Chapter 60: Father Figures

They found the first Feer duplicate as they entered the estate's main living quarters.

Avaryss had gone room to room like a Tukata on the hunt. She could sense the faint echoing sensation she had felt on the academy world. It was not as strong as it had been there, but it did call out to her like a beacon, two beacons…in fact.

As she and her party turned a corner, she almost stepped through the door way without thought, so intent was she on finding her children…and her prey.

The Force screamed out, stopping her in her tracks.

She paused, took a step back, and then gestured to the door. In began to open, but ever so slowly. Through the Force, Avaryss noticed the trip wire, the designed to pull taught with the opening of the door, and the small frag mine connected to it.

The dark lord frowned.

Even now she remembered the frag mine back on Nar Shadda. She could still remember the hot metal shredding her arm and leg.

This time, she was more cautious, she reached out with the Force, and tore the leads the controlled the bombs detonation sequence. After that, she opened the door without fear.

It was there that she saw him, another Darth Feer…waiting for her.

She smiled wickedly.

This was the one that ran from them in the main hall. She saw no sign of Cynn Feer, but that didn't mean that the girl was not around. Only the thing wearing her father's face was there, and why not?

Cynn with all her cunning, was still merely a mundane. This creature could at least use the Force, seemed ready to, at least try, and make a fight out of it. Avaryss had to give him credit, he stood before them with his blade raised, two Sith troopers at his back.

She wasn't worried, if anything, she was looking forward to the exercise.

"I knew you would come here, girl," the false-Feer spat at her, "I knew you would sense the boy and girl and come running."

He sneered at her and her companions.

"A Dark Jedi, and a failed Moff, how curious your choice of companions always was, my child."

She glared at him.

Feer had often used that term; he had tried to endear himself to her. Tried to get her to accept her suffering as a form of caring, that he was MORE her father than Andur Lylos had been.

At least, that is what she had thought, now, she knew better.

His words had been a trap, just as her training had been, to get her to lower her guard, and thereby be eased into her role as Cynn Feer's host body.

He had wanted her to BE his daughter, but not herself.

He had WANTED her…to be Cynn.

He had failed.

"Do not use that term again, or I will have your tongue, imposter, but…wait…scratch that. Use it all you want, you won't be alive long enough to miss your tongue, even if you wished."

The Feer thing laughed.

"Speaking of wishes, you don't wish to know how we came into being," he asked, "You are not even going to try and claim my powers for your own?"

I don't need to ask, she thought, Rain is more than capable of plucking anything of use from your mind, provided there is enough left to actually do any plucking.

Now, she laughed.

"It is you that should be asking questions," she mocked, " Like: How many pieces am I going to be in, in the next few moments, or…how about: Why won't she just let me die? Why must I suffer so?"

If the Feer creature was intimidated, he didn't show it.

He continued to flash her late master's cocky grin.

"My only question is…why? Why do you even care about them, these rats our master created in secret. What are these to you, but yet another distraction? Aren't they just another way to block you from what you are really after?

"They are mine," she reminded him, "My own flesh and blood, made through science, perhaps, but still mine."

She gave him a wicked smile.

"I will have them, one way, or another, and your head, of course."

If the double was intimidated, he didn't show it.

He never lost that cocky look, he seemed to think he had some advantage over her.

"Your blood…that is true, but have asked yourself, who else contributed to their creation? You might not be so quick to claim them if you knew everything about their origin."

Avaryss waved her hand dismissively.

"Why should I care what donor was used to make them. He is not here, is he? I, however, am, and I will not leave them in the care of a pack of failed body doubles and traitors. People who should have known their place and stayed loyal to me."

The Feer look-alike frowned.

"It is our right to claim the house as ours. We served House Feer loyally, gave up all that we once were to serve our master."

"So, you think he owes you because he stole everything you were?"

Avaryss shook her head.

"That was not Lord Feer's way, I know, I spent enough time learning at his feet."

"And I…WE…have walked in his shoes. We have spoken in his voice, and given orders to his servants. We wielded great power in his name. Far more than you ever would have…"

He shook his head.

"You look down on us, but you would have been a replacement for his daughter, her mind and will would have supplanted yours…you would have been nothing, never a true lord, but simply a plaything, something to make Feer think he had served his child, and gave her a future."

"And yet, here I stand, master of all that was his, and mine."

Her smiled turned ugly, into a hungry sneer.

"Enough talk, creature, it is time to be rid of you, and the rest of your foul brood. You may have had potential once, but you allowed Feer to turn you into mockeries, false-Sith, with no real place within our order."

"And you seek to take the last of his trophies," Feer responded, "these children were never meant for you, only to be changed as we were, changed and made into extensions of the true House Feer."

He took a step forward, Avaryss brought up her blade, but he didn't charge in.

He grinned wickedly.

"Feer made them, because they were useful, just as you were for a time, young Avaryss. Feer was not a wasteful man, even when something needed to be destroyed, or had been destroyed he found a way to make it matter. Take the father of your "children" for example. He was a loyal man, strong in the Force. When he was destroyed Feer chose to use his genetic material, combine it with yours. He already had your destiny planned out, as a new body for his daughter, as for these…they were but replacements, nothing more."

"He must have been something special," Avaryss mused, "This man who Feer thought worthy to combine his blood with mine."

"Perhaps," the Feer-thing nodded, "Perhaps not, you were nothing special, He plucked you from the dusty farm world, and taught you to act like a real person, a proper Sith. Maybe he saw the father of your children in the same light, disposable, but you would know better than I."

Avaryss frowned.

"Meaning?

"Meaning," he answered, "That you should know more about the man than I. After all, you killed him. He was the enforcer that was sent to Oridanna, that purged your mundane waste of a family. He was truly…"

"RAHHHHHHHH!"

Avaryss lunged, she attacked without thinking.

Hearing that…hearing what Feer did…

She…

He…

No.

NOOOOOO!

The Feer creature raised its hand, trying to pin her in a stasis field, much as the real Feer had done so many times.

She fought against it, could feel it the power, sapping her strength, trying to trap her muscles. She didn't freeze, but she was slowed. The body double ignited his blade and tried to end her.

Blaster bolts rang out.

Feer was forced to back pedal. He deflected Beric's attack, even sending a bolt back at the armored soldier, it struck him in the chest, and he spun to the floor.

"NO!" Xen leapt into the fray; the creature met her blade upon blade. Xen's rage flowed freely through the Force, eager to avenge her fallen lover.

It was all that Avaryss needed, that slight distraction. It freed her from the lingering effects of the stasis.

Before engaging, she reached out with the Force, checking on Beric.

He was still alive she realized, the blast had not breached his suit, but the energy had blown him back, he was struggling to feet even now, angrier than she…

He realized what the double's words meant too.

The children, Feer had used their family's killer to make Jeer and Blyss, he had combined her blood with that of the first man she had slain, the no-named enforcer that Feer had not even bothered to put in the records.

She had looked once, out of curiosity, she had assumed that his name had been erased because Feer had not wished her distracted, that he thought she might seek out the man's own family, and take even more revenge.

It had been a good theory, but now…she realized it had been incorrect.

He had likely erased the man just because he had a use for his genetic material, material likely collected when the man had been injured at some point, and now…the man's bloodline would continue…

…it would continue as part of her own.

Feer, she thought coldly, imagining his cruel grinning face.

THE BASTARD!

He was dead, but that didn't mean she could not have her vengeance, she could take it out on his doubles. She would have the blood she sought; payment collected with interest.

He would pay, she thought.

They would ALL pay!

Xen was having trouble, her cross-guarded blade could not break through his defenses. The Feer double pushed her back, as she tried to rally, he blasted her back with Force lightning.

Avaryss leapt forward, switching to Makashi, she engaged the creature in close quarters combat. Their crimson blades flashed as the danced back and forth.

"Sister," Beric shouted, "Clear the way, so that I can take a shot!"

"NO!" she shouted back, "Stay your weapons! HE…IS MINE!"

She had to give him credit, this creature, his skill with a blade was impressive, even still, she felt she had the edge, even as the danced back and forth, parry, strike, parry, strike.

The hallway worked to her advantage. The double had thought to distract her with the realization about the kids' origin, but it had not worked out as he had hoped.

She was enraged, yes, but she had not lost control as he had hoped.

She had turned that anger into a scalpel, and was now prepared to use it, to perform some necessary surgery.

Sensing that he had overplayed his hand, the false-Feer, began to panic, she could sense that too. He tried to spin her around, the door behind him, was a private room, likely that of the children. There was no escape from there, she was certain.

This second Feer knew it too.

Groaning, Xen regained her feet, she looked ready to spring again, but Avaryss warned her off.

Right now, the best thing that Beric and his lover could do was stay back, and let Avy work. She was a skilled duelist, and had much more experience than her opponent, the body double likely not been used on the front line. He was powerful, but had relied on the Feer name to intimidate his enemies before this.

One thing that Avaryss was not, was intimidated by a false rival.

The second Feer had had his shot with the stasis field, he had missed, and now he was about to pay for it.

She stepped back as he over lunged, she moved in, as if to strike, and he used that moment to try to dance around her, and make for the exit.

She had anticipated this, of course, her lunge was only a feint, rather than press the move, she stepped back, he used the Force to try to push her off balance while he made a break for it.

As he moved, his weapon was out of position, barely, but just enough.

She slashed out in a low spinning strike.

The Feer thing cried out in agony!

He went down, his legs severed at the knees. He brought up his hand, trying either a Force push, or perhaps, Force lightning, but, again, she was ready.

She took the offending arm, the same move that Darth Terrog had used on her years ago, when he took the arm of Keera at the battle of the inferno nebula.

She could have let it end there, just taken his head, and been done, but she lashed out again, taking his other arm.

Limbless, the creature lay on the ground, wailing!

She ended any other possible resistance, by striking him across the side of the head, with the hilt of her weapon.

The double lay unconscious on the ground, going into shock.

She stared down upon the sight, drinking in its pain and humiliation.

She sighed.

Delicious!

She turned to Xen.

"Find, Rain," she ordered, "See what she can get out of this…thing."

"At once, master," Xen said bowing, she hurried out of the room, eager to catch up with her master's apprentice.

Beric looked down, she could not see his eyes through the smoky lenses of his mask, and she didn't need to.

She could guess what he was thinking.

"Are you still going to claim them?" he asked, "These children?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Even knowing where they came from, what their father cost us."

"Are they to blame for the circumstances of their birth?" she asked, "They didn't ask for who their parents were…or should I say…donors."

Beric remained unconvinced.

"What if they blame you for their father's death? What if they already blame you? You could be letting your doom in the front door."

"It is a gamble, I grant you," she replied, " But why would they care about that? He had no hand in their upbringing? Feer, at least, trained them to recognize me as their mother. I can use that, I think. I can make them ours, I'm sure of it."

Her brother looked unconvinced, his posture like a spring ready to snap back.

"I will be watching them, sister. I don't believe this is a good idea, but if you insist, I will do my best to protect you from the consequences."

She nodded.

She could live with that, yes.

She wasted no more words, she reached out with the Force, and pushed open the door to the children's chamber.

She found them both asleep, or in stasis, perhaps. Laying in beds on opposite sides of each other.

She went to the girl first. Blyss lay flat on her back, laying face up.

Avaryss reached out with the Force, touching the young girl's mind. Even as she reached out with her hand, stroking the girl's cheek.

Much as Mya Lylos had done when Keera had been a little girl, waking her child from sleep.

Wake up, little one, she whispered into the Force.

Wake up.

The girl's eyes fluttered, fluttered and focused on Avaryss.

She blinked.

"You…you came for us," she murmured.

Avy nodded.

"I told you I would, didn't I?"

The girl sat up quickly, Avy tried to back away, fearful for a moment.

She didn't need to be.

The girl threw her arms around her, her embracing her tightly.

The dark lord didn't know what to say.

"Mom," the girl whimpered into her shoulder, "Mommy."

Avaryss felt the girl's emotions. Her brother had said she had wished that Avaryss would come for them over the years of their isolation, now that she had…

The dark lord was almost overwhelmed by a sense of love and contentment. A little girl's desire to hold the one she saw as her parent.

Avaryss…returned the hug.

How could she not?

Her eyes stung for some reason. She was not used to sensing such raw…positive emotion.

On some level, she had granted this girl's greatest wish.

The mother she had sought all her life…was here.

Avy blinked, feeling a tear run down her face.

Why…why am I crying, she thought.

Because Blyss was hers.

Part of her, without any strings attached.

The girl simply wanted to be held by her mother.

She wanted to be loved as a daughter.

Is this how it will feel when Fenn and I have children, she wondered?

No, she suspected that would be much stronger. To create a life, to feel it growing inside her.

She wanted that.

DESIRED that.

Yet, even that might prove distracting, she had a plan after all…

…would this…be the sacrifice of that plan?

She heard an exaggerated yawn, behind her Jeer was now awake too.

He rubbed his eyes, and looked around.

"So," the boy said in a chirpy voice, "what did we miss?"

Avy untangled herself from the girl, and turned to boy, he was smiling that wide red smile of his.

"Mom, you came," he said, "Well, if you are here, then grandpa Feer must be dead."

He giggled.

"A shame that I slept through the fun, I would have liked to have seen that."

"Feer is dead," she informed the children, "Only two of his body doubles remain, those that sought to steal from us, from our house."

"You go to face him," Blyss said, a statement, not a question.

Avy nodded.

Jeer's smile widened.

"Can I go with you," he asked, "If you are hunting down what is left, I would like to see it, the look on their faces when you end all that is left for them?"

Avy considered it, but decided against it, shaking her head.

"You are still not strong enough to face…whatever remains of these creatures, they are mostly my former master, and dangerous."

"Can we come when you leave? Will you take us with you this time, Mom?" Blyss asked hopefully.

"You…you won't leave us?"

Again, the dark lord nodded.

"You are coming with us, yes."

The girl looked like she wanted to squeal with delight.

The boy smirked.

"It is not just us that drew you here, is it?" he asked, "The trinket we found, you want that too?"

"It is the key to our rise, boy, but it, and we, will not be safe as long as Darth Feer's doubles still live."

She stroked the girl's cheek, she was pretty much besotted with the idea that she now had a mother, the boy was more pragmatic, but he was not immune to the desire for a connection either.

These two will be most useful, Avaryss thought.

"Xen will watch over you until I return," she informed them, "she will see you safely back to my ship."

Both children nodded.

It seemed that they had learned discipline during their isolated upbringing, again, good.

She still had much to do; she had no time to deal with any childish tantrums.

As Jeer had said, there was one thing still missing, the key was still here, somewhere, and two more Feer doubles remained.

She needed to deal with all three matters before they could leave this place.

Her plans depended on it.

She left the children with Xen, by that point, the girl had returned with Rain, who was leaned over the limbless thing that had been the Feer double.

Rain's eyes were closed, Avy could sense her probing his mind, in his broken state, he was helpless to resist.

She took one last look at her kids, and yes, they were hers. No matter what donor Feer had used to create them, the man was long dead, and she was here.

Blyss gave her a hopeful look, eager to be away from this place.

Jeer continued to smile, a smile she still saw in her nightmares.

He has his father's smile, she recognized.

The boy did favor his father, she recognized that cold smirk, the same look that the dead enforcer had worn when he executed Andur Lylos.

It would make things…difficult, if she let it.

No.

She would not hold that against the boy, or the girl.

Whatever path that Feer had wanted for them, whatever purpose he had sought, was now done.

They were with hers now, their mother's.

She would be guiding them from this day forward.

They would serve her needs, yes.

They…would serve.

IOI

"The barracks are secure, master, but I fear that we have another problem."

Fenn looked down at the hologram of Jas Dar Bynn. He was somewhere in the Feer estate's power station. What he had done since arriving remained unknown, but it was likely something clever.

Fenn knew his master well.

Master Jas could be quite cunning when he wished to be.

"What is the problem, lad?" he asked, "Sith reinforcements?"

"Worse," Fenn replied, "One of the sensor-buoys we dropped when we arrived at the edge of the system has detected Eternal Fleet warships, and attack shuttles. Those shuttled are enroute to the system, as we speak."

Jas frowned.

"Wonder how they found this place?"

Fenn could imagine several possibilities. If Feer had been in contact with the Sith Empire, he might have told them his location, and they might have passed it on to the Zakuul. It was also possible that the Zakuul had come to Lord's Reach, seeking the key, and may have captured some of Feer's people before they had a chance to flee.

Either way, it didn't matter, the enemy was on the way.

"How long do we have?" Jas asked him.

"Forty minutes, maybe less."

The Jedi Master nodded.

"Send word to Avy. We need to be gone before those assault shuttles arrive. Get our people to the shuttles, Fenn. I will send word when the power systems here have been disabled, to make sure that the defenses don't cause us any problems."

"Should I join you," he asked, "You could use my help."

"No, you're right where you need to be, lad, and so am I."

Jas smiled.

"I've always been here, and that is fine."

Fenn's brow furrowed.

"Master?"

"It is nothing, Fenn. Go to Krys, and get our people moving. I'll catch up."

"Yes, master. I will also send word to Avy. Tell her to finish up quick, and get out of there."

"Do that," Jas said, "Oh, and Fenn…"

"Yes, master."

"Remember what we discussed, what must happen when we have all five of these keys that Avaryss told us about."

Fenn nodded.

Master Jas wanted to believe that Avy was telling the truth about her desires, so did Fenn, but…

The young Jedi's brow furrowed.

They had prepared for treachery on Avy's part, he didn't want to think her capable of that, not after everything that had happened, and what he and Avy had become…

…but…even he recognized the need for caution.

"Once she had everything she wanted, who was to say that their alliance would not become an inconvenience?"

If so, the Survivors would be ready.

"Everything is set, master," he promised, " I will send word to Mox and Tru, they are ready to play their part."

Jas nodded.

"I hope that we are just being overcautious, but still…it is better to be safe than sorry."

Fenn nodded in agreement.

He feared that the Avy might see this as a betrayal, but if she remained true to her world, then…

…then…it wouldn't matter.

Tru Halcyon and her Bothan co-pilot were old friends, and former Padawan Pack members as well. They had aided them during the battle of the Inferno Nebula.

They would be of great value once again.

"Everything will be ready, master. I promise."

Jas Dar Bynn smiled.

"You have been a good student, Fenn, and you have grown into a strong and wise young man. I know your heart is pulling you towards something new, but that doesn't make it wrong. You can be so much more than a Jedi Knight, you can help reshape Avy's life, and the future she wants to build."

"I hope so, master," he looked down in a puddle at his feet, he could see the slight glow of his yellow eyes, the Sith eyes that had not left him since Tatooine."

"Your future is still yours," his master reminded him, "It is still in motion, make the best of it. As I said remember your training, and follow what you know to be right. Trust in the Force."

Fenn nodded.

As he looked down at the hologram, he couldn't help but feel a sense of the bittersweet.

Jas Dar Bynn had been more than a teacher to him. Though he had been born in the Corellian enclave, he had been turned over to the Jedi Temple at a young age, after a Sith attack nearly destroyed the Jedi communities on his home world.

After the fall of the temple, Master Jas had taken him in, trained him well. He had understood the anger in Fenn, and helped him deal with it.

Fenn saw him more than a simple teacher.

He looked at Jas Dar Bynn as a father.

He hoped that his master looked upon him as a son.

A son that would never let him down.

"See you back at the base, master," he said.

"I will see you then, lad. May the Force be with you, Fenn Shadowstone."

"And with you Jas Dar Bynn…

…and with you."