Chapter 20: Mercy Mission
"I AM SKORN. I BRING A GIFT TO THE GOVERNOR, SOMETHING HE HAS WANTED FOR SOME TIME!"
Sith troopers surrounded the young half blood and his prisoner, weapons raised and at the ready.
They need not have worried.
Avaryss had no desire to strike at them.
In the distance, a volcano erupted, spewing rock and fire into the air. The sight comforted Avaryss, reminding her of her days on Fury 9, the Sith academy world where she first trained in the dark arts.
A simple time, she realized, despite the nightmares and the loneliness that had plagued her in those days, she still looked back with nostalgia.
But this was not Fury, and these men were not here to protect her, or see to her education.
They served her rivals, her brother, and the would-be empress, that shutta, Acina.
She longed to strike back, but could not…not yet.
It was not part of the plan.
The dark lord was bound, and on her knees. Her head buzzing with a dose of the drug that Republic agents used to keep a Sith from accessing their powers.
It was enough to sell the story, she hoped. She was most eager to be off this hellish terrain. The planet Sullust was not the type of world you moved freely on the surface for long, not if you wished to continue living.
A most interesting choice, brother, Avaryss mused.
I wonder who chose this world, you…or Acina?
The lead Sith trooper approached her, the heavy armor he wore designed for combat in the harshest of environments. She could just make out the human eyes behind the darkened lenses of the man's helmet.
He raised her chin with his blaster rifle, getting a look at the face hidden behind her own breathing mask. The one protection she had again the volcanic gases that made surviving here so difficult.
"It is her," the trooper said, with no shortage of surprise.
"It is really her. The boy has captured Darth Avaryss."
"The boy" stood behind her, his own enviro-suit bearing the sigils of both the Sith Order and the Empire as a whole. Skorn was a half-blood, born of a human father, and a Sith pure-blood mother. He was an apprentice to Darth Imfami, and ally of first House Feer, and later…House Avaryss.
That had been the story of the original Skorn, the young man that wore the name now…his history was a bit more complicated.
"You doubted me," the boy said to the senior trooper, his hand drifting to the lightsaber at his belt.
"I should have your tongue for such insolence! How dare you question me."
The lead trooper bowed his head quickly, Avaryss sensed a frisson of fear, fear quickly buried.
"My…apologies, my lord. I meant no disrespect. This one…your prisoner, she is a very slippery customer."
The trooper stood taller, he tried to show a sense of respect to the younger man.
"Your master will be proud, to capture such a prize, it is most impressive."
The boy sneered.
"I'm so pleased that you think so, officer," he said sarcastically.
Avaryss only just held back the urge to chuckle.
Not bad, young Temmin, she thought.
Not bad…at all.
IOI
The mission had been cobbled together quickly; they had had no choice. This would not be just another strike against an enemy, it was a mercy mission, they had one chance to save a species from genocide.
Lana's transmission had been all they had needed, two simple phrases.
Moff Lylos is on Sullust.
He intends to release Project Death Knell.
Those words were all she needed to hear. All it took to get her to spring to her ally's side.
Death Knell.
Even the name sent Avaryss' heart into a flutter.
First conceived by Darth Hecaetus, Death Knell was seen as a means to end a war before it truly began, a means to convert the entire Republic army and navy into loyal soldiers of the Emperor and the Sith Order.
Had it ever worked, the Jedi…would have been overwhelmed, but alas, it had not.
Hecaetus died. Darth Terrog, who had been given it in the aftermath, abandoned the project, and it had sat dormant and forgotten for years.
Until the rise of Avaryss, and then…its near destruction by Survivor Squad.
Yet, now, thanks to Moff Beric Lylos…it was back.
The Survivors organized quickly, understanding the threat. The group had risked their lives to destroy the ship that had once housed the Sith super weapon program.
For Avaryss, it was far more personal. As director of the Death Knell project, Darth Marr himself had trusted her with it. Its destruction at the hands of her new allies, then enemies, had greatly hurt her position at court. She could have died for that failure, but had been spared given her other projects and the plans of her fellow Sith.
After that, the project had been scrapped, the Empire had seen no further need to fund it, and so it had died…officially, but unbeknownst to everyone, The Dark Lord had not followed her orders. She had kept the program alive in secret. She had funded it herself, with credits from her own pocket, and kept that research hidden, even from her allies on the Dark Council.
It should have stayed hidden, Avaryss thought, barely containing a snarl of fury.
She had not been ready to reveal the project again, not yet.
Death Knell had a part to play in her endgame, the research her scientists had conducted had moved the program in a new direction, a different more insidious one. Though, she had still maintained a single mobile lab to work on the earlier strain, the one that the Survivors had believed they had destroyed.
It was this mobile lab that her brother had found, and had brought to Darth Acina. The woman was now styling herself the new Sith Empress. According to Lana's sources, she had restored funding for the project, and wished to see a major field test.
Sullust was to be that field test.
The entire Sullustan race was about to be wiped out.
Now, Avaryss cared nothing for the chittering Sullustan race. Had it been any other Sith heading up the program she would have drunk to their success, any loss to the Republic, was good for the Empire.
Yet, it was not any other Sith or Imperial, it was her brother, and that witch Acina. She had no desire to see THEM succeed, and she didn't think she had much to worry about, she knew the project.
It had never been the success the Empire required.
Death Knell didn't work, not in the way it was supposed to. Yes, the subject became a loyal drone of the Sith, but…only for a short time. The living body could not contain the power it unleashed, not without the Force.
Anyone infected with Death Knell died in a matter of hours. Their bodies would liquify without the proper technology to sustain them.
The Survivors quickly got to work. The people of Sullust didn't have much time, not if Moff Lylos had discovered a way to make the weapon viable.
Avaryss frowned.
Damn you, Ric.
It was one thing to try and kill her, it was another to steal from her and give the fruits of her labor to her rivals.
You will answer for that dear brother.
She was tempted to contact HK. The assassin droid was no doubt tired of playing nursemaid, and would likely welcome the kill order against Beric's infant daughter, and the chance to deliver what was left to her rebellious father.
Strangely thought, the thought didn't excite her as much as she thought it would.
Hurt Beric, yes, but…the baby…it…it…
No, she would deal with her sweet brother herself, he would learn the price of his thievery. She would save the death of his child for another time, when she was feeling more down.
"Avaryss?"
She glanced up at Krys Capistan, she had expected condemnation. He knew her role in the original project, and had lost a friend and fellow soldier during that mission.
Strangely enough, she felt nothing. No hostility directed at her.
She…she was not sure what to make of that.
He approached her. She prepared to defend herself.
"Did you know that the Empire continued this project?" he asked.
"I had heard rumors," she lied, "I was removed as director, so I had no further say in how it proceeded."
Though not a lie, the second part was not entirely the truth either. Yes, she had been removed, but she had taken up a new role of financier. She had hired others to oversee the work.
The soldier didn't need to know that.
He nodded grimly. He seemed to…accept what she had said. She…she was not sure what to make of what she was sensing through the Force.
What she was sensing…it…it was not trust, not exactly, but it wasn't hostile to her either.
He sees me as a useful tool, she realized. Our causes are not the same, but they are aligned.
That realization pleased her.
The plan is working, the darkness within her whispered, they are starting to let their guard down around you.
Useful, yes, she realized, and this Death Knell thing would advance that goal, she could give them much on the program. Why waste her own resources, when she could use the survivors to give Acina a bloody nose?
She simply had to be careful, she could not reveal too much too fast.
And so, the mercy mission had begun, and she was a necessary part of it.
She rolled her eyes at that realization.
Emperor give me strength.
She could do it, of course, but it was not what she needed to complete her own mission.
She was being distracted, again…
That thought…it didn't please her.
The keys she sought were still out there, and now…there was Zay, and Fenn.
Her man, the future father of her line, and now…a new apprentice waiting to be seduced to the dark side. The keys would give her what was needed to defeat Zakuul.
So many prizes, and now…this.
She had so many things she wanted to take from this place when she fled, but the galaxy seemed intent on slowing her advance.
Death Knell, Acina, and Beric were a distraction, she didn't like distractions.
Yet. She had to deal with them.
What else could she do?
Avaryss' eyes narrowed; a thought occurred to her.
The dark side wishes to test me it seems. It seeks to test my resolve to bring order to our troubled galaxy.
A hint of a smile came to her lips.
Fine.
If the Force needed proof of her resolve, if the galaxy needed to see how far she was prepared to go, so be it.
First Death Knell and Ric…
…then…Zay and Fenn…
Finally…the keys…and…the galaxy.
It would be a challenge sure, but she was up to it.
She was the rightful Dark Lord of the Sith, the rightful heir to the emperor's vacant throne…
…she…would adapt.
IOI
"Away from me, cur!"
Avaryss struggled weakly as Temmin injected her with a dose of the Republic's tranquilizer.
Once the injection was in, she felt the warmth of the drug fill her body, not enough to completely dull the rage, but enough to allow her to slip by any scans her brother might conduct.
It was risky, leaving her diminished, but she could think of no other way to sell the deception.
The false Skorn chuckled as he regarded the Sith Troopers around them.
"Do not be too frightened of this one, troopers," he said arrogantly, "I found her squatting among a group of Republic Rebels, trying to win their trust."
The boy sneered down at her.
"How powerful could she truly be?"
"You will get everything that is coming to you, boy," Avaryss spat back, "When I am free…"
"We will see, traitor," Temmin replied, "We will see."
He settled down into the seat across from her, the Sith armored transport rumbled unimpeded across the barren volcanic landscape.
To the unenlightened, Sullust looked like a barren world, but it was not, the underground cities and warrens built by the native were not only huge, but as advanced as any other major metropolis world. Sullust, though no Corellia or Kuat, was known for its ship design and production capabilities. A useful place to an empire looking to rebuild and ramp up their war machines.
It would be a prize if Acina was able to take it, all the more reason that Avaryss could not afford to let her.
The Dark Lord fell into silence, awaiting what was to come. So far, Temmin had proven up to the task she had asked of him. He played the arrogant Sith apprentice well.
Surprising, considering how worried he had been on their journey here.
She had felt his nervousness the entire time, it had just been the two of them aboard the Survivors' stolen Sith shuttle.
"I'm…I'm not sure that I can do this, master," the boy confessed, "If I should fail…"
Avaryss had only just forced down her desire to sneer. The boy was talking like a mundane, it sickened her.
Strangely enough, she didn't feel the need to lash out as she would at another lesser being. She knew what it was like going off on a mission alone for the first time.
She was shocked to discover that she…sympathized.
"You will do what is needed," she replied, trying to assure him.
From the look on his face, she suspected he didn't believe that.
Duty alone is not what the boy needs to think about, my child, Darth Feer's voice whispered in her ear, He needs MORE. Encourage him, you needed that once or twice.
Yes, she had needed it. To hear it from another, one who was your superior…
She smiled slightly.
"You are the apprentice of Fenn Shadowstone," she reminded him, "And you are also of the old Sith blood, and the son of Roxana Tagge. Greatness is in your blood, boy. Do not fear it, you showed me your quality on Vel, you saved my life. Don't doubt your own mettle, it is of the highest quality.
"YOU can do this."
He nodded, his skin darkening, the boy was blushing at her praise.
"I…thank you…master, that is kind of you to say."
"It is not simple kindness or mere words," she said dismissively, "I can feel your potential, and the future that is in store for you. All you need to do, is learn to trust your feelings, and then…in that moment…you will be invincible. Whatever path you wish to take, whether as a Jedi or as a Sith of the old blood, you will accomplish your goals. I see it in your eyes."
The boy had blinked at that.
"My choice?"
Avaryss had nodded.
"Yes, Tem, you are a child of two worlds. Mundane, old blood, light, and dark, the choice is yours. If it is the path of the light you desire, then…I can see you becoming the greatest of all Jedi, even more powerful than Master Jas, and besides..."
She gave him a knowing look.
"Imagine how Zay will look upon you when you return victorious."
And that…was all it took.
The words had left the boy almost speechless. She could both see it in his eyes, and through the Force.
He was…ready.
He gave her a grateful look.
"I…thank you, Master Avaryss."
"I spoke only the truth, but now…you must prepare to meet our enemies, to fool them into letting us complete this mission. You can do it. I believe in you."
That is all it took, she felt Temmin accept it what needed to be done.
What had passed between them, she liked to think it had been a deception, a means to an end. It was not. She found that she was starting to grow fond of the boy, and why not, he was Fenn's apprentice after all.
Is he not a threat to your final plan, the darkness whispered.
She didn't reply.
She was not sure what role Tem would play in her schemes yet, for good or ill.
She was willing to explore than option.
The boy had so much potential.
She would not throw him away needlessly.
Now the boy was doing exactly what was needed, soon they would be inside Beric Lylos' base.
She could barely contain her excitement.
She welcomed the chance to put dear Ric back in his proper place.
One of the Sith troopers was watching her, she could feel his disdain, his desire to harm her.
Interesting.
What was that about?
"Is there a problem, trooper," she asked.
"You don't remember me, do you?" he answered.
"Should I?" she asked with a shrug.
"My name is Senik Nopp, I was one of your civilian volunteers on Oridanna."
She smiled.
"You have moved up in the world," she replied, "From a volunteer to a soldier in a secret imperial installation."
The young man didn't rise to her words, she sensed desire for more than a pat on the head.
"My brother," he said, "He and his family, the last time we spoke they told me that they were joining a special mission you had planned, my lord. That they were being sent to aid in a new colonial effort on the fringes…
The trooper leaned in closer, she could sense a growing flicker of anger.
"I never heard back from them, or from any of the others that left on that mission. I don't suppose you would tell me what happened?"
Avaryss merely smiled.
What could she say.
She knew the special mission the young man spoke of, and he need not have worried, his brother and his family had served the Empire famously.
Everything they were, or might have been, now sat before him. Their life energies were a part of her, and would be a part of her grand destiny.
They had given their lives to save her's, and now…they were…perfect, and soon…
…they would make the galaxy perfect too.
The man should not have mourned, he should have been grateful.
Still, it was not something she could discuss, not with Tem here.
So, she merely smiled.
They did their duty, that is all that I have to say."
Trooper Nopp said nothing more, though he looked like he wished he could do more.
Don't worry, she thought to herself.
You won't need to ask such questions much longer.
She leaned back in her seat, seething with anticipation.
I'm coming brother.
I'm almost there.
IOI
No more words passed until the transport docked with the Sith mobile base. The lab, a large spherical shaped vessel, it was designed to function independently in space, or to be interfaced on half a dozen different types of worlds. Useful, in creating weapons to be used in different planetary environments.
A Sith officer and an honor guard of two Sith marauders met them in the main landing bay. The officer, a lieutenant, ran a medical scanner over Avaryss, a scanner that detected the drugs in her system, drugs that would normally block her powers.
It surprised the dark lord a bit that the soldier did not insist that she have another injection before being taken away, but he did not. Having Tem, in his role as Infami's apprentice, glare at the man had been enough to make him take the boy's word that everything was as it should be.
Most foolish of him.
Avaryss could barely contain the smirk that wanted to spring to her face.
Her brother would regret such arrogance.
Temmin was then led away. He told the imperials that he wished to find food and refresh himself.
Again, the imperials didn't question the boy, and why would they, he was of the old blood after all?
Why would he want to betray them?
Avaryss nodded slightly
They had made it inside Beric's base, that was step one.
Now, the boy would proceed to step two.
From there, she was marched down the base's central corridor, passing by the various labs and workshops used to maintain the work that was being done here.
The dark lord watched it all with a curious eye. She was intrigued by what work Beric had sponsored here in her absence, she had all but given up on using the strains of Death Knell that had been developed here.
She was eager to see if any further strides had been made.
Though, it did surprise her that the Sith Empire had managed to get a mobile lab onto the surface of Sullust. Even with the corruption that was common enough in the Republic, their military always monitored any ship over a certain tonnage, anything that could be a disguised war ship, or weapon, was always investigated.
Of course, that was during the cold war, and before the coming of the Zakuul. The Republic had other things to worry about now, with Arcann's heel on the throat of the Senate, things were not what they once were in the Republic.
That was bad for the people of Sullust. If Acina was successful here…
But…she would not be, Avaryss would see to that.
She stole my toys.
Even the thought made her blood boil.
No one plays with my toys but me.
NO.
ONE.
Darth Acina's cruel face danced before the dark lord's eyes, and with it the killing fury started to rise.
How dare the woman steal her work like this, but…no…she remained her calm…for the moment.
She still needed to speak with her dear brother.
From there, she would know how best to proceed.
The labs practically echoed with the dark side, every specimen cage was full, work had already begun on fine tuning Death Knell to the Sullustan people.
Every cell was filled with at least of the simian creatures, some beating savagely against the glass, others standing their staring off into space, lost in the glory of the Dark side, but then there were the others those in the final stage of Death Knell poisoning, their bodies liquifying into large grey puddles.
Though familiar with the sight from her days as project director, it still disgusted her.
More failure.
She was surprised by the next group of cages, specially reinforced from the look. Each cage contained a single pale skinned monster, as large as a human, and possessing a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth.
Avaryss recognized them the moment she saw them, she had fought and killed such beasts before.
Rakghouls?
What…what were they doing here?
As far as she knew, the monsters were indigenous to the planet Taris. Monster freaks created by a blend of disease and Sith alchemy.
Beric would remember them of course, he had been stationed on Taris when they had first been reunited years ago, but to find the monsters here now…
Was he testing Death Knell on them? As creatures of the dark side, they might be more resistant to its effects, or maybe…
Avaryss' eyes widened.
Was Beric trying to adapt Death Knell to function like the Rakghoul disease did? Did he seek to use a disease as a delivery system? It was… a unique idea, she had to admit. All standard dispersal methods had proven to be failures. Making the poison into a gas watered the effects down too much, too much to be viable anyway. Putting it in food or water was equally problematic. The digestive system of most species destroyed the poison before it could enter the blood, or weakened to a degree that it was ineffective. Increasing the dosage didn't work either, the subject's organs liquified before full conversion could be achieved.
No, in the past, only injection had proven to be an effective delivery method. The Sith had considered developing a droid swarm equipped with injectors to infect large areas, but the designs never worked right, and it was acknowledged that it would take to long to infect the entire population of a planet.
Avaryss hated to admit it, but she was impressed.
The troopers nudged her forward with the barrel of their blasters. They were approaching the base's central turbolift, the one that led up to the base's main observation deck...
She didn't need to guess who was waiting for her up there. She could sense him.
The Dark Lord's fingers curled into angry fists. She could feel a slight burning sensation in her gut, remembering the feeling of being shot by her own brother, someone she both loved and trusted.
She had learned a valuable lesson that day.
No trust.
No hope.
She shivered with anticipation.
Hello brother, she thought with a hint of a sneer.
It had been far…too long.
IOI
The turbolift door, hissed open.
Again, Avaryss was pushed out and onto the deck. Two men stood before her, one dark skinned and wiry, dressed in a scientist's overalls. The other…
"Your guest is here, governor," the lieutenant that escorted her called out.
Her brother didn't turn, though he did tilt his head slightly.
She heard him chuckle.
"Welcome to Sullust, sister," Moff Beric Lylos, of the Itae system called out.
"It has been a while, hasn't it?"
Avaryss didn't deem to answer him.
What was the point?
He still had not figured out what his actions here meant, what was about to happen.
Why spoil the surprise?
Her brother turned, his expression…cocky to say the least. His imperial uniform all lines and creases, on the surface, the perfect military officer.
Looks…however…could be deceiving.
He looks terrible, physically, she thought. Dark circles around his eyes, his skin is pale and clammy, and if she was not mistaken, she thought she could see the veins standing out in his neck.
None of these symptoms surprised her, she knew what she had had done to him.
It was nice to see he was still suffering.
Her brother looked her up and down, they had removed her enviro-suit on the transport, now s he was dressed in a simple Republic soldier's jump suit, not the clothing she would have preferred, but it fit her life now.
Beric looked at her with distaste.
They told me you had joined a company of Republic rebels," he hissed, "I didn't want to believe it, but I guess that I should not be surprised."
He shook his head in disgust.
"You did murder your superior, did you not? The best leader that the Itae system ever had."
Avaryss rolled her eyes.
The best leader?
Really?
She assumed he was talking about his master, Darth Sadi again.
The mere thought of the woman made her want to projectile vomit.
What a shame she had only been able to kill the woman once.
She would have enjoyed doing it a few more times.
Her brother glared at her.
"What Keera," he hissed, "Nothing to say for yourself? Witch? Murderess?"
She shrugged, and gave him her most innocent smile.
What could she say?
Poo doo happens.
Ric had heard enough.
He drew his side arm and walked right up to her. He put the barrel of the weapon less than an inch from her left eye.
"YOU WILL SPEAK TO ME WITCH! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF?"
Avaryss shrugged again.
She had seen and heard enough.
She gave the Moff, her former brother, her most winning smile.
"I have only one thing to say, Experiment 016. Lieutenant Shaw, please do your duty."
Lieutenant Gorin Shaw, the man who led her here nodded.
He didn't answer with words there wasn't time. He drew his sidearm and the small holdout he carried up his sleeve as back up.
He blasted both of Beric's Sith Marauders in the back of their heads, they had not even had time to respond. The two Sith fell without a sound, likely they were in hell thirty seconds before they even knew they were dead.
In that moment, Beric hesitated, he was shocked by what he had seen.
It gave Avaryss all the time she needed.
She used the Force to burn away the last of the drug Temmin had injected her with, and with the single look, she reached out with the Force.
She imagined a single bubble in the Force, inside her brother's hand, and then, she it expanded it a few hundred times in seconds.
Beric Lylos' hand exploded, the blaster went off, but it was off center the heat merely singed the dark lord's hair.
The Moff felt to his knees in shock from both the death of his bodyguards, and the sudden loss of his hand.
She knew that pain well, and knew how it could put you to sleep to all else.
Avaryss woke him up. She kicked him in the side of the head, sending him spinning to the deck.
By the time he looked up, the situation had reversed, the lieutenant and doctor were standing at her side, while the two troopers that had escorted her into the room were watching him, their weapons pointed in his direction.
Avaryss glanced at the young lieutenant.
"Are the holo cams and recording devices in this room active?"
"No, my lord," the man replied, "They were disabled prior to your arrival, as was instructed in your previous orders."
"Good," the dark lord said, she looked down at the manacles binding her hands, they fell away with the barest whisper of the Force.
Moff Lylos, her former brother, looked up on her in horror.
She laughed.
The mercy mission was now over.
Now…the "no mercy" mission…could begin.
He tried to crawl away, but there was no where to go, the only exit was through her.
He would not be leaving…yet.
"What is the meaning of this," he demanded, "What have you done?"
Again, the dark lord shrugged.
"I have answered your question, Experiment 016," she replied with a smirk, "and now…you…will answer mine."
She leaned down, looking at the fear in his eyes, and the pain as he gripped the stump that was his hand.
The Dark Lord shivered with delight.
Delicious!
"Now," she purred wickedly.
"Let's…chat."