a shark-like grin.
Ah, she thought, there he was.
There was a small campaign tent set up before the ruins of the estate. She saw Tahl Moritza standing before a holocam as his soldiers set up for their broadcast, and there, to his left, on her knees.
Talitha, she thought.
Good.
She was alive.
Her sister was bound her hands behind her back, her legs folded beneath her.
There she is. Let's go, Avy, Keera shouted, Come on!
Avaryss did not obey.
They were not ready yet, she was waiting for Beric to receive the signal that their troops were in position.
She would not give the rebel leader a chance to escape, not this time.
She took a deep breath.
By now the battle of the Worro Armory should be underway; the rebels should all be committed to their attacks.
Almost she thought.
Almost.
"Are we ready," she asked over her comlink, her direct link to her brother.
Stand by," his response came back.
"Stand by."
She glared.
Stand by? Why?
If they were in position they should.
Blaster fire rang out.
The long grass around them flashed red.
Damn, Avaryss thought.
They're onto us!
No more time!
She leapt.
"Keera wait!" Beric shouted.
She didn't obey.
She was tired of waiting.
She wanted blood.
She would have it.
She ignited her blade as she flew through the air.
Tahl Moritza and his band of rebels looked up.
Too late, she thought.
Far too late!
The rebels went for their blasters.
Too slow!
She beheaded the man behind the holocam.
She sent a blast of Force lightning into the one closest to the generator. He flew back and it exploded.
Night turned to day.
She looked away from the light; she had eyes only for Tahl Moritza.
She could see the light from her blade reflected in his darkened face plate.
"Now," she hissed, "You die!"
"Protect," Moritza said, pulling a blaster from his sleeve.
"Protect!"
He raised his weapon and fired.
She was too quick, she danced around his blasts, and closed the distance; almost on reflex she cut Talitha's bonds.
"RUN!" the dark lord shouted, "RUN SISTER!"
"Keera!" Talitha screamed, "STOP! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
She parried Moritza's blasts; he backed up, but was nowhere near fast enough.
"KEERA!"
She brought her blade around, she could hear her sister screaming but in that moment she didn't care.
She had had enough of Moritza.
He was done.
She swatted his blaster away with her metal hand and brought her lightsaber around in a wicked arc.
"DIIIIIEEEEEE!"
Her blade sliced through the neck of the rebel leader, sparks exploded.
The head bounced away, the face plate shattering as it hit the ground.
The body didn't fall it tried to continue its attack.
Avaryss sliced at it with her lightsaber the robes caught fire as more sparks emerged, oil splattered in her face."
The dark lord sputtered.
What the?
In the light of the fires burning around her, she saw what was left of Tahl Moritza. She could not believe it.
The helmet was broken she could see the face underneath, or rather the face plate.
What the…?
She stared in disbelief.
A droid?!
Tahl Moritza was a droid!
"SISTER! KEERA!" Beric emerged from the tall grass, his remaining soldiers at his back.
Keera stared down in shock, she…she didn't understand!
How could Tahl Moritza be a droid?!
"Beric?" she heard Talitha say.
"Ric get her out of here!" Avaryss shouted, "We need to fall back!"
"It is okay, sister," Beric said coming to her side, he put his hand on her shoulder.
"It is over."
She glared at him.
What was he talking about it was…?
She felt a shift in the Force, but she could not respond; the danger was too close.
He was too close.
PEW! PEW!
Avaryss gasped, the red flash of light was followed by a cold burning sensation in her gut, far colder than anything she had ever felt.
She…she…
She coughed blood.
She…
Oh Emperor!
She could only stare in shock,
Beric looked at her like she was a stranger he plucked her lightsaber from her hands.
She…she…
What?!
CRACK!
The force of his back hand caused her to lose her mask, it went flying off!
She spun and fell to the ground, she couldn't stand. She…she…
She coughed blood. She held her gut, feeling burnt cloth, and smelling burnt meat.
Beric had shot her!
He had shot her twice in the stomach!
Twice!
She tried to stand, to cry out; to call on the Force to save herself.
He brought his foot around and kicked her; her head snapped back, stars exploded before her eyes.
She laid on the ground her troopers standing around her, they…
They were all pointing their blasters…at her.
HER?!
"Stupid little witch," her brother said, "Why could you not have simply accepted the way things were."
Avaryss' head spun, she…she didn't understand.
Beric?
He…he was her brother!
Why?
Why would he…?
Talitha came up beside him; she held the head of the Tahl Moritza droid in her hands.
She shook her head, much as she had done back home, back when she found one of her pet droids malfunctioning.
"What a mess," she slurred, the scars on her face effecting her voice.
"It is going to take me hours to fix him."
"You have time now, my dear."
The voice that spoke up was cold and cruel, a voice that demanded to be obeyed.
Avaryss turned her head, to see Darth Sadi standing next to Talitha and at her side was Bael Feer.
He looked at her sister.
"Are you okay?" he asked his voice thick with concern.
Talitha smiled.
"I'm fine Bael," she promised him, "She didn't get the chance to hurt me."
Avaryss groaned.
Me…hurt her?
As she watched Bael did something she never would have expected.
He pulled Talitha into his arms and kissed her, kissed her like they were lovers or something.
Avaryss groaned.
No, she thought.
NO!
Sadi laughed.
Beric dropped to one knee before the Dark Lord of the Itae system.
"Her lightsaber, my mistress," Beric said, he was practically whimpering with joy to be back in the presence of the other Sith, and in his other hand…a holocron…
…Her holocron.
He was like a dog come to hump his mistress' leg.
It was disgusting!
"A gift, for my lady"
Sadi took both Avaryss' blade, and her holocron.
"Thank you, dear captain," she said, "I'm most pleased."
He grinned like a happy child.
"Are…are you…you pleased? Really? Have I done well? I have, haven't I?"
"Oh yes," Sadi said examining Avaryss' holocron.
"You have done very well, captain."
Avaryss snarled blood a spit flew from between her clenched teeth. She tried to crawl towards her brother, her only thought was of tearing out his throat with her bare hands!
Traitor, she thought.
Traitor!
Sadi smiled down upon her.
Avaryss roared like a dying beast.
"Oh what's the matter Avy?" he rival asked, "Are you trying to say something?"
Keera emerged angry and full of hate!
Beric, Talitha, her family!
They!
They!
She growled under her breath, rage and hate filling her up.
"What was that dear, I can't hear you?"
In that moment Avaryss found her voice, her head was spinning from Beric's attack and the pain in her gut, but…she could speak.
"TRAITORS!"
Force lightning exploded from her finger tips. Bael pushed Talitha behind him, while Beric and his men hid behind Sadi.
It would not save them!
Avaryss roared like an enraged rancor!
She would kill them all!
She started to cast, to call on the death field; she would not stop it this time; she would let it flow over the entire world.
All would pay for this outrage!
She would burn this whole treacherous world to the ground.
She would...
She was flung back! She landed ten feet from where she had been, her leg breaking, she could feel the bone tear through her pants.
She howled.
She was surrounded by shadows; the dark side faded. She felt her powers being drained away, her life being drained away.
She whimpered; she was in so much pain.
Betrayal, she thought
They've betrayed, me every last one!
She looked up into the shadow; she saw two glowing yellow eyes staring down at her.
"You will not die here, child," Her mother's voice said, "But you must stop, you don't understand.
"Mother," Keera whimpered, "You're with them! You came here to kill me! You lied!"
She felt the shadow ripple with disappointment.
"You will understand, Keera," she promised, "When you awaken you will understand."
The world spun away, she felt cold, and she felt empty.
Gone, she thought all gone.
Betrayed!
Everyone I trusted, betrayal!
Love a lie!
Family a trap!
BETRAYAL! BETRAYAL! BETRAYAL!
Traitors all!
The whole galaxy…they are all traitors.
Let it burn!
LET ALL LIFE BURN!
She let the darkness take her, but she didn't forget.
She would never forget.
Oridanna would pay for this outrage!
The Universe would scream as she tore its soul out!
All would be consumed by the revenge of the Sith!
She would be the dark side.
She would be the SITH!
Something within her broke, it snapped.
Something died within her in that moment.
She let it die.
She no longer cared!
She glared at the shadow, and at those that served it.
You will understand, the shadow promised.
Avaryss smiled through bloody teeth.
I already do, she thought.
I'm going to kill you!
I'm going to kill you all!
You will suffer, she thought.
The darkness claimed her.
ALL…WILL…SUFFER!
