Chapter 3: The Execution

A sudden jolt along the path shook Avaryss from her troubled sleep. She bumped her head on the side of the rusty bulkhead, and was wide awake in seconds.

"Ow," she growled, rubbing the side of her head. For a moment she forgot where she was, the nightmares of the past a future still held her in their hungry grip.

She had nearly rose and drew her lightsaber. She glanced around quickly, noticing several optic sensors focused on her. No voices called out, no words of concern were heard, but that was not surprising.

The restraining bolts did their job well. The droids that surrounded her could do little but stare.

It was a bit disturbing, but not threatening.

It seemed that these junk dealers, these Jawas, knew how to keep their merchandise secure.

Lucky them.

The vehicle rocked again, and she was forced to reach out and stop herself from being thrown off balance.

Her eyes narrowed.

We are in the middle of the desert, she thought, how could there be bumps along the path?

She stood and dusted herself off, which did little in helping remove the sand from her robes; she had never dealt with so much sand before, not even on Korriban which was basically a desert as well. Tatooine had a different feel to it than the Sith homeworld. Here…it seemed that the sand somehow got everywhere!

It was an annoyance, but one that she needed to endure, her master's orders were clear.

Complete the mission, destroy the safe house, and come home.

She intended to do just that, even if it meant putting up with the bumps, and the strange feeling of random droids watching her.

According to her master's agent in Mos Ila, the sand crawler she was currently riding in was well known to the Republic agents living in the safe house. They had seen the massive vehicle pass by many times, and would not even blink an eye when it rumbled within a few kilometers of their base. The Jawas, this strange hooded alien race, with the glowing beady yellow eyes, were not a threat; they were simply wandering junk dealers, selling to whoever chose to buy what they salvaged in the Tatooine desert. The Republic agents had grown used to seeing their sand crawler, and would not investigate further. Nor would they be suspicious when the vehicle ground to a halt, it did that sometimes, the Jawas that drove this beast were always having to stop to make repairs.

When they stopped, she would emerge on her swoop bike, and make the final leg of her journey, under the cover of darkness. According to her master's spies, the safe house's main defense is that no one knew about it. They had some blasters there, yes, but not enough to stop a determined Sith looking to acquire a certain package.

"What is this package supposed to be exactly, she had inquired before she left Mos Ila, "I do not wish to miss it or destroy it during my search."

The agent, a Rodian whose basic she could barely understand, could not say for certain, all he knew was that it was quite large, and the Republic's had sent a request for a ship to move it off world. That transport was supposed to arrive in four days, which meant that she would have only two days to get to the safe house and be away with it, before the Pub reinforcements showed up.

Plenty of time, she thought.

It was all the time in the galaxy.

Before striking out, he had supplied her with a swoop bike, a track and retrieval beacon, and a large hi-tech box he called and jammer. It was on a timer he said, so she should plant it outside the safe house fifteen minutes before beginning her assault. When the counter reached zero, she would have twenty minutes where all communication would be blocked in or out. Plenty of time to render the place destroyed.

She tried not to be over eager, but she could not help it. It had been a long journey from Dromund Kaas. She had spent the bulk of that journey stuffed into a small passenger compartment of some barely functional tramp freighter. One of twenty passengers in a compartment meant to seat only eight at most.

Clad in heavy travel robes, she had avoided her fellows. Her disguise had covered her from head to toe. The other passengers probably did not even realize that she was female. She kept her head down and her eyes covered by a pair of dark goggles. She could disguise herself as some random traveler sure, but she could do nothing to change her Sith eyes.

The goggles would simply have to do.

She kept to herself during the journey, speaking to no one, and avoiding eye contact. None of her fellow passengers forced the issue, so the journey had gone off without a hitch. Perhaps they were polite enough to respect a stranger's desire for privacy, or they might just have sensed the feeling of menace that radiated off the hooded and cloaked young woman in their midst.

Whatever their reasons, they left her alone.

No one said a word to her until they had landed on Tatooine.

She was quite pleased with that.

It was when they reached the planet, this…Tatooine, that for the first time she had found herself on a world not totally in the Empire's grip. A wilderness that was almost completely alien to her. She could not imagine living outside of the Emperor's control; she had spent her entire life up to this point under his control. Seeing this planet, knowing that the Sith did not have complete control. It made her see why the Empire was needed, why the galaxy had to be theirs.

As for Tatooine itself as a whole, the planet was different than any place she had been before with its hot suns and strange denizens…

…The experience of it left her…unimpressed.

She stopped out of the transport in the height of the noon day suns. Even with her protective goggles, the brightness made her look away. The med droids back on Korriban had warned her that she would likely be over-sensitive to bright light for the rest of her life.

For someone with such an affliction, Tatooine was most…unpleasant.

She shook her head.

Two suns? She thought with a frown.

What kind of world needs two suns?

She pulled her hood down farther on her head, and made her way down the ramp. Her master had provided her with a cover story to get on planet. If anyone asked, she was a simple trader looking to pick up a shipment of cheap metals to sell on the Hutt black market. Mining had been a major source of revenue on Tatooine for many years, though no one had ever gotten rich in seeking to harvest it. Now, most of the big corporation stayed away, which left Tatooine open to many small time operators.

It was as good a cover as any.

As she made her way through the small town, she was surprised by just how many aliens made this place their home. She had seen aliens before of course, but they were a rarity within the Empire. Most of the species she had met were those known to have an affinity for the dark side of the Force. Twi'leks, Zabrak's and once even a Gran.

This place though, there were dozens of different species, some she did not even recognize.

She was intrigued.

As a girl, she had not shared the Empire's dislike of alien species. She was curious about other worlds and cultures. Her duties back on Oridanna had always kept her busy but…

She shook her head.

Snap out of it, she thought to herself, you are not here to gawk like some rube. You are here to complete your master's mission. Make your way to the cantina, and meet his agent.

She nodded.

For a moment there, she had gotten lost, what she had once been had bubbled to the surface, it still happened sometimes, but she would endeavor to make sure that it would not happen again. These species were nothing special; she could not even sense the Force strongly in any of them.

They were an oddity nothing more.

She had no time to gawk at oddities.

Like many small communities, the cantina was often the center of life. It was here that most people came to not only do business, but catch up on local gossip, and learn about what was happening in the galaxy as a whole.

Avaryss took a seat near the back, she ordered some local spirit, but did not drink it. Someone might have been suspicious had she chosen to simply sit and wait. When her master's Rodian pet finally arrived, almost an hour had passed, she had voiced her displeasure, but he assured her that it could not be helped.

This was no mere game they were playing, many eyes were upon them; he had doubled back several times to make sure that he had not been followed here.

Only when he was sure that they were safe did he finally give her the full details of the mission. He provided her with both a map and his most recent scan of the Republic safe house, not an easy thing to get, considering that this was in fact a safe house.

"It appears that the bulk of the safe house is underground. Seismic scan suggests two levels down at least, I could not get more than that, the Republic are using some kind of jamming tech to protect against detailed scans."

"A military safe house then?" she inquired, "Some kind of listening post?"

"Not the right equipment for something like that," the agent offered, "With the exception of the jammers, of course, I would guess Special Information Service. Republic SIS knows how to guard its secrets.

Avaryss nodded.

Spies then, she thought. She would have to move quickly.

Spies knew how destroy evidence, she would have to come in hard and fast, give them little or no time to react.

"What about transport," she had asked, "I will need to approach unseen."

The Rodian made a ruffing sound, his version of laughter she guessed.

"My old friend Tik is a boss on a sand crawler; he can get you where you need to go."

Avaryss was not sure what a Jawa was at that moment, but she had nodded gamely.

The Rodian left first, with her following five minutes later. He had directed her to a small bazaar on the edge of town; The Jawas had been finishing up after an afternoon of trading with the locals.

As the Rodian had said, they were more than willing to offer her a ride.

IOI

It was almost three hours into the journey when she had started to get annoyed, she had seen nothing of the Jawas since they let her board their vehicle, and with no windows she had no idea where she was.

Paranoia began to rise up, filling her head with ideas.

What if they are going to try and sell me to the Republic? What if they know who and what I am?

Her hands clenched into fists.

She would destroy these little rodents before they even got the chance!

She began to push her way forward, past the various droids scattered about the sand crawler's hold, she had been on her way to speak with whichever of the little wretches were in charge when she noticed something interesting nestled in the corner of the sand crawler's hold.

She paused, recognizing what she was seeing, or rather what she thought she was seeing.

She smiled wickedly.

The droid was old, make no mistake, its gun metal colored chassis was dirty and faded from many long days in the twin suns. It was missing both of its legs and one arm, but the head is what drew her attention, it appeared undamaged and intact. She had seen such droids in books and drawings in the archives back on Korriban.

"Why hello there," she said to the empty powered down eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

The droid, or rather the wreck that had once been a droid, was an old HK model. According to what she had read back on Korriban these droids had been quite lethal and skilled hunters once upon a time. There had been several reference to HK droids serving the Sith over the years. No mere assassin droids, the descriptions had called these automatons as tools of wanton slaughter.

Could be useful, she thought, provided it could be restored.

The sound of Jawa chittering drew her attention, the door she had been searching for had opened, and a pair of the little brown robed aliens made their way down. They sought her out, speaking in their strange language, a language that the translator she carried had no problem deciphering.

They were coming up on their destination, the Jawa informed her.

It would soon be time for her to go.

She nodded; it seemed that these little creatures could be trusted after all.

Refreshing, considering some of the beings she had been forced to deal with in the last few years.

They have to be honest to a point, she realized, they live and die on their word, they survive on trade, if people did not trust them, how would they survive out here?

The realization made her respect for the creatures grow.

They had no size or strength; their weapons were minimal and or archaic at best. Yet, by being useful to those who lived here, they remained not only relevant, but a necessary part of life on this world.

Avaryss nodded.

What the galaxy was finally theirs, these creatures would be useful to the Sith Empire, she was sure of it.

In the meantime though.

"How much for this," she said gesturing to the HK, "Name a price."

The Jawas blinked and spoke to each other in hushed tones, she was not sure if they had the right to sell the droid to her, but at the least they could report to the one who did.

The taller of the two named a price, it was quite high, but that was not unexpected, the Jawas went in expecting to haggle, even with someone travelling with them.

Avaryss did not have the time or the patience to haggle. She knew what she wanted and she would have it.

"Done," she said, "I will pay you half now, and you will get the other half when you deliver the droid to my agent in Mos Ila."

The Jawas chittered with surprise; they had not expected the one they called an outlander to give in so quickly.

It might not have been the best deal she could make, but if she was able to get the old assassin droid working again…

It could prove to be an invaluable tool to her work.

You could have just killed them; the darkside whispered, killed them and took what you wanted!

True, but that would mean she would have to find another way to get the droid back to Dromund Kaas. These Jawas would want the rest of their payment and would deliver the droid to wherever she desired. Her master's agent would ensure it found its way back to her.

She was not the type of Sith that thought with her lightsaber.

Never destroy something that could still prove useful. Who knew, if her business ever brought her back here, the Jawas might remember her generosity and if they found something else, something really intriguing, they might even bring it to her attention first.

Making an ally was useful. The destruction of these little ones might provide a bit of a distraction, but…

It might also alert her enemies to her presence. No, she would be patient, for now.

If she wanted blood, there was plenty waiting at the Republic safe house.

She would be able to satisfy her appetite for destruction soon enough.

The Jawas left to get the data pad with the transfer of ownership for her new droid, while Avaryss made her way to where her swoop bike had been stored.

She needed to check over her supplies, make sure that everything was ready.

Once the fighting started things would happen fast.

A shiver of excitement ran down her spine.

This would be the first time she got to engage Republic forces, she had fought prisoners during her student years, but those had already been broken by the Imperial prison system.

She suspected that these SIS people would have far sharper teeth.

She welcomed the challenge. For too long she had been forced to deal with thugs and sycophants back on Dromund Kaas.

It would be good to spill the blood of their true enemy.

The sand crawler lurched again, but this time she had not been caught off balance. The dark side was singing in her now, her eagerness to face real opponents made her feel giddy.

Ready or not, she thought with a hungry grin.

Here I come.

IOI

It was at first dusk when the sand crawler finally stopped, no sooner had the ramp lowered, Avaryss shot out into the coming night on her swoop. Several Jawas squawked and fled as she blew past them, but considering what they had been paid to transport her, they could endure a little shock.

The swoop the Rodian had found for her was faster than what she was used to. Growing up on Oridanna, a swoop was the primary form of transportation for a young person doing her chores. Avaryss had first learned to ride one at thirteen.

She smiled as she opened up the throttle, the desert floor zipped past below her. The coming evening had brought a cool breeze to the desert, a breeze that pushed back her hood, and let her long dark hair blow free.

She had forgotten how much fun a swoop bike could be, and the setting suns had turned the night sky a gentle shade of violet, much like the afternoon skies of her distant home world.

For the first time in a long time, a twinge of homesickness ran though the young Sith. It had been years since she had last set foot upon Oridanna, felt the gentle breeze on her face, looked out over the sea of blowing long grass and…

Stop it!

She snarled at herself.

Oridanna is not your home, not anymore! You are Avaryss, Avaryss of the Sith, Dromund Kaas is your home. House Feer is your home.

She shook her head.

Distantly, deep inside, she could feel the last shred of what had once been a girl named Keera Lylos wail pathetically.

Avaryss ignored her, ignored that voice. A Sith did not have time for feeling homesick, especially about a home that was no longer hers...

…Especially when she had a mission to complete.

She checked the map that the Rodian had given her, at this speed she would be at the Republic safe house in a matter of an hour.

She slowed down slightly, letting the suns get a little lower in the sky. She would not be able to simply ride up to the entrance. She would need to stash her swoop nearby, and move in on foot.

She would plant the jammer as soon as she was in range. After that was done, things would happen very quickly.

All joy of riding the swoop faded, she began to play the mind games she had been taught during her student years, psyching herself up for the confrontation to come.

The world soon seemed tinged with red, and it had nothing to do with the fading light of the day.

Avaryss continued to gather her power.

She would need it soon enough.

IOI

An hour later she found herself creeping slowly through the desert, the Force offering her both speed and stealth as she drew in close to her objective.

Her heart pounded with anticipation. Patience was not typically a virtue of the Sith. It took all her self-control to move silently as she crept up on the Pubs and their little hidey hole.

She had paused briefly on a small ridge overlooking the place. To anyone passing by, it would have looked like any other hovel common in these parts.

The construction actually reminded Avaryss a little of the farms found on Oridanna, built low and into the ground to shield them from sandstorms. The Oridanna had done similar, but there farms were built to shield against the winds that could batter a building to dust if left unshielded.

The young Sith frowned.

This place seemed bound and determined to remind her of her former life. What she was experiencing, what she was feeling only served to fuel her anger.

She welcomed the chance to burn this place down, if for no other reason to end the sense of nostalgia that was now haunting her.

She checked the chrono on her wrist, only one more minute until the jammer she had set up activated. Soon the safe house would be cut off to the outside world, and in that moment, she would be free to strike.

She reached out with Force, letting its tendrils extend to the enemy dwelling. She was surprised by the darkness she sensed. She had figured Republic agents and officers to be more…grounded in the light than what she was sensing.

If they lean towards the dark, so much the better, she thought, she would not only be able to feed off their darker emotions, but they would also be more vulnerable to her spells. To touch the dark side was to be easily enthralled by its power.

Already she was starting to enjoy this, she…

The chrono on her hand chirped. She sank down deeper into the sand and waited.

The Jammer had just come on line.

It was almost time to move.

She watched and waited, curious to see if and how the pubs in side would respond. She did not have to wait long, four people emerged from the dwelling; they made their way towards what looked like some kind of collection tower. Through the Force she sensed their annoyance, but no fear or caution.

She grinned.

Clearly they had lost signal out here before, they had become conditioned to not be worried about it.

They would soon learn the error of that.

She rose and started moving towards them, the Force increased her speed, to the naked eye she would appear as a blur, and nothing more.

She moved closer to the pubs...

…Closer…and closer…

"This is the third time this week," she heard one of the agents say.

"At least it isn't the fourth," another said chuckling.

"I can't wait for the damn ship to get here, we need replacement parts; everything breaks down too fast out here."

"Could be worse, you could be assigned to the team on Nar Shadda, now there is a…

"QUIET!"

"But…

"QUIET! I heard something."

Avaryss smiled, the agents were looking around, dressed not for combat, but to blend in as any other settler that lived out here. Once again their familiarity worked against them.

They still had yet to draw their weapons.

"Tuskens?" she heard one say.

"We saw no banthas on the scanner; the sandies don't come in without their beasts. They…

Avaryss rose, she stood as quiet and as still as a shadow.

One of the soldiers finally noticed her.

"Halt," he said pulling his sidearm, "Who goes there?"

Avaryss smiled, removing her hood and slipping out of her robe, underneath she wore a simple combat suit.

She smiled hungrily at the four soldiers.

"Hi there," she said sweetly.

She ignited her lightsaber; the world was bathed in scarlet light.

She moved.

The four agents never knew what hit them.

One moment they were standing still looking at her, and the next she was among them. Her lightsaber hummed as it took off both limbs and heads. The four agents did not even have time to cry out, only a few surprised gasps, and gurgles of pain as she ended their lives.

One in the back started to run; he did not shout or try to raise the alarm, too scared perhaps or…

She noticed a small metal box on a pole, a large button blinking on its base.

An alarm, she realized with a snarl.

Sorry, she thought.

I don't think so.

She flung her lightsaber towards the man, it spun faster and faster directed by her command of the Force.

The remaining soldier lost both his head, and the arm that had been reaching towards the button. Her lightsaber wheeled around and returned to her outstretched hand.

He felt to the sandy ground with barely a thud.

She closed down the lightsaber and reattached it to her belt.

Killing the four had only taken ten seconds, maybe eight, and not a single one had managed to call for help.

She smiled triumphantly.

Her master would be pleased.

She looked down on the slain; an amused smile graced her lips.

"So you have friends on Nar Shadda," she purred, "Good to know, I'm sure I will be visiting them soon."

More voices drew her attention, she did not think she had made enough noise to draw attention, but perhaps she had been mistaken.

She grinned and made her way towards the center of the safe house. Like the farm back home, the dome on the surface opened to a small courtyard below and out of the wind.

She did not bother using the door; she simply ignited her blade, and leapt down into the safe house.

Cries of shock and surprise greeted her, cries cut short by the humming of her lightsaber, that and its red hot blade. Bodies fell as the agents realized they were under attack, the alarm finally sounded but it did not matter.

She was already inside, and eight of their number was already dead.

She smiled.

She was ready to make it nine.

This would not be a battle, she had decided. It would be an execution…an extermination!

Her eyes flashed with dark glee.

"Who's first," she cried out cutting down another pub agent.

She laughed wickedly.

"So…who's next?"