Chapter 27: Target
So beautiful!
Avaryss sighed with delight. The case had only been open a few moments and already the chamber was filled with song.
All five keys sang as one, and the song was the sweetest she had ever heard. Sweeter that her son's voice, and softer than Fenn's passionate kisses.
The dark lord smiled.
The song…of victory!
She sat alone in her chambers in sanctuary base. It her meditation chamber. The one place off limits to all. Even the members of her council could not enter this room. It was from here that she prepared the final stage of her victory over not just the Zakuul, but the Republic, Jedi, and Sith Empire as well.
She knelt upon a rough and scratchy mat, her knees chafing, the temperature was slightly colder than she liked, with the smell of incense burning in a small fire behind her.
She hated that smell, and her master had known it, so he had commanded that it always be present in her quarters. A minor annoyance, but it did keep her focused on her hate, so, even after Feer's death, she still kept it here.
To remember old hatreds were a connection to the dark side, and right now she needed that.
The dark side's guidance would be invaluable today.
As she breathed in and out, she thought of the various slights she had faced, and of all those that had tried to block her path to her desire. Many of those were dead, but so many more remained, so many who saw her as done, or small.
Well, she thought with a growl.
I'll show you all just how grand I am.
Faces danced before her closed lids, allies and enemies both. Yet, neither brought her a sense of joy or hope.
In this moment, all were to be hated, even if they didn't deserve it, they had not done enough to serve her needs, and so…they were to be left out of her rage.
So many of them, and they had all looked down upon her. It sometimes seemed that all had looked down upon her, the girl from the fringes of the empire. The farm girl that had escaped her home all those years ago with just the clothes on her back. The thug, the hired sword who had risen too high…
…well, she was about to add another title to her list of accolades.
Empress of the first Galactic Empire!
Destroyer of Zakuul!
Master of Masters, the Dark Lord of the Sith!
The keys promised her all this, and more! Now, with the temple nearing completion the next step in her plan was finally in reach.
She nodded grimly.
It was time, to test her new weapon.
The keys' song increased in pitch, as it agreeing with her decision.
She reveled in that song, and in her hate.
Had anyone been in her meditation chamber, they would have noticed a red glow suffuse her body, and the dark side opened itself up to her.
Only now was she ready.
She took another deep breath, gathering her hate.
It is time, she knew.
It was time…to pick a target.
She had to be smart about this, and wise.
The test would need to be small, unnoticed by the major galactic powers, but it had to be something, and somewhere, where her war effort would profit from the choice.
Her thoughts turned to Darth Terrog, the first Sith Master she had truly destroyed. He had made a galactic statement when his plans had come to fruition, but the result had been his undoing.
He tipped his hand, showed his power, and all sides rallied against him.
The Zakuul had stripped the empire of much, but it was still a threat, the same with the Republic, and with the Alliance out there now, trying to build a force capable of opposing the Eternal Throne.
She would not risk both sides choosing to put aside their differences to come after her.
No, she had to remain in the shadows until she was ready.
Until she was ready to slide the blade deep into her enemies' backs.
She opened her eyes, and activated the chamber's holo field, the empty space around her filled with the fist-sized images of planets, dozens of worlds floated around her, and below each, information gathered by both her agents, and from the various libraries and government reports.
One by one those worlds floated before her eyes for her evaluation, and one by one she dismissed them.
Nandaron, Ossip, Tyman's Holding, Geer, Vinsoth, and Tappora.
All had their fine points, but she had yet to find exactly what she was looking for, and so…the search went on.
Despite the huge number of inhabited worlds out there, it was not an easy decision.
Everything…needed to be perfect.
She had originally considered attacking the Wookie home world. She had an almost irrational dislike for the creatures, and make no mistake, they would make valuable soldier in her army.
Yet, she dismissed their world as well. The Wookies were too close to the Republic, them suddenly switching sides would draw too much attention, and so…she moved on.
Sluis Van, Woostri, Tantandoan, Skyxx…
She shook her head.
No, she thought.
No. No. No.
Still, not what she needed.
The keys had risen from their case, and were now orbiting her, their song seemed to be encouraging her, as she continued her search.
She decided to switch tactics, she brought up the information about the various species on each of these worlds, hoping that might help her make a decision.
She needed strong beings, creatures that could be the back bone of her new army, but again, someone not so closely affiliated with any of the galactic governments.
She abandoned her search of the core worlds and pushed farther into the outer rim.
Surely, she could find what she was looking for there. She…
Her commlink beeped.
Avaryss rolled her eyes in frustration. She dismissed the holos and brought up the signal, General Glasc appeared before her.
She flashed him an angry glare.
"I gave orders that I was not to be disturbed."
"My apologies, my lord, but we have received a transmission from your HK unit. I thought that you might wish to speak with the droid personally.
Avaryss nodded, some of the anger drained from her face.
"Proceed."
The image of the Imperial vanished, and was replaced with the holo of her loyal assassin droid.
"Greetings: Hello, Master. I do hope things are proceeding as you desire."
Her eyes narrowed.
She was in no mood for small talk.
"Report."
"Reporting: I am currently moving through one of the sectors of the outer rim. My contacts within certain droid circles have yielded little information on the location of the target."
"Then why are you contacting me?"
"Answer: Because your creatures, these…hunters seem to be performing…unknown actions. They have suggested that I alter my course several times. Curiously enough, these locations are near where the target was sited in the last year. Yet, I have not given them any information about the girl's movements, or previous whereabouts. Most curious."
Avaryss smiled.
"That is their job, HK, and their purpose. They hunt through the Force."
"Acknowledgement: As you say, master. Also, the company of troopers you have sent with me are also acting…strangely."
"Strangely, how?"
"Explanation: they do not act like typical meatbags. They fulfil their physical needs only, they eat, sleep, and carry out other bodily functions with little conversation with each other, or this unit. They are almost droid like in their efficiency, impressive for someone born a common meatbag."
"Soon they will be the rule, not the exception, HK. Especially when my plans come to fruition."
"Acknowledging statement: As you say, master."
Avaryss nodded, so far so good, the knell troopers were showing no sign of side effect from their changes, even though being born of the most recent iteration of the substance. Between them, and her hunters, she would soon have the army she needed to fulfill the Sith design.
The total conquest of the galaxy, not through force of arms, but through cunning and the manipulation of the Force.
The Sith Golden age would return, and she would be its architect.
"Is there anything else, HK."
"Report: A small matter only, master. My contacts have revealed to me that I'm not the only one hunting the target. Several well-known hunters are on the trail as well. The meatbag Kalo Nord among them."
Avaryss nodded.
Again, not a surprise, given the price of the bounty placed on the woman's head.
"Query: Do I have your blessing to engage these hunters? If the opportunity arises?"
"Only if they stand in your way. The target must be removed, things are finally coming to fruition with my plan. I can afford no mistakes now. The target will be dealt with and dealt with for good."
"Excited Assurance: All will be as you desire, master. The meatbag girl will not be a problem anymore."
The holo vanished, leaving Avaryss alone.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
So, Kalo Nord was closing in on Bayla Istillo as well, how interesting.
The bounty hunter had intrigued her during her first meeting with him years ago. A powerful Force savant that was as ruthless as his ancient namesake.
In truth, she had considered offering him an exclusive contract to deal with Bayla Istillo, but his history had made her reconsider.
She frowned slight.
From what Taya had told her, and Fenn had confirmed. Nord was the son of Captain Cooper, and the Cooper family had had too many dealings with the Istillo crown to completely guarantee the man would fulfil the job she wished him too.
It was a shame, Nord was extremely good at what he did, and might even have beaten HK to the prize, but for now. She had no use for him, not in dealing with this prize anyway.
She reactivated the holo field once again, switching from the species to target world.
The search would go on.
Xa-Fel, Cardooine, Yag'dhul, and Gand.
So many would-be targets, and so little time.
She shook her head, and let her rage fill her up again.
A suitable world would be found.
She would not rest until she had it, and when did…
…the beginning of the end would finally arrive.
IOI
You will be given your final orders three hours before mission is a go. Reckoning will serve as my flagship, while Deathstroke and Warcry stay on station in reserve."
Avaryss smiled.
"By the time anyone realizes that we are there. It will be too late."
The three imperial officers stood at attention before her. They had been summoned to Sanctuary base an hour after Avaryss had decided the world that would be the first to fall.
She had been willing to take days to make the decision, but with the guidance of the dark side, it had only taken six hours, and now…
…they needed to get ready.
"Reckoning will be ready to serve when we are called upon, my lord," Captain Bast assured her, the dark-skinned imperial gave her a cruel smile.
"We gladly serve as the tip of your spear."
"I will speak with Deathstroke and Warcry's commanders," Admiral Kannady informed her.
"They will be ready when they are needed."
"I would expect nothing less from your brave soldiers, Admiral," she said, "You have always come through for me."
The old man nodded, a hint of a smile on his lips.
Yes, she thought.
His promotion had been well-deserved.
Kannady had been one of the first officers to support her new strategy. Though considered overly cautious by his peers, the dark lord had found him to be a skilled officer with much to contribute, and he had paid off her faith in him with extreme loyalty. It had been he that had helped shield her fleet during her exile, and her mission to destroy Survivor Squad. He used his place in the navy to draw away any attention that might have doomed the plan in its infancy, and had been well rewarded for his efforts, and for his injury in her service as well.
Kannady had lost an arm to the former Jedi turned smuggler Mox Devrn'alya. The old man had since replaced the missing limb with a metal one, and wore that injury as a badge of honor, as he should.
He had not shirked his responsibility, and done what was necessary to defend his dark lord.
Which left the third member of their party.
General Glasc frowned.
The dark lord turned.
"Is there a problem, General?"
"Permission to speak freely, my lord."
"Granted."
"I mean no offense to Captain Bast and his crew, but Reckoning is a new ship to your command, and untested. Perhaps assigning another ship, might be wiser."
"You question me?" Bast said giving him a dark look.
"As I said, no offense is meant, but this mission is of extreme importance. Why use an untested resource."
"Because it is untested, Glasc," Avaryss responded, "Few are aware of Reckoning's shifted loyalties, it is still on the registry of ships that serves the empire proper."
Avaryss smiled.
"If something does come unstuck, there will little or no evidence linking us to the strike."
Bast stood up straighter.
He seemed to take the dark lord's words as a challenge.
"My men will carry out their duties with peak efficiency, my lord. You will have your victory."
"I do not doubt that, captain," she said, handing him a data pad.
"The Reckoning will need to go through one of the shipyards here, to be outfitted for this mission. Target profiles will be provided to your fighter crews within the hour, and I expect battle drills to be conducted. I want our people ready to face what will come when we are over the target."
"All will be as you say, my lord," the young captain promised.
"It will be my pleasure."
With a final nod, the dark lord dismissed her officers, they had much to prepare, and so did she.
Avaryss took a deep shuddering breath, the echo of the keys' song still in her head.
After years of careful planning, finally, what she had set in motion during her days on the dark council were finally about to bear fruit.
She had her target world, but would not reveal it until the very moment they launched this mission. She could not afford to take any chances, not with the nobles and her fellow Sith being so suspect in recent events.
No, she would need to be patient a bit longer.
Of course, the mission could not officially launch until Rain's return. The temple remained unfinished, and until it was, she would need her apprentice's mental skills to fulfill the need that the structure would provide when completed, that…and the matter of the final ritual, the one that would bind the place to both her and the keys.
Only then, would things finally be ready.
She returned to her quarters, and her meditation chamber. In his last transmission, Rink had assured her that things were progressing on his end, and that the hunters assured them that locating Temmin Tagge would not take much longer.
She hoped that the man was right, she was trying to remain patient, but with events pointing at her final victory so close, it was hard to remain objective, part of her wanted to act now, to strike and let the cards fall where they may.
But…no…she still had to be calm.
Everything would go as she expected, it was only a matter of time.
She brought up the holo of the world she had chosen. Brought up both its image, and the creatures that called it home.
It was, without a doubt, the perfect testing ground.
Zraii'chaa as it was known was a small world in the outer rim, only a few hundred parsecs from Republic space. Though it was a part of the Republic, several set backs in the years before the Sith had returned had reshaped the world's political leanings.
The species that lived there, the Raii'chaa were of avian ancestry, avian, and fiercely territorial. That territoriality had led to clashes with their neighbors, and finally, with the Republic as a whole during the so-called age of peace. The Jedi had been forced to intervene, leading to a more isolationist stance by the locals.
That isolationism, and the savagery, of the locals would serve the Sith very well now.
Though humanoid, through evolution, the Raii'chaa maintained their feathered wings, and sharp talons. A Sith task group had clashed with them during the first war, their forces sustaining heavy losses.
These creatures knew how to fight, and they are familiar with killing force sensitives.
Just what she needed in her first batch of shock troops.
The dark lord sighed, feeling a sense of glee and dark contentment.
She had hoped to have mission-go before the month was out, by the time they returned, the temple would be all but finished, and the final preparations could begin.
All that she desired, all the Darth Hecaetus had begun years ago, would finally come to fruition. First Zraii'chaa, and then…the rest of the galaxy!
Though the thought of deploying her soon to be soldiers on Zakuul was tempting, she rejected that quick enough.
No, she would take no chances with Arcann and his family.
Between the temple and the keys, she had the means of destroying the Zakuul down to the last child, and then…she would take their fleets and armies for her own. The Eternal Throne would serve her well; its fleet and skytroopers would keep people busy while she used the keys to consolidate her power.
The mere thought excited her.
She was about to make traditional warfare obsolete. Conflict would always exist, but soon it would only be directed at forces outside of her own empire, and that empire would be very large and powerful.
Vitiate had saved the empire from collapse, but then he had failed it by trying to become a god. She would not make the same mistake. She would build a dynasty that would last for a thousand years. She would be…
RUN!
The word was not so much a word but a compulsion. She had no time to think and didn't waste any!
She ran…and nearly didn't escape!
The wall of her meditation chamber exploded, the blast tore through the chamber, as the bulk head came apart, as the air inside was blown out into space!
Few parts of the base were above ground, but her meditation chamber was one of them. It was located in one of the towers that blended in so well with the moon's skyline.
A tower that was now missing its top!
Avaryss was blown forward, and out into the hall, before she could recover, she felt the biting cold and pull of the void.
Both were cut off as the emergency doors slammed down.
The dark lord lay on the ground, panting. Alarms blared in her ears as troopers rushed to her aid, slapping at the fires that had caught on her cloak.
What…what happened?!
Her thoughts turned to the keys, but remembered they were not here, they had been moved from her chamber, and were enroute to a final location, where they would stay before being transferred to the Reckoning.
The keys were safe, that was what mattered, and that…
…she was alive.
Though disoriented, she stumbled to her feet, stumbled and as her head cleared, she roared with rage!
This was no accident; she knew that like she knew her own name!
Someone sought to make her a target, they had tried, and they had failed!
FAILED!
She had been waiting for the next shoe to drop, and now it had, and now…
She was furious!
They tried to kill me!
They tried to take what was mine!
They.
They!
THEY!
In that moment she swore a vow.
Before the galaxy fell, all who had done this would die screaming.
SHE SWORE IT!
DEATH TO ALL!