A/N: I'M NOT DEAD YET!
Apologies for the lack of updates for the past year or so. I started a new job and was too busy trying to grow into it. Experienced some speedbumps along the way and realized that the job's not for me. So I'm gonna look for a new job.
In the meantime, that means I (hopefully) have more time to write and update. No promises, but at least I got some mojo back.
Anyhoo... short chapter this time. I usually aspire to write 20 pages before posting. But in the interest of ensuring my readers know I'm back I've decided to give you guys an early Christmas present.
Enjoy!
Chapter 17
In the brig of the Republic Crater Outpost, Zixx, chief jailer and security specialist, tried to listen out for any communications or suspicious activity.
The general alarm had sounded moments earlier and the outpost had been put on lockdown. Was the outpost being attacked? Why would the Empire dare assault such a heavily defended position now of all times? The whimpering of his jailbird behind him wasn't making his thought processes go any faster.
"Pipe down, down Durmat!" Zixx snapped. "There's something going on outside. I'm trying to listen."
"Come on, Zixx, throw me a bone." Durmat, a lanky young human who looked almost as if a stiff breeze could topple him over, whined. "Who's this agent that's comin' to interrogate me? At least answer that will ya?"
"For the last time, SHUT UP!" Zixx roared.
Durmat flinched at his jailor's tone. "Fine. Fine, stay clamped. I don't care who it is. I ain't talking. Nobody's gonna get nothin' outta me. Nothin'!"
Behind the seemingly snippy retort, the son of the legendary Commander Rylon was quite literally shaking in his boots. It was only mere weeks ago that his own father had him transferred to Outpost Victory to try and gain some frontline combat experience.
However, his thin frame, poor soldiering skills and even worse management ability made him an utterly inept officer; much less a soldier. And soon enough he was relegated to administrative duties, much to the chagrin of his fellow resistance fighters.
Then just days before, he was suddenly thrown into the brig citing an impending investigation by a mysterious off-world agent. And Jailer Zixx seemed all too happy to do so. No one gave him pity or even a second glance.
Now the outpost was on general alert! What in the stars was going on? Was he going to be killed? Was this the end? It was too much to bear on his already cratering mind! He had to do something, anything that might give him a chance at freedom and survival!
"All right, all right. I ain't proud. I give!" The ensign cried. "My dad's an Imperial agent!"
Zixx whipped around, stunned. "What did you say?!" The dark-skinned, buzzcut man squinted his only cybernetic eye. "Your dad's a what?!"
Right then, the brig's blast doors were malevolently slammed open. Revealing none other than Aaric and Vette.
"Yes, please repeat that junior." Aaric quipped.
"This is a restricted area!" Zixx exclaimed, vibroblade at the ready. "What are you doing here? Who are you?!"
Before Aaric could come up with a sassy remark, Durmat surprisingly answered with as much courage as a womp rat. "I-I-I-It's not a 'who', it's a w-w-w-'what'! S… Si… Sith!"
"As pathetic as the intel reported, huh?" Said Sith smirked, cocking his head to the side in amusement. "He's going to need a new pair of pants."
"How the hell did you manage to penetrate our defenses?" Zixx spat. "They're supposed to be impenetrable!"
"Not against a Sith they aren't." The apprentice sassed. "Your precious outpost will fall soon. Surrender and I promise you'll be treated fairly as a prisoner-of-war."
"You must have a crazy-ass mind if you think I'm gonna trust you." Zixx retorted. "Thanks, though. You gave me enough time to get what I need."
The thudding of boots caused the pair to whirl around to see many rifles pointed directly at them.
"So much for sneaking in." Vette groaned.
"Take a look, Sith." The jailer sneered. "That's what two squads of the Republic's finest looks like. Come on, men! let's send this Sith home in a body bag!"
Aaric and Vette sprang into action the moment the last word left Zixx's lips. Vette ducked and started firing whilst Aaric flung his lightfoil towards the reinforcing squads. At the same time bounded across the room in a single leap and slashed his lightsaber downwards on the jailer.
Zixx brought up his blade to successfully parry the saber, but was kicked right in the sternum; flinging him backwards and slamming into Durmat's cage, denting the durasteel bars and throwing Durmat onto the ground. The jailer recovered quickly without a flinch and threw his combat knife at the Sith to try and gain some breathing room.
Aaric lazily deflected it. But the split second was enough for Zixx to charge the Sith and engage in blade-to-blade combat.
Vette wasn't having an easy time as she took cover behind the control panel. Sure, Aaric's laser sword was able to incapacitate a few and shock the rest long enough for her to drop a couple more. But it was still too much firepower for a single person.
Cue the thermal detonator.
"Grenade! Get do-" BOOM!
Aaric and Zixx were middle of a bladelock when the shockwave of the thermal detonator reached them. The Sith was able to shrug if off with relative ease. But Zixx flinched and snapped his eyes shut for just a millisecond.
Enough of a distraction for the apprentice to deactivate his lightsaber; causing Zixx to stumble forward and into his opponent's devastating knee strike gut-first. The jailer fell onto all fours and was quickly dispatched with a plasma blade through his heart.
"Vette?" Aaric growled towards his slave. "What did I tell you about detonating high explosives indoors?"
"Err… only use it if we are about to be overrun by an enemy at least ten times our size?" Vette answered sweetly.
"And?" The master of the two raised a brow, tapping his feet in annoyance.
"Ugh… alright, I get it." The voluptuous Twi'lek groaned. "Another spanking when we get back to base."
"Good girl." Aaric replied, turning towards their main target.
"Zixx… Zixx? Come on, talk to me." Durmat was on the verge of tears. Although the jailer wasn't his friend by any stretch, he was definitely the only thing stopping him from being dead. And now Zixx was gone. "Zixx… get up, man…"
"Zixx can't hear you, and getting up is a bit beyond his skill set right now." The Sith exclaimed snarkily.
"And I'm next, right?" Durmat scrambled to his knees and pleaded. "Please… please, I-I know why you're here. T-the Republic… the Republic's investigating my dad… and an agent's comin' to put the screws to me. But…I won't break, I promise. Let me live. My dad's secret is safe with me. I-I'm a rock!
"Are you?" The apprentice looked at Durmat as if he had grown another head. "You must also be as dumb as a rock if you think I'll just simply believe you. Needless to say, I'm not an idiot."
"Fine, fine. You're-You're an idiot. If it'll save me, I-I'll think whatever you want me to." Durmat was desperate now. "My father's done so much for the Empire. Maybe-maybe the apple fell off the tree, kinda far from the tree, but-it's still… the apple's still… Uh…not exactly where I was goin' with that. Please don't kill me!"
Aaric responded with a deadpan stare. "Unless you have another viable way of keeping your mouth permanently shut without killing you, then I'm sorry. It's' not personal. Orders are orders."
"W-wait! Something just popped into my head!" The lanky ensign explained. "T-the medical wing was working on something really cool. It's some sort of liquid that was supposed to cause temporary amnesia. But the only few test subjects who took the injection had their minds permanently wiped clean! They couldn't even remember their names!"
Aaric stared hard at the ensign. It did sound like a viable alternative. But without any evidence to prove that the serum really worked as Durmat had said, he was hard pressed to trust him. Especially a man who was desperate not to die.
But if there really was an amnesia serum, and if he could somehow reverse engineer and use it for his own ends, it would be very useful indeed.
But right now, he had to make sure there were no loose ends. And unfortunately for Durmat, despite the novel idea, killing him was still the most sure way of tying it up.
"For what it's worth, Doormat…" Aaric began.
"Durmat." The Ensign corrected.
"Whatever…" The Sith waved him off. "In any case, I can't use your idea on the off chance that it may work. I'm sorry."
Durmat dipped his head in disappointment. Resigning himself to his fate. "That… doesn't make me feel any better."
"If it's any consolation," Aaric quipped as he ignited his lightsaber. "You won't be feeling anything from this."
In a flash, the apprentice stuck his sword arm through the bars of the cage and a quick flick of his wrist decapitated his target. Ensign Durmat was no more.
"Poor fool." Vette sighed. "Not sure we've ever come across anyone so useless."
"Well, not everyone can be as talented as you, Vette." Aaric teased. "In both looks and skills."
"Wow, a compliment? I'll take it." The Twi'lek smiled. "It smells awful here. Let's move on, shall we?"
Thoroughly searching the medical bay, the pair managed to find the only single vial of the amnesia serum. Vette took it in stride and didn't think much of it. But the possibilities of reproducing the serum for his own ends were massive if he were to believe Durmat's words on its effectiveness.
Securing the vial into Vette's utility pouch, the pair made their way out of the facility to observe the ongoing battle for Outpost Victory. Exiting through the main entrance they were greeted by a squad of troopers who were waiting for them led by Captain Neddis.
"Facility secured, Captain Neddis." Aaric reported nonchalantly. "How is the battle progressing?"
"Steadily milord." The officer snapped to attention. "Thanks to you, Operation Firestar is a success! The laser satellites were able to puncture the base's shields and destroy their generators. Without them and the loss of power to their static defences, it was a matter of time before both entrances were overrun. I believe any remaining resistance fighters are retreating to the main command facility at the bottom of the crater to hold some sort of last stand. The poor fools."
Aaric nodded. The Sith, together with Vette and the troopers who had been reassigned to his command, had snuck into the crater outpost via grappling hooks and rappelled down the steep cliff side from the western end of the base during the night. The resistance's overconfidence that the crater's geography would be enough to warrant not needing any shielded fences on that side of base sealed their fate.
The Sith's stealth training with the Mecrosa Order was more than enough to tag the generators and the laser satellites finished the job.
"Good. I'm leaving this at the hands of the Consolidation Corps and recalling my men. Do what you will with the rest of this mission." Aaric turned to leave with Vette skipping along closely behind. "I want my just rewards and recognition at the end of the day."
After dropping off the serum with Officer Sakoal for reverse engineering, the pair reported back to Quinn's base of operations where she greeted them with a smile on her face.
"I must be honest my lord… your success at the satellite control station and Republic crater outpost has surprised me." The Lieutenant exclaimed. "I computed the likelihood of success as nearly negligible. In my assessment, however, I only considered the capabilities of a typical Sith. Clearly, you are not a typical Sith. I will adjust future calibrations to account for your unprecedented abilities."
"I'm pleased to have performed well above expectations." Aaric grinned. "Are there… other ways in which I have not yet done so?"
Quinn blushed lightly, but otherwise kept her expression neutral. "I'm sure we will discover more as time passes. II take pride in accuracy. Otherwise, I'm not good to you. Lord Baras is pleased. He says it's time to zero in on your prime directive and he awaits your contact. My barracks are yours. Activate the holocommunicator in the next room to speak with Lord Baras. The line is secure."
The Sith was a little disappointed at the reaction he got, but he noticed the blush and took that as a small victory. He nodded and made his way to Quinn's barracks as briefed. Punching the corresponding buttons, the burly figure of his master almost immediately materialized.
"I hope you can see the smile on my face, apprentice. You are turning me into a true believer." Baras praised.
"It is my honour to serve, Lord Baras." Aaric bowed. "Unfortunately, the Force doesn't grant me X-ray vision. So unless you want to reveal your face to me…"
"It was just a figure of speech apprentice." The Darth groaned as he resisted the urge to palm his face. "If you can crack jokes then I guess you must be impatient to complete your time on this little rock."
"On the contrary, I'm finding more than my fair share of fun here." The apprentice exclaimed. "A pity I can't stay longer. Maybe I'll visit again sometime."
"And you will, when I deem it so." Baras explained. "Now… With the satellite tower computer destroyed and Commander Rylon's son neutralized, my spy's tracks are covered. The only threat to Rylon ever being exposed is the man himself. It's time to end that thread. Permanently. I've had him embedded within the enemy ranks for decades. The extent of his contribution to the Empire's interests is unrivalled."
"Hn." Aaric crossed his arms as a holo of the man was displayed beside his master. "By all accounts the man should be given a medal, pension and a good retirement. A pity he has to die."
"Every one of my agents has always known the risk." Baras remarked stiffly. "No one knows it more than Rylon. The Jedi investigator must have no hard evidence that Rylon was killed to silence him. It must look like anything but a targeted execution. His base of operations is in the heart of the Balmorran Arms Factory. Use whatever means you can get your hands on. Annihilate everyone there."
Aaric frowned. Baras was clearly insinuating that he launch a full scale invasion and destruction of the resistance's main base of operations just to get to Rylon. A suicide mission in anything but name. He would have to plan this carefully, and with the Consolidation Corp's full cooperation.
Challenge accepted.
The apprentice bowed. "As you command, master."
"See to that. I've summoned Lieutenant Quinn. He'll prepare you for your final task."
Quinn entered the room a minute after the communication ended and started her briefing; A holo of the immediate area surrounding the factory on full display.
"Your final target is the Balmorran Arms Factory. The resistance forces recently captured it and made it their headquarters." Quinn explained. "An incursion into the Arms Factory will be a monumental feat. I'm excited by the prospect of you laying waste to that place."
"Well, I think of other things that could make you excited." The Sith teased.
"I'm sure you believe so, my lord." Quinn deflected his subtle innuendo with ease. "With your talents and my skills, I think we can become an unstoppable force. The Republic command centre is deep inside the Arms Factory, the most heavily protected installation on the planet. In order to reach Commander Rylon, you will have to make your way past all of the factory's defenses which are considerable."
"Give me a rundown of all these defenses." Aaric instructed.
Quinn, however, shook her head disappointedly. "Unknown, my lord. But the resistance will certainly have state-of-the-art security and attack droids. Stationed inside are an estimated one thousand of the Republic's best trained soldiers. Specifically, Rylon's elite squadron is responsible for some of the most precise, improbable resistance victories on Balmorra. They're legendary."
"Sounds like you admire them, Lieutenant." Aaric teased.
"I've marvelled at their tactical exploits, that's all." Quinn huffed. "It will be a bright day on Balmorra when they are eliminated. One final thing: The investigator that the Jedi sent had recently been tracked to the crater outpost. But now that it has fallen under Consolidation Corps control, she's currently making her way back to the factory. I have her under minute-by-minute surveillance. If she becomes a problem, I'll contact you on your comlink."
"Good. I hope I'll put on a good show for you." Aaric winked.
"And I will be here to salute you when the Balmorran Arms Factory is a smoking husk, my lord." Quinn nodded.
"I hope by then I would have earned more than just a salute from you, Quinn." Aaric grinned foxily before leaving the officer to ponder more on the many ways his words could have meant.
Vette, who was silent during the entire proceedings, just gave Aaric a deadpan stare to the back of his head as they trailed away. On one hand she was a little miffed that Quinn was being the focus of her master's attention. Didn't she also deserve to get any credit for assisting Aaric with his missions?
She should at least get some recognition, damn it!
SLAM!
Vette was shocked out of her thoughts by her master's hand slamming the wall just next to her head. She had followed Aaric without thinking and just realized that they were already in their assigned quarters.
"Your thoughts betray you, slave." Aaric leaned in and growled hungrily into her ear, causing a pleasurable shiver up her spine. "I owe you a spanking for that little stunt back at the crater outpost, remember?"
The Twi'lek couldn't wrap her head around what was happening and simply nodded furiously for her life.
Aaric grabbed the lithe Twi'lek's arm and dragged her over to the open shower at the corner of the bunk. Truth be told, the Sith was itching to release some tension after the crater outpost mission. He just needed any excuse to blow off more than just steam.
"Strip." Aaric ordered. "You first. Then me."
The edge in his voice made Vette shiver. But somehow it made her wet in the nether regions as well. She dutifully complied and meekly removed her clothes. Once she was done, she blushed and tried to cover her breasts and pussy. Even after so long, she still felt shy baring it all in front of him.
"What are you waiting for?" The master snapped, turning his back towards her and raising his arms. "I don't have all day and we need to rest up for tomorrow."
Vette silently strode up to her master and started removing his armor and undergarments until he, too, was standing gloriously in the nude. Both stepped into the shower unit and Vette proceeded to turn on the tap. Hot water sprayed the pair and the slave lathered up some soap and began the slow process of bathing her master.
Just as how she did it the first time on the Black Talon, Vette scrubbed and massaged Aaric's entire body. Feeling and admiring his rock hard muscles seemed almost therapeutic in its own way. And before long she was left with the part that really mattered.
His massive member hanging limp from between his legs and flanked by equally massive nutsack.
Gulping hard, she knelt before it and squeezed another handful of soap to begin slathering it all over his cock and balls. A pleased groan emitted from Aaric's lips. Vette took it as extra encouragement and continued to use one hand to lather the balls whilst the other hand stroke the shaft up and down it's entire length.
Slowly and sure, the already impressive member began to harden and lift itself up with each throb. Soon it was at full mast and even longer and girthier than it was originally. The stiffness of the member had naturally pulled the foreskin back to reveal the angry red glans; which was already secreting sticky fluid from its tip with each stroke.
More groans of satisfaction filled the air and Vette had released a hand from the nutsack so she could concentrate both hands on the shaft. Seeing her master in such pleasure because of herself made her feel satisfied and even wetter than before.
But it wasn't enough this time. Aaric placed a hand on the back of Vette's head and another underneath her jaw. With a push and a squeeze he forced open the Twi'lek's mouth and stuffed the tip of his shaft into her warm mouth.
Vette was a little shocked and her first reaction was to try to push away, but Aaric's strength was too much and he kept his slave's head exactly where he wanted it to be.
"Remember Tara and Lara Balis' lessons?" Aaric growled, his irises flashing golden. "Do not fail me. No teeth."
The Twi'lek simply looked down at Aaric's member and sucked in a breath of air from her nose. She could taste the pre-cum that was leaking copiously onto her tongue. The salty, spunky taste filled her mouth.
Opening her jaw and spacing her teeth as far away from her master's member as she could, Vette held the remaining shaft with both hands and started bobbing her head up and down; using her tongue to lick the underside of the glans and around it as much as she could.
The master of the two couldn't stop himself from grinning. Now this was an improvement! Vette was finally showing the results of her training in the art of pleasure. What more could he ask for in a slave that could both fight and also serve in a carnal capacity?
Vette noticed that Aaric was beginning to thrust his hips in tandem with her bobbing. The head was beginning to penetrate deeper into her mouth and soon was about to hit the back of her throat. She knew that she had yet to start training how to take more of her master's length… then again, no better time than the present.
As the glans bumped the back of her mouth the Twi'lek attempted to open her gullet to her master, only to gag and cough before releasing her hold on his shaft and rubbing her aching mouth and throat.
Aaric frowned but deigned not to say a word. He could tell that Vette was trying hard, so he would let her practice on her own pace. He decided that anytime while they were on downtime between missions, he was going to make her practice her carnal skills before resting.
Vette recovered and quickly went back to servicing his massive cock before he said anything. She would pace herself this time. However, her master pried her hands away from his shaft and grabbed the back of her head and lower jaw yet again; holding her in place.
Without warning, the Sith started thrusting his hips into her mouth with increasing speed. Thankfully, it wasn't too deep and she need not worry about gagging again. She also realized she didn't need to use any strength to keep her jaws open since Aaric was the one controlling it now.
She just hoped that he couldn't accidentally dislocate it.
Within minutes the apprentice was already bucking his hips at breakneck speed. Her mouth was filling up with copious mixtures of her own saliva and precum by the second. The only thing she could do was look up at her master as he enjoyed his slave's oral cavity.
With a loud roar, Aaric bucked a final thrust and stabbed his member as deep as he could into Vette's mouth. Vette's eyes widened as saliva and precum was now replaced by jets of his semen blasting the back of her throat. The lips of her tiny mouth made such a good seal around the Sith's shaft that the initial volumes of cum ballooned her cheeks in an instant.
The pressure and volume were enough to force feed the cum directly into her throat and out from her nose. Vette could only cough and gag as she attempted to swallow as much of the batter as she could before she drowned.
Was was more amazing was that the jet streams of cum never stopped for almost a minute before it started to die down. And even then, the amount was still staggering. It was five whole minutes before Aaric finally pulled out his still-spurting dick from her mouth; spraying his remaining load all over her face and lekku.
And to Vette's shock, it was still hard!
Aaric took the time to admire his handiwork: His slave covered in nothing but his cum from head to toe. It was a satisfying sight to see.
"Punishment served." Aaric exclaimed. "But now we're dirty again. Which means we need another shower."
Vette made an expression as if she had an epiphany, then looked down at herself. "Ah, shit."
"But since you did such a fantastic job sucking me off, you deserve a reward instead. And now I'll bathe you." Aaric exclaimed. Stepping towards his slave ominously.
"W-wait! A-ha-ha!" Vette chuckled nervously. "That's not necessary. I can do it myself! Please WAI-"
A strong hand grabbed Vette by the throat. Aaric pulled his slave to her feet and pushed her against the wall by the neck.
As the shower once again poured steaming water against their bodies; washing away the cum from his slave. Vette could only moan in ecstasy as Aaric grabbed a large, soft boob in his free hand and started sucking on the tit. Knowing that she no longer had the means to resist, the Sith let go of her neck with the other hand and slid it down to her nether regions.
The Twi'lek gasped and went cross-eyed as his palm brushed against her clit and two fingers slid easily inside her wet snatch. Finding her G-spot, he rubbed it as vigorously as he could; thoroughly enjoying the power he had over her and making her orgasm in seconds.
For the next few minutes, the master toyed with his slave. Kneading her breasts, squeezing her plump bottom, grinding his body against hers, enjoying the sensation of Vette's body reacting in pleasure to each move he made as if she was an animal in heat.
Their bodies were so close to each other, Aaric's still stiff member was dangerously close to her hot, sopping pussy. The Sith was mightily tempted to just stop taking it slow and plunge himself into her depths right then and there. But he willed himself down.
Gazing upon his slave, he could see that she was well and thoroughly spent and decided to stop for now. Both of them had released their respective stress. Tomorrow was going to be a whole new mission for them.
The next morning, Captain Rigel had called upon the apprentice at Quinn's residence and quickly gave him the rundown.
"My lord, allow me to express my deepest pleasure at working with you." The burly officer saluted. "Operation breaking Point has been far more successful than I could ever have imagined. Word is, the former Balmorran Minister of Defense, Vol Argen might come down to Balmorra. He's playing right into our hands."
"That sounds like an opportunity." Aaric rubbed his chin. "I believe the corps has a plan in place?"
"Well, that's part of why I called." Rigel explained. "Now that the wilds are secure, we're ready for the final push. Colonel Vrain, head of the Imperial Conquest Consolidation Corps, has come to oversee the action. He has read my reports on your contributions and he is expecting you at the Sundari Outpost, in striking distance of the resistance's main base."
"Understood. I'm on my way." Aaric cut the communication and proceeded to suit himself up with Vette doing the same right next to him whilst humming a tune. He smirked as he noticed the typical glow that could only come from a thoroughly satisfied woman.
From the previous night He could tell that his slave felt neglected and was jealous of his attentions towards Quinn. So he decided to teach her a little lesson on top of indulging her. Aaric pondered for a while; if he was to have a ship full of females loyal to him then he would have to think up how to manage all of their needs and wants…
When he had the time, of course.
The transport to the Sundari outpost was relatively quick. As they stepped off the transport, the pair observed the once lush flatlands surrounding the area now filled with craters; the air filled with smoke and blaster fire. An imperial trooper ran up to the apprentice and stood at attention.
"My lord, you're Darth Baras's apprentice, right?" The trooper saluted. "Got orders from the planetary governor to find you. You're needed at the war conference, priority alpha one."
"Would that happen to be at the same place where Colonel Vrain is?" Aaric raised a brow. "I don't remember anyone else knowing about my business other than the Consolidation Corps."
"Well, when the empire appoints you to run this planet, you keep track of who's slaughtering the resistance." The trooper shrugged. "The Dark Council sent an emissary; big time Sith Lord, to personally review the status of the Balmorran occupation. This conference will determine the next stage of the ground campaign. Whole war's about to be decided, and the governor wants your expertise."
Aaric whistled. First, the head of the Consolidation Corps, then the planetary governor, now a Sith Lord under direct orders from the Dark Council? If he could deliver the Balmorran Arms Factory on a silver platter his influence would become all the much stronger!
"This emissary of the Dark Council… what do we know about him?" Aaric questioned.
"Sith politics aren't by business, milord." The trooper shook his head. " One of Darth Marr's former apprentices, is what I hear. I don't know anything else… except that it's a 'she'."
Now that was surprising. He could only hope it wasn't some shrivelled up old hag. Or even worse… a shrivelled up old hag masquerading as a young one.
"Assigning black-level clearance. No one will cause you trouble." The trooper tapped a few buttons to transfer the relevant codes. "Be quick, though. They're starting any minute."
Aaric nodded and the pair quickly strode towards the place where the meeting was held; a command centre built into the cliff side just below the Sundari outpost. Just as the trooper had said earlier, no one stopped them as they took the turbolift up to the main conference room.
The first thing Aaric noted when they stepped in was a female Sith Lord force-choking a man with an almost identical and equally ridiculous headdress.
Thankfully, despite the dark side corruption adorning her pale skin, Aaric still considered her a beauty in her own way. She held a noblesse demeanour that hid a deadly personality. Something new he had not seen before in any woman he had pursued thus far.
"Do you know the worst part, governor?" The Sith woman questioned.
"I didn't… I didn't…!" Said governor choked.
"Exactly!"She quipped. "You didn't even own up to your mistakes. That's why the Dark Council gave this planet to me."
"P-please!" The aged man's face grew purple as he struggled to breath.
By then, the emissary of the Dark Council already took notice of Aaric's presence and turned to address him. "Watch… and enjoy."
"Oh don't mind me, milady." Aaric grinned foxily. His gaze clearly locked onto his fellow Sith's svelte figure and how the one piece dress accentuated it. " I'm enjoying what I'm seeing right now."
His counterpart merely chuckled in amusement as she turned back to realize that the governor was now limp and very much dead. She released her hold on him and waved for the guards nearby to dispose of the body. Aaric took this as a cue and motioned for Vette to stay on the sidelines while he walked up to the emissary and the stocky, balding officer right next to her.
"My apologies for meeting me in such an unsightly manner. I'm Darth Lachris." She introduced. " and this imperial next to me is Colonel Vrain. We have been tasked with cleansing Balmorra, and I'm glad you came… more Sith can only bring much needed dignity."
"Gorgeous, murderous and an eye for talent." Aaric complimented. "We should talk… over drinks perhaps?"
"We should." Lachris exclaimed, pleasantly surprised at the almost cavalier manner in which this mere apprentice approached her. "Do you-… ah, but business first. You're here because I asked the governor to bring me his best. And Colonel Vrain swears that you are our best chance at solving our little problem."
Colonel Vrain stepped forward and bowed. "My Lord. Let me be the first to tell you how appreciated your work has been. Today the Balmorran resistance, backed by the government-in-exile, takes its last pitiful gasp. Darth Lachris and myself have you to thank. It won't be long before the corpse of former Defence Minister Vol Argen and Grand Marshal Cheketta is cold in the ground."
"Has the former defence minister come to Balmorra?" Aaric questioned. "What of this Grand Marshal? I believe he must be their de-facto commander-in-chief of the resistance forces?"
"That's the rumor." Vrain shrugged. "But either way, if Operation Breaking Point succeeds, their deaths are only a matter of time. The resistance, aided by the Republic, has made its headquarters in the Balmorran Arms Factory. It is a heavily fortified facility, but it's not invulnerable. Not with such a powerful patriot as yourself on our side."
"Grand Marshal Cheketta himself isn't any slouch either." Lachris interjected. "As well as being an expert tactician and strategist, he also excels in propaganda and ensuring resistance morale is always kept high."
Pressing a button on the conference table led to an aged, but clearly battle-hardened veteran in a full suit of advanced body armor.
"My friends in the resistance. I won't take much time. The Empire says it owns Balmorra. The Republic says "it's yours. We're gone!". But you and I know Balmorra's won with sweat and tears; and my boys will stand by your side until everyone knows it."
"Grand Marshal Cheketta, formerly of the Republic Army." Lachris explained. "Officially, he and his troops went rogue after the Republic withdrew from the sector. Ever since, they've been holed up under siege, aiding the resistance and fortifying their position. You may have met them in combat already."
"Is there anyone who isn't fighting the Empire on Balmorra?" The apprentice sighed exasperatedly.
"Now you understand my displeasure with the previous administration." Lachris pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration. "Cheketta and the resistance are based in the Balmorran Arms Factory; home of the brightest engineers and weapons designers in the galaxy. I'm told the factory's generators are inexhaustible, its defences cutting-edge. Its barricades block our scans, giving the resistance peace and privacy!"
"Sounds intolerable." Aaric gazed directly into his fellow Sith's eyes. "After we're done here, maybe I can help you… work out… your frustrations?"
Lachris chuckled at his thinly veiled advances. It was refreshing to say the least. When one was a powerful female Sith, there were very few men who could get close to her level and still hold a decent conversation without cowering in fear or saying something tactless.
"Deliver me Balmorra, and we'll work out anything you like." She teased with a playful wink.
"Cheketta may have officially gone rogue, but the Republic still supports him." Lachris continued her briefing. "They fund his revolution from the shadows, make supply drops in secret. Those Republic hypocrites want the Arms Factory as a beachhead; and as Balmorra's new governor, I say we take it before they mount a full invasion."
"If we may impose on you for one final task in service of the glorious Empire." Colonel Vrain stepped in. "We need you to break into the factory, shut off its power and use the period of panic to shut down security. Once this is done, the main attack force can sweep in and wipe out the resistance. And if you see Vol Argen, kill him."
"Exactly." Lachris nodded. "Obliterate the factory defences. Lower the barricades that block our scans, and I'll have an army at your back. And if you can… bring me proof of Republic involvement on Balmorra. We'll expose their lies on a galactic stage. For anyone else, this would be a suicide mission. I wouldn't consider it, but I have a good feeling about you."
"Give me seven standard days and I'll have the resistance served on a silver platter." Aaric exclaimed as he turned to look a Vette.
Vette could only wonder what nefarious, crazy idea Aaric had now?
Mashallon gazed from the distance the smouldering crater which was Outpost Victory from the lenses of her macrobinoculars. Once again, it seemed that she was one step behind. A contact from within the resistance had told her of a possible lead that could help catch the spy within the resistance ranks.
However, that was now moot ever since the imperials had assaulted the crater outpost and most likely have captured, killed or destroyed whatever lead she had. There wouldn't be any point sneaking in since now it was full of enemy troops converting the outpost into their new forward base of operations.
There was only one thing left now: Return to the safety of the Balmorran Arms Factory and continue her investigations there. However, there was still much to ponder.
Her contact within the outpost mentioned that the lead was none other than Ensign Durmat, Commander Rylon's son.
Why was he so important? Was this relationship with the commander relevant to finding the spy at all?
The Jedi investigator shook her head. She could brainstorm more about this later. For now, she had to get to safety.