Chapter 25: A Deal
"I must confess; this meeting is not going the way that I thought it would."
Avaryss laughed, she paused a piece of sweet bread only a few breaths from her mouth.
"And how should this meeting have gone, Lady Gisselle? How would you expect it to have gone?"
"Threats," the noble admitted with a hint of a scowl, "I expected both veiled and direct threats, both to my family and my world."
She sighed.
"The last time the Sith came here it was not as friends but as conquerors. We endured, but it was a very near thing. Know this Sith, no matter what happens, Alderaan will always endure."
Avaryss smiled.
"I can be threatening when I wish to be, Lady Giselle. Threats have their place and their uses, but they are not the only weapon in a Sith's arsenal. We can be generous when we want, even aid others when it suits are purposes."
Avaryss popped the food into her mouth. She savored the taste, leaning back contentedly, when it was gone, she smiled again.
"Today it suits our purpose, so tell me Lady Gisselle of House Organa, what can the Empire do for you?"
The woman did not respond quickly, Avaryss would not have trusted her if she did.
We are just playing sabacc now, she thought.
Now it remains to be seen who has the best hand.
The two women were sitting on a balcony overlooking a woodland stream, though the sun had only just began to come up, the birds were already singing. Small furry animals raced from tree to tree, chasing each other over fallen fruit and nuts.
A lovely image, and in the end proof of why the dark side would win in the end, nature was conflict, and if the dark side invited nothing else, it invited conflict.
The dark haired girl Jaesa refilled her goblet, while at the same time offering her some tart smelling liquid in a small glass, a fruit juice of some type.
Avaryss accepted it with a gentle nod, but at the same time reached out with the Force and touched the serving girl's mind.
What she had seen…surprised her.
During this lovely meal, she had thought of offering the girl a place on her ship, a place and a chance to explore her true potential. A Force sensitive deserved more than the life of a common handmaiden, following around some entitled and pampered noble.
She could sense the young woman's emotions, but they were muted, held in check by years of self-denial, as a servant this…Jaesa was not entitled to have what her mistress possessed, no doubt she had been taught to accept that, that lesson had likely been drilled into her over and over again for years.
It was no wonder that her emotions were so…stunted.
Avaryss could sense fear in the girl, fear of the Sith of what Avaryss might do if provoked. No doubt the girl had heard stories, but under that sense of fear there was something else, something far more interesting, and more valuable.
Avaryss sensed resentment, pure and unrelenting resentment.
She felt resentment towards her lady, towards the nobles, even towards Alderaan itself.
Such resentment could be most useful, it could grow into hate if properly nurtured, hate that strong could be most useful, and could make a young Sith very powerful.
Avaryss tried to keep her interest hidden, but she occasionally caught the girl giving her looks, and she might have been wrong, but she caught the Lady shooting her glances as well, the girl would nod, and her conversation with Avaryss would continue.
What was this now? The young Sith wondered.
Did the girl have some control over her abilities? Did the lady know she had them? It seemed unlikely; the girl did not act like someone in full control of the Force.
If she was she would never broadcast her emotions so freely. She might have well wore that resentment on her sleeve.
It was most interesting.
The girl masked it well, but she could not hide it entirely, not from someone who knew what to look for.
Avaryss smiled.
The girl resented her mistress, they may have been raised together, maybe even have played together as children, but they were not equals, the girl Jaesa knew that.
That realization had defined who she was; it was a part of her. That resentment had left cracks in the walls of her sense of self-control. All she would need was a little push, and a whole new world would open to her.
The Sith could give her that push, pluck out the pain, and offer her a life beyond any that she might have imagined.
It would be…a life of wonder!
As Avaryss considered doing just that, she caught a swirling glimpse of the girl through the Force. One moment she was a powerful Sith, her face and hands stained with the blood of her enemies, laughing as she used a double bladed lightsaber to carve them up, and the next, she was a grey Sith, using her powers to change the Empire for what she thought was for the better.
As if a grey Sith could ever accomplish that? The Emperor's minions would cut her down long before she had the chance to do anything so important.
It would be a waste; she would be better off becoming the ruthless killer that Avaryss had seen. She would be far better off.
The dark side rewarded those that took what they wanted, and that girl, the one who had given herself completely to the dark side knew how to take what she wanted.
It would be a better future for her, in the long run.
Yet as she looked into the Force, as she explored the possible futures, Avaryss could not see herself in any of them. It seemed that the Force had other plans for the girl, plans that did not involve her, or Darth Feer.
Annoying, Avaryss thought, I discovered her, her power should be mine to guide, and to mold.
Yet, that future remained distant; the girl's destiny would take her down a different road. As Avaryss tried to follow it to its source, her own sense of self faded.
The realization was not a pleasant one.
This one is not for me, she finally accepted begrudgingly, I'm not yet ready to guide her, and even if I was, the dark side has other plans it seems, she could sense it.
A shame to give up something so powerful, but necessary, the girl's future was bound to the Sith, she was certain of that, she simply did not have a part in it, not now, if ever.
Annoying, she thought, but so be it.
The dark side's will be done.
She turned her attention back to Gisselle Organa, and finding her prize.
In this, she could succeed.
Gisselle watched her carefully, evaluating her offer, no doubt considering what it was that the Sith might be able to offer Alderaan.
"Why are you looking for Noldan Alde?" she asked.
"I have some questions for him," the Sith replied.
"And will he survive those questions?"
Avaryss gave the noble a sly smile.
"That is entirely up to him. He has become…involved in something, milady. The empire has suffered several attacks recently."
"And you believe he is involved in these attacks?"
Avaryss frowned; she was unsure how much she should say about all this.
It was best to keep it both short and sweet.
"He is either involved or knows someone who is. Either way, I need to speak with him. As long as he tells me what I want to know, he is in no danger."
Organa sat back, again that slight look passed between her and her handmaiden.
Again the girl Jaesa nodded.
Avaryss felt a smile tug at her lips.
So, the noble did know about the girl's abilities, the girl was using the Force to seek…what? Deception? She would find none, not here.
The young Sith did not care if Noldan Alde lived or died, as long as he pointed her in the right direction.
"House Alde is an ally of House Organa," Lady Gisselle said, "It would not be proper to turn a member of their family over to the Sith."
"Even if that family member brought Sith anger down upon Alderaan?" Avaryss said with a sniff, "As I told you earlier, my lady. We have no interest in Alderaan at this time. A single one of your nobles is involved in acts of aggression against the Empire. I would see him punished, if not we may have to turn our attention to the rest of you. Perhaps you should start thinking of your family's future."
A cold smile came to Alderaani's face.
"And there is the threat I expected."
"It is not a threat, it is a simple observation. One life versus the lives and safety of billions, is that not a good deal? I'm prepared to offer you what you need to stake a claim for the Alderaanian throne, either for yourself or another member of your family."
Avaryss shrugged.
"The choice is yours, milady."
The noble nodded, she sat back in her chair; Avaryss could almost imagine the wheels turning in the intense young woman's head.
"House Ulgo currently controls the bulk of our defense force. They have made sure that no other voice but theirs is heard by the Republic Senate."
"If you need soldiers," Avaryss said in a silky voice, "We can provide them."
Gisselle wrinkled her nose in distaste.
"I'm not a Thul, Sith. Organa is a powerful house, we have supporters and young men and women willing to defend our world. We do not need to hire mercenaries. We have the people, just not the tools."
Avaryss grinned.
An idea formed in that instance, a realization that was both delicious and mutually beneficial, in fact, she liked the symmetry of it.
"You need weapons, armor, perhaps even a few military grade shield generators?'
"Those would be useful," the noble agreed.
Avaryss' smile widened.
"Then you are in luck. As I told you, I've been investigating a matter of security for the Empire, during the course of that investigation; I've turned up a shipment of military grade weapons, blasters detonators, shields. They were meant to destabilize Sith interests, but I see no reason that they could not be turned over to someone with a…higher purpose."
The noble blinked.
"You would turn these weapons over to us?"
"They do not belong to the Sith," Avaryss said with a shrug, "As I said, someone intended to use them to destabilize our interests. I just want them out of our system. If they can be turned to aid the Empire, I'm more than happy to see that they find their way into hands of those that will not use them against us."
Gisselle Organa's expression remained bland, but through the Force, the woman was afire with both curiosity and excitement. No doubt imagining what a ship load of military grade hardware could do for her family, and their desires to secure the throne of this world."
Avaryss tried not to appear too eager. She could sense the woman's desire, but if she seemed too eager to deal, the woman might back away, she did not want that.
"And you would give us these weapons? For the location of Noldan Alde you would turn these weapons over to us?"
Avaryss laughed dismissively.
"That would be a great deal, wouldn't it?" she admitted. "We would of course need reimbursement for the fuel used to bring the weapons here. A few credits to make sure that all the right people stay quiet about all this. If you can promise those things, and the location of Noldan Alde, yes, I believe we can do business. Does that deal appeal to you, milady?"
"Hm," the noble murmured, she rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Avaryss could sense the conflict within her. Giselle Organa viewed the Sith as enemies, no doubt she was trying to find some reason to say: no. AT the same time though, she knew what those weapons represented, a chance to put the right people on the Alderaani throne.
It was an offer not easy to turn down.
"Won't your people be angry with you?" the noble asked, "Technically you would be arming an ally of the Republic? Some Sith might consider that treasonous?"
"The advantage of having a high placed master is that they can explain away much to the dark council and the military."
Avaryss grinned.
"Your concern for my well-being is touching, but unnecessary. I will survive this deal, I assure you."
Gisselle smiled slightly.
"I will need to inspect the weapons, make sure they are everything you promised?"
"Inspect away," Avaryss shrugged, "If you have access to a hyper-comm here, I can get the weapons on their way here. You can make any preparations you like for their arrival; after all, they will be yours."
Avaryss laughed dismissively.
"I am a woman of my word."
"I do have a hyper-comm here," the lady said, "We shall go together and make the arrangements, if everything goes as planned, I will contact one of my allies in House Alde, they will know where Noldan Alde is."
"Excellent," Avaryss exclaimed, "then we have a deal?"
She held out her hand.
Again, she felt that brief sense of revulsion from the noble. She would never view this arrangement as a sign of peace between her house and the Empire, but that was fine.
Peace was a lie, there was only passion.
Gisselle Organa was doing this for her family; she could care less about the Empire. She was willing to sacrifice Noldan Alde for that future. Avaryss had no problem letting her do just that.
Organa, Thul, Ulgo, she was starting to think that all these royal houses were more alike than they were different. They all sought power, and the means to wield it.
Let them tear themselves apart fighting over their planetary throne. It would only serve the Empire when they finally did return to claim this world. Whoever survived would need to negotiate with the Sith. On that day it would not matter who was sitting on the throne.
"Deal," Gisselle Organa said taking her hand, the two women shook on it.
"This way Sith," Lady Gisselle said rising, "the hyper-comm is upstairs, we will start making the calls we need to set this up."
"After you, milady," Avaryss said. "I'm sure you will find that everything is in its proper order, and when it is, you will tell me where to find Noldan Alde."
"That is the deal, Sith. I offer you this for the safety of my world, and for the location of a rebellious Alde."
She frowned slightly.
"Do remember that House Alde is an ally of Organa, try and exercise restraint in your questioning."
"Of course," Avaryss said with a smirk, "As long as he tells me what I need to know, I will see him safely back to you."
In how many pieces, she could not say, she thought to herself.
A giggle nearly escaped her throat.
He was still guilty of conspiring against the Empire; a person had to answer for that.
Avaryss looked forward to teaching this Alde exactly what that meant.
One piece…at a time.
IOI
Her driver returned her to where she had left Rink a few hours before. She arrived to find a second speeder waiting. This one was carrying Beric and Holli.
She blinked.
What was this now?
"She nodded thanks to the Alderaani Blanks and leapt from his speeder. Her brother approached her, his expression grim.
"The ship was attacked at the city spaceport," her brother informed her.
Avaryss scowled.
"Is it still space worthy?"
"It is," Holli assured her, "It is locked down though, until the investigation is complete. The attackers were dressed in Alderaani clothing; we thought you might have walked into a trap. Lieutenant Lylos was worried about you, my lord."
Avaryss smiled at her brother.
"I thank you both for your concern, but it is unnecessary."
"Never the less," he said in his soldier's voice, "I'm glad to see you safe, my lord."
"What of the attackers, do we know who they were?"
"City security is investigating, but from their equipment and weapons, I would say they were mercenaries, likely off-worlders."
"Could be anyone then," Avaryss frowned, "Hezzan, Duke Kendoh, could even be House Ulgo, unhappy that we were talking with the Organa."
She smiled cruelly.
"Not that it matters now, we have the location of Noldan Alde, we should deal with the matter quickly, before Hezzan or Duke Kendoh can arrange any more surprises for us."
She glanced at her three crew mates. They all looked grim; Holli and Beric both wore armored vests, blaster pistols at their sides, and carbines on their backs. Rink had his blaster pistol as well, looking as ready for a fight as she had ever seen him.
Good she thought.
She was tired of playing the moving target.
She was eager to finally make her own moves. Noldan Alde was hiding in a stronghold owned by the noble house of Rist, and protected by their security people.
According to Gisselle, House Rist trained the greatest assassins on Alderaan; their knives had been influencing Alderaan's politics for generations. Breaking into such a place would not be easy. It would be a fight the whole way.
Avaryss looked forward to it.
It did not matter how skilled these Rist people were.
There feeble skills would be no match for the full power of the dark side.
Politics were nice, she did not mind talking, but sometimes a girl just had to get her blade bloody.
She welcomed the chance to do just that.
She would cut through their defenses. Any that dared stand in her way would meet a quick and painful end, and when she found Noldan Alde he would tell her everything. How much was left of him at the end of that conversation would be entirely up to him.
He was her first direct link to the conspiracy.
He would talk.
In the end, everyone did.