Chapter Three
The journey from wild space to Dromund Kaas was lengthy and nerve wracking for everyone, only Scorpio seemed unaffected by the mood of the crew. Vector either sequestered himself in his cabin or prowled the small interior of the Phantom as if he expected Rey'elle to form out of thin air. Kaliyo and Raina took turns in the cockpit and Lokin spent most of his time in the med bay. No one spoke much.
Raina was already broadcasting their transponder code as they came out of hyperspace over Dromund Kaas, the orbit above the planet was filled with destroyers and dreadnoughts creating a barrier of metal teeth. No one in recent times had seen this extent of military buildup around their capital world.
"This is going to be bad, real bad," observed Raina.
"We suppose we shall find out soon enough," said Vector as Raina took them into the spaceport.
As Vector prepared to leave, he asked Raina and Lokin to remain on the ship along with Scorpio. He would take Kaliyo with him as an observer, she was to remain quiet, but she had an uncanny knack of being able to separate bullshit from truth which might come in handy.
On their way to the taxi terminal, Vector and Kaliyo had to stop several times to let columns of imperial soldiers march by, either just patrolling the city or on their way to transports waiting in orbit.
Vector felt very much out of his element and wished with all his heart that Rey'elle were here to help him navigate what he was about to citadel loomed in the distance, containing the office of the newly appointed Minister. He was more warrior now than ambassador and wondered if he still had enough of his old self to avoid the pitfalls of sith intelligence.
Everything was hushed as he and Kaliyo entered the arched doorway leading to various rooms within the intelligence sector. They took the second hallway on the right, being stopped by one of two guards stationed outside the entrance to the Minister's private complex. The guard motioned them through once he had received clearance via his comlink.
The young officer from the holocalls met them as they entered the central hub area that Vector recalled from his visits with Rey'elle. Everything he encountered reminded him of her and even off ship her spectre haunted him and he could swear he caught glimpses of her out of the corner of his eye. He fought to steel himself against the memories as the officer approached.
"Mr. Hyluss. I am agent Sondal, your liaison to Minister Beniko during your stay on Dromund Kaas. Please follow me to the Minister's office, she is currently in a meeting but should be here shortly."
Sondal led them up a short flight of steps and down another hallway to the right where they entered the inner sanctum of Sith Intelligence. Vector recalled the desk and the array of monitors around the wall and he half expected to see the man known as 'Keeper' who was later promoted to Minister. He also recalled 'Watcher Two', Rey'elle's handler. He had seen neither since Tenebrous.
Much had changed since the dissolution of Imperial Intelligence and neither he nor Rey'elle ever knew for sure if the previous Minister had been arrested, retired or was dead. The letters from Terminis had done little to allay the fear that he was either in prison or had a death sentence looming over his head.
He and Kaliyo took a seat in the chairs facing the desk and declined the refreshment Sondal offered before he exited the room and closed the door behind him.
To their left was a window made of one way transparisteel, giving the Minister an unobstructed view of the hub. Vector watched as people worked at their terminals or walked back and forth carrying datapads and data crystals, sometimes stopping to trade information. He remembered Rey'elle sitting in the very chair he occupied while he stood sentry at her back and…..
'Dammit!,' he thought. 'We have to stop doing that or it is going to drive us crazy'.
He felt as if he were suffocating in the past, it was inescapable and any diversion would be welcome. As if in answer to his silent plea, both he and Kaliyo stood and turned as Minister Beniko opened the door and entered the room in quite a state of agitation.
"Bloody hell!," she exclaimed as she stormed forward toward her desk noticing her company at the last minute.
"I beg your pardon for my outburst, Vector, isn't it? Please sit, we have much to discuss."
Beniko called her attache to order some caf and two cups along with a glass of water for Vector before sitting down in her seat, observing them from behind her desk.
She waited for the refreshments to be delivered, poured herself and Kaliyo a cup of caf and handed the water glass to Vector. She took a sip, set her cup down and began.
"I am very disheartened to hear about Rey'elle, her assistance would have been invaluable at this time and I have no idea what we will do without the guidance of Darth Marr, one of the only voices of reason in the whole empire and a brilliant strategist. Are you aware of what's happening?"
"We are only aware of the great fleet that destroyed Darth Marr's ship and of the military buildup we see around Dromund Kaas. Although, we must question why you would divulge any information to us at all," said Vector.
"Because you were there on Yavin 4 when we fought Revan and you were there on Ziost when the emperor devoured an entire world. I would like to believe that you might offer some insight and I also know that Rey'elle trusted you with her life and her secrets."
"Not every secret," countered Vector. "There are things that she never told us and we preferred not to know."
"I see. The truth is, Vector, this enemy has invaded and they are everywhere at once. They openly attack our fleets and none have survived that have engaged them. Twice, they were almost beaten back and they destroyed themselves with the power of a supernova, wiping themselves out as well our ships and any planet that was within range. Only our vessels enhanced by isotope-5 can outrun them but even they can not bear the brunt of an open assault.
"They are attacking the Republic as well, using the same tactics and they have begun to either destroy, disable or blockade all of our shipyards. We cannot even recoup our losses or hope for reinforcements."
"Have they invaded any planets yet or given any terms?" asked Vector.
"That is the odd part, they say nothing, demand nothing, they just destroy and move on."
"And what does the Dark Council advise?" Vector inquired.
"The Dark Council," Beniko scoffed. "Only Darth Vowrawn and Nox seem to have any clue as to the enormity of what we face. Even now, the rest want to push the advantage against the Republic, fight a war on two fronts. A war we are losing on one front alone.
"Aruk is so bound by dogma he refuses to see the truth. Mortis is divided between the two schools of thought and will not make a stand for either. Ravage sees this as a chance to further sith expansion into Republic space, and Rictus and Acina believe our knowledge of ancient powers and horrors coupled with our technology will save us.
"Vowrawn and Nox cannot outvote the rest and so they sit in deadlock while our losses continue. Without Marr, I fear what will become of us all."
"Then what do you expect of us, Minister?" asked Vector.
"I had thought to have you all reassigned, however, it might be more advantageous to keep your little band together. You could keep the Phantom, perhaps find some way to board one of those vessels, bring us intel, monitor what you see and hear and report back," Beniko answered.
Vector sat silent for a few minutes, deep in thought. "Perhaps it might be better if we split up, eyes and ears in more sectors of space. You could reassign Temple to the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force on Hoth, she is known by them and she could report directly to you. Kaliyo, might serve better on Nar Shaddaa. She is quite adept at traversing the various elements at play there including the gangs and Hutts, she would be a valuable asset in that venue."
Vector ignored Kaliyo's snort and continued. "Doctor Lokin and Scorpio would stay with us aboard the ship. Their analytical minds would be very useful in separating the dross from anything of value."
"And what of the Killiks?" queried Beniko. "What can they offer as part of the empire they were so anxious to join?"
"We will go to Alderaan and speak with the hive on the empire's behalf, but we cannot predict what the response may be and Oroboro does not speak for every hive."
Beniko tapped on her commlink. "Yes, understood, I will send him right away."
Vector sat straighter in his chair while Minister Beniko relayed the message. "It seems that Darth Vowrawn and Darth Nox wish to speak with you in Nox' private chambers. They asked that you go alone. Be careful Vector, no one is more cunning than Vowrawn or more incendiary than Nox."
She rose from her chair. "I have many other things to attend to and no time for any of them. I assume you can see yourselves out?"
Vector stood as well, and gave a slight bow to Beniko then he and Kaliyo left the sith intelligence sector. Vector needed to proceed to the Sith enclave and he sent Kaliyo back to the ship to help Raina and Lokin get the ship ready to leave. He noted Kaliyo's sour look and knew that there would be a lively discussion when he returned to the Phantom.
The drizzle had turned into rain as Vector proceeded along the walkway, the wind increased and lightning fingers drew ominous pictures across the clouds. Thunder boomed like artillery fire, shaking the duracrete beneath his boots then receding into the distance. Dromund Kaas on a good day, sometimes it was worse and he was thankful for the partial cover of the half canopy as he strode forward.
He was met by one of Nox' servants at the doorway into the sith enclave, it was cold outside, it was colder in here, he observed as he followed the slight woman down winding hallways and then onto an elevator that descended several floors. If there was a hell, this must be one of its annexes, Vector thought as the elevator stopped and the door slid open.
He was led down a short, carpeted hallway to a set of thick double doors, which the servant opened and ushered him inside. At the end of the room was a setting with two chairs and a sofa, all covered with rich velvet and arranged in a semi-circle around a circular glass coffee table. The wall contained a stone fireplace with a crackling fire, the other gray walls were adorned with tapestries depicting different scenes of battle and pedestals stood scattered about with artifacts and holocrons set upon their marble tops.
As he set foot on the carpet runner leading to the seating arrangement, an elderly pureblood and Darth Nox stood to greet him. He remembered Nox from their meeting on her ship before Illum. The pureblood was wearing traditional red and black sith robes but Nox appeared to be dressed more for seduction than business with her dress revealing much more than what she had worn on the ship.
Vector stopped just short of where the sith lords stood and assumed his typical stance of legs slightly apart and hands locked behind his back. He gave a slight bow to each and waited.
"Ah, Vector," said Vowrawn as his red eyes narrowed slightly. "Thank you for answering our summons. I assume that Minister Beniko has apprised you of our current situation?"
"Yes, my lord," answered Vector, not offering anything else.
He watched as Darth Nox walked slowly toward him, the dress whispering against the carpet and her skin. She moved like smoke, power swirling around her in little eddies and tides. Her aura tasted of fire and oil, hot and unpleasant. She stared into his eyes, trying to fathom the depths hidden in the obsidian orbs, but joiners were hard to read, even for sith.
She frowned a bit and he stood unflinching as she circled behind him and he felt her nails drag across the back of his leather armor from shoulder to shoulder. He heard her lick her lips as she moved to his side, tracing one finger up his neck, across his jaw and inside his lower lip. She placed the finger in her mouth and withdrew it with a loud smacking sound as she came full circle to stop in front of him.
"Mmm, just as stoic as I remember," she stated as she stared once more into his eyes.
"It is our way, my lord," he said, keeping his voice flat and emotionless.
Laughter trickled out of her mouth like broken glass. "Ah, yes, I have heard of the passionless existence of joiners. Your agent evidently experienced something much more animated and it piques my curiosity as to what delights lie beneath that calm exterior."
"Emperor's balls, Nox!," Vowrawn's voice rose from where he still stood. "Hold your libido in check for once."
"Now what fun is that? Besides, he is delicious and that small taste only whets the appetite," she pouted as she turned and slowly walked back to one of the velvet chairs and sat down. The exaggerated sway of her hips did not go unnoticed.
Vector maintained his unreadable pose, silent and patient on the exterior, slightly nauseous on the inside at the thought of bedding that woman. He knew he was in the spider's lair and she was very good at weaving her web.
Vowrawn turned his attention back to Vector. "You are probably wondering why we called you here."
"The black codex," answered Vector.
"Exactly right, my boy." said Vowrawn. "We can use every advantage obtainable in the days ahead. Anything that can aid us against this new threat."
"Rey'elle never told us where she hid it, my lord. So, even if you should torture us or use your devices, we cannot tell you something that we do not know."
Vowrawn appeared taken aback. "No one spoke of torture, my lad, perish the thought. The waste of an asset with what we are facing would be unconscionable. Nox and I are having enough trouble trying to rein in the other council members without losing what advantage we have, especially with your connection to the Killiks.
"Dreadful creatures, in my opinion, but we will take whatever aid we can and from any quarter."
Vowrawn's aura tasted of ash and bitter herbs, like he had burned through his life with unchecked abandon and had nothing palatable to look forward to in the future. Vector almost felt sorry for the pureblood but it was unwise to pity any sith.
"May we speak bluntly, my lord?" asked Vector.
A smile creased Vowrawn's face. "By all means, we may all be dead tomorrow, now is not the time to stand on ceremony."
"Rey'elle was as intelligent as she was beautiful," Vector took some small delight in Nox' scowl and Vowrawn's snicker at her reaction. "She hid the item well and never let anything slip regarding its whereabouts. However, from what little she did tell us, it is our understanding that the black codex contained information that the Star Cabal used to further their ambitions. It holds damning secrets that are centuries old, betrayals, schemes and failed coups.
"We therefore discern that the only use you would have for it is the ability to blackmail the other council members to fall in line. To be perfectly honest, from what we have heard, nothing that you do will make any difference at this point. Fight the fleet, fight the republic, or each other, the end result will remain the same, the codex will avail you nothing.
"You might be better served to discover who this fleet belongs to and come to terms. We fear that the empire, as we have known it, will soon be a thing of the past."
"The empire surrender? Never! The very thought is treasonous," Nox hissed through her teeth as she stood up, letting lightning play along her arms.
"Sit down, Nox!," ordered Vowrawn as he flung his hand out, knocking her back into her chair. "The boy speaks truth, don't tell me you are becoming as addled as the rest of the council, I thought you had more brains than that. We can hardly afford to be at odds over a handsome piece of ass or fake indignation.
"Even now the council fight over the spheres as if they were balls to be juggled like toys for a child's amusement. There are none worthy to take up Marr's mantle and in the end, I fear that many of us will either be dead or running like fleas from a drowning dog. Acina moves in the shadows to her own ends, and we stand on the precipice."
Nox raised the corner of her mouth into a half snarl, then sighed as she straightened the folds of her skirt. "You are right, Vowrawn, as much as it pains me to say it. My passion for our beloved empire overwhelms me sometimes."
"It is passion for your own self interest and fear of losing power that overwhelms you, my dear Nox."
She shot Vowrawn a venomous look but remained seated. "So, we are back where we started then, the council divided, a new, powerful enemy at our gate and an old one with its teeth still at our throats. You know, as well as I, that bitch, Saresh, will push this as an advantage, the same as Acina and the rest. We are blocked at every turn."
"Then, perhaps it is time to consider other options, hmm?" said Vowrawn.
Vector cleared his throat, not wanting to draw attention to himself, but wanting out of this room at any cost.
"Ah, my boy, I suppose you are ready to get back to your work. Let me escort you out, I believe we are both done here."
"Vowrawn, I was hoping to get a private audience with our guest," purred Nox.
"You change your mood as easily as your wardrobe. No more games, Nox, we have precious little time." growled Vowrawn.
"But, darling, I thought you liked games."
"Only if I am writing the rules," Vowrawn sneered.