Chapter 8: The Boy
The guest suite where the boy was to be brought was typically reserved for visiting Sith Lords and Moffs. Darth Feer was the type of lord that never wished for her guests to be left wanting. He was more than willing to play the generous host if it ensured that his interests were looked after by those that had been his guests, after they had departed.
A gentle word and open hand could be just as useful as a clenched fist and a lightsaber. The Dark Lord understood that, and made sure that the needs of those that stayed with him were tended to.
Avaryss arrived first, accompanied by Lady Synestra; their final encounter in the lady's quarters had had a chilling effect between the two. It was clear that the lady hoped that her husband's apprentice would fail to get what they needed, and it was clear from what she had said to the young girl that she would use everything she knew to deny Avaryss the chance at advancement, that she would do all in her power to block Avaryss' advance and make sure that her son ascended to power on the day that Lord Feer finally fell.
None of this was either shocking or surprising to her. She had long suspected the lady's goals, and knew that one day she would have to take steps to stop her. For now though, she needed to remain in her master's good graces, which meant succeeding in this endeavor and getting the young boy to talk.
Whatever it takes, I must do," she thought to herself.
Whatever it takes.
Both her master and Bael had been waiting outside the suite when they arrived; both men had complimented her on her beauty before she entered. As always Avaryss could sense Bael's twisted fantasies, fantasies that now had new fuel seeing her dressed so provocatively. Her master had been more respectful, but had subtly reminded her with a harsh, and painful, squeeze of her arm that he required her to do whatever was necessary to make the boy talk.
He need not worry, she thought.
She had given up most of her inhibitions long ago, she knew what was expected of her, but at the same time was still hesitant.
What I shared with my love; it was for him and him alone.
She was not eager to offer it up to some rodent in exchange for his knowledge.
Once she was inside, the door was locked behind her. Their prisoner would be brought up within the hour, and so, for that moment, she had time to explore her surroundings and see if there was anything here that might help her carry out her mission.
The room was well decorated with the trappings of wealth, the rug, curtains and bedding were of the highest quality, and a small bar in the corner boasted only the finest liquors.
Avaryss was tempted to pour herself a drink, but decided against it.
She would need all her faculties to carry out what needed to be done.
The temperature in the room was kept quite cool, no doubt to counter the jungle heat that was the norm on Dromund Kaas. It was so cool that Avaryss was tempted to wrap a blanket around herself as she waited, the dress she was wearing left little to the imagination.
What are you doing, her inner voice growled, you are Sith, act like one, why should you be nervous about this meeting? If the boy realized who he would be meeting, then he should be the nervous one. If he does not give you what you need, you will tear it from his mind. You know spells that can turn someone's very will and soul inside out.
What street scum could dare hope to match the will of a Sith?
All these things she knew, but she could not shake the feeling that if this turned into violence, than she had failed.
No, she needed to exercise self-control.
Brute force was not always the answer.
As she waited she began to pace nervously. She felt like a predator locked in a cage, a gilded cage perhaps, but still confining. Normally before a mission she would be playing mental games, psyching herself up for what she would soon face. She would be harnessing her anger and rage until she was an unstoppable force…
Unfortunately, her rage would not aid her here. This battle would be fought under different rules.
She needed to remember that.
How am I going to play this, she wondered, she had never been the flirty type, not even with Fehl.
Would it even really be that hard, the boy was a street rat, for all she knew he had the morals of Hutt, and if he did how far would she let him go in exchange for what she needed.
As far as you need to, her master's voice seemed to whisper in her ear.
The thought made her shudder, but any fear was quickly replaced by anger.
She was no pleasure slave. She would not humble herself before this scum just because he knew something that she did not. She would try to be charming, but at the same time, remain coy. He would have nothing more than she was prepared to offer. If he did start getting fresh he would find out quickly how far above him she truly was.
I may be only an apprentice, but I'm still Sith.
No Sith would ever let themselves be taken advantage of, not when they could rip what they needed from the hands of those that tried to deny them.
She continued to pace, well aware of the hidden spy cams that had been placed throughout the suite. Warmaster Feore had warned her about those, picture, but no sound, to insure her that if things did turn violent, then the guards would be able to see and coming running if she needed help.
It was sweet of the old man to worry, but he did not need to.
If the boy did turn violent, he would be the one that suffered, not her.
A chime sounded overhead, warning her that the guards were finally bringing her mark into the chamber.
She took a deep breath and tried to center herself.
You can do this, she thought, if it starts to get hard, just think of Fehl, how he made you think, how his hands on you made you feel.
She swallowed hard, and nodded.
She could do this.
The door hissed open.
She smiled up at the two guards.
Here we go.
IOI
The two guards dragged him into the room and dumped him on the bed. He groaned weakly as they turned to leave without saying a word.
Avaryss rolled her eyes.
She reached out with the Force, determined that he was still unconscious.
Good, she thought, being man-handled by two stupid thugs would do little to make this young man cooperative.
He lay on his side, murmuring softly into the sheets. Reaching out with the Force, she gently lifted him up, and deposited him in a more comfortable position on the bed.
She took a step closer, her heart was beating loudly, she felt nervous, despite having faced far more dangerous situations than this one.
Okay, I got him here, she thought.
What now?
She would have to go over and wake him, she supposed, he could not talk if he was unconscious. She took a tentative step towards him and nearly tripped over the thick rug, Lady Synestra had insisted that she wear heels along with this ridiculous dress. She had never really been comfortable wearing anything with a high heel; she had never really mastered wearing them.
She could just imagine Bael giggling at her discomfort from wherever he was watching the monitors, unwilling to give him any more amusement she ripped off the heels and stalked over to the bed.
It was her first time getting a really good look at their prisoner.
She had to admit, up close, he was not as repellant as she feared. He might even have been considered roguishly handsome. He was black haired and had just a hint of stubble on his jaw. Though not overly muscular it was clear that he did possess some physical strength. That fact should have come as no surprise; she did not think that weaklings lasted long on the streets of Nar Shadda.
He was not her Fehl, but he was…something.
Then there was his presence in the Force, it continued to move strangely around him, which to someone who had dedicated her life to its power, was most intriguing.
What are you, she wondered, did the Force choose you in some way, or did you do something that made your presence in it so…unusual? She moved over to the bed and sat down, she did not lay down next to him, though that might be needed before all was said and done. She lifted her hand and gently touched his ear, she ran a finger around it, and then moved it down and gently touched his jaw.
She had done this many times with Fehl, though it did feel strange to being doing such a thing to someone else, especially since she had been used to feel of her love's skin, and the tendrils that all Sith pure bloods have on their jaws.
He did respond to her touch, sighing and leaning into it, he even smiled slightly, though he did not awaken, he did say something.
"Tia," he murmured.
Avaryss frowned.
Tia? She thought.
Who is Tia?
She reached out with the Force again, she could sense the boy's strong will, even if she had been skilled in Force persuasion, one of the few gifts the Force had not granted her, she doubted she would have been able to sway this one.
Of course, she did not need to sway him, not in that way.
Avaryss smiled.
In his weakened state, his thought and emotions were close to the surface. She could almost see the face of a young woman, a woman whose face has been brought to the forefront by her caress.
I can use this, Avaryss thought.
Not all of the spells she had learned at the Academies were lethal.
Early in her studies, she had found a book on Sith glamours, spells that, when used properly, could allow the user to disguise him or herself as an enemy's loved ones. She had studied the book religiously, and in the privacy of her chambers, experimented by casting several illusions in front of the mirror, changing her appearance.
Perhaps one of these glamours would serve her well here? If the boy would not talk to her, maybe he would talk to someone he cared about?
She grinned triumphantly.
Cunning and deception were powerful weapons of the dark side. She welcomed the chance to use them, especially if it got her what she wanted.
She murmured the spell under her breath, while at the same time reaching out with the Force, touching the young man's mind. She covered her face with her hands, and as she spoke the final incantation, brushed her palms over her face, letting the power of the dark side flow out and mask her appearance. She felt a slight tingle as the illusion covered her face, and then the rest of her.
Avaryss looked down.
She was pleased with the result.
Her pale skin had now become a light dusky orange. When she looked up over the bed and towards a mirror in the corner, she saw the features of a young Twi'lek woman. The girl's features were impishly pretty; with blue eyes so dark they almost looked black against her orange skin. The lekku, or head tails, as they were more commonly known, were thick and fleshy, lightly decorated with tattoos of flowers and vines.
Avaryss giggled.
A most interesting disguise, she thought, now let's see how it works!
Now she did stretch out on the bed, once again her fingers lightly stroked the young man's jaw.
"Wake up, my darling," she purred in the Twi'lek girl's husky voice.
"We have much to talk about."
Slowly, her touch, and gentle prodding through the Force, brought the young man back to consciousness. He blinked, slowly rising from the drug induced haze that both the Republic, and Master Feore had kept him under.
When realization set in, he jerked and sat up suddenly.
Avaryss was there to make sure he did not do anything foolish.
"Easy, my love," she cooed, "Do not try to move so quickly."
The boy looked around, likely hunting for some way out, but upon seeing her next to him, he paused. Through the Force she could feel his panic waning; slowly his mind was catching up with his body.
He blinked again.
"Tia," he said shyly, "Is…Is that you?"
She laughed dismissively.
"Who else would it be, my dear, who else but your sweet Tia?"
She felt affection rise through the Force, and attraction. Clearly he was not opposed to this reunion.
Yet, quickly, perhaps far too quickly, his attention returned to his surroundings.
He snorted.
"I thought I was going to wake up dead," he said.
"You are safe," she promised him, "We are safe?"
At last his eyes focused on her, she felt suspicion rising in him.
"And where is here, exactly?" He asked.
Avaryss almost cursed under her breath.
This spell would have worked better if she had had the ability to persuade him, as it was she was forced to rely on his surface emotions, right now, they were not doing the trick.
She tried to push forward anyway. She still needed what he knew.
"I had you brought here," she said, "I could not bear to see you hurt anymore."
"Uh huh," he said dryly, a cocky smile spreading across his features, "And how did you manage to arrange that, Tia? Through your Hutt owner, I figure?"
"Of course," Avaryss said, "My master is very powerful as you know."
The boy paused; she could sense his emotions, a mixture of anger and disappointment.
He gave her a wry smile.
"Tia is not owned by a Hutt, sweetheart," he informed her, "She has also never called me "My love," or "My dear" before. Though she would look good in that dress you are wearing, I can't deny that.
Avaryss' eyes narrowed.
Damn, she thought.
She had hoped for more than this.
That was the problem with using surface emotions, they were often unclear, and they offered little insight into the way the person you were trying to copy behaved. She realized that she had made the mistake of speaking up too quickly, attempting intimacy far too soon with her subject.
I should have let him guide our conversation, she realized. She should have let him ask the questions, kept him away from anything too personal. He would have given her physical and mental cues how to fool him, but by rushing things, she had been found out, the whole ruse was ruined.
She was angry at herself, and more importantly she was angry at the boy.
Part of her wanted to strangle the life out of him, right then and there.
He did not seem to sense the danger he was in, he simply kept smiling.
Clever boy, she thought, but not as clever as he thinks.
"You do look like her though," he said nodding pleasantly, "Don't suppose you could tell me how you did that, doll?"
He lay back with his hands behind his head, like he did not have a single care in the world.
Avaryss hissed under her breath.
"I'm not your doll, or a sweetheart," she said coldly.
"So," he said his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"What should I call you?"
Avaryss let the illusion drop; she had no further use for it, her true features returned, now in a mask of barely contained rage.
"I am Avaryss, but, as far as you're concerned, 'my lord' will suffice. You may also come to know me as death if you continue to speak down to me."
There was a brief moment where she felt a twinge of fear, but once again that mask of arrogance snapped back into place.
"Sith, huh?"
She nodded.
"Known a few of you types back on the Nar Shadda, there was this guy called Paley…something, got a lot of the poor in my neighborhood on his side, not as pretty as you, of course, but …
He shrugged.
I thought all you Sith-types were either red skinned aliens or giant bald human cyborgs with breathing problems."
Avaryss chuckled.
The boy was likely referring to Lord Malgus. After the sacking of Coruscant, the Empire declared Darth Malgus a hero for laying waste to the Jedi Temple, even on Oridanna his image had been circulated, the great hero of the Empire.
She was not surprised that those imagines had found their way into Hutt space.
Being Sith also explains the laser sword," he said gesturing towards the lightsaber hilt on her hip.
"Tia never carried one of those either. It doesn't really go with the dress, though."
"You would be surprised," she said with an evil grin, "It goes with everything, and those that think it doesn't are not around long enough to complain."
"I'll give you that," he said with a shrug.
"I would much rather you give me something more," she said grimly, "I have questions, and I think you have answers, mister…?"
"Rink, Thranton Rink, though my friends call me Thran."
"I'll remember that Mister Rink," she said coolly, "Now, as I said, I have questions for you."
He seemed to consider what she had said, his eyes moved quickly, looking for an escape route perhaps, not that he would find one, not here, not in the middle of the Feer Estate.
He had few options.
"I'm guessing you want to know why those goons grabbed me. Why they thought it was smarter to hurt me rather than just asking me about what they wanted to know?"
"Would you tell me," she asked with a smile, "If I asked nicely?"
"I'm willing to make a deal," he admitted, "How about you?"
She smiled at that.
The boy wanted to bargain, how interesting.
"Did you try to bargain with your captors," she inquired, "What did they say when you offered to make a deal?"
"They weren't interested," he shrugged, "I heard a few things when they took me. From what they were saying, I'm guessing what they were doing was not exactly approved by their bosses. All they wanted was their merchandise back, and once I gave it up, then I would have ended up dead in a drain pipe somewhere."
She considered what he had said. She sensed no deception in him, no more than any other rogue might possess.
So far, what he said confirmed her early suspicions, those SIS agents on Tatooine had been up to something, something that they had not wanted their Senators or Jedi friends to see.
Smiling brightly, she lay her head down across his belly. She felt him shudder slightly; she could feel his surprise through the Force.
"Um…what are you doing?"
"My master is watching us," she informed him, "I'm supposed to be seducing you, getting the information he needs, if he sees us just talking, he might start thinking that I'm failing and will send in his guards, if that happens you will likely be tortured again.
She gently ran her finger down his face.
"We would not want that now, would we?"
"I certainly wouldn't," he replied, though she could sense his discomfort, his distraction through the Force.
It was clear that he was not completely immune to her charms.
It was cute.
"This Twi'lek, Tia," she said, "You care a lot for her don't you?"
"If you are thinking of sending someone to grab her, and use her for leverage, you are wasting your time," he said, "She was taken away from Nar Shadda, even I don't know where she is."
"You misunderstand me," she said, "I'm not threatening, not yet, merely trying to get an understanding of you. Your feelings for her are quite strong."
She sighed.
"I know what it is like to lose someone you love. Someone who has come to feel like they are a part of you, to know that it doesn't matter how much you try, there is nothing you can do to bring them back."
"She is still out there, somewhere," Thranton replied.
"I'll find her again."
His determination impressed her.
Perhaps that is why he was able to stand up so long under interrogation perhaps that was why he let the Republic take him so close to the edge of death.
They were in territory that she understood now, and she had an idea of how to proceed.
It would be interesting to see if he would be open to her offer.
"What do you want, Mister Rink. If those…goons as you called them had been open to negotiation, what would you have asked for in exchange for the merchandise you took?"
"So we are bargaining," he said, "lying in bed with a beautiful girl is not really the usual place that one conducts business."
"The distraction works to my advantage," she replied, "But at the same time, and you can look at this as simply dealing with a "beautiful girl" and not a Sith."
She gestured, and the top two buttons of his shirt came undone. He gasped in surprise.
Avaryss giggled.
"Don't get too excited, Mister Rink, we are still putting on a show for my master, remember. Now, speak plainly, what is it that you want?"
He swallowed hard, and tried to hold onto his composure. Yet she could sense his excitement, apparently he liked powerful girls.
She would remember that for later.
As it turned out, his demands were not that extravagant, had the Republic bothered to ask, they might have avoided any unpleasantness.
"You think your boss would agree to that," he inquired.
Avaryss nodded, Mister Rink was not a greedy man, he was not some spoiled noble or government official, his demands were reasonable enough for a man in his position, and worth the risk considering the Republic's reaction.
"And what exactly was the merchandise?" she asked, "What did you take that prompted those men to torture you for twelve hours?"
He shuddered at the memory.
"That is the weird part; the thing wasn't even that valuable."
He sighed.
"What I was doing when I got pinched. It was a scam I pulled a dozen times before with no problem. The damn thing wasn't officially owned by anyone yet, so I took it, brought proof to my fence, and all of a sudden I come home and some Jedi is pointing his laser sword at my chest."
Rink shook his head.
"When I refused to simply give it up, he turned me over to his goon squad."
So there were Jedi involved in this, Avaryss nodded, the report had not mentioned any direct involvement from the Jedi Order only that one had tried to convince Mister Rink to return what he had stolen.
"Was the Jedi in command then?"
"He seemed to be."
"Did you get a look at his face? Did anyone mention his name?"
"He was wearing a long brown robe, the hood was up, couldn't really see anything. As far as names, I heard nothing, the goons only referred to him as Master Jedi."
Avaryss cursed under her breath.
Had the boy seen the Jedi's face, Imperial Intelligence might have managed to identify him for them. Knowing which Jedi was involved might go a long way in figuring out what this was all about.
Master Jedi they had called him.
It did not mean that the Jedi had been 'a master' though. House Feer's underlings referred to her as my lord despite the fact she had not earned that title yet. The Jedi could have been a Padawan for all she knew.
It was not a dead end, but this knowledge did offer more questions than answers.
"And this mysterious merchandise, it is safe?"
"I didn't give it up under interrogation," Thran said proudly, ""All I kept thinking was that if this thing is this valuable, then Tia and I must just have a new life when this is over."
"You may indeed," Avaryss agreed, "The Sith can be generous to those who aid us. Now tell me what it is that is so important."
He smirked.
"You're going to laugh when I tell you. As I said, it wasn't even that valuable."
"It is to someone," she replied, "Indulge me, Mister Rink, tell me…what is it that you stole?"
He sighed and told her.
She was…surprised.
IOI
"A droid head?"
"Yes, my master," Avaryss said standing before Darth Feer, "According to Mister Rink, it was the head of a protocol droid, a new model that had just arrived on a transport. He boarded the ship. He took the head and made off with it."
Two hours had passed since Avaryss had left the suite, the boy; Thranton Rink was currently asleep, brought low by one of Avaryss' sleep spells.
It served its purpose, she thought, from what the master and his family had seen, the boy was wrapped around her little finger, a few words and a single chaste kiss on the lips had ensured the story had been sold.
Now…Avaryss had to convince her master to let her do something about it. Rink had hidden the stolen prize somewhere in his dark alleys of Nar Shadda. According to him, he would be needed to acquire it from its hiding place. If the Sith wanted it, they would need to take him back to the smuggler's moon, and from there, he would deliver what he had taken.
Avaryss knew that this needed to be her mission.
She did not want this left in the hands of underlings.
Her master paced before her, stroking his chin thoughtfully with his right hand.
Feer shook his head, giggling to himself.
"A droid head," he repeated, "all this trouble because some street rat stole a droid head."
"Astonishing!"
The rest of House Feer clearly did not share his amusement.
"He is lying," Bael snarled, "Why would some stupid droid head be so valuable?"
"According to our prisoner," Avaryss added, "It was not the head itself that was so valuable, but the programing used in its central processing unit. All the major droid foundries right now are focusing on turning out war droids, whose programing is fairly straight forward. Secondary companies have been forced to pick up the slack in the creation of teaching and luxury droids, the one that the boy stole was apparently some high end protocol droid. He said that the programing that the head contained was worth a lot of money to the competing droid firms. He said he might quite a few credits that way."
Darth Feer nodded.
"Only this time, he stole something different, this time the droids programing held something special, something that Republic SIS was interested in, or did not want anyone else to find out about."
Her master laughed.
"I think our slicers are going to have to have a look at this droid head."
"We have agents in Hutt Space, my love," Lady Synestra said, "Avaryss can get the boy to tell us where he hid it, then we can dispose of him."
That was one way to do things, Avaryss thought, but it was not the way she wanted to do it.
"Send me, my lord," she asked, "I can keep Mister Rink under control, and once I have the droid head, I can eliminate him if he proves to be no longer useful."
"I do not think that wise, my sweet," Lady Synestra said to her husband, "Avaryss is still too new to your service, she has not been properly broken in, yet. "
The lady rose from her seat, and placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.
"The girl is not ready," she murmured, she whispered what she said next, obviously she did not wish Avaryss to hear her, but the Force allowed her to do so anyway.
"She still hates us, she still hates you." the lady said, "We cannot trust her to be out on her own."
Lord Feer tilted his head slightly, considering his lady wife's counsel.
Avaryss resisted the urge to scream.
How dare the lady say such a thing, it was true, of course, but Lord Feer did not need to know that.
This was a chance for her, both to start building a powerbase, and earn some prestige in the Empire.
"I was successful on Tatooine, master," she reminded him, "I will not stray from my mission. I will bring back this prize, just as I did the last one."
She grinned.
"Please, my lord, let me serve you."
"LET ME GO FATHER!"
Bael leapt to his feet, his eyes flashing with excitement, with eagerness.
"I will crush this scum beneath my heel, and I will bring back the droid head for you. Who better to carry this out than your son and heir?"
"Let me serve you, and there will be no failure!"
Darth Feer glanced over at his son, evaluating what he had said.
Both Avaryss and Lady Synestra frowned. Neither of them wanted this, but both had different reasons.
Avaryss did not think Bael up to the challenge, and no doubt Lady Synestra worried her darling boy would get hurt.
Finally, the Dark Lord chuckled.
"I'm sure you would make me proud, my son, but your time is not yet here. You are still your mother's student, and have not yet tasted the dangers of Korriban. I need a hardened Sith for this task.
He turned to Avaryss.
"I will send word to Kaas city; an interceptor will be prepared for your use. Take the boy with you, once he has shown you where he has hidden the droid head, you may decide for yourself if you wish to see him dispatched."
"It will be done, my lord," Avaryss said smiling.
"It will be my pleasure."
Her master stepped forward, and placed his hands on her shoulders. She restrained from her desire to shudder at his touch.
"Be mindful, my child," he warned, "No doubt the Republic still seeks what this street rat stole. They may have even gotten the Jedi involved."
Avaryss grinned hungrily.
"I have long desired to test myself against a full Jedi Knight."
"You may get your chance," he said, "But the prize comes first, just like before, and you should also be on guard for any Imperial opposition as well. Both Terrog and Baras are interested in this as well, their own agents maybe searching the smuggler's moon."
Darth Feer gave her a hungry smile.
"Make sure that no one remains to trouble the Dark Council with your search. Leave no witnesses to your passing whether they are Republic or Empire."
Her master's eyes flashed coldly.
"No witnesses," he repeated, "No mercy."
She dropped to one knee, bowing her head.
"I will bring rage and death, my master," she promised, "and there will be no failure."
One last time, Lady Synestra spoke up, trying to block her path.
"Husband, perhaps one of your other agents could…"
He silenced his wife with a single glare.
"The choice is made," he said coldly. He turned to Feore.
"Send word to Slynn as the spaceport, he is to bring his ship here, and be prepared for a long mission."
Avaryss only just contained a gleeful smile.
It seemed that her master had chosen to make Slynn and Holli's ship hers for a time.
That was good, a Sith apprentice needed her own ship.
Follow this mystery for me, my dear," Feer said to her, "If something is going on that is a threat to either the Sith or the Empire stop it. If the Republic has found something of value, bring it to me. Find me the answers, and do not stop until they are found."
"It will be done, my lord," she promised.
"Then the time has come to unleash you on the Empire, my dear daughter. Bring fury, bring rage, bring death!"
Avaryss grinned triumphantly, enjoying the look on Lady Synestra's face, and the disappointment radiating off of young Bael."
"It is what I do," she promised.
"It is what I was born to do."
She thought of the galaxy spread out before her, waiting for her touch it.
She could barely contain her excitement.
Ready or not, she thought.
Here I come…