Chapter 5

19 BBY

Moraband

Tai

Tai stood over the cloaked man's body with Jada's lightsaber in his hand. He hears Maul get up. Tai turns to him. "I assume you know who this was?" he asked.

Maul was speechless. He never thought anyone could best his old master and yet here was an ex-padawan standing over the corpse of the strongest being in the universe. Correction second strongest.

"He is….was Darth Sidious my old Master as well as the man who helped orchestrate the clone wars and the master of Count Dooku who is the leader of the confederacy and lord of the Sith," Maul explained

"Let's see who's under the hood. Shall we?" Tai said as he pulled the hood from the man's head "Chancellor Palpatine?!" Tai exclaimed

"So that's how he knew of the Jedi's movements," Maul said to himself

"So since the Clone Wars were made by him I guess that means the war is over," Tai said

"Don't be so certain. There is still Dooku and Grievous...and me." Maul told him with a slight twitch of his hand as it neared his lightsaber

"I killed your Master. Something you failed to do. What makes you think I can't kill you?" Tai asked him with his bright golden eyes and a slight smirk

Maul shivered a bit from the look in his eyes. "Then what now?" Maul asked

"If he has power over both sides then I will use it," Tai responded with a smirk on his face

"To do what?" Maul asked

"To make my dream a reality. Simple as that," he answered

"What is your dream?" Maul asked

"All in due time...apprentice," Tai said with a smile on his face

Maul growled a bit.

"And what of the Republic?" Maul asked

"Chancellor Palpatine is missing," he answered

"And what of the Mandalorian?" Maul asked

They both turned to Beau and Tai walked up to him. "I have use for him," Tai said with a smirk

Jada woke up. "Tai?" she said weakly.

He ran over to her and helped her up. "Yes. I'm here," he answered her

After getting her thoughts together she realized Maul was standing in front of her. She grabbed her saber out of Tai's hand and ignited it. Maul's face turned serious. Tai lowered her hand and took the saber from her and turned it off.

"He's not a threat," he told her

"What are you talking about?! He is wanted by the Republic!" she yelled at him

"Maul leave us and wait for further instruction. The same goes for you Beau," he told them

Beau was surprised that he knew his identity but did not question him since his fear for him overwhelmed any sort of rational thinking. They both left.

"Why are you letting him go?!" she yelled once more

"He works for me now. He won't be hurting anyone else now," he assured her

"I'm so confused...He works for you now? I thought he was your Master?" She asked

"He was until I killed his old Master and now he thinks I am more powerful than him so I have to get stronger before he figures out that I'm not and that I got lucky," he told her

"Stop, stop STOP! What the hell is going on?!" she yelled

"I have a plan...to end the war. It is full proof I've been working on it since I left the Temple but before I tell you I want to ask you to join me," he told her

"Join you?" she asked

"Yes, join me to usher in a new era of Force wielders. Together we can bring peace to the galaxy! End the war between Jedi and Sith! End the pointless conflict of the Clone Wars!" He exclaimed

"How can one man do this?" she asked

"I can't do it alone, that's why I need your help," he confessed

"What does joining you mean?" she asked

"Well you would be spying on the Jedi and Republic for me," he told her

"I..I...Can't believe you would ask me to do that," she said

"Please Jada I...I need you...I love you," he told her as he embraced her tightly

She felt a wave of warmness and she felt at peace. How could she say no to this man?

"I love you too. I just wish we could be like this all the time," she told him

"We can after we bring balance to the galaxy," he told her

"Well what does that mean?" she asked as the two separated

"The Jedi and Sith war will end, no one will be the victor; it will be a new era. Not only the Jedi and Sith but for the Republic and Separatists' war will end as well. The Republic will win but they will not rule over our new society." he explained to her

"New society?" she asked

"One where Jedi and Sith can peacefully live together and free of the politics of the Republic," he told her with a bright smile on his face

"You think it can happen?" she asked him

"I know it can. I have the perfect plan." he assured her "Will you join me?" he asked as he held out his hand

"I trust you," she replied as she took his hand

He smiled as he pulled her into a deep kiss. She melted at the feeling of his touch.

Once they separated he told Jada to return to the Jedi temple and explain what happened here. She agreed. Tai then took Sidious's starfighter and began to investigate and pillage all of his hideouts while Jada flew back to Coruscant. Soon after he left Moraband he called both Maul and Beau.

"Yes?" Maul said in a rather bitter tone

"I am your Master address me as so," Tai told him rather strictly

Maul growled and Beau then decided to speak up. "So what's going on?"

"Maul will make you the ruler of Mandalore," Tai explained

Maul growled once again and said, "as you wish...my Master."

The transmission ended and continued on his journey.

XXXXX

It's been two months since Tai killed Palpatine. Tai has visited all of his hideouts and is currently hiding out in a sith temple on Yavin 4. He has learned of all of his plans, The Empire, Order 66, The Deathstar...all of it. He has grown stronger in the ways of the force, he has been going to old Sith and Jedi temples to understand and use their knowledge. At the moment Tai is typing on his holopad in the middle of an open room near the entrance of the temple when Dooku walks into the temple.

"So you are the disturbance I've felt," Dooku said coldly as he stared at the young man.

"Ah, Dooku! I've been waiting for you to show up. I must say you arrived later than I expected." Tai told him without looking up from his holopad

"Where is my Master?" Dooku asked trying to control his anger

"Dead. I killed him and I've learned of his intentions with this galaxy and I must say I am impressed. If he lived the Sith would've won." he told him

"Impossible there's no way a child could beat him! You lie!" Dooku spat

"I guess you just need a demonstration," Tai told him as he put the holopad down on the floor and gave him his undivided attention.

Dooku ignited his lightsaber and charged at Tai. Tai used the force to push him into the wall and kept him from moving.

"What!.. How...how is this possible!? You are but a child!" he exclaimed

"A child I may be but I am far more powerful than anyone in this galaxy," he told him

Tai released Dooku from his grip. Dooku fell to his knees.

"Why haven't you killed me yet?" Dooku asked

"Well, I want to offer you something. A chance to teach the newest generation of Jedi and Sith. I want you to be by my side as I bring us into a new era." Tai told him

"You want me to be a teacher?" Dooku asked with a confused look on his face.

"Precisely! I want you to teach the next generation. So what do you say?" Tai asked

"How? What about the rule of two?" Dooku asked

"The rules are overrated," Tai replied as he turned his back to Dooku and walked to the center of the room.

"How will I teach Jedi?" Dooku asked as he stood up and brushed off the dust on his clothes.

"Well, I plan on tearing down the Jedi and Sith. They will become one and we will teach the new generation of force wielders all the knowledge we possess." Tai explained

"The Jedi won't accept that," Dooku told him

"I know that's why I have a plan in place to take care of that." Tai told him "So will you accept?" Tai asked while turning to face him

"I...I am not sure," Dooku hesitated

"Dooku imagine you and Yoda teaching a class of younglings together. Don't you want that?" Tai asked while tilting his head a bit

"Yes very much," Dooku confessed

"I will make that happen. So what do you say?" Tai asked him

"What can I do to help?" he asked after nodding his head

"You along with Darth Maul will take Naboo by force and that will be the first step towards victory," Tai told him

"Sidious tried that and it didn't work so what makes you so certain it will work?" Dooku asked

"He left his plans in the hands of fools and that's why he lost but I have a better plan than a blockade," Tai said with a smirk