Anders was a man that prided himself on his discipline. He was the type of Sith that kept the majority of his emotions bottled up, awaiting the right moment to unleash the horrifying fury of the Dark Side upon those who deserved justice.
Corellia certainly deserved it, evidenced by how much of a cesspit their surroundings were.
It took all his restraint to not show disgust at the scum that surrounded him. Anders’ pride was wounded and his ego was bruised. Humiliation was his only companion besides the little BD-Unit droid perched on his shoulder and the freakishly tall woman beside him.
Aphotis had agreed to aid in this endeavour. Anders knew this would cost him in the long run. It felt like he had made a deal with Bogan itself in requesting her assistance. Thrice Braylan W'ray had escaped him. Thrice he had caused the upmost embarrassment for the High Inquisitor. It would all be worth it in the end. He could handle Aphotis later if he needed to.
They had Braylan cornered in a run down hovel the scumbag had aptly named The Devil’s Dandy. How fitting it was that they were going to bring Hell to his doorstep.
“Our target is inside,” Anders was blunt and straight to the point, gesturing to the doors being guarded by four burly Gammorean bouncers.
“We had best ensure he does not slip through your fingers again,” Alaisy’s smokey tone hissed through her mask with a hint of amusement.
A low grow was all Anders could respond with as they approached the burly bouncers. The sooner they were done, the sooner he could get Corellia’s stench out of his robes.
Today, Braylan would face the consequences of his actions. Justice would prevail.
Gammoreans. Woefully inadequate creatures incapable of anything as basic as guarding a door.
“Aequitas, hold on for now. Let me demonstrate my type of diplomacy,” Aphotis’s eyes flickered like electric-blue flames as she stepped in front of the Chiss.
“Why waste your breath when we could simply cut them down?” The scornful tone in his Coruscanti accent revealed his disdain for their species.
“I need these little pleasures in life.” There was a smile in her eyes, but her voice was no more laced with kindness than usual.
The tall woman strode up to the four Gammoreans, singling one at as she raised a clawed hand at him. This one was just slightly bigger than the rest, both in height and width.
“Pathetic little piglet, you are unworthy of my presence, move aside.” Tir'eivra’s voice was as sharp as a blade.
The three others seemed taken by the direct insult, standing by, watching their compatriot without a single snort of breath coming from their snouts.
The beast raised his greataxe, grunting and squealing at her. Alaisy clacked her heel down and leaned forward with one hand on her back, scraping the edge of his weapon with a vibronail.
“Are you that shameful and weak to flourish your arms at an unarmed woman? Atrocious. Drop it.”
Doubt unsteadied the Gamorrean’s grip. Aphotis let out a mocking chuckle and balled her hand into a fist.
“Do you see my feminine arms? Lithe and graceful. They would crush yours,” a hiss escaped her mask as she goaded him. .
With a loud clang his axe dropped. He complied and his fellow guards looked on with snot dripping from their faces. Anders raised a brow at the display. Alaisy’s slender hand grasped the Gammorean’s.
“Go ahead, dirty pig, try your best.”
The boar tightened his grip around hers. His biceps contracted, forming into a veined mountain. Tir'eivra’s hold did not falter.
“Useless, unworthy, feeble. My turn,” her mask expelled air with a hiss.
The alchemical latex tightened around Aphotis’s arm and hand, showing no sign of her muscles straining. The Gamorrean yelped and grunted, feeling the chill from the dark side of the Force. Shallow crackles and snaps preceded a loud pop as thick bone shattered.
“Enough humiliation?” The tall Sith began to loosen her grip, “very good.”
The Gamorrean pulled his broken hand back immediately, slime and tears staining his face.
“Fight with us, lose this worthless door, which you pretend to protect. There is no honor in it. Be led by a strong female, prove yourselves to your Clan Matriarch!” Alaisy ascended to her full height and gave each one of his buddies a scornful look.
His fellows began to lift their axes above their heads, jeering with great fervor. The larger pig picked up his axe, snorting short breaths as if he was chuckling at his own disgrace.
Anders crossed his arms over his chest as he watched Aphotis click, clack toward him, flanked by the quartet of Gammoreans.
“This is why nobody should hire these awful beings as doormen or guards. What do you think Aequitas?” Alaisy’s judgemental voice was tinged with the playfulness of a loth cat as her head tilted curiously.
“I think you are wasting your time giving these cretins your undivided attention,” Anders was unamused. Such a raucous would likely alert those inside to what was occurring.
Assuming, of course, that Braylan even cared. He seemed to be the type to think he was untouchable in his fortress of filth surrounded by his cronies. Yet, that dog had proven himself more cunning and resourceful than both the Inquisitorius and Envoy Corps had expected.
There was a reason Anders was a High Inquisitor and one of Lord Marick’s most trusted among his ranks. When the Chiss approached the bar entrance, he coiled his resentment into a look of pure malice. One glance at the Gammoreans was all it took to latch onto their minds, Aphotis’ damage contributing to his ease of access.
“Open the doors and do not let anyone in or out without our express permission.”
Was the Mind Trick necessary? Perhaps not, but Anders wanted to be sure to cover all their bases.
No-one in the crowd waiting to enter the bar protested as they were granted entry, not after witnessing Aphotis’ viciousness first-hand.
It was at times like entering thus bar that Anders wished that he had taken a page out of his fellow Sith’s playbook and acquired a breathing mask.
The stench alone could turn the stomach of a Hutt. The hygiene and walls were covered in an assortment of liquid and dirt that he did not wish to consider the contents of. It took all of his restraint to not burn the place down on sight and smell. The gathered patrons and party-goers roared in applause at the various dancers atop their podiums. They were bathed in a red light, the star attractions of this particular venue. Smoke rose to the ceiling, left unfiltered except for the few windows inched open.
He already despised being here. Why was dignity such a foreign concept in such establishments?
Yet, the moment they entered, all eyes focused not on him, but Alaisy. The music stop, men and women alike gawking at her presence and stature.
“They seem to like you,” Anders could not help the wry comment, but then quickly refocused his efforts. “Buddy, scan.”
The little droid beeped on his shoulder and began to scan the room for their target.
An unpleasant wave of prejudice greeted the tall woman, making her toes curl in disgust. They were unworthy of her very presence, the urge to rid them of their eyes became almost unbearable. Every heartbeat they spent leering at her made their survival all the more improbable. Calculations raced through Aphotis’s mind as she prioritized their threat levels and weighed them against the pleasure of slaughtering them, settling on a satisfying median.
“This would be a brilliant time to find our target, Aequitas. It looks like I am about to repaint the walls.”
The increased frequency of hisses from her mask was enough for Anders to take a few steps to the side. He saw her claws reaching for her whip’s cylindrical hilt and inclined his head, following BUDD-E as it scoured the den.
Clack
Invisible energy sent a broad Devaronian soaring through the air. Tir'eivra’s long tail coiled around his neck despite his grave protest. His eyes went wide as blasterfire from all angles hit him in the chest and abdomen. With a flick of her tail she tossed his lifeless body aside.
Crack-hum
A glimmering blur of light evaded the next barrage of particle beams. The lightwhip lashed out at the craven thugs, indescriminately cutting dancers and party-goers in twain as they attempted to use them as cover. The podium sank a few inches as the foundation gave in. The screaming chaos sent bodies tumbling over each other.
There was a staccato heels tapping on the floor as another group panicked as they were engulfed by a torrent of electricity. Anyone nearby was either blinded by the cerulean lightshow or running from flames erupting from the lamps and musical instruments.
Buddy beeped at Anders as they found someone hidden under a desk. With a nonchalant flick of his wrist he ended the Rodian’s life as they threatened to press a red button.
‘Not this time.’
There was no escape and no hope for Braylan this time. There would be no…
The Force acted on his behalf, forming a klaxon in his mind that alerted him to the imminent danger around him.
BUDD-E squealed on his shoulder, blaster fire soaring towards him. With a deep breath and a flick of his wrist, Anders summoned his lightsaber to his hand, the crimson glow of his black-core blade deflecting blaster fire as it soared towards him and back at the unsuspecting enemy. At least Aphotis seemed to be having fun, if the sudden snapping of necks and stomps of her sharp heels were anything to go by. Though, it spoke a lot about his fellow Sith that she could not handle the gazes of a few lowlifes before losing her composure. Though, there was certainly something satisfying about watching her enact swift justice upon these scum. Yet, there was also valuable information pertaining to her willpower that could be filed away for later.
“Gotcha!”
A Shistavanen, not Braylan, but one of his right hand goons, a taller creature with amber fur, lunged towards him. His claws never reached the High Inquisitor as he sidestepped and sent his lightsaber cleaving through the man’s skull.
Whether they were fighting for their lives or for Braylan was of no consequence to Anders. They had raised their arms against them and so, they would pay. With the Dark Side swirling in his virulent soul, he telepathically sent a high pitched screeching through the minds of the bar goers around them. Some clutched the sound of their heads, grunting and squeeling at the sudden invasion in their minds.
Dispatching them became trivial.
“ENOUGH!”
The entire bar fell silent as all the fighting stopped, the silence only broken by the humming of the lightsabers wielded by the two Sith.
The one who commanded authority was none other than their target. Anders’ eyes widened, the grip around his weapon tightening as his heart thumped in his chest.
There he was. Braylan W'ray, and BUDD-E confirmed as much in his ear. Anders licked his lips. It was all too tempting to strike him down. Alas, he was needed alive, but they never said anything about being in one piece.
Braylan clapped mockingly. “I just can’t seem to get rid of you, can I? You’re like an annoying fly that won’t let me kill it!”
His lackeys behind him all laughed at his terrible joke.
“Unfortunately for you,” Braylan’s canine lips curved into a smirk. “You’re in my domain, Inquisitor. You are trapped. You and your giant friend over there are surrounded. You fell right into my trap! Now, lay down your weapons and I might make this easy on you. No promises. I’m a busy man, after all.”
His posse laughed again, a grating howling that irritated the ears of the two Sith.
‘Enough?’
Braylan’s serious tone almost brought a tear to her eye, that’s how ridiculous it sounded. Aphotis’s mask produced short hisses as she chuckled with a malicious tone. Both Sith humored him. The rhythm of battle was being siphoned into Tir'eivra’s claws as she listened to the male Shistavanen. Dark side energy coagulated in each nail, forming tendrils that drew from her Garden of Trepidations. Her electric-blue eyes shimmered brighter, the corrupting power burning the sockets they occupied, darting from one individual to the next like flames, marking each with pure dread.
The thugs began to feel a subtle tingling that developed into a numbness as their minds were lured into a lake of tar. Apiece they were plucked and chosen to attend the Garden, taken through a mental trial in a dream that warped into a nightmare. The tone changed from a playful flute to a melancholic cello. They were met by an icy landscape full of feminine sculptures. Tir'eivra’s hands danced, her tail coiled tightly around her thigh. With each scratch of her talons she peeled the barriers of their will away. The frozen world wholly opened to them, horrors flooding in, handpicked by their own fears.
Alaisy’s head pounded, her heart raced, affecting this many took her breath away. Letting her monsters feast, however, was pure euphoria. Whereas they were met with damning cold, she felt warm and snug as her symbiotic skin hugged her like a sleek blanket. The pathetic laughter from the gang members devolved into crying and whimpering.
At first Braylan W'ray thought they were motivated and ready to stand by him, but it took some time for him to notice that the cachinnation was lamentation and panic.
An icy look from Aphotis chained through Aequitas like a lightning bolt, forming goosebumps on his skin. She neutered his lackeys. Anders knew it. He was ready, this would be the end of this pest. The end of Braylan W'ray.
‘Justice’
The sound of Anders’ footsteps approaching Brayan broke the silence. For the first time since they had begun their game of loth cat and clawmouse, Braylan showed genuine panic in his features. His nostrils widened, and his pupils dilated. He was a cornered animal, and they were often the most dangerous.
The Shistavanen growled as he drew his sidearm from its holster. “STAY BACK!”
Yet, the High Inquisitor was faster. With the Force accelerating him, he closed the distance between them in an instant and sliced through Braylan’s arm. Anders felt satisfaction coursing through him at the sound of the howls. Braylan really was just a puppy pretending to be an alpha.
Defeated and disarmed, Braylan dropped to his knees, scowling and hissing as Anders raised his lightsaber blade to his throat.
“You…” Braylan chuckled maniacally. “I won’t tell you anything.”
Instead of getting the reaction he wanted, Anders smirked confidentially.
“I would not be in the position I am in if I were not resourceful.”
As Anders’ hand moved inches away from Braylan’s scalp, the Dark Side began to weave its way into his dogged mind. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he began frothing at the mouth. With every intention of causing as much damage as possible, Aequitas emerged and brought forth every nightmare, every unpleasant memory, and every doubt to the forefront of Braylan’s consciousness. Try as he might to resist, he was powerless. Aequitas was not a man that showed mercy.
Any who intended to interrupt were met by Aphotis. One stern gaze from the black-clad Sith was enough to put a stop to any form of rebellion that might have occurred. They watched in abject horror as Braylan twitched, and writhed in agony. Blood spurted from his eye sockets and nostrils spraying some onlookers in crimson red.
Aequitas turned on the spot, deactivated his weapon, and with a smile on his face, beckoned Alaisy to follow him.
Once they were outside, she asked the obvious question;
“What did you do?”
“I extracted the information I required. His deals with the Collective and Principate, names, locations, details, liasons, I have it all up here,” He tapped the side of his head. “I saw no use in keeping him alive, so I subjected him to enough mental trauma to produce a brain hemorrhage. He was far too dangerous to be kept alive.”
Whether the Exarch would see it that way was another story. Regardless, that was a problem to address later. For now, this was another mission complete.
Braylan was dead. Revenge had been delivered. Justice had been served.