Chapter 42: The Student's Master
The Stygian Caldera.
It was here, hidden from the galaxy, that the Sith Empire had first taken shape. The nebulas and stellar anomalies hiding the existence of the Sith race for generations, with only a single hyperspace lane leading in and out, the servants of the dark side had existed in insolation, conquering the worlds that shared the S.C. with them.
Only once had it been breached. The Rakatan Empire had attacked the Sith, sought to add them to their so-called Infinite Empire. The Sith…had resisted, resisted, and with the aid of the legendary King Adas, the first Sith'ari, they drove the aliens from their worlds.
That had been the beginning, Rakatan technology had been captured, reversed engineered, and used by the old Sith. When the twelve Jedi exiles arrived and unified the Sith under them, at last, all the pieces were in place.
The path to a golden age began.
Avaryss knew these stories well, how the fallen Jedi had blended their knowledge with that of the priests of the Sith to create what would become the modern Sith religion. Eventually, that golden age would end, destroyed by the Daragon spies. Yet, the Sith survived, WE always survive.
She leaned back in her chair, a cold frown on her face.
It was a risk returning to the empire proper. She had many enemies here, but she had no choice. She could only hope that the bounty that Darth Acina had placed on her head was not high enough to attract the truly dangerous hunters.
Yet, the chance had to be taken. The risk would be worth it, if she could complete this mission.
The blending of Dark Jedi, and Sith knowledge had built the golden age.
Now she required knowledge, not to build an empire, but to train a proper apprentice.
Yet, another step on her road to glory!
Once again, she found herself in the Survivors stolen Sith shuttle, once again clad in the robes of the Sith. Before her sat Tara Valenthyne and Gilly Locke, clad in the uniforms of Sith Imperial officers.
"You sure about this, Avy?" Major Locke asked.
She looked down at the older officer, chuckled.
"Getting cold feet, Gilly?"
"Just curious if you can trust this person you are going to see. After Lana's warning, the bounty…"
"The one that we are going to visit is not exactly in the Empress' good graces. Turning me in would not help him. She would not reward him for my capture or death. Oh, she would thank him for it, but then order his execution for the slights that she blames him for as well. A painless death rather than a painful one, that would be the limit of his reward."
"Cheery thought," Captain Valenthyne said, "Got to love the way you Sith treat each other."
"The politics of the empire are a lethal dance, captain, but I've learned the steps, and play the game quite well."
Avy leaned back.
"All will be well, trust me."
She watched as the two Survivors prepared to bring the shuttle out of hyperspace. She took a deep breath and readied herself for the encounter that was coming at the end of this journey.
Again, she could see her master's face in a reflection in one of the consoles to her right.
Her frown deepened.
What do you want, she thought.
Oh, nothing much, merely wondering how far you are prepared to go to continue this charade.
Feer grinned at her.
The great Darth Avaryss, once a hero to the empire, now a pawn of Survivor Squad, the very same terrorists that helped prevent our total victory in the last war.
Avaryss snorted and looked away.
She would not dignify that statement with an answer, she had nothing to prove to him.
Nothing.
She once again looked at Major Locke, it had been Gilly that had convinced Colonel Capistan to allow them to go on this mission. The soldier had not been happy when he learned that Zay wished to become a Sith, and he really didn't like it when Avaryss asked to meet with another Sith, to meet with him and discuss Zay's training, to find information that would aid in that training.
He would have rejected her outright, if not for Major Locke's intervention.
His former fiancé had convinced him to allow it, reminding him that they owed her for her recent aid in their strikes against the Zakuul.
Avaryss glanced over at the major.
She was not above showing gratitude.
"I wish to thank you, Gilly," she said, "I'm well aware of the fact that the colonel didn't wish for you to do this, but…"
Avaryss paused not sure why the older woman would help her. What was in it for them?
The Major didn't need for her to finish that sentence.
She laughed.
"You help us, we help you, the Survivors have always worked that way. Don't worry about Krys. I've known him for years. He may growl, but he still knows to respect those that offer us aid. The plans you have helped create have saved many lives. The survivors pay our debts, and we watch out for those that offer us aid."
Avaryss nodded, again she felt that slight twinge in her gut.
"A guilty conscience, my child," Feer whispered, "You should have one. You are violating everything you know about being Sith. Aiding Republic agents and Jedi, saving lives? More like preserving the lives of the weak. The people you have saved have no love for the Sith. Any one of them would likely shoot you for simply being what you are."
Again, she tried to ignore him, but…but…
She couldn't help but wonder…
…was he right.
It is all part of the plan, she tried to assure herself. So what if I save lives in convincing the Survivors to serve me. Soon, I will have all five of Hecaetus' keys, and then…I can leave the Survivors behind, destroy the Eternal Empire, and conquer the galaxy!
Yet, WAS it all part of the plan?
She…she hated to admit it, but she had barely thought of the plan in months, distracted by other things.
She winced.
It had been almost four months since Hutta, four months and not a single whisper about the location of the remaining three keys. Holli, in her role as Lana Beniko, had turned up nothing, and neither had any of the Survivors contacts.
Captain Cooper had heard nothing, no one in the fringe had seen anything like the keys. She thought of reaching out to Agony's father, but dismissed the idea. No doubt, Acina was watching anyone associated with her. Waiting for her to slip up.
It was too great a risk, she was simply not strong enough yet to face Acina and her lackeys…
…maybe…she never would be again.
Without the remaining keys, her plans were over. She would never have the strength to bring down Arcann and his world of mongrels. On top of that, she would never be able to seize the galaxy. The plan to form her massive army required the keys, without them, how many troops could she field, and even if she had the troops, she had no way to breach the defenses of the core worlds, her troops could not reach where they needed to go, not without the aid of the Eternal fleet.
The army she dreamed of wouldn't exist. To create such a force she needed the keys, and Project Death Knell.
No keys, no army, no conquest.
The thought almost made her whimper.
She was starting to fear that she was undone.
That all was lost.
The dark side of the Force remained silent, offering no wisdom, or clue of what must happen next. Why, though? She had thought that the dark side supported her, everything had fallen into place for so long.
Why had it turned away from her now.
What had she done wrong?
Do I have to list those mistakes for you, Feer's voice offered.
The dark lord nearly growled.
Shut up.
To be so denied when things had seemed so close.
It was…frustrating.
You will die a failure, young Avaryss, Feer whispered in her mind. Give in to despair, all is lost. You cannot hope to win now."
Avaryss bit down on her lip, silencing an angry snarl.
NO!
She would NOT give up!
She was a Dark Lord of the Sith, no…she was THE Dark Lord of the Sith. The only Sith Master worthy of that title. She had destroyed Darth Terrog. Defeated Feer and seized his holdings. She had destroyed the spirit of Mya Lylos, the last of the emperor's pawns on her home world, and drained the power from it, becoming stronger than ever before!
She was, technically, the Emperor's Granddaughter, heir to his strength, the only one that truly deserved his throne!
No, she wouldn't give into despair! She had faith in the dark side, and in her own abilities.
She would find a way!
As her anger built, she realized that things, though complicated, were not hopeless. Yes, she was currently unsure of where to go in her main plan, but the secondary ones were proceeding nicely.
She and Fenn had continued to grow closer. When she came to him now, in the privacy of his quarters, things had become more…intimate. She could feel his self-control cracking. In those moments she flooded their connection with lust…desire.
He was responding to those wants, though…he still held back from the final release, it was only a matter of time now, she was certain.
Then…there was Zay, her apprentice, her most curious student.
It was for her that they made this journey.
Avaryss was certain they would succeed.
IOI
Zay's progress continued, step by step she continued down the dark path. Avaryss was most pleased. Where that fool Keera Lylos, had taken almost two months to let go and fully embrace the dark side. Zay had reached the same plateau in less than three weeks. The girl's heart was a smoldering cauldron of self-loathing, and resentment for those that had refused to save her as a child. Those emotions were the sweetest of nectars for the dark side, it gorged itself, and rewarded Zay with its power.
The last three months had seen the girl transform. Slowly, the subservient serving girl was falling away, and in her place, the Sith she would become. She could now lift small objects using the Force. She could perform a standing back flip over the head of a full-grown human male. She had even managed to go for five full days with no food or water, her constitution preserved by her connection to the Force alone.
So quickly she had advanced, and why not?
The power of the dark side was a heady draft indeed.
And Zay desired to drink deep of it.
Her skill with a lightsaber had also increased. Darth Agony was a good teacher, a skilled blade master. Working closely with Avaryss and Fenn, they had crafted together the sequences that made up Zay's chaotic lightsaber form.
The blending of the acrobatic forms of Ataru, with the steadiness of Niman. Zay had progressed past the basics of the Shi Cho. Her rage fueled her power in combat. Her drills showcasing her growing talent, and what she would one day become.
It was said that Niman took ten years to master, Avaryss could see why, but her student was skilled, skilled enough that she could already kill with the form if needed too.
Zay had proved that spectacularly four days ago.
While away from Survive base, she and Avaryss had hunted down a herd of Erede. She wanted to see how lethal the girl was with her new weapon. Avaryss had stampeded the creatures, and let her apprentice hit them.
Before the hunt, she and the girl had gone five days without food or water. Relying on the Force to sustain them. By the end of those days, Zay had been almost feral, her meditations on the dark side, and lack of food had brought out the predator in the young girl.
One Erede would have fed them for the night, but the bloodlust was upon her.
They slaughtered them to the last beast, fourteen in all, even the youngest of the calves, all slain by the master and the apprentice.
The two had ate well that night, even brought back some meat for the survivors, who never guessed what had happened.
Before leaving Avaryss had used a spell for bury the bodies, she no point in leaving signs of the slaughter for their Survivor friends to find.
"Someone might get the wrong idea, apprentice," she had said, "We don't want anyone thinking there are vicious monsters on this world, do we?
"No master," Zay agreed.
"This world is safe…"
"…there are no monsters here."
Avaryss had laughed at the girl's words.
It had been…perfect
It was for that reason that Avaryss had brought her along with them today.
It was time she saw a bit of the empire for herself, met Sith besides those who served her master. She would after all, be a citizen of the empire one day.
No, not merely a citizen, but a leader.
The dark lord was proud of the girl, and eager to show her off to another Sith. Plus, he needed to sense what Avaryss sensed, get an idea of her power.
What she had discovered during their many training sessions over the past few months, Avaryss needed to be sure that what she was feeling was correct.
She had tested the girl many times over the last few months, not just the power of "the song" but for other abilities as well. Using tests and techniques she had discovered in the scrolls she had found in the forgotten tomb back on Korriban, she believed she understood Zay's potential now.
If she was right, the girl was a prize worthy of a Dark Lord.
Zay's mental skills were far beyond anything that Avaryss had ever seen. Her Song, the way she entered the minds of lesser beings, it was not something that the dark lord was familiar with.
One thing was certain, she had no idea how to train the girl when it came to these powers. She needed help.
Avaryss had meditated long and hard on those concerns.
Had she still been in the empire, she, as a dark council member, would have had full access to the Sith Citadel archives. She would have found the necessary training manuals and the tools she needed to aid her student, and teach her what she needed to know.
Alas, she could not go to the Citadel, not while Acina called herself empress. She would be arrested, tried and executed before she even reached the first floor of the tower.
No, she had needed another option, and after days of thought and meditation, she had found it.
At least, she thought she had.
A quick call to Holli, in her guise as Lana Beniko had been all that was needed.
Beniko's people had found the man that Avaryss had sought. He would be able to help, at least, she believed he would.
They would know when they reached their destination.
She would know…when they reached the world of Sri-Luur.
IOI
The shuttle emerged from hyperspace. The planet growing in their viewport.
Avaryss regarded the world with a sense of fascination.
It was here…she believed, that she would find what she needed to help Zay.
She was certain of it.
"Scanning the surface of Sri-Luur," Captain Valenthyne said, "let's see what's down there."
"I'm detecting a landing beacon on the fourth continent," Major Locke added, "Looks like someone is home down there."
Avaryss nodded.
As Holli's contacts had predicted.
Good.
This would not be a wasted trip.
Tara Valenthyne shook her head.
"Scanners show a lot of ruins down there, abandoned cities, roadways. The remnants of fields and farms…"
She looked over her shoulder, looking the dark lord in the eye.
"What happened here?
Avaryss frowned.
"The republic happened here," she hissed, "After the so-called great hyperspace war ended, your senate decided to make sure that the Sith Empire never bothered the Republic again. Your fleets descended on every inhabited world in the Empire. We had no military left, our lords and warriors perished either in the attack on the Republic or in the fight between Ludo Kresh, and Naga Sadow."
Avaryss sighed.
"Sri-Luur was bombed from orbit, its cities flattened, billions killed in a matter of hours."
"By the Force," Locke said.
"Where were the Jedi during this?" Valenthyne asked, "Why didn't they stop it?"
"Who do you think led the assault?" Avaryss asked, "The Jedi hate us. They desired only to exterminate us, to destroy anything touched by the dark side. Sri-Luur wasn't even a military world, it was a farm world, its foodstuffs shipped to the more advanced worlds in the empire. No dark lords lived here; no warriors trained on its surface."
Avaryss sighed.
"People in the Republic wonder why we are so committed to defeating you. Why we waited over a thousand years, hiding, gathering are forces, growing stronger. Down there is all the evidence you need. The dark side is fueled by rage and the desire for revenge. The Republic gave us more than enough reason to seek it in the days after Sadow's defeat…we…"
Avaryss shuddered.
She took a deep breath and counted to ten.
When she looked up, her expression was sad, resigned.
"You want to know why I wish to reform the Sith, acknowledge the Republic. Down there is one of the greatest reasons. Once Arcann is defeated, I hope to avoid such horrors from happening again. I wish to lead my people away from such destruction. Zay, Xen, and Agony, and I we will show the Republic that we are willing to break the cycle of vengeance, and bring order to our troubled galaxy."
Avaryss leaned back and chuckled
"Listen to me, I'm already sounding like a bloody politician. I think we can all agree that the destruction of the last thousand years must end."
Neither Survivor said anything, but Avaryss thought she had gotten her point across.
She had not even lied to the them.
There would be no wars in her new galaxy.
All would be bound to her will.
War…would be a thing of the past.
The landing beacon has locked onto us," Locke informed her, "We have a large villa on our scopes."
The old sniper frowned.
"Problem," Avaryss asked.
"We also have four anti-ship batteries positioned around the structure. They haven't locked on to us yet, but if we get too close…"
Avaryss nodded.
So be it then.
"Put us down outside of those guns' targeting range. Zay and I will continue to the villa on foot."
"You sure about that, Avy?" Locke asked, "We're picking up a lot of life readings, big ones. Could be some dangerous things down there."
"We'll risk it."
Avaryss rose from her chair, heading back to check on Zay.
"Find us a safe place to land. I'll take care of the rest."
She left the cockpit, her senses reaching out towards the planet.
Whatever was down there, she hoped that Holli was right.
She hoped this trip would be worth it.
IOI
The two Sith made their way down a ruined roadway, the hot sticky air cloying as a gentle breeze did little to relieve the heat.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, promising rain, but even in the coming storm no relief would be found.
Avaryss took a deep breath.
The destruction brought to this world so long ago, had left its impression, so much suffering and death.
The dark lord shuddered.
It was…wonderous.
"Master?"
She turned to look at her apprentice.
"What is it, Zay?"
The girl shivered despite the heat.
She closed her eyes, and let out a soft moan.
"The dark side is so strong here, my lord. I…I feel…"
"I feel it too, dear girl," Avaryss said.
She put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Let it fill you up, let it rejuvenate you."
"This is our world, a Sith world."
"One day, our people will know vengeance."
"Our people," Zay purred.
Again Avaryss felt that sense of rage within her. The resentment reserved for all who hadn't experienced what she had.
Zay bowed her head.
"Yes, my lord. As you say."
Avaryss nodded. Looking upon her apprentice both with her eyes and the dark side.
She approved of what she saw.
Like her master, she was now clad in the garb of the Sith. A black body stocking covered by a red leather jacket. Black jackboots, a belt of metal chain, and crimson fingerless gloves completed her look. Over that she wore a long black Zeyd cloth hooded cloak with scarlet shimmer silk lining.
She peered out from beneath the hood of the cloak, looking upon their destination, the only building standing for miles.
Lightning flashed in the distance, turning night into day.
The two Sith glanced at each other.
"You really think that we will find what we need here?" Zay asked her teacher.
Avaryss shrugged.
"Provided that one we seek is still here, yes."
Zay frowned; the girl looked unconvinced.
Avaryss gave the girl a sly look.
"This one knows much about the Force, apprentice. He was one of my teachers. He was one of the first to teach me the ways of the Force, to understand the secrets of Sith Sorcery. He also claimed to have an intimate understanding of almost any Force discipline."
Avaryss grinned.
"If he is still here, he will be able to help."
"He might have lied," Zay suggested.
"Only one way to find out," Avaryss replied.
The two approached the structure. A deep dry moat surrounded it, so deep that you could not see the bottom, and the only way across a long stone bridge. The dark lord took the lead, reaching out with the Force, trying to gain the attention of those inside the villa.
The attack came upon them without warning.
Tentacles shot from moat, long whip-like appendages with snapping claws on the ends.
They struck like serpents.
Avaryss and Zay fought back.
The dark lord slipped into her favored Soresu, blocking five of the tentacles as she fell back across the bridge. As they tried to withdraw, she lunged forward, slicing through two of them. The claws clattered to the bridge, spewing black ichor.
"Careful, apprentice!"
"Really, why didn't I think of that?"
The two Sith retreated back across the bridge, escaping the tentacles, but even then, they were not out of danger.
Strange crab like creatures emerged from the abyss, clacking their mandibles as they scaled the pit and having reached the edge, leapt at the two women.
Avaryss thrust her hand forward, blasting them back with the Force. Two went over the edge, but four more hung on, hung on and lunged forward.
They were met with a blast of Force lightning.
The dark lord snarled.
She was not easy prey.
Abominations, she thought, the creatures surged with the power of the dark side.
Alchemical creatures, she guessed, monsters made by the ancient Sith.
No match for a dark lord, but…
She glanced over her shoulder.
Zay had her own problems, but they didn't seem unsurmountable.
The apprentice was holding her own.
She tumbled out of the reach of the creature's claws. As she found her feet she stabbed out with Dym's lightsaber. Gifted to her by her master two months earlier.
A second creature tried to get behind her, it snapped at her with its claws, only to have her pirouette around it, and then catch the beast with a spin kick in its head, a kick from Zay's heavy protected boot.
Avaryss had no more time to watch the fight, she once again found herself under attack.
Three more of the beasts had emerged from the pit, longer tentacles joined them, long enough to reach the Sith that had escaped them.
Avaryss snarled.
Enough of this.
She began to gather her power even as she blocked them with her lightsaber.
Zay somersaulted to her right, drawing in one of the crab monsters, it made the mistake of getting inside her guard. She lashed out with her lightsaber, not the blade, but the hilt.
A month ago she and Temmin had modified the weapon, they added an extendable section to the hilt. Using the Force, Zay could now turn her saber into a light pike.
Avaryss had thought it a mistake, too complicated for her young student. Zay had proved otherwise during the slaughter of those Erede.
Now the monsters of this world were learning that too.
The hilt caught the thing in the joint, shattering its leg. It staggered forward, and before it could recover Zay lashed out with the blade, taking the top half of the monster's head off.
The creature stumbled forward and fell, its legs twitching.
Before she could recover, another monster surged forward.
"Yikes," Zay cried out as she avoided another attack. She tumbled away again, and stabbed out with her weapon, driving the creature back.
Avaryss still gathering her power, rolled her eyes.
When it came to battle cries, Zay's choice of words was interesting to say the least.
Still, she doubted: Whoops, Yikes, and eek would be catching on anytime soon.
No matter, though, she was finally ready.
Avaryss unleashed the full power of the dark side. It flowed from her upraised palm.
The beasts never knew what hit them.
The death field exploded outward. She drained the life from all the remaining monsters, even the tentacles rising from the pit didn't escape.
The monsters withered like dried flowers in the hot sun. The dark lord drank in their dying pain, using it to fuel the field and complete the destruction.
Zay made it to her master's side, protected from the field by her own Force shields, the girl sang a note of victory and death, paralyzing any creature trying to escape. Making them easy prey.
And then…as quick as the fight began, it was over.
Avaryss sighed, almost high on the life energy she had absorbed.
Zay grinned savagely. Feeding off the adrenalin.
"The way is clear, my lord. Now we can…"
Avaryss's eyes widened.
"DOWN!"
Zay dropped as the last of the crab creatures lunged out from the jungle, it must have been circling around during the fight, waiting to strike at the two women.
Avaryss blasted it with Force lightning. It chittered and shook under the pure electrical assault.
A single swipe of her lightsaber ended the creature's life, and saved Zay's.
Avaryss looked down at her student.
"Are you well?"
Zay nodded; she rose dusting herself off.
"Where did that one come from?"
Avaryss glared at her.
"You should have sensed it. Had I not been here you would have been killed."
Zay looked down at her feet.
"I could have handled it," she muttered.
Avaryss frowned.
"You will report to Xen when we get home. You will spend double the time this week working on your perception drills."
Zay rolled her eyes.
Perception drills was something that Xen had come up with. Zay stood in the center of a circle while the former Jedi pelted her with fist sized rocks. The object was dodge them or knock them away with a training saber.
Xen knew enough not to strike at Zay's head, but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy torturing the young Sith. The first time Zay had endured the drill she had not been able to sit for a week, that was how badly bruised her rear and thighs had been.
"Wonderful," she said under her breath, "I love getting bruised by that whore."
"What was that, apprentice?"
Zay winced.
"Nothing master, your will be done."
Avaryss nodded.
Of course it would.
One thing she could not deny, she took far more sass from her apprentice than Darth Feer had ever taken from her, and now that the girl was finally learning to feel and use the dark side, it was only getting worse.
She should have censured her student, but again, she saw no reason. The girl complained, but she obeyed every order without question, completed every task, and test given to her, and if what she believed about the girl's powers were true.
A little sass was a small price to pay to possess such a powerful weapon.
Once again, the two Sith made their way across the bridge, this time, no monsters emerged to block their path, and as they reached the other side, the estate's large doors swung open, and the master of the house came out to greet them.
"LORD AVARYSS!" he called down to her, "WHAT A MOST UNEXPECTED PLEASURE!"
He was flanked by four guards, dressed in the garb of first level acolytes from the Korriban academy, not a surprise given his last posting.
The old pure blood was heavier than Avaryss remembered, his thick fingers and wrist adorned in gold rings and bracelets. His nose and ears equally adorned, the gold decorations almost glowed in the dim light, almost as brightly as the golden glow of the old pure blood's eyes.
"Hello, Phylon," she called back, "It has been some time.
Phylon, former overseer and Force master of Fury 9, and Korriban smiled down at her.
"I do hope my pets were not a bother, they get very hungry you see, and we have not had visitors in such a long time."
"You are likely going to need more pets," she quipped, "The ones that welcomed us seem a little…dried out."
"So I see," Phylon said looking over her shoulder, seeing the dead mummified remains of the creatures.
Again, he smiled brightly.
"Regardless, it is good to see you again, my old student. Please come in, there is no reason for us to get soaked in yet another summer rain storm.
Avaryss nodded, and motioned for Zay to follow.
Phylon hadn't changed much in the last ten years, hopefully his collection of Sith manuscripts and training modules remained intact.
As they stepped over the threshold, Zay paused, she put her hand to her head, and leaned against the door.
"What is it," Avaryss asked, "Were you injured?"
"No master, I…I sense something...I…
Zay shook her head, she rubbed the bridge of her nose, and stood up straighter, her eyes cold and dangerous."
"It is nothing my lord," she said, "I'm fine."
Avaryss frowned.
She sensed nothing but that overblown bloat Phylon. The girl might have imagined whatever it was she thought she sensed.
Still…
Avaryss frowned.
They would just need to be mindful.
Phylon had what she needed; she was sure of it.
Now…they just needed to get it, and if the old pure blood tried to deny them, well…
Things would get very interesting, yes.
Very interesting indeed.