Chapter 5: Two Ships
The ship had just come through the upper atmosphere, if you looked just right you could see it making its way down through the fading light of the day.
Avaryss smiled. She let tendrils of her power seep out, let them reach up into the heavens, and felt something reach back, felt the gentle touch of the one she desired, the one she had missed for so long…
…Fenn.
A shiver ran down her spine.
So, long, she thought.
It has been FAR too long!
"He is onboard…isn't he?" Agony asked her.
Avaryss nodded, there was no reason for her to ask who she meant, they both knew, Agony knew where her heart lay…and the fact that she was slightly jealous of Fenn only made what she was sensing now even better…
…it made it far more…delicious!
"So, there are Jedi onboard," Zay asked, "that was what the message said, the Jedi are coming?"
"That is correct, girl," Agony said with a slight shake of her head.
"Emperor save us all."
Avaryss resisted the urge to frown, it was still in their nature to invoke the former Emperor as a god, they had done so their entire lives, the fact that he had revealed himself to be not only false, but an enemy as well…it didn't change that.
It falls to me to change that, Avaryss realized, one day, future Sith will say Empress save us, knowing that they invoke the name of a true ally of the Empire, one who seized it for its own best interest, and good.
It took a true Sith to rule an Empire…
…Avaryss was bound and determined to be that Sith, but first…the Jedi.
She nodded eagerly.
Her plan…started now.
The three stood near their camp watching as the ship approached, Fenn was likely flying because it was coming down exactly where it needed to be. True, they had given him general locational coordinates, but nothing specific, after all, who knew who might be listening in.
Avaryss still had enemies after all, both the Jedi and the Sith Orders had enemies now that the Zakuul were in play. The knights of Zakuul would happily wipe out a Jedi or a Sith knowing that it would please their Emperor. Avaryss was no fool, she preferred not to present herself as a target.
She could not risk being found, not even by those that served her purposes.
Fortunately, Fenn had not needed specifics, he could sense her, just as she could now sense him.
She could feel it, like an old friend she had not seen in years, the light reached out to her through Fenn, not to devour or destroy…but…something else. The darkness within her didn't retreat in Fenn's presence, nor did the darkness eclipse the light in him, instead, the two flowed together, becoming a shining realm of silver, neither of them having the advantage, but both drawing strength from it.
It was a most intriguing sensation, one that even Avaryss didn't entirely understand. She had delved deeply into the archives of her people trying to find another example of what she and Fenn shared, so far…she had found nothing.
Perhaps, we are something different, something…unique.
The thought pleased her, it would take more than a mere Sith to reconquer the Sith Empire, reconquer it, and reforge it into an unstoppable juggernaut.
She would be satisfied with nothing but absolute victory.
Yet, that victory was for another day, right now, she simply wanted to savor the closeness of her dream friend, to welcome him back into her world, and to take comfort in being welcomed back into his.
I've missed this, this feeling…
…I've…missed him.
For a time, Avaryss had feared that that connection would be lost when she switched bodies, that her link to Fenn would be severed the moment she ceased to be Keera Lylos and had become someone new.
It had not entirely been an irrational sensation, the spell was far from perfect, yet, it had been her only chance to survive. It had been worth the risk transferring her consciousness, and now…she knew that she had made the right call. Fenn called out to her through the Force, and her body, her new body, answered that summons.
It was…perfect!
Looking back, she now realized that it had been a foolish fear, what she and Fenn had…it was more than just attraction, or some blood tie that could be severed at any time, this…was the Force. The link that they shared was more about that connection than anything else.
The Jedi believed that people were more than just their crude matter, that they existed on a plane beyond the physical.
Avaryss had come to believe that as well, she felt it now, the connection she had always shared with Fenn seemed stronger than ever, even more so because he was on his way, that he was coming back to her…finally.
Her smile widened.
Finally, she thought.
At last…I can begin.
"Remember, girl," Agony said looking down on Zay, "These Jedi are NOT to be trusted. They are ruthless and liars…all of them."
Avaryss' fellow Sith sneered up at the approaching ship.
"Say nothing of your master's plans."
"Of course, Lord Agony," the girl said bowing her head respectfully.
"I remember what you told me about them."
Avaryss nodded.
Good.
It was good to know that the girl had thrown away all preconceptions and accepted the truth.
Agony was right.
The Jedi were NOT to be trusted…
…EVER!
IOI
After her conversation with Fenn, Avaryss had pulled her slave aside. Before they could begin, she wanted to make sure that the girl understood exactly what was coming, and what they could expect from the Sith's old enemies.
"What do you know of the Jedi, my child," she had asked her servant, "What stories have you been told?"
The girl's eyes narrowed and she looked away, Avaryss felt a flash of bitterness and resentment, a sense of anger boiling beneath the surface.
Curious, the dark lord thought…
…Very curious.
"What is it?" she asked the girl.
"It is nothing, master," her slave replied.
"It is clearly NOT nothing, please, dear girl, speak your mind."
Zay took a deep breath and shook her head.
"My mother told me stories about them…the Jedi."
"I see," the dark lord nodded.
"And…?"
"She wasn't born a slave. She…she used to tell me that one day the Jedi would come, that they would make the masters stop, and that they would break all our collars and set us free. She said that the Jedi would put everything right, and we would be free, and find justice."
Foolish sentiment, Avaryss thought, considering the world where she had found Zay. It was just close enough to Hutt space that the Jedi technically didn't have any pull there, not if they wished the Hutts to remain neutral in the Republic's fight against the Empire.
No, the Jedi would NEVER have come to Zay's world, never…
The Dark Lord smiled.
"I take it that never happened," she said dryly.
Zay shook her head no.
"I…I was sold away from her when I was eight, there was nothing that she could do. She told me to be strong, be brave, that we would be saved, to trust that we would be saved."
The girl took another shuddering breath.
"They worked my mother to death, that…that is what I heard, another slave in my mother's master's house, one of the ones I grew up around. He…he told me that she missed me, and that her last thoughts were for me to be strong, to survive; until the Jedi came to save us."
The girl looked up, her eyes cold and angry.
"That NEVER happened."
Avaryss nodded.
Yes.
She understood.
The girl's pain was understandable, and right. Despite their oath to be defenders of justice, there were places that the Jedi couldn't go. Politics had always been the Hutts' greatest shield against the Republic, their powerbase and the Jedi desire not to provoke a war with the cartel always limited what the order could do for those that lived under Hutt rule.
In this, the Jedi showed their weakness.
Zay was not foolish, or a dreamer, she had needed to grow up far quicker than most her age. She understood the reality of the galaxy. She knew that the Jedi were not the saviors that they pretended to be.
Avaryss was pleased.
It seemed she would not have to worry about the girl not accepting the truth. The Jedi were fools, valuable fools for the moment, but fools none the less.
Zay knew most of what she needed to know. She suspected the truth. She was already close to it. All Avaryss had to do, was drive it home.
"You are wise beyond your years in understanding this, Zay. The Jedi are not what they pretend to be, they are liars and fools. They exist only to protect their precious Republic, and the power that it gives them, because without power…the Jedi are nothing."
Avaryss sighed.
She deserves to know how the galaxy truly was.
The dark lord would leave nothing out.
She told the girl about the dawn of the Force, of the days when there had been no difference between Force users, when all were Jedi, brothers and sisters in the Force. She told the girl of how the Republic changed that, how they offered the Jedi Masters power, and in their arrogance, the masters turned their backs on those that were curious about the dark side. The schism that resulted ended in all-out war, and in the Dark Jedi being defeated, defeated but unbroken. She told the girl about the Sith, a race of powerful Force users who took the defeated Dark Jedi in, and together how the two races became one, and forged a mighty Empire, and with it, a golden age.
"It was glorious," Avaryss said shaking her head, "Sadly, the Republic and Jedi could not simply let us be. They sent two of their spies into our midst. Gav and Jori Daragon, they claimed to be explorers, but they brought only death and destruction in their wake. They manipulated the Sith Lords of the time, convinced them that the Republic was ripe for conquest, that we needed to save the people of the Republic from their corruption and arrogance, and bring about true order."
"They…they lied?" Zay asked.
Avaryss nodded.
That…was putting it mildly.
"The Republic and Jedi were waiting for the Sith, they pushed them back, and then followed them home, into the very heart of the Empire, its core worlds. Most of the dark lords died in the initial trap, and those that were not, were slain when Gav Daragon, who had been taken in as an apprentice, betrayed his master, Naga Sadow. The Empire was left all but defenseless, no lords remained, only innocent subjects, and their servants, but that was not enough for the Jedi, they only saw the threat of my people."
Avaryss shuddered at the memory, the stories, the history of what happened next could not be forgotten, and never should.
"The Republic was relentless, they rained death upon all Sith worlds that they could find, the Sith Holocaust, billions of our people died, with no chance to defend themselves. The pure blood race was all but exterminated; the few survivors scattering in the face of Jedi ruthlessness, fear that we were right, and knowing that we were strong, and would rise again if they didn't stop us right then and there."
Zay shuddered.
"Monsters," she murmured.
"Yes, child," Avaryss agreed.
"They are."
"The Sith were not beaten though, they…we are a strong people. We hid, and waited, rebuilt our fleets and armies, and we NEVER forgot what had happened. We always knew we would return; deception and cunning are the weapons of the dark side. We prepared, and watched, and with the exception of a few blind fools in our midst, the Sith were finally ready to bring true order to the galaxy, and avenge all those that perished in the holocaust so long ago."
"So why do you want to work with them?" Zay asked, "If the Jedi are so bad…"
"Not all of the Jedi are beyond redemption, my dear. Some only need to be shown the true path, and helped on the first few steps down it."
Avaryss smiled.
"My Fenn, he is such a Jedi, the Force has bound us in a way that can't be explained. He understands me in a way that no one else does. The Force has not made this bond on accident, everything happens for a reason, and this is mine. I will save him from the Jedi's lies, he has always watched over me, and tried to protect me."
The Dark Lord nodded.
"I must save him, and I will. He will no longer be a pawn of my enemies."
Zay nodded, Avaryss felt the girl's excitement now, her eagerness.
"How can I help?"
The dark lord smirked.
Dear loyal Zay.
She was truly fortunate to have one such as this on her side.
Once again, the Dark Lord found herself thinking back to when they first met, how the girl had come into her service. She had just slain the girl's master. The fool had tried to renegotiate the price for the object that Avaryss had had him recover for her, he had expected compensation for the slaves that had been lost in the vault she had paid him to breach.
Her counter proposal had been the business end of her lightsaber. When the fool was dead, she had gone searching for the relic he had recovered for her, she could sense that it was close, close, but moving away. She had pursued, discovering that it had been taken by the very slave girl that had plucked it from Hecaetus' vault, Zay, despite the intense pain in her leg, had grabbed it when she had seen her master killed, tried to keep it for herself.
Avaryss had found the girl cowering in an alley, no longer able to run, the pain in her foot too great. She clutched Hecaetus' toy to her breast, not wishing to release it.
Zay had not understood what the object was, she certainly hadn't known what to do with it. She had only known that she wanted it, the dark side was strong in it. It had called to the girl.
Avaryss understood what that was like, she could hear its call, it was quite strong.
She didn't blame the child for not wanting to part with it.
She could have killed her easily, and taken it, but instead had chosen to take her as well, the girl was brave, and despite her injury, Avaryss admired what she was sensing. The girl, despite growing up in servitude, had a hunger within her, a darkness that even she didn't understand…yet.
Avaryss had been willing to explore that, see just how far it went.
She was curious.
She offered to take the girl in, used her power right then and there to stop the Sith poisons that were slowly mutating her body, there was nothing the dark lord could do for the girl's foot, but that was fine.
She would carry the mark of the dark side all her life, even if she had foot removed and replaced with a cybernetic, she would know what it had occurred, the power of the dark side was a part of her now, and always would-be.
It was something Avaryss understood, she had been marked by the dark side at a young age as well.
Zay, like the artifact, was meant for her, she could feel it.
She was hers, and Avaryss would never let her go…
…Never.
She found the girl's eagerness now…refreshing, Zay had a part to play in her plan, for good or ill, she didn't know, but she was a part of it.
The dark lord reached out and stroked the girl's cheek.
"When the Jedi arrive, they must see nothing but what I want them to see, they must see three women in hiding, they must see that we are desperate and on the run."
"Are we not?" Zay asked.
Her question amused her master.
"There is a difference between running towards something, and away from something. I have a plan, but it must remain between us for now. Fenn has a part to play, and if we do this just right, we will be able to save him from himself, but we must be both brave and patient.
She gave her slave a serious look.
"Can you do that for me? Can you play the part that the dark side has given you?"
The girl nodded gamely.
"I can do it, master. I can help you save your friend."
Avaryss smiled.
"Good, my child," she purred.
"Most Excellent."
IOI
The Jedi vessel broke through the clouds and began its final approach. Avaryss was not sure what to make of it. She had expected a Republic military vessel, something with a bit of flash and some teeth.
It was a courier vessel if she was not mistaken, a Riptide 300 series, if she remembered her ships correctly; unmarked and about twenty years past its prime.
It was definitely not the type of ship that most Jedi would use, and that was likely the whole point. The Zakuul were ever watchful for Republic military vessels, the treaty that they had forced on the Republic limited their military and the type of craft they could possess. Plus, the Jedi were being hunted, most having fled with the Republic's defeat.
Of course, Fenn would not be able to use a proper vessel, not if he wished to stay alive. Any Republic military vessel was bound to attract attention, who knew how many spies the Eternal Throne now had watching for the Republic's protectors…their former protectors.
Avaryss was pleased.
Once again, her dream friend showed cunning beyond that of a Jedi.
It gave her hope for their future.
The ship looked about one bad day shy of the scrap yard, its armor pitted and scarred; its wings slightly misshaped from heat or damage, to someone who didn't know ships, it would have appeared to be a piece of junk, but…looks could be deceiving. You simply needed to know where to look; the sub-light engines had been tuned to perfection, they didn't just run, they purred. The gun port coverings looked a mess, but from what she could see, the weapons beneath were well-cared for, possibly even new.
For an old ship, it appeared highly functional, there was a reason that Riptides were still around after almost twenty years of service. The little couriers were tough, one of several models of fighting craft that had come out of the Bantoon planetary shipyards, much like its larger cousin, the Hurricane class light escort ship. Five or six Hurricanes could match a Terminus class destroyer in both speed and weapons capability. Much like Sith vessels, they relied on pack formations, hunting like predators.
Avaryss had great respect for such ships. Riptides could be used in a similar role, but they shined as scout and courier ships, their speed made them perfect for that role.
How Avaryss knew that, she didn't know, but the knowledge was useful none the less.
The ship touched down gently on the shores of Lake Natth. Its name emblazed in basic just below the nose of the bridge. The Stolen Heart, it was called.
Avaryss tried not to smirk.
Considering what she had planned, she took that name as a good omen.
A heart and soul would be stolen from the Jedi before all was said and done.
The ship's loading ramp lowered, Avaryss tensed slightly, the Force seemed to ripple around her, she felt the growing light, the sense of the change within her.
Fenn…
She took a shuddering breath and tried to focus, she…she…
Her eyes shot skyward, all thought of Fenn and nervousness vanished.
No, she thought.
She felt it, a disturbance in the Force! No, no mere disturbance, but a shockwave.
No!
NO! NO NO!
Not NOW!
Something shifted in the sky, and a new ship appeared, it seemed to snap out of hyperspace. It emerged like a predator that had been hiding just beneath the waves of some ancient sea, waiting and hungry.
Avaryss knew what it was, she didn't need eyes to see it, she could feel it, and knew what it meant.
A Sith Destroyer had achieved low orbit, even now its weapons were coming alive, the crew moving quickly as the scanners caught up with their new location, gunners were already waiting for their weapon's officers' orders to commence firing, to bombard their target below.
This target, she knew, this location.
She…
She shivered.
She felt something else, a presence she had not sensed in a while.
It was…cold, and familiar, she sensed the ship's commander, how he felt. The man lived in a state of constant pain, how he could stand it she didn't know, he should have gone completely mad a year ago, but the desire for revenge held him together, that and his desire to serve the Empire, the Empire that now looked upon her as a potential enemy.
She could see him in her mind's eye. He was clad in an Imperial Moff's uniform, his hands behind his back, his feet spread wide, his eyes hidden behind darkened lenses, no longer was he capable of functioning in most standard lighting, a result of one of her earlier experiments on him.
The lab animal returns, she thought angrily. His skin pale and always shiny with sweat, another symptom from what he had endured at her hands. He had served his purpose well, she had learned much from what had been done to him, but then she had made a mistake…
…she had let him live.
She was not sure if it was out of some form of sentimentality, or perhaps she had simply come to enjoy his torment, regardless, it didn't matter.
He was here, he had found her, and now he was eager to destroy her…more than eager, excited even.
He must have felt her mental touch, he was very sensitive to such things now.
She could almost imagine seeing him tilt his head slightly, his lips curling into the barest hint of a smile.
"Hello, my sister," Beric Lylos, science experiment, brother, and recently minted Imperial Moff purred into the ether, knowing full well that she could see and hear him.
"Are you ready for the end?"
Avaryss frowned. How he had found her, she didn't know, perhaps he had known where she was for a while now, and simply waited, bidding his time, waiting for the perfect chance to strike, the perfect time to kill her.
Hello Ric, she murmured back, knowing he could hear her from his place aboard the warship's bridge, her warship, her former warship, the Emperor's Wisdom.
"You want me, brother," she hissed under her breath, "Come and get me!"
"With pleasure, dear sis," she heard back, and then she could feel it, the fighters launching from the Wisdom, ships that had once served her.
She could feel Beric's excitement, his desire to kill her, his hate, and also his amusement.
The Moff chuckled.
"And now…we can begin."