Chapter 23: Alderaan

Darth Feer's agent in House Thul was currently staying at the family's mountain retreat. It was here that he agreed to meet with Avaryss and tell her what he had discovered about Noldan Alde.

The Interceptor had passed unnoticed into the Alderaan system, or at the very least, unmolested. The clearance codes that Warmaster Feore had provided had gotten them past planetary security. Now the ship dipped down into the atmosphere, Avaryss stood on the bridge as Rink brought them in. She looked upon this new world with both her eyes and the Force, eager to see what awaited her.

It was indeed a beautiful place, as they broke through the cloud layer they cruised over a great rolling plains dotted with dark green forests. It was said that the Alderaani valued the peace and beauty of their world above all, a home of artisans and philosophers, the planet was said to be one of the most civilized in the galaxy, a blue and green jewel in the Republic's crown.

Avaryss smiled.

Looks, she knew, could be deceiving.

Despite its peaceful look, she could feel the power in this place. The Force flowed strongly on worlds teeming with life, and right now, the Force was influx. The struggle for the Alderaani throne was affecting this place, she could sense that discord through the Force.

Another world where the dark side is in ascendance, she thought, that will make things far easier for me as we move forward.

She did not know all the details of what was happening here, but it was clear that conflict was brewing. The future of the Alderaani throne was in dispute, and several noble houses bickered over who should be sitting on it, and what direction the planet should take moving forward.

If they were not careful, the whole planet may fall into a state of civil war.

Such a war might be useful to the Empire, but that was not why Avaryss was here. She had a target to locate. She hoped that their allies could aid her in that search, for their sake.

She was growing tired of dead ends and being blocked. She was ready to start taking heads.

Somewhere down there Noldan Alde was waiting. She was not sure how he was connected with the conspiracy she was investigating, but she would find out, one way or the other. Alde was just another step on the ladder to success.

She was ready to use it.

They received a transmission from a servant of House Thul, the one noble house that was aiding Imperial interests; it directed them towards their destination. It was a path that led them through a great snow covered mountain range. Despite her Sith training and control, Avaryss could not entirely suppress the sense of child-like wonder she felt when she saw snow for the first time, she knew what it was, of course, had even seen holos, but to see it with her own eyes…

Back on Oridanna, the winter months brought only windstorms, the grasses browned a bit, but that was it, to see a world so transformed, to see it capped in white was quite beautiful.

While she had been watching, Beric came up behind her, her brother may not have been Force sensitive, but he knew her reactions well enough to guess what she had been thinking.

"Pretty isn't it?" he asked.

She nodded.

He chuckled.

"After fighting on a few ice worlds, it's kind of lost its appeal. Illum, Rhen Var, you really see snow on those worlds, and cold so deep it gets into your very bones."

Her brother shivered.

"Snow kind of loses its beauty after having lived through that."

Perhaps, she thought, her brother had no doubt seen more than she had during his travels, but that was part of the reason he was here, wasn't it? So that she could make best use of his skills and experience.

"Bring us in Mister Rink," she ordered, "I shall be in my chambers preparing, send word when we touch down."

"Sure thing, boss," the pilot said with a grin.

She slipped past her brother and went to fetch her best cloak.

House Thul saw themselves as nobility, it would be best to treat them as such, despite their lack of the Force, they were allies.

She would treat them accordingly.

An eager shiver ran down her spine, after so many months of sneaking through dark places on her master's behalf it would feel good to walk in the light, to show off the sense of refinement she had been cultivating on Dromund Kaas.

She was here not only representing her master, but the Sith as well.

She intended to put her best foot forward.

IOI

The sun was shining brightly as they finally touched down on the Thul landing pad. Avaryss blinked in the brightness as she descended the ramp. She pulled her hood farther down to shield her weakened eyes from the bright light.

Four guards in ceremonial armor awaited them, in the middle walked a young woman with dark skin, eyes and hair, her clothing suggested nobility, she bowed slightly as Avaryss exited her ship.

"Welcome Sith," the young woman said politely, "I am Elana Thul; you are both expected and welcomed."

She smiled warmly.

"This way, please, my cousin, the duke is waiting."

Avaryss fell in step beside her. Beric walked to her right, clad in a black combat suit. For the purpose of this first meeting, Avaryss had decided that Beric would serve best; his years of Imperial protocol and training would be respected by their Thul allies. Holli could have served that purpose, but she lacked the spit and polish of Beric Lylos. Despite his skill in the cockpit, and with a blaster, Thranton Rink was a bit too insolent to suggest anything else.

No, Beric was the best choice; he was almost a poster boy for Imperial power.

Despite the whiteness outside, the Alderaani seemed to favor darker colors when it came to their dwelling. The walls were made of dark red stone, and halls dotted with fine artwork. In truth the place reminded her of the overseer's apartment back on Butcher's Clearing, the Zabrak Overseer Alaria had tried to present herself as more than a Sith serving out her duty in a festering swamp.

The wealth she surrounded herself with was a way to cope with difficult surroundings.

She found herself wondering if her host suffered from the same affliction.

Lord Feer's contact was Duke Kendoh Thul, of House Thul. The man had risen to be one of the most vocal supporters of the Sith Empire in the last few months. Though not the head of their house, he had performed well in serving Sith interests in the past year or so.

"The Duke is a political creature, apprentice, be warned," Warmaster Feore had informed her, "He does not offer his aid out of any sense of loyalty or gratitude, but rather out of a feeling of what the Empire can do for him."

"Perhaps he needs that thinking…adjusted," she had offered.

"Unwise," the old pure blood had answered with a frown, "Kendoh currently has the favor of several dark council members; they view him as a valuable resource. They would be most displeased with a Sith that damaged him without permission."

And so, she was left with no other option but place nice with the noble.

Their escort brought them to a small Solar overlooking the mountain range to the north. Kendoh Thul stood with his back to them, his hands behind his back as he looked out over the snowy landscape. A slender wiry man with the dark skin and hair of House Thul, Kendoh radiated with both arrogance, and a base cunning.

"My Lord Duke," Elana Thul called out to him, "May I present the Sith Avaryss, apprentice to Darth Feer, Master of both the Zahn and Itae systems."

The Duke turned to face her, his eyes cold and evaluating, a smug sneer on his dark skinned face. He radiated with a hunger through the Force, a lust for not only greater power, but to bask in the fear and respect of others.

To Duke Kendoh, she likely seemed like the perfect answer to slake that hunger.

A shame, Avaryss thought, had this man been Force sensitive, he might have made an excellent Sith.

She said nothing of this of course, not wanting to provoke the noble; she still needed his help after all. It was said that his network of contacts on this world were second to none.

If he could not find Alde for her, it was likely that no one could.

"Ah, Sith, yes, come in please," he said gesturing grandly, "I've eagerly awaited your arrival. I am honored by your presence, of course."

Avaryss managed her most winning smile.

"I thank you for agreeing to this meeting, My Lord Duke," she said bowing her head slightly, "I was told of the beauty of your world, but clearly words could not do it justice."

The Alderaani smiled.

"You are too kind, Sith," he said smiling, his perfect white teeth shining in the artificial light. "I do hope that we can aid you in your mission. House Thul is always willing to aid the Empire."

He gestured for her sit, four comfortable chairs sat to the right of the room, centered on a large table; a tray of refreshments had been laid out for their meeting. The young woman, Elana filled two goblets with a generous helping of Alderaan wine. She waited offering one to Avaryss another to her cousin, the Duke.

The young Sith continued to smile.

She brought the glass to her lips, but did not drink. She reached out with the Force, and discovered that is was far stronger than the Alderaan wine she had sampled in the past.

Interesting, Avaryss thought, was the Duke simply being a generous host, or was he seeking to dull her senses before their work could truly begin.

She would need to test the waters to find out for sure.

"That is good to hear," she said as she took a seat across from him. She brought her goblet to her lips again, but did not drink, "I do hope that we can both find a measure of success in our endeavors. Speaking of which, I'm curious to find out what you have learned about Noldan Alde."

Her smile became more predatory.

"I do hope you have found something for us, for your sake."

Kendoh laughed dismissively, if he had heard her implied threat, he did not show it.

"I've begun looking into this matter for your master, but you must understand; my time is limited. I'm a busy man who has many followers depending on me."

Though she continued to smile, her eyes flashed with anger.

Did this little man think this as some kind of game? A Darth of the Empire had offered him his favor!

Was the man truly so arrogant to risk angering that Darth's apprentice?

"I understand how important men can be kept busy by their duties," she said with just a hint of sarcasm, "At the same time, I do hope that you understand just who it is you are dealing with. Darth Feer is not a man accustomed to having his interests treated as unimportant. It has often fallen to me to…correct such slights."

For the briefest of moments she felt a slight shift in the man, a crack in his confidence, or perhaps…arrogance. She felt fear, its sweet sensation filling both the Force and the room.

She eagerly drank it in, looking to push her advantage on this man who dared think himself an equal of one who was blessed by the power of the dark side.

It was at that moment that a panel on the far wall, slid open, and a new figure entered the room. Avaryss tensed slightly as the dark side bloomed from the new arrival filling the room like a blast of flame, or perhaps poison gas.

Avaryss' burning eyes narrowed.

She had not expected to find another Sith here.

She had assumed that Duke Kendoh had kept their business private.

Clearly, he had not.

The new arrival was not only tall but big. Large muscles bulged beneath the dark fabric of his robe. His broad shoulders filled the entry way, his head looked almost small on his thick neck.

He sneered down on her with golden eyes, eyes that were somehow…familiar?

"Pay this one no mind, my lord duke," the new Sith said coldly, "She is merely her master's Kath hound; she barks but will not bite, not without her master's leave."

The large Sith smiled coldly.

"Hello, Farm Girl," he said, "It has been some time."

The cold sarcasm in the man's voice struck her. It was both insulting and familiar. It took her a moment to recognize him; he had changed since they had last seen each other.

"Hezzan," she purred cruelly, "What an unpleasant surprise."

She gave him a cold smile.

"How are your hands, by the way?"

The other Sith scowled and raised his arms, two wicked looking robotic hands with sharp metallic claws extended from his elbows.

"They needed to be amputated, thanks to you," he said, his voice as hard as Mandalorean iron.

She only just resisted the desire to chuckle.

Hezzan may have had great strength, but he had been a fool during their academy days. He had dreamed of replacing the academy's top student, but lacked the gifts to actually do that. After the death of her lover, and her connection to the Force being nearly crippled by a botched interrogation, Hezzan had sought her out, to proof himself her better, even going so far as to taking her lover's cloak as proof of his superiority.

Avaryss had shown him just how weak he truly was. Seeing him wearing Fehl's cloak had been just the motivation she had needed to reconnect with the full power of the dark side, to find her fury again. She had crushed every bone in his hands when he dared try to strike a fatal blow against her, and had used his life energy to repair her own injured body. Had the overseers not stepped in, she might have just killed the fool for his presumption.

Perhaps she should have.

"You still have your life," she reminded him.

Her smile then turned as cold as space.

"For now," she said.

If the large Sith was intimidated he did not show it.

He laughed.

"Things have changed, Farm Girl," he spat, "I'm more than what I was. Lord Terrog has blessed me with new abilities, abilities far beyond anything that you could hope to match."

Avaryss nodded.

Terrog again, she thought.

That does explain how big he has gotten since his days on Korriban.

Hezzan had always been large, but now…he was monstrous. She could only imagine what Darth Terrog had done to alter her fellow Sith.

"So you are the mysterious apprentice that Darth Terrog talked about?"

The male Sith winced.

"I am not his apprentice, not yet, but I will be soon enough. Returning in triumph from Alderaan is my final trial. Once I've defeated you, I may take might rightful place at my new master's side."

Avaryss put down her wine goblet and stood up, she tried to stand eye to eye with her rival, but even having reached her full height, she barely came up to his neck.

He grinned down at her, eager to see her make one fatal misstep. Her hand drifted down towards her lightsaber.

It was in that moment that she stopped.

In the back of her mind she heard a long dead Jedi Padawan's voice, one that still haunted her to this day.

"It does not take much to get the Sith fighting each other."

He was not wrong, she thought, her history with Hezzan was almost enough to see them come to blows. Any fighting between her and her fellow Sith right now was a mistake.

They had real external enemies, the Republic and Jedi Order.

As a Sith, she should be focused on that.

Could she defeat Hezzan, probably, even with his enhancements, he remained the same arrogant fool he always was, but in doing so she risked alienating Duke Kendoh, and that was something that she could not do, not yet.

She frowned and stood down.

There would be another time to deal with Terrog's errand boy.

Right now, she had a much larger fish to fry.

"My friends please," Kendoh said stepping between them, "there is no reason for violence here. I'm certain that we can find a way to make all parties here happy."

Avaryss glared at the duke.

Clearly the fool thought it in his best interest to play Lords Feer and Terrog against each other. She was not sure how Terrog learned of her coming to Alderaan, but she did not care either.

His henchman was here, she would need to deal with him, when the time was right.

She gave Kendoh her most winning smiling.

"You are right, my lord duke," she said, "There is no need for violence."

She gave Hezzan her most venomously sweet smile.

"We are all friends here…after all."

"Excellent," he said clasping his hands, "I extend my hospitality to you both. We shall discuss matters further over dinner, in the meantime, please make yourselves at home."

Avaryss nodded, as did Hezzan, through the Force it was clear that he was no happier about this arrangement than she was, there was too much history here for either to be willing to play nice with the other.

We are on a collision course now, she realized, no matter what the Duke may say, Hezzan cannot leave here until I'm dead, and I do not dare risk leaving without ending him for the same reason. If I was to simply flee he would likely turn up where I least expect it, and that is not acceptable.

No, she would need to deal with this matter sooner rather than later. They would not be under the duke's roof forever.

An opportunity would present itself, she was sure.

The Duke's cousin Elana offered to show her to a place where she could freshen up before dinner, it had been a long journey, and Avaryss found she was not opposed to that.

Avaryss said nothing as she made her way down the hall, part of her wanted to climb back aboard her ship and go seeking aid at the main Thul compound near the capital city.

She could not do that of course, if she left now, then Duke Kendoh was certain to give what he had learned about Noldan Alde to Hezzan.

She could not have that.

"Have you ever seen anything like this Sith?"

Avaryss blinked.

She had been so lost in her own dark thoughts and fantasies of destroying Hezzan she had barely noticed the noble woman at her side.

Elana Thul smiled.

"We found that piece a few years ago," she said gesturing to an old stone statue, "It was discovered in a long abandoned section of the Elysium, a Sith statue we believe, proof that the Empire did have contact with us even before the great Hyperspace war."

The Sith regarded the statue. It did have…some similarities with the statues she remembered on Korriban.

Why the noble thought that mattered right now was beyond her, but she was willing to play the enlightened guest.

"Interesting," she said, her voice flat and cold.

She had no desire to discuss art; she wanted to find Noldan Alde.

"And this is also interesting, the lady said gesturing for her to follow, see the scroll work at the base of the statue?"

Avaryss rolled her eyes and followed.

Be a polite guest, she thought to herself.

The duke might be testing her.

She followed the girl closer to the statue, as soon as they were close enough to touch it, the girl's voice changed, gone was the eager young girl trying to impress the powerful Sith. It turned colder, harder, and more commanding.

"Pretend like we are still discussing the statue," she advised, "My cousin has cameras in this hallway, but no microphones."

Elana smiled cruelly.

"We can speak plainly."

Avaryss sneered.

"And just what are we supposed to be speaking plainly about?"

"Noldan Alde," the young girl said, "My cousin is a fool, Sith, and he does not understand the consequences of the games he is playing. I would rather not suffer the same fate that he does when that happens. Nod if you agree?"

Avaryss could not deny the girl's take on the situation; she nodded as the girl pointed at a section of the statue.

"I can help you get to Noldan Alde," she promised, "My price would be minimal, and you would find me are far more grateful ally than poor misguided Kendoh.

Avaryss chuckled.

Once again, proof that the dark side was in ascendance here, power plays, betrayal, and a willingness to sell out one's own blood for the greater good.

A shiver of excitement ran down the young Sith's spine.

Perhaps when this world was conquered, she would have a palace built here.

So far, she liked what she both saw and felt.

She grinned.

"Keep talking," she informed the bright young woman.

"I'm listening."