Chapter 65: The Gauntlet

"BOSS! I THINK WE'RE IN TROUBLE!"

Avaryss frowned beneath her mask, Rink's warning had been screamed into the earpiece in her mask.

She winced from the sound; her sonic dampeners had not kicked on in time.

She had been gathering the dark side to herself, preparing for the fight that likely waited on the ground.

Her pilot had interrupted those preparations, she only just resisted the urge to snap back at him over it.

"What is it Rink," she demanded, "I'm busy."

"The Wisdom is withdrawing, Boss," he informed her, "We got a Harrower coming around the planet. It looks like the Terror, they are launching fighters, their coming in on an intercept vector!"

Avaryss considered this.

"Go evasive," she ordered, "Lose them."

Rink responded with a nervous laugh.

"We got three squadrons of fighters coming in, boss, thirty-six ships total. I'm glad that you have faith in me, but…"

He laughed fatalistically.

"I'm good, but I'm not THAT good."

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

I'm surrounded by fools, she thought.

Must I do everything myself?

Despite her anger, she didn't punish Rink. He was not wrong, after all, despite his skill and the attention of the Force, he was still a mundane.

"Just get us down safely, Mister Rink," she ordered, "I will deal with the fighters."

She took a deep breath and reached out with the Force.

The galaxy opened up to her.

She could sense the incoming pilots, their emotions and fears. They had been ordered to stop a single interceptor without being told who was aboard.

That last part was unsurprising, unsurprising, and not unexpected.

Her expression remained grim beneath her mask.

The dark side offered several options to destroy those ships, but, as she had said to Captain Kannady and the rest of her imperials, she had not come here to spill blood needlessly, those pilots would be hers once she had dealt with Darth Feer.

No, it may not have been very Sith-like of her, but she was unwilling to break her future toys, not if she could help it.

Fortunately, destruction was not the only option open to her…

…there were alternatives to fighting.

She reached out with the Force again, letting her mind flow outward.

It was not hard to locate the Terror, or its commander.

She smiled.

"Captain Brandei," she whispered into the Force.

"We need to talk."

Vaet Brandei was not Force sensitive, but that didn't matter. Avaryss had more than enough strength to reach out and touch the man's mind, to initiate a conversation.

It didn't hurt that she knew Brandei, the two had worked well together during the time of Sy Dar Bynn's rogue Jedi conspiracy. The captain was not only a good officer, but a loyal imperial as well.

She hoped to get him to see sense.

she could almost see him standing on the bridge of his dreadnaught, watching as her destroyer moved off, listening as the fighters he had dispatched pursued her ship.

Brandei felt her connection, she felt his surprise at hearing her voice inside his head. She couldn't make him stand down, she had never had a talent for Force persuasion, but she could speak with him.

She thought that it would be enough.

"My lord?" she heard him whisper, "How…how is the possible."

"The Force can do many things, captain," she reminded him, "Call off your fighters, there is no reason to get anymore bloody that it has to."

"The ship is yours then?"

"It is. You will call off your fighters, captain. You may consider that a direct order from a Darth of the Sith Empire."

She sensed the captain's hesitation, not that she was surprised.

He owed much to Darth Feer, what she was asking was technically a betrayal of his patron.

It was not something one did lightly.

"My orders came directly from Darth Feer, my lord," he informed her, "If I disobey…"

"I understand your position, captain, but what is about to happen is a Sith matter, not an imperial one. I would rather not harm our brave fighting men and women needlessly, not when we have so many other enemies to deal with."

She shook her head.

"I will make a deal with you, Captain, order your squadrons to slow down, they may pursue, but they are not to fire, or prevent this ship landing at the government tower. The purpose of my journey is not to attack Oridanna, but to affect a change in leadership."

She smiled.

"You would be wise to remain on the right side of that change, trust me."

She hoped that Brandei would understand what she was saying, she had no desire to see him punished, and if she succeeded, he would not be. He was only doing his duty. She had no problem with him, or the men and women serving on the Terror.

Still, she felt hesitation, he was still wrestling with loyalty to Darth Feer, and the fighters were drawing ever closer.

She frowned.

She was out of time.

"As I said before, I have no desire to harm our soldiers, captain, but your hesitation now forces me to take drastic measures. We are connected you and I, at this moment, it would not be hard for me to place a Sith spell in your mind. I could make you go temporarily insane, and have you open fire on the city below."

"I would never do such a thing," he replied.

"You act like you will have a choice," she answered, "Think about it, Captain, even now our people are heading to the safety of the bomb shelters. You know where those shelters are. I can make you think that your only salvation is to destroy them, to blast everything within a two-mile radius of the shelters, all those people, captain, all those innocent people."

For the first time she felt a sense of fear in the Imperial, he was thinking about what she had said, wondered if he dare call her bluff.

"You wouldn't do that," he said, "You care about the Empire."

I did, she thought, before I realized how pointless that caring was.

There was no hope for future, only the power that she could gain, power she could use to make her dreams a reality, for a better stronger empire.

"Care to bet on that, Captain? All life ends, my goals are as good a reason enough as any. You don't think I'm capable, do nothing, but I advise you to think about this captain..."

She frowned, letting some of her anger bleed into their connection.

"Don't kriff with me!"

She reached out with the Force again, the fighters were still coming, they were almost in weapons range.

"You have to the count of five," she said, readying her spell.

One.

Two.

Three.

"STOP!"

She sensed Brandei's compliance, his calling out to the communications officer, and the orders relayed to the commanders of the three squadrons pursuing them.

She smiled as she felt the fighter pilots' eagerness to attack throttle back, even as they slowed their ships.

Avaryss smirked.

She reached out to Captain Brandei again.

"If Feer asks about it later, tell him that the pilots had needed to slow because of a windstorm in the upper atmosphere, they are quite common this time of year, and most will accept that decision."

"You mean…excuse," Brandei thought bitterly.

"Whatever you think to call it, Captain."

She sensed Brandei's moroseness, he likely thought he had just ended his career.

"Lord Feer is going to kill me for this."

"He will not be killing anyone," she promised, "As I said, a change is coming, and your willingness to be open minded about it will not be forgotten."

She could sense the man's bitterness, but he would do nothing more to hinder her journey.

Brandei had just learned his place in the coming era.

She would not ask anymore of him.

"You had better succeed, my lord," he has said, "This won't go well for either of us if you don't."

"If I fail, I'm dead, captain, and likely you will be as well, so neither of us will be around to care."

He didn't respond, but she didn't expect him to.

It was enough that he had obeyed.

She had survived the first challenge of Feer's gauntlet.

"Approaching Danna City, now," Rink said into her helmet comm, "time to landing, two minutes."

A shiver of excitement ran down her spine.

Here we go, she thought.

On to the next challenge!

IOI

She stood before the Fury's loading ramp, ready to begin.

Her allies formed up behind her, ready to do their part in her plan.

The fighters had finally broken off their pursuit, returning to the Terror in orbit. The Emperor's Wisdom had withdrawn, but it would be returning as soon as all was said and done.

Once she was installed as Feer's replacement on the council, all her allies would need to be recalled, to see the wonder that had risen, and the power of the newest Dark Councilor…Darth Avaryss.

She felt the repulsor lifts firing as the interceptor slowed and finally came to rest on the capital tower's landing pad. Again, she reached out with the Force, eager to sense what her master had in store for her next.

Maybe he would choose to face her himself, no hiding behind his guards, no sending out any more underlings.

As she felt her surroundings, she realized that she wasn't that lucky.

She shook her head.

It seemed that her master was not yet ready to face her, again he had deployed underlings to block her path.

Pointless, she thought, pointless and wasteful.

All her master was accomplishing by his hiding was trying her patience. No mere underling could stop her now…

…she had grown too powerful to be slowed by such meaningless distractions.

She glanced over at Taya.

"Make sure to bring the council's present," she said, "It will help things go more smoothly when we begin."

"I have it right here, Avy," her old ally assured her, holding up the large leather bag.

The council should appreciate what you have brought them. It is not every day that they receive such a token of loyalty.

The dark lord nodded.

Yes, she thought.

The dark council was not easy to please, especially given everything they were dealing with at that moment.

She expected her gift would go a long way to reminding them that she was a better friend than an enemy. At least, she hoped that was the conclusion they would draw.

She glanced over her shoulder at her followers. They all seemed eager to carry out the next portion of her plan, but first they needed to reach the chamber where the council was now meeting.

She smiled gamely.

Easier said than done, but that was okay.

The difficulty just made it that much more fun!

"Lower the ramp, Mister Rink," she ordered.

"Let's get this party started."

IOI

The pilot obeyed without question; steam hissed from the hydraulics as the loading ramp dropped. Avaryss went out first, she was covered from head to toe with her crimson robes. Her shoulder plates polished to a mirror shine…

…no other Sith could doubt her position, but she was not facing other Sith, not yet…at least.

A full squad of troopers awaited her; their weapons drawn.

She smiled beneath her mask.

Yet, another stumbling block in my path.

"Darth Avaryss," the officer in charge called out, "By order of the Lord Councilor Darth Feer, and the Dark Council, you will…ah…URK!"

The man did not have a chance to finish that sentence.

Avaryss whispered the Sith spell as she came down the ramp, her hands hidden in the sleeves of her fine robes.

As one her… "Welcoming Party" collapsed, some grabbing their heads, others retching on their knees. Several of the troopers had not even had time to remove their helmets.

Not a pretty sight, she thought as she walked around them, her servants following in her wake.

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

"As I've said before," she said to everyone present, "I've NOT come here to cause dissention in the Empire. We have too many outside enemies right now…"

She shook her head.

"I will not wash my hands in Imperial blood, not if I don't have to."

The soldiers were in no position to respond, some lay whimpering on the deck, some had managed to get their helmets off before her spell caused them to go into complete vertigo and were now vomiting on the landing pad.

"Fear not, brave Imperials," she said dismissively, "My spell will pass in a few moments, you will need to clean yourselves up, but…"

She smirked.

"It is better than the alternative, at least no one will need to carry you off this pad, or what is left of you…"

Behind her, Abominus cackled.

"Despite our differences, Avy," the monster purred, "I've always enjoyed watching you work."

"Thank you, Abominus," she called out, "Your regard makes me feel so much better. I…"

Her eyes narrowed.

"A sniper is taking position to shoot me," she growled, "He is four levels up. Abominus…deal with it."

The monster snarled and took wing it was a blur against the fading Oridanna day.

Avaryss heard the hint of a scream on the wind, a scream cut short, followed by her pet monster's cry of victory.

She shook her head.

She did what she could to minimize Imperial casualties, but sometimes…

…you did have to get a bit of blood on your hands.

She snorted with amusement.

So much for a completely bloodless coup, oh well…

…a little violence builds character.

Abominus returned several moments later, her smile wide, her teeth and lips red with blood.

Taya gave her a disgusted look.

"What did you do? Eat him?"

"Just a quick bite," Abominus assured her, "A little snack before we get to the main course."

"Ugh," Taya said rolling her eyes.

Abominus gave her a wide toothy grin.

Avaryss said nothing.

She remembered her encounter with Abominus' brothers and sisters on Tatooine. She wasn't surprised to find out that her pet creature was carnivorous.

Regardless, it didn't matter what the monster chose to eat, as long as she obeyed her master's orders, Avaryss was content.

Abominus was no Deshade assassin, but she would serve well as a deterrent to her many enemies. Something they would need to think about facing should they desire her end.

They would find her beast a challenge, if nothing else.

The dark lord was most pleased that she had chosen to bring Nass back, in this form…she was just the blunt instrument that a dark lord on the move required.

Avaryss would be using her well in the next few months. She would need to, to cement her rule.

They passed into the tower without incident. Holli found the nearest communication terminal and plugged in her data pad. The dark lord came up beside her, eager to hear her friend's report.

"I'm scrambling all tower communications," she informed her master, "Alarm systems have been disengaged. Preparing to broadcast an all-clear order to all units within the tower, no reason for them to be wandering around and getting in our way."

"Good thought," Avaryss said with a nod, "But I have a better one, put me through to the magistrate's office."

The changeling nodded, and began entering the commands on her pad. A few seconds later, the image of Magistrate Hissa appeared, the man looked slightly confused.

"Greetings, Magistrate," Avaryss said, "I do hope you are ready to play your part in my new plan?"

"Lord Avaryss," the man said, "Is that you? I barely recognized you in that new mask, and your voice…"

She waved her hand dismissively.

"I'm still recovering from my fight with the rebel leadership," she informed him, "Those scars will heal in time, but for now, we have other matters to attend to.

She smirked.

"The day you believed would never come is finally here, Magistrate. Are you ready to seize your dreams?"

The man was slow to nod, but he did nod.

"So, you are finally ready to remove that fool Galek? I can't say that I will miss him."

"Galek's time is up, as is Darth Feer's," she said coldly, "I trust your men are up to the task that I need carried out?"

"They are ready," he assured her, "As for the city itself, it will not be a problem, the security volunteers are already in position should you need them. Ro Wilkes assured me of that."

Hissa smirked.

"The boy is quite loyal to you."

Avaryss sneered beneath her mask.

Hissa had no idea.

"Excellent," she purred, "Then everything is in readiness, all I need now is to carry out the plan, and we will all profit greatly from our new positions. Everything is about to fall into our laps."

"It won't be so easy," he informed her, "The dark council has taken full possession of the executive floor of the tower, they brought in their own staff and guards, none of my people are up there to aid you should you need it."

She nodded thoughtfully.

She should have expected as much.

"What about the enforcers? Where are they?

"Attending Feer and the council," Hissa informed her, "Tread carefully, my lord. You may find that their loyalties are not as certain as they once were."

"I can handle it," she promised, "In the meantime, make sure everything is in readiness when my task is done."

She grinned hungrily.

"Keep everything moving, Magistrate; we are about to be rewarded for all our hard work."

Hissa gave her a cruel and sly smile.

"I look forward to that, my lord, or perhaps I should call you…Lord Councilor?"

Lord Councilor, she thought…she liked the sound of that.

She couldn't kill the smile that came to her lips.

"That may yet, come to pass, in the meantime, may the Force serve you well…Moff Hissa."

The Magistrate smiled.

"It does sound good, doesn't it?" he said the Force around him radiating with cruel pleasure.

"Yes," she agreed.

"It does."

She wasn't worried about Hissa, he had waited a long time for this moment. He would do what was needed, he recognized who offered him the best chance for advancement.

You were wrong about this one, Dad," she thought thinking about Andur Lylos' dislike for the man.

He, like Abominus, was a blunt instrument.

A blunt instrument always had its uses.

Always.

IOI

They avoided the turbolifts, not wanting to take any chances. If they were to be locked down while their party was inside…

…well, it wasn't worth the risk.

The group pressed on.

The various stairwells and ramps reminded Avaryss of her journey to face Darth Terrog. Though the tower didn't resemble the so-called Temple of Life, the workout she was getting certainly took her back.

Taya was not overly pleased with it. Her friend seemed to be having a bit of trouble keeping up, her time as a lord had softened her a bit, that or being a wife and mother.

Abominus sneered, the creature would often use its wings to fly up and make sure the next level was secure. It clearly viewed what it was seeing from Taya as a weakness, perhaps something to be exploited later, a chance for revenge…perhaps.

Avaryss said nothing, her only focus was on reaching Feer, ending their almost six-year journey.

She was most eager for this confrontation, every nerve in her body was a tingle.

She could not wait to face him, to finally test herself, and see if she was as worthy as she believed.

No guards challenged them on their way up. It seemed that Hissa had been true to his word, they encounter a group of Oridanna volunteers, but those men bowed respectfully, as Avaryss passed by.

Ro comes through as well, she thought with an amused grin.

She would need to…reward her lover the next time they spoke. She…

She frowned.

Despite her body's healing, the scarring from her battle with her mother's spirit remained. She was far from the pretty little Sith she had been.

Ro would likely be disappointed, but there was nothing she could do about that.

Beauty was fleeting. Power was eternal.

If the two of them could not be what they had been, so be it.

She would find some other way to reward her paramour for his good work.

She was glad when they finally reached the executive floor, she could feel the presence of the council, and her master of course.

The last door hissed open, the entrance to the floor stood before them, and on the other side…

The enforcers of Oridanna were waiting for them.

Gnar, Ghull, and Chylde were all there, their lightsabers igniting with an evil hiss.

Xen and Dym were also there. Avaryss' two apprentices lit their own blades, but made no movement to attack…at least…not yet.

The Dark Lord smiled.

Another challenge, she thought, another test to pass.

Gnar regarded her with cold angry eyes, his two Tukata pets hissed with anticipation.

"You will go no further, my lord," he called out, "The Dark Council will not be threatened by you today."

"We have orders," Ghull rasped, the mishappen warrior held his lightsaber in a steady reverse grip, ready to lunge at her at any moment.

"Mommy is home," Chylde giggled, "Will she be a good mommy, or a bad mommy?"

Avaryss said nothing, she was curious to see which side these three came down on, the men had been firmly in Sadi's pocket once, with Chylde being a bit of a wild card.

It would be interesting to see who they decided to support in the fight to come.

She looked at her two apprentice's Dym's loyalty to her was still fairly new. Would he think to support Darth Feer out of a hope to become his new apprentice? It was possible, the Muun was quite ambitious.

Her eyes fell upon Xen, the former Jedi had sworn to remain her loyal servant once, believed that Avaryss had freed her from a life of hypocrisy and servitude.

Would she still honor that pledge, or had her desire for Beric turned her against her master, was she hoping to profit from a new relationship with Darth Feer?

So many questions, Avaryss thought.

Her face turned grim.

She would have her answers…now.

"It is over inquisitor," Gnar growled, "You will hand over your lightsaber and stand down."

"I don't think so," she said in a sweet yet venomous voice, "No."

She didn't ignite her weapon yet, but already had it in hand. She heard the familiar snap hiss of lightsabers behind her. Necris, Abominus, and Taya all powering up their own swords, the hall was now blazing with crimson light.

"This matter does not concern you," she warned. "I merely wish to speak with the council, to offer my final report on the rebellion here on Oridanna."

"Darth Feer says otherwise," Ghull said.

"Feer no longer matters," she replied, "A new power is rising, its victory…its time…has finally come."

She held out her mechanical hand, the crystals in its fingertips glowed with dark side energy.

"I have a special one-time offer for all of you, a chance to be a part of this new era."

She smiled, her purple eyes glowing beneath her mask, that glow shining even through the mirrored surface of her face plate.

"You have one chance, choose wisely…"

She smirked.

"Join me…or die."

The enforcers tensed, Xen and Dym dropped into a fighting stance.

Avaryss frowned.

She had not wished to waste time and energy like this, but if the fools refused to see sense, if they could not accept the wonder that she had become…?

It began without any warning, even Avaryss had been caught off guard.

Chylde beheaded one of Gnar's hounds.

The fight began.

The second hound lunged at Avaryss while their master turned on his fellow enforcer. Chylde back pedaled meeting her former ally blade upon blade. The Twi'lek and pure blood became a blur their crimson weapons flashing and hissing with each lethal strike.

Avaryss caught the hound that tried to attack her in a Force grip, she flung it hard against the nearest wall, still not bothering to ignite her weapon, her eyes were focused on the remaining enforcers and her apprentices, the ones that had not yet engaged.

They moved out of the way as Chylde and Gnar faced off, the Twi'lek giggled as she flipped and cartwheeled around her opponent.

"TRAITOR!" he hissed.

The girl didn't respond, she simply continued to fight, parrying his strikes, and lashing out with her own.

The Force whispered a warning.

Again, the hound tried to attack her.

Foolish, she thought, Gnar was an idiot thinking that she could not handle his pet.

She caught it with the Force for a second time, she did not waste any effort, she was interested in the fight playing out before her.

She sent the animal out the nearest window, it must have survived the strike, because she heard its pained yowl as it fell to the streets below, fell to its death.

She smirked.

The enforcer should have kept his dog on a leash.

The loss of his hounds barely registered on the Sith pure blood, he was pure rage as he attacked the Twi'lek, Avaryss could feel his anger, his desire to avenge Darth Sadi, it was the only thought in his head.

Interesting, she thought, so Sadi did maintain some control over her victims in death.

She pursed her lips.

Her promise to Holli seemed even less likely to succeed, she didn't like that.

She had no desire to anger her friend, she still had a part to play in Avaryss' over-all plans.

I will have to try something more, she realized, something…devious.

Still her apprentices and the remaining enforcer did not engage, all eyes were on the fight playing out before them, the Twi'lek and the pure blood, it was…

VMMMMMMM!

Over.

Gnar gasped and fell to his knees, Chylde had managed to get inside his guard, her blade slicing the pure blood's throat. He held his burnt neck while the green-skinned Twi'lek smiled hungrily, her fangs turned pink by the light of her blade.

"What is a hound master without hounds?" she teased.

Gnar could only cough and try to stand.

The Twi'lek pirouetted her blade flashed.

Gnar lost his head and his body toppled to the ground.

Chylde turned to Avaryss, and bowed deeply.

The Sith Lord nodded.

It seemed that one of her enforcers had made a choice.

"Master," she purred, "Mother of us all…lead us."

"I shall endeavor to do just that, Chylde," the dark lord said, "Now…take your place."

The enforcer fell in beside Abominus, though the monster still watched her, remembering what had happened to Gnar's hound.

Avaryss pointed down at the dead body.

"Anyone else seek to follow his example?"

She was not surprised to see that the others were not.

Xen dropped to one knee, her lightsaber was still lit, its blade burning the floor.

"My lord," she said bowing her head in submission, "Master…I…"

"You supported my brother," Avaryss growled.

"You let my enemies take me."

"Beric told me you were dead."

"You are MY apprentice," the dark lord hissed, "You should have known THAT was a lie!"

Xen shook her head, she seemed…remorseful…how things had turned out clearly bothered her, and that wasn't all.

She sensed that the girl was trying to hide something, something that she didn't wish her master to know.

Xen tried to push whatever it was to the back of her mind, but Avaryss was not concerned.

Whatever it was, she would know it soon enough. Once she had defeated Feer…all would be hers to know.

"I thought that Beric was still your servant," Xen continued, her yellow Sith eyes were starting to widen in fear, afraid of her master's punishment.

"No," Avaryss growled, "You were distracted by your feelings for the boy. Perhaps you even wanted him to be right, so that the two of you could have my holdings all to yourselves."

At Avaryss' side, Necris giggled.

"Kill the girl, master," she advised, "She has betrayed you. She is being a traitor. She had sided with your enemies!"

Necris' Sith eyes glowed with anticipation.

"I am being your one true apprentice. I am being the one that is truly loyal to your teachings."

Avaryss considered that.

Necris had stayed, and she was quite powerful, but her competition with Xen also brought out the best in her. It had helped her excel.

She was unsure if she wished to give up on that dynamic.

"Her one true apprentice," Dym said, finally powering down his lightsaber.

"I think not you Devish witch.

The Munn also dropped to one knee.

"I never betrayed you, master," he said, "You assigned me to watch Cynn Feer, to aid her, and ensure she continued to work in your best interest. I did that, even though I was surrounded by enemies, I endured in your name."

Dym bowed his head.

"I still serve you, my lord. I wish to continue my training at your side."

Xen also bowed her head in submission.

"What is thy bidding, my master," the two said in unison.

"Weaklings," Necris sneered, she once again turned to Avaryss.

"They are not being as worthy as I, my master. You are not needing them anymore."

"Then prove them wrong, apprentice," Avaryss said to the Devish, "As I said to you once before, you are not afraid of a little competition, are you?"

She nodded, accepting Xen and Dym, for now anyway.

"Arise," she said gesturing them forward, "arise and serve."

The two joined her side, which left only a single enforcer undecided.

The misshapen Ghull regarded them with careful eyes.

"And what of you, enforcer?" she asked, "Do you still wish to cling to the orders of a dead woman?"

Ghull shrugged.

"You killed my brother," he said, "You spared me his arrogance and his slights. Sadi promised me more than what she gave, always doted on the others, though I showed no weakness, and always carried out her will."

He bowed his head.

"I've never been physically good at kneeling, but my fighting skills are yours, my lord inquisitor, if you will have me."

Avaryss smiled.

"All who are willing to learn are welcome in the new era," she promised, "Enforcers will still be needed here, to carry out my will. They will need a leader."

She nodded to the misshaped Sith.

"Perhaps, I've found one."

"I will serve," he promised, "Your will be done, my lord."

He gave her that twisted smile of his.

"It will be my pleasure.

Avaryss felt an excited tingle go down her spine.

She had not only avoided another battle, but gained several new allies as well.

Things were working out quite well for her so far.

She reached out with the Force.

Only one final obstacle remained, one final challenge.

The ultimate one, the completion of her training as Darth Feer's apprentice!

She could sense him up ahead, awaiting word from the enforcers, word that she had been stopped.

She almost laughed.

He would be receiving word, yes, but it wouldn't be what he wanted.

Oh, my master, she thought hungrily.

I DO hope you are ready.

"Come my friends and loyal acolytes," she said confidently.

"It is time to end this."

Yesss, she thought hungrily.

It WAS time.

IOI

Having absorbed the enforcers of Oridanna into her house, only one final piece of business remained.

One that she had waited almost six years to complete.

She was more than eager to see it end.

She found herself walking beside Chylde, the Twi'lek had surprised her this day, she had not expected her to be the first to turn and join her, but perhaps she should have been.

"Chylde?" she asked.

"Yes, mother?"

"Why did you support me?" she inquired, "What motivated you to take this final step?"

The enforcer laughed.

"Mother is funny, she has saved my life twice, and is still surprised that good and loyal Chylde would support her."

Avaryss blinked.

"Twice?"

The Twi'lek nodded.

"She saved me from Raze's blade, but even before that. She gave me the chance to be more than I was. She set me free. For that…she has my loyalty."

"How did I save you before, we had not met until my return to Oridanna?"

Again, the enforcer giggled.

"It has been almost seven years that I've been here, but it was not as an enforcer that I arrived. I was once a plaything of one of Lord Feer's most loyal followers. I was his pleasure slave, his comfort woman."

Chylde sneered.

"I was bought to please him, and he brought me with him on campaigns. His final campaign brought him here."

Avaryss thought about what she was hearing, and slowly, she began to smile.

She was starting to put one and one together.

"What became of your master?"

"He was sent to remove the overseers who ruled when Master Feer first took power. He went to one small farm and never returned…"

Chylde giggled again.

"Even before you became my mother, you were taking care of me. When my master fell, another tried to claim me. He didn't know that I knew the dark, that I had watched my master train, oh how he had tried to impress me with his power. He never guessed that I was learning. That I could learn."

Avaryss nodded.

So, she realized, Chylde's master…he had been the enforcer that cleansed her home.

The dark lord almost shook her head.

It seemed that they had more in common that she realized.

We were both born that night, she thought, or perhaps…reborn is the better word.

The Sith nodded.

"The Force does move in mysterious ways, does it not, Chylde?"

"Yes, mother," she said bobbing her head.

"It does dance, does it not?"

Avaryss was pleasantly surprised to learn the Twi'lek's history.

Feer had been a fool not to remove the girl, but his failure was now her gain.

Thought she was hardly stable, Chylde would be a useful tool.

She was another blade to point at her enemies' throats.

Another blade was always useful, especially with the chaos that currently reigned in the Empire.

It was all a matter of power, and order.

One could not exist without the other.

She would bring both in the next few months, but first…

…the last step.

She and allies, the bulk of House Avaryss' might, marched up to the doors of the executive floor conference room.

Two royal guards blocked the entrance, crossing their force pikes before the door.

"Excuse me, my lord."

Avaryss paused.

A slender Sith pure blood in fine robes stopped her advance, she recognized him from the time she had been on Korriban, the herald of the dark council.

"I'm…I'm afraid you can go no further, my lord, the council is in session! They are…"

"Announce me," Avaryss ordered.

"My lord," the herald said bowing his head, "I cannot! Councilor Feer said…"

Avaryss turned to him, despite her gaze being hidden behind her mirrored face plate, the man backed up.

"I said…announce me."

Necris smirked and stepped behind her.

"You might as well be killing him, my lord. I am being more than confident that I can raise his corpse, simply leave his voice box intact and he will be able to do what we require."

The herald's red face paled to a pink.

"There…there is no need for violence, my lord. I…I will do as you ask. If…if you will excuse me."

She nodded.

"By all means, herald," she said.

"Do your duty."

She stood back as the guards parted letting him enter, soon she would hear her voice, soon she would stand before the council.

It is finally time, the moment that I've waited for…for so long!

She took a shuddering breath.

Let it begin.

I'm ready!