Chapter 26: The Contract
"Set target one," Avaryss said coldly as she stared through the macro-noculars.
She smiled slightly.
"Fire."
In the distance there was a trail of smoke and then, in the compound below the shuttle sitting on the small landing pad vanished in a ball of flame and a flash of light.
Even from her distant perch, she could hear the explosion, the distance wail of sirens.
"Set target two, now…fire."
Another plume of smoke, and with it the speeder bikes waiting near the compound followed the shuttle into destruction, the first exploded and one by one the others kept it company, vanishing in flashes of orange flame.
BA-DOOM!
BA-DOOM!
BA-DOOM!
Avaryss nodded, pleased with herself.
The first step is done, she thought heading for her speeder; Rink sat behind the wheel, waiting for her orders.
Now…onto the next one.
Lady Gisselle's contacts had come through in a big way; it had taken her almost no time at all to find out where House Rist was hiding Noldan Alde. She probably could have gotten the information herself, but likely would have had to have culled House Alde until she found someone within it willing to talk.
Using House Organa had been faster, and now she was on the cusp of seizing the Alderaani by the throat.
Her heart pounded, she felt giddy, like a child waking on the morning of some grand feast day.
Now, she thought with a hungry smile.
It was time to have some fun!
IOI
Hours earlier they had stood on a small wooded hill not far from the compound. It was here that they came up with their plan of attack. They had spent the bulk of the day preparing, not wishing to take any chances. House Rist's reputation it seemed was well earned. The security net that they had established around their compound was quite extensive. Once again Avaryss found herself happy to have brought her brother along. His military training served her well in locating the assassins' security measures.
"They are good," her brother admitted after a brief recon of the compound's surrounding area, "But their security is not perfect.
He gestured to various points on the map.
We have exploits we can use; here, here and here."
He grinned.
"It will be a bit of a jump, but I think we can breach this place, and once we're inside…"
"They will be too busy fighting for their lives to worry about whatever measures they set up to protect themselves," Avaryss said with a sneer.
She hated to admit it, but their Alderaani friends had come through, it would not be long at all until Noldan Alde found his way into their hands.
Organa had provided the location, a small estate nestled in the northern mountain range. Elana Thul once again proved her value by finding not only a map, but detailed floor plan for the estate. The map included all the changes that House Rist had made to the place in the last twenty years or so. The lower levels had been expanded, and a bolt hole added, an escape route that emptied out in the mountains.
"There will be no escape," Beric had promised her; I will have that exit buttoned up before we begin our attack."
"Excellent," Avaryss said nodding, "And what of the defenders, how many enemies are we looking at here?"
"At least thirty, my lord," Holli said with a frown, she had been watching the comings and goings since they had arrived. For hours she had watched and counted, Holli claimed to have an excellent memory.
She claimed to have seen at least thirty different faces.
It did not leave her in best of spirits.
'We are outnumbered at least six to one."
"That will not be a problem," Beric said, "Those extra men will have plenty to worry about when the attack begins in earnest."
He grinned coldly.
"We will have to hit them hard and fast, take out all means of escape," he added, "We don't want the mark slipping out the back while we are engaging the remaining defenders."
"You deal with the bolt hole, lieutenant," Avaryss said, "Let us deal with the shuttle and speeders."
"How exactly are you going to do that?" he asked.
Avaryss smiled, her red eyes glittering beneath her hooded cowl.
"We brought some wonderful new toys with us," Holli informed him, "I was not idle while we were waiting aboard the Terror."
The engineer smirked.
"We have just what we need to even the odds, automated rocket launchers, proximity mines, and a military grade jammer, just to make sure our friends down there can't call for help."
Holli gave him a proud look, pleased with the selections she had made while they had been Captain Brandei's guests.
They'll do the trick," she said, "make the five of us seem like a hundred."
"Which is why you are going to need to take out that bolt-hole, soldier boy," Rink said giving Beric and evil smirk.
"I take it you have heard what the boss did to our original pilot when he screwed up one time too many?"
Beric Lylos glared at him.
"I know my duty, street rat," he spat, "I hope you know yours."
"Enough," Avaryss told them both, "We have real enemies here; let's not start fighting amongst ourselves."
Avaryss' eyes drifted over the map, she nodded thoughtfully. Holli was not wrong, with the tech she had acquired from the Terror, this fight would not be as one sided as one would believe. It would be even less so when you added her own powers into the mix.
The young Sith smiled.
It had been far too long since she had had the chance to cut loose, to simply let go and use her abilities to the fullest. She had been training hard over the last few months, increasing her already formidable abilities. If she had to be honest, she would say that her powers had doubled since she had left Korriban in Darth Feer's service. She was not ready yet to challenge her master, but her skills and knowledge were growing, and with each new engagement, her powers continued to expand.
One day, she would be strong enough to oppose her master directly, and on that day…
…On that day, they would see just who was worthy of being called a master.
"We shall wait until dark," she informed her crew. We will use the automated launchers to deal with the vehicles. Lieutenant Lylos will cut off any other escape routes. Holli will make sure that all our toys are functioning properly,"
She turned to the engineer.
"Make sure no one gets close to those launchers, not until I'm inside the compound."
"It will be done, my lord," she promised.
"Good," Avaryss nodded, "This is going to take a bit of finesse on our part, at least in the beginning. If you all work together we can pull this off and be one step closer to ensuring the safety of the Empire."
She chuckled.
"I'm not sure what is going to happen when the attack begins, but I do know this, the Force is with us this day, and it will serve us well. Fight well, and I will see you all when victory is assured."
The group broke up, they still have several hours to get everything done, and it would be a lot, and all would have to be done without attracting any attention of the Rist guards.
It was unlikely that anyone knew they were coming, but Avaryss preferred to err on the side of caution. Who knew if they would get another shot at this if they missed? They needed to be perfect the first time.
They needed to have Noldan Alde in hand tonight.
She was determined to make that dream a reality.
No mistakes, she thought…
…and no mercy.
IOI
"Set target, three," Avaryss ordered.
"Fire."
The automated launcher locked on to target three, the main gates, and it fired, once again an explosion lit up the night, the gate did not fall however, it seemed to have been protected by a small energy shield, the barrier flared as the rocket's energy depleted itself against it. The door remained but its protection was greatly diminished.
Avaryss saw another plume of smoke in the distance; that would be Beric, she knew, making sure that House Rist could not smuggle their prize out through any escape tunnels, if all had gone to plan those were now blocked.
Noldan Alde now had nowhere else to run.
She could hear the distant shouts of his defenders. House Rist's agents were not panicking, she could imagine them trying to locate where the rockets were coming from, no doubt shouting into comlinks, calling out to their defenders outside to seek out and engage whoever it was attacking them. By now, Holli should have had the defenses in place, ready to deal with anyone trying to silence those launchers. It did not matter now of course the devices having served their purpose, now they were just bait.
She was eager to see how many members of House Rist came up to try and nibble.
She began to count down slowly from one hundred, giving her enemies time to clear out, time to think that they had a chance of stopping their attackers, she watched the gates open and men and women rush out into the woods.
Not yet, the dark side seemed to whisper in her ear.
Not yet.
Rink seemed relaxed, but she could see how he gripped his blaster, he knew they were about to come into harm's way. Yet, he trusted her enough not to question or offer any unnecessary suggestions.
Avaryss knew her business, and with the counsel of her allies they had come up with a good plan.
All that remained now was to carry it out.
Just as she reached the count of forty, her comlink chirped. Holli's voice whispered in her ear.
"Three, two, one…"
Static filled her earpiece; it was so loud the sonic dampeners in her ears kicked on, protecting her hearing.
Avaryss smirked.
That would be the jammer they had brought.
The compound was now mute, unable to call for any further help.
The young Sith continued to count and watch.
More of Alde's defenders continued to pour into the wilderness.
Her hand gripped the hilt of her lightsaber, excitement bubbled up inside her, yet she held it in check, not wanting to move until it was absolutely the perfect time. She continued to play the old mental games, psyching herself up for what was to come. She willed the dark side to gather, to armor her against her enemies and give her the strength to leave them broken and finished.
By the time she reached the count of three she was almost ready to explode, the world was tinged with red, her fury only just held in check by her discipline.
It is time, she thought.
"Now," she said to Rink.
Let the slaughter begin!
Rink gunned the engine and their speeder shot out from its hiding place, it flew like a blaster bolt, straight for the corner of the far right wall.
So far the plan was working perfectly, the defenders were so focused on the rockets and where they were coming from that they had yet to truly take notice of the single speeder weaving its way through the trees. Those that did notice likely thought it no threat. The estate had its shields; even if the speeder was packed with detonators it was unlikely that a single vehicle striking the wall would do any major damage.
That belief was exactly what Avaryss had been counting on.
She was far more dangerous than mere detonators.
A loud explosion went off in the forest, smoke and flame rose into the evening sky.
The defenders had just found Holli's proximity mines, or at least the first batch of them.
Now, she the young Sith thought gamely.
Let's make things interesting!
Rink brought her in as close as he could; she unbuckled her safety straps, and climbed up onto the back of the speeder.
"Give us a little height," she ordered, "Hold us steady."
Rink did not need any encouragement; he knew what was expected of him and carried out her orders.
She closed her eyes, gathering her strength, letting her fury lift her up and make her more than any mere human.
"NOW!" she shouted.
Rink brought the speeder around hard.
Avaryss leapt, using its surface as a spring board.
The shields were designed to stop fast moving projectiles, rockets, missiles and the like, a single leaping figure did not set off the shield's defensive perimeter, she passed easily through it, between the Force and her own strength she easily cleared the wall in a single bound, and found herself found herself in enemy territory, inside the estate's courtyard.
Two of the Rist noticed her arrival; they shouted out warnings and raised their blasters, firing wildly. She turned her descent into a roll, evading their fire even as she brought up her lightsaber, its crimson blade ignited with an evil hiss.
She came down harder than she would have liked, the blaster fire having thrown off her trajectory slightly. The jarring impact caused her to bite her tongue; the copper-like taste of blood filled her mouth.
Damn it, she thought.
That hurt!
The pain proved useful, it further helped her center herself. It served to awaken the dark forces that burned both within her, and bound her to the rest of the universe.
The rest of the Rist started to notice they had an intruder, shouts filled the air, as they woke up to the threat and started to move to engage.
They were so slow, she thought…
…Too slow.
She brought up her blade.
You want death, she thought glaring at those who would dare try to block her path.
Then have it, in abundance!
She leapt forward again, this time using the Force, almost too fast for the naked eye to see.
She fell among Noldan Alde's defenders...
The dying began.
If you asked her later what had happened, she probably would not have had an answer. The world vanished into a bloody haze as she gave herself over fully to her rage and hate. She remembered shouts for reinforcements, challenges, and promises of vengeance, but all these ended the exact same way.
The hum of Avaryss' lightsaber, that and the cut off shriek of the dying!
Realizing what was happening, the Rist assassins tried to fall back, to give themselves some room where they might overwhelm her defenses by concentrating fire. Her lightsaber moved almost of its own accord, the sweet skill of Shien sending her enemies' blaster bolts ricocheting back in their direction. Some of the Rist tried to dive for cover, but they were quickly dispatched by their own deflected fire. Many fell with blaster burns through their chests, heads, and stomachs.
Cries of death and despair quickly filled the air.
She reveled in each one.
Those that did not meet their end that way found an equally painful conclusion to their lives. Avaryss moved in quickly, using both Makashi and Shii-cho to terrible effect. She moved among them loping off both limbs and heads with equal efficiency. Some tried to resist with sword or stun stick; they may have well been unarmed.
Each death only further excited her, filling her up with even more dark side energy, offering her even more ways to destroy those that dare oppose her advance.
From the wall two grenades began to fall towards her, she reached out catching them with the Force and sending them back towards those that had thrown them.
The walkway exploded violently.
The world continued to burn crimson.
As she fought she murmured under her breath, casting a spell. She had wanted to use it for some time, but in the past, she had hesitated. She had been wary of using it on Dromund Kaas not wishing to draw her master's attention with its use.
On Alderaan, she had little to fear of that.
I'm a Sith Sorceress, she thought.
Why should I not use my power?
She cast her spell, and in that sublime moment…
Even more Alderaani began to die.
Those that had not been struck by blaster bolts or cut down by her blade fell to their knees wailing in a mixture of terror and agony! They tore at their own flesh, cries of panic filled the night, as the horrors of their minds claimed them one by one. The spell was known to her as the whisper in the dark, she had discovered it among the text of an ancient scroll she had retrieved in a forgotten tomb back on Korriban.
A horrible way to die, she knew, she had felt the whispers effect in the tomb where she had found it.
Only the strongest of wills could hope to endure it.
Her opponents this day did not seem to have such strength...
…Too bad for them.
The scroll had described the spell as a way of burning one's enemies out from the inside. The greater their terror, the faster they would burn. She had seen the spell used to similar effect during her final trial on Korriban. She had seen what was left of the Sith that had been caught up in that spell.
It had not been a pretty sight, even more so knowing that those affected had been strong in the Force.
As she watched the remaining guards fall, reveling in their pain and destruction, she felt something warm running down her upper lip, she reached up and felt wetness. She pulled back her hand and saw it sticky with blood, her own blood.
Her eyes narrowed.
You should not be surprised, the darkness whispered in her ear.
Did you not read the warnings?
She had, truth be told. The spell was known to be very hard on the caster's body, almost as much as it was on a victim. If the caster was not careful, it was more than possible that the spell would consume them too, and even if it didn't, there was a price to be paid for using such magic.
All power had a price.
Avaryss managed to catch her reflection in a small puddle in the courtyard, what she saw…surprised her to say the least.
She was not a woman who cherished her looks. They were a useful tool, nothing more, but still…
Her eyes burned like red hot coals, the space around her eyes had darkened and looked sunken in; it appeared like she had not slept in weeks. Blood ran from both her nose, and her bitten tongue, giving her a smile far redder than it should have been, blood ran down her chin. Her cheeks were also slightly sunken in, also darkening. In the blood shine of her blade her face looked like some pale skull with burning red eyes, perhaps some ghost or demon from legend.
The thought made her take a step back.
It is working, my spell, she thought, but…at what cause?
She glanced around at the few survivors. No one was shooting at her anymore, the bodies of some were starting to smolder, life was fading, but it was still there.
It was just what she needed.
She reached out and cast again.
A death field expanded from her, syphoning off the lives of the few remaining assassins. She felt the energy start flowing into her, restoring what the whisper had taken from her.
It was a heady sensation, sweeter than even the purest spice.
Again she felt herself getting lost, it was so easy to let go and simply get drunk on the raw power she wielded. It took all her will to resist the desire to just keep taking and taking…
She could not allow herself to do that, it was not a smart move.
Her master warned her about using death field too often. Yes, it was the closest thing the Sith had to possessing healing arts, but it could also be a curse.
Centuries ago there had been a Sith who had had such a skill in conjuring death fields that he had grown strong enough to consume the life energy of entire planets. Such skill should have made him a god among the Sith, but the price had been too high, the energies that he had claimed undid him.
His powers had destroyed his physical form, leaving him a living breach within the Force, a creature left with nothing but his hunger. He was caught in a constant state of hunger, even feeding off his own crew.
Is that what you wish to become apprentice, her master had asked, to be nothing but hunger, to no longer be able to experience life's pleasures?
The answer was no, of course.
She had many desires; to be consumed by her own powers were not one of them.
She dismissed the death field, feeling both powerful and refreshed.
She grinned savagely.
Things were just starting to get interesting.
She turned her attention to the estate proper. She could sense life within, more defenders and among them…her prey.
She was eager to make his acquaintance
She strode forward with purpose.
Two guards fell upon her as she entered the building, they wielded wicked looking curved swords, they were fast and forced her back a few steps with their unfamiliar fighting style, but she recovered quickly.
Again Makashi proved its value, the duelist style enabled to overwhelm the two, they fell to the floor of the estate, their heads rolling from their shoulders.
Avaryss shivered with anticipation as she began her hunt for Noldan Alde.
This hunt was proving to be quite diverting, it had been a long time since she had been able to truly cut loose and enjoy herself, to revel in the power of the dark side.
She moved from room to room, seeking her prey. The assassins of House Rist seemed to realize that they were facing something that was beyond them now. They fought with a lethal cunning, trying to surprise her. A few them even tried to take her with them as they fell, these proved the most challenging, giving her pause in her hunt.
You had to admire their determination, if nothing else, she thought.
Still she had seen no sign of Noldan Alde.
It was starting to frustrate her.
Control yourself, the dark side chided; it would not do to simply cut the man down without realizing who he was. He still had questions to answer.
She took a deep breath and let it out, some of her anger going with it.
She was back in control again.
Now…it was back to the hunt.
From room to room she searched. She blasted open doors with the Force, scanned for her prey, and moved on. Her senses remained hyperaware, even the smallest of sounds seemed like a heavy footfall.
Finally she finally came to a bedroom with two Rist Assassins inside. They raised their weapons.
By this point she had grown tired of killing them.
One she propelled out the nearest window with a Force push, He fell two stories straight down; it was possible that he had survived, but at that point she could care less.
She reached out with the Force and ripped the weapon from the second man's hand, she flung it into the hall behind her. Before he could pull another weapon or try to blow them both up, she caught him in a crushing Force grip.
He let out a straggled cry and fell to his knees.
Avaryss advanced, her patience finally wearing thin.
She stood over him.
"Where is Noldan Alde?" she demanded.
Though in agony, the man simply glared at her.
He remained silent.
She snarled and raised her hand, constricting the Force grip than held him in place.
The man coughed as she forced the air from his lungs.
"Where is Noldan Alde? You will tell me!"
"Sith?"
She paused in her attack, she glanced around quickly, unsure of where the voice had come from.
"Turn on the hyper-comm by the bed," the voice repeated, "I think we need to speak."
Avaryss did not relax her grip on her prisoner, she gestured with the Force, activating the communicator.
A hologram appeared between her and the device.
She grinned savagely. She recognized the man from the picture Giselle Organa had supplied. He was handsome she supposed, in the Alderaani way. Slim of figure with short dark hair and eyes, Noldan Alde seemed to be your typical Alderaani in every way.
"Noldan Alde, I presume?"
The man sneered at her. He looked her up and down.
"You're a pretty little thing, I'll give you that, in that murderous maniacal kind of way," he laughed lightly.
His reaction surprised her. She had expected some loyal to the death Republic agent, that was not the impression she was getting here. The man looked like a fop, and through the Force she sensed only a desire for self-gratification and a cruelty that matched most Sith.
He was definitely not what she expected.
"It seems you have been looking for me," he said, "I'm flattered."
"It will pass," she said dryly, "Come out, come out, where ever you are."
The man snorted.
"No…no I don't think so, you will excuse me if I don't, you seem a little on the homicidal side today."
The man chuckled.
"That does not mean that we cannot speak, does it? You clearly want something from me; perhaps we can make some kind of a deal?"
Avaryss considered his offer, she had enjoyed killing this man's bodyguards, but that had been a distraction.
Answers are what she truly came here for.
"I will kill your guard," she said flatly.
"Go right ahead," he said with a shrug, "Always more where that one came from.
If the assassin in her grip was surprised by his answer he did not show it. He continued to remain silent while Avaryss continued to keep him pinned.
"You clearly want something," Alde said, "You would not have gone to all this trouble if you didn't…please, let us speak like reasonable beings."
Avaryss shrugged.
Why not?
She could always kill him after.
"You were involved with hiring a crew of smugglers recently," she informed him, "they tried to sneak military grade weapons to slaves on Dromund Kaas."
She gave him her sweetest smile.
"I want to know who hired you to do that."
The young man rolled his eyes.
"The freighter," he said, "that is what this is about? That is the reason you are killing your way through this house? That is why I've been forced to hide here like some common criminal?"
He shook his head.
"I hadn't realized what a pain in the neck this business would be."
Avaryss smirked, his outburst amused her.
Clearly he still did not understand exactly what it was he had done.
She was eager to make him realize the full consequences of his actions.
"Did you know about the weapons?" she asked.
"I hired a freighter crew, people that weren't afraid to do something risky. I did not know what the cargo was, I didn't need to know, or want to for that matter."
He shook his head again.
"It was not supposed to be this way," he complained, "My name was never supposed to be recorded or said anywhere."
He sighed.
"You are not going to stop hunting me are you? Not until you know the full story?"
"Why should I stop?" she asked dryly, "I find killing your men most diverting."
He gave her a grim smile.
"Perhaps you need a new diversion," he suggested, "How much is my life worth, Sith, what would it take to get you to leave me alone, and allow me to get on with enjoying myself?"
Avaryss considered his words.
He still did not seem to understand exactly what he had gotten mixed up in. It was clear that he harbored no real loyalty towards either Republic or the Jedi. It took a bit of the fun out of her mission here.
She sneered.
Killing would be enjoyable, especially after all the hoops she had had to jump through to get to this point, still…
She smiled politely.
"No loyalty to your comrades?" she asked.
"This was never about loyalty," he said, "I'm a man who gets bored easily, Sith. I was approached by some interesting people offering me the distraction of being involved in something exciting. I saw it as a way out of my daily routine and said yes."
He shook his head.
"Everything was going fine until they came back and told me I had to go into hiding. They told me that something had gone wrong with the shipment and that someone would show up asking questions."
Avaryss chuckled.
"I'm surprised they simply did not try to kill you, tie up a loose end."
"What makes you think that they didn't?" he replied, "they offered to take me to a secure location, and when I refused, they tried to attack me. I managed to kill them and get away, but after that I realized that some diversions are not worth the risk."
He shook his head.
"The people that hired me, you are going to kill them, yes?"
"The thought had crossed my mind," she admitted.
"Then I have no reason not to tell you everything," he said happily, "I'm sure the name of their leader is more than worth my life."
"It would be a start," she agreed.
"I'll give you the name," he assured her, "I'll give up the name, and you stop hunting me, you will no longer try to kill me."
"Once I have that name, there will be no reason for me to pursue you," she promised, "Tell me what I want to know, and I will stop trying to kill you."
"Sounds fair," he said.
She looked down at her prisoner.
"What about this one? Would you like me to spare his life?"
"Do what you wish," Alde told her, "It is not like he was very successful at stopping you, and it is not like I can get my money back."
Avaryss felt a flicker of betrayal from the man she held in her grip. She did not feel sorry for him, but that did not mean that she did not understand.
Betrayal was understood quite well, in fact in gave her an idea.
She was eager to see how this all played out.
"The one who hired me called himself Pondar, Master Pondar, he was a Jedi, I think. One of the feline looking races, a Cathar I think."
Avaryss smiled at the realization.
Finally, she thought.
She had wondered when she would start seeing more Jedi involvement. She had already faced one knight…
It was only a matter of time until she faced a master.
Noldan Alde told her everything he knew about the one who hired him, how they had met, what he looked like. He did not know where the man was now, but that would not be a problem.
Master Feore and his contacts will find him, she thought.
They will find him, and then…he will face me, she thought excitedly.
She found herself eagerly awaiting such a meeting.
Alde still did not reveal his location to her; He claimed to be in a secured panic room somewhere in the estate. She could have searched for him, but she was running out of time.
The rest of House Rist had noticed the comm blackout; it was only a matter of time until they sent reinforcements. She could have dealt with them, but now that she had what she wanted, it would have been pointless.
Now…she needed to get out of here.
The hologram of Noldan Alde vanished, leaving Avaryss alone with the last remaining assassin. She could have crushed him in her Force grip, but by that point she had a different idea, a better one.
She needed to act fast, who knew how long she had until reinforcements arrived. Rink and the others would have likely made for their rendezvous; she would go to them soon, just after she tied up one final loose end.
She looked down upon the Rist, the killer continued to glare at her.
She gave him a sympathetic look.
"Your boss is a real shutta," she said.
Finally, the assassin did something more than glared. He snorted with amusement.
"Our house is use to working for such people," he said, "If not for them, we might never find work."
"Perhaps," she agreed, "but that does not make him any less of a Hutt spawn."
She smiled at the killer. His life was hers to end; perhaps Noldan Alde even wanted her to end it.
That was more than enough reason to do otherwise.
"I'm going to release you now," she informed him, "You are not going to attack me if I do?"
"What would be the point," the assassin said, "We were hired to protect Noldan Alde. If you are not seeking his death anymore, why should I do anything, the client's life matters, not mine, and besides, if I resisted you would kill me, isn't that right?"
"It is," she assured him. She gestured releasing him from her Force grip.
He gasped, taking in a great lung full of air.
He nodded, thanking her perhaps for this brief bit of mercy.
She smiled slightly.
If he liked this, he was going to love what happened next.
She did not completely relax her guard; her blade remained out and active. If the man tried to betray her, she would not have to do much to return to a fighter's guard, but…personally, she did not think she needed it.
She had what she came for, now she wanted to do what she wanted.
She suspected the assassin might enjoy it too.
"Your men fought bravely," she told him, "I want no bad blood between House Rist and the Empire."
"They died defending our client," the man informed her, "We all knew the risks. Death is the reward we all earn. We all understand that."
Avaryss gave him a knowing look.
"Perhaps, but it doesn't have to be your death. I think we might find someone more deserving, if you are of a mind?"
The assassin blinked, unsure if he heard her correctly.
"You want us to kill someone?"
"I have a contract," she said, "And I'm prepared to pay handsomely to see it done, provided that there is no more unpleasantness between us. The credits I offer will no doubt go far in seeing to the families of those whose lives ended here."
"That would depend entirely on the target my lord," the man said, "Who do you want us to…retire?"
She grinned, pleased at the man's use of the lord honorific.
She thought he would be more pleased when he heard the targets name.
"Noldan Alde," she said.
The man frowned.
"We cannot kill a client," he said.
"How about when the contract is concluded, would you still owe him anything then?"
The man considered what she said. She suspected that House Rist survived on its honor, as much as it did on the contracts it took.
She was not asking for Alde to die now, only that it happen soon, if it did after she left, so be it.
She did not need to see a body, not when she knew the work was done.
"You promised to spare him," the man reminded her, "that you wouldn't kill him."
"And I'm keeping that promise," she replied, "I won't lift a finger to harm him."
She gave the assassin a sly grin.
"That will be your job."
If the man found any flaw in her reason, he did not show it.
In fact, he nodded.
"I will see what I can do," he promised.
"And the price," she inquired, considering what she was asking; she figured it would be quite high.
The assassin…surprised her.
"Too many of us died here," he said, "We died trying to protect our client, and he gave up what he should have been protecting without a thought."
The Rist shook his head.
"A man without honor is nothing, he deserves to become nothing."
The assassin grinned.
"As you said, that is our job."
"And the price," she repeated.
The man laughed.
"Considering what he cost us, how little our lives meant to him, I'm willing to do the job on the cheap."
The man grinned.
"How does a single credit note sound?"
She giggled like a humble peasant girl
Avaryss could not help it; the man's brazenness amused her. No doubt Alde would be insulted to hear how little his life was worth.
In her eyes, that made it even more delicious.
Besides, Alde knew too much, she needed to make sure that no other Sith, like Hezzan, learned what she had just heard.
"Keep silent about what you heard, and you have a deal," she told him, "I'll even offer extra if you keep what was said in this room between us."
"House Rist is known for its discretion, my lord," he said, "Donations for the fallen are always accepted."
"I'm sure," she said, reaching for the pouch on her belt.
A single credit note was more than worth it to see the arrogant noble silenced, there was a problem though…
She smiled.
"I don't suppose you have change for a five?" she asked.
The assassin laughed.
Fortunately for her, he did.