Chapter 48: The Head of the Snake
I gave you a chance old man, now…you die.
Avaryss leapt as the old Jedi flipped and spun around her. She was not sure how but the man had somehow found his second wind.
Now he was once again back on the attack, his blade driving her back, his attacks as crisp and fierce as they had been when the two had first begun this dance.
It does not matter, Avaryss thought, he can't keep this up forever, and even if he could, I will match him move for move, both youth and power are on my side.
She grinned hungrily.
The old man would not survive this.
"Kill him Avaryss! Kill the Jedi NOW!"
Darth Feer egged her on from the Jedi's dwelling. She could feel her master's excitement in watching the fight…and…his displeasure.
What, does he want, she thought, does he think this is easy? I'm fighting for my life here.
If he wants the old fool dead so badly, let him join his blade to mine. Then we will see how long the Jedi filth lasts
That…was not going to happen, she knew her master well enough to know that.
This is your test, my dear, not mine, he would have said.
I expect for you to pass it.
Still the Jedi leapt around her like a maddened gizka, and with each successful evasion, her master's displeasure continued to grow.
He is going to punish me, she realized.
NO!
NOT THAT!
NEVER AGAIN!
Her fury gave her just what she needed she managed to out maneuver the old fool. He had over extended, perhaps he had been eager to end it. Perhaps he realized that his strength was fading again.
She took full advantage.
"Kill him. Avaryss," Feer shouted.
"Kill him NOW!"
What do you think I'm doing master, she wanted to spit back, but held her tongue.
She brought her blade around, the Jedi tried to back pedal, but was too slow.
Her blade found his heart; it punched through his chest, skewering him like a roller fish on a harpoon.
The Jedi's blade fell from his grasp, she could hear, him trying to breathe, the croaking rattle of a dying man.
She grinned triumphantly.
I got you, you old fool. I got you and now…"
"Keera?"
She blinked.
What?
What had the old fool said?!
It was at that moment, with the Jedi spitted on her lightsaber that she finally got a good look at him, at the face that had been all but hidden beneath that hood.
No, she thought.
Oh no!
She turned off her blade and a fell to his knees before her; he looked up at her, a look of confusion on his handsome face.
It was not Master Venari she had been fighting.
It was not Master Venari that she had killed.
"Keera," Fenn Shadowstone said his eyes wide with both fear and betrayal.
"Why?" he gasped as he fell at her feet. He was dying, slipping away, but still he held her gaze, refusing to look away.
"Why," repeated.
"Why?"
She swallowed hard.
She had no answer.
"No," she murmured.
She could feel him slipping away.
"NO!"
She was at his side. She pulled him into her arms. She could feel his life slipping away. She held him close to her, her dream friend, the only person that truly understood.
Despite the differences that had developed between them…she still hoped that they could find common ground. That in time he would come to see the galaxy the way she did. That he would…
She shook her head.
Now was not the time to think of what might be, focus on what was.
I can fix this, she thought, I can do this!
A spell can…
"What do you think you are doing apprentice?"
Darth Feer stood over her, his features hidden by a heavy black cloak.
She could hear the anger and disdain in his voice.
"What do you think you are doing?!"
She snarled with barely contained fury.
Damn you, she thought.
Look at what you made me do?!
She acted without thought, with barely realizing what was going on.
Her sword was in her hands, she whirled on her master, her blade coming around, striking at his head in lethal arc.
It never had the chance to find its mark.
He caught her mid-leap, his hand tightening around her throat.
She coughed amazed by his speed.
He is still a master, she realized.
She should have never tried to push this, not yet, but she had.
Now…all she could do was win.
She tried to struggle but it was no use, his huge hand was like a vice.
She blinked.
Huge hands? Huge crimson hands?!
She gasped her red eyes widening in disbelief.
It was not Darth Feer who had been egging her on. It was not her master that had been growing more and more displeased with her performance.
Two golden eyes glared out at her from beneath the cowl of a very familiar hooded cloak.
"You disappoint me my love," Fehl growled at her as he tightened his grip.
"You disappoint me…greatly."
Avaryss had no words!
It…it could not be.
It couldn't.
She struggled to talk.
"Fehl…my love…I…URK!"
His fingers continued to tighten, cutting off both her words and her breath.
The large pure-blood sneered.
"You have forgotten me," he spat.
She shook her head no.
"You have," he said glaring at her, "You took everything that was mine, and now you have forgotten about me, are trying to replace me?
He pointed down at Fenn's body.
"You want to replace me, with that!"
"No", she wanted to say, "Fehl…my darling…you don't understand!"
She wanted to tell him about Fenn, what they had shared as children. She wanted to tell him that he was wrong, he was her darkest knight; he was the one she wanted in her life and in her bed. He was the one she wanted to rule at her side.
Yet all she could do was gurgled pathetically.
He sneered at her.
"You are a liar, Avaryss," Fehl spat, "You lie to both me and yourself."
Fehl pulled down his hood.
She gasped in horror at what she saw.
Fehl's handsome pure blood features were no longer handsome. They were marred by both pain and death.
His crimson skin had turned a dark pink, the fleshy tendrils that had hung so elegantly from his jaw were as dead and limp as dry grass. His hair had fallen out leaving a peeling dead skin. She might have been wrong but she thought she could see his skull poking through his withered scalp. The worse thing was his eyes. They were the only part of Fehl that appeared truly alive.
They blazed with hatred and anger, and now…all that hatred and anger was directed at her.
No, Fehl, she wanted to sob
No.
He smiled at her, his lips were crusty, bloody, and peeling, small holes had opened in his cheeks, weeping fluid and showing his dark black gums.
"Kiss me, my love," he chortled, "I've missed you so."
She struggled as he pulled her closer, she could smell death on him, the scent terrified her more than any wounds his body had. She tried to raise her blade, but it had fallen from her hand.
She thought she heard something crack in her neck. She sobbed.
No.
Please no.
Fehl!
No.
He held her tightly, one hand around her throat, another around her waist, crushing her to him.
Crushing her…period.
"You are mine", he said, "You always will be."
His grin widened.
"We belong together. We belong dead."
His grip tightened.
We're dead", he purred, pulling her lips to his.
"You're dead."
NO!
IOI
Avaryss' eyes snapped open; she struggled against whatever was digging into her waist. Her breath whispered through a ventilator mask.
Her eyes widened with horror.
For the briefest of moments she thought she was back on Korriban, back in her weakest state, back to being force to wear a respirator mask and stumble her way down the dark path.
The air she breathed tasted of kolto, the scent of it made her stomach roil. It was a taste and scent she had come to despise during her time as a student.
It was the taste and smell of weakness.
Was it any wonder that she had come to despise it, and fear its return?
Panic seized her; she struggled trying to rip the mask off her face.
Something stabbed her in the back of the neck, a feeling of warmth ran down her body.
Panic faded and in its place was apathy, warm gentle apathy.
She did not want to struggle, she simply wanted to float and drift away.
It was in that moment that she realized where she was.
Bubbles floated past her face, coming from her air mask. She stared out through a wall of glass; the world outside was blurry, but not so blurry that she did not recognize her own medical bay. The mask she wore was not like the respirator the medical droids back on Korriban had installed, it was too small, too…breakable.
It was an oxygen mask, the type used in submersion therapy.
That was why everything smelled of kolto, why her movements were so sluggish.
No wonder I can't move, she realized.
I'm floating in a kolto tank.
I must have been injured…badly injured.
She sighed.
It did not matter now, nothing mattered.
She was floating.
That…was what was important.
It was the only thing that was.
She thought she saw someone moving outside the tank, but did not have the desire to call attention to herself.
She was drifting away, floating away on a cloud of sweet pain killers.
She closed her eyes.
Things were confused; right now all she wanted to do was sleep.
She would make sense of what was going on later.
For now she simply wanted to rest.
Yes.
Rest was good.
IOI
The next time her eyes opened, her head was clear, no nightmares reached out to drag her back down into their depths. No one she loved tried to attack her or curse her for a fool.
We belong dead.
Those words still echoed through her mind; that and the feel of cold dead lips on hers.
Avaryss' eyes narrowed as she stared out from the tank. She shook her head, trying to clear away the last of the cobwebs, the last strands of the horrible nightmare.
Fehl was gone, at least…until she brought him back, and when she did it would not be as a corpse.
She would succeed, that was part of her path to power. She just had to have the strength to endure.
All power comes at a price, she thought, nightmares are part of that price.
To achieve her goals, she was more than willing to pay it.
A red light flashed off to her right, she noticed a sudden change, bubbles filled the space around her, as the kolto that she was floating in began to drain, the level dropping away from her head.
She did not try to move until her feet touched the bottom, until the blowers dried her pale skin, and made sure that all the remaining kolto was now in the reclamation vats, that it was being processed so that it could be used again. She removed the air mask as the front of the tank finally opened. Beric and 2V-R9 awaited her release.
She smiled at the two.
"A welcoming committee for me," she said dryly, "You shouldn't have."
She took one step, and almost fell flat on her face.
Beric was there to catch her. She wrapped her arms around him, offering up a rare show of affection between them.
"Easy, Keera," he murmured, "Don't push yourself."
He gave her a wry smile.
"I would not want to take command again so soon."
She snorted at that.
"Are we away from the planet then?" she asked, "Where are we?"
"In hyperspace, on our way back to Sith territory, I can't say for certain if the Jedi had any means of calling for help, but I felt it best to be away quickly, just in case."
Avaryss nodded.
It had been a wise decision on her brother's part.
She had not sensed any other Jedi on the planet, but she was reasonably sure that his death was noted in the Force. She had certainly felt it; she could only imagine what the Jedi who had known the old man had felt.
Let their pain flow through the Force, she thought; Let them all know of this Sith victory.
"Any problems with our getaway?" she asked.
Beric frowned.
"Your HK droid almost got left behind," he informed her, "After you were injured it decided to go back towards the village. I ordered him to come aboard, but he informed me that I was not his master, and that the meat bags needed to answer for your injuries."
Her brother shook his head.
"It took me telling him over the comm that he was going be left behind before he finally came back."
Avaryss pursed her lips.
"I will speak with him, inform him that if I've been rendered unconscious on a mission that you speak with my voice. He will not disobey you again."
"Thanks, it will make things easier moving forward. I do think the droid was worried that you would not be happy with him. He returned with several trophies…gifts for you."
"What gifts? She asked.
Beric showed her.
Avaryss smiled.
Two Jedi lightsabers sat in her brother's hands, that and a familiar looking medallion.
It was the one that the Jedi Master had been wearing.
She almost laughed.
Perhaps she would not be as cross with HK as she would have normally.
His choice of gifts pleased her.
He would still need to obey Beric if she was ever injured again, but still…
...The droid had done well.
Beric helped her over to the medical bed. She laid down on the cold surface while 2V-R9 activated the medical scanners, making sure that her healing was as complete as it could be.
The droid's presence…surprised her.
Since she had begun her missions, she had seen little of the servant droid. He seemed to take great pains to stay out of her way, or avoid her entirely. Such a reaction was not surprising; after all, Two-Vee had been programmed with standard Sith operating protocols, which meant he existed in almost constant fear of being disassembled for any minor slight.
He need not have worried; Avaryss had grown beyond such petty amusements. Why spend her time thrashing a droid when she had real enemies, when she had crossed swords with actual Jedi…
…Next to that, there was little to no pleasure in destroying her servant droid.
Plus she would not do that to Holli. If she did decide to have a tantrum and destroy the droid, it would have fallen to their engineer to repair him. The changeling had enough on her plate, Avaryss would not add to it unnecessarily.
She looked up at the droid who was currently fiddling with a data pad.
"How am I doing Too-Vee?" she asked, "Am I fully recovered?"
He nearly dropped the pad, his optical glowed brighter.
"You…are now fully functional again master," he said quickly, not wishing to risk her ire.
"Given the damage you sustained, you must truly be a fortunate organic."
"How bad was I hurt?"
The droid rattled off a series of medical jargon that she did not really understand, but as he did her memory of what had happened after her battle with Master Venari came back to her. As the Force and adrenaline from her fight had ebbed away intense pain had set in. She only just reached her recovering crew when she all but collapsed at their feet. She remembered Beric speaking to her, but could not recall what he had said.
The next thing she knew she was in his arms while the shadow of their ship passed overhead.
"You took a nasty cut in your side, Beric informed her, "Damaged some of your vital organs, worse was the cut on your leg, your right foot had been almost severed with a lightsaber."
Her brother shuddered.
"The only thing that probably saved it was your boot."
Avaryss looked down at her leg; there was now a bright red scar on her ankle right where her foot met her leg.
I thought I only sprained it, that I came down wrong after I jumped.
She shook her head.
Praise the Emperor for modern medicine.
She could feel her brother's eyes on her body, or rather the scarring that she had acquired in the last three years.
"The life of a Sith apprentice is not an easy one," she said dismissively, "You succeed or you perish, that is the way of things."
He nodded, but it was clear from what she was feeling that he did not entirely understand.
He likely never would.
"How long have I been out?" she asked.
"Ten point five hours," the droid informed her, "It took that long to stabilize your injuries and get you into the tank."
"Two-Vee was able to treat the wound in your side, a lightsaber cauterizes as it cuts so the damage was contained, though it was touch and go on the foot; we thought we might have to take you to a medical station, perhaps for a cybernetic replacement."
She wiggled the toes on the injured foot; there was a slight numbness, but no pain.
She looked at the droid and smiled.
"Well done, Two-Vee," she said, "You have served your master well."
"I'm pleased to having done so master, no one wishes to be dismembered, a fact we Two-Vee models understand too well."
His comment intrigued her, were her fellow Sith that hard on their servant droids?
Beric handed her a robe to which she was grateful, a few moments later Rink found his way into the medical bay, his usual cocky grin on his face.
"So," he said dryly, "This is what it looks like when a Sith defeats a high Jedi Master?"
"No," Avaryss replied, "This is what it looks like when a Sith barely survives a fight with a High Jedi Master and two of his flunkies."
She shook her head.
She should have expected treachery, Jedi were a duplicitous as they were arrogant.
She would not make such a mistake again.
Report, Mister Rink," she said, "Have we had any news from home?"
"From House Feer, we have heard nothing," he said, "They probably have other matters to tend to."
Rink was not wrong, she thought, Despite refusing Lady Synestra's recall order, it was highly likely that her master and Feore continued to be engaged in whatever was going on in the Zahn system.
She found herself thinking about the vision she had had of her master back on the planet. She remembered sensing his fear, and the creatures that had been attacking him.
Perhaps I should head for the Zahn system, see if I'm needed.
"You had a call while you were out," Rink continued, "That Dark Lord, the one you contacted regarding the Jedi. He said for you to make contact with him as soon as you were back on your feet."
Avaryss cursed under her breath.
She would have rather not had Baras know that she had been injured, still…nothing to do about that now.
She slid off the table and teetered unsteadily on her feet, Beric was there once again to steady her, to which she was most grateful.
"I will speak with him now," she informed Rink, "History is on the march, my friends, and those that cannot keep up with be left behind."
She made her way unsteadily down the corridor.
She had done what Baras had wanted, and gained further information on the conspiracy.
She was eager to see Baras' reaction to what she had learned from Venari.
This threat to the Empire had gone on for too long.
It was time to end it.
IOI
"It is pleasing to see you recovered, youngster," Baras said his amusement rippling through the Force.
"It would have been a shame for the Empire to lose such a loyal servant."
"I'm hard to kill, Lord Baras," she replied, "And I'm also use to being rewarded for a successful mission. Master Venari is no more; you owe me what you know about Xen Loor and Sy Dar Bynn."
She smiled broadly.
"I trust you have something useful for me."
"I think you will find this most useful, young one," the old Sith replied, if he took offense to her demand he did not show it. Perhaps he was still trying to cultivate her as an ally…?
If so she was willing to play along.
You are a means to an end, old man, no more, no less, she thought. No doubt Baras thought the same of her, but in that at least, they shared common ground.
We both want what is in our best interest. The fact that it benefits the Empire as well is just icing on the cake.
She smiled.
She had no problem with the dark lord seeking to feather his own nest at her expense, why not? She was more than willing to do the same.
She listened closely as Baras told her what he had learned about the Jedi Master and his Padawan, with luck…it would give her some idea on how best to strike next.
"Sy Dar Bynn has long been an ally of the Republic Senate. He has served as a personal adviser to several of their Chancellors, and serves as a member of several Senate committees," Baras began, "He has also often worked to sway the Jedi Council on matters that the Senate deem to be…within the Jedi sphere of influence. His record suggests that he values the opinion of those in power far more than the members of the Jedi Council."
Avaryss nodded. What she was hearing reinforced what she had learned from Brandol Venari, and helped explain why a Jedi might choose to work against his vaunted code.
"So he is more politician than a warrior?"
"Some might say that," Baras agreed, "He was not often seen on the battlefield during the last war, choosing to remain behind on Coruscant where he was close to his allies in the Republic government. He was apparently on Coruscant when the Jedi Temple was sacked. My sources tell me that he was not there himself, and that he was among the loudest voices against the treaty, though he quickly changed his tune when he realized that he did not have the support of his allies. It is said that he was a member of the Republic delegation that signed the treaty. Of course, that does not mean that he completely abandoned his former stance. Everything that I've seen suggests that he never truly accepted the peace, and never believed that it would last, and, since that time, has worked diligently with various Republic agencies to ensure that such an attack will not be possible again."
She smiled.
"Do you count the Republic SIS among those agencies, my lord?"
"I do," he said with a nod, "I take it you believe that Sy Dar Bynn is the mastermind behind all our recent troubles?"
"Master Venari suggested as much. I do not think he expected me to live long enough to tell anyone else about that, so I doubt that he was lying."
Baras snorted.
"Typical Jedi arrogance," he spat, "I've seen similar behavior in other Jedi that I've encountered."
"Like Noman Karr?" she asked.
She felt a chill through the Force, she could not see Baras' face, but knew that he was frowning.
Clearly, that was a name he did not like being reminded of.
"He is one such Jedi, yes," Baras agreed, "But he is far from the only one."
Avaryss moved quickly to change the subject, not wanting to further anger the dark lord.
I did throw him off balance though, she thought, that always was useful when dealing with someone more powerful.
"What do you know about Xen Loor?" Avaryss asked, "Any reason why she might be so willing to violate the Jedi Code?"
"Xen Loor is seen as something of a hero by the Jedi Order," Baras informed her, "She is one of the few who survived our assault on the Jedi temple, and with the aid of some fellows saved the lives of many Jedi younglings."
Baras radiated distaste at the girl's act. "The whole point of the mission in the temple had been to cripple the order, which included the death of all the future Jedi."
"They even gave the girl and her allies a pet name, referring to them as the 'Padawan Pack.'"
Avaryss blinked.
The Padawan Pack?
Fenn's group?
The realization should not have been so surprising.
So, she realized, Xen Loor was a friend of Fenn's. The realization brought up emotions that she had not expected.
She imagined the two of them in the dark tunnels beneath Coruscant, frightened and alone. She imagined the girl touching his arm, looking for support…for comfort.
Jealousy blazed through her unbidden, had the girl been standing beside her, she likely would have ended up missing a head.
"Is something wrong, youngster," Baras inquired, "You look…distracted.
She cursed silently, and did her best to restore her mental shields.
"It is nothing, my lord, merely a lingering pain from my now healed injuries."
She put on a bland face.
"Tell me more about this Padawan Pack."
"As I said, the Jedi view them as heroes, though it is interesting to note that only three of the five leaders chose to remain in the order after the treaty was signed."
Baras chuckled.
"Perhaps they did not feel themselves worthy of the acclaim they had earned."
Avaryss remembered what Fenn had told her, about the anger and sense of betrayal that he had felt when they emerged from the lower levels to discover that the Jedi had given up on the war. She also remembered the clumsy attack that the Jedi girl had used when she had killed the men on the listening post.
Avaryss smiled.
Fenn had learned to work through his rage. Master Jas had helped him deal with it. If this Xen shared such emotions, perhaps she was more useful than she realized.
An idea began to form in the young Sith's mind. It was delicious, and perhaps not easily pulled off, but if she did.
She could topple the entire conspiracy in a matter of days!
Sy Dar Bynn was no fool; everything she had seen up to this point suggested that. He had organized his conspiracy into cells. She had managed to destroy several of those, but that was not enough. She could spend the next ten years clearing out Sy Dar Bynn's allies, and she doubted that the Empire had that kind of time. As soon as the Jedi realized what was going on, he would intensify his attacks. The ambitions of her fellow Sith, and the lack of guidance from the Emperor, would be all the Jedi would need to see his goal accomplished, namely, the collapse of the Empire itself.
No, she could not risk it. The longer this went on the more danger the Empire was in.
She was tired of chasing the tail of this particular snake. The time has come to strike at the head.
Cut off the head, and the body would die.
"I have another favor to ask of you, my lord," she said, "One that will serve both us and the Empire as a whole."
"And what might that be, child?" he inquired.
"Why…the chance to be a hero of course, and all the glory and prestige that go with it, and best of all, you will not have to lift a finger to earn it."
The Dark Lord scratched his chin.
"You have my attention," he admitted, "What is it you would have me do?"
"I'm guessing from what you have told me that you have agents close to both the Senate and Jedi. I want you to pass a message to Master Sy Dar Bynn. Let him know who it is that has been pursuing his agents so doggedly, and more important, the location where that person might be found."
Baras chuckled.
"You wish to call the man out?"
"I wish to offer him an opportunity to eliminate a thorn that has been poking him. If he values his plans, so much, he might just decide to come and deal with the matter himself."
"Or he could just send five SIS commando teams to simply wipe you out."
"Which is why we should stage this…encounter in Hutt space," she suggested, the Hutt's neutrality treaty should be enough to ensure the Jedi does not pull anything too…cute."
"And what makes you think that he will come himself?"
"The knowledge that the one he is looking for killed his master," she grinned, "If he is willing to violate the code over the sacking of Coruscant, what would he do to the one who killed his former teacher?"
Baras considered this, no doubt weighing the value of giving her what she wanted against the risk to himself and his organization.
Finally, he laughed.
"My agents will sing this song for you, girl, though you might not be glad that they did. Sy Dar Bynn is a crafty one. He may not dance to the tune you call, and if he does catch you by surprise…"
"If he does, than you are out nothing, Lord Baras," she reminded him, "But should I succeed, if I should behead the conspiracy…"
She grinned.
"What rewards would the dark council offer to the two Sith that managed to accomplish that, I wonder?"
"And what of Darth Feer, child," he asked, "Are you not going to consult your master? This plan may not be to his liking."
"He charged me with ending the conspiracy," she said, "When that goal is accomplished, I doubt that he will care how it was done, not when he stands to profit so from my victory. I'm his apprentice after all, where else would the rewards go but to my master?"
Yet at the same time, she thought, everyone knows that my master is already engaged with his own issues. When I succeed it will serve as the perfect springboard and introduction to the higher ups in the Empire. Who knows, maybe even the dark council will take notice of my ingenuity?
And it will all be mine, Feer will be commended, but the victory will be mine.
My dear master will not be able to take that from me.
Finally, Baras nodded.
"I will put the words into the right ears," he promised, "Sy Dar Bynn will know your name, and what you have done."
The Dark Lord stood straighter.
"I would gird myself if I were you child. Do not underestimate Sy Dar Bynn. The man is a slippery one. If he has anticipated this move, he might have something already planned."
"Let him try," she said, "I destroyed his master, he will remember that."
"I'm sure he will," Baras agreed, "You should lay low while my agents do their work. If you do not hear from me, you will likely hear from Sy Dar Bynn directly, from there you will be free to carry out your plan as you see fit."
"Thank you, Lord Baras," she said bowing slightly, "Once again you have proven yourself a friend of both the order and the Empire."
The Dark Lord laughed.
"Your pleasantries are wasted on me; girl, but I do appreciate your words. May the Force serve you well, youngster."
"And you as well, my lord," she said bowing again, "Long live the Empire!"
"Indeed, young one," he said.
"Long Live the Empire!"