Chapter 59: Connection

She was lost in darkness.

That was how it felt to the girl; the shadow had embraced her, filling her veins with heat and emptiness.

This cannot be, she thought.

She had given up her fear of the darkness years ago; she had embraced it with all its power.

So why was it trying to swallow her up?

Why was it trying to drown her?

She struggled against it, trying to take in the power again, tried to remember who and what she was. Again it left her head spinning, again she felt like she was being consumed; that nothing would be left if didn't stop.

A sob escaped her lips.

It can't end this way.

It can't…

I still have so much to do.

The shadow tightened its grip on her; it was almost painful now, squeezing her like a vice, or some jungle snake just waiting to devour her.

She only just contained the whimper that tried to escape her throat. Her choices had become a garrote around her neck.

Though it was both galling and shaming, she did something she had sworn long ago never to do.

…she cried out.

Help me, somebody! Help me!

The darkness did not care for her cries.

It continued to try and crush her. It continued…

"This is not your end."

The voice rose up around her; it was as cold as the void of space and just as pitiless.

She tried to grasp it, to pull herself out of this morass, and find her way towards it.

There was no need, it wanted to be heard.

"Your line will not end here," the voice proclaimed, "You are the first step on a long journey, you will not end here, you cannot end here."

Through the darkness, she thought she saw a cold blue light. She reached out to it through the Force, trying to pull herself out of the void, trying to find her way to safety.

She found herself drawn to it, the voice pulling her out of nothingness like it was a tether.

For one brief moment she was able to see what it was, and who had spoken.

An old man in a black hooded robe stood before a brazier. He whispered a Sith spell as he looked into the flames, his yellow eyes blazing beneath the shadow of his cowl.

He did not look at the girl, he did not need to.

From where he was, he could no doubt see everything!

The Force had become his eyes; the dark side was merely a lens, a way to see all.

"Lord Avaryss," the old man murmured.

The girl blinked…she…she knew that name!

"RISE!"

The girl was flung back, or maybe she was pulled, she gasped as the universe itself seemed to spin away from her, and carried her with it, picking up speed, faster and faster she flew.

It was too much…too much.

She tried to cry out, and then…

Everything…stopped.

The girl gasped as she emerged from the darkness. The return left he breathless, she lay gasping where she had landed.

It took a few moments to reorient herself, to reorder her thoughts and make sense of the world again.

The girl blinked.

What? She wondered.

Where am I?

She was lying face down on a long sandy beach. Behind her the waters of a large lake lapped gently against the shore, no waves moved across its dark surface, all was calm. A gentle breeze tussled her hair, while a group of small two legged lizards watched her from an old log, chittered excitedly.

The girl groaned and sat up. She no longer felt like was being crushed, the heat that had threatened to consume her had abated, leaving her feeling…confused.

She regarded the strange animals to her right, long necked with short stubby arms and long tails for balance. Though no bigger than a felinx they possessed sharp beaks, beaks that seemed made for tearing flesh.

The girl shuddered.

Carrion eaters she thought, perhaps they had come to claim her body; perhaps they thought she was dead.

She hissed and shook her head.

Sorry to disappoint you," grumbled at the beasts.

"I'm not dead, yet."

She tried to stand only to be taken down by a sense of vertigo, the lizard-things hooted and chittered excitedly, but made no move to attack.

She glared at them, wishing she had a rock to throw.

Pests!

She looked around her, trying to figure out what had happened, and where she was. The sand beneath her was crimson dotted with smooth grey stones, the land around her looked both rocky and desolate, white fluffy clouds moved across the orange sky as a sun set in the distance.

A peaceful world she thought, but not too peaceful, she could sense the darkness here, its power was…muted, but it was here.

She crawled to the lake, her throat was dry, and it would feel nice to splash some cold water on her face, perhaps even slake her thirst. She went to scoop up a handful but stopped when her senses touched the water.

Not safe, the Force seemed to scream.

Not safe.

She yanked her hand back quickly.

Not safe.

The lake appeared tranquil, but she could sense the power within, the water had an oily, venomous feeling.

She stopped herself.

She would not be drinking any of that water, she would…

It was at that moment that she finally saw her reflection, the waters here were calm, and offered a mirror like surface.

She stifled a gasp.

What in the Emperor's name?!

The face that stared back at her belonged to a ghost, it looked familiar, but was not the reflection she knew. The girl's skin was tanned and freckled; her cheeks were pink with a healthy glow. Her eyes were blue and bright, sharp and daring.

Not my face, the girl thought.

That…that isn't me.

She pursed her lips. A name came to them unbidden, a name that was more of a curse than anything else to her.

"Keera Lylos," she whispered.

The girl's name had been Keera Lylos.

But that made no sense!

She had not been Keera Lylos for a very long time. She had given up that name; that face, long ago. Abandoning her past had been a part of her training.

As she looked down into the water, saw Keera' face staring back at her, she grew angry.

She snarled and slammed her fist down into the water, again and again. The face disappeared in the ripples, becoming distorted, but still remained to taunt her.

"I'm not you," she hissed, "You're dead!"

She crawled away from the water, wishing to be anywhere but there at that moment.

"Leave me alone," she spat morosely.

Just…leave me alone.

One of the lizards bounded up to her, and just barely avoided being kicked. The little animal jumped back, and chittered angrily at her.

The girl closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath.

"I'm not Keera Lylos, she murmured, "I'm not."

She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, willing her anger to rise.

"My name…is Avaryss. I am a Sith, I chose to become a Sith. The Dark Council promised me a lordship of my own. Keera is gone. Keera is dead.

She took a deep and cleansing breath.

"My name is Avaryss, and I will not be denied."

"Keera?"

Hearing that name was enough to make her snap her head around, ready to punish whoever dared intrude on her privacy, to see her in such a state of weakness.

Fenn Shadowstone stood a few feet away. Her dream friend was not wearing the garb of the Jedi; he was dressed simply in a pair of trousers and a brown leather vest.

Seeing him so, it made the anger in her heart retreat.

She felt…only relief.

She at last understood some of what was going on.

I'm not really here, she realized, where ever here is. If Fenn is here, that means only one thing.

This is a dream, she thought.

I'm dreaming.

She took a shuddering breath and nodded.

"Hello, Fenn," she said managing a weak smile.

"It is good to see you again.

The Jedi Padawan did not respond with words, he went to her side and offered her his hand. She took it and allowed him to help her back to her feet. She feared that the vertigo might take her again. But this time it did not.

They walked together, he held her up, one hand on her arm, the other on the small of her back, steadying her.

She was grateful for his help, and felt stronger because of it.

Interesting.

Being here, being in the presence of her old friend had a calming effect on her. She could feel it, their mutual connection, she drew strength from it, strength that allowed her to stand up, and not give into the weakness that had bound her only a few moments ago.

"Are you okay," he asked, "You look…different."

She sniffed indignantly.

"Is there something wrong with the way I look usually?"

The boy's eyes widened.

"NO! Never…it…it is just."

He managed a sheepish smile.

"You look nice."

Avaryss looked down, the clothes she was wearing were familiar to her, or rather…to Keera.

She shook her head.

She would be wearing this, wouldn't she?

The shirt was light green and cut just so to expose her mid-drift, the matching skirt was long, with a dark blue sash binding it at her waist. The outfit had been a gift from her mother, after she had noticed her eldest daughter staring at it during a trip to the village of Orid one day. For years Mya Lylos had tried to get her daughter to dress…well…more like a lady. As a child, Keera had always been a bit of tom boy. She had always preferred the company of her father and older brother to that of her mother and little sisters.

Her taste in clothes had never been fancy. She had been perfectly content to wear her chore clothes or the overalls that were the norm for farm kids on Oridanna. Right before she turned fourteen her mother had spotted her eyeing the outfit in a store window. Mya Lylos must have hoped that her little girl's tastes were finally changing, that she was finally taking an interest in being a lady.

She had tried to be coy when she got the clothes for her birthday. She had acknowledged that the outfit was pretty but held her excitement in check. She had not wanted to seem…well…she was not sure what she had not wanted to seem…excited…eager even?

Keera had never said it, but the outfit had intrigued her. Looking back she had not had the figure yet to truly stand out wearing it, she had not developed enough, yet, but…she had liked it, wondered what it would be like to dress so. Her father had not been pleased, but that was because it was Keera wearing it, Pamir would later wear something similar and he did not blink an eye.

Andur Lylos had been content for her to remain that way she was. Maybe he had known what her wearing such clothes would mean. He was not ready to face the fact that his little Blossom had become a young woman. He had not…

Stop it, the dark voice within growled; you've worked too hard to rid yourself of Keera and her weakness.

Do not give up now!

She took a deep breath and nodded.

Yes, she had worked hard.

She was not about to let Keera ruin it for her.

Still…Fenn seemed to like it.

Maybe it was worth being seen like this. Maybe being Keera again for a short while would help her reach him.

Their connection with the Force was strong, and it would likely grow stronger.

She nodded.

I can use that to my advantage.

She gave him a shy smile. The kind that Keera might have worn if complimented.

"You think I look nice?"

The boy blushed.

"Was…was that the wrong thing to say?"

"No," she said coyly.

"It I just nice to know that you're capable of noticing such a thing, I thought you Jedi denied your emotions."

"We try to keep them in check," he replied.

"That is not the same thing."

Oh," she said, trying to keep her voice as innocent as possible.

Again she looked around.

"What is this place? It seems familiar to you."

He nodded.

"This is Ambria," he informed her, "This is where Master Jas took me after Coruscant. He thought it a safe place to train, and help me deal with…well…to deal with what had happened."

Avaryss wrinkled her nose.

"It feels…strange here."

"Ambria is…different to say the least," He admitted, "Both the light and the dark side have held sway here. A Sith Sorcerer nearly destroyed it centuries ago, left the land tainted by some spell. The great Jedi Master Thon came here and did what he could to cleanse the darkness. He was never truly successful, but he was able to contain it."

"In the lake," Avaryss said.

Yes," he answered, "In the lake."

Now she knew why the water had felt so…familiar, so…menacing, though why she had not been able to revel in that power, to bask in it, was beyond her.

Was she still not part of the darkness?

"This place is…neutral territory, I suppose," he informed her, "Both the light and the dark have power here, so it is a place of sanctuary for either Jedi or Sith."

"And Master Jas brought you here," she was puzzled, "Wasn't he worried about you? Was he not afraid you might choose to step towards the darkness?"

"He was," Fenn replied, "But he also knew what I needed. I was so…angry after the sack; he thought that this place would help. I was not the first Jedi student to come here with doubts. In the old days they would journey here to Master Thon, he would help them."

Fenn smiled slightly.

"Thon trained many Jedi here. He trained Nomi Sunrider on the banks of this very lake. She would one day rise to the rank of Jedi Grand Master."

Avaryss did not know who that was, but did not need to.

A hero to the Jedi was an enemy to her.

Hearing Fenn talk about Jedi history reminded her of just how different they were. The two of them were truly from different worlds. His heroes were the villains in the stories she had heard, and hers were no doubt the same for him.

They should have had nothing in common. They should have been enemies in the purest sense of the word, but the connection between them was strong.

We are two sides of the same coin, she thought, light and dark, man and woman.

It was amazing that they could tolerate each other, much less feel comfortable together, and yet, there it was.

Fenn…he felt good, she felt better just being close to him.

Speaking of which…

She smiled.

"I can feel your touch," she said.

He stopped mid-step.

He looked down at his hands.

"You're right," he said, "I…I can feel you, your skin…it is soft."

He did not quite pull away, but his hand fell away from her back, the touch on her arm lessened.

She felt a surge of disappointment.

"We're…we're dreaming, right?" he said sounding confused.

"How is this even possible?"

"We have always had a connection Fenn," she reminded him, "Even when we did not understand what that meant, it was there."

She smiled.

"We might even be able to do this when we are awake one day. Such a connection might seem impossible, but not for us. Not if we continue to grow in the Force."

Her smile brightened.

"It…it is strange isn't it? This bond of ours, I've only heard of family having such strong connections, twins have been known to have it, but even they…"

She felt a slight shift. The mention of twins made him step back; she was confused for a moment, but only a moment.

Fenn took his hands away the two of them still stood on the shore of that lake but it seemed that a wall had gone up between them.

Damn it, she thought.

Why did she have to mention twins?

"What?" she demanded.

"Did I say something wrong?"

Fenn sighed.

"I was with Master Jas when he felt it," Fenn said coolly, "When his brother died, he sensed it."

"I see," she said, feeling defensive, "I take it that means that Master Jas knew what his brother was up to, yes?"

"He had his suspicions," Fenn admitted, "He only told me when he sensed his brother's end, which is when he told me everything, about what was happening and about what you told him. You said what you would do if you found the person behind the attacks on your people first."

"I warned him," she admitted.

She looked into her old friend's eyes, not liking what she saw there.

He will never understand, the darkness whispered, there is no point in even trying to make him understand.

And yet, she wanted to try.

She had to try.

"I will not apologize for doing my duty, Fenn."

"So you admit it," he said.

She nodded.

"So you killed Master Sy?"

"Was I there when he was killed? Yes. Did I swing the blade that killed him? No."

She sighed.

"I will not lose any sleep over his end," she said coolly, "And nor should you and Master Jas. I'm sorry that your master had to lose his brother, but for the good of my people, I did it."

She gave him a defiant look.

"As I said, I will not apologize for doing my duty, for defending my people."

"You could have done something else," he said.

"What else could I have done?"

"You could have reached out to me. I would have informed Master Jas, we would have done something, ended this without the need for any killing."

She shook her head.

Fenn might have been strong and handsome, but he was also being very naïve at that moment.

"You do acknowledge what Sy Dar Bynn was doing, yes? The man was trying to destabilize the Empire, his plots caused many deaths."

She pursed her lips.

"The man was violating the Treaty of Coruscant. He was a terrorist to us, and a traitor to your people. What kind of justice would the Jedi have given him for that? How would they punish him for trying to destroy my people?"

"He would have been taken before the council, and before the courts, he would have answered for what he had done."

"Do you truly believe that?"

"I do, we would have…"

"Let us focus on what might have happened," she said cutting him off, "Let's say that I contacted you. Let's say that you and your master managed to subdue his brother. How would the Jedi Council of responded to his actions?"

Fen fell silent, she could feel him thinking, feel his emotions churning.

There was no easy answer to her question.

"Now let us ask how the Republic would have responded. How would your courts viewed his actions? Would he have been punished, or would the powers that be decide that anyone working to ensure the weakening of the Sith Empire was too valuable to punish? Republic SIS was helping him, I saw their soldiers defending him."

Avaryss' eyes narrowed.

"What if Sy Dar Bynn had managed to talk his way out of what had happened? What if he convinced your Republic Senate to not only condone his actions, but to aid him in rebuilding? By himself, your Master's brother was a threat, with full Republic backing, he would have been even more so."

She shook her head.

"I was not about to let that terrorist talk his way out of his punishment."

She smiled slyly.

"Sy Dar Bynn died a cowering animal. He cared nothing for your order, or your Republic. All he wanted was to be a hero. He wanted to be a figure of legend. Tell me Fenn, is that truly the Jedi way?"

Her friend looked at her, she could sense the coldness radiating off him now. The two of them had never quarreled before, not until this moment.

She could feel his emotions. His anger at what she had done. Yet, at the same time he was shaken, he was not so blinded by his loyalty that he did not see that she had made some good points.

Sy Dar Bynn was her enemy; she made no excuses for destroying an enemy. He had stood in her way, and needed to be removed, the fact that she had won over Xen to her side had been just icing on the cake.

She said nothing of Xen Loor. She did not wish to confuse the matter further. Would Fenn understand his old friend's dark desires, would he understand why she chose to switch sides?

Did it really matter?

He sighed and shook his head.

"You could have done something else," he said, "You did not simply have to execute everyone."

She shrugged.

"Would you have done any different? If you discovered a group of Sith within your Republic working to destabilize the government, trying to cause a civil war, how would you respond to that? Would you have proceeded cautiously, or would you have done what needed to be done."

"I would have stopped them," he admitted.

"And what if you had known that they were friends of mine? What if they had been close to me? Would you still have done your duty?"

His eyes narrowed.

"I wouldn't have like it, but…"

"But you still would have acted," she said finishing his sentence.

She smiled.

"Doing ones duty is never easy, but it must be done. For what it is worth, Master Jas has my sympathies. I know what it is like to lose family, even when they are not worthy of the name, family is still family."

She shook her head.

"I respect your master, and I hope that he understands. His brother was unworthy of him, and he was unworthy of you, and of your order."

Fenn's hands were clenched into fists, she could feel his emotions.

He is not a fool. He knows that I'm right, I've never lied to him, and we have never lied to each other. The truth of this matter is inconvenient, but it is still the truth.

Sy Dar Bynn had to go.

She made no apologizes for that.

He looked about to turn away from her, she did not want that.

She reached out and put her hand on his arm, she could feel the corded muscle there, the smoothness of his sun warmed skin.

The sensation stirred her blood, it made her body warm.

"Stop," he murmured.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because we can't."

She smiled.

"All I did was touch your arm."

"It means more than that, and you know it."

"Does it?" she purred, "What exactly does it mean?"

He shook his head.

He would not say it, but he desired to touch her as much as she desired to touch him.

She…she had not felt like this in a long time. The lovers she had had in the last year had never made her feel like this. She and Fenn had never been intimate, but…

It had been like this with Fehl…once.

Thinking of her former love filled her with sorrow. She should have been heart broken, but she was not. Her heart was intact, and the reason why was standing in front of her, it had always been here.

She had just never realized until now.

"I've hurt you," she said, "I've hurt us."

He gave her a pained look.

"I think we have other things to worry about right now, don't you?"

She nodded.

"Terrog," she said, "Is that who you mean?"

Fenn nodded.

"That is the monster's name, yes. How do you know him?"

"He is my master's rival, and now he is my enemy."

"Why?" Fenn asked, "Did he hurt you?"

"He took something that I desired and he profaned it. That act was bad enough, but he has also destroyed an imperial world. He is going to answer for it. I will make sure that he answers for it."

"I see," her old friend said, "He destroyed a world in the Republic too. Then he sent a message to the Senate, informing both them and the order that he had found a way to make the Force…his. That he had found a way to decide who is worthy of its power and who is not."

"How will your council respond?"

"I'm not sure yet," he shrugged, "But there must be one. If this man can pick and choose who can feel the Force and who can't…"

Avaryss nodded.

That was too much power, especially in the hands of a demented lunatic like Terrog.

"Perhaps I can help," she offered.

"How," he asked.

She grinned.

You might be surprised."

"I don't know, I think you are capable of some pretty amazing things."

Her eyes lit up.

"Really?

He blushed and looked away.

"Um…forget I said anything."

She laughed.

"Is this how a great Jedi talks to a woman?"

Fen coughed and laughed nervously.

"No, this is me, making a complete and utter mess out of trying to talk to a woman."

"I don't know," she said innocently, "You seem to be doing an okay job to me."

He met her gaze, he was blushing.

It was kind of cute.

"Really?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Really."

It was in that moment that she realized that she was tired of waiting, tired of pretending that this was just a dream.

It was more, she knew it was.

She wanted to see just how much more it was.

She leaned in pressing her hands to his chest.

His eyes widened.

"Um…Keera, what are you…?"

He did not get a chance to finish.

He lips met his.

The kiss was chaste, the barest of touches, but in that moment she felt what could be, the fire and the heat.

She was afraid he was going to back away, that he was going to reject her.

Please don't, she wanted to say.

Please.

Despite his nervousness, he did not back away, the warrior in him came out, she supposed.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him...

Their lips met bathing them both in a sweet heat, and heat the reverberated through the Force.

He tried to pull his hands away, but she, used her own, first to hold them, then to guide them over her body.

When the kiss broke…they were both panting.

He smiled.

She responded with yet another gentle kiss, one that he returned passionately.

"Yes," she murmured.

"Yes."

This wasn't real, she knew, but that did not matter, it felt real enough in that moment.

His hands slid over her body, as her fingers undone the buttons on his vest.

"I can't," he whimpered.

"I…shouldn't."

She kissed him again moving his right hand up her thigh.

"You can," she said in a husky voice.

"I want you to…I…"

The world spun away, Avaryss was ripped from his arms.

She heard Fenn call out!

He called out to Keera!

"NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!"

IOI

Avaryss opened her eyes. Her breath came in excited gasped; distantly she could hear a heart monitor beeping.

She shook her head.

What was that! She wondered.

What the hell just happened?!

"Can you hear me, apprentice?"

The voice came over a loud speaker; it was both cold and cruel.

The young Sith looked around quickly; the chamber that she was in was both white and seem less. She was strapped to a medical table, wearing nothing but a hospital wrap.

The memory of Fenn's touch still burned in her mind, that and the sense of both disappointment and anger!

Damn it, she thought.

Damn it to the darkest pit of hell!

Why now? Why did they have to bring her back now?

She and Fenn had just been about to get down to business!

Damn them all!

"Apprentice?"

"What?!" she spat.

"You should try to relax," the voice over the loud speaker was not her master, but she could hear the same condescending tones.

She took a shuddering breath.

It did little to push back the anger.

There was a single man in the room with her; he was dressed all in white, wearing a full bio-hazard suit.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"Why am I here?"

"You have been exposed to what we have come to know as the Fydon virus," the voice over the loudspeaker informed her.

"The man before you is Dr. Foss, he is going to be taking a blood sample; it should only take a moment."

Avaryss eyes widened.

The Fydon virus? That is what Fehl injected her with?!

She remembered what the dark council told her about Fydon, what the disease that had been unleashed there did.

"Am I unwell?" she asked.

"That is what we are trying to determine, apprentice," a new voice this time, a woman's voice. It was far warmer than the one who had first addressed her, and it was familiar."

"While you were unconscious, we performed several tests," another new voice, this one sounded strange, like he was speaking through a vocoder.

Avaryss smiled.

She thought she knew who she was dealing with now.

Who else would the Sith have trusted to research this virus?

"What have your tests discovered?" she asked.

"So far your blood work has come back normal my dear," the woman answered, "Though the virus is in your blood stream, we are seeing no signs of mutation."

"Which is something we have not seen in other victims of this sickness," the mechanical voice said.

"You appear to be a bit of an anomaly, child," the first voice said again, "We must examine you further.

She sneered at that idea.

"Just go speak with Darth Terrog," she informed them, "His apprentice was the one that exposed me. I'm sure he had many of the answers to your questions."

"He is already being sought," the woman's voice informed her, "In the meantime, we must test your connection to the Force. Other Sith exposed to this virus lost their connection to it."

"Indeed," the first voice said again, "Tell us girl, can you sense the Force at all? Are you deadened to its call?"

Avaryss rolled her eyes.

She was finally out of patience.

Terrog was out there somewhere, and they wanted her to perform Force tricks for them?

Fine.

She would show them a trick.

She could have simply disengaged the manacles holding her to the table, but she was feeling a bit more theatrical. She reached out with the Force and caused them to twist and shatter.

She leapt off the table and stood glaring up at the man in the hazard suit.

She smiled.

Sorry friend, she thought.

You just got chosen to be my lab animal.

She grabbed by the throat with the Force, lifted him several inches off the floor, she could not hold it for long, but she did not need to.

She slammed him down hard, face first, the face plate of his helmet shattered, his nose exploded as it struck the hard white floor.

She dragged the man to her, leaving a bloody smear across the sterile floor.

She brought the man to a stop at her feet; she was tempted to order him to kiss them, to show the three watching her that she was not some weak willed child that they could toy with it.

"As you can see, I've not lost my connection to the Force," she called out.

The doctor lay at her feet whimpering in both pain and fear.

"I've passed your bloody test," she growled, still feeling frustrated about the thing with Fenn, what they had denied her.

"I need to speak with someone on the council, preferably Darth Marr."

There was no answer.

"Now," she spat.

The door to the chamber opened, the three who she had been speaking with stood before her.

The one on the left was a large dark skinned cyborg, he might have been human once, but that was clearly a long time ago. The woman on the right was blonde, pretty, with bright blue eyes and a gentle smile.

An illusion, Avaryss realized she knew what the woman really was; she could sense the glamour she was using to appear young.

Avaryss was not impressed.

The man in the middle was the one who truly mattered; he was not only a dark lord, but head of the pyramid of knowledge. HE was one of the guardians of Sith wisdom and tradition.

Avaryss bowed slightly.

"Darth Thanaton," she said in greeting.

"Apprentice Avaryss," the man said returning her nod, "I'm sure you remember my associates Lord Scotia and Lord Zash."

Avaryss nodded.

She knew their names; of course, she had actually done some research work for Zash during her student time on Korriban, while she had been enjoying the patronage of Overseer Harkun.

She was not surprised to see that these three had gotten involved in this.

The leader of the pyramid of knowledge motioned for her to follow; his lieutenants fell in step behind him.

"This way apprentice," he said, completely ignoring the whimpering doctor laying the floor.

"We have matters to discuss."