CHAPTER THREE
The landing ramp closed behind Palpatine as he entered the transport.
Finding the way to the front he met the pilot, a four armed Morseerian he
took the place as the navigator. The alien looked him over before
finally speaking. "So where you goin' boy?" he asked.
"Korriban. I do hope you know where that is."
"Korriban? Yeah, I know the place. A little out of the way. Nothing
there as far as I can tell. Why you goin'?"
"Personal reasons," Palpatine muttered.
"Sure, sure." The pilot pressed as many buttons as he could with all
of his hands. The starship took off from the landing pad on the
outskirts of Theed and made its way to the upper atmosphere. "They
say the Sith come from Korriban," he said trying to make conversation.
"I know it's just a myth you tell the little kiddies but it really
scares some of the best star pilots in the galaxy. They refuse to
go anywhere near that system. You're lucky I'm such a brave guy."
Palpatine nodded. "I'm sure your bravery comes with a price."
"Nice to see you understand the way the galaxy goes 'round, my
boy. How's seventy thousand for you?"
"How about five."
"Five thousand? That's barely enough for fuel and we're not
even going into danger money there. I'm gonna take us back down.
I guess your pocket money ain't enough to get you where you
want..."
The would-be Sith waved his hands in front of the pilot. "Five
thousand. You're very lucky I'm even bothering to pay you. I'm
just feeling generous."
The pilot nodded happily. "Five thousand sounds good to me, kiddo."
"And stop calling me that or you'll realise how painful even sudden
death can be." With that Palpatine's companion shut his mouth for
the rest of the journey."
* * * * * * * * *
The transport came to a stop on the top of a mountain range above
what seemed to be an ancient temple. The Morseerian looked down
out of the viewscreen. "Wow, this place is a real treasury of history.
Maybe some of the stuff down there could be worth something." He
glanced over to Palpatine. "I'm guessin' that's why you're here."
"No. I am here to take the place of the present Sith apprentice.
You will now stay here and wait for my return."
"You've gotta be kiddin'. I've got money to make elsewhere. And while
we're on that topic..." There was a loud crack and the pilot's head
fell limply to the side. Palpatine looked at the body with glee.
"You know, I think I can control this thing better than you
could. I may need a ship of my own anyway..."
The former Naboo student stepped out into the harsh sunlight and
looked down over the rockface. The statues of the past Lord of
the Sith stood in various states of repair. Palpatine noticed
that of Al-Grageth was still standing tall and proud over the
others. Next to him were the feet of who may have been the
second Sith Lord that stood at one side of the entrance to
the main confines of the temple. It called out to him in voices
that couldn't be heard by anyone but Palpatine himself. He
slowly started to descend the cliff.
* * * * * * * * *
Darth Malthus watched as his apprentice struggled in overcoming
two large beasts that took turns in diving at her with their
full body weight. The young Cathar Sith pushed them aside
with the Force but their attacks became faster and more
frenzied. The apprentice fell to the floor with a dark furred
creature standing on her chest.
"Use your anger, Pernicia," her master instructed. "Take the
life from the pathetic creatures."
"Yes... Master..." The attractive dark haired alien looked
her enemy in the eye and pushed out with all of her strength.
The beast fell back and growled loudy. Darth Pernicia did
the same but with more ferocity. She jumped forward and
ripped the throat out of the creature's neck. It fell to
the floor. She looked at the blood that covered her hands
and smiled. "I understand now."
Before she could move again the slain beast's mate launched
another attack. She fell to the floor with a thud and saw
a claw bearing down on her face.
* * * * * * * * *
The first trap was easy to avoid. As he walked along the dark corridor,
a loud rumbling came from above. Palpatine looked up in time to see
a set of spikes coming down on him at a considerable pace. He
fell to the floor and rolled away as the trap fell apart into
many pieces. He looked ahead. "They think they can stop me? A
Sith? They are fools."
"Do not get over confident," the voice of Al-Grageth called out.
"Not until you have the control do you makes claims such as that."
"Yes, master," Palpatine grumbled as he walked onwards.
* * * * * * * * *
Pernicia pushed the shaggy creature off her body and jumped to her
feet. As it pounced again, she projected herself upwards, grabbing
onto one of the stone spikes that covered all of the walls and
ceilings of the cave. They seemed almost evil, which suited the
type of training Darth Malthus put his students through.
His student dropped back to the ground and kicked her attacker
across the face before getting to safer ground. Another dive
pushed her into the wall, only just avoiding two spikes. There
was no way out. She had left the Jedi Order for nothing. The Sith
lied. Pernicia closed her eyes tightly.
There was a loud crack of bones being broken. She looked around to
see the beast impaled on the wall, its blood trickling down into
a puddle on the floor. Palpatine stood in the doorway, a neutral
expression on his face. "I am here to see the Sith. Obviously you
are not one of them." He stretched his hand out and the woman was
pulled towards him. "Why are you here?"
"Shouldn't I be asking that question?"
"No," boomed Malthus. "That is my duty." He looked at the intruder.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Palpatine. I was sent by Lord Al-Grageth to be taught
by you."
The only living Sith Master smirked. "But I already have an apprentice."
Pernicia felt her entire body being lifted through the air. The
last thing that went through her mind as the spike pierced her
heart was sheer anger. She'd done it! She was a Sith! Her body
slumped to the floor with a sickening smile on its face. Palpatine
turned to Malthus. "Not any more."
Palpatine bowed before his new master and felt the darkness envelop
him at last. The future had been born.
EPILOGUE
Darth Sidious left the Sith Temple and glanced up at the sun. His
black robes should have made it too hot for him but right now he
gained pleasure from the discomfort. The body of Darth Malthus was
still inside, his spirit had moved on. For now there was only one
Sith but soon there would be another. The Dark Lord lifted himself
up with the Force to the plateau where his starship had been left
six years earlier. It was still there, as was the decomposing body
of the pilot. He dragged it out and entered the cockpit.
The vessel took off into the atmosphere as Sidious checked the
navi-computer. Zabrak. That was where he would find his apprentice.
A quick journey there and back to Naboo where he would find a way
to replace the current senator. The new age of the Sith was about
to begin and Palpatine would be the one to bring it about.
- - - - - - - - - - END - - - - - - - - - - -
The landing ramp closed behind Palpatine as he entered the transport.
Finding the way to the front he met the pilot, a four armed Morseerian he
took the place as the navigator. The alien looked him over before
finally speaking. "So where you goin' boy?" he asked.
"Korriban. I do hope you know where that is."
"Korriban? Yeah, I know the place. A little out of the way. Nothing
there as far as I can tell. Why you goin'?"
"Personal reasons," Palpatine muttered.
"Sure, sure." The pilot pressed as many buttons as he could with all
of his hands. The starship took off from the landing pad on the
outskirts of Theed and made its way to the upper atmosphere. "They
say the Sith come from Korriban," he said trying to make conversation.
"I know it's just a myth you tell the little kiddies but it really
scares some of the best star pilots in the galaxy. They refuse to
go anywhere near that system. You're lucky I'm such a brave guy."
Palpatine nodded. "I'm sure your bravery comes with a price."
"Nice to see you understand the way the galaxy goes 'round, my
boy. How's seventy thousand for you?"
"How about five."
"Five thousand? That's barely enough for fuel and we're not
even going into danger money there. I'm gonna take us back down.
I guess your pocket money ain't enough to get you where you
want..."
The would-be Sith waved his hands in front of the pilot. "Five
thousand. You're very lucky I'm even bothering to pay you. I'm
just feeling generous."
The pilot nodded happily. "Five thousand sounds good to me, kiddo."
"And stop calling me that or you'll realise how painful even sudden
death can be." With that Palpatine's companion shut his mouth for
the rest of the journey."
* * * * * * * * *
The transport came to a stop on the top of a mountain range above
what seemed to be an ancient temple. The Morseerian looked down
out of the viewscreen. "Wow, this place is a real treasury of history.
Maybe some of the stuff down there could be worth something." He
glanced over to Palpatine. "I'm guessin' that's why you're here."
"No. I am here to take the place of the present Sith apprentice.
You will now stay here and wait for my return."
"You've gotta be kiddin'. I've got money to make elsewhere. And while
we're on that topic..." There was a loud crack and the pilot's head
fell limply to the side. Palpatine looked at the body with glee.
"You know, I think I can control this thing better than you
could. I may need a ship of my own anyway..."
The former Naboo student stepped out into the harsh sunlight and
looked down over the rockface. The statues of the past Lord of
the Sith stood in various states of repair. Palpatine noticed
that of Al-Grageth was still standing tall and proud over the
others. Next to him were the feet of who may have been the
second Sith Lord that stood at one side of the entrance to
the main confines of the temple. It called out to him in voices
that couldn't be heard by anyone but Palpatine himself. He
slowly started to descend the cliff.
* * * * * * * * *
Darth Malthus watched as his apprentice struggled in overcoming
two large beasts that took turns in diving at her with their
full body weight. The young Cathar Sith pushed them aside
with the Force but their attacks became faster and more
frenzied. The apprentice fell to the floor with a dark furred
creature standing on her chest.
"Use your anger, Pernicia," her master instructed. "Take the
life from the pathetic creatures."
"Yes... Master..." The attractive dark haired alien looked
her enemy in the eye and pushed out with all of her strength.
The beast fell back and growled loudy. Darth Pernicia did
the same but with more ferocity. She jumped forward and
ripped the throat out of the creature's neck. It fell to
the floor. She looked at the blood that covered her hands
and smiled. "I understand now."
Before she could move again the slain beast's mate launched
another attack. She fell to the floor with a thud and saw
a claw bearing down on her face.
* * * * * * * * *
The first trap was easy to avoid. As he walked along the dark corridor,
a loud rumbling came from above. Palpatine looked up in time to see
a set of spikes coming down on him at a considerable pace. He
fell to the floor and rolled away as the trap fell apart into
many pieces. He looked ahead. "They think they can stop me? A
Sith? They are fools."
"Do not get over confident," the voice of Al-Grageth called out.
"Not until you have the control do you makes claims such as that."
"Yes, master," Palpatine grumbled as he walked onwards.
* * * * * * * * *
Pernicia pushed the shaggy creature off her body and jumped to her
feet. As it pounced again, she projected herself upwards, grabbing
onto one of the stone spikes that covered all of the walls and
ceilings of the cave. They seemed almost evil, which suited the
type of training Darth Malthus put his students through.
His student dropped back to the ground and kicked her attacker
across the face before getting to safer ground. Another dive
pushed her into the wall, only just avoiding two spikes. There
was no way out. She had left the Jedi Order for nothing. The Sith
lied. Pernicia closed her eyes tightly.
There was a loud crack of bones being broken. She looked around to
see the beast impaled on the wall, its blood trickling down into
a puddle on the floor. Palpatine stood in the doorway, a neutral
expression on his face. "I am here to see the Sith. Obviously you
are not one of them." He stretched his hand out and the woman was
pulled towards him. "Why are you here?"
"Shouldn't I be asking that question?"
"No," boomed Malthus. "That is my duty." He looked at the intruder.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Palpatine. I was sent by Lord Al-Grageth to be taught
by you."
The only living Sith Master smirked. "But I already have an apprentice."
Pernicia felt her entire body being lifted through the air. The
last thing that went through her mind as the spike pierced her
heart was sheer anger. She'd done it! She was a Sith! Her body
slumped to the floor with a sickening smile on its face. Palpatine
turned to Malthus. "Not any more."
Palpatine bowed before his new master and felt the darkness envelop
him at last. The future had been born.
EPILOGUE
Darth Sidious left the Sith Temple and glanced up at the sun. His
black robes should have made it too hot for him but right now he
gained pleasure from the discomfort. The body of Darth Malthus was
still inside, his spirit had moved on. For now there was only one
Sith but soon there would be another. The Dark Lord lifted himself
up with the Force to the plateau where his starship had been left
six years earlier. It was still there, as was the decomposing body
of the pilot. He dragged it out and entered the cockpit.
The vessel took off into the atmosphere as Sidious checked the
navi-computer. Zabrak. That was where he would find his apprentice.
A quick journey there and back to Naboo where he would find a way
to replace the current senator. The new age of the Sith was about
to begin and Palpatine would be the one to bring it about.
- - - - - - - - - - END - - - - - - - - - - -