Chapter 20: The Lesson
"Thirsty, my lady?"
Avaryss looked up, her crimson eyes narrowing with hate.
Bael Feer sat before her, cross legged, with a savage grin on his face. She had to admit, the little rodent did not look like such a little rodent anymore, as she had been bouncing around the galaxy, the boy had had his growth spurt. He stood almost as tall as his father now, his shoulders starting to fill out, revealing the physical strength he would one day possess.
Darth Feer would never have been considered handsome, his son, however, though he did inherit many of his father's features, would be both taller, and more physically appealing that the dark lord himself. What he had inherited from his mother she supposed.
Of course, growing up did not change what was inside Bael, the same twisted desires remained. Once again Avaryss found herself feeling sorry for the first girl that the boy brought home. If he learned to be charming, some poor female Sith or merchant's daughter might come to realize just how cruel and twisted Bael Feer was.
The future did not look bright for House Feer if Bael inherited his father's throne.
He was almost a young man now, but that did nothing to change his demeanor, he remained cruel and sadistic, enjoying the suffering of others above all else. A sadistic streak was not unheard of in a Sith, Emperor knew she had one, but she tempered hers forethought, asking herself: what was good for her quest for greater power. Her master's son did not do that.
He simply enjoyed watching others in pain, and the more fool he was for it.
He was proving that now.
In his hand he held a large glass of iced water, just looking at it made her dry throat seem even drier, her cracked lips pursed, and a scream tried to escape her lips
NO! No, she wouldn't do that! She would not show weakness, not now, not ever before her master's son.
She lowered her head again, and continued to focus on the dark side, continued to endure this latest punishment.
It was the only thing she could do.
For three days she had been here, three days since returning from her mission. She had gotten what they had needed from the Exchange Boss on The Wreck, yet her master remained unhappy. He did not consider the mission a success. The Wreck still functioned, and Boss Tynnes remained alive, and most important of all...
The two Jedi still drew breath.
Her master was NOT pleased.
It had not been her fault, not entirely; the two Jedi that she had tried to ensnare in their plans had limited her options. Master Jas only agreed to help if she restricted any killing that she do to be only in self-defense. The beast-girl Shyra only helped because her master had told her to. Together they had gotten the information that she needed, and Avaryss had managed to return home with it, return home and report.
It was then that her penance had begun.
What was she supposed to do? Both Jedi were stronger than she. Had she attacked them she would have ended up dead, only by manipulation, and sowing the seeds of discord between them and their order had she escaped. Had that not been enough?
It should have been enough, Avaryss thought, she had gotten the information she had needed, and even managed to walk away from the two Jedi unscathed, they had let her go, despite what damage she might do to their order in the future. They had let her go, and still her master desired to see her punished.
It was not right!
It was not fair!
He had commanded that she remain kneeling out in the courtyard until he told her that she could rise. He commanded that she be stripped of her weapon and all clothes but her briefs and light under top, and so, here she had remained for the last three days. She had been exposed to the elements, the heat of the day, and the stinging insects at night, with no rest, no food, or water, with only a single chance to relieve herself once a day.
It had not been the most pleasant of experiences.
Her neck, shoulders, and lower back were sunburnt, her legs cramping by being in a kneeling position for so long. Her arms and legs itched horribly from where she had been bitten by the various insects that lived on Dromund Kaas. She dared not try to leave lest she further provoke her master's anger, and to make sure that she did not he had left two heavy war droids to guard her.
Alone, the droids would not have been a problem for her, but if she resisted, her master would punish her further. She had been left to reflect on the mission, to figure out why she was being and punished.
Twice now he had come down and listened to her report, listened and rejected her reason for why she was being punished.
"You do not yet understand apprentice," he had told her, a cold sneer on his lips, "You will remain here until you do."
He had walked away, leaving her to endure, to try to endure.
She was left with the problem, left to seek her answer alone.
Three days, she thought miserably, she wondered if there would be a fourth.
Bael had visited her often during her punishment, often in the rain, when the water soaked her through to the bone, and her hair stuck like paint to her body. A slave had stood over him with an umbrella, shielding his good robes from the rain as he stared down on her with both arrogance and lust in his eyes. He had often come to leer at her, to leer and tempt her with water or food. He clearly could sense her discomfort, and took a sick pleasure from it.
He was not alone. She had felt the eyes and attention of several of the guards as well. She was not unattractive after all, and they were young men, who no doubt had seen their master's apprentice wandering the halls of the estate.
She felt their desires through the Force, their fantasies. They may not have been twisted as Bael's, but…
I am to be a Lord of the Sith, she thought, they are unworthy of looking at me and having such thoughts.
She debated what would be a fitting punishment for them, after she had found her way back into her master's good graces.
"Are you sure that you do not want a sip, my lady," Bael asked lightly shaking the glass, making the ice cubes tinkle as sweet as any bell.
"It would cost you so little you know," he added, "Just a single kiss."
Avaryss dug her nails into the dirt.
She would rather kiss a Hutt.
There was only two ways out of this, one, she had to figure out her master's lesson. That solution had, so far, proven to be surprisingly difficult. At first she thought she was being punished for not destroying the Wreck and slaying Tynnes, but that had not been it. Her second response had been that she was being punished because she had dared work with the Jedi, technically it could be considered treason to having done so, but that was not the reason that she was being punished either, her master said she was getting closer, but was not there, not yet.
If she could not find the answer her master sought, then there was only one other way out of this. One way that she hated to admit, she had been contemplating more and more as the sun rose, and the third day of her penance grew hotter.
The only other way to escape this was to beg her master's forgiveness. If she fell to the ground and begged for mercy, he would grant it, this time, and this time only.
Avaryss was unwilling to do that.
Those who ask for mercy, are unworthy of it, that was one of many of the tenants of the Sith, not as important as the Sith code itself, but still one of the rules that a member of the order lived by.
If she begged, she would lose every bit of prestige she had earned from her master; she would have to start over from scratch. She would likely be taken off mission, and be left to endure the torments of her master's basic training again.
No, begging for mercy was out of the question. She had considered what had been said during their previous two conversations, tried to puzzle out what she had said wrong. She thought she had come to the right conclusion, it felt right, but she would not know until her master came to speak with her again.
The answer must be right this time, she realized the Force had sustained her these last three days, but she feared that she had reached her limits, the dark side was limitless; she was not.
I have to be right this time, she thought.
I must be.
When her master did finally come, it was with both War master Feore and Lady Synestra at his side. Avaryss sensed concern from the old pure blood, and noting but disdain from the lady of the house.
She had felt the lady's presence a few times during her shaming, and had sensed her pleasure at seeing her husband's apprentice brought so low.
I must show no weakness, she thought, the witch will get no more amusement from my suffering.
She looked up upon her master; he looked well rested with a merry smile on his face.
"My lord," she said bowing her head.
"You are here, apprentice, good," he said dryly, "I had feared that I might have to send one of the servants to fetch you."
Bael giggled at his father's joke, while Synestra merely smiled.
Avaryss said nothing, after days and nights out here it was all she could do to keep her composure.
"Come away Bael," Synestra said, "Your father needs to speak with the girl, she does not need you distracting her."
Avaryss almost growled.
If her ladyship thought her son a distraction for Avaryss, she was gravely mistaken.
The only way that Bael would distract her was if he was in agony, if she was slowly peeling the flesh from his bones!
That would be a most enjoyable distraction to be sure.
Her master grinned down at her; she wondered if he could sense what she was feeling? If he understood her fantasies?
If he did, he did not let on, not with his wife and son around anyway.
"I would hear your report, my child," Lord Feer said, "Both your take on what happened on the Wreck, and why you were ordered to remain out here these last few days."
He chuckled.
"I do hope that you have learned your lesson?"
"I…I am ready, my lord," she said, struggling to keep calm, to hold onto her composure, to keep the fear of being left out here for another day out of her voice.
"Then proceed," he ordered.
"What happened on the Wreck?"
She took a deep breath and nodded.
She began her report again.
IOI
"I breach the Wreck easily enough, and made my way to the central tower, the Exchange's base of operations. While seeking a way in, I encountered what I thought to be a common drunkard, a former worker from the tower, he showed me a way in."
She shook her head.
"I did not know that he was secretly a Jedi Master."
Synestra glared.
"Are your senses so dull that you could not tell girl?" she demanded.
Avaryss' eyes narrowed.
This was the first time that Synestra had heard this story; she had not been there for the previous attempts.
It was all Avaryss could do to keep from leaping up and ripping out her eyeballs.
"The Jedi masked his presence well," she admitted, "Besides; he did not look or carry himself like a Jedi. He seemed like any other down on his luck spacer that I've encountered."
"That fits with what we know about this Jas Dar Bynn, my lord," Warmaster Feore said, speaking up in her defense perhaps, "Our spies conclude that he is unlike other Jedi, choosing to avoid the rest of the order, wandering the fringes of Republic and Imperial space."
"I see," Lord Feer said, clearly he had had the Warmaster research the two Jedi since Avaryss' return. The fact that he did so gave her hope.
She wondered what he found out about Shyra Viel.
"What was your take on this Jedi Master, apprentice? Did you learn anything during your time together?"
"I did, master," she admitted, "One cannot truly destroy an enemy if they remain unknown. Jas Dar Bynn is from a storied lineage. If he is to be believed many members of the Bynn family have served as Jedi, he is one of the latest and a bit of a disappointment if what he told me is to be believed."
"And what did he tell you?"
"That he feels that the Jedi Order is too caught up in Republic politics to be effective. He had no problem believing my story about Republic Intelligence and members of the Jedi Order conspiring against us."
She shook her head.
"He said that the Jedi would serve far better by aiding the people of the Republic than the Senate. He claimed loyalty to the light and the people first and foremost, even before the Senate and the Jedi Council."
"He is said to be a maverick, my lord," Feore confirmed, "Our sources close to the senate say that the Jedi Order views this Jas Dar Bynn as a gray Jedi, that he does not follow the code of the Jedi as well as he should."
Avaryss frowned.
The Warmaster was wrong, she thought, He had not seen what she had seen, felt what she had felt. Jas Dar Bynn blazed with the light. He may have been an idealist, and pragmatic, but his choice to serve the rabble over the Senate had given him more than the rest of the Jedi realized.
He was dangerous, unpredictable.
When the war began anew, Jas Dar Bynn would need to be among the first to die.
The Sith could not allow other Jedi to embrace his outlook. It would make them far too dangerous.
Yes, Jas Dar Bynn would need to die.
"So you breached the tower, with the Jedi's help," her master said, "What happened next."
Her eyes flickered with anger.
"I encountered another Jedi inside. A Padawan learner had invaded the tower, looking for either Darth Terrog, or a shipment that he had requested. We battled this Padawan and me. I would have defeated her had the master not intervened."
"A Padawan did all this?" Synestra asked.
"This one is not like the others," Avaryss said.
"Tell me about this Padawan," Feer ordered her, leave nothing out.
Avaryss growled under her breath, the beast girl's face danced before hers. Black hatred roiled in her heart.
"Her name was Shyra Viel. She was an apprentice to Jas Dar Bynn's former master. The girl had gone off on her own, and the master was seeking her through the aid of her fellows. Master Jas happened to be the one to find her."
"For what reason did this Padawan seek out Lord Terrog, what was he to her?"
Avaryss sighed.
Her master already knew the answer to this, but he seemed determined to make her relive what had happened again and again.
It is part of your training, part of the lesson, the dark voice within said, do not question.
She nodded.
She would not.
"I managed to get the story out of the master on the way out of the Wreck," she admitted, "Apparently; Shyra Viel was a creation of Darth Terrog's. Masters Bynn and Vey saved the girl from a Sith research vessel during the war. They realized what she was, and brought her back to the Republic. They saw her too valuable to simply toss away."
"What is she?" her master asked, "An alien?"
"An abomination," Avaryss replied, "A freak that Terrog created, probably by combining the genetic material of multiple species. I don't even think the Jedi truly know what she is. It did work though; she is quite strong in the Force."
Avaryss shook her head.
"It also seems that she can use the Force to bring out her more beastly nature, her features shifted while we were fighting, becoming more and more animalistic."
"Really," Bael said grinning, "I would love to get a look at this thing!"
Avaryss smiled evilly.
"Should we meet again, I will bring you back her pelt," she said, "It might make a pretty coat for Lady Synestra."
Lord Feer chuckled.
"You hate her, don't you?"
Avaryss nodded.
"She embarrassed me, my lord. She was not only stronger than I, but she did this."
She lifted up her face, showing an ugly looking black eye. She had not been able to treat it, and so it looked as horrible as it had when she had first gotten back to Dromund Kaas.
"She will answer for that." Avaryss promised.
Lady Synestra laughed.
"It is a lovely shade of purple," she said, "It is truly your color, young Avaryss.
Bael giggled like the sadistic idiot he was.
Avaryss again had to resist the urge to reach out with the Force and choke him.
"What happened next, apprentice," Feer said drawing her back to the business at hand.
She nodded.
Yes, it was better to continue.
"Master Bynn was curious about what I had told him, about the plot against the Empire, he was eager to learn more, and to help the Padawan Shyra acquire what she had come for. We fought together; though fighting is not what I would call it. The beast girl had already sent the bulk of the Exchange forces scampering, those that remained were either suicidal loyal or foolish, maybe both.
"Did these Jedi prove to be valuable allies?" her master asked, "Were their skills lacking in anyway?"
"They were…impressive, my master," she hated to admit, "Especially Master Bynn."
Avaryss shook her head.
That was a gross understatement, she realized.
Jas Dar Bynn was a force of nature, pun intended.
The lightsaber her carried was a single hilt weapon with a violet colored beam. The lightsaber seemed out of place on one so shabbily dressed, but one only had to see the master fight to know that robes did not make the Jedi, the Force and his will made him a Jedi, and his powers were considerable.
She got the feeling she was only getting a glimpse of his true potential that he was holding much in reserve. It was for that reason that she had not fled quickly from him, she wanted to know more. She had never gotten the chance to actually speak with a Jedi before, especially one so powerful.
She had wanted to know, needed to know.
He had not disappointed her.
IOI
After the mission had been completed, when she had escaped the Wreck with him and Shyra Viel, she had asked him about it. Why he did not wear the robes of his order, or was he simply in disguise.
He confessed that he owned a robe, but that he chose not to wear it when away from the order. When she had asked him why, he had laughed.
"Does a set of black robes, make you a Sith?" he had asked.
"Of course not, but…"
"But they are symbolic aren't they?" he had said.
She nodded.
A hint of a smile played over the Jedi's face.
"I've travelled from one end of this galaxy to next," he admitted, "An in that time I've seen much of how the people see the Jedi Order. Most people in need would not seek out a Jedi's aid even if they were simply walking down the street. They would see us as above their problems, or that we are the Fist of the Senate and that we are good for nothing else."
The older man shook his head.
"If people see you as one of them before they see you as a Jedi they are more open to accept your help, they are willing to tell you their problems, to give you the chance to aid them."
Avaryss sneered.
"So you serve the rabble," she spat.
"I serve the people of the galaxy. What is the Republic if not its people? If the people stand with you then you will never be defeated."
"A single person is nothing," she said, "They are no match for the Force."
"True," he admitted, "But people, many of them, united in a common goal, for the betterment of all could overpower any one Force user, Jedi or Sith."
She considered that,
He shrugged.
"If we are not cautious, one day the people will get tired of our constant warring. Neither the Jedi nor the Sith would survive if that happened. Both of the orders would likely be hunted to extinction, or everything would die as we struggled to our last breath."
"So what is the alternative," she had asked, curious now. She was not sure she believed his take on the situation, but was willing to consider his words.
"We need to find common ground," he said, "Jedi and Sith have been fight for millennia, what has it gotten us? The light and darkside exist together; two parts of a greater whole, why must the Jedi and Sith be any different? It is our arrogance that makes us think otherwise."
Avaryss laughed.
"You would seek peace with the Empire?" she asked incredulously.
"I would seek equilibrium," Master Jas said, "There are Force users in the Republic who would do far better as Sith, just as I'm sure there are Sith in the Empire who would make fine Jedi given the choice."
"Impossible," Avaryss said.
"Why?"
"It…it just is."
The rather odd Jedi Master chuckled.
"And that…is why we both fail," he said, "It won't be easy, it may very well be impossible, but if we could find a common purpose, a common goal…"
"A common enemy," Avaryss suggested.
"That might work too," the Jedi agreed. He gave her an evaluating look.
"I know you believe that peace is a lie, but is order that far different from peace? The Sith and the Jedi are in the same business, we simply have different ways of making the galaxy we seek a reality."
Avaryss had laughed then.
"You are mad," she said.
"Maybe," he confessed, "Or maybe the galaxy is mad, and I'm one of the few sane people left in it."
Avaryss had chuckled.
"Maybe, she had been forced to agree.
IOI
"What happened when you reached your target? Did the Jedi restrain you in any way?"
"We breached the door to Boss Tynnes quarters with an electronic lock pick that the master had brought. We found Tynnes, and especially slimy Quarren hiding behind four burly bodyguards."
Avaryss grinned.
"Master Bynn rendered them unconscious with a wave of his hand, it was most impressive."
"You admire him?" Synestra said coldly.
"I admire the power he wielded," Avaryss said, "His mastery of the Force was most impressive."
Did the criminal give you any trouble?" Master Feore said.
"Not at all, he recognized Bynn, I'm guessing this is not the first time the Jedi had come to the Wreck."
Avaryss smile turned cruel.
"The Jedi accessed the scum's computer while he and I…had a chat. I didn't even have to torture him; he was spilling his guts the moment that I seized him in a Force grip. The squid-head was so frightened that ink was dribbling down his chin."
"And what did you learn from him?"
"That Terrog did not lie to us. The bacteria that was used to destroy, my lord's food shipment had passed through the Wreck. The Exchange sold it off to a third party, a representative of a company called Garog Exports, who provided Lord Terrog with a dummy container filled with vials filled with water. They were a decoy to distract his lordship from what had truly happened. Boss Tynnes knew about the scheme, and had kept a file on it, just in case some Sith tracked him down with questions, he hoped that the file would provide enough information that his life would be spared; which it was, but not because of any charity on my part.
"
Avaryss frowned.
"The Jedi forbade me from killing him. I was tempted to disobey, but it was at that moment that we heard an alarm; Exchange reinforcements were arriving to defend the tower. If we did not leave at that moment, we would likely not have been able to."
Avaryss remember all too well that feeling of disappointment, she would have happily separated the thug's head from his shoulders, but the Jedi would likely have left her behind if she had, she might have been able to escape the Exchange thugs, but why risk her master's prize when she could simply return with it.
No, she had decided that discretion was better. She fled with the Jedi aboard the ship that was carrying the cargo that Shyra Viel had sought.
The Padawan had flown them clear, and after a brief micro-jump to hyperspace, Avaryss was permitted to use her beckon call, to summon her ship. After that, they had parted company, the Jedi and she.
Both sides had acquired what they desired.
"So you just left," Lady Synestra said frowning, "You did not even try to slay them?"
"I know my limits, my lady, and yes, I still have some."
She turned to eyes to her master.
"It is to your training that I turn, my master. I've grown strong under your guidance, and with your continued to teachings I will grow even stronger. I will one day be strong enough to even end the life of Jas Dar Bynn."
Her master sneered, but she sensed warmth and a wave of affection wash over him.
"You flatter me, apprentice."
"I speak only the truth, my lord."
Bael and Synestra were not so easily soothed.
"What was the cargo that the Jedi were so interested in acquiring? What made this Padawan risk offending the Exchange by seizing it?"
"Yeah," Bael said nodding, "My mother is right, what was so bloody valuable?"
"The future," Avaryss answered, "The cargo was fifty children sealed in carbon freeze. They were to be delivered to Darth Terrog, I saw the order myself."
The young Sith shook her head.
"The cargo was labeled research material. They were children snatched from a Republic refugee camp."
Avaryss sneered.
"I'm sure that Terrog hoped that I would die fighting Shyra Viel, or perhaps hoped that I would kill her. Regardless, I had no problem letting the Jedi have that transport. Had Lord Feer explained what resistance we needed to expect, He might have rid himself of both Viel, and got his shipment."
"I have no problem letting the cyborg have a bloody nose for lying to us."
Darth Feer glanced over at his Warmaster, who nodded slightly. Synestra did not look pleased, but then again, she would likely not be pleased as long as Avaryss continued to draw breath. Bael grinned madly, likely hoping that his father would be unhappy with her report, and allow him to punish her further.
Avaryss had no desire to risk that. She had given her report, now she was ready to answer her master's question; at least, she thought she was."
"A most interesting tale, apprentice," her master said, "Now answer me this one last question. You returned with the information that I sought, and despite a lack of spilled blood, did accomplish what I asked of you, and yet, I still punished you, why is that?"
Avaryss bowed her head, she gathered her wits, and hoped for the best.
She looked up at her master and smiled.
"It is not so much what I did, my master, but the fact that you desire me to reach a certain conclusion."
He smiled slightly; she could sense both amusement, and a sense of hope.
"And what conclusion would that be, my dear child?"
Her crimson eyes glowed; the world around her took on a slight rosy hue.
"You wanted me to understand that I was suffering because of the Jedi. You wanted me to know that it is because of them that I had to endure such pain. They are our enemies, and despite their value during my last mission, you wanted to make it clear that I should feel no sense of gratitude or trust for the Republic's pawns."
Feer's smile widened.
"And what does that mean to you, my dear?"
"It means that I must grow stronger. I must be ready when I face the Jedi and their allies again, and yes, I do believe that we will meet again."
She bowed her head respectfully.
"It is the fault of the Jedi that I had to suffer, I understand that, and when the opportunity comes, know that I will bring you their heads, theirs, and any other Jedi that conspires with them."
Avaryss lowered her face to the hot stones, debasing herself completely before her master.
"I'm yours, my master, your will is my command. Give me the strength to crush my enemies and I will see all of yours destroyed with both equal commitment and extreme cruelty. I am yours, now and forever."
Avaryss was not sure if he believed her, but she remained where she was, hopeful that he would accept his answer, that she would finally be permitted to end her penance.
"I'm ready to serve," she added, "What is thy bidding, my master?"
Again another pause, but then, she heard a sound, slow and yet, deliberate clapping.
Her heart sang.
She had done it.
"Bravo, my dear," he said over his own applause, "Bravo! You understood completely. You may rise."
She tried to obey, but her weakened legs gave out from beneath her, too long had she been left to kneel. Exhaustion, thirst and hunger rose up to overwhelm her.
Her master, at last, took pity on her.
"Have the slaves carry my apprentice back to her quarters," Lord Feer told the Warmaster, "have her bathed and fed, and then let her rest. I will have need of her tomorrow. We now must track down this Garog Exports. I trust she will be most busy."
"As you will, my lord," the old pure blood said, Avaryss heard him calling out orders, but that was it.
The world finally started to fade away, the last of her strength was exhausted, she glanced up just long enough to see Synestra glaring at her, unhappy no doubt of her continued to survival. Bael seemed to be enjoying her suffering, and did not take note of the look that his mother was giving her.
Good, Avaryss thought.
Bael lacked his mother's understanding of the situation; Avaryss' survival was a threat that the lady and her son would not have an easy time dealing with, especially if the Lady wanted her son to inherit his father's holdings one day.
They are mine, Avaryss thought as she finally let the sweet oblivion take her.
It will all be mine!
Lady Synestra and Bael would not stop her.
House Feer would be hers one day, and on that day their lives as well.
She welcomed that days coming.
It could not be here soon enough.
Her master's voice penetrated the haze that was slowly swallowing her up. His voice was melancholy, regretful even.
"My poor girl," he said, "Look at what the Jedi filth has done to her?"
Indeed, Avaryss thought.
Her master was right!
The Jedi were to blame.
They would pay for her suffering.
When she recovered, they would all pay.
She would see to it.
They would all suffer!