Chapter 11: Lyrhan
"You honor me with this meeting, Prime Minister. I do hope that everything is to your liking?"
Avaryss grinned and bowed her head slightly, holding up her goblet in toast.
"Everything is perfect, Lord Lyrhan."
The Sith smiled.
"You have once again proven to be…a generous host.
Lyrhan Dustyn nodded and raised his own glass, gently, the two nobles clinked them together in celebration.
The Dark Lord leaned back in her chair, her expression merry, but inside remained guarded.
Everything might seem cordial, but a dinner table could be as dangerous as a battlefield, the weapons simply changed, but were no less as deadly.
Especially when dealing with a grasping fool like Lord Lyrhan.
A short rotund man, with a round belly, most would look at him and say he wasn't dangerous…
…those people would wrong, they were fools.
Lyrhan was one of the most dangerous men on Bantoon.
Once upon a time, he would have been a prince, should have been a prince, he would say. His grandfather once stood behind the throne of his lady wife. Queen Adira II had been the one to first open Bantoon up to the rest of the galaxy.
Yet, even she did not grasp her husband's ambitions, the desires he had for his heirs.
Lyrhan was the last one left. He had survived both his father, and two brothers, and was now head of his family, and that still had not been enough for him.
It was he that aided Avaryss in the overthrow of Queen Vessaria. He had spent his youth as a page in the palace, had gotten to know its workings intimately, and the names and identities of all the queen's enemies.
He had gathered those enemies, the nobles she had needed, and ensured that all the pieces were in place before she made her move.
A valuable man, yes, but now that the deed was done…
No, I cannot get too far ahead of myself, not yet.
She still had to play along with this fool, at least until the temple was complete.
Even now, as they dined on fresh black bread, oyster stew, and lytek eels in a butter sauce, he still looked upon her as a partner, a fellow noble with common interests.
He didn't understand.
The man was incapable of understanding.
He was in the presence of his true superior.
Had he known everything about Avaryss and her plans…
…he would not have been so quick to try and worm his way into her favor.
In fact…he would have been terrified of her, but that is as it should be.
Superiority and perfection out shown ambition and resourcefulness, especially when it was wielded by a mundane.
Though she was cautious, Avaryss had little to fear of this man….
…to put it simply, he was less than nothing.
He just didn't realize it yet.
IOI
She had been on her way back to the palace when the invitation came. It had been another long night. She had spent most of it back at Sanctuary Base, inspecting the fruits of their victory at Staukhause.
She had been pleased to see just how much ore Rink's people had managed to escape with. Containers full to almost bursting, holding more than enough Vladium to finish the work on the temple, with the rest of the ore surely needed for Bantoon's shipyards. Ships that would be necessary to ferry her troops into the soon to be vacant Zakuul system.
After the first strike, they would need to be on their way to spire. They would need to move fast to secure the Eternal Fleet when the time came.
They now had the resources to do just that.
She was more than pleased.
It had been a very successful raid all around.
She had also listened to Abominus' reports on the ground assault, the monster had been very thorough, leaving no survivors that could identify the attackers. They had lost one of her galleons though. An alliance battlegroup had arrived in the system as they were withdrawing.
"It wasn't our fault, boss," Rink had assured her. "The order to withdraw had been given, but Mauk didn't listen, he was complaining of hyperdrive issues."
"You don't sound like you buy that excuse," she had said in response.
Rink had sneered.
"Mauk, that was the captain of the ship, had interests in slaving for the Hutts. I think he saw an opportunity to score some quick merchandise, and thought we would back him up, but your orders were clear, the ore above all, and so we left."
Avaryss nodded.
"You did the right thing. Is there any chance of the slavers being linked back to me?"
"None," her old pilot had promised, " I micro-jumped us out of the system to monitor the battle. Just a couple of lightyears, the ship was destroyed by a flight of bombers, and the self-destruct took care of any remaining fliers, there was no one left to tell the Alliance goons anything."
She had smiled then.
"Then everything is as it should be."
She turned to her two allies, Rink relaxing now that he had explained what had happened, and Abominus still contented from her raid, having gorged herself on fresh blood.
"You both did well," the dark lord had said, "You shall be well rewarded for this success."
Having tended to the officers, she had spent the rest of the evening checking in with the loading crews, and the bosses for the mineral extractors. The Vladium had to be prepped, impurities purged, and smelted down into girders. It was then that these new supplies would be ready for their journey down to the grand temple. The work had been stalled for too long.
That will not be a problem much longer, she thought with a smile, and once Rain returns, I will have an answer to the Paladina problem, and will no longer have to worry about their interference. Once the work is completed on the temple, all that will be needed is to oversee the final ritual, and then…
A shiver ran down her spine.
Then everything she had ever desired would be hers. The final annihilation of the unguided mistake known as free will…
…that and the extermination of Vitiate's mongrels. Zakuul would be wiped clean and she could claim her Eternal fleet at her leisure.
Feeling satisfied, she had begun her journey back to the palace. There were still a few hours before daybreak. Time enough for a quick nap, and to be up and dressed. She liked to be in her apartment, and awake, when Andur woke up. She enjoyed helping her son with his breakfast, and enjoyed those moments where she could just sit with him, listen to him tell her about his plans for the day. Most was just talk of play, but that was good too.
She took comfort in the fact that her son was solely focused on being a child.
His future….would be more structured one day.
Lyrhan's invitation had arrived as her shuttle was just leaving the base. An invitation to dine, an offer of either dinner or breakfast, depending on the dark lord's whims.
She had decided to accept.
It was rare that any of the Bann nobles would reach out to her, they needed her support, those that stood with her depended on her troops to protect them from their enemies, but that didn't mean that she was loved here.
No, the Banns saw her as a useful tool for now…
…they would be shocked when they learned she was so much more.
Avaryss and her ally dined at a small pavilion on a rocky outcropping on the north side of the Dustyn estate. The estate itself was on a small island a few hundred clicks from the capital city, and had been the home in exile of Lyrhan's grandmother, the failed queen Adira II who had died some two decades ago. The estate, like everything else in his family came to Lyrhan upon the "accidental" deaths of his father and brothers.
The waves crashed against the island's rocky north inlet, while the sun rose in the distance, turning the skies a lovely rainbow color.
Avaryss finishing up the rest of her stew, finally turned to her host.
"What can I do for you, Lyr? I'm doubting you invited me here just to watch me eat."
The man smiled.
"I wished to congratulate you on your recent victories, and the near completion of the grand temple. I'm told it will truly be a wonder to behold when completed."
Avaryss smiled politely.
"It will far more than any mere wonder, your lordship," she answered, "It will change the face of history. You can trust me on that."
The little man chuckled as he leaned back in his chair, his hands resting on his round belly.
"It is a matter of history that I hoped to discuss with you, Prime Minister. The future history of this world, and its people…"
His smile widened.
"I had hoped to clear up some points with you. Your noble allies are growing curious. We supported you when you needed it, sheltered you and your forces these last few years. So you cannot blame us for being…interested in what happens next."
"Next?" she replied.
He nodded.
You have hinted at the fact that a new system of leadership will need to be established when you leave us, when you go off to secure your place among your Sith brethren…
"We simply wish to know what is next for Bantoon, and ask for the chance to…influence that decision."
Avaryss almost laughed.
She should have expected this, with the temple so close to completion.
It had not been loyalty that had motivated the cadre that helped her conquer this world.
She almost had what she desired most, and now…
Now…the nobles wanted theirs.
She couldn't blame them, though again, they didn't understand.
What would become of Bantoon would make their desires moot.
She had her own plans for the future of this world, and her desires would be the ones that mattered...
...the only ones that mattered.
Though she could not say so openly, not yet.
She still needed time.
"You can assure our fellows that all that they desire will be theirs," she lied.
Her smile turned sly.
"I can promise that you will all get what's coming to you."
Lyrhan wrung his hands in anticipation.
"I'm sure my fellows will be most happy to hear that, Prime Minister. Though, if I may be so bold?
"You may speak your peace," she said gesturing, "What is said will not pass beyond this shore."
"I am most pleased to hear that, and I'm sure that you will be most pleased with what I'm about to say.
He leaned forward, his voice dropping slightly, to suggest a sense of conspiratory trust.
"My own desire is something most…important, for the both of us."
"I see," she said leaning in, "and what exactly is it that you want?"
"Princess Mirax, and your leave to remove both her brother and mother."
Avaryss blinked.
Really, she thought.
The little toad is more ambitious than I thought.
"You would take one of my favorite wall decorations, and if you did, what would you do with it?"
"I don't wish her frozen, my master, I wish her thawed. Thawed, then both wedded, and bedded.
"Wedded to whom?"
"To me, of course. Our world has been wanting for a High General for too long. My family has been wedding Istillo princesses for generations. We were known as the right kind of stock to continue the line, a line that needs to be corrected, now that Jad Dar Bynn is out of it."
The man straightened his coat, trying to sit up straighter, be more regal.
"I'm just the leader our people need, someone who can stand beside a compliant queen, and show her the way, the TRUE way."
The dark lord listened to that, and almost burst out laughing.
Him?
A king? A warrior hardly?
Avaryss suppressed a sneer.
"I mean no disrespect, Lyr, but THAT conquest may be a bit beyond you. Princess Mirax is a Paladina, a powerful Force Sensitive…"
"She would need to be properly…fixed, I don't deny that, but our people, our genetic engineers have proven to be quite skilled in that arena, as our sworn protectors proved, and even if that doesn't work, the Sith are have their own ways of altering the mind, I've been told. I'm sure you can come up with something in that dark imagination of yours to make the girl more…pliable to my advances."
"Perhaps," the dark lord answered, though inside, she was seething.
The arrogant fool!
He would seek to manipulate one strong in the Force! He would see her turned into his humble cur!
Such a fate for an enemy should not have bothered Avaryss, but it did.
She found herself thinking of Darth Feer, what he had planned for her.
Mirax Istillo was Jas Dar Bynn's daughter. The man may have been an enemy, but he was a respected enemy.
Avaryss would much rather the girl fall to the dark side and join the Sith, that was better, cleaner.
What Dustyn asked appalled her, but again, she did not let her revulsion show.
She still needed him, after all…
…for now.
"The time has come to take Bantoon back to the path of honor," Lyrhan continued, "It has faltered for almost forty years under the direction of Vessaria and her Jedi consort. I can restore our world to its proper place, I have powerful friends among both the military and the matriarchy. As you well know, my lord."
"Yes," she answered.
'Those allies still remember when my grandfather was High General, Bantoon had been a world on the move then. We were all set to expand beyond our little corner of the galaxy. The mining guild's aid was just what we needed, we were almost ready to spread our wings when Jas Dar Bynn and Vessaria murdered my grandsire, and forced his wife to abdicate."
Avaryss nodded.
She knew this story, of course, she had heard it from Adaz, when he had first told her of Hecaetus' adventures on Bantoon. He had spent much of his youth here on Bantoon, masked, and playing the role of Hecaetus' bodyguard.
Adaz had seen all that his master had done, behind the scenes.
Again, the little man didn't understand.
All that had befallen Bantoon, all that had pushed his grandfather to seize power, and become the man he did, had occurred by the design of the Sith!
It had been Darth Hecaetus, under the guise of Baron Jark Hudlo, who had masterminded it all. He had arranged the accident that killed Vessaria's grandmother, and eldest aunt. Then, he had arranged the coup that put the fool's grandmother on the throne. It had not been Hecaetus' fault that Vessaria survived, survived and bred with Jas Dar Bynn.
No, that failure belonged to Adira II and her High General. Lyrhan's grandfather had failed in that, and in not destroying the last of the Force sensitives here on Bantoon. Hecaetus had made sure the man believed that they had been behind the murder of Vessaria's grandmother.
He was supposed to destroy them utterly, but again, he had failed, and they rose again, with Jas Dar Bynn's aid, becoming the Paladina Jedi.
She frowned slightly.
For that failure, Lyron Dustyn had deserved the death that Master Jas and Queen Vessaria had given him.
Yet, even then, Hecaetus still ensured his future victory.
He had manipulated the Dustyn family into becoming their useful idiots, and then moved to infiltrate the Sworn Protector program, and set in motion all the plans that had brought Avaryss to where she was now.
In short, all of Bantoon's history over the last half century had been influenced by the Sith. Jas Dar Bynn had managed to throw a few spanners into their plans, but even those minor issues would be overcome.
The Paladina would be destroyed, and Jas Dar Bynn's failure would be complete.
She watched her host carefully.
He had been useful, and remained so, for the moment.
Still…
…perhaps she should start considering what kind of accident might befit a man of his station? Something quick and painless, he had been a great help, after all. Then she could move someone she could trust into his place. Taya perhaps.
Taya was proving very popular among the nobles, and most who met her loved little Anj.
Avaryss pursed her lips.
Yes, it was something to think about, to be sure.
"If I were to do this for you, Lyr," she said, "What could I expect from Bantoon during the next few decades? What course would you set?"
"We would join your empire, of course," he answered, "We would also protect your grand temple with our lives, and offer succor to any Sith that came to our fair world. It would be the least we could do for one who aided us in our time of need. Who placed us back on the proper path."
She considered that.
Again, he painted a pretty picture, but still…
…Still…
A hint of a frown passed her lips as she took a sip of her wine.
Hm.
Interesting.
His expression changed slightly.
"Is something wrong, my lord?"
"Not at all," she said dismissively, with a wave of her hand.
She held up her goblet.
"A most excellent vintage."
His grin returned.
"I'm glad you approve."
She nodded, but again, she had to hold back her rage, her smile was a mask now, her defenses fully up, as was her desire to smash the man's teeth to splinters.
She pursed her lips.
She had thought him better than this.
Again, he was proving to be…more foolish than she thought.
She had not tasted it, nor sensed it, a foolish mistake on her part. Though perhaps it had not been in her first cup…
That would make sense!
Avaryss looked down into her goblet.
Very foolish.
There was something in her wine, she could sense it through the Force!
It wasn't poison, nothing lethal anyway, she would have sensed that immediately, she always used the Force to check for poison whenever she ate, it was second nature at this point. Yet, the meal had been going on for almost an hour now, and she had gotten lost in small talk, and courtesy.
So, something in the new bottle just opened then?
She touched the substance with the Force, it was slippery, but didn't possess the malice one would detect in a lethal concoction.
Non-lethal, most definitely.
He doesn't want me dead, but then why…?
She smiled slightly.
Yes, of course!
The drink was not meant to harm her, only meant to make her more…open to his plans for the princess. Something to make her more open to suggestion.
A subtle scheme, this, but one wasted on a Dark Lord of the Sith.
She looked at her host with new eyes.
Had this been some little plan of his, or had someone on the council helped cook this up? She thought her advisors wiser than this, but who could say? A few might still see her origins as a weakness, as a sign that she was weak.
She would need to dispel such views quickly.
Normally, she would turn this matter over to Ghul and his intelligence people, but…what if he was involved?
An interesting puzzle indeed.
She looked at the sky to her right, seeing the fluffy clouds turning purple and pink with the rising sun.
She briefly considered spilling blood, making Lyrhan pay for his clumsy attempt to manipulate her, but again…no.
She smiled slyly.
Rain would be back in a few days.
Soon she would have the information she needed to destroy the Paladina, and with that information, she would need something else…test subjects…
…willing or otherwise.
She sized the man up.
Would he survive what she had in mind? She didn't know.
It would be fun to find out.
"Ooh," she said with a smile, "Dawn already! I'm needed at the palace, I'm sure. My son will be waking soon."
"How is the dear boy," Lyrhan asked, "Is he adapting to life in the palace? It can be ever so hard on a young boy, Bantoon's prejudices being what they are."
"He is fine," she assured him, "Just a happy little boy, and my heir, when the time comes."
Her comment made Lyrhan Dustyn frown.
"Your son is lucky to have been born into the Sith. On Bantoon a son is only valuable to fight and nothing else, or so the matriarchs teach us."
Lord Dustyn almost snarled.
"As you can guess, I was not born for combat, I was born with…issues, our science has since corrected them, but I was never the man my father wanted, never as inclined physically as he desired. My brothers surpassed me, which is why my father wished to see them replace me as heir."
Avaryss nodded.
Suddenly, what she was sensing, why he had done all this made sense.
"You outlasted them, though," she reminded him, "You proved them all wrong."
He smirked.
"I suppose I did," he said with a laugh, "My mind was always sharper than my father's . I could not match him blade to blade, but…when it came to seeing what is best for our world. I've surpassed him in every way."
"That you have," Avaryss said, "And you have proven something to me tonight. Now I'm certain, that you deserve a most special reward for all that you have accomplished, on both my, and your people's behalf."
The Lord's brown eyes lit up.
"You will consider what I've said then? You will consider what I asked for, about Princess Mirax?"
She gave him a wicked look.
"You do deserve to be rewarded, my friend. You have been invaluable in our work here. You deserve so much; your family deserves so much for all it has done in the last few decades."
He rose and gave her a most gentlemanly bow.
"It pleases me to hear you say such things, my lord."
"It is no mere flattery, I assure you."
She placed a hand on his shoulder, her yellow eyes flashing with restrained rage.
You will answer for underestimating me.
You have just moved to the top of the list.
You will answer.
Thinking on that, she laughed.
"I'm looking forward to our next meeting, my lord.
"You will get everything that is coming to you…
"…EVERYTHING!"
