Chapter 8: Together
"Can't sleep?"
Avaryss smiled, not even bothering to open her eyes.
She had been meditating, but not really losing herself in the darkness, she had not wished to completely immerse herself in its power. She had been waiting.
She had found over the years that meditation offered interruption, far better than sleep did, and that is what she had hoped for.
It wasn't that she couldn't sleep, but…the fact that she had chosen not to.
She had been hoping for a while now that Fenn would come to her, seek her out. It had taken a bit, but…now…here he was.
She was…excited.
They had been underway for some time. Though there was no night on a starship, Fenn and his crew had started settling in for a few hours rest. Captain Valenthyne stayed up in the cockpit, preferring to sleep close to the controls, should any emergencies occur, or perhaps, to make sure that neither Avaryss nor her allies had access to the bridge.
Such concern amused the dark lord.
If I truly wanted this ship, I would have taken it the moment we escaped Ambria. No, I have need of those that await us at the end of this journey.
She would not risk losing out on such a resource.
The boy, Temmin, had shown them to the ship's small bunk room. Again, he had shown more interest in Zay than he had the two Sith, though…she sensed he was a bit…uncomfortable around them, and she didn't think it had anything to do with the fact that they served the dark side.
Temmin was still a teenage boy, an adolescent Sith, despite his current position as a Jedi Padawan. She was familiar with the minds of teenage boys, having spent several years training around her late master's son, Bael.
The way the boy tried not to think about his teenage desire, to ignore his hormones, amused Avaryss.
Agony and I are not without our charms, she acknowledged. Despite the transformative power the dark side, we are both attractive young women…
The boy recognized that, she could feel it.
Agony seemed to enjoy peaking, the boy's interest more than her ally did, Twice, Avaryss had caught her playing with her top, pulling it down, adjusting it…just so. The boy couldn't help but look, he tried not to show it, but…
Again, Avaryss was amused, and intrigued.
I wonder just how far the boy's Jedi training goes, it would be interesting to explore just how far the two Sith could push him, and…if what she was sensing was correct, he didn't seem to mind seeing what they had to offer.
Most interesting.
He is old enough to notice the opposite sex, that might prove valuable.
She filed the information for later…it would prove useful, she was sure.
As for Fenn, he remained focused on his job. He remained the polite young man he had always been. In their previous meetings, he had always kept his Jedi calm, and kept a respectful mental and distance from her.
That would not do, no, it would not do at all.
I need to remind him of the past, and build up from there.
It was an exciting thought.
This would be their first real meeting in years, not simply a passing conversation through the Force, or a meet in their dreams.
No, Fenn was finally here.
She needed to find out how best to exploit that.
He sat down across from her, their proximity strengthening the connection that they shared...
The Force seemed to almost vibrate between them, a song that only they could hear or understand.
She sighed contentedly.
Beautiful.
It was an interesting sensation, in the years since their first meeting, she had combed the Sith Archives in the Citadel, looking for any record that might explain it…this feeling. She had wanted to see if the Empire had records of other Force users being so connected.
She had found nothing, or perhaps the records had never been put down, perhaps the lords feared that some might see such a connection as a weakness.
If so…they didn't understand, if anything, Avaryss felt far stronger in Fenn's presence, their connection did not limit them, despite the differences in alignment.
It seemed that proximity bred power.
The mere thought made her heartbeat quicken.
What would it be like to be in combat with him again, to fight at his side?
How strong would they both become, and how powerful would he be if he shared an alignment with her, if he embraced the darkness as she did?
The mere thought made her throat grow dry, and her body warm.
"Hey," Fenn said softly, sitting down on the deck before her.
"Hello," she replied, her smile turning gentler than it usually was.
She was not the Farm Girl he remembered, or the Sith Apprentice, she had grown.
She had no desire to spook him by showing him what she truly was…not yet…anyway.
Besides…she was comfortable here, far more comfortable than she had been in the last year and a half.
No war, no political games, and no enemies nipping at her heels like rabid curs.
No…being around Fenn again, it was…it felt…safe.
It had been so very long since she had felt safe.
She gave him a sly look.
"It has been a while since we have been this close."
"Yeah," he nodded in agreement.
She giggled.
"If memory serves, the last time we were this close, I was in chains…and NOT in a fun way."
It took Fenn a moment to get her meaning.
He frowned.
"Don't tease."
"Am I teasing?" she asked.
To be honest, she had hoped that he would see it not as teasing, but as an offer.
She could be very generous to those she desired, very generous.
Alas, he was not ready to see the world the way she wanted him to, not yet.
It is okay, she thought.
We'll work on that.
Fenn remained at a distance, not willing to leap at the target she was presenting.
Fine, she thought, I wouldn't want this hunt to be over too early.
The chase was two thirds of the fun, it made the kill that much sweeter, and it would be sweet…
…for both of them.
Again, Fenn didn't seem sense her desires, or he was shielding himself from them.
Very well, she thought.
So be it.
He gave her a friendly look.
"You can sleep, you know?" he reminded her, "You are safe here."
She shrugged.
"I know. I was merely taking the chance to meditate, the gentle hum of hyperspace, it is a pleasure that few know, or understand."
He nodded, unlike everyone else in the galaxy, Fenn was likely the only one who would understand.
The thought pleased the dark lord more than anything.
He knows me, or at least he did.
At the very least, he accepts me, that will make things easier moving forward.
Her hand started to come up, she wanted to touch him, but she hesitated.
Easy now, the dark side whispered in her ear, let's not move the game along too quickly.
Yes, she realized.
It was best to take it slow…for now.
Let's be friends.
She gave him her most innocent look.
"I like meditating while travelling through hyperspace, there…there is something about it, the sensation…"
She laughed lightly.
"I find it…soothing."
He smiled, she felt only happiness from him, he was…glad to be back around her.
Again…a good sign, a hopeful sign…
…especially…in a galaxy without hope.
Hopelessness, she had come to understand, was the natural state of the galaxy. When one realized that they could not escape the Force and their place in it, things became easy. Her understanding of the emptiness of the galaxy had allowed her to finally accept who she was, and truly give into power, and find the strength to not only secure her home world against her enemies, but finally slay her master as well.
Darth Feer's face danced before her eyes, leaving her heart filled with conflicting emotions.
Hate, love, shame, and elation, all filled her in that moment.
Feer, she thought, he knew how hopeless the galaxy was, and had taught her to not only accept that, but make use of that knowledge.
It was his final lesson to her, a lesson that had been given with both respect…and love.
You did well, my master, very well.
She could not deny that, or another passing thought.
I…miss you, my lord.
Imagine that.
It was funny, she had hated Darth Feer for so long, but at the same time, she missed his presence now, he had been her all-consuming desire for so long, the end of his life her ultimate goal. Now that it was done, she felt…free, but also…slightly diminished. The difference between love and hate were a vibro-blade's edge.
Her master had always understood her, even if she had not realized it. He had always supported her, and understood her failings, he had always been there, and perhaps, on some level remained and always would.
You made me who I am, my master, dear father, she thought.
I will honor…your sacrifice.
"Are you okay?" Fenn asked her, a concerned look on his face, "I'm…you're thinking about him aren't you, your master?"
The question gave her pause.
Fenn, being Fenn, he had picked up on what she was thinking.
She realized that she would need to be careful around him. Their connection could be a problem if she let it.
Her plans, they needed to remain secret, for the time being.
Fenn…he…he wouldn't understand, not yet.
She could have dismissed his question, said something frivolous to distract him, but she didn't.
There is no reason to dance around, not with Fenn, he KNEW her.
She would never lie to him, she may not tell the whole truth, but she would never lie.
She couldn't.
"It is funny," she murmured, "I desired his death for so long. He…he took everything from me, not once…but twice."
She shook her head.
"I needed to kill him, it was the only way to be free, and at the same time, prove that I was strong enough to follow in his footsteps. He…he had nothing left to teach me."
She sighed.
"Yet, even now…I miss him."
Her dream friend nodded, he understood, he might have been the only one who could.
"Strong emotions can be complicated," Fenn agreed, "That is why the Jedi try to keep such emotions in check."
"So, I hear," she said dryly, his comment was funny considering what she was feeling right now, the connection that they shared.
Fenn sighed.
"You are a hard person to keep track of, Avy," he said, "I remember the last time we dreamed of Ambria together. You…you had been hurt, I felt…such terrible pain."
She shrugged.
"I had just finished fighting to free my home world from my enemies," she admitted, "Another dark lord had tried to use my past against me, to maneuver themselves into a position to challenge Darth Feer. I beat them to the punch, but…"
"It was more than that," Fenn said, "Far more."
She nodded; she saw no reason to lie to him.
She would never lie to him.
Fenn knew that.
"Then after," he continued, "Intelligence reports I saw said you were promoted to the Dark Council, but that you had also become something of a recluse. I remember trying to seek you out, through the Force, but you wouldn't answer. I…I feared the worst."
Again, Avaryss nodded.
That separation had been necessary.
She had been very sick; her body, Keera's body, it had been diseased…dying, it had needed to be replaced. Fenn didn't know about that; she had kept that hidden. She had not wanted him to worry, and more to the point, she had not wanted him to know how far she had been prepared to go to save herself.
He didn't know what she had done.
She feared that he would not accept it.
One thousand lives, that is what it had taken to ensure that she would live to carry out her destiny. The blood sacrifice had been accepted and she had awoken in a new body, strong and healthy.
Ro died, she thought, the face of her childhood friend and former lover floating briefly before her eyes. She had sacrificed him too. There had been too many emotions between them. It had been the only way to be free of her past. It had been the only way to free herself from Keera Lylos for good and all.
It had been the smart call, the only call she could have made.
The cost thought…she had paid it without hesitation.
The cost…it had been worth it.
She felt no shame in that choice.
Ro, Fenn didn't even sense her thinking of him, so great was her certainty in what she had done.
In the name of greatness, sacrifices needed to be made.
Her paramour, and the others, a thousand people, their lives drained to feed a Sith spell of resurrection…some would call such a choice wrong…evil.
The weak and mundane would call Avaryss evil. The Jedi might as well.
Avaryss didn't see it like that.
It had been a matter of power, she had had no time to think on the morality of the decision, she had needed to live, and so…she had.
She had no regrets.
Good and evil, they were only points of view, worthless ones at that, something that her lessers needed to worry about.
She understood the truth.
The Sith were beyond such arbitrary definitions, there was no good or evil, only power, and those with the strength to wield it.
Avaryss was one of the strong.
Who else deserved to live more than her?
The lives of a thousand mundanes, they meant nothing, they WERE nothing.
The rabble existed to serve the will of the Sith. She would have sacrificed a hundred thousand people, an entire world, to ensure that she got the chance to see Fenn again, that she would be able to take what he offered.
He would help her; they would complete her mission together. Her dreams would become his.
She had foreseen it.
Good and evil didn't enter into it. Her desire was all that mattered.
She had sensed it the moment she had been separated from her diseased form.
In that moment, she had been all.
Avaryss…WAS all!
Fenn wouldn't understand that, not yet, but she would make him understand. Yet, for now, she needed to be careful, rely on the strength of half-truths and omissions.
She could not lie, but that didn't mean that she couldn't wait, pick the right time to share everything with him, he would know all…soon.
What he was saying now proved that she had been successful. He didn't sense the change; she was pleased by that.
It would make things easier moving forward.
"When the invaders came," he continued, "There were reports that you had been killed. Intelligence heard nothing of you for months."
The dark lord smirked.
"You had Republic Intelligence keeping track of me? Fenn…I'm touched."
He snorted, amused by her dry response.
"It wouldn't have been necessary if you had just reached out to me, let me know you were okay."
She shrugged.
"The war has forced us to make many decisions, some that may seem regrettable now, but were necessary."
She reached out and touched his hand. Her fingers lightly brushing the back of it.
She lowered her eyes shyly, enjoying the slight spike in the Force, she could sense the spark pass between them.
When she looked upon him again, she met his gaze evenly, no lies would pass between them at this moment.
"I think it is safe to say that that war is over. The invaders care nothing for the differences between Jedi and Sith, we must reevaluate our thinking. We have a common enemy now."
Fenn chuckled.
"So, we should wait until this new threat is over before returning to war against each other?"
Avaryss shook her head.
She was surprised by his response, but was pleased by it as well.
He knows that the galaxy is a hopeless place too, he just doesn't want to admit it…yet.
She considered that a good sign, for their future anyway.
She rocked back slightly.
"War has become obsolete, Fenn. I fear that the Jedi and the Sith are in danger of becoming obsolete. The time has come for new ideas, to stop fighting pointlessly."
Again, her fingers brushed the back of his hand.
"If I have my way, the days of the Empire and the Republic fighting are done, the pointless wars will end. I don't desire another war. We MUST NOT have another war."
He gently moved his hand over and clasped her fingers between his. She felt only warmth and excitement at her words.
"Do you truly believe that, Avy?"
Her smile widened.
He called her Avy, she took that as a good sign, too.
"I do," she said, and she meant it.
When all was done, the invaders defeated, there would not be another war between Jedi and Sith, there would be no need.
A shiver of excitement ran down her spine, and not just because of her proximity to Fenn Shadowstone.
Yes, there would be no war, there would be no one left to fight.
The Jedi would be destroyed.
The children of Zakuul…annihilated, down to the last child. Every one of the former Emperor's bastards would be but bones scattered across dead worlds.
The Republic…it would be a distant memory, a sad cautionary tale told to children.
The galaxy would finally know order and security. Peace, after a fashion, would come, and that peace would have a name.
Darth Avaryss, Dark Lord of the Sith, and Empress of the First Galactic Empire.
It was her dream, her vision.
It would come to pass.
The blood of Avaryss would rule the galaxy, she had foreseen that, as well.
Fenn…he didn't know, he didn't see it, not yet, he saw only that she was committed to ending the war, stopping the forces of the Eternal Throne.
He didn't understand…
…not yet.
He smiled, blissfully ignorant of what she was planning.
"We can do it, Avy," he said, "Peace is possible, if we work together."
She smiled, imagining that sea of bones on the Zakuul home world, the wind whistling through the skulls a warning to those that dare oppose the will of the Sith, the power of the dark side. She thought of their supposedly Eternal Fleet under her direct control, and she thought of the fool that now controlled it. She thought of the so-called Emperor, the one who had failed to kill her Pholis.
He would regret that mistake.
The twins had failed, the one in black had wounded her, and the one in white had tried to finish her, but he had failed.
He would answer for that arrogance.
She would make him pay.
Arcann was a fool, a child lashing out at his father's designs. She would show him how a true dark side Aristocrat ruled.
She knew how, Feer had taught her. Marr had taught her.
It would be done.
"Yes, Fenn," she agreed, her voice as gentle as the kiss of the most venomous of serpents.
They could do it; she knew they could…
She licked her lips excitedly.
"Together."
