Chapter 62: Time on the Throne
Every breath was painful, every movement…was torment. Yet, still, Darth Avaryss managed to claw and scrape her way back onto the Sith throne within the hidden temple.
It had been a chore to be sure, bones breaking and resetting with each shift of her arms and legs. Muscle and skin tearing only to reform, pulled back together by Terrog's retro-virus.
It was agony, but at the same time…it was ecstasy.
Avaryss almost giggled, in spite of the pain.
At that moment…she had never felt more alive.
A sigh, escaped her withered lips as she managed to slide her damaged body into the cold stone seat. She still couldn't see, but that wasn't really a problem. The dark side was singing within her, offering her visions beyond what was possible with mundane eyes. Despite the exquisite pain she was in, she had never felt more in touch with the darkness, and with herself, and as she looked inside her own body with the Force, she knew that she had reached a turning point, a plateau in her life as a servant and master of the dark side.
A ragged cackle escaped her ruined mouth.
No longer am I bound to the past, she thought, as she leaned her head back against the cold stone.
A shiver of pleasure ran through her frame.
At last…I'm truly free!
She had decided not to simply lay on the stone floor and await rescue, there was still so much she needed to do. She needed to prepare. The Force all but verified that she was healing, that her body was being regenerated by the very virus which was slowly destroying her mind.
Ironic, she thought with a shake of her head.
Oh Terrog, you wonderfully diseased maniac, if only you had turned your talents to saving the Sith from the effects of dark side necrosis. Your virus could have done that, if it could regenerate this body after being so close to death, then it would have had no problem handling the side effects of long-term dark side usage.
We could have been beautiful, Avaryss thought to herself, as beautiful and as terrible as the dark side itself. We could have been a race of golden gods, and not even the Jedi would have been able to dispute our perfection.
She sighed.
If only the virus didn't damage the brain. She would have been tempted to keep this shell, to continue to use its power, alas, she feared she was running out of time.
The mere thought of it depressed her.
Oh well, perfection wasn't everything.
Yes, her body was regenerating, but…at the same, time she could feel the virus in her blood, yes, it was repairing her, but at the same time it was growing stronger! Once she was healed, it would likely be only a matter of time until it doubled its attacks on her brain tissue. She had already had one seizure. She may have survived it, but it was clear she was now living on borrowed time, more than before, if that was even possible.
Another rasping laugh escaped her.
At least I will make a good-looking corpse.
Her eyes narrowed, despite the damage, her mind was clear.
My time grows short, I may need my new host body sooner rather than later.
I will need to deal with Darth Feer quickly, I no longer have time for childish games.
Ridding herself of Darth Feer was the first step in the master plan she had been developing, a way to not only ascend to the Empire's vacant throne, but to leave the Jedi vulnerable, and the Republic a willing victim just waiting to be ravaged.
It has been too long, she thought, but at long last we Sith will finally rule the galaxy, and Jedi will be noting more than a bad memory. Their end will be a cautionary tale, a warning to all those that would think to oppose the power of the Sith.
First, Feer…and then…the rest of the galaxy.
The mere thought of moving her plan forward made her giddy, but she realized that she couldn't afford to get sidetracked or distracted.
Feer would be no push over, she would need to take this final meeting between them extremely seriously.
He will die easily, she knew, but he would die.
She found herself looking forward to their confrontation. It had been a long time coming.
One thing is for certain, she realized, my time as an apprentice is done. Win or lose, live or die, I will face the future as a free woman.
I'm no longer Darth Feer's servant, now…I…am a master.
As she sat there, she felt a stinging in her eyes, she could almost imagine the fluid within them beginning to flow again, the dark blur she had been lost in suddenly started to lighten, she could almost make out the color of the dim lightning here in the temple.
My sight returns, but my eyes were opened long before that happened.
She managed a smile, even though that was painful too.
I must prepare myself for my final meeting with my master, but first things first.
She sighed.
First…I need a new weapon.
She pulled her lightsaber to her, or rather, the broken pieces of it.
Though she could not see them, she could feel them, the Force surrounded them as well as anything else. The crystals, the ruined shell, the emitter, and power source.
She sniffed.
This weapon had been her life for years now. She had grown attached to this hunk of metal and crystals. She felt a brief twinge of sadness at its destruction.
Still…it was a part of her past now, she preferred to live in the present, and march towards the future. She would need a new weapon, a dominating weapon…
Fortunately, there was no shortage of parts for her to draw on.
She pulled Sadi and Bael's lightsabers to her, they floated before her, and began to disassemble themselves. As she sat upon the ancient throne the pieces of the three lightsabers began to reconfigure themselves according to her will, and by her design.
She smiled.
In truth, she had been thinking of upgrading her lightsaber for a while now, even had come up with some interesting ideas, and a few new tricks that her master might not expect.
Through the Force she could see those designs now. It would be easy to reconfigure the parts into what she required.
When we meet on the battlefield, my master, she thought to herself.
I…shall be ready.
As she worked; she pulled the holocron out from her ruined robe. She could feel its cold smooth surface, and the power that boiled within the tiny object.
She was surprised that it had made it through her fight with the rebels unscathed, proof of her skill and genius to be sure. She intended this holocron to be a part of her legacy.
One day, future generations of Sith would know of her greatness; they would know…and covet the power she had possessed.
A single withered finger caressed the holocron.
If anything, it seemed greatly improved by the energies she had absorbed during the fight, she wondered if it had absorbed anything while she had been destroying the failed spirit that had tried to undermine her destiny.
Even now, she shook her head at what the rebels had offered her.
They wanted to give me a crown? Ridiculous!
No one gives me a crown! I will take my crown. I will rip it from the hands of those that would dare defy me.
Yes.
It didn't matter what happened. The throne would be hers.
As her weapon continued to configure itself, she accessed the holocron's gatekeeper, the guide to all the device's knowledge and wisdom. She told the tale of the rebels and their failed mission. She told the story of her desire, and her victory over them. She felt it wise to do so now, while the memory was still fresh in her mind.
Let future generations know of my power and skill, and let them be envious of what I accomplished here.
The rebellion on Oridanna was dead, and its attempt to influence the Imperial throne had been ended.
Only one future mattered, and that was hers, she would no longer be bound by the chains of the past.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
She nodded thoughtfully.
Yes.
Only one element of her past remained, one final hurdle to overcome and take her rightful place at the top of the Empire.
Darth Feer had told her once to let go of the past, to forget the farm girl from Oridanna and embrace her new life. At the time, she had resisted his advice, and he had broken her for it.
Now…she saw the truth. He had been absolutely right, and that was also the problem.
He was right.
Now that she had truly achieved lordship, Feer had now become a part of her past, an unnecessary part. She no longer needed his guidance and lessons.
Now, she would need to remove him.
Let go of the past, kill it, if you must.
"Yessss," she hissed.
"I must."
IOI
She was not sure how long she had sat there, recording lessons and finally finishing the work on her new lightsaber, but finally, she sensed something, a familiar presence in the Force, several…in fact.
She smiled as her newly restored lightsaber disappeared onto her belt.
"At last," she said her voice echoing of the walls of the chamber.
"You have come to deliver me."
She knew that they could hear her, her voice was as much in the Force as it was in the real world.
Her followers had come for her.
Now that the spirit was gone, the dark side that flowed through this place was hers to command, she sensed the four as they entered, their individual presences were a balm after all she had faced.
Bleez led the way, the Warmaster had obviously made it to a working commlink, and now…her allies had come.
She was not surprised to sense Rink and Holli, the two had been her first followers, and remained the most loyal.
Loyal, she thought with a sneer, she had once counted Beric among their number, but he had proven…unworthy.
She welcomed their next meeting; she would enjoy showing him how wrong his choice had been.
She was pleased to sense Dr. Vrann's presence as well, the Chiss scientist knew more about her condition than anyone else, if there were any changes, the blue-skinned alien would be able to diagnose the problem quickly, she might even have good news for her lord.
Avaryss doubted it, but she could dream…couldn't she?
"Are you alright, my lord," Holli called out, "Bleez said you were badly injured."
"My wounds will heal, Lujanye, but I fear that my time is even shorter than it was before."
Vrann nodded, or at least, Avaryss suspected that she did.
The doctor likely had guessed what had happened in her absence, especially considering how her battle with the rebels had ended. Vrann had warned her after all.
She had warned her of seizures. They had been a possibility from the very beginning. were a possibility.
Now, the Chiss had proof.
"You have missed several injections, my lord," Vrann reminded her, "That is not good for your treatment, but I've brought my tools with me. I will be able to do a more thorough diagnosis when we see each other."
So be it, Avaryss thought, let the doctor see what had become of her.
Of all their little party, Rink remained the most unimpressed, she could feel his disdain for what he was seeing.
"Lovely place you got here, boss," Rink chuckled, "Did you decorate it yourself?"
Despite her pain, Avaryss chuckled.
"It isn't a pleasure palace on Alderaan, but it serves."
The Dark Lord smiled.
"It is here that I ended the rebellion, my friends, and now…only one piece of business remains…"
"My master," she purred, "His time…has come."
She sensed them as they entered the chamber, she could feel their surprise at the carnage that had been wrought here. The remnants of the battle would remain here once they were gone, a monument to the victory of the Sith over the Oridanna rebellion.
The dead would stay as they lay, with one exception.
She would bring Bael's body back, for Synestra.
She would at least give the woman a chance to bury her son, as was proper.
A bright light shown directly into Avaryss' eyes, she hissed and tried to look away.
"I need to remove this mask," Vrann informed her, "I can't get any definitive readings while it is in place."
Avaryss nodded and leaned forward, allowing the doctor easy access to the release catches on the slain marauder's face plate.
She took a wheezing breath as the mask came away, as her followers got a good look at the damage that was done, she could sense the change in them, the sense of revulsion and pity.
She sneered.
The former didn't bother her, the latter was useless. She didn't need pity, only time to regenerate.
What they saw gave her an idea of how she looked at that moment, her skin pulled tight against her skull, her veins standing out, fluid flowing through them; looking like tiny ants moving beneath her skin.
It was not a pretty picture, and neither was she, but that was okay.
She would get better.
She could just make out Vrann's glowing red eyes. The Chiss' recorder droid buzzed nearby as the doctor ran a medical scanner over her lord and patient.
The alien sighed.
Avaryss frowned.
That didn't sound good.
"My scanner is detecting massive cellular regeneration," she exclaimed, "However, I fear that the virus will only be advanced by such rapid changes. My serum may no longer have the desired effect, my lord."
"I figured as much," she rasped, and shook her head, "Do what you must, Doctor."
The Chiss nodded, muttering to herself, and glancing over at her recorder droid.
For Holli and Rink this was the first time hearing this news.
Neither was pleased to hear it.
"My lord," Holli said, "You're sick?"
Avaryss nodded.
"For now," she replied, "have no fear. The time of my recovery, is almost at hand."
Rink smirked.
"You're not contagious, are you? No point in all of us catching it."
"The sickness is not airborne," Vrann assured them, "You would need to be injected with our master's blood to be affected, and even then, it might not even do anything, this retro-virus was created with a singular purpose. It was to change Darth Avaryss, prepare her for her new role."
The dark lord nodded.
"Darth Terrog continues to vex me," she said, "Even from beyond the grave."
She focused her barely seeing eyes on her allies, she could at least sense what they were thinking.
"Now is not the time to be debating my health. Tell me everything, I must know what has happened in my absence."
It was Rink that answered, he didn't sound happy, not that she could blame him.
The news was not good.
"Soldier boy sold you out, boss," he said, "He sold us all out."
Avaryss' eyes narrowed.
"I figured as much," she said with a grim nod, "Sadi warned me that it would happen. I wanted to believe she was lying."
"He accused us of helping the rebellion," Holli said angrily, "After everything that we have faced, all that we have been through together, and he turns on us out of the blue."
"It wasn't entirely out of the blue," Avaryss informed them, "Sadi got inside his head. It doesn't change anything, but it does prove that he is as fool hardy as he is stupid."
She growled.
"He will not survive what is to come."
She nodded, looking forward to a meeting with her brother, a meeting, and the torture and torment that would come later.
You made your choice, Ric…and now…you must live with it.
"Did they try to arrest you?" she asked her allies, "and…if so, how did you escape?"
"We were taken in, and questioned," Holli said with a shudder, "They didn't torture us, but that was only because they had no clear evidence of our involvement with the rebellion."
"That, and your boyfriend stuck up for us," Rink added, "We're lucky he has so much pull among the higher ups here."
Avaryss nodded.
Ro stood up for her people, in this she was most pleased.
That vain little part of her was saddened that he would see her like this. She didn't want him to see her so misshapen, it would break his heart.
Still, she would thank him for preserving her people, her powerbase.
Roan Wilkes may not have realized it, but he might have just made her ascension possible.
There was still a chance.
"I had Holli and the Doc with me when soldier boy turned," Rink informed her, "As soon as we were released from custody, we were aboard the Fury and jumped out of the system before we could be recalled."
He shrugged.
"You can imagine our surprise when we heard from Bleez on our private channel. We had heard she was dead."
Rink laughed.
"I still can't believe you are a "she" Warmaster."
"I'm a soldier of the empire," the trooper said, "Never forget that, Rink."
"Gotcha."
"After that, it didn't take long for me to get us back here. It was a bit tricky slipping through the defenses here, but nothing I couldn't handle.
Rink radiated a sense of pride, he was most pleased that he had managed to get the Fury back here, and without being detected.
Avaryss could understand.
She was quite pleased as well.
"My lord," Holli said.
"Yes?"
"If Beric was being manipulated, is there any chance of us getting him back? Bleez said you killed Sadi, is there any chance of him freeing himself from her control, coming back to us?"
"I don't know enough about Sadi's power to say for certain," she said, "But even if he did, I could not accept him back, he has betrayed me to Feer and the Dark Council."
Avaryss pursed her withered lips.
"I cannot allow that insult, or the one who offered it to live."
Holli nodded.
"As you say, my lord," she said, she didn't sound happy about it, but she accepted it.
Holli had been around long enough to know how things worked in the Empire.
Rink…was more pragmatic.
"Sounds good to me, boss," he said, "Never did like Captain Lylos, anyway."
That was never in doubt, the dark lord thought, still…it would bring her little pleasure to harm Beric, even if he was a traitor.
The House of Lylos is filled with traitors, the darkness whispered in her ear.
It must be purged.
She nodded grimly.
She allowed herself another brief moment of shame and grief, and then…she let it pass.
Beric was lost to her.
She would not waste any more time on him.
Her brother…was done.
"And what of my apprentices," Avaryss inquired, "where do they stand in all this?"
"Xen has stayed close to Beric, not surprising considering their relationship," Holli said, "The Muun is back in Danna City with your remaining enforcers, he is basically running your people in your absence, both the enforcers and your Security volunteers are under his direct command."
"Necris is aboard the Emperor's Wisdom," Rink added, "She has Lord Taya, and your pet monster with her. We're not sure where the droid is."
Avaryss smiled.
She had an idea.
HK would have been useful when she confronted her master, but he had another purpose, one far more useful to her future.
Her new body needed to be located, it was everything, if she intended to survive.
"And what of the official response to Beric's lies about me?" she asked, "Have the dark council weighed in yet on what is to be done?"
"Moff Galek is keeping everything locked down, for the moment anyway," Rink said, "Magistrate Hissa has yet to lift the martial law order, but there have been no further attacks. It looks like the Empire has closed the book on the rebellion here."
"Cynn Feer is still acting Trade Minister," Holli informed her, "Lady Synestra is staying close to her, waiting for her husband and the rest of the council to arrive."
Avaryss smiled.
"So, they are coming…good."
She was not surprised to hear that Synestra remained, considering all that that happened. The Lady of House Feer had to have felt her son's death.
Now…all she had left was her daughter, and despite her lack of the Force, she was still Synestra's last remaining child.
Synestra Feer was many things, none of them good, but she was a mother.
Avaryss didn't blame her for being one.
In truth, she hoped to be one herself…one day.
"Darth Feer is supposed to be making some major announcement when he arrives," Holli continued, "Moff Galek probably figures he is going to get some fat reward for leading Oridanna through this mess."
There will be announcement, Avaryss thought.
It just won't be what my master intends.
Her new lightsaber was complete, and now clipped to the sash on her waist.
She was most eager to start bloodying it.
Avaryss turned her head.
"Do you believe that I'm fit to travel, doctor?"
"Your muscle scan shows that you should have partial movement, my lord," the Chiss informed her, "But it will likely be painful."
Avaryss grimaced.
There is no pain where the power lies.
She managed to find her feet, she tottered briefly but managed to stay up right.
She took another deep breath.
It was the first step to claiming everything.
She could not afford to be weak now.
She made her way down from the throne with trembling steps, while at the same time restoring the mirrored face plate, hiding her damaged face.
She would not allow anyone outside of her inner circle to see her like this.
She stumbled on the last step down from the throne, but Holli was there to make sure she didn't fall. She nodded gratefully to the engineer, her friend.
"What now, boss," Rink inquired, "Where do we go from here?"
She laughed; it was the wheezing cry of a septic vulture.
"The only place we can go, Mister Rink."
She cackled coldly.
"Straight to the top."
Her mind was working quickly, it would not be enough to return to the capital in her Fury, she needed a bit more fire power to prevent anyone refusing to listen to her.
I need the Wisdom, she realized, the destroyer would go far to securing her final meeting with her master, and then…everything would change.
Master would face apprentice, and after that, everything would change.
She would either be ready to rule, or she would be cast down and forgotten.
As it should be, she thought, it was the way of the Sith.
One last battle, she thought.
Winner…takes all.
