A Change In Plans

Sarlagesus

Thorden sat quietly in the pilot's seat of his custom freighter as the vessel screamed silently through a void almost as empty as his soul. He had just murdered the love of his life, and abandoned his son. Darth Plagueis, who sat just as quietly, in one of the rear seats, hadn't given him a choice. But still, Thorden loathed himself. He wanted to die. He could attack Plagueis, and force his master to kill him. No. Then there'd be nothing keeping that dianoga from murdering my son.

"I know that you hate me. I can both feel and see it in your Force aura. It is necessary for you to be able to hate, as you will need this ability for your next task." Darth Plagueis pulled a small datacard from a pocket in his robe. He handed it to his apprentice.

Thorden placed it into a port, and frowned at the resulting holoimage. The little girl was adorable. Perhaps nine or ten, with a little button nose and long reddish hair. "You can't expect me to kill her. She's just a child."

"And so is your son. And he's even younger and more innocent. I did not have to let him live, and I am beginning to wonder if that was a mistake. You can save the girl, and plunge the galaxy into unending war, or you can save your own son, and save the galaxy. You killed your wife."

"You gave me no choice."

"And you have little choice now. If you could kill the woman you loved, then you can kill this child. She means nothing to you. I have instilled in you hatred. Use it. Hate this girl for what she will do to the galaxy if she is allowed to live. Hate her for the trillions who will die. Hate her because if she lives, Thraes dies."

But Thorden knew it was wrong. It would be murder. He was done with murder. But then Plagueis would murder his son. The girl, as precious as she was, was not his child. "You're a monster."

Plagueis nodded. "Sometimes a monster is just what the galaxy needs."

Star Dragon

Thorden met Leia Organa Solo, along with her husband Han and their granddaughter, Allana. "Welcome aboard the Star Dragon," The Chiss Fleet Commander said, bowing slightly, and extending his hand to Leia. "You may call me Thorden."

Thorden brought his attention to Allana as Leia made the introductions. It would be quick. All it would take was a thought, not even a hand gesture, and her neck would snap. She'd be dead before she knew what had happened. And the galaxy would be saved. Taking care to mask his true nature, he began to draw on the Force. He concentrated it, and imagined a targeting reticle around the child's neck. Saw his pointer finger on the trigger. He saw that finger flex. Just one more tiny movement and…

Thorden took his finger off the trigger. And allowed the Force energy he'd gathered to dissipate. He would not murder this little girl. He could not bring himself to hate her. But it had to be done. If it wasn't...

Thorden reached out to his son. And to his surprise, there was someone else with him. Two people. They were quite a bit different from Plagueis. They lacked that certain darkness, and they had... compassion. They must be Jedi. Jedi did not murder children. They would make sure Thraes was safe. Where is your leverage, you piece of garbage?

But Plagueis was still right. The girl had to die. She didn't deserve to. But if she lived, she would destroy the galaxy. And then trillions of people who didn't deserve to die would die. Their deaths would be on Thorden's hands. Still, he couldn't bring himself to do it, but perhaps he didn't have to.

Korriban

Darth Plagueis still was unable to feel even the slightest of ripples in the Force. The telltale signs that the future Queen of the Jedi was dead. He should have killed the girl himself. Yes, it would certainly have resulted in him revealing himself to the Jedi. But that would have been such a small sacrifice for killing a child who most certainly would kill the galaxy.

Plagueis had threatened to kill Thorden's son, Thraes, if he failed to complete his task. The undead Sith Lord had sincerely hoped for his apprentice to prove himself worthy, as Sidious had not.

And now Plagueis had a dilemma. He could see Thraes serving a purpose in the future, but letting him live would send the wrong message to Thorden. I must not be seen to go back on my word. Darth Plagueis would have frowned had he possessed a mouth.

The Sith Lord reached out toward Thraes, but could not find him. Someone, it seemed, had taken the boy. He could let the boy live, without appearing to... His interest became piqued when he sensed a peculiar light side residue where Thraes had been. Jedi. And with that Darth Plagueis began to see the boy's purpose. A thermal detonator, its chronometer counting down to zero. The fools willingly drink my poison.

Darth Plageuis activated Korriban's secured comm system and set up a link with the Sarlagesus. After a few seconds a blue face with red eyes appeared. "I sense that the girl is still alive," Plagueis commented.

"It was too risky," Thorden explained. "If I had killed the girl, Leia Organa would certainly know that I had done it, and would certainly have killed me. I don't yet have the skill to beat her in combat. You'd have been without an apprentice, without a way to control the Ascendancy."

"Do not think for even a second that I cannot see through your poorly veiled lies," Plagueis said calmly but with a chilling edge that made a vibroblade seem duller than a drunken Gammorean. "You and your Ascendancy are expendable. And you are a Force forsaken coward. You lack the strength to do what is required of you. And the whole galaxy could very well burn because of it."

Sarlagesus

Despite the many light years which separated them, Thorden could still feel his Master's gaze boring deep into his soul. Searching out his innermost being. "The job will get done. I have contacted the Mandalorians to take care of it," Thorden said, as though reading from a holoprompter. He felt like a politician who never answered questions giving a speech he'd rehearsed.

"You had better hope your Mandalorians are up to the task," Plagueis warned.

"Or what?" Thorden scoffed.

"You must think your son is safe, among the Jedi." Darth Plagueis shook his head. "I will find him. And when I do..." the undead Sith Lord let the sentence remain unfinished.

"You're bluffing, you piece of garbage. You murder my son, and I'll do everything in my power to destroy..." Thorden trailed off as the holocomm signal went dead. And inside, he went dead. What if Plagueis hadn't been bluffing? What if the Mandalorians couldn't kill the girl?

Korriban

Darth Plagueis killed the connection before Thorden could finish his tirade. Feeding the flames of the Chiss man's anger, and cutting him off before he could sufficiently vent his rage. Let the pressure build, and harden his anger into diamond. Thorden would serve the Dark Man whether he wanted to or not. Whether he knew it or not.