Chapter Fourteen – Conspiracies and Invading a Compound.
Since the altercation at the cargo port, Aindri had been kept busy with a myriad of tasks from her master. As his enforcer she intimidated subordinates, scoured the jungle for beasts, trained, studied, dealt with assassins, and sat through many a long and tedious meeting with other Sith and high ranking imperial officials, a symbol of her masters might and influence. Ever since the slave rebellion, with her permission, Vette had been spending most of her time starting to look for her family through imperial databases.
"Grathan is becoming a nuisance master." Aindri commented, as the body of another assassin was taken away.
She'd sensed bloodlust among the technicians, easily deflecting the blaster bolt and quickly cutting down the offender. This was the fifth assassin the renegade Sith lord had sent to murder Baras and whilst he wasn't the only one to send assassins, she had dealt with ten this week alone, he was the most persistent.
Or overzealous.
"Indeed." Baras replied pausing in his ministrations on the Republic agent and she'd been glad she had the foresight to let Vette sleep in that day. The scene before her, blood pooling at the base of the interrogation table and convulsing muscles, would certainly have proved too much for the Twi'lek.
Vette may have, no would have, seen torture when she was in the Academy's jails but acolytes could only do so much damage. Nowhere near to the extent of a Lord or Darth.
"He has been a particularly bothersome thorn in my side and on that matter I have an important task for you. Your fellow apprentice, Dri'kill Ba'al, is my covert operative in Grathan's compound claims to have made a discovery."
"Its nature?" She asked only for Baras to give a slight shake of his head.
"Ba'al only communicates in predetermined signals. He was to find Grathan's exploitable weakness, and today he sent the success signal. Meet Ba'al and find out what he has discovered."
She bowed her head, her mind turning. She was under no illusion invading a Sith compound would be easy, it would take planning, skill and luck. But, she had yet to fail a task her master set before her and she would not begin now. It would be good experience at the very least.
"However," Baras interrupted her musings, "Grathan's presence is still useful to me, so I don't want him killed, just crippled."
"Understood." She replied neutrally, though she inwardly wished to just execute Grathan and be done with it. He was a rogue Sith who boldly defied the Dark Council, no one would be overly concerned, nor look to closely, if he disappeared.
"No doubt someday you will have your chance to slay a Sith Lord," Said Baras, interjecting a hint of warning and assurance in his tone upon sensing his apprentice's desire, "One way or another."
He turned slowly on the agent, sparks dancing between his gloved fingertips, "Now then. Republic wretch, where were we?"
"I, I don't care what you do. Break my bones, burn my flesh. I'll tell you nothing!"
Oh yes…." He continued, the air thickening as crackling lightning arched between him and prisoner who writhed and screamed in pain, "Tell. Me. What. I. Wish. To. Know!"
Agonised screams resounded down the corridor, the intense pain felt by the Republic agent tickling her senses, silence only descending when the turbolift doors slid shut behind her and it started its rapid descent.
She was halfway home when her holocom chimed and she slipped it from her robes, opening a secure channel when she recognised the holocode. Accepting the call, there was a split second of static before an image of a pureblood flickered into existence.
"Initiate. I am Ladra. Once the personal assassin of a Sith Lord, I am now the serene protector of the Master and his students. Ah I remember when I was like you. I remember my trials and the joy of killing in the Master's name. You're so fortunate."
"I decide when and where my blade falls." She told Ladra coolly, earning a condescending smile from the woman.
"Of course initiate but you'll find killing as a Revanite is more fulfilling than any reason you have killed before. I contemplate Revan's teachings as I execute intruders and heretics."
Heretics executing heretics, she had to suppress a snort at the irony. The blind leading the blind.
Her eyes narrowed at the pureblood, a Revanite.
She first became aware of the cult when an old acquaintance, Navar Sandor, reached out to her only a week ago. His master, Darth Charnus preferred to work in the shadows but shouldn't be underestimated, well rewarding those who served him. As such he was respected by her uncle and Charnus respected him in turn for his strategic brilliance and own information network. Their mutual respect was enough for them to take the opportunity to meet whenever the twos travels to the capital coincided with the other. It was one such opportunity, when Aindri first came to Dromund Kass, when she'd been introduced to Sandor, Charnus's newest apprentice.
It was at his request she was investigating the cult.
"But I also guide initiates and help determine their trials," Ladra continued unaware of her thoughts, "Through Darth Revan's teachings and the Master's instruction my mind is clear, as yours soon will be," Ladra eyed her appraisingly, Aindri arching her brow at the gesture, "Every Revanite's initiation includes a trial of the past. A rite to bind the initiate to Revan. Yours will be very special."
Walking into the turbolift, Aindri's eyes narrowed at the holo-image, wandering what the pureblood was aiming for with her trial. Her trial was to be special? She hadn't done anything to cast suspicion on herself, so they wouldn't have discovered her subterfuge.
She cursed Sandor for that, she neither enjoyed nor was a master at deception.
"You will find the mask of Darth Revan, what he wore after becoming Sith. It's a powerful symbol of his greatness long lost to us. The mask is in a collection of antiquities possessed by my former teacher, the Sith Lord Grathan."
Aindri straightened, stepping away from the wall she'd been leaning against, grateful for her mask which hid the grin on her face and intrigued gleam in her eyes. She could use this too her advantage. His former apprentice, Ladra would know the compounds layout and the Dark Council raid would offer perfect cover for both her trial and her mission from Baras.
"It must be freed from that heretic. Rescued in a rain of blood and death! I will give it a place of honour here in the compound. A place where every initiate can see it."
"I will need the layout of the compound and where the mask is located."
"But of course," Ladra drawled, "I've already sent you the schematics. The mask is locked in one of the more secure vaults deep in the compound. The Dark Council," She sneered, "Is planning to raid his estate tomorrow. I recommend you try then."
The purebloods' image disappeared in a flash of static, turbolift doors sliding open a second later. She walked into the apartment and headed straight for the library, sliding her wet cloak from her shoulders and handing it to Mira with a nod of gratitude.
"Vette?"
"In her room, my Lady," Mira replied, tucking a stray hair behind her ear, "Do you wish to see her?"
"Library." She called over her shoulder, sensing more than seeing Mira sketch a quick bow before heading downstairs.
She was in the midst of pouring over the Grathans Estate schematics when Vette bounced into the room, flopping onto the sofa and cocking her head in curiosity at the papers and datapads littering the desk.
"Mira said you were looking for me?"
She nodded absently, running her fingers through her hair and dragging another datapad across the table to her.
"Sooo?" Vette prodded as her newest boss poured over the datapads contents. One of the first things she discovered about Aindri was here tendency to get lost in her own head whenever she found something interesting. She found it a rather adorable quirk. It seemed one of Seban's, Mira's and Shee's main role was to make sure she at least ate and got some sleep more than anything else.
Aindri glanced up and blinked, her mask missing so Vette was able to see her face, before looking back down at whatever she'd been reading and humming thoughtfully, "We'll be infiltrating Lord Grathan's state tomorrow. Start your preparations, we will be leaving in an hour."
There was silence, Vette staring at her unblinkingly as she took a moment for the information to sink in "Wait, a minute," She spluttered, "Let me get this straight? Grathan's a Sith right?"
She nodded, tapping the pad to magnify a particularly area of the wall surround Grathan's estate.
"And we're invading his compound?" Aindri again nodded.
"With let's see," Vette held up her hand and began ticking of her fingers, "Troopers, other Sith, droids and who knows what else?"
"Mmm hmm."
Vette gaped at her wide eyed, "This isn't an 'Mmm hmm' situation! What if we get caught!? I seriously don't want to be tortured or collared or die a gruesome death thank you very much! Are you insane!?"
Her voice had risen to almost hysterical levels when she gulped, Aindri fixing her with a stare – okay maybe she'd gone too far – throwing her arms forward to catch a datapad which the Sith had thrown at her before it hit the floor. She looked down at it with a blink.
"Dark Council planning a raid?"
"That is when we'll strike," Aindri replied her eyes returning to the desk, "When the troopers, other Sith, droids and who knows what else are otherwise occupied."
Vette grinned at having her words thrown back at her. So the Sith did in fact have a sense of humour, who knew.
Aindri paused, "We will slip in amongst the chaos and use it to mask our objective."
"Huh," Said Vette, having calmed down enough to stave off a complete panic attack now she knew her boss had an actual plan and with a pretty major distraction. Didn't mean she wasn't nervous though, "Hence the planning session?"
When Aindri nodded again, Vette stood stretching with a groan, "Kay I'll go get my gear ready. See you downstairs?"
Aindri waved an absent hand, her mind fully focused on what was in front of her, running through scenarios to find them the best odds. She sensed more than saw Vette shrug and leave the room, door shutting silently behind her.
The next morning the Dark Council's raid went off without a hitch, Council backed troopers and Sith storming Grathan's walls. Slipping in amongst the chaos was, as Vette pointed out gleefully, a simple, though not necessarily easy, affair. They still had to deal with the odd guard and droid, but the Council's forces did a wonderful job of keeping most of Grathan's own occupied. Their entrance via the north wall had been entirely unimpeded.
Aindri snorted, even during an attack she would have kept some defenders back for other parts of the wall. Grathan was almost begging to be flanked.
Cutting down another droid, the smell and sound of sizzling, burning metal filling the air, she glanced around, calculating gaze sweeping their surroundings. Scrapped droids littered the ground around her, the corpse of a slain guard only a few metres away rent from shoulder to waist.
They were deep within the estate now, their smaller number allowing them to slip near undetected through gaps in Grathan's forces, near a large and relatively unguarded warehouse. This was where the encrypted message she'd received that morning indicated she was to meet Baras's other apprentice.
Closing her eyes, the distant sounds of battle and gentle thrum of her saber drained away as Aindri cast her senses outward. Briefly acknowledging Vette's presence in the Force, she focused on the more powerful signature located high in the warehouse.
Motioning for Vette to follow, she slipped into the building looking to see there was a group of offices overlooking a warehouse floor thankfully free of workers. She ghosted up the stairs, her companion following closely at her heels as they moved through the shadows.
She walked past the first turning into the second, large and bare of anything but the essentials and several crates stacked in rows against the right-hand wall. Against the left was a computer console, a dark skinned and black haired Sith in red and purple armour working at the keyboard.
"You must be the operative Lord Baras sent," He said, turning to face her with an unimpressed scowl, "I thought he'd choose a stealthy assassin, not some senseless savage."
She tilted her head, examining and then dismissing him immediately. Oh she'd no doubts he was capable, otherwise their master wouldn't have placed him in Grathan's service, a spy's life was always endangered. But dealing with petty jealous was exhausting and she'd long since developed thick enough skin that such barbs no longer affected her.
Her uncle, for all his general laidback attitude, had been sharp, gruff, sarcastic and sardonic to the extreme during her own training. He was anything but soft, verbally and physically.
"You made a discovery on a potential weakness in Grathan," She prompted calmly, the left eye of her follow apprentice twitching at her apathetic dismissal.
"Fine, I'll rise above my discontent. For now," Ba'al growled, "Now listen, locked away here, Grathan's been untouchable but Lord Baras wants to let him know he can be reached. And after a year undercover, I've discovered the way, Grathan has a son!"
Aindri hummed thoughtfully at the new information, secret sons, and in rarer cases daughters, was not entirely uncommon. She herself was largely kept away from social and political circles and so was largely unknown. Though that would like change now she was Baras's apprentice.
According to Vette, who'd visited the Nexus Room on more than one occasion, rumours were already flying of the Darth's newest masked apprentice, the hooded cloaks she often wore making even her mask near indiscernible.
"Grathan's kept his son a secret in order to protect him from his enemies. He would be devastated if his only child and heir was dead."
"It would send a message," She agreed, "Or push him into a rage."
"Lord Baras seeks to imbalance Grathan, make him sloppy," He explained before smirking at her, "Grathan's kid is nearly twenty, and strong with the Force. He's been trained in the ways of the Sith since birth. You'll have your hands full."
She arched a brow at Ba'al's claim. Strong he maybe, but training was different from live combat experience and he'd likely have been kept confined to his fathers' compound his whole life, only his family, possible instructors and training devices for company.
Those who hadn't faced death nor know the fear? Such people would not defeat her.
"I doubt it."
"All right, maybe underestimating your foes works for you," Ba'al sneered contemptuously, "Grathan's away on business. I managed to hack a special spike that will get you inside his private quarters. But first, you're going to have to knock out the surveillance stations so you aren't seen entering the quarters."
"Defences?" She asked, catching the data spike he tossed her, the schematics she'd received from Ladra lacked such information and she would not infiltrate the inner sanctum of a Sith compound blind.
"Linked to the surveillance system. If you don't destroy the system before entering the private chambers, you'll never make it," Ba'al leaned against the desk, barely veiled contempt drawn across his face, "All you have to do is locate the monitoring stations around the compound and well, stick your lightsaber in them. Think you can handle that, brute?"
Narrowing her eyes behind her mask, Aindri loosened the tight grip she held on the dark side within her. Stormy grey irises were stained a sickly yellow, atmosphere growing tenser and colder with each second that passed in deafening silence. Vette glanced around nervously and Ba'al gulped, slight tremors inflicting his hands.
Abruptly as it appeared the suffocating atmosphere dissipated, Aindri drawing the darkness back into her being.
"Is it so easy to get under your skin?" Ba'al sneered with noticeably less bite, her level of control and the strength she wielded making him uneasy, "That's all, then. Destroy the monitoring stations then use the passcard to get inside Grathan's private quarters."
"The son's name is Beelzlit," He informed her after a moments pause to collect himself, "Find him and end him. I'll meet you back here when you're done," Regaining enough courage to regard her with a cool stare, "Try not to screw it up."
They'd already retreated from the room when Vette leaned in and remarked jokingly, "I kind of like his attitude."
Cellventa Grathan watched her son work, a sense of unease pooling in the pit of stomach. She knew of the raid planned by the Dark Council, such a thing not concerning in the slightest for their forces would fall as all did who foolish attacked her husbands' compound, but this was different.
"Mother," Beelzilt's voice drew her out of her worries, her son standing to look over her shoulder, "A strange approaches."
"You don't know the half of it kid," The unknown voice was distinctively non-imperial and she turned two figures, the one who had spoken a blue-skinned Twi'lek wearing clothing slightly more armoured than those of regular civilians.
It was the other who made her skin grow cold and her heart to slow. One would have to be blind to the Force to not sense the power exuded by the hooded figure. Encased in black and red armour, designed for ease of movement much like her companions than the kind of heavy armour favoured by juggernauts, she was the source of unease Cellventa had felt since the raid began.
"I am Cellvanta Grathan! How dare you enter my son's room uninvited!" She was Sith, she would not be intimidated and she would not show weakness, Who are you?"
"I am here for your son Lady Grathan," Aindri replied. With the security system disabled there'd been very little standing between them and Grathan's son. Those who'd remained behind while the rest of the Sith Lord's forces enaged those of the Dark Councils tried to stop them but each fell to the swing of a lightsaber or a well placed blaster shot, "Stand aside."
"You'll have to kill me first," Cellventa threatened, hand dropping to her saber, "And while my son is still an acolyte, I am fully Sith. Beelzlit, take cover!"
"No, Mother," Her son shouted drawing and activating his practice saber, "I stand at your side, Attack!"
Cellventa loved her son and knew he loved her in return but sometimes she wished he'd listen to her. As it was, the enemy Sith defeated him easily and soon it was she who was fighting for her life. Lightsaber clashed against Lightsaber as they engaged, flowing across the room in a deadly dance of plasma.
"Stop!" Aindri paused, her blade poised to deal a killing blow when the mother shouted, "You are more than a match for us! But if we are to die, I must know what have done to deserve it."
"I kill your son to wound your husband. The moment he was born, this became a possibility."
Cellventa couldn't deny her claim, it was the exact reason she and her husband kept his birth secret. But even as she was prepared for this eventuality, it still tore at her heart.
"Mother, if I am the target, save yourself. I don't want to see you die."
Shooting a glare at the invader, Cellvanta moved between her and Beelzlit, placing her hands on her son's shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes, "My son, you must not sacrifice yourself for anyone, not even me. You must endure at all costs. Assassin…"
Aindri arched her brow as Cellvanta turned to her, "You've carved your way into the inner sanctum of Lord Grathan's compound, all to kill a boy? You are a breath away from the master himself. Spare us, and I'll help you destroy Lord Grathan instead."
"You want me to kill your husband?" She asked, with no small amount of amusement, "Aren't you the dutiful wife?"
"I married Lord Grathan for power. It was a means to an end – now I want out."
Aindri nodded in understanding, political marriages weren't uncommon in Sith circles and when they did end, it was normally with a dead spouse and plenty of fake tears.
"How long I've waited for someone to end his oppressive rule. I have a plan but am not strong enough to touch my husband," Though it burned to admit her weakness, Cellventa had to do so to gaining the other Sith's aide. With any luck her husband and the would-be-assassin would kill each other.
"You see long ago, my husband was nearly beheaded and now he cannot exist without his helmeted mask. Kill Lord Grathan. My son will wear the mask and assume his mantle and publicly rant his son was murdered. No one will be the wiser."
Aindri narrowed her eyes behind her mask, political marriages weren't uncommon in Sith circles and when they did end, it was normally with a dead spouse and plenty of fake tears. If she aided Cellventa, she would gain an ally true, but Grathan's position against the Dark Council meant the support she received would be limited and not necessarily useful.
Sith who opposed the Council didn't last long.
"My orders are clear." She would at least give them the mercy of a quick death, even if their suffering would likely off balance Grathan even further.
Panic alighted in the mothers' eyes and she moved to push her son away only to be cut down by Aindri's lightsaber. Righting himself, Beelzilt looked up to see Cellventa's body hit the floor and gave a roar of rage. He swung wildly and she slipped under his guard to impale him through the heart.
"You're disappointed." She intoned, sensing Vette was upset.
"Well no, I mean," Vette sighed, closing her eyes to take a deep breath, "Kind off. I mean I suppose it wasn't like the guy was a teenager and the lady was planning her husbands' death."
The Twi'lek shook her head, "And you are Sith. You just don't act like a typical one so I kinda forget you are? If that makes sense," And she was rambling, great, "Guess I still just have to get used to all the Sithy craziness."
Vette lowered her head at Aindri's silence and she sighed before crossing the room and lifting her companions chin so they could look each other in the eyes even if Vette couldn't see hers, "Do not get used to anything. Keep holding to your values and convictions Vette. I am Sith. But do not change for me."
Vette stared at her wide-eyed as Aindri stepped away, letting go for her chin in the process before a grin broke out on her face. Yep if this Sith didn't have her loyalty and friendship before she definitely had it now.
"You got it my Lord. Now can we go please?" She asked, her expression turning sheepish, "I don't really want to be here when the lord of the manor forces use us for target practice."
Aindri chuckled, nearly outright laughed, and gave an affirmative nod before sweeping out the room with Vette following a hop, skip and a jump behind her.
Ba'al's head snapped upwards when he sensed the presence of Baras's newest apprentice, his eyes widening. He thought her a simple brute unlikely to succeed, so he was slightly surprised she did complete Baras's task. But then he supposed even neanderthals' could get lucky every now and then. And really she was a brute, even if she did have enough foresight to at least stage her infiltration during the Dark Council raid since she was obviously unable to do anything as simple as hide her presence, thereby making stealth all but impossible.
"I'm surprised you survived," Said Ba'al, his expression one of mocking contempt as his fellow apprentice and her Twi'lek slave entered the warehouse office, "So is it done? Is Grathan's son dead?"
"The deed is done." She replied. Stoic as ever.
"Doesn't say much for Grathan's security forces if a clumsy clod like you was able to bang into his private chamber and off his son." Ba'al sneered.
Vette couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor fool as the boss cocked her head, regarding him like a he was brand new toy given to her to play with. Well okay, she didn't really feel all that sorry for him. He had been insulting Aindri every chance he got, and they weren't even very original.
"I find your empty chatter amusing." She intoned and if she was amused Vette couldn't tell.
"You'll find my lightsaber a bit sobering," Ba'al growled drawing his lightsaber, "Killing the murderer of Grathan's son will solidify my cover here. Baras can replace you easily."
"Well it's certainly been a pleasure making you acquaintance Ba'al." Aindri drawled sarcastically, igniting her blade and darting forward.
Her speed caught him by surprise and he had to immediately gone onto the defensive as she struck at him with lightning fast strikes and brutal ferocity. Ba'al lifted his lightsaber for another strike only to freeze when he felt a burning pain in his gut. Looking down he stared uncomprehending at the beam of red plasma spearing his stomach and when turned his gaze to his opponent his mouth dropped open facing her shadowed mask.
She hadn't even broken a sweat nor was she panting hard.
"Not even a warm up then." Vette quipped when Aindri gave a subtle shake of the head at the corpse on the ground.
"I thought he'd provide more of a challenge." She replied calmly.
"Yeah well what you gonna do?" Vette responded lacing her hands behind her head, "Not all of us can be uber-level enforcers. Can we seriously get out of here now?"
Aindri silently deactivated her lightsaber and reclipped it to her belt, and began retracing their steps through the estate. They reached the north wall quicker than they'd gotten to the warehouse coming in, taking only a brief detour to retrieve Revan's mask from the estates secure vault. Slipping back through proved an easy task and they were soon back to moving through thick jungle, which even in Grathan's estate hadn't been able to entirely tame.
A beeping sound cut through the general silence of the jungle catching her attention and she wore a minute frown as she fished inside her robes for her communicator. Her eyes narrowed when she saw whoever was trying to contact her was doing so on her emergency channel.
"Young miss," Seban's voice was laced with distress and a deep sense of worry began to gnaw at her gut.
She'd been feeling somewhat restless sense this morning, a sense of foreboding which she'd pushed to the back of her mind to focus on her dual missions. Now it returned in full force.
"There's been an attack on Kass City. A Harrow-class dreadnaught was destroyed and the debris falling on the city."
Her heart near stopped, "Which?"
"The Dominator young mistress. It was sabotaged by terrorists. Darth Jadus was aboard when it happened."
"Terrorists? Intelligence would not release that kind of information."
"They sliced the public and private holocoms. A man named the Eagle took credit for the attack."
"I see," She replied tightly, restraining the panic welling up in her chest and threating to overwhelm her, it wouldn't do any good for her to lose her cool, "Mira and Shee?"
"I am unsure," Replied Seban who was also doing his best to remain calm, "Mira and Shee were out when the attack happened and I have been unable to contact them due to comm traffic.
"Prioritise communication and ensure they are safe and unharmed. Once you have done so, begin helping with rescue and recovery efforts.
Seban bowed, "Understood. I will make sure to send you a message once I have located them," His image winking out a second later.
"What's wrong?" Asked Vette who'd walked over when she realised Aindri had stopped, shrugging when she turned her masked gaze on the Twi'lek, "You're clenching your fists," She explained.
Aindri glanced down to see her fists where white knuckled and she took a deep breath, unclenching her fists with a frustrated sigh, "There was an assassination attempt on a Dark Councillor. A dreadnaught was sabotaged over Kass City."
Vette visibly winced her own worry radiating through the Force, "Seriously? Everyone okay?"
"They will be fine," She knew they would be, "There is not much we can do, not here and not regarding Jadus," She said with a silent sigh, resuming their trek through the jungle.
"Eh, who?"
She glanced sideways at Vette who had a confused expression on her face, haven gotten so used to Vette's presence she'd briefly forgotten the Twi'lek hadn't grown up in the Empire and so wouldn't know its power structure.
"The Dark Council is composed of the twelve strongest Sith, each overseeing one twelfth of the Empire called a Sphere," She explained as they walked, "Darth Jadus governs the Sphere of Imperial Intelligence, whilst Darth Vengean, Baras's master heads Military Offense."
"So if the war started again we'd be stuck on the front lines?" Vette asked, groaning when she nodded, "Wonderful. Way to cheer a girl up."
Aindri's lips twitched upward, "It will be glorious."
"Keeping telling yourself that," Vette muttered under her breath, "You know…"
Aindri held up her hand, when her holocom blinked with another incoming call and Vette snapped her jaw shut when Baras's ghostly blue image flickered to life.
"I see I've finally managed to get a hold of you Apprentice. Good," Baras greeted his tone serious as he fixed his hands behind his back, "I trust you have heard the news regarding the terrorist attack?"
"I have master. I am also aware of the protocols."
"Then you know any and all travel to and from Kass City has been locked down and all traffic grounded?" He continued at her nod, "It will take a day or two for the lock-down to be lifted. I expect you to be in my chambers as soon as that is the case."
"As your command master." She bowed her head.
"Good. Now onto the business at hand. I haven't heard from Dri'kill Ba'al, my agent in Grathan's camp. Was your mission a success?"
"Grathan's son is dead master."
"A son?" He asked a touch of smug glee in his tone, "Most excellent apprentice, my confidence in you is growing. I will speak to you upon your return."