Star Wars: Infinities – The Apprentice
Chapter 7
By: Christopher W. Blaine (darth_yoshi@yahoo.com)
DISCLAIMER: The characters and situations contained in this story are used without permission for non-profit entertainment purposes only and are ©2002 by George Lucas. This story (pertaining to this chapter and all subsequent chapters) is ©2002 by Christopher W. Blaine and may not be reproduced in any form, except hard printouts for personal enjoyment, without the express permission of the author.
"All is going according to how I have foreseen it," Darth Sideous said, a grim smile on his face. "In fact, it is better than expected with the added support of the Naboo senator."
"Indeed, my master," Darth Tyranus's holographic image said. "Lord Vader's ability to rally the people behind him is an unknown quantity that we are fortunate to be able to exploit."
"Yes," Sideous nodded. "I take it that all is well on your end?"
"The Hutt mercenary fleet is in orbit over Tatooine right now; the Trade Federation has provided the appropriate amount of assault forces, but no naval assets aside from the required command and control craft." Tyranus stroked his gray beard and his image momentarily shifted in phase. "Lord Maul awaits on the planet's surface, ready to strike the mercenary commanders once they make planet fall."
The superior Dark Lord nodded slowly. "And General Vader leads the Republic rescue mission that will decimate the mercenary and pirate fleets. With them out of the way, there will be no significant resistance to our plans."
"The Hutts believe that the Republic will not interfere; Jabba has used all of his influence to gather together this force. The Trade Federation, upon my prodding, has made a deal that should the Hutts win that Jabba will turn over his lucrative spice trade to them in this sector." Tyranus paused for a moment before continuing. "Our only problem will then be the Jedi."
"That problem, I assure you," Darth Sideous commented dryly, "is well in hand."
He felt naked, alone and confused; like a newborn babe fresh out of the womb. No, he told himself, that was not true because even on the day of his birth he had been able to reach out and grasp the Force. It was the Force that nurtured him between the times his physical body required his mother's milk; it was the Force that guided his weak muscles and opened his eyes to the world beyond the here and now.
Mace Windu looked up at the small mammal attached to the tree branch, circuits of the limbs were woven into the overhead of his cell, an electrified mesh beneath them to prevent his access to them. The creatures, ysalamiri they were called, had developed through the evolutionary process, the ability to negate the Force. For the first time since his conception, Mace Windu was cut off from the Force.
It wasn't just him, as the telltale moaning of some of the other Council members informed him. They were imprisoned in the maximum-security wing of Coruscant East Detention Center, each Council member stripped of weapons and robes and placed into 3 meter by 3 meter cells. Some of the Jedi were not handling the situation well, especially the non-human ones. For most of them it was also the first time they had ever been taken away from the reassuring caress of the Force.
The Jedi Master wanted to reach out and help his comrades, but that was impossible. They were allowed no contact with each other, kept isolated and away from even the non-Jedi prisoners. Armed guards served their meals. Every once in awhile, a senior army officer would walk by to check on them.
He had heard the rumors about the evidence being gathered against the Jedi and he knew the situation was grave. Twice he had spoken with Chancellor Palpatine, but the Republic leader had to beg off aiding them in this time. He had a war to prosecute against the Hutts and the Separatists and he stated that, quite frankly, he no longer held the Jedi in the same esteem as before.
There was no doubting why and sadness washed over Mace as he sat cross-legged on his cot. Though he had not been treated poorly, he had not been treated very well either and even without the Force, he could sense the burning anger that his captors felt for him. There were times that he would catch a snippet of conversation between the guards and he would understand that the reputation of the Jedi had been greatly stained by the words of Anakin Skywalker/Lord Vader.
Then there was the issue of the clone army that he knew the Jedi had never ordered. The Council would never have sanctioned such a thing and he found it hard to believe that a rogue element within the Order had been able to do so. Still, he knew that for whatever reason, Anakin Skywalker was now a member of the Sith and that meant it was very possible that one of their number had also turned to the dark side as well.
He had spent days trying to determine what Jedi would betray them to the Sith? His first answer had been Quinlan Vos, a Jedi who often times fenced with the dark side. Yet, it was Vos who had revealed the truth about Lord Vader. It did not make sense, but he had to confess that he was not comfortable with the knowledge that while the Council was awaiting trial, Quinlan Vos was leading the Jedi.
There had been no other choice to make at the time and Vos had actually seemed reluctant to take the job, but in the end he saw that he had no choice. Even now, Mace was sure, he was seeing to it that the younger padawans and students were being removed from the temple and sent far away from Coruscant. Nothing good was going to come from all of this.
He was comforted in the knowledge that Frie Ovos was there to advise Quinlan and should the temporary leader of the Jedi prove to be something other than competent, Mace had every reason to believe that Master Ovos would correct the situation immediately.
"Who then?" he said aloud and was stunned when he actually got a response.
"Speak you finally do, afraid you might be dead," Master Yoda chided from his cell. The two rooms were connected by a small ventilation grid. Mace got off of his cot and moved over to the vent.
"Master Yoda, are you well?" he asked.
"As can be expected I am; many days contemplating the future. The past as well." Yoda's voice sounded tired. There was a heavy sigh. "Mistaken were we, arrogant, complacent and self-assured. These too lead to the dark side."
"But we were also betrayed from within, I know it," Mace offered. "Somebody knew about the boy and waited for us to make a mistake."
"Of the boy's potential, only one outside the Jedi knew."
"Dooku," Mace whispered. Count Dooku had been the master of Qui-Gon Jin, but had left the Jedi several years before to pursue more political aspirations. Yoda had approached him about training Anakin after Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan's deaths. Because of the unique nature of Anakin's situation, it was felt by some of the Council that a unique master was required to train the boy. Dooku, however, had refused Yoda's request.
"Even without the Force, strong your perceptions are," Yoda said. "Join the Sith Dooku has."
"Then he trained Vader…Anakin?"
There was a pause and Mace could imagine Yoda trying to reach out the Force, his face held high and eyes closed. "Perhaps. Many are the Sith now; like a disease they spread. Many more will there be without the Jedi."
"We have lost all then," Mace said, suddenly filled with despair. He slid against the wall until he was sitting on the floor.
"No! Survive the Jedi must. Balance to the Force we must bring," Yoda called out. "You. I. The Council. Enough damage we have done."
"Ovos was right when he said if we weren't strong enough to lead then we should step aside," Mace added. A single tear dropped down his cheek as he realized the full scope of the trap the Jedi had led themselves into. Mace Windu always considered himself a strong man, a reasonable man; but to finally realize how, like a child, he had been led away from the path of light, was far too much for him to bear.
Yoda finally spoke what Mace had been too afraid to admit. "Time for others to carry the banner of the Jedi. Our time has passed."
"We shall exit hyperspace in three minutes, General Vader," the navigator called out.
The deck of the Hammer of the Republic vibrated slightly, the only hint of the awesome power of the engines built into the prototype Rendili StarDrive Victory-class Star Destroyer. The ship had been pressed into immediate service, much to the chagrin of Kuat Drive Yards. The two capital ship manufacturers had been in competition for years, trying to secure the lucrative contract both knew would be forthcoming in the growing Republic.
Rendili had been the one with a fully operational prototype when the Chancellor had called, holding two billion Republic credits in one hand while the other was held out waiting for a capital ship design that would personify the renewed Republic navy. That ship, while impressive in capabilities, still bore the colors of the shipyards. Multiple shades of grey, green, black and brown gave the vessel a cobbled together look which served to hide its real power.
Vader cast a glance over to the fighter status board and saw that his own squadron of Z-95 Headhunters, newly provided Incom Corporation. Preliminary reports indicated several squadrons of Cloakshape Fighters, manufactured under the Kuat brand. Vader imagined that the board of directors at Kuat were secretly hoping that the Cloakshapes would pummel the Hammer of the Republic into space debris.
The ship came out of hyperspace into the middle of a battle already well in progress. "Shields!" newly promoted Captain Zsinj called out and Vader saw a brief shimmer as the defensive shields were brought on line. "Forward turbolaser batteries, target that Trade Federation command and control ship!"
Vader took one last look as the mighty weapons of the flagship of the fleet literally tore a circular Trade Federation vessel into pieces. He nodded to the Captain, who tossed him a salute and Vader stepped into the lift that would take him down to the hanger bay.
"Artoo, boost power to forward shields," Vader said to his droid co-pilot. He had been happily surprised when Padme had presented the little droid to him. Together again after ten years, they were an unstoppable duo as Vader weaved his snubfighter through the carnage that was occurring in the space above Tatooine.
Vader reached out with the Force and focused on the fear that he felt coming from the various mercenary forces. He had felt it the second the Hammer of the Republic had reverted to real space, the cold grip of terror that various species had experienced. They knew that the Star Destroyer represented death and that the Hutts had led them here to die.
Another droid fighter died, unable to defend itself against the lasers of Vader's fighter. With the command and control vessel out of commission, two-thirds of the mercenary force was unusable. Hundreds of Republic fighters, from Z-95's like Vaders to a squadron of Naboo defense force fighters, were destroying…no, more like eradicating…snubfighters of every make and design.
Satisfied that the space battle was won, Vader informed Zsinj that he was heading down to take command of the ground assault. "Understood, General," there was a pause as Vader passed into the atmosphere of the desert planet. "Lord Vader, be advised that Lieutenant Veers reports that Mos Espa has been contained and is requesting permission to move on to Mos Eisley."
"Agreed. Leave a regiment for me in Mos Espa with a squad of AT-PT's."
The Hammer of the Republic acknowledged and Vader throttled up towards what had been his former home.
Vader brought the fighter down in the center of the same stadium where he had won that famous pod race a decade before. This time, there were no cheering crowds or banners flying, only row after row of white armored clone troopers and several All-Terrain Personal Transports. As Vader climbed down from his fighter, he clipped his lightsaber to his belt and waited for the trooper officer to approach.
The trooper saluted. "General, we have captured the citizen you were looking for. We also have received a message from a General Maul…?"
Vader nodded and opened the storage compartment, where he withdrew his cape and a communicator. "Inform General Maul that I will meet with him shortly…"
"General, with all due respect, General Maul stated that his information was most urgent," the trooper said.
Vader wondered briefly what his master wanted that was so important and then he remembered the dreams he had on Coruscant. "Mom…"
The building had once been a cantina, but all of the patrons had since been cleared out as martial law was declared. Already, handpicked political professionals were in place at the mayor's home, drawing up the appropriate paperwork that would install Lord Vader as the head of the Tatooine government.
Vader walked in and the lights automatically dimmed. Darth Maul stepped out from behind a curtain. Vader stopped and hesitated a second before kneeling. "What is thy bidding, my master?"
Maul noted that there was a change in his apprentice. He was unsure if it was a change he approved of. "I see you have grown in the Force, Lord Vader."
"Have you any word of my mother, master?" Vader asked, ignoring the previous statement.
Clenching his fist to control his rage at not being given proper courtesy, Darth Maul spoke slowly. "Your mother is dead. She was killed by the Sand People."
Vader's head popped up, tears forming in his eyes. Maul felt the probe into his mind. "How dare you!" Maul said, pulling out his lightsaber.
Lowering his head, Vader replied weakly. "I apologize, master. I humbly accept whatever punishment you wish to inflict."
Maul took a deep breath and looked at the young man who had essentially been his only companion for the past ten years. The Dark Lord had no need for love or kindness, but he had gotten used to sharing in his adventures with his apprentice. "You grieve. It is a weakness to allow it to consume you. Striking out at your compatriots is not the answer either. Focus your rage, Darth Vader! Focus on those who brought about this tragedy! Remember you are a Sith."
Darth Vader stood slowly, the sadness in his eyes replaced by rage, anger and a need to lash out. His master was correct, but something still nagged at him. A flash image, a sensation of hot pain. It all clung to Darth Maul like stink on a bantha.
Yes, he was a Sith and as such, there would be reckoning that promised to shake the galaxy.