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Chapter 4 Part 1

=Sith=

290 AC

Astapor

Having an Unsullied guard made all the difference in the world when dealing with the Good Masters of Astapor. They offered a cloak of legitimacy and respectability. There was no need for lengthy meetings so the Good Masters could wax poetic on how their slave soldiers were the world's best and most valuable fighting force. No one wondered if Viserys had the treasure to buy Unsullied. The only question was how many of them he could afford and if he would like to hire ships to transport them to where he needed them.

Early in the morning, after they arrived in Astapor, a delegation from the Good Masters waited at Viserys' pleasure at the inn. A group of local guards herded accountants, ready to sort through all the treasure the Prince brought. Once that was done, he would be meeting with the Good Masters to negotiate the purchase itself.

There was to be a simple transaction with no complications or delays. That was the kind of respect that owning Unsullied bought in Astapor. Needless to say, Viserys was more than happy to oblige, because when the news of him being a sorcerer reached the city, his task would become that much harder. After all, what danger could a single youth with a fifty Unsullied be against an army of those same soldiers?

Viserys and Dany returned to the docks, escorted by their slave soldiers. The accountants and the city guards followed them like lost ducklings, and they soon busied themselves evaluating the tribute within Stormchaser's hold.

Viserys had a reasonable estimate by noon—1.2 million in the local gold currency. The reaction of the guards and accountants alike made it clear that this was a respectable pile of money and money talks.

Early in the afternoon, a procession of slaves arrived to bring the treasure to the Plaza of Pride, where the Good Masters, owning the Unsullied, waited to bargain. This time, Viserys took all his soldiers with him. They had standing orders to protect Dany with their lives. If he could have trusted Captain Kaleb enough, Viserys would have left his sister on board Stormchaser with a Spear for guards. However, he was reasonably sure the temptation to abscond with Dany might prove too much for the shipmaster if given the chance. Kaleb struck him as an opportunist, kept at bay by the certainty of retaliation and failure.

The Plaza of Pride was packed with spectators – most of them slavers of one stripe or another, with odd visitors in different garb there for the show. Local guards kept everyone away from ranks upon ranks of Unsullied. They were arrayed in solid blocks of one hundred, arrayed around a tall red fountain with a harpy statue perched on top of it. Each Spear had its commander standing a pace before it, all clad in black leather armor.

Five men stood on a platform facing the Unsullied. Each had a group of slaves tending to their needs while regular guards surrounded them.

The slaves who accompanied Viserys and Dany from the ship placed their cargo before the Good Masters, opened the chests, and made themselves scarce. Only one of the accountants and a pair of local guards remained.

Viserys' attention went to the slavers he had to deal with. Even at this point, when everything was about to be decided, he wasn't sure which path to take. Realistically, he had two options after taking control of the Unsullied. His first option was to order his new army to murder all the slavers, liberate the slaves, and use them as the foundation of his power base. The second option was to have them capture as many of the slavers and then make a deal with them he could live with.

In the long term, the slavers had to go. However, keeping them alive for the time being and working with him might allow Viserys to cushion the economic blow from capturing the city and buy himself time before he had to move against the other slaver cities in Slavers Bay and beyond. The problem with the second option was that it would tarnish his reputation in Westeros and might not buy him any time at all.

The truth was that Viserys simply needed more information to be sure which option was the better one. After Pentos, he was running out of time. He had to trust what he could glean through the Force and his judgment during hopefully very short negotiations.

Most of Viserys' Unsullied remained around the chests chock-full of treasure. He walked towards the Good Masters with Dany at his side and two Spears flanking them. The Prince focused on the five slavers he had to negotiate with. They couldn't have been more different than each other if they tried.

To Viserys' left sat a mountain of a man, who size-wise had more in common with a Wookie than a human. His muscles had muscle, though they were losing definition due to a thin sheen of fat. The man was apparently slowly letting himself go.

"Master Kraznys mo Nakloz, greets you, Prince Viserys!" an old and wiry slave proclaimed from behind the giant man.

This one was the most important of the Good Masters. The only one Viserys had to really care about because he held the Harpy's Claws, and thus, the key to acquiring an army.

Kraznys toyed with a long, thin beard, kept stiff as a board by golden rings. He had short dark red, almost black hair he was trying to grow out. Along with an old, thin slaver sitting at the far right, Nakloz was the only one of the five whose hair wasn't held into odd shapes with oils, and the Force only knew what. At least some of the guards had a taste and got points for style. The three slavers in the middle looked simply ridiculous.

Viserys fought not to roll his eyes as the introductions continued. Four of the five called themselves Grazdan something-something, though by the looks of them, they had no familiar relation.

After they exchanged greetings and introductions, it was time to get to business.

"Prince Viserys, you bring treasure enough for a thousand Unsullied," Kraznys proclaimed after consulting with the accountant. "You also offered precious information to trade," He looked at the Prince with interest. "We doubt it would be worth an Unsullied Century…" the slaver trailed off and pointed a thick finger at the chests. "Yet here we are. You come to trade with a tribute from Pentos and five Spears of our finest Unsullied."

"We can't promise to sell Unsullied for information alone," The oldest slaver pipped up. "We can offer compensation and gifts if it is valuable enough."

Viserys smiled and drew on the Force for all he was worth. It flowed through him, soothing his singing blood. While he was taken aback by what the slavers suggested, he didn't let it show. Why the fuck did the Pentosi give him ten times more money than he 'humbly' requested to get out of their hair?! Besides, a million and a change for not hiring but buying a thousand of the best soldiers in the world?! What was this nonsense?! Just state-of-the-art equipment for a platoon of soldiers could cost millions, and that was simply infantry gear, no vehicles, and other heavy equipment included. Granted, that was by the standards of a galaxy-class military with state-of-the-art gear, but still…

Viserys kept his expression unchanged with an effort of will and pushed aside his thoughts about unit and gear prices. He would have to consider them later and learn more about the economy of Essos because it was clear he was missing something.

Either way, it wasn't like he was about to actually pay for an army today. He had other plans.

"You've done well for yourself, young man," Kraznys picked up, speaking in the oddly accented High Valyrian prevalent in Astapor. "It doesn't matter if you earned an Unsullied guard by your own merit or persuaded a wealthy benefactor to grant you the privilege. You are here with five Spears of the finest soldiers we've ever made."

"This earns you the benefit of the doubt, youngster," the oldest Grazdan shared. "We are willing to be generous and allow you to choose up to ten from the fifty Centuries we have ready for sale."

"It would be foolish to spend all my treasure on an army and then be broke," Viserys japed, earning himself a few chuckles and even a nod of respect. "I will take nine Centuries of my choosing. Then we will see what you might be willing to offer for the information I have to share." He slowly approached Kraznys and offered him his left hand to shake. Shall we seal the deal and retreat to a more comfortable avenue?"

The slaver baked a laugh and raised a trunk-like arm. Kraznys' eyes twinkled with dark amusement.

Viserys grabbed the offered appendage and squeezed. Kraznys did the same, banking on his great strength to humble the arrogant Prince. Viserys froze his prey with the Force and slashed at the slaver's mind with his own.

Mind-fuckery was an old and storied tradition among both Jedi and Sith alike. Usually, it wasn't useful against strong-willed people or creatures with natural resistance like the Hutts, the overgrown gross worms. The reality of the situation was different. One could exert a finite amount of pressure with the Force on a person's mind before causing very noticeable brain damage. If you wanted or needed to keep a low profile, mind-fuckery was a niche technique that was often counter-productive. For example, that was one of the primary reasons why Sidious couldn't simply mind-fuck his way through the Republic Senate and take control that way. Most Senators were either strong-willed enough or had natural resistance. The other reasons were the Jedi being around, watching for such stunts, and the fact that local governments would immediately recall a Senator suddenly acting against their interests unless already bought and paid for.

Here and now, it didn't matter if Kraznys was a strong-willed bastard or not. Viserys needed him to last only moments under the sway of his will. He pulled the slaver forward to whisper into his ear.

"I am altering our deal. You are selling me all Unsullied here and now. We have a deal. They are mine now. Proclaim this truth aloud!" Viserys hissed, relishing at sensing the slaver's emotions. First, there was disbelief, quickly followed by the realization that something was terribly wrong. Despair came next, right before the 'Good' Master's mind caved under the pressure.

Kraznys head shook under the strain. Blood vessels burst into his eyes, and blood leaked from his nose.

"We have a deal! All Unsullied are yours!" Kraznys shouted before choking on his spit. He barely raised a shaking right hand, offering Viserys the Harpy's Talons.

The other slaver stared at them in disbelief. Before they could react, Viserys grabbed the whip and turned around, releasing his victim. Behind him, Kraznys collapsed in his chair. Viserys knew the slaver was already a dead man with a damaged and bleeding brain.

Viserys raised the Harpy's Talons so the gathered slave soldiers could see them.

"Unsullied, you are mine to command. Execute," Viserys barked, and his guards fell around him and Dany, surrounding them with a shield wall. The other three Spears abandoned the treasure and ran to join the others.

Meanwhile, five thousand slave soldiers watched Viserys, awaiting orders.

"Treachery!" One of the Grazdans screeched.

"Kill the bastard!" the old one barked an order, and the local guards awoke from their stupor. "Keep his little whore alive! She'll pay for…"

Viserys' temper snapped at that. The Force surged under his command, obeying the Sith's will. Grazdan's skull imploded, crushed by telekinetic claws.

"Unsullied! Capture the city! Kill the guards and regular slavers! Capture the Good Masters and their families, and then bring them here! Secure the docks and take all the ships you can! Liberate the other slaves and utilize them to complete your tasks!" Viserys roared, enhancing his voice and intent with the force.

Spears and blades bounced off Unsullied shields as the nearby guards charged the Targaryens' guards. The slave soldiers retaliated with economic thrusts, spearing all threats in range.

Meanwhile, the Unsullied army began its deployment. The Centuries on the edge of the large formation unfurled, with Spears moving in lockstep to create shield walls before advancing at the guards, slavers, and visitors who saw the world change in utter disbelief. Other Unsullied threw short spears at distant targets, more often than not hitting guards and inflicting deadly wounds.

Viserys ignored the unfolding carnage and went to Dany so he could better protect her.

=Sith=

Chapter 4 Part 2

=Sith=

290 AC

Astapor

The easy part was over. Between utter surprise, concentration of force, and the next best thing to decapitation strike, Viserys doubted that his Unsullied would face coherent resistance able to slow them down, much less stop them. The only thing in the air was how many of the ships in the harbor they would be able to secure… and how much of the vessels' crews would live to see the dawn.

On the other hand, reforging Astapor into a stable power base would be complicated and involve endless hours of thankless, tedious work. That would be bad enough.

Viserys squeezed Dany's shoulder, lamenting that her childhood was at an end. Now that they had a base of operations and were on solid ground, he would have to begin her training in earnest. Viserys wasn't looking forward to the next few years.

Pain, death, horror, utter disbelief, righteous anger, incredible relief, and bloody vengeance fed the Force, which swelled throughout Astapor. The Dark Side was prevalent, feeding on all the negative emotions already suffocating the city after seeping into the very foundations of the buildings and the soil for centuries upon centuries.

Viserys concluded that this place would make a good seat of power for a Sith and their Apprentice.

The last Unsullied Centuries were making their way out of the plaza, with two hundred slave soldiers spreading to cover and apprehend the spectators wisely or stunned enough not to resist.

Viserys looked at the remaining Grazdans, who were stuck in place, terrified out of their wits.

"I did promise you a valuable secret, didn't I? I am a Sorcerer, you see. I guess Astapor's Sorcerer King now," he gestured at his guard. "Get them down to the plaza to wait with the other slaver prisoners."

A pair of Unsullied grabbed each Good Master while the men's slaves huddled together at the back of the podium, watching with tenuous hope, disbelief, and not a little bit of hatred aimed at their masters.

"Visy, what's happening? It's loud and scary…" Dany muttered and pressed her face into her brother's side.

"We just got ourselves a city and place to stay, dear sister. You are going to be a proper Warrior Princess now," Viserys smiled sadly at Dany. He gently pulled her with him and went to sit on one of the freed chairs. A telekinetic shove threw the headless Grazdan away. Viserys picked the now quite dead Kraznys with the Force and dumped him at the feet of the slaves behind the chairs.

"You can have him if you want. Do try not to be too loud," Viserys suggested. He felt a surge of murderous, vindictive hatred that quickly morphed into rage when one of the liberated slaves moved toward Kraznys. By the sound of it, it was one of the women holding trays with drinks, which she used to beat the bastard. That broke the dam, and the others surged forward to get a piece of their former tormentor.

Undoubtedly, there would be many such events and much worse taking place across Astapor that night. Viserys remembered putting down slave revolts all over the Empire, with more than a few happening on Dromund Kaas itself. Imperial personnel, in general, slave masters in particular, tended to die screaming if they couldn't make themselves scarce before the revolting slaves could get their hands on them. There was no reason to believe things would be different here. The Unsullied should be able to get enough of the Good Masters intact. The regular slavers were of no use to Viserys anyway.

The Targaryens' Unsullied guard fell in place around them, forming a shield war just in case. Viserys could do something productive with the plaza secure until his new army took the city and brought in the Good Masters for a chat.

"Dany, look at me," Viserys ordered. Her wide purple eyes stared warily at him. Dany's conflicted emotions washed over him like sea waves. "Focus on what you are feeling. You know how our power feels. Seize it and reel it in."

Dany's eyes narrowed in determination. She was glad to have something to focus on and not think about the carnage around them. It was a sad truth that she had seen death many times before while they struggled to survive. Frankly, the Sith marveled that both of them were as sane and normal as they were by the time he merged with Viserys and Dany with his niece.

There was no mistaking when she seized the Force and let it flow through her. Dany's eyes shot wide at all the emotions spilling into the Force from the ongoing carnage.

"That's it, Little Dragon. Draw it in. Hold it. This is raw power. This will keep you alive and safe when you master it."

"It's too much!" Dany exclaimed.

Viserys submerged himself in the state necessary for Battle Meditation. He dabbled into the technique, focusing only on his little sister. Their minds became one, allowing him to guide Dany and smooth her hold over the Force. She relaxed as he took the brunt of the emotional storm threatening to overwhelm her. Viserys could feel the Force flowing through Dany. Her sheer potential overjoyed him.

In spite of everything, despite what he was doing, tarnishing her innocence so she could survive anything this world could throw at her, Dany didn't care. Her love was pure and unconditional. It rebounded through the bond of Battle Meditation, reinforcing and stabilizing a fledgling Force Bond they were slowly developing.

"It's all right, Visy. I trust you."

It was very rare for Viserys to loathe himself for something he would do, much less something he believed he had to do. The Dark Side ensured that such mishaps were fleeting, and any sane Sith was grateful for it.

"It's going to be all right!" Dany pushed another thought through their linked minds. "I don't want to be scared again! I don't want to be a burden, Visy! I want to be strong like you!"

Dany's earnest thoughts warmed his dark soul. Yet, that admission stoked Viserys' simmering rage at everything that had happened to them. His control frayed, and only the soothing warmth of Dany's emotions allowed him to keep his rage at bay. It didn't help that his dragon blood boiled below the Force flowing through him, raging at what they were reduced to.

"Focus on the power raging through us. Channel all the emotions you can feel and use them," Viserys needed a distraction, and this was a prime learning opportunity for Dany.

He demonstrated, slowly and methodically, guiding the Force with his will until it engulfed Kraznys' empty chair. Telekinesis gripped the wooden construct, raising it in the air under their combined will.

"Intent. Will. Emotion. Power. Fundamentally, they can be one and the same," Viserys lectured. He used the fear of dying slavers as fuel, allowing Dany to see and feel how it was done.

The chair imploded as if crushed by a giant hydraulic press.

Battle Meditation was going to prove an invaluable training tool, Viserys knew. Last time around, he never got to properly explore it. After his first wife trained him in properly utilizing and mastering the technique, he had only one Apprentice, and that was under unusual circumstances.

Viserys spent nearly an hour guiding Dany through the basics of using the Force. Through the bond of Battle Meditation, she got to experience and understand precisely what to do and why. By the time the lesson was done, his sister was exhausted and slumbering in his lap. Viserys shifted her to be more comfortable and waited for the Unsullied to do their thing. In many regards, Battle Meditation would speed up Dany's training, which was great. The likely downside was that he would have to be even more careful with her mental and emotional state.

Viserys was the anchor Dany had to keep her sane, which was something to be cherished and protected at all costs. Juggling said the state of affairs with effective training was going to prove challenging.

Sith had no problem hurting or killing those they loved. To train them as Sith. Taking such a person as an Apprentice meant hurting them to forge them into a capable Sith. Usually, that wasn't an issue or a small price to pay for success. In this case, it was a problem, for neither of them had someone or something else to keep them from going on the deep end.