Maulkiller: A Prequel to The Force Unleashed II
In the cloning facilities of Kamino, Darth Vader created a warrior of unparalleled strength and power by combining the genetic material of Darth Maul, former apprentice of Sith Lord Darth Sidious, with his own deceased apprentice, Starkiller. The resulting aberrant clone possessed traits from both warriors, but the crude fusion of two disparate Force users quickly produced physical and mental instabilities that led to the unfortunate clone's destruction. For a brief time he struck fear into the hearts of all who faced him, even Lord Vader himself. This is his story.
In an eerily serene tank, a clone was gaining consciousness. A formidable, dark figure, clad in all black armor, stood facing him, with both arms crossed, examining the contents of the tank. The dark being stated "Is he fully functional?" The nearby scientist said "Yes my lord, he has shown full physical stability, and is responding to all neural stimuli, but however, the subject has been showing erratic neural activity, my theory is that the unique amalgamation of both human and zabrak DNA is going to cause future instabilities, both physical and mental." The dark figure simply barked back "I am not interested in your theories of your failure on this project. I do not wish to return here again until the project is deemed a success, and neither should you." Swallowing a lump in his throat the scientist mustered"...yes...Lord Vader."
Vader...this name registered in the clone's memory. The facts, events, the faces that had been implanted into his sub conscious. Many images flashed in his mind of the one they call Vader. He was a warrior, a leader, Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet. Served directly under the Emperor, The one they call Palpatine, the Sith Lord called Sidious. Another image flashed of a young male, a human, being stabbed through the back by Vader, with Sidious watching. The human boy begged Vader, his master, for mercy, but received none. Codename: Starkiller.
The clone identified Starkiller as one half of his genetic line. Who was his other half. As he searched through his memories, searching for notable zabrak warriors, and one result was found. A Sith apprentice called Maul. He was the apprentice of Sidious before his ascension to Emperor. Approximately 32 years prior Maul was sent to track down Queen Amidalla, the Queen of Naboo, and abduct her and kill her Jedi protectors, A master called Qui-Gon Jinn, and a padawan called Obi-Wan Kenobi. He first tracked them to the desert planet of Tantooine, and had a brief duel with the Jedi Master. Despite the Jedi's escape he predicted their movements and went directly to Naboo, to ambush the unsuspecting Jedi. In the duel he dispatched the Jedi Master but was killed by the Padawan. This was the other half of his genetic line.
Subject 1156 will be terminated spoke the scientist into a recording device.
Rage...Fury...Hatred flooded the clone's thoughts.
A deep feeling of raw, burning power revealed itself to him. In an instant the object that was once a cloning tank was reduced to glass shrapnel, flying across every angle of the room. The scientist was grazed, but not mortally wounded, yet. The clone simply stood there, staring at the scientist with a dark, feral stare, and without thinking, almost naturally gripped the man by the throat with the force, strangling him. The clone bared its zabrak teeth at him and growled as the mans head swelled with blood, and his eyes neared popping out of his skull. When the sound of the scientist's neck snapping filled the room, the clone used the force to hurl the limp corpse through several empty tanks. As the clone looked around him he said "What am I?"
"You are the future of the Sith, the ultimate warrior" he heard from a dark corner of the room. Vader stepped out of the dark reaches of the laboratory. "You were distilled from two of the most deadly Sith warriors in recent history. One was far too bestial to be useful, and the other was far too idealistic, but both had exceptional power, and both were used to create you. You will serve by my side as my apprentice, or you will be destroyed."
The clone looked at the figure before him, for if what he said was true, then this was his purpose, his destiny. "What is your will, master?" Vader looked at the clone with dark enthusiasm, and said "First, you will be properly trained, once this is accomplished then you will receive further orders from me. "I am ready, master, show me to my foe and it will die." Vader quickly scolded him and said "No! You are untrained and unprepared, you have never fought a true enemy." Vader presented his with two lightsabers. Without thinking the clone ignited them, and admired their bloody crimson glow.
In the corner of his eye he saw two imperial training droids appear, before they began their simulations, one taking the form of Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn, the other of Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi. This was a simulation of Maul's final battle. "Now, my apprentice, these droids will kill you, it is their programming, you must slay them first" said Vader. The Apprentice bared his teeth and snarled "It will be done Master" and did a rear flip assaulting the Master Jedi. Red fused with green and blue, and the duel ensued. He had studied Maul's tactics, and had adapted them to his dual wielding combat style. He also noted Maul's weaknesses in battle, which he altered with Starkiller's tactics. After using the Master's own aged body against him, he slashed both of his legs and sent him flying back with Sith lightning, saving him for later, for now he had to focus on the Padawan, who was far more agile. The apprentice locked blades with the boy and swept his legs out from under him. The boy hit the ground hard, and was met by his own blade impaling through his stomach, followed by a swift yet brutal decapitation by the apprentice.
After leaving the training droids mangled husk where it lay, he approached the wounded Master. The Jedi managed to get on his feet and ready his stance. The apprentice laughed and snarled at the same time and released a heavy blow, disarming the old Jedi, and brought down both blades, each meeting him in the shoulders, severing each arm at the joint. The Jedi gasped in pain as the apprentice grabbed him by the throat with his bare hand and picked him up off the ground and sent a barrage of lightning into the Jedi's neck and skull, illuminating the dying body. Once the body started smoking he hurled it to the ground at his feet. The apprentice released a primal, blood lust roar as he stood over the corpses of his Jedi quarry. The smoke of the simulated burnt flesh surrounded him, causing him and his silver skin to blend in, the only recognizable part of him being his crimson blades.
Directly behind him the Apprentice heard Vader's loud breathing, and immediately knelt before his master. Vader stood there in silence, for several moments simply looking at apprentice and the aftermath of his battle. "You have done well...my Apprentice."
"You have obviously retained the skills of your predecessors, but do you have the stability. Another Droid appeared, taking the form of a blonde woman, clad in an imperial pilot uniform.
Her name is Juno Eclipse, the pilot for Starkiller's various missions, and his would be lover. One of the few that Starkiller truly cared for.
"Kill her" demanded Vader. While Starkiller wouldn't bring himself to harm her, he felt none of Starkiller's attachments. He obliged his Master's will, and with one silent lunge, he drove his blade through her chest cavity, driving it through her heart, severing her spinal cord. With a quick, barely audible gasp, she dropped. Vader looked at the ruthless obedience of his apprentice, and with satisfaction said "Well done."
Two Weeks Later
The Apprentice now clad in black tattoos, much resembling Maul's, and a hooded black Sith robe, stood on the balcony of his quarters in the Kamino Facility, looking out at the violent, thrashing waves in the ocean beyond. In his brief two weeks of life outside the tank, he had proven himself to his master, perfecting his saber combat by combining his natural styles of Maul and Starkiller, and perfected a violent dual wielding variant of Juyo. This had proven effficient is dispatching combat simulations of Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Shak Tii, Plo-Koon, Kit Fisto, and Rahm Kota.
Lately he had been feeling some...side effects of his artificial conception. The two DNAs had melded well, but the scientists believed that the fusion of the two different force sensitive beings which he was created from had caused some...instabilities. The effects were mild, often only involuntary muscle twitching, and migraines. They feared that ultimately it could lead to organs shutting down, and extreme cellular damage in the brain, causing paralysis, and eventually death. He often pondered if Vader would simply replace him after his demise, as he replaced Starkiller with himself, or if he would simply execute him, seeing him as a potential threat. As he thought of this his rage spiked significantly causing his migraines to return. He raised one of his un-gloved hands, and rubbed his bald head on both sides of his scalp spikes, which almost formed a mohawk pattern.
As he stood there he heard the beeping from his hologram projector, he approached it and activated it. When Lord Vader's form emerged he removed his hood and knelt. "What is your will master?" Vader stood silent for a moment and then boldly said "You have served your purpose well, my apprentice, but you are no longer stable, no longer reliable, so I have no further use for you." These words hit as hard as a Reek hit in the chest. A platoon of Imperial Stormtroopers entered the room, rifles raised. He didn't even look at them, simply stared at Vader with hatred. For the first time in his life he had the urge to defy his Master's will and snarled "You are as weak as a Jedi, ordering my death, but showing fear by not executing me yourself, today you will die!"
He did one flip, midair igniting his blades, and carved through the platoon, sending armored limbs flying. One stray shot hit him in his left forearm. He didn't even notice this until he smelt the burnt cloth and flesh. His pain receptors had shut down, signaling that his brain was beginning to cease function. He ignored the crisis and stared forward. If I am to die, Vader will die with me! He moved forward, with true purpose. Any Imperial trooper or facility personnel who stood in his way were slaughtered where they stood, before they could possibly sound an alarm.
Vader, entering from the docking bay, knew that he needed to handle this issue personally. He drew his lightsaber, and simply waited. The hybrid was strong indeed, but he was an animal, his technique was best served in close combat. Vader knew that he could simply crush him from a distance this way. This clone definitely showed traits of Starkiller in his ability to cause damage, halt progress, and personally cause the Sith Lord trouble.
The Clone, just finishing decapitating an Imperial Trooper, entered the building where Vader was, he could sense him through the force, as he knew Vader could sense him. When he entered the hallway, he saw Vader at the end, lightsaber drawn and ignited. Without a moments hesitation he charged the Dark Lord, teeth bared. Vader predictably threw a force push, which he met with lightning. Vader's attack forced it back, which knocked him back a few feet. When Vader attempted a second attack he shot a quick burst of lightning which hit its mark, stunning Vader, due to his cybernetics. This allowed the Apprentice to close the gap and as as he delivered his first blow Vader regained control, allowing him to block.
The duel continued to the docking platform, forcing the two Sith to duel in the rain. Each lashed out with heavy attacks, causing them to reach an impasse. The two remained in a lightsaber lock when Vader said "You are an abomination, no better than an animal." The apprentice snarled "says the mechanical abortion."
This seemed to hit a nerve with Vader as he struck full force at him accompanied by a war cry. The apprentice dodged, giving him a chance to counter by slicing Vader's suit across his arm, but to no avail he only sliced into cybernetics, but still managed to elicit a reaction. Vader lashed out with his off hand, grabbing the apprentice by the neck, lifting him off the ground. He could feel the lack of oxygen reaching his brain, and could feel his throat closing. The migraines returned, now more extreme then ever, but once the pain subsided he grabbed Vader's wrist, and released a large amount of lightning into him, forcing the Sith Lord to his knees.
As the Apprentice started to regain his breath, Vader tried to reach for his fallen weapon, but the Apprentice lashed out with a kick to the Sith Lord's face, cracking his helmet in over his right eye. The Apprentice grabbed him by his neck with his left hand ad readied his saber in his right hand the the brutal decapitation. The apprentice snarled out "Now, my master, you will die." "Finish it" taunted Vader. As the Apprentice prepared to swing he lost control of his muscles, causing him to drop his weapon, his whole body had gone limp. This allowed Vader to grab the blade and drive it through the Apprentice's gut. He let out a painful growl, seeing his flesh cauterize as the blade went deeper into him. As his mind opened to the Force, he saw a vision.
The first vision showed Vader, before he wore his suit, laying on a lava bank, dismembered and screaming at Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. As he inched closer to the lava he ignited, and started to violently burn.
The second vision showed Vader fighting a clone, or a doppelganger of Maul on Yavin 4, nearly defeated, Vader was forced to drive his blade through himself to kill Maul, who was prepares to attack Vader from behind. The only thing that allowed him to survive was his own lack of humanity.
The third vision showed a clone of Starkiller, wielding two blue lightsabers, tearing through the very same Kamino cloning facility he was on, killing hundreds of stormtroopers, stealing Vader's personal Tie Fighter, and escaping, causing Vader further trouble.
The Apprentice dropped to his knees. As Vader stared down at him victorious the apprentice began to laugh. He growled "I almost feel sorry for you, at least I have the chance to die, its preferable to being a burned, broken, shadow of my former self." Vader stood there, undeniably glaring at him. "DO IT" the apprentice roared, and all ended with a flash of red.
"Incinerate the body, the proceed with subject 1157" ordered Vader. "Yes my Lord" said an Imperial Scientist, as he directed two troopers to carry the corpse of the previous subject to the incinerators. Vader looked at the damage of his suit, miniscule to the damage caused by Starkiller, but nonetheless it delivered another hit to his ego. A hybrid was too risky, combining two vastly different force users. Perhaps his next version of Starkiller would prove more fruitful. The perfect, obedient apprentice, one day allowing him to destroy Sidious.