AN: Happy December, you guys! Told you I wouldn't keep you waiting for too long! We're at the resolution of the act two arc, and I have to say, it's hugely satisfying. These last two chapters I've had in mind since almost the beginning of writing this entire series, and boy does it feel good to have it out. I hope you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.
We're headed into act three next chapter, and I've been itching to get to this shit for a LONG time. If you're the kids that are familiar with Rebels, you know EXACTLY where we're headed, and why I'm so stoked. But, before I get to writing the next chapter, I have some general fic housekeeping to do, namely going back and editing one of the earlier chapters. Nothing big, but I've had a few ideas that I really freaking love, and I'm going to need them going forward. For those of you unwilling to go back and comb through for changes (which should be all of you) honestly don't worry about it. It's literally just some physical descriptions that need to be adjusted for consistency.
Next Chapter really shouldn't be very long, but still, give me a few weeks. Holiday shit and editing and two jobs and Life In General do take priority.
LOVELIES! Do enjoy!
Chapter 56: Sidious
The Force sang, a savage, beautiful melody of triumph and cruelty overlaying a haunting undercurrent of mournful melancholy, a thing both cacophonous and oddly soothing as it sank deep to pulse within blood and reverberate bones with power, dragging every heartbeat and every breath into perfect harmony with the dark symphony humming in such sweet, chaotic wrath. Beyond the Force, the silence was thick and heavy and oppressive with tension so tight it threatened to snap if the slightest breath was out of sync with the current of the Force, the deafening void punctuated only by the low, even thrum of lightsabers, the ponderous rhythm of Vader's breathing, and the occasional, erratic manic laughter and incoherent mumbling from Maul.
Time seemed to stand still as Darth Lumis and Darth Sidious stared each other down, both men calm and composed, their impassive faces unreadable, the Dark Side around them still and silent as the beasts the Masters commanded lay in tight chains at the Sith Lords' feet. Taking a slow, deep breath, Lumis reached out with the Force to brush against Sidious' consciousness in an attempt to gauge his foe and, as he expected, felt nothing but the smooth, flawless, powerful shields that guarded the Sith Master, not a single flaw in that perfect mirror sheen, not a single crack with which he could grasp for purchase. Sidious did not return the gesture, only stood still and silent in his absolute confidence. There was no need for him to size up his opponent, not when he knew how this fight would end.
Despite all the time and the distance between them, despite their fervent opposition and the bitterness of their parting, despite the Dark Side straining and singing for death and blood and victory, in the sparking tension between the Sith Lords Lumis and Sidious, there existed more than animosity between them.
"How long do you suppose it has been since so many Sith Lords gathered in one place?" Lumis asked with a wistful sigh, breaking the heavy silence and tearing his eyes away from Sidious to let his gaze linger around the serene beauty of this sacred place, the shrine of the Dark Side humming with power and glowing with ethereal red light from the elegant dome above.
"Not since Darth Bane rose to power, certainly," Lumis continued when Sidious remained silent and still. "A thousand years at least. And now, nearly twenty years after our revenge on the Jedi was enacted, nearly twenty years of Sith rule over the galaxy, and where do we stand?" A bitter scowl crossed Lumis' face as he finally looked back at his former Master. "Four of us, and you, Sidious, hide what you really are behind the mask of the Emperor...not exactly the grand revival of the Sith we had imagined, now is it?"
"Can you even call yourself Sith anymore, Lumis?" Sidious asked, the look of disgust on his wizened features mirroring the expression on his former apprentice's face. "Carousing around the galaxy with degenerates and Jedi, emerging from your hiding places to prove yourself a mild irritant and nuisance before disappearing again into your squalor like a rat..." He scoffed, his back straightening as he eyed the indignant Lumis. "I raised you to be a lord, a predator among the herd, and you make a mockery of the gifts you have been given."
"Only because you forced my hand, Master, it didn't have to be this way," Lumis said tightly, anger and pain making the Dark Side thrash against its chains. "We could have ruled this Empire together, like we planned." A cocky smirk slowly spread across his lips as he looked away from the Emperor and to the towering figure of Vader off to his side. "Until you abandoned me when I became too much for you to handle. Tell me, how is your new apprentice? Is dear, sweet Anakin everything you ever dreamed of?"
"Anakin Skywalker is dead," Sidious said impassively, but the sudden rush of rage coloring the Force red didn't pass by Lumis' notice, nor did the tightening of Vader's hand around his lightsaber.
"Oh, don't give me that shit..." Lumis drawled with a roll of his eyes. "We both know that beneath that mask is the same petulant asshole I watched burn on Mustafar..." A flash of anger and resentment accompanied the cruel smirk that touched Lumis' lips as old, scarred wounds were slowly pried open, the dark blood seeping and pulsing from them making the Dark Side roar and snap with wrath and hunger. "The same man I so recently utterly destroyed on Lothal. I brought you countless victories, Sidious, I won battles and triumphed over every challenge thrown at me. I delivered you the Empire itself, and you betrayed me for failure."
"How fitting, then, that you were delivered to me by the holocron of Darth Traya, the Lord of Betrayal."
The tension between them became so thick, so heavy, so tight that the air seemed to vibrate with strain, threatening to snap into violence with even the slightest movement or ill-timed breath. The taut line between the Sith Lords grew suddenly and unexpectedly slack and limp when Lumis slumped his shoulders, the tension gone in an instant with a heavy sigh, the piercing, anticipatory screech of the Dark Side replaced with the muted hum of resignation when a weary Lumis closed his eyes.
"I didn't think you were one for poetry..."Lumis muttered, opening tired eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "It was a cunning plan, I'll give you that. Tell me, did you come to this place because you knew I would be here, or did you plant the holocron here to lure me into your trap?"
"A trap..." Sidious sneered, dismissing the idea with a disgusted wave of his hand. "I am above such petty things. It was the will of the Force that brought you to me, Lumis. I did not need to do anything to see your fate come to pass."
"It hasn't happened! Not yet!" Lumis snarled, the resigned calm breaking in a snap of frozen fury violent enough to make Vader's muscles tighten and Maul resume his feral pacing, but Sidious remained still and silent, unaffected by the flash of temper. Lumis had been ready to stand between the Sith and his children without a second thought, but he was not yet ready to die, not when he had so much left to do, not when he had promised the spirit of Satine he would fight to the bitter end. When his road was at an end, forge a new path, she had said, and Lumis would do just that.
"You struggle against the inevitable," Sidious said quietly. "The harder you fight, the faster your destiny rises to meet you. You know how this ends."
"Not here, not today!" Lumis growled, his golden eyes stained blood red as he let loose the Dark Side within his veins and let it run savage within him. "It's no mistake that I found that holocron in the most obvious place when a thousand years of Sith Lords hungry for power couldn't find it! Even you missed it, Sidious. The Force isn't done with me yet!" Slowly, Sidious began to chuckle, a humorless, cold thing that sent a chill up Lumis' spine and left him feeling tense and unsettled, the ferocious, snarling Dark Side taking cautious pause at the other Sith's cruel amusement.
"It is true I have walked the halls of this place many times before and found nothing," Sidious said in a voice heavy with grim satisfaction. "I do not know why the temple guided to the holocron, but it doesn't matter. In delivering it to you, the Force brought you to me, and the holocron will be mine when I kill your Jedi and his rebel friends..."
"You're going to be disappointed in that..." Lumis said with a wry, knowing smirk. "I think you'll find Kanan Jarrus far more difficult to kill than you seem to believe."
"Kanan Jarrus is already dead," Sidious growled, his eyes narrowing as the hissing Dark Side coiled around him like a serpent, the slightest twitch of his hand betraying the sparks of electricity that danced between his fingers. "I have seen his death, a pitiful end consumed in the roar of flames, and you will show me where to find the rest of your insignificant band of rebels when I raze your mind. Your body will continue to serve the Empire for a very, very long time, a nexus of the Dark Side contained within an empty, hollow vessel through which the Force will freely flow."
"A tall order, even for you, Sidious," Lumis said evenly, his blade spinning in his hand as he brought it up defensively over his shoulder, his eyes darting to towering Vader and twitching Maul as both apprentices readied themselves for combat. "You're going to have to keep your dogs from killing me, and that may be asking a bit much..." A nervous, manic chuckle erupted from Maul's mouth, and Lumis turned his attention to the mad Zabrak, a wolfish grin on his lips. "Oh, I haven't forgotten about you, pet. You be a good boy for me and wait, I'll be with you shortly..."
"You have already lost, Lumis!" Sidious snarled viciously, Vader and Maul taking a step toward their opponent at their Master's swift tug at the Force. "And your time is up. Come, meet your fate. Even your struggle against us here has been foretold. You cannot win."
"Yeah, well, we'll see about that."
The crack of lightning snapped through the charged air as electricity so deep blue it appeared purple shot from Sidious' fingertips, the barrage slamming into Lumis' ready lightsaber so hard it pushed the Sith Lord backwards, his boots leaving long, black skid marks on the reflexive polish of the floor. Gritting his teeth against the crushing pressure of Sidious' Force Lightning, Lumis' golden eyes shot to Vader as the imposing man rushed toward him, and angling his saber sideways as he sidestepped the electric storm, he allowed the lightning to surge along the length of the blade, a swift spin of the weapon trapping the dancing sparks along the blazing, angry red lightsaber.
A swift slice through the air sent a wave of arching sparks toward Vader, the slightest hesitation in his step as he swept his own saber before him to dispel the electricity a clear sign that despite Vader's humiliating defeat at Lumis' hands on Lothal, Sidious had done nothing to correct the cyborg's crippling weakness to Force lightning. Catching a second volley of lightning from Sidious just as a savage, feral snarl of rage tore from Maul's throat as the Zabrak sprinted forward, Lumis captured the electricity again on his blade as he turned to face Vader, the smaller Sith Lord ducking under a heavy downward swing. Hissing in frustration as he was forced to retreat from Vader's highly aggressive assault, Lumis slid into his easy defensive, grasping his lightsaber's hilt with two hands to allow him better control over his blade as Vader's heavy strikes slammed against it.
His focus continuously pulled toward Sidious as his cruel laughter echoed over the sound of clashing lightsabers, Lumis rose his blade to catch Maul's savage strike as he joined the fight and deftly spun out of the way, allowing Maul's blade to move his and using the force of the slash to guide a now off balance Maul right into Vader's path. Snarling a wrathful curse, a brush of Vader's gloved, cybernetic hand threw Maul out of his way as he bore down upon Lumis, a heavy, cleaving slash cutting effortlessly through the ground where the renegade Sith had stood only seconds before, the man having deftly stepped out of the way to position Maul between himself and Vader once again. The hairs stood on the back of Lumis' neck as the Force surged through the air, and catching sight of Sidious out of the corner of his eye, a clear, open path between the two men, Lumis threw up his free hand just as Sidious raised his own, lightning arching through the air from both Sith Lords' fingertips to violently collide.
The deafening crack of electricity pierced the air around them as the arcs collided in coiling serpents of lightning, twisting and snapping against each other and sending Lumis skidding back as the force of the energy pushed him back. Even through the piercing ringing in his ears, he could hear Sidious' cackling laughter deep within his mind, his gaze darting between Maul and Vader as the two Sith apprentices charged at him from opposite sides. His attention divided. Lumis grit his teeth, his heart racing as he felt the surging force of Sidious' lightning overtake his, the hissing, writhing ball of electricity driving ever closer toward him, and with a deep, calming breath, Lumis let go, severing the electrical connection between himself and the Sith Master. With no barriers between them, the lightning shot toward him, and reaching out, Lumis spun out of the way, grasping hold of the snapping arcs with the Force and slinging them toward the charging Vader as he swiftly turned to face Maul, an effortless parry of the Zabrak's spinning double-sided saber putting the savage beast between Lumis and Sidious.
Rapid slashes and stabs repeatedly rained down upon Lumis as Maul athletically moved around him, spinning and flipping and pressing forward as wild and ferocious as he was able, the sharp screech of his saber weaving bleeding ribbons of red through the air as he moved, and sliding into his defensive, Lumis met his every strike. Looking quickly to Sidious, still and silent as he watched, then to Vader, howling in outrage as he was pressed back by the force of the lightning he was holding at bay with his saber, a slight smirk touched Lumis' lips as he turned his full attention on his single opponent.
Meeting each of Maul's strikes as he deftly parried and dodged out of the way, Lumis retreated to lead the Zabrak further away from Vader and Sidious to give himself more time to work. Maul's strikes were fast and unpredictable, blow after blow sparking against Lumis' raised blade without a second's pause, and with a frustrated snarl, the Zabrak spun to throw added weight behind his next strike as he slammed his weapon down upon the other Sith. The slightest angling of his blade and a deft step off to the side send Maul off-balance, the blade of his saber hissing as it cut into the polished black floor, and Lumis used the momentary pause to switch to a delicate, one-handed grip on his own weapon, his now free handed extended before him as he grabbed hold of the Force and slammed it into Maul, throwing the hissing, feral man backwards, putting him between Lumis and Sidious once again.
The moment of vulnerability passed quickly, Maul's boots screeching against the ground as he swiftly got his balance and rushed forward to meet the insufferably calm, relaxed Lumis once again, the Zabrak's lightsaber raised and ready to slay the man he confusingly loathed and longed for. His heart humming in his chest as he sprinted toward his opponent, Maul suddenly stopped when the Force slammed around him like a vice, his fragile mental walls crumbling around him and allowing the so familiar tendrils of the Dark Side to worm their way through his mind. His lightsaber fell from his hand as he dropped to his knees, his hands clutching at his cranial horns and his jaw clenched tightly as he tried to force those prying fingers out, but to no avail. Lumis knew the winding paths of his mind, had cut most of those roads himself, and he walked those trails as if he owned them.
Gasping for breath, Maul clawed at his throat as he felt the cold close like chains around his neck and wrists, the heavy cuffs and collars binding him to his Master's will, and for all he struggled against the presence savaging his mind, he could feel himself welcoming Lumis into him like an old friend. He was released the moment his shoulders slumped in submission, his body collapsing to the ground when Vader ran past him, leaving Maul to be cast aside so Lumis could deal with the more urgent threat.
As before, Vader's strikes were heavy and precise, making up for his restricted movement and agility with brute strength that made defending blocks and parries a difficult affair, each clash of their weapons sending a jolt through Lumis' arms and causing his footing to slip upon the smooth floor. Sidestepping the next two powerful, cleaving strikes, Lumis swiftly spun and cut high, his blade aiming for Vader's neck, and hissed in irritation when his saber met Vader's, a swift deflection that would have torn Lumis' saber from his hands if he hadn't flipped around with it, landing gracefully on Vader's other side and slicing out toward his legs. Vader caught that strike too, and with a powerful, heavy cybernetic leg, kicked at the Sith Lord crouched low on the ground, only just missing as Lumis rolled away.
The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end just as Lumis rose to his knees and brought his saber up to block another of Vader's cleaving blows, and he looked swiftly over his shoulder to find Sidious standing a mere ten paces behind him, his glowing eyes amused, the grin on his lips cruel, his gnarled hands raised before him as electricity surged within them. With nothing to stand as a shield between himself and the elderly Sith Master, Lumis felt his chest seize with panic, and swallowing his nerves as he looked up into Vader's expressionless mask, his arms shaking under the heavy press of Vader's saber against his, he switched his weapon off as he pivoted on his knee, the sudden loss of contact causing Vader to pitch forward, his blade slamming hard and deep into the ground right beside Lumis just as lightning flew from Sidious' fingertips.
An inhuman howl of rage roared above the crackling sound of electricity as Vader wrenched his blade out of the ground, only just managing to catch the lightning thrown at the pair, the deep blue arcs slamming into his saber with such force he was pushed back, his boots screeching upon the ground. For just a moment, there was a clear path between Lumis and Sidious, a blissful moment he could turn his full attention upon the old Master, and without wasting the precious opening given to him, the hissing red blade spinning in his hand, Lumis charge forward, electricity surging through his blood as lightning shot from his fingertips at Darth Sidious. With an effortless, casual gesture, Sidious raised his hand, his own lightning colliding with Lumis' in a snapping, hissing mess of writhing arcs, his raspy cackle rising above the sharp crack of electricity.
Feeling the push-back of Sidious' power, Lumis dipped his blade into the stream of electricity as he flipped out of the way, running at Sidious at a full sprint the moment his feet hit the ground, the arching bolts of electricity that roared just past him making his entire being sing with the surging current. His full focus on the laughing Sith Master, Lumis dodged out of the way when Sidious moved his hands, the stream of electricity redirected to follow the Master's command, and splaying his fingers as he corrected his course, Lumis threw the weight of the Force into the bolts of lightning, sending the surging arcs scattering around the enclosed shrine like an electric explosion in a shrieking roar as it struck the engraved walls and the polished floors and the ceiling high above them.
In that moment, Sidious was vulnerable, no deep blue lightning at his fingertips, no blood red lightsaber in hand. In that moment, the laughter stopped, and Lumis looked into pale yellow eyes simmering with wrath, thin lips upon a wizened face curling into an impatient sneer. In that moment, Lumis was closer to Sidious than he had been since the Clone Wars so very long ago, out if reach still, but a few more moments, a few more steps and he would be close enough for his angry red blade to sink deep into the Master's vile, black heart. In that moment, Lumis felt triumph and elation surge through him even as the horrid, persistent vision rushed before his eyes, the pitiful fate that he would now see changed.
In the next moment, a wave of the Force crashed into Lumis, so powerful that he was swept off his feet and thrown through the air. Twisting in the grasp of the Force, Lumis flipped backwards to face Sidious, his saber sweeping before him to catch the lightning thrown from the Master's gnarled hands, the impact against his blade strong enough to send him slamming hard against the ground on the other side of the room. Groaning as he pushed himself up to his knees, Lumis looked up to see Vader's imposing black figure standing between him and Sidious, all the ground he had gained lost in an instant when he had allowed his old Master to capture his full attention. Eyes flicking briefly to twitching, fearful Maul as the mad Zabrak muttered and fought with himself, Lumis snarled as he rose to his feet, hissing a curse under his breath as he raised his saber over his shoulder and faced his opponent. He knew he should have dealt with Vader first.
Taking a slow, deep breath, Lumis spun the blade in his hand and sprinted toward Vader, the saber light in his grip, and as they met, as Vader swung his saber down in a vicious, cleaving slash, Lumis gracefully stepped out of the way, his blade barely grazing Vader's and swiftly swinging around to catch the next volley of lightning Sidious threw at him. Electricity making his blade crackle with a high-pitched screech, Lumis spun and sliced downwards, the lightning arching in the gap between himself and Vader, and with an angry mechanical grown and a swift cutting swing, Vader's blade dissipated the electricity, the next few wild slashes coming fast and hard at Lumis as he dodged.
This was not at all like their fight on Lothal. Vader's strikes were still hard and fast and brutal, each strike meant to cleave, to dismember, to kill, the large, imposing figure putting a heavy weight behind each strike that could not be meant head on. But unlike before, when the full weight of Vader's swings would send the man off-balance should his strikes miss, Vader fought more reserved, more balanced, his slashes not driven by the wild wrath that fueled him before, but by deadly efficiency. Vader had learned from their previous encounter, and with Sidious ready to throw torrents of lightning at him the moment the opportunity presented itself, it limited Lumis' freedom of movement.
It was also an advantage he could use against Vader.
Keeping his steps light and agile, Lumis evaded Vader's slashes and stabs, his own saber lightly dragging along the other blade to redirect the heavy strikes in the hopes of revealing an opening, but Vader recovered too quickly, his guard to secure. Spinning to follow Lumis as he moved around the cybernetic Sith, Vader slashed down hard at the man and Lumis swiftly ducked around him, lashing out with his saber to strike across his exposed stomach, only for Vader's blade to follow Lumis' in an effortless parry. A tight smile spread across Lumis' face when he felt the surge in the air, and a second later, the crackle of lightning snapped around them. Without turning to see Sidious behind him, Lumis deflected a slash, a stab, another slash, and ducked beneath an arching slice, slipping behind Vader and grinning when his outraged, mechanical howl cut above the hiss of lightning striking his blade.
Swiftly spinning, Lumis slashed hard and fast at Vader's back with a horizontal slice, the blade hissing as it sliced through the flowing black cape and only just missing the man as Vader lurched forward into the force of the lightning. Swiftly pivoting, Vader brought his electrified blade up and over his head into a savage downward slice, so fast it left no time to dodge, and Lumis swiftly raised his blade to block, the strength of the strike so strong, so powerful, that the impact of the sparking, hissing blades sent Lumis slamming down to one knee, his arms shaking under the efforts of resisting the hard, downward press of Vader's saber against his own, the hissing blade drawing closer and closer to him with each passing second, the ponderous, rhythmic sound of Vader's breathing clearly heard as the Sith apprentice pressed his full weight down upon his opponent.
It had been the moment Lumis was waiting for.
Straining against the weight of Vader, Lumis switched off his saber, reaching for one of the hilts on his belt as he pivoted on his knee out of the way and Vader pitched forward with a startled cry. His second saber igniting, Lumis swiftly dragged the blue blade across the back of Vader's knees, the plasma blade hissing as it connected with the metal of the cybernetic legs.
In the same breath as triumph pounded in his chest, searing, agonizing pain cut sharp across Lumis' back, from one shoulder blade to the other, his arms falling limply to his side as his lightsabers fell from slack fingers to the polished ground. Sweeping to his side as he stepped out of his spin, Vader held his saber up before him, his legs cut, but not severed, the sinking realization settling in Lumis' stomach that his saber had cut across, not through Vader's legs, the durability of his cybernetics significantly upgraded since his embarrassing loss on Lothal.
Looking up from the ground, Lumis locked eyes with Sidious, a cruel, triumphant grin upon the elderly Master's face, and with hands raised before him, lightning shot from his fingers to strike Lumis in the chest, the breath sucked out of him as he was slammed backwards, the slice across his back erupting in burning pain as it struck the ground. His heels scraping against the ground, Lumis attempted to push himself off the ground, but his arms would not obey his will, the greatest effort seeing his fingers twitch, but little more, his focus too shattered by pain to grasp and hold the Dark Side in the presence of the Sith Master Sidious. It was over. For as hard as he fought, as well as he fought, in a breath, Darth Lumis had lost.
"Kill him..." a soft, broken voice muttered when the rush in the air had died into heavy, oppressive echo of Vader's breathing and silence. "Kill him!" Maul snarled as he stalked closer, pacing when he felt himself too close to the fallen Sith Lord, his crazed, furious eyes never leaving Lumis. "Kill him!" he screamed, his voice raspy and hoarse and his saber called to his hand, the twin blades igniting when Maul closed his fingers around the hilt. He was silenced when he was lifted into the air, his blade dropping from his hands as he clawed at his throat, Sidious' cold, callous eyes looking upon the Zabrak with disgust.
"We are not going to kill him, fool," Sidious hissed, taking slow, measured steps to stand beside Vader, a raspy chuckle in his throat as he looked down upon pain-wracked Lumis, his movements becoming slow and sluggish as the shadowed claws of Sidious' presence grasped his mind, his golden eyes becoming muted and dull as oblivion overtook him.. "This is your destiny, Darth Lumis," Sidious rasped. "As I told you, it is pointless to struggle against it." He laid a gnarled hand upon Vader's arm, the apprentice neither moving nor acknowledging his Master's attention. "Well done, my old friend."
"Are we done here?" Vader asked, his voice monotonous and hollow, and with a slight nod from his Master, he turned away from him. "I will ready the ship for our return to Coruscant."
"Take Maul with you," Sidious said dismissively, a slight flick of his hand releasing the grip on the suspended Zabrak, the man falling to the floor with a loud thud. A soft, frustrated growl sounded from Vader's respirator, but he said nothing against his Master's wishes, only walked with slow, long strides toward the far wall, the other apprentice scrambling to follow after him.
They only made it a few steps when the air filled with the low groan of rumbling, the walls and ground shaking around them, and Vader and Maul swiftly turned, lightsabers igniting as they returned to Sidious' side, the old Master still and silent, his jaw clenched tight, his pale yellow eyes focused intently on the sloping wall across the shrine as it began to rise. This was not his doing, and worse, this was something he had not anticipated, something that had not occurred in his visions. Vader turned his gaze to prone, defeated Lumis for an explanation, for perhaps a hint of what the Sith Lord had done to so subtly alter what Sidious had foreseen, but the renegade Sith was still and silent, lost deep in the recesses of his own mind. The Dark Side began to thrash, hissing wildly as it retreated to coil around the Sith Lords like shadow before a flame, and before Vader had the chance to consider what had the Dark Side so disturbed, Ahsoka Tano slid beneath the slowly rising wall, swiftly rising to her feet and standing tall and fearless in the presence of the Lords of the Sith.
"It would seem that I left something behind," Ahsoka said, her voice smooth and even, her hand extended before her to call both of Lumis' fallen sabers to her waiting grasp, the blue blade igniting with a thrumming hiss as she pointed it at Lumis laying between them. "I'll just be taking that, and I'll be on my way."
"Ahsoka Tano..." Vader growled as he stepped away from Maul and his Master, his lightsaber gripped tightly in his cybernetic hand. "We meet at last. I have been searching for you for a very long time. Since you revealed yourself on Raada."
"Since long before that," Ahsoka said scornfully, her eyes narrowing as she took a step forward, clipping Lumis' red blade onto her belt as her hand rested on the hilt of her own lightsaber. "You've been hunting me since your massacre on Stewjon, since I learned the truth of what you are, Anakin Skywalker."
Silence sat heavy upon them, even the Dark Side stilling as it loomed over them with hungry anticipation, but Vader did not deny the accusation, only stood and stared at his proud former friend, his even, regulated breathing seeming to fill the room as it echoed off the walls. "You were a fool to come here," Vader hissed. "This creature is not worth saving. All he has done is lead you to the slaughter."
"That so?" Ahsoka asked wryly, arching her brow as she looked over the tall, masked Sith Lord, and instead of feeling fear as his visage was intended, instead of feeling wrath for the Master she had lost by his hand, when she stood in the presence of the man that used to be her friend, all she felt was a melancholy ache. "I fought beside you in countless battles during the Clone Wars," the Togruta ventured carefully, watching as Vader's posture stiffened, his hand clenching tighter around his saber. "You achieved victory after victory, hundreds of them under your command." She shook her head, a secretive, knowing smirk upon her lips. "But every single time you have stood against Obi-Wan, you have known nothing but defeat."
"Does this look like defeat to you?!" Vader snarled, sweeping his lightsaber through the air to point menacingly at Lumis upon the ground. "I am victorious! I have beaten your precious Sith Master! It is over!"
"We'll see about that," Ahsoka said, taking a deep breath to center herself in the Force as the turbulent, wrathful Dark Side thrashed around her, striking out toward her but never managing to get close enough to touch her.
"You are irrelevant," Sidious sneered, his eyes narrowing at the intruder. "The events that have transpired here cannot be altered, his destiny cannot be changed. Vader," she hissed, gesturing dismissively before him. "Kill this insignificant."
Vader said not a word as he cut his saber through the air and began walking toward the Togruta, the woman standing tall and fearless as he drew closer. The Dark Side shrieked in warning, shrill and piercing enough that Vader's step faltered, his breathing suddenly fast and uneven as he stopped and slowly began to retreat as a soft, muffled clacking drifted through the air, all at once familiar and horrifying, and a moment later, hobbling out from under the raised wall to stand beside Ahsoka, was Grandmaster Yoda.
Sidious drew his lightsabers, the red blades igniting with a sharp, sinister hiss.
"Master Yoda..." Sidious hissed, his voice filled with malice, his previous bemusement gone in favor of cautious murderous intent. "You survived."
"Defeat me, you cannot," Yoda said quietly as he shuffled forward, the Dark Side shrieking and howling as it retreated from the Jedi, only to be snapped back to the Sith Master's heel with a surge of his indignant anger. "Not before." Yoda tapped his stick upon the ground. "Not now."
"Your arrogance will be your downfall, just as it was for the rest of the Jedi," Sidious sneered, his lightsabers spinning in his hands as he stepped slowly forward. "I have foreseen the events that take place here. I know how this ends, and you, Master Yoda, have no role in this place. Destiny cannot be changed, not even by you."
"Mysterious, the will of the Force is," Yoda said sagely, dropping his walking stick and straightening his hunched back, his hands folding before him. "Much to learn, you have, Darth Sidious."
With a wrathful snarl, Sidious rushed forward, aided by the Dark Side and far faster than a man his age had any right to be, while Yoda remained motionless, taking a deep, calming breath as he closed his eyes and surrendered himself to the Force. Lightsabers poised high above his head, Sidious swept his blades down in a swift, savage downward arc, trails of light following his bloody blades as he slashed at the Jedi Master. The Sith's sabers connected with the tiny body, and the shrine was filled with an explosion of blinding light, consuming and searing in its intensity, bright enough to make the Dark Side scream and the Sith Lords howl with pain as they were dropped to their knees.
Vader swiftly grasped for the Force, his grip tightening as he felt the fearful Dark Side slip through his fingers and struggle and thrash against him when he held it in place. His ears were ringing, the visual output of his helmet flashing with warning lights as it malfunctioned, and somewhere behind him, he could hear Maul's cybernetic legs scrambling against the ground beneath his frantic, panicked rambling. He rose to his feet as his vision returned to him, the blinding imprint upon his eyes receding with each passing second, and he immediately regretted standing, his entire world seeming to tip upside down with nausea, his skin breaking out into a cold sweat that stung the already painful burns that covered him. He felt ill with fever, and no matter how much he willed it, the Dark Side was unable to purge the sudden sickness from his body.
With a groan of irritated effort, Vader stepped heavily toward Sidious, his saber raised defensively as he looked around the shrine, prepared for attack from the other unwelcome intruder, but he saw nothing.
Nothing.
Standing beside Sidious, Vader looked down at his Master and found him just as pale and sickly looking as he felt, his eyes fixed upon the ground where Yoda's cloak lay empty, no body left behind as evidence of the life Sidious had claimed, so much like Vader had seen once before when Qui-Gon Jinn had been slain so very long ago. Looking up from the tattered robes, Vader again scanned the shrine, the walls closed once again, the air heavy and still and silent, and he absently noticed that Maul, the cowering wretch, was gone, likely having fled the scene after the agony of Yoda's spectacular sacrifice. He brushed the thought away quickly as he left Sidious' side, walking slowly across the shrine to the place where he had struck Lumis down, stopping when he arrived at the heap of the thick, heavy cloth of his severed cape and the lightly glowing gouges in the floor.
The sickening, bitter realization that he and Sidious were the only ones there sunk in slowly, the painstaking stab of untempered wrath sliding torturous and deep into him as he understood the meaning of Yoda's sacrifice.
Ahsoka and Lumis were gone.
