Chapter 43: Expendable

"We will be able to leave Nal Hutta tomorrow, just as soon as the last bit of Lord Vogga's payment arrives."

Avaryss tried to keep her tone light, which was not hard given the circumstances.

Say what you would about the Hutts, if you were able to get on one's good side, they knew how to take care of you.

"Good," Warmaster Feore said nodding, his hologram shimmered slightly, interference from yet another fast moving storm.

Avaryss smiled.

She was grateful that it was the Warmaster who had taken her call. Lord Feer would have asked questions about just what Lord Vogga's final payment was, and how Avaryss had acquired the means to pay it.

It did not really matter in the long run, as she had told the Hutt, she was not without her resources, a Sith could not survive without a powerbase, and though it was small, Avaryss' was growing.

She could afford to let go of some of it, in the interest of continued stability of course.

For the last three days she and her crew had been guests of the might Vogga. She had been able to conclude her negotiations with the Hutt early on in her first day here, which meant she had had some time to enjoy the wealth and privilege that those in the Hutts' favor enjoyed.

Currently she was lounging by a pool on one several terraces that dotted Vogga's palace, while one of Vogga's servants fanned her from behind, with the exception of Beric; her crew joined her in this brief period of rest and relaxation. Her brother preferred to remain on guard, serving as her bodyguard, still armed and armored, just in case this was some type of trick. She warned him that it was unnecessary; her Force abilities would give them ample warning should things turn ugly, but he insisted.

My dear big brother, she thought fondly.

It was nice to know that he cared so about her welfare.

Rink and Holli were currently swimming, using one of the clear blue water pools the Hutts kept reserved for off world clients. The pools used by the Hutts themselves tended to be more stagnant and swampy. Within an hour of their arrival, Vogga's minions had prepared much for their amusement and comfort. The Hutts thought of everything when it came to an honored guest, which Avaryss and company, apparently, now were, considering how generous she had been in "making things right" between the Hutt and herself. Food, clothing, even…other pleasures were on offer, the Hutts were nothing if not generous to their important guests.

Avaryss had been polite, but chose not to indulge gluttonously, cautioning her fellows to do the same. Despite Vogga's seemingly free-handed nature, Hutts could be duplicitous; she had no desire to give him anything that he might use to blackmail her later.

No, the most risqué pleasure she had enjoyed since coming here was sunning herself by the pool. The two piece swim suit the Hutt's servant provided the most lavish thing she had accepted. Not that she was in any danger of tanning. The darkside had a tendency leech the color from her skin. Quenya wore something similar; thought Avaryss did note the slight discomfort the former Jedi felt in simply indulging.

Too many years of serving others had made the girl shy when it came to life's pleasures, Avaryss realized.

She would need to let go of that shyness, simply letting go and enjoying life was but one pleasure of being Sith.

The Devish girl would come to understand that, in time.

Quenya lay in a lounging chair next to her, asleep beneath the warm sun. Which was fine, she preferred to speak with Warmaster Feore unhindered.

"Have you heard any condemnation from the Hutt council?' the old pure blood asked.

"Nothing that I've heard. Lord Vogga is willing to let this matter remain a personal one, just as the payment that I offered was."

Avaryss chuckled.

"I get the feeling the old creature does not wish to share his new gains with his fellow Hutts."

The old pure blood nodded, but still did not look pleased.

"I trust the payment was no too unpleasant," Feore said frowning, "Hutts have…dark appetites, I trust you were not to do anything you were uncomfortable with.

She almost laughed at that.

Darth Feer would not have cared what she had to do, as long as the non-aggression treaty was maintained. It was touching that old Feore cared, but Avaryss was not the type to dwell on such sentiment. Emotion was useful only when it fueled her power, or helped her gain what she needed, either from an ally or an adversary.

"It was no problem, not at all," she said dismissively, "We reached an understanding quickly, now all is forgiven."

It had not been that simple of course, but she did not see the need to bore the Warmaster with the details. He likely thought that she had needed to perform some task for the Hutt, take out a rival perhaps, or steal something that his organization required.

She had not needed to be so…mundane, not with the tools and resources at her disposal.

IOI

1A-K3 had come through for her when she needed him. All she had needed to do was contact him, and he was ready to assist. By using his contacts and her silent position as head of TCS she had had no trouble in seeing Lord Vogga's needs tended to. Some new service droids for his businesses, a new set of droid brains for her starship, she had offered him access to both at a low flat rate. In the end, he paid half of what such things would have cost him on the open market, black or otherwise. Plus, between her private credit accounts and the few contacts that Lackey had cultivated, things had been handled quickly. Lord Vogga, surprised by how quickly she had gotten things done, realized that she was more than simply a mere apprentice, or a sword for hire. He now sought to cultivate her favor, perhaps seeing her as a Sith on the move, on the way up.

Perhaps I am at that, she thought.

I've certainly grown since my days on Korriban, both in power and prestige, now people were starting to take notice.

Such a rise would only make things easier as she continued to climb the ranks of the order.

Once they had dealt with the matter of the attack on Vogga's business interests, Avaryss and the Hutt had been free to deal with the matters that had first brought her here to Nal Hutta, namely a certain Republic stooge.

The first thing they had done was deal with the matter of Representative Goobik, Vogga was not pleased that the man had chosen to use a decoy in their dealings. The Hutt had used his contacts at the spaceport to make sure that the man's ship was unable to leave the planet, once that was done, he had arranged to have the ship checked, a safety inspection, Avaryss had been informed, something that no one would dispute, or cry diplomatic immunity when the Hutt's inspectors went on board.

The search had proven fruitful, namely the discovery of the real Representative Goobik, who proved quickly that he was not as brave as his decoys had been. He had bellowed loudly until Lord Vogga threatened him not only with an end to diplomatic relations between the Hutts and Republic, but also the threat of a more…thorough Hutt questioning.

That had been all it took.

Despite the protection the Rodian enjoyed as a representative of the senate, he had wasted no time in pleading for his life.

Avaryss had enjoyed the display.

He confessed openly that he was not here on official Senate business, that he had been contacted by a third party, one who had desired to see…issues develop between the Cartel and the Empire. The Rodian claimed not to know any names, but could say without a doubt that the Hutt Niro had been involved.

Neither Vogga nor Avaryss had been surprised, considering that it was Niro who had brought them together. Vogga had assured her that he would have words with his fellow Hutt, painful words. Avaryss offered her aid, but the Lord Vogga had refused.

"This is a Hutt matter," he informed her, "An internal problem, we shall deal with it."

She had accepted that, it would not do to insult her host, not after they had just gotten their other matters settled.

As for the representative, he was to be expelled from the planet. He had come here under false pretenses, and would not be allowed to return. He might have suffered worse, but that had been part of the deal struck between Sith and Hutt. Goobik needed to be returned home, with the name that Darth Baras had given to Avaryss on his lips of course.

She still needed the information that Baras had learned, hopefully it would be worth everything she had faced here.

It was a shame that Goobik had not known who had put him up to this. All the Rodian had known is that the mission had come through the diplomatic service, no name attached, but in the end it mattered not.

Whoever had put the representative up to this would know that the Sith knew. It was only a matter of time until another name found its way into the Empire's hands.

It might not even take that much, Avaryss realized, if the recording Baras offered did name the lead conspirator, or one of his underlings, so much the better.

Every step drew them closer to the one behind all this, and as they drew closer, whoever was behind this would likely start to panic and trip, and when they did…

…Avaryss would be there to catch them.

IOI

"So…it seems that Niro the Hutt was not as trustworthy as we thought."

"An understatement, Warmaster," Avaryss smirked, "Unfortunately for us, he fled before Lord Vogga's men could bring him in, it would have been nice to question the little slug, see who put him up to trying to stop us."

"Do you have any ideas?" the old pure blood asked.

"Could be anyone, a rival Hutt, another Sith trying to turn the conspiracy to their advantage, could even have been another revenge plot by Darth Terrog. He could still be trying to pay us back for that business on the Wreck."

"It is possible," Feore agreed, "It could also have been the masterminds behind this conspiracy. Who knows how much pull they have in the Republic Senate?"

"We will know soon enough," Avaryss promised, "I will take that information myself, when my blade finds the lead conspirators throat."

Feore chuckled.

"Do not be so eager child; we still have a long way to go. Your master has been summoned to Korriban. Several members of the dark council have grown curious about our investigation. They will no doubt have questions about Niro the Hutt's involvement."

The old pure blood smiled.

"Fortunately, we have something to offer, before you left for Nal Hutta, we managed to decipher several messages from the carrier signal your early work uncovered. Niro's name was mentioned several times. The fact that he has betrayed you will go a long way to convincing the council that this conspiracy is more of a threat than they realized."

Avaryss digested that information, any sense of relaxation she had been feeling drained away.

She lowered her sunglass down her nose so she could look over their rims, her burning eyes pinned Warmaster Feore with a cold stare.

"You knew," she said flatly, "You knew that Niro was involved with the conspiracy?"

"His name had been mentioned several times, yes."

Her frown deepened.

"So you and my master sent me here, knowing that I might be walking into a trap, and you didn't even think to tell me?"

Feore expression changed, it became harder colder.

"You disapprove young one?"

"Should I not?" she demanded, "I could have been killed or maimed."

"You could have, that is true."

"So you don't think that I should have known? I am Darth Feer's apprentice, his heir. You don't think that I…"

The hard expression on the old Sith's face stopped her in her tracks, both that and the growing anger she was feeling through the Force. He had never displayed any anger at it her before. Feore had served House Feer loyally for years; it was not hard to see that he might not approve of a mere apprentice questioning his master's orders.

"Are you quite done mewling, girl?" he said coldly.

She did not respond with words, merely nodded.

"Good," the pureblood said, despite your recent successes, or perhaps in spite of them, you seem to have forgotten what role it is you hold in House Feer. You are not a lord, child; you are your master's apprentice, his fist and sword. You are his weapon, first, one day you may prove yourself worthy of being his successor, but you have not done that, not yet. If it is in his best interest to see you broken for the continued welfare of this House, it will be done."

Her own temper began to flare then.

"So you think that I'm expendable?"

"What else would you be?"

His harsh words stopped her cold.

He…he…

How dare he?!

"If you had been slain, it would have been proof that you were not worthy of continuing your journey as a member of this house, that is way of the dark side, the way of the Sith. If you are defeated, you are cast down and forgotten. As one who trained on Korriban, you should have never forgotten that lesson, girl. You asked if you were expendable, how could you forget that you were anything but…."

Feore pinned her with a cold glare.

"You forget your place, child."

Avaryss was grateful that he could only see her head and shoulders, he could not see the tension in her body, and how her hands had curled into angry fists. It took all of her mental discipline to keep her emotions in check.

Expendable am I?

Expendable!

She had expected such feelings from her master, but not Feore, never Feore.

She had always been fond of the old man, hearing him talk like this was both shocking and hurtful.

"After everything that I've done for our family, is that truly what you believe, Warmaster?"

"My own personal feelings are irrelevant," he said, "Any fondness I feel for you child must be held in check, my first duty is to Lord Feer and his house, do not doubt that or think otherwise."

And what was that supposed to mean? She wondered.

Did he hope that she would survive, had he been forbidden from warning her?

She found herself thinking back to one of her first teachers, the blade master Adaz. He had also put her into a position where she had almost been killed. She had been furious with him at the time, but eventually came to see how that treatment had been part of a necessary lesson.

Could this be the same?

Could the Warmaster be offering her a bit of tough love, reminding her exactly what it meant to be Sith?

It was…possible.

She sighed and forced herself to calm down.

"I will keep what you have said in mind, Warmaster. In the meantime, have we heard anything from Darth Baras? I delivered the message he requested, and now he owes me a translation key."

"We have heard nothing here on Dromund Kaas," Feore assured her, "In the meantime; your master has a new target he wants you to investigate. There is a small space station between here and Hutt space, Lord Feer would like you to go there, and if any threat exists…end it."

"It will be done," she promised, "Do we have any idea why this station maybe important?"

"It could be nothing," Feore said, "But our agents did manage to intercept several transmissions between Niro the Hutt and the crew operating that station. It could be in our best interests to check it out."

"It will be done, Warmaster," she said coldly, efficiently, she could not say if she would be able to feel any affection for the old man again.

Now, cold was better, if was safer than feeling hurt.

"See that you do," the old pure blood said, "We will speak again after you have investigated the station, Feore out."

The hologram faded to nothingness.

Avaryss sat there for a few moments staring at the holo-communicator.

It took all her self-control not to crush the device into junk.

Expendable.

Know your place, child.

You forget your place, girl.

Oh, if Feore only knew…

If he only knew?

Right now, she was just an apprentice, but a day would come when that would not be so.

She had hoped that Feore would be smart and side with winner when the day came that she dealt with her master. Now…she was not so sure, now she could not say for certain if it would not be better to tear down the whole sorry mess and start again from scratch.

"He is being wrong."

Avaryss blinked.

She had been so distracted by Feore she had not realized that Quenya had woken. The Devish girl was looking right at her, concern radiating through the Force.

Avaryss found herself wondering how much of her conversation that the former Jedi had heard.

Did it really matter?

Who knew what Quenya would think of what had passed between the two Sith.

The Devish say up and removed her sunglasses, when she looked at Avaryss her dull yellow eyes radiated a sense of…awe…and confusion.

What was this now? The young Sith wondered.

"The old man is being wrong," she said, "You are not being expendable. You are being our leader. You are being a hero of the Empire."

Avaryss smiled.

"I'm surprised to hear you say that, given our history.

The alien girl shrugged.

"You told me that I am needing to decide what it is that I want. If I'm to be surviving among you and yours, I suspect that you are being right about that. I am being curious thought; I am having a question, if you are being willing to indulge me."

"I'm willing," Avaryss said, "Ask your question."

The Devish nodded.

"What is it that you are wanting, Master Avaryss? What is it that is driving you?"

Avaryss almost laughed at that.

The girl's use of the term master was not entirely accurate, but she allowed it. She was not Quenya's master, but she was guiding her.

Once she became a full lord, that would likely change.

"What do I want," Avaryss said, "A great many things, dear Quenya."

"Please be telling me about them."

Avaryss shrugged.

"I wish to be a lord," she began, "I want to become a full Darth one day. I wish to become one of the most powerful Sith in the galaxy, and the most powerful sorceress in the Empire. I wish to see the Empire endure and become everything that I believe it can become. I wish…"

Avaryss stopped right there. She had almost said that she wished to sit on the Imperial Throne. Such words were not smart to speak out loud. Despite being absence from public life, the Emperor was all-powerful and all knowing. Too many Sith had perished over the years believing that he was not, and that he could not see the lust for power in their hearts.

She was not ready to take the risk, even here on Nal Hutta. The very moment she said the words aloud meant that she was committed to grand treason. As long as the Emperor lived and reigned, she could not afford to speak those words.

The Emperor was immortal, or so the Sith believed, to throw him off would mean to prove that belief wrong. She found herself thinking about her vision, her as a very old woman, sitting on the throne.

Could it be that the Emperor was not as immortal or as invulnerable as she had been raised to believe?

Did she dare take that risk?

Maybe it was her Imperial upbringing, either that or simply the tales that she had heard whispered about the Emperor since she was a baby in the cradle.

Whatever it was, she remained cautious.

If it was her destiny to rule, the Force would guide her to where she needed to be.

"I wish for my star to rise," she finally said, "I want what is best for the Empire, and for me."

And if I'm what makes the Empire the best, so be it, she left unsaid.

She loved the Empire.

Who better to rule it one day?

The Devish girl nodded, Avaryss could not say if she truly understood, but it was coming to that understanding that made things so important.

Understanding one's desires were the first step on the dark path.

"You have been surprising me, master Avaryss," Quenya said, "I thought we were all being dead when Vogga the Hutt had us surrounded. Yet, you were wise enough to find us a way out of this, without killing anyone."

"Knowing when not to use your power is almost as important as knowing how to use it," she replied, "Rule is not always about being heavy handed."

"Exactly," the Devish girl said smiling, "I am thinking that your master is not understanding that about you. I was always being told that the Sith were animals, that they always turned their thoughts inward, thinking only about themselves."

"The Sith are not the only ones who care about the power they wield," she informed the girl, "Think back about what we have seen here. If this conspiracy we are investigating is being led by a Jedi, do you think that such a movement is completely motivated by selflessness, or are these Jedi thinking about themselves seeking to ensure that their power does not slip away as the Empire rises."

"There is being wisdom in what you say," Quenya admitted.

She smiled again.

"You are not being what I thought you were. You can be cruel, but it is not being the only thing that you are. You are protecting those that fight beside you, and do not think to be wasting the lives under your command."

I don't wish to break my own tools, Avaryss thought, but did not say that to Quenya.

If what she believed help bring the girl along to her side, so much the better.

Let her believe what she wished, as long as it kept her going down the dark path, eventually she would not be able to stop.

Eventually, she would not wish to stop.

"I am starting to think that you might be what is right for the Empire. The Sith are being about emotion, yes? You draw on your power for strength, why cannot be positive emotions that you draw on?"

"An interesting question," Avaryss agreed, in fact it was something she had considered herself…once.

"Anger and hate are strong emotions, easily turned into power.

"And in dealing with enemies useful, by why can it not be that positive emotions can be used when dealing with allies? Love, comradery, are these not being passions as well? Could it not be possible to use those emotions? Could you not being turning to those as a source of power?"

Avaryss listened, and found herself surprised by what she was hearing. In many ways, Quenya was mimicking the early feelings of Keera Lylos. Before Avaryss had faced her first trial of blood, she had believed that her love for her family and her desire to see Darth Feer punished would be the driving force in her life.

Eventually she was taught to disregard such thoughts, rage and vengefulness had drew her deeper down the dark path. What Keera Lylos had thought seemed foolish.

And now, here was Quenya repeating the same ideas. Perhaps the girl thought that she could change Avaryss, and through her the Empire?

You can use this, the darkness whispered.

If the Devish believes you are working to reform the Empire, to move it away from the power of anger and hate, why not play that game? In time she will come around, just as Keera did…

…In time, she will come to see the folly of such sentiment.

Avaryss almost smiled, she had been questioning her decision to bring the girl along, now she knew that her instincts had been right.

The girl was coming along, she just needed to tread carefully and guide her down the familiar path.

She would come around, and then…the darkside would claim a new disciple.

"Anything is possible," she said with a shrug, "Perhaps you are right Quenya, perhaps…I could try, and in doing so make the Empire a better place.

The Devish grinned.

"Then you are having my support," she said, "I will be following you, aiding you, and together…we shall be bringing positive change to the Empire."

Avaryss laughed.

"Careful there Quenya," she said, "Such ambitions could lead to the dark side."

The alien girl smirked.

"How can one advance without ambition, with their being some desire to succeed?"

"Well said," Avaryss nodded, "Well said indeed."

"It is what will be making me a hero, yes?

"Yes," the young Sith agreed.

Quenya was coming along fine it seemed. She wanted to be a hero, Avaryss could use that.

It would draw her deeper down the dark path, that desire would eventually turn into obsession, and then…the dark side would have her.

And if not a hero, she thought privately, basking in the growing darkness within her companion.

It will make you mine.

Avaryss was eager to see that day arrive.

One step closer to making the girl my servant, and the more servants she gained, the greater her powerbase would be.

Feore was wrong,

I'm not expendable Warmaster, she thought, my power is growing, and soon you will see, you and my master.

She smiled slightly.

They would all see…they would see…

…and they would tremble.