Disclaimer
All characters appearing in the Star Wars saga are copyright Lucas Arts and the Walt Disney Cooperation. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are not authorized by the copyright holder.
All original characters are the property of Celgress.
Special thanks to fellow author J. Hellscythe for the use of his OC Rainah.
Star Wars AU The Triumph of Darth Plagueis: Episode Thirty-Six – A New Hope Part One: Into the Dragon's Den Part I of III
By
Celgress
0 BBY
Death Star
Countless columns of Imperial low ranking officers, cadets, storm troopers, and battle droids flanked a red carpeted area that stretched from one end of the mammoth hanger to another. Beside high ranking Imperial officers, senators and throngs of dignitaries representing various systems & interest groups waited patiently while a train of shuttles disembarked their passengers. Standing at a specially designed podium besides the shuttles one silver protocol droid announced each arrival.
"Emperor Darth Plagueis, Supreme Dark Lord of the Sith, Defender of the Faithful and Chief Preserver of Peace," The droid said in it's tinny voice. To deafening applause Darth Plagueis departed his shuttle. Accompanied by four grey armored Imperial guards, two male two female, he strolled briskly towards the waiting dignitaries.
"Darth Vader, Heir Apparent to the Imperial Throne and the Mantel of Supreme Dark Lord of the Sith, President of the Imperial Senate and Cheif Agent of the Faithful," The droid continued while Vader, also flanked by four Imperial guards, advanced up the carpeted area.
"Darth Cyrin, Second in line to the Imperial Throne and the Mantel of Supreme Dark Lady of the Sith, Grand Moff of the Imperial Council of Moffs and Agent of the Faithful," The droid stated as Cyrin and her Imperial guards walked by.
"General Darth Grievous, Third in line to the Imperial Throne and the Mantel of Supreme Dark Lord of the Sith, Supreme Commander of unified Imperial Forces, Agent of the Faithful and Bane of our enemies," Passing by the chatting droid along with his Magna Guards Grievous grumbled something unintelligible. What followed was a myriad of Darths, Sith assassins, apprentices and acolytes several of which garnered their own, almost as elaborate, introductions Boba Fett amongst them.
Once introductions were finished an atmosphere of joviality soon developed, in particularly amongst the Sith. Katooni found herself in the uncomfortable position of standing besides Boba Fett who was soon talking casually with none other Plagueis! Grievous stood to Plagueis' left glowering at Katooni the entire time. Grievous made no attempt to disguise his disgust for the captured Jedi.
"What do we have here Boba my boy?" Plagueis inquired his cold, calculating gaze falling upon Katooni. Waves of dark energy swirled around Plagueis like moths drawn to a night flame. The darkness radiating off him was almost enough to make Katooni physically ill.
"Filthy Jedi," Grievous growled pre-empting Boba Fett's admission.
"The Jedi infiltrator our forces captured on Nar Shaddaa my master." Boba Fett said.
"Give me her lightsaber. I must add it to my collection." Grievous ordered holding out his right hand expectedly.
"No, don't give it to him." Katooni blurted out without thinking. She couldn't allow this monster to take her lightsaber. It was the solo reminder of her old life, of her departed friends, of happier times.
"Dare deny me my prize pup," Grievous snarled. "Perhaps you'll be more accommodating once I've twist off your head!? Grievous took several menacing steps towards Katooni.
"Stand down General." Plagueis ordered calmly raising his left hand. "I have plans for our Jedi friend. Plans that demand she remains relatively intact, until further notice." Inwardly Katooni cringed at Plagueis' words. Her skin crawled as Plagueis reached out and caressed her cheek. "It has been far too long since I last indulged my interest in midi-chlorians manipulation of living beings. Until I depart this station the Jedi remains your responsibilities Boba see she remains, undamaged."
"Thy will be done my master." Boba Fett said somewhat hesitantly.
"Looks like you won't be taking my lightsaber anytime soon youngling slayer." Katooni taunted Grievous. Provoked beyond his usual thin tolerance level Grievous lashed out viciously backhanding Katooni across her chest generating an audible crack. Katooni was thrown back more than a dozen feet by the impact. Instantly the Jedi Knight knew several of her ribs had again been broken.
Plagueis smirked at Grievous' violent outburst. "Best watch your tongue Jedi." Plagueis and Grievous walked away leaving Katooni and Boba Fett alone. Once out of earshot Plagueis turned to Grievous. "General I command you watch Boba closely until I've relieved him of the Jedi. I sense our dead assassin's priorities may be growing misaligned. There is great conflict within him. Conflicted I have been aware for some time."
"Should I terminate him master?" Grievous asked almost excitedly.
"Not unless he proves untrustworthy General, understand?" Plagueis intoned giving Grievous a knowing gaze.
"Thy will be done my master." Grievous nodded.
Perhaps not surprisingly Boba Fett rushed to Katooni's aid the instant the elder Sith departed. Helping her to her feet he whispered. "Why did you provoke Grievous like that? He's very dangerous and unpredictable when angered."
"I'd rather die than become a guinea pig in some demented experiment." Katooni whispered.
Boba Fett said nothing helping Katooni to his assigned quarters. Following the twenty minute journey during which Katooni was clearly in tremendous pain Boba Fett sat Katooni on his bed. Next he summoned a medical droid. Once Katooni's torso was again bandaged and she resting Boba Fett dismissed the droid.
"How are you feeling?" Boba Fett asked placing a chair beside the bed.
"Lousy," Katooni said groggily painkillers already affecting her. "May I ask a question?"
"Go ahead," Boba Fett said.
"Why do you care?" Katooni said staring into Boba Fett's helmeted face with her sad blue eyes.
"Because warriors deserve to be treated with dignity, even Jedi," Boba Fett said.
"Even Jedi," Katooni repeated before saying the most unexpected thing in the universe from Boba Fett's perspective. "Kill me."
"Excuse me." Boba Fett said taken aback by Katooni's abrupt request.
"Promise me you'll kill me." Katooni said.
"I can't." Boba Fett said. "I don't kill unarmed, defenseless captives it isn't honorable behavior."
"Hand me my lightsaber. Say I was attempting to escape." Katooni offered.
"Why," Boba Fett said his voice straining.
"I've heard what sort of things go on during Plagueis' midi-chlorians experiments. His subjects suffer fates far worse than simple death. I don't want to become a force zombie or force monster or be revived multiple times until brain damage occurs." Katooni said her eyes pleading "As one warrior to another grant me an honorable death, please I beg of you."
"Sleep Jedi," Boba Fett said using the Force to nudge Katooni into unconsciousness. Part of Boba Fett felt guilty using the force on another force user who couldn't resist. However he rationalized his feelings away by telling himself Katooni desperately needed rest.
His heart filled with pity Boba Fett glanced over Katooni's now slumbering form. She was ghastly pale with dark circles under her eyes. Boba Fett checked the readings on Katooni's Force suppression collar. He wasn't surprised by what the readings indicated. Katooni's force signature was steadily fading. She was dying. Boba Fett knew he couldn't allow Katooni's untimely death. She was one of only a few remaining lights in an otherwise dark, bleak universe. She expressed concern for beings such as clones and droids who no one else gave a damn about. Was that what being a Jedi meant, seeing value in all life no matter how lowly?
How had Katooni managed to change his perspective in less than a standard week? It didn't make any sense. Then the realization hit Boba Fett like a ton of bricks. His view of things, including the nature of the Force, had been changing for some time now. He'd always been different which had set him apart from his fellow Sith. He'd never shared their uncontrollable bloodlust. He'd always killed with great purpose not for the simple shake of enjoying slaughter.
Boba Fett found himself at a crossroads. If he saved Katooni there would be Sith Hell to pay, literally. What was he going to do? What could he do? Watching Katooni's fitfully sleep Boba Fett knew he had no choice, he must take action. He only hoped he was doing the right thing.
Millennium Falcon, several standard hours later
Lando and Chewie piloted their craft carefully through interstellar space. Seemingly out of nowhere a massive, spherical grey structure loomed up before them. Lando whistled upon coming into visual range.
"Big isn't she?" Lando said. Chewie whined in agreement.
"Unidentified vessel you have entered a restricted military zone. Halt your progress towards this station immediately or be destroyed." A voice crackled over the com.
"Copy that," Lando said deactivating impulses engines.
"Unidentified vessel prepare to be boarded and escorted to this station."
"Copy that," Lando said.
Within minutes a transport docked. More than a dozen storm troopers followed by an Imperial officer, a male Duros, disembarked. Brandishing assault rifles they roughly handcuffed Lando and Chewie without explanation.
"Impounded this vessel," the Duros ordered two of the storm troopers who assumed the pilot and co-pilot positions.
An hour later following several security inspections the storm troopers left. For a time all was quiet until a section of floor plating slid back. Out of the gaping hole emerged the New Jedi Order, Han Solo and their droids.
"Han please watch Rainah and the droids." Siri said handing Han the small girl. "At the first sign of trouble get out of here."
"Will do," Han said flashing his trademark lopsided grin.
"Mistress Siri I'm offended by the implication we require watching." C-3PO huffed. "R2-D2 and I…" R2-D2 slammed into C-3PO's lower body beeping loudly cutting off the humanoid droid's rant. Rainah giggled.
"Well I never." C-3PO said.
"Be careful." Han said before kissing Leia on her lips.
"You too," Leia said.
"Be good dear." Obi-wan said kissing Rainah gently on her forehead.
"I will daddy." Rainah said.
"Worry not back soon we will be child." Yoda said.
"Promise," Rainah said.
"Promise," Siri said.
"Everyone remember where we parked." Luke teased as the Jedi emerged from the Millennium Falcon silently dispatching four B1 droids with the Force who had been standing guard next to their impounded ship. Leia rolled her eyes. Mara elbowed Luke playfully.
"This place is huge. How are we going to find Katooni or the control room?" Leia said in wonder.
"What is it, what's wrong?" Mara said noticing the elder Jedi visibly tense.
"I sense hatred." Obi-wan said.
"Envy," Siri added.
"Rage," Yoda finished.
"Presences the likes of which I haven't come into contact with since…." Obi-wan trailed off.
"The Clone Wars," Siri said knowingly.
"Here in abundance the Sith are." Yoda concluded. "Extremely cautious exercise we must be."
Elsewhere if it were possible Vader would have been bored to tears by the inane conversation. How he despised politicians. If only he could strangle some he'd feel better. At times he thought Plagueis had merely appointed him President of the Imperial Senator as a cruel joke. Now was one of those times. Vader was about to recuse himself from further conversation when he sensed through the Force something, familiar.
"What is it?" Cyrin said sensing Vader's distress.
"I sense something familiar, ripples in the Force." Vader said. His mechanical hands clenched into fists. "At last he has returned."
"Who has returned?" Cyrin asked clutching Vader's right arm.
"Obi-wan and Siri is with him." Vader said. "Finally we can have revenge."
"Excellent," Cyrin said. "If they're padawans have accompanied them we can now also implement our plan of turning them to the Dark Side."
"Come," Vader ordered. A squadron of storm troopers fell in behind Vader and Cyrin. "The game is afoot."
Meanwhile Katooni begun to stir, she felt movement. Eyes fluttering open she found herself cradled in strong arms encased by armor. "Where am I?" She asked.
"You're safe," Boba Fett said.
"Where are you taking me?"
"Far away from here," Boba Fett said.
"What do we have here a traitor and his pet Jedi." Grievous said dropping down from the ceiling he landed front of Boba Fett, blocking Fett's path down the corridor. "I always suspected your heart wasn't truly committed to our endeavours."
"Unlike you at least I have a real heart General," Boba Fett taunted sitting Katooni on the floor unlatching her force suppression collar as he did so.
"I will enjoy adding your lightsaber along with your severed spine to my collections traitor." Grievous said discarding his cloak. Grievous wasted no time bisecting his arms and activating four lightsabers; two green, one blue and a yellow. "Attack me traitor."
Boba Fett activated his own crimson blade. Twirling it in his right hand he sized up his opponent. Skilled with a blade as Boba Fett was Grievous was a step above when it came to dueling. Boba Fett was painfully aware he couldn't out duel the cyborg without great luck. On the other hand while Grievous maybe a master of all seven traditional forms of lightsaber combat Grievous wasn't without weaknesses of his own.
Smiling beneath his helmet Boba Fett lunged forward to deliver a stab. Grievous easily blocked Boba Fett's rather sloppy attack with two lightsabers. Boba Fett fired a grappling line from his left wrist gauntlet which attached itself to Grievous neck. Before Grievous could cut the cable Boba Fett used it to deliver a powerful electrical shock which staggered Grievous. Reeling Grievous forward on using the cable Boba Fett's lightsaber passed under the stunned Grievous' guard cleanly amputating at his elbows the bottom pair of his arms. Deprived of one blue and one green lightsaber Grievouis roared in annoyance kicking Boba Fett away. Seeing how the two combatants remained tethered Grievous tumbled after Boba Fett. Boba Fett landed on the floor hard Grievous on top of him. Using the opportunity Boba Fett delivered two more high voltage shocks to Grievous however before Boba Fett could deliver a third hopefully incapacitating Grievous the former commander of the droid army cut the cable with his yellow lightsaber, dashing hopes of quickly ending things. Bobba Fett staggered to his feet only for Grievous to unleash a massive force push slamming Boba Fett into the opposite wall. Quick as Sith lightning Boba Fett found himself pinned to the wall devoid of his own lightsaber with Grievous' remaining blades forming an X patern around his neck.
"Any last words before I decapitate you traitor?" Grievous said glaring at Boba Fett.
"Yeah, its' true what they say droids are woefully stupid." Boba Fett laughed. Grievous growled.
Katooni's sapphire blade whizzed through Grievous right knee joint cutting off his leg. Boba Fett combination doubled kicked and force pushed Grievous away. Seeing he was now at a distinct disadvantage Grievous scurried away like a spider quickly as three limps would carry him.
Katooni stood in front of Boba Fett breathing heavily, her brow slick with sweat neither saying a word. Minutes passed in silence. "We should be going. He'll summon others." Boba Fett said.
"Yes we should." Katooni agreed. Boba Fett retrieved his lightsaber via the Force and the pair walked away fast as they could manage each leaning against the other for support.
While Katooni and Boba Fett were making their escape the other Jedi had reached a long bridge over a deep chasm. They were about to turn around when storm troopers led by two living shadows approached out of the darkness. Obi-wan steeped forward as each Jedi, save Yoda, activated their lightsabers.
"Obi-wan Kenobi, long have we anticipated once more enjoying your company." Darth Vader said activating his own red blade with a snap-hiss. "The circle is now complete when you and Siri left us to perish on Zeltros we were but the students now we are the masters."
"Only masters of evil Vader." Obi-wan said tightly gripping his lightsaber with both hands.
"Pompous, self-righteous Jedi," Cyrin said. "We were young, beautiful and strong before Zeltros. Since that day our lives have been living hell."
"You brought it upon yourselves." Siri said stepping up beside her husband. "What happened on Zeltros was your own fault."
"Liar," Cyrin said. "The Jedi Order always feared us. Our raw potential in the Force frightened them. The old fools got what they deserved for holding us back."
"Delusional you still are after all these years I see." Yoda said shaking his head. "Grasp the true nature of the living Force you do as little as a forks tastes food."
"Ah Grandmaster Yoda, I thought my master killed you. Oh yes now I remember. You took the coward's way out running away before Plagueis could finish, how pathetic." Vader said.
"Always the pretender Vader," Yoda said a hint of sadness in his voice. "Much fear I sense remains in you. A frightened child groping through the darkness always you shall be. Done more for you we, I should have. Lost souls you and Cyrin are."
"The time for talk has long since passed." Vader rumbled. "Only actions remain. Face us in combat or be struck down where you stand. There are no other options."
"First promise me the storm troopers won't become involved." Obi-wan said.
"Troopers leave us." Vader commanded. The storm troopers quickly departed. "I have kept my end of the bargain Obi-wan. Dismiss your apprentices. Grand Master Yoda may almost leave. Our quarrel is not with them or you Yoda."
"Fair enough," Obi-wan said.
"Don't trust them father." Leia said.
"I won't." Obi-wan said.
"We'll be right outside." Mara said. Luke nodded.
"Master Yoda…" Siri said her voice cracking.
"Get them off this station safely I will." Yoda said. "Survive the new Jedi Order shall my word you have." Yoda, Luke, Mara & Leia retreated Obi-wan & Siri were left alone facing Vader & Cyrin.
"Worry not once we've killed you I shall take great pleasure training the children." Vader said assuming an aggressive stance. "Does it bother you they will one day call me master and Cyrin mistress?"
"I'll see you both dead and burning in Sith Hell first." Obi-wan said his eyebrows knitting together with concentration.
"You've ruined enough lives already, including your own lives Vader and Cyrin." Siri said. "It ends here."
"Agreed, it ends now," Cyrin said activating her twin lightsabers. "Only two of us are leaving this chamber alive. Either you fall or we fall. Our rivalry must conclude."
"At last we see eye to eye." Siri said grim determination etched across her features illuminated by the glow of her purple lightsaber.
"Better late than never," Obi-wan said, his blue blade casting eerie shadows on his own face.
"So be it." Vader said. "Prepare to meet the Force."
To Be Continued