Ask The First Seeds

[Altair Din]

Altair exhaled in relief, practically collapsing into a chair when the comms finally came in about the spy being eliminated, “You are certain?” He asked them. He sent the picture and evidence over to ISB. Unlike before, there was a hit this time and Altair picked up the comlink to contact Trelain at once and inform her that the mission was completed without any casualties. Though she didn’t care about preserving the village, her objective was met and that was all that mattered.

Though the townspeople began to gather around near the house, the Imperials were able to discreetly extract Varyn out of there. There was a makeshift medical tent set up and the Champion would be cared for there. After a few moments, the flap opened and Altair stepped inside. His helmet was off and he had a weary smile on his face.

“Good to see you back,” Altair said as he glanced over at the brace Varyn was given for the moment. The tiefling shifted uncomfortably, looking around to ensure that they were alone.

“We gotta talk about it…all of it…what I did with the 87th, Kolvers, all of it,” Altair began, “I know none of it fits the rules. I know my actions seem borderline treasonous..” He looked down at his feet, “If you want no part in it, I’ll understand. I can have you stationed somewhere else so you don’t have to serve with me or risk any repercussions.”

He didn’t broach the topic of the Venatori just yet. He wanted to understand Varyn’s line of thinking first. He had worked with the man on several occasions, but this was something that needed an understanding between them or this would be where they parted ways.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn had been brought back to the medical tent, his arm set, and then a large bacta cast put in place to begin soaking into his tendons. Hopefully, it should be healed within a day or two and he could get back to work.

In the meantime, he looked up to see Altair come in and the Tiefling looked worse for wear. Varyn wondered if command didn't agree with him. Varyn always knew he preferred to do things himself rather than hand them over to someone else, but command was all about delegation. It looked like it may have been more stressful for his friend than just doing it himself.

Glad to not be dead, he said, though this was a closer call than he'd like.

I take it Trelain's not going to kill us, then? he said. That was the immediate concern, but it stemmed from precisely what Altair was saying.

I'm not even sure I know what "it" is, he said. I don't stand against what happened here today. This kind of thing needs to happen more. In war people die, but sometimes people just jump to the worst possible outcome without ever trying anything else, he said.

I was standing right next to you for the whole thing. Kriff, I offered to escalate the falsified data, he said, frowning and finding himself almost offended that Altair was offering him an out.

If I wanted an out, I'd have said it, he said. Now, what are we into here? he asked. He could sense there was something Altair wasn't telling him.

 

[Altair Din]

“You did falsify…which is why I know I can trust you,” Altair stepped closer and took a seat next to Varyn.

“What happened today won’t be a one time thing,” He said quietly, sternly gazing at the other man, “I will keep doing it. It may cost me my life, but I ain’t gonna stop. The Sith…they treat Imperials like fodder. And it ain’t just Trelain, it’s people we know…it’s other Sith we consider friends or…” He paused for a moment as he stared at Varyn, “Even people like Vahliri,” Altair stated flatly, “To them these soldiers are meaningless. They use the Imperials to further their own agendas and casualties are entirely disregarded.”

Altair exhaled softly, “Well I ain’t like that. Problem is…my beliefs go beyond just thinking Imperials gotta be treated right. I…if I had it my way, the Sith as they are now simply wouldn’t be in power,” He never removed his gaze from Varyn, watching his expression and reaction the entire time, “This is something that’s gotta be fixed from the inside out. It’s something I want to fix. But…it’s a path that’ll put me at odds with most Sith.”

He felt nervous about saying any of this, but there was no use in saying he trusted Varyn if he couldn’t divulge this, “I’m tellin’ you this ‘cause it’s a risky path I’ve chosen. You gotta believe in it and fight for it and face whoever may stand against us. I'm tellin' you this because I trust you. Even if you don't want to join me for this, I trust you won't stab me in the back for it...at least not until I get it up and running.”

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn listened intently but silently to everything that Altair said. He found it difficult to believe that he had found someone who largely held to the same ideals he did. Although should he be surprised? That was a large portion of why he chose to stop spying on the Empire in the first place: there were Sith that weren't everything the stereotypes said.

He bristled slightly at the mention of Vahliri. It was the first time she had actually been mentioned between the two of them since the party, and this was a tough context regardless. I'm not going to fight Vahliri, he said, even though he knew that wasn't really what was being asked. He more blurted it out before he had to good sense to stop himself.

Still, Altair wasn't wrong. It would put them at odds with others. Many, many others. It was bordering on treason, but what really was treason anyone but violating the rules of the person at the top? Get to the top yourself and suddenly the rules are what you say they are. Varyn was already up to the crown of his head in treason, what was another dash more.

For a long moment he was silent, heart pounding in his chest and feeling almost as though he were going to throw up as he tried to get out what he needed to say next. He started just... talking before he spent any more time second guessing himself. He was pretty sure it came out like a word vomit, but better to just rip the bandaid off and potentially have his head caved in than to keep worrying about this.

I would love to help you, but there's something you need to know. Something that's going to come out soon into the public eye and when it does, if I'm involved in whatever we're talking about here it's going to bring even more scrutiny on you, he said. Just spit it out. Just get it out there. Spit. It. Out.

When I came to the Sith it was as a Jedi Shadow, he said, not sure if he was feeling another wave of fresh anxiety or a sense of relief at having gotten it out there.

I haven't been assisting them for some time now, but that's my roots even if I've left it behind. I'm just trying to get together enough of an achievement to come clean about it so I'm not executed on sight. Something that will convince the rest of the Empire that I'm not a spy anymore, he said. They both knew what that would look like: a major strike or blow to the Jedi. There was little more proof than that in the Sith. They had accepted many Jedi who had fallen over the years - even born out of fallen Jedi - but only once they had proven where their commitment lay.

If you still want my help knowing that, then I'm in. All in.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair stared blankly at Varyn when he blurted out that he wouldn’t fight Vahliri, “She would fight you,” He stated calmly, “She would fight me,” Altair added on. Regardless of where she started, Vahliri had become one of the most determined and ambitious Sith in the Empire and very little would make her shake her resolve. Altair and Vahl were similar in that regard, though they had principles that didn’t align all the time.

When Varyn began to talk, the tiefling’s blood ran cold. He felt sick and had the sudden urge to vomit. Altair abruptly stood up, the Force coiling around Varyn’s neck seconds after he said the word Shadow, “You fuckin’ what?” He said through gritted teeth. There was betrayal in the tiefling’s eyes and he bristled with rage. His tail flicked back and forth in pure agitation, gold tinging his eyes, “All this time… you been spoonfeeding shit back to the Jedi?!”

The tiefling didn’t release his hold, but he didn’t compress either. He simply held Varyn in place, visibly enraged and shocked, “Did you really think you can drop this on me and just gloss over it?” Altair glared at him, “Did you tell Vahliri? Was all the shit about you being with her just an act? To fuck her over first chance you got?!”

His voice rose as he used the Force to throw Varyn back against the opposite wall. Altair was ready to fight him if he started lashing back. The tiefling crossed the distance towards him, “How long have you been sending intel back?” His nostrils flared as he stood across him. He wanted to kill him, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

“Were you…” Altair lowered his voice, staring into his eyes, “Were you involved with Dromund Kaas?” There had been rumors about how it was an inside job. Nothing explained how the attackers so easily waltzed in to plant the bombs.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn really couldn't be surprised at the way that Atlair reacted. It was what most people would have done and there was a distinct possibility he wouldn't walk away from this conversation alive. He felt the Force coil around his neck, and he didn't fight back. He didn't resist it. He'd told Altair when he was in no position to defend himself, and he understood that. One arm was in a cast and literally had just been dislocated and if the Tiefling chose to kill him here and now, there was nothing he would be able to do about it.

Altair continued to question him before throwing him back against the wall. No. No one knows yet, he said when Altair asked if he'd told Vahliri. He wondered if he'd survive that conversation. He wondered if he'd survive this conversation. He wondered if he'd survive any of this. Suffice it to say, whatever he did to prove himself was going to have to be quite impressive or he was going to lose his head.

Kriff no, he said, more emphatically as Altair asked if he was just trying to use Vahliri. There was a flash of anger within him at the statement that betrayed the genuineness of his denial of the accusation.

Altair's eyes pierced into Varyn, and he wanted to look away. His jaw tightened into clenched teeth. It was the question that he knew would come. The question he didn't want to answer, but there was nothing else for it.

Yes, he said simply. He wasn't going to make an excuse and he could give all the reasoning in the world, but it wouldn't matter.

Nothing's going to change what I've done in the past, he said. He reached over and gripped his recently-dislocated arm and winced. Pain tore through his entire shoulder and made it difficult to think.

At first, I was just trying to maintain my cover. Keep reporting back, but as time went on that changed. I was more interested in keeping people like you and Vahl alive. In turning the Empire into something better, he said, pushing himself up into a sitting position against the wall.

I could explain the things I've seen until we're both blue in the face, but in the end all I can do is change what goes forward, he said.

If you're going to kill me, then you do what you have to, he said, involuntarily wincing even as he said it. He didn't want to die like this. He didn't want to die at the hands of a friend, but he wondered if in the span of one week he'd burned two bridges irrevocably. Maybe it was for the best that he and Vahliri had split up.

Frankly, I'd understand if you did, he said. He'd felt that rage on Dantooine. He'd felt it again on Telos when he wanted to protect Altair. On Vandelhelm when he'd - much against her will - tried to get Vahl out of the line of fire. And Varyn had violated that. He was the one that had caused the deaths of Imperials. He was the enemy, and he wondered for a moment if Altair would ever be able to forgive him. Forgiveness wasn't a Sith concept... but Altair wasn't a Sith. Not really. Not anymore.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair almost did it. He almost collapsed his throat. Varyn would see his fingers twitching. But most importantly, he would notice the rage give way to pain. The tiefling was far more personally bothered by this than he expected. He wished he could turn back time and go back to being oblivious. He wanted Varyn to fight him so he could have an excuse to kill him. Altair thought about Dromund Kaas and his home. He thought of all the things he had lost and all the memories that were nothing but ash. Varyn had hurt him and all of his friends in one fell swoop.

“You..bastard..” He whispered. After everything that happened on Eriadu, he wasn’t sure how much more he could take. In the end, Altair tossed Varyn again, but he finally released the hold. He slid down against the wall and dropped down to sit, bringing his knees up and burying his face in his hands.

Was this all part of an act? Was Varyn exploiting Altair hesitating to kill him? Was he doing all this to earn even more of his trust? The tiefling exhaled and rubbed his temples before finally looking up at Varyn again.

“You will never tell her,” Altair stated flatly, his tone laced with venom. If Varyn spoke the truth about how he felt for her, Altair knew that taking this secret to his grave would tear him up inside and punish him worse than anything Altair could put him through today, “You will bear the burden of this secret,” In some ways it was now a shared burden, but he knew it wouldn’t devastate him like it would Varyn.

He lingered there for a few moments longer before he stood. Altair didn’t look back once as he stormed from the room. He couldn’t even look at Varyn then, his tail dragging the ground behind him.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

As Altair delivered his declaration, Varyn spent a moment trying to decide if it was to protect Vahl or to hurt Varyn. Perhaps both, but the way it was said, the venom in that voice, told him the real reason. Varyn felt another wave of nausea. It was an order that in his bones he didn't believe he could follow through on, but now was certainly not the time to broach that. The thought of actually following through... it would destroy whatever little might have been left between the two. Unless perhaps the reason he followed through was because he'd never walk out of this room.

Maybe somewhere down deep in his subconscious in a place Varyn didn't talk about, he craved that sweet release that Altair almost provided. Something to make all the pain of his life come to a stop, but the Force had different plans that day.

He watched the pain that shot through Altair at this revelation... this betrayal, and he wished he could take it back. Change it. Do something, but there wasn't anything to do. He watched that tail as it dragged on the ground. Like Vahliri's ears it was a so-clear indication of the pain they were feeling and how helpless he was to change it.

As Altair walked away he would hear two sounds. The first was retching as Varyn relieved the contents of his stomach onto the ground beside him and the second was a louder clattering-smash as the Force slammed into the bed in the room, flipping it on its side and sending it careening across the floor.

As the sound settled, Varyn was once again alone. There were many times in his life where he had been alone, but few in which he had felt as profoundly isolated as now. He had no one. There wasn't a soul he could call or rely on in that moment and likely for many moments to come. For a long while he sat there on the ground until the doctors came to remove the bacta-cast.

In those minutes, he pondered simply leaving. Leaving behind this whole war, the Jedi and Sith. Leaving behind all this agony it had caused him and simply losing himself in some small backwater world or in the bowels of Nar Shaddaa where no one would care who he had been or what his past was.

In the end, he simply went back to his ship, not even bothering to close the ramp as he ascended, and grabbed a bottle of liquor before plopping unceremoniously onto the couch.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair found the nearest training room and changed into athletic clothes. For the next hour or so, he relentlessly unleashed his rage on the training dummies made specifically for him. It was made to withstand hours of his punches, but even then he managed to put several dents in it. Soldiers avoided him, confusion on their faces. Why was the Commander so furious when the mission went better than expected and with only one civilian casualty?

The tiefling was sweating by the end of his training, wiping his brow off. He was enraged at Varyn, but he was also furious with himself for not killing the Champion right there and then. But that was exactly what separated him from other Sith. It was exactly how his principles deviated from most Sith. Would he be any different than Trelain if he acted on impulse and killed anyone at first opportunity? It was exactly how Imperials were treated. Change began with him. Altair had to remember that.

Altair freshened up and changed back into uniform, making his way over to the mess tent when it was time. He didn’t know what to expect. Part of him expected an ambush and he was on alert. The tiefling remained standing, glancing around himself as he waited for whoever to show up. His plan had been to have Varyn here as well, but he didn’t even want to look at the other man right then.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Sixty minutes of brooding and drinking later, Varyn was still sitting on his couch... brooding and drinking. He was well into a buzz when he decided that he needed to do... something. His generalized moping was something he could only tolerate in himself for so long, and sitting here with his thoughts wasn't doing anything. If he was going to be miserable, he might as well be miserable and productive.

He changed into a set of running clothes and went out for a run around camp, hoping to clear his head. It was slightly easier to do when buzzed than just training with a lightsaber.

---​

As Altair arrived at the mess hall, he would be greeted not only by the Private from the tent earlier, but also several other members of the platoon including their senior-most Sergeant and three others, a mix of Privates and Corporals.

Commander. I hear you have some questions, the Sergeant said when Altair walked in.

But first, I want to know why you didn't kill us all. Stuck your neck out on the line to make sure we didn't get executed even though we made our choice. Might not have even worked. Why? he asked.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair knew he would be asked why he did what he did. He could have given a variety of responses, each one more spirited than the last, but he knew it was all filler. So he decided to be honest.

“Because it was the right decision,” He stated flatly, “If the Force is supposed to set us free, ain't we supposed to make our own choices? I’m making mine and they involve valuing the men and women that uphold the Empire and make any kind of expansion possible,” Altair scoffed to himself, “We preach abolishing slavery and the welfare of our people but treat our soldiers like dirt.”

He glanced at them all individually in succession, “I’m an Imperial before I am a Sith. I wasn’t born into life as a Sith. I just need to know if I’m the only one this crazy.”

 

[The Storyteller]

The troopers seemed satisfied enough with his answer, though whether they really believed him or not was another question. At the very least, they glanced around from man to man and finally to the Sergeant.

Aye, you're not wrong. The Empire has potential. More than most can see, the man spoke up. The Venatori are an old order from when the Empire was thriving in the centuries after Andraste, he said. He appeared uncomfortable as he said it, clearly not having confronted anyone with this history before.

They were Sith and Imperials who believed in keeping the worst inclinations of the Sith in check. They killed people who pointlessly slaughtered and discarded life. They fought for the Empire, not the Sith, he said.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair couldn’t keep a straight face after that, his eyes widening to display his surprise. He let the words sink in, thinking through the implications. It meant there had been others that saw how he saw things. An order like that meant treason if Raze or the Empress ever caught wind of it. The tiefling shifted a bit, just as uncomfortable. However, it would show the man that Altair considered himself at risk for entertaining this as well.

“What happened to them?” He asked after a moment, “We are not taught about them at the academy,” Small wonder why, “Where can I learn more about them? I don’t want you all to risk yourselves. I can find out more on my own if you point me in the right direction,” Altair offered. It was up to the soldier if he wanted to divulge more.

 

[The Storyteller]

The man didn't miss Altair's uncomfortable shifting, and the Sergeant decided he was either a very good liar or quite serious about what he was proposing.

They fluctuated in power over the years, but eventually waned. Rumor had it that Emperor Varyn Rask was the last leader of the Order before it finally dwindled into oblivion, he said.

Few years back when the Eternal was doing... what it did... some Sith started looking into it again. Word got around to a few of the officers including the Lieutenant. Might be able to find them or might be able to trace back to the old Emperor, he said.

They were founded under the Imperial Republica, but weren't limited after the Empires united, he said.

If we can see some change in the Empire, you'd have my support and I'm sure a lot of other officers. Not all the Sith are bad, it's just... some. The ones that need hunting down and silencing, he said with a shrug.

 

[Altair Din]

Varyn Rask. He remembered that name from his Imperial History classes that he mostly slept through. This one was particularly memorable for him because the man wasn’t known to be horribly violent like his predecessors or successors. However, naturally the Venatori chapters were omitted from the academy records. Rask only had one small paragraph in the books compared to the many chapters others had.

Altair eyed the soldier curiously as he mentioned that he would have his support, “There is no leader now?” He asked in surprise. Was that lieutenant simply saluting an idea instead of actually following anyone? Altair returned to the present and exhaled.

“You understand how serious this is,” He said as he looked at them all, “Let’s keep this information contained until we know who to trust. I’ll test the waters myself. I’m less at risk since I’m ultimately still Sith,” There was no denying the preferential treatment he would get, especially as a Sith Master, “Let me use my position to further this cause where I can.”

Unless the man had more to add, Altair would step away. As much as he despised it, he ultimately found his way over towards where Varyn was last seen.

 

[Varyn Atrix]

The Sergeant acknowledged his orders to remain silent, and there seemed to be almost a small sense of relief coming from the man that they had found another ally. Perhaps they were looking to him to be the leader that they seemed to lack.

They parted ways and the men that had come all melted back into the night and headed for their barracks.

Varyn had run nearly two miles before making it back to his ship, breath coming heavily as he came to a stop. He reached over and gently touched his shoulder, rotating it slightly and feeling that the pain was, still in fact, present. The bacta had done great work, but it was still far from 100%.

Even with the pain and fatigue and wanting to climb into bed, Varyn didn't miss the approach of Altair. His gut tightened again and he half expected that Altair had come to kill him and finish it. Or maybe he'd calmed down. Truthfully, Varyn just wanted it to be over. He wanted everyone to know the truth, he wanted to move past it... but he knew it wasn't that easy. He wasn't some leashed and collared ex-Jedi, he was someone who had actually struck at the Sith. Who had since become a real Sith himself. He was his own man, and there were many who likely wouldn't be able to accept that.

And what was more, he would undercut what trust he had built up with the other Sith.

He took a deep breath in and headed inside before Altair arrived, leaving the ramp to the ship open and allowing them more privacy as Varyn ascended to get a glass of water and rehydrate.

When Altair finally came aboard, Varyn still hadn't really figured out what to say.

I'm sorry, Altair, was all that ended up coming out. He hadn't actually said it before and it may not matter now, but he was sorry simply because he could see the betrayal in the Tiefling's eyes and he could sense it in his friend's soul.

 

[Altair Din]

Altair followed Varyn up the ramp, taking his helmet off once he was inside. He plopped down on a seat, exhaustion clear on his face. It would become obvious that he wasn’t here for a fight. There was disappointment on his face, and sometimes that stung worse whether Altair knew it or not. One look at Varyn and he knew the man was punishing himself worse than anything he could have said or done.

“What have you passed back to the Jedi?” Altair asked bluntly, “We will need to safeguard and close any doors you opened,” He stated flatly. The warmth he had earlier whenever he treated Varyn as a friend was largely gone. This was a breach of trust, and it wasn’t something Altair gave out easily.

“You will come with me next time there is intelligence of a Jedi attack coming,” He stared at Varyn, “You will either kill the Jedi or you will jeopardize me and our mission. It’s a risk I’m gonna have to take.”

 

[Varyn Atrix]

Varyn could tell he was exhausted. The entire day had been... harsh. Between nearly executing the platoon to executing the spy, then the revelation, and the entire Venatori thing that Varyn wasn't even aware of, it had been a tense day.

When Altair finally did speak up, Varyn heard the way he said the words. The way he spoke to him almost like an enemy. He shouldn't have been surprised, and once again he found himself considering just walking away and leaving the galaxy to its stupid fate. Let them all kill each other, spiral out of control, and be consumed by war. Someone would emerge and rebuild things. Why was it his responsibility anyway? He wanted to think it was just the pain talking, but he didn't know anymore.

He stepped out of the room for a moment and returned with a data chip that he tossed onto the couch next to Altair.

That's a full copy of reports and mission logs, he said. I have a copy I'm getting ready to hand over to ISB, he said.

I understand, he said. And he did. He needed to prove his loyalty, and what better way to do that than to bring back a Jedi head?

He tossed another datacard onto the couch. And that is a copy of my target package for Yavin, he said. And this was why it would become important for his origin to be known to the Sith because it was his origin in the Jedi that would allow the attack to happen.

If we move quickly, we can bring it down before they think to remove my access codes, he said. I'm sure the ISB will want to strap a bomb to me or something to make sure I'm not betraying the Empire and leading the armies into a trap, but the info is good, he said.