Three Weeks Prior

In the time that she had served him, she knew his routine as she knew her own heartbeat. She knew firsthand the rewards that awaited those that served him faithfully and had seen the true darkness and rage that resided in what should have been his soul. Still ? she served him with no question. Perhaps her sanity needed it, even wanted it. Dressed in her standard dress, she knocked gently on the door to his personal quarters. "Enter," was the only response that came from within.

She gently pressed the release and opened the door. The late moonlight shining into the quarters cast shadows along the well decorated and maintained quarters. She had gone to great lengths to seek his permission to refurnish and decorate the quarters to something more befitting her master. The solid oaks accented the metallic framing of the structure and reflected the complete nature of Travanix. Her hands reached behind her clasping one within the other.

A nude brunette beauty had been bound by restraints at the headboard of his bed. Her form drenched in the moonlight and the sheets. Her chest rose and fell gently. She was alive, for now. How long was always the question at hand. It was not his common practice to allow any but the most trusted into his chambers, even of his slaves few had seen the room from his bed. Reaching behind her, lani clasped one hand within another as she took gentle steps through the doorway. "My Lord."

She knew he was there, could feel the chill in the air, but more than that knew his presence without having to see him. The shadows seemed to hold him with a lover's embrace, but his voice much like his presence was something that could not be hidden or imitated. "lani."

"A transmission has been broadcast to your personal station. I believe it is from the Circle." She said respectfully. She moved further into the quarters, the light of the moon now falling against her form casting her shadow along with everything else.

She could almost hear a tormented scream from the darkness as the semi-nude form of her master broke from the shadows near the head of his bed. His naked torso displayed the scars that recorded each death, incorporated painfully and with exact precision with each rebirth; she no longer cringed at the sight of them. She watched as he turned towards window, looking out upon his domain. "It must be important." There was a long pause as his chest rose and fell.

The dark chill wrapped around lani like a blanket, playing with her flesh. "I have the recording if you want to view it here, or would you prefer it in your office?"

He turned to look at her, studying her with his auburn gaze. "Play it here, pet." He heard her shuffle towards the holographic projector on the simple desk at the end of the room. She closed the shutter over the window causing him to turn towards the small blue light before it projected the full holographic form of Larnen. Larnen's uniform as black as his lord's, carefully placed and showing no wrinkles or blemish could be seen.

The image's arms were folded over his chest, his voice gruff even through the holographic matrix. "Lord Travanix. I bring you greetings from the Circle. Your presence is requested immediately. There is a critical business matter that demands it. Preparations for your arrival are already being attended to."

The form blinked out as the room returned to complete darkness. From it came his voice for her after a moment. "Make preparations to depart after sunrise."

He didn't need to see it, but she lowered her head briefly and looked up again. "Lord, What would you like me to do with that?" A vague motion was made to the girl on the bed.

He had started to move, but then stopped; his head would turn in the darkness towards her. "While she was fun for a night, she is nothing more than a toy." He began moving again, the light coming on in his bath, the illumination casting light upon the sleeping girl on his bed.

lani smirked as her eyes turned to the girl. "Oh good. The terror beasts were hungry."

?My Lord, we have withdrawn from hyperspace and are approaching the station,? reported the voice of the captain over speaker. Travanix shifted in his chair and placed the mug on the table before he stood.

?Captain, approach slowly; I will join you in a moment.? He snapped the top latch of his uniform tunic before he turned away from the content lani. She pulled her dress down as she slid from the table. Her hair was quickly fixed as best she could without her proper tools, however she presentable now. The two of them stepped through the hold towards the bridge. The star field before them was filling wrap around glass with only the simple station hanging in space.

?They have requested us to identify ourselves.? The captain was paying attention to the controls more than what Travanix was.

?Bring us around to the other side of the station, captain.? Travanix leaned down with one hand and began typing in a series of codes into the computer. ?I would rather they not see where I am going. It is after all called a ?private entrance? for a reason.? The captain nodded as he maneuvered the ship into the new approach pattern.

The ship moved gently through space as it rolled around. The calls from the control center on the station were pushed to the background. Travanix stood full as he watched the chamber open beneath the station. It was the last thing that he had the engineers install before he had them all slaughtered. It was the key to keeping a secret base secret, and keeping all of its secrets just as safe. It did not take much effort on his part to update the hyperspace route on their nav computers to have them pass through the shadow of a stellar body. He smirked slightly as he recalled bouncing them through a white dwarf star.

Lighting illuminated space just as the nose of the ship passed the hanger doors and as soon as the ship was through the door and before it even landed the doors were already closing and sealing. The ship rumbled to a gentle landing. The ramp began to lower as the bay became pressurized. The recycled and purified air from the station mixed with the air from the ship.

He turned on a heel, walking down the ramp into the hanger bay and moving around the ship towards the private lift that would take him to his quarters on the station. The girl was quickly on his trail carrying two bags over her shoulders. His quarters were well stocked with the standards ? everything he would need if he needed to stay on an extended leave here. It had taken her a few trips, but lani was very proud of what she had accomplished on the station quarters and office. She had been rewarded for her work. Before the lift doors opened the lights in the quarters began to warm, illuminating the room, but nothing more than what had been done from the natural light coming from the stars. The bags were hung on a hook near the bed before the closet containing the lift sealed itself after they left.

?Prepare a meal for me and keep it warm. I am not sure how long this will take, but I see no reason to travel again until morning. Set up a session in the training room for hand to hand combat.? He instructed as he moved through the quarters and heading for the door. Before he took his final steps out, he gave one last instruction. ?Do not open this door unless you know it is me.?

Then he was gone, hearing only her say ?As you wish, My Lord.? The door hissed then clicked behind indicating that it had sealed. The hallways of the station were sterile for many reasons, no markings, no indications of where to go should a slave actually manage to escape this facility. Without the blue prints or a guide, one could get lost in here very quickly ? and be found by something worse than any slaver on the station. The corridor to the main hall was empty but the voices from within the hall were easily heard as the council had begun to debate whatever it was that it was debating.

The hall was a large room, with monitors behind the large chairs that sat in the room, thirteen chairs, and thirteen monitors to display to those others in the room. Each chair had an arm with computer components and a small monitor for display back to the user. There were no windows to the outside ? the main chamber was isolated to the center of the station for security and defense reasons.

He stepped through the doorway, and the room became quiet. A dark brow arched over one auburn eye. ?Is it something I said, gentleman or were you not expecting me so soon?? One of the council seats was empty. ?I believe that you were the ones that requested me to be here.?

As Travanix sat down, one of the men stood up violently from his chair, nearly throwing it backwards. ?You traitor!?

He smirked. That?s all he could do. He sat in his chair, arm draped on one armrest, the other sitting his lap. The room was silent just before he broke out laughing. The chill of his tone was harsh; the auburn eyes stared at the man throwing the accusation around like it was nothing. The man was a little taller than Travanix, his eyes a steel blue. The body was refined like an athlete, but not a warrior. Though Travanix had seen him fight in practice, he was not a weakling. He also knew him to not be a fool.

Ranis is a smart man, former warlord, Travanix had given him a chance to expand and build on an empire that really wasn?t going anywhere. Since then, Ranis and his group have built upon some great strides. Still, nothing compared to Travanix?s own success but it was growth none the less.

?You have betrayed us, Travanix!? Ranis stepped to the center of the room, looking at the other members before stopping at the empty chair. ?And Vul?gu paid the price for it.? He turned back towards Travanix who was still chuckling a bit. ?How could you do this to us?? There was passion and anger in the man?s voice. Travanix finally settled down in his laughter but his smile still there.

?You are insane, Ranis. I have never, and will never betray the Circle. Why is it that you believe I have and for that matter, what has happened to that worm, Vul?gu?? Travanix sat back fully in his chair, both arms resting on the armrests. His auburn eyes swept over the room.

?Vul?gu was captured, Lord Travanix.? The response came from Larnen. ?Charged with trafficking and arms dealing. They were waiting for him at his quarters on Gli?us.? Larnen stood up from his chair. He was easily the tallest and bulkiest of all the members. He approached the center, placing a large hand upon the shoulder of his colleague. ?That is not the worst of it, Lord Travanix. The evidence that was provided was from an operation, a deal, that was brokered in part by you.?

Travanix arched a brow. ?Are you saying that I intentionally set him up to fall? What purpose would that prove??

Another stood; he was as big as Larnen, but not the same height. Dasnan was his name. He came from the same planet that Larnen came from, the same lineage even, but that is where all resemblances ended. With a scar over his right eye, Dasnan used to be an Imperial bounty hunter, loyal only to those that paid the best. ?It was your agent that brokered the deal, My Lord.? His voice was just as deep as Larnen?s, but sharper in tone.

Travanix clasped his fingers and rested them in his lap. ?This all sounds like bad comedy. You of course have proof of all of this, do you not??

Larnen signed, as he nodded towards another. ?We have enough proof, My Lord, to warrant a trial.? The room dimmed slightly as the monitors behind the chairs came alive. Documents began to flash, some in Basic, some in other languages. ?A contract was found with the Dargasi a month ago. The Dargasi Syndicate is a arm of the Hutt crime lord Vixor the Hutt.? The images of the named hut appeared. A disgusting Hutt if there ever was one. His tone was a yellow hue, eyes as black as space itself. ?He runs trade on Gil?us and has been trying to get into the arms and slave trade there for some time. Once the contract was signed with the Dargasi, they learned enough of our operation to get rid of Vul?gu by slipping information to the local authorities. Vul?gu is scheduled for execution at the end of the local week.? Larnen concluded as the lights came back up a bit over the center.

Dasnan smirked as the final image appeared on the displays. The contract with the signitures and IDs. ?The signature on the contract was the Lady Katerrina Hess, your agent, Lord Travanix.?

Dasnan smirked as the Lady Hess was escorted in. ?You will have to forgive us, Lady Hess. We were not sure you would willingly accept our invitation to your own trial.? He looked towards Travanix who still seemed overly comfortable in his chair. ?There will be a trial will there not, Lord Travanix??

The dark lord looked around the room, finding the features of his friend and partner Romax Pol staring back at him. He looked at the other members before he spoke once more. ?It is the law of the Circle that a member accused of treason should be tried by the council. If you believe there is enough evidence to support the trial, then there should be a trial.?

He stood up, his arms folding behind him. ?However. If you are wrong?and you are wrong?I will find out who did this and will see fit to rip from them their spine and stab them in the heart with it.?

The other members visibly gulped. The dark tone in his voice seemed to linger in the chamber a moment before someone spoke again. ?There is enough evidence to support a trial.? It was a grim reminder of the images still on the screen.

Dasnan spoke again. ?As no one here trusts the prison facilities on the station, I have asked Lord Pol to hold the two of you as he has the facilities and experience to contain you. You will be transported back and forth to the trial as we explain the details of this deal that lead to the capture and execution of one of our own.? He looked at each member as well. ?We must all agree that if he is found guilty that he, his apprentice and his slaves will be executed as traitors.?

There was a minor mumbling before each member agreed with a nod. Dasnan nodded as well before he spoke into his comlink. ?Security, bring the girl up from Lord Travanix?s quarters.?

The voice of the security officer through his helmet confirmed the command as he looked at the secured doors of Travanix?s quarters. Two other officers placed shaped charges on the door and stepped back. A few seconds later, the doors exploded inward, a burst of smoke escaped into the corridor as the security forces rushed in.

Travanix stood from his chair still as two other members removed his utility belt and saber from his person. They checked and cleared his pockets. The only thing they could not remove were the braces around his wrists. They were grafted into place it would seem. Lady Hess was similarly searched and cleaned of utilities and weapons.

Larnen sighed heavily before he spoke again. ?The trial will commence in 1 day?s time. Lord Pol will need to transport he prisoners to his ship until then.?

Security entered the chamber and surrounded both Travanix and Katerrina as Romax stood from his chair. The group began to move out, leaving only the sound of their footsteps echoing behind them.

Guilty!

It took a day to find him guilty. Still through the whole thing he smirked, watching the group as they rendered their verdict in open session. His arms remained folded behind him. Katerrina was fuming beside him. Romax paused for a moment before he offered his not guilty plea. There was one other that voted not guilty before Romax did ? still it wasn?t enough.

?Lord Travanix,? Gryan smiled, ?You have been found guilty of treason against the Circle. Do you have anything before this council moves to your sentence??

Travanix still smiled, stepping forward once. ?I realize that you have voted the way you feel is right. Many of you also know if I wanted to truly betray you or eliminate any of you, I would do it directly. Not in the way that some cowards work. Many of you know what I am capable of. You have either scene it or been directly involved within it. I caution you all in this next step, that you do not do something you will live to regret.?

Some of the council members watched Travanix as his eyes moved from one to the other. He was speaking directly to them individually and collectively. He didn?t step back, but did move his eyes back to Gryan. ?Proceed in this farce, Lord Gryan. I need to get back to my vacation.?

There was a growl from the lord as he spoke angrily. ?How dare you mock this council, Lord Travanix!?

Travanix stepped forward, his arms to his side now, dark auburn eyes glazing quickly to a blood red glow. ?Do not dare to presume too much with me, Gryan! I will not hesitate to stuff you in a cargo container and ship you off to Trinar Station!? His motion was quickly followed by the release of the safety catch on the weapons of the guards in the chamber.

There were more mumblings from the other members, a smirk from Romax and the ready posture of Katerrina. ?Where is your slave girl, Travanix. She was not in your quarters when they were raided.?

Travanix folded his arms behind him. ?Its interesting, Lord Gryan, that you and your teams cannot find one simple little slave girl. Perhaps you should have paid more attention to the things I was trying to teach you.?

Gryan growled again. ?Get them out of here! We will reconvene in a day to discuss the sentence befitting this traitor!?

As Travanix and Katerrina were gathered up by security, Travanix offered one last bit. ?Careful Lord Grayn, a slave as loyal as lani would put my life before hers, or any other, any day. She may just put a needle dagger through your throat.? A dark laughter resonated in the chamber for a moment, even after the dark warrior was gone.

(Continued in Power Struggle: Chapter 2 - Validation)