Chapter 59: A Beautiful Nightmare

"You have passed the test, my daughter. You are the one who will lead our family into a new world; a dynasty that will last for the next thousand years!"

Avaryss continued to laugh, she couldn't help it.

After all this time, all the years of pain and suffering, she had finally been offered something, something that she had desires for so long.

The throne, she thought hungrily, oh what a wonderful world I will create when I sit on the Emperor's throne. A world of limitless suffering and pain for those that even contemplate resistance, I will grind this pathetic galaxy beneath my boot, only the strong will survive, and even they will be subject to the most brutal of tests.

The thought excited her.

The Sith…the very galaxy would be remade!

She would bring…untold horrors upon her enemies!

The Emperor had never gone far enough, she realized that now. His limitations had brought dissention to the Sith, she would fix that. No other lord would dare wriggle beneath her heel, at the first hint of resistance, she would crush them.

They…were hers, this whole galaxy would be hers.

She would enjoy breaking it in, oh yes…she would enjoy it immensely.

Mother's spirit continued to swirl overhead; she could feel the satisfaction radiating from it. The shadow of Mya Lylos, in life, a Child of the Emperor, welcomed her daughter's rise.

I will prove myself to her, the dark lord thought, what happened to Darth Sadi was just the beginning.

Feer would be next, and then…the rest of this forsaken empire.

She noticed the others standing in the throne room. Bleez had finally fully regained her feet, her dark eyes radiating with pride, her very being speaking of loyalty. Avaryss would reward the Warmaster well in her new era. All that served her willingly would be elevated beyond anything they could imagine; their wildest dreams would come true.

All they would have to do, is ask for what they desired on their knees. The Empress would grant all to her chosen few, for they would be her heralds, they would make the galaxy hers.

They would still be tested, of course, but she would favor them, they would see the value of being under her approving gaze.

She smiled.

She could barely wait!

The support of the few remaining royal guards here would be welcome as well, they were a symbol of the old guard, and a sign of its acceptance of the new. Bael and Talitha were…

Her eyes narrowed as she watched them, she could feel the connection between them, how that had come to be she didn't know.

She didn't think she liked it.

"I will proof myself a worthy champion for the Sith, mother," Avaryss promised the spirit, "Once I've completed my grand spell, and ensured that I will live beyond what this mortal shell offers; the entire galaxy will tremble at the sound of my name!"

"Yessss," the spirit hissed, "The spell, your attempt to preserve your existence beyond your natural time."

The spirit slithered around her like a serpent, its touch cold, but at the same time comforting.

"You know longer need to worry about that, I've ensured our family's legacy. There is no need for you to live longer than you will."

Avaryss stopped in her tracks, her excitement for the future gone in an instant.

No…need?

What?

The spirt swooped away, settling on Bael and Talitha.

"The future of our family stands before you," her mother's spirit said, "Young Bael and Talitha will make sure that the fire of Lylos does not go out."

Bael Feer sneered at Avaryss.

"You need not worry anymore," he promised, "I'll make sure that your line continues."

Talitha giggled, she looked on Bael with…both love and desire.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

Gross.

She turned her attention to the spirit.

"I do not understand, mother. If I do nothing, if I let things progress as they are, I will be dead within a year, in two if I'm fortunate."

"Plenty of time," the spirit assured her, "Plenty of time to destroy Darth Feer and take your rightful place. Plenty of time to seize the throne and take your sister as your first apprentice, your heir."

The ghost smiled slyly.

"Plenty of time to complete your holocron, to leave your wisdom for future generations, to ensure that the name of Lylos is never forgotten, that it is only another name for unlimited power!"

Avaryss' frown deepened.

What was her mother talking about?

She didn't like this!

The spirit continued to radiate pride, but it no longer pleased the dark lord.

What her mother was asking…

…it was not what Avaryss wanted.

She deserved so much more!

"You have suffered greatly, my child," the spirit continued, "You have given up so much in your pursuit of greatness, so much has been taken from you."

The spirit shook its head.

"Those losses, not only the shortening of your life span, but your ability to reproduce has limited your value to the plan, but it does not take away what you have accomplished. You stand before us a true Lord of the Sith."

"No one can take that away from you."

No, Avaryss thought, you just want to use me as a stepping stone. All that I've done to secure my future, you would steal that from me, and give it to my dear sister, my sweet little sister and Bael.

The mere thought of it sickened her!

She knew what kind of boy that Bael Feer was, and she could guess what kind of man he was becoming.

Her mother would dare putting someone like him so close to the throne; to put him only two heartbeats away from the power of the entire Sith Empire!

That isn't right, she thought.

It is not FAIR!

The plan, her mother had said, not our plan. Has mother appeared to her sooner, shared what she was doing, Avaryss would have tweaked the plan just so, to ensure that she got what she wanted…what she deserved.

Right now, she didn't see that.

She saw the rewards that Bael and Talitha would have, but where did Avaryss fit into all of this?

Was she simply to be a figure head?

Would her role be only to win the throne only to hand it over it Talitha and Bael?

Where was the reward in that?!

Avaryss' anger continued to build, but she didn't show it, she continued to grin like an idiot, to listen as the spirit nattered on.

She needed to understand what had been planned, only then, did she have a chance to turn it to her advantage.

"I take it that this plan has been in place for some time now," she asked, keeping her true feelings hidden.

"Since the day that Talitha fled to this temple, injured, but unbroken."

"It was vengeance that laid the ground work for our plan, Keera," Talitha assured her, "Father, Pamir, Anj, they deserve to be avenged, as I'm sure you agree."

"Of course," Avaryss said, "Our enemies must be destroyed."

It just remained to be seen just where you stand, little sister, she thought, are you an enemy now?

She smiled at Bael.

If you stand with this little fungus, you might be.

"In death I came into the fullness of my power," the spirit informed her, "But I was untested, and weak. I could not leave the confines of this temple. Darth Feer's actions fed my strength, but I remained limited, and the guard stationed here did what they could for dear, Talitha, restoring her body and her strength."

"Yet as time passed, I realized that Talitha was not alone. That you still lived, Keera. I wanted many times to reach out to you, let you know that you weren't alone, but my strength was limited. I…was limited."

Avaryss continued to listen.

Be patient, she reminded herself, let the spirit speak.

Give it more slack, more rope as it were…

She smiled.

More rope to hang herself with.

"I soon came to realize that you now belonged to Darth Feer. That the monster that destroyed our family had taken my eldest daughter and turned her into her pawn."

The spirit bristled, tendrils of shadow turned into blades.

"Again, I longed to reach out, but was too limited, our connection was never that strong, my daughter. It was to dear Andur that you had grown close. I needed to wait, to both grow stronger, and for you to grow in power.

"Plus, I was Feer's," Avaryss said flatly, "You couldn't say how loyal I was to him?"

"Exactly," the spirit replied, "I needed to wait. I had to be sure."

"Only together would we have a chance of true success."

So, you say, Avaryss thought.

We will see.

"Feer continued to pillage our world," Talitha added, "The destruction of the free farmers, and the fall of the wealthy landowners continue to fuel the dark side on this world, making mother stronger, and giving me a taste of things to come."

Talitha smiled cruelly.

"Mother had talked about the power of the dark side, but I never really understood it, not until Darth Feer came into our lives."

Avaryss smirked.

"He took much from us, but gave us so much more."

Her response troubled her little sister.

"You admire him?"

"I admire his power, and his clarity of purpose," Avaryss answered.

"We should both be so lucky."

"I shared what I knew of the Sith with Talitha," the spirit said, "But my knowledge was limited, not enough to help your sister emerge as a true Lord of the Sith.

"If the Force was with her," Avaryss replied, "Talitha could have surrendered herself to the Imperial mission, they would have ensured her training, gotten her into the academy system. She would have learned much there, as I did."

"It would have been a risk," Mya Lylos' spirit responded, "I may not have been able to commune with you, but I could feel your torment, what you endured. I could feel your pain and suffering, daughter, several times you came very close to death."

The spirit shook her head.

"No, I could not risk it. Our line needed to continue."

Avaryss almost sneered at the spirit's answer.

There was no reward without risk. Yes, she had suffered greatly on her path to power, but each torment and hardship she survived had only made her stronger. It had toughened both her mind and her will.

The spirit had done Tali no favors by hiding her away here.

Avaryss looked at Bael.

"And where does HE figure into this?" she demanded, "Isn't Bael a part of House Feer? How did you manage to bring him into your plans?"

If her master's son was insulted, he didn't show it. He grinned at her like the fool she knew him to be.

"That was Darth Sadi's contribution," the spirit said, "Say what you wish about Lord Feer, but he does know how to build a powerbase. If we were to avenge our family, it was necessary to reach out and ensure that that base could be turned to our advantage."

"Sadi approached me on Korriban," Bael volunteered, "She introduced me to Mya, and to the opportunity that she offered, and…"

Bael smiled, he walked up to Talitha, and stroked her face, the non-scarred side of it.

"she introduced me…to you, my love." He purred, "And I will love you from this day, until my last."

Talitha blushed, at least it looked like she was blushing, it was hard to say in the low light.

She looked like she wanted to kiss Bael, she actually desired to.

Avaryss again felt like she wanted to throw up.

"while we worked to bring Bael into our circle, I finally had the strength to reach out to you. At first, I could only reach out to you during dreams, filling your head with the lullaby, the first real comfort I offered you when you were but a baby."

I heard it," Avaryss said.

The shadow smirked.

"Later, I was able to do more, whisper to you, remind you of who you truly were. I gave you the strength to reclaim your former life, and your former name. I reawakened Keera, because I knew, that she would help us, that she would want to bring glory to her family.

Avaryss nodded.

Things were starting to make sense.

So, it wasn't just her connection to Fenn that had brought about her split personality, it had been mother's manipulations, her lies and whispers gave rebirth to Keera.

I should have known, the dark lord thought, the moment that mother's spirit revealed itself, everything should have been clear, but it hadn't…

She had still been divided, caught between the Sith Hopeful and the Sith apprentice that she had been; only now…after finally killing both, and emerging as her true self, did she finally understand.

Like Darth Feer before her, Mya Lylos had tried to manipulate Avaryss for her own ends, and as a result, made the Sith Lord weak. Her failings as a commander during the war, her moments of mercy and compassion, those had been because of the divisions that the authority figures in her life had left, traps left to slow her rise.

The Dark Lord pursed her lips, she felt…shame.

They made me weak.

She could accept that now.

She had been weak.

She would never be so again.

Still, the spirit remained oblivious to the changes within her, an exploitable flaw if Avaryss ever knew one.

She almost laughed.

This would be most enjoyable!

Again, the spirit wrapped around her, she could feel its dark power, its hunger.

"I will offer my strength to you, daughter. When you confront your master, we shall both drink deep of vengeance long denied. Once we have destroyed him, Bael will assume power over the House of Feer, legitimizing our claim to all his father's holdings. You, Keera, shall then claim his seat on the Dark Council, as is your right."

"Then…you will convince the council to name you Empress," Talitha said, "With your control of the Imperial food and medicine supply, they will not be able to refuse you."

"The Empire will have a strong leader," Mya Lylos continued, "And from there you will take your sister as your first apprentice, moving her into position to claim the throne when your life ends."

Avaryss nodded.

It was an interesting plan, she had to give her mother and her sister that. Keera Lylos would likely even have agreed to it. She would have been happy to have her family back. She likely even would have been pleased that she wouldn't have to waste time seeking out a new body, content that Talitha could do the job, both as her apprentice, and as the next ruler of House Avaryss.

There was one only one problem with that idea.

Avaryss was NOT Keera Lylos, not anymore.

She had no damn intention of simply playing place holder and giving her hard-earned throne away, much less letting it slip into the hands of Bael Feer and her traitorous sister.

Avaryss sneered at the mere thought of it.

Her mother, for all her powers in death, clearly didn't understand the nature of the dark side, or the Sith.

No self-respecting Sith would ever give up her own power.

The mere thought of it was preposterous.

Even thinking about it annoyed her.

This was never about Keera, she realized, it was about the throne, that is all that Mya and her daughter care about.

The Dark Lord shook her head.

It seems that Darth Feer had been right.

The House of Lylos was filled with traitors.

They had deserved to be exterminated, every last one.

Avaryss no longer considered herself a part of the treacherous brood, the dark side had finally purified her, cleansed her of her connection to the filth that spawned Keera Lylos, and once she had taken her new body, she would no longer have any blood connection to them.

The Jedi had a saying, that those that wielded the Force were more than the crude matter that formed them. They were beings of light or shadow.

The dark lord knew what type of being she was, and she was grateful for that.

Soon she would cast off this diseased flesh.

She didn't care what Mya Lylos thought.

She would not abandon her destiny.

"So," she said politely, "I'm to train Talitha in the ways of the dark side, prepare her to train her children, the next generation of our family?"

"That is your place, my daughter," the spirit answered.

"I see," Avaryss said, "So…my reward for giving our family the Empire is to die painfully, and ignobly, to slip quietly into the madness beyond death, to fade from memory?"

Her mother's spirit hissed.

"I would not let you go to such a fate, Keera," she promised, "We would make sure that your body was laid to rest on Korriban, and then, I will help you across, aid you in finding your place in the realm of shadows, as I have done. Your shade would continue, you would rule over the dark side with the dark lords of old, advising the generations of Sith to come, the future rulers of the galaxy!"

She considered that; once again her mother painted a pretty picture, but…

Avaryss shook her head.

She also knew that her mother…was lying.

Now that she had embraced her true power, this place offered more than simply a place for the rebels to hide, Avaryss was touching the dark side so deeply now.

She could see her mother's true intentions, and they had nothing to do with making her into a dark side Force spirit.

Avaryss could almost see it, the moment when she died, killed by either Bael or Talitha, perhaps even both. She could sense her mother's spirit coming for her, not to aid, but to feed.

Mya Lylos, and the shard of the Emperor that preserved her, would feast on the dark lord's spirit. She would be absorbed, fed upon like she was some prey animal.

Mother could not afford to take any chances, Avaryss recognized that now.

She had her own agenda, likely planted by the Emperor himself, a means of continuing his rule. Avaryss' teachings would be twisted to fit those designs. The Empire would be theirs, and the legacy of the one that had put them there would be forgotten.

Avaryss, the true Avaryss, would be forgotten.

Not going to happen, she thought.

Fat chance!

She looked over at Bleez, it was strange seeing the Warmaster unmasked, yet the gaze in those dark eyes were almost as pitiless as the one seen by gazing at a trooper's helmet.

Bleez was no fool, she likely had reached the same conclusion her master had.

What the rebel leaders were offering Avaryss…it wasn't power, but servitude, she would be trading one master for another.

Darth Avaryss had had her fill of masters.

She would not bow to one again.

The Dark Lord smiled, she knew what she needed to do, but it still required a bit of setting up.

She reached out to Bleez through the Force, willing the dark-skinned warrior to be ready.

Bleez nodded, if she truly understood what her master wanted, the Sith Lord could not say.

They would see…soon enough.

"So," she said conversationally, "Feer will die?"

"Of course, the spirit replied.

"What else have we all been working towards."

"And what of my other apprentices," she asked, "they will not surrender their positions so easily."

Bael sneered at her question.

"An alien and two failed Jedi," he spat, "The three of us will crush them easily enough, and if not, Mya will have our backs. No one can hope to stand against us."

Again, the dark lord had to hide her disgust.

There were many accounts in the history of the Sith of multiple weaker apprentices attacking strong masters. The threat of that was why most Sith considered taking multiple apprentices as a challenge. Avaryss had met that challenge by keeping her students separate, giving them their own spheres of power. It had served well enough, they had grown protective of their own stations, and the rivalry born with their fellows prevented them from even contemplating an alliance against their master.

Dym was too fresh to her service, she could destroy him easily. Xen was too much of a slave to her desires, she would prove no threat. Necris was the only one that Avaryss was wary of, but even she was limited by her interests.

No, if Avaryss wanted to destroy them, she would not need the aid of others, the fact that Bael thought she did proved his lack of vision and his cowardice.

"It seems that we have all things figured out," Avaryss said, "there is only one thing that I need to know mother, one question that needs to be answered."

"And what is that, daughter?" the spirit asked, amused and pleased by her acceptance.

The dark lord smiled.

Mother would not be smiling much longer.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why, Keera?"

"Yes, mother, why should I aid you in any of this? I have my own plans, why do I need yours?"

The spirit's eyes narrowed.

"You forget yourself, child."

"No, I don't," Avaryss replied looking over at Talitha.

"You both ask for the wisdom and power of the Sith. You wish me to share all my secrets with you. You want me to place you in the succession of the Imperial throne. Any other dark lord would ask the same question, why should I? What it is in it for me?"

"Try that it is your duty to your family," Talitha responded, "The Empire needs us, we can end the chaos that has plagued the Sith since the Emperor's death."

Her sister gave her that crooked smile of hers.

"It is for the greater good."

Darth Avaryss almost laughed at that.

The greater good.

She had done many things as a hopeful that appeared to be the greater good. Now, she understood that those choices had been mistakes.

What did the greater good matter to a Lord of the Sith?

Both Bael and Talitha were glaring at her now, even mother appeared to be annoyed.

So, what, Avaryss thought.

They couldn't make this plan work without her.

Her question was not so out of line.

How did she know that this wasn't simply a waste of her time?

"You say you deserve to be my heir," Avaryss said to her, "Prove it, show me that you have what it takes to be my apprentice, and to sit on the throne one day."

Talitha's eyes narrowed, she radiated anger.

"You want to see,' she spat, "Fine, trooper she shouted, come to me."

One of the two remaining royal guards stepped forward, Avaryss watched curiously, wondering what her sister was going to do.

"Hold out your hand," Talitha ordered, the guardsman, used to obeying orders, did as she asked.

Talitha seized him by the arm, she murmured a Sith spell under her breath. Avaryss felt something jump from her sister to the man.

The guard gasped and staggered back. Talitha watched with cold glee.

"Behold…your answer, sister," she exclaimed.

"See for yourself."

Avaryss watched, her eyes widening.

Well…she thought, this was…different.

She grinned hungrily.

Delicious!

She had to give the old soldier credit, he didn't fall, though the pain must have been incredible!

As she watched his hand seemed to desiccate, to change, flesh turned to armor, veins to wires and tubes.

When the guard did finally cry out, it sounded more like a machine whirring, a droid with a bad vocoder shrieking out white noise, and then…it was over.

Bleez winced her own eyes widening.

"Emperor save us," she whispered.

Avaryss almost laughed.

She had finally come to accept that the Emperor would not save anyone.

The guard found his feet, not that he was a royal guard anymore, his helmet had fallen away, revealing a very familiar looking head, a droid head.

The dark lord laughed.

So, that was how Talitha had gotten so many of these…Moritza droids so quickly.

Once they had been people, now they were repurposed, servants of their master.

It had been a most enlightening display, and useful.

Now…there was one less guard in her path.

She looked upon her little sister with new found respect.

"You are a technomancer," she said with a nod, "Most impressive."

Talitha grinned.

"Thank you, sister," she replied.

"It is good to finally show another Sith what I can do."

Avaryss nodded.

She didn't even have to lie.

It was most impressive.

Though she had never seen the ability used before, she knew what technomancy was. She had read a book about it back on Fury 9. Technomancy was a rare Sith discipline, practiced mostly by a secretive sect of the early Sith Order, back when droids were still seen as an oddity, and not a tool.

Most of the Sith she had read about had needed to perform complex rituals to bring their technomancy to full bloom, and many of those spells were now lost to time, or hidden in the holocrons of covetous Sith Masters.

Talitha didn't seem to need those rituals, it seemed that she had learned to create her own techno-beasts without the aid of any special ritual.

As Avaryss had said, it was impressive.

"You see now, Keera," the spirit of Mya Lylos said, "Do you not see now why your sister deserves to rule?"

"Yes," Avaryss agreed, "I do understand now why my little sister shall have everything she deserves."

Avaryss motioned for Bleez to stay back, but at the same time eyes the blaster that the fallen guard had dropped.

The dark lord readied herself for what would come next.

She raised her arms.

"Kneel before me, Talitha," she ordered.

Her little sister's eyes narrowed, she looked up at her mother's spirit.

Avaryss frowned.

"A student must know her place," she said coldly, "Power has its price."

Avaryss gestured.

"Fall to your knees, and embrace me as your master! If you want my power, then…you must obey."

She gestured downward.

"A master tolerates no resistance! KNEEL! NOW!"

Talitha glanced over at Bael, who nodded.

He, at least, understood.

Finally, her little sister knelt.

Avaryss nodded.

Good.

"Now speak the words," Avaryss demanded, "Swear allegiance to me, embrace the dark side, and the power of your Sith Master. Speak the words and serve!"

Darth Avaryss smirked, she knew how hard it was to speak those words, to let go of your Sith pride and bow down.

Yet, without that acceptance, there was no apprentice, and therefore no future.

"What is thy bidding, my master?"

Avaryss beamed.

She did so enjoy hearing those words, they spoke of victory!

This time, however her victory was tainted.

She could sense Talitha's emotions, her desires.

All of the Talitha's thought were of the throne, how she would just bide her time, and wait for Avaryss to die from the sickness that was killing her. How she would just stand back and watch as her older sister did all the heavy lifting, and she could claim the ultimate reward.

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

Talitha even dreamed of not letting her sister die, she dreamed of turning her into a Techno-beast, to serve as a mindless droid slave to her sister and her new husband, a conversation piece to prove that she deserved the throne.

Insolence, Avaryss thought.

ARROGANCE!

The girl had no restraint any other Sith Master would punish her harshly for her impudence.

Darth Avaryss was not like other Sith masters.

She smiled and stepped behind Talitha.

Your first lesson, my dear sister," she proclaimed, "Mark it well, and do not forget it."

"I will not forget, sister."

But you already have, she thought.

You refuse to acknowledge me as master.

I'm just a place holder to you, a font of wisdom to be used and discarded.

How wrong you truly are.

"The first lesson comes in two parts, I learned it well during my first trial of blood."

She leaned in closer, what she had to say was for her little sister's ears alone.

"Beware your apprentice," she whispered, "They will always seek to take what is yours."

Talitha nodded.

"I understand, Keera."

"Good."

"And the second part?" Talitha asked.

Avaryss smirked.

"That is even easier to remember."

She leaned in even closer, her lips almost touching her sister's ear, Tali leaned in eager to hear, so eager.

Avaryss shivered, so eager!

"My name isn't Keera." She hissed, "And…"

SNAP-HISSSSSS!

Talitha gasped, a puff of evaporating blood briefly stained the air.

Keera's little sister's eyes widened, she looked down in disbelief!

Avaryss' lightsaber had punched through her back, its blade burning away her heart as it punched through.

Avaryss' new apprentice looked upon her master with disbelief, she couldn't believe it, or understand.

And that…is why you fail, the dark lord thought.

"Beware…your master," she whispered in her sister's ear, she watched as the light faded from Talitha's eyes, felt her enter the madness beyond death.

Good, she thought as she pulled out the blade.

Very good.

The throne room was as silent as crypt as she pulled her blade from the girl's back. Bael, the remaining guard, even the spirit of Mya Lylos was stunned.

Avaryss sneered down at the would-be Empress, the now dead would-be empress.

"Congratulations," she purred, "Your training is now complete."

She shook her head.

She looked up at the spirit, her eyes glowing defiantly.

Now, Avaryss thought with a cold smile.

We can begin!