The Last of a Dying Breed - Post-ROTS Fanfic
Two years after becoming Lord Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith is hunting-down the remaining Jedi, scattered across the galaxy. One Force Sensitive, however, is hiding a dark secret...and, it appears, so was the Jedi Council, all those years ago.
The Destroyer had arrived, Dias knew. He could feel it through the Force like a light being activated in the next room. With it came the inevitable shadow of the Dark Side. Lord Vader had come for him.
He'd known this day would come for many years, living alone whilst travelling between obscure worlds along the Outer Rim. News had reached him of the betrayal and slaughter of countless Jedi Knights by one of their own, but the messages were pre-empted by the dagger-like sensation in his heart, the screams of hundreds of Force-sensitives galaxy-wide. And now, the Dark Lord, the betrayer of the Order, was finishing the work he'd started.
The wait had been long, but the Jedi Master had been patient. He'd been trained for it, and fourteen years of exile and life as a hermit was, in a way, preparation. It gave one time to dwell on the mysteries of the Force. It left time for contemplation a busy Jedi Knight would not have time for. And in that time, Dias had been fortunate. He'd grown in his understanding of it, rather than let it fade away, and that made him more confident that this showdown with Vader would come and he could fulfil his destiny.
The shuttle from the Imperial Destroyer loomed in the sky above him as Dias knelt in somber meditation for one last time. He was prepared to meet whatever destiny the Force had in store for him. He could feel the hairs along his neck prickle slightly as Lord Vader's footsteps finally touched the soil. He wasn't alone. Two of those Stormtrooper escorts were with him. Dias supressed a slight smile. The Dark Lord was not as confident of victory as it might seem.
"Anakin Skywalker." he said quietly, sensing the Sith Lord approach. His eyes remained closed, feeling the Force talk to him rather than letting his eyes see the twisted creature the young Jedi had become. Dusk had settled, and shadows had begun to shroud the trees he knelt under.
"That name no longer has any meaning, Jedi." Vader's deep, mechanical voice boomed menacingly. The soft gasp of respiration did not falter.
"In that, you are correct. You are no longer that man, that Hero of the Republic. Now you are here, I can feel that much." Dias said softly, his meditation keeping him calm and level-headed.
"The Republic is gone, Jedi. And soon, you will be gone along with it." the hum of a lightsaber igniting followed the words, it's gentle sound urging Dias' heart to pound faster and faster.
"I see you brought company, Lord Vader. I wonder if they remember everything they were taught." Dias commented. "Troopers, execute Order One." he smiled just slightly as Vader's breath quickened just slightly. Both Stormtroopers had turned their weapons onto Vader, instead of the Jedi. Dias opened his eyes and stood. "And you can think again about trying that old Jedi Mind Trick on them, Lord Vader. That command was hard-wired into their programming. By me, actually. Somewhat fortunate that I did, if you ask me."
"You underestimate me, Jedi." Vader noted. There was a sudden burst of blaster fire, followed by the unmistakable sound of a lightsaber swinging. Both Stormtroopers fell, and the Dark Lord turned his attention back to Dias. "Your tricks may be enough to affect weak minds, but are you ready to face the power of the Dark Side?"
"Aren't you just the least bit curious, My Lord? Or is it just that you wish to kill me and be done with it?" Dias asked, his slight smile remaining clear on his face as he gazed across the long, darkened valley before him.
"Who are you, Jedi?" Vader finally queried. Dias was relieved, at least, that finally he could reveal himself for what he was. "You are hiding something from me, and I want to know what it is. Now." Dias turned to Vader finally, his expression clear.
"I have been patient all these years, Lord Vader. Thank you for allowing me to explain. You want to know my name? I am Mandalore." Dias felt a surge of adrenaline as he spoke the words. Finally, he was ready to speak it aloud.
"Impossible." Vader responded. "That name no longer has any meaning in this galaxy. It has been extinct for two thousand years. Your attempts at deception are poor, Jedi."
"You can sense that I speak the truth. You know that my words hide no deception. I am not who I appear. I am the last of a dying breed, but that is not the Jedi in me speaking. I am the last of the Mandalorians, Lord Vader." Dias explained. "Fourteen years ago, I became aware that the Sith were rising once again, in the shadows. The Jedi were weak, arrogant. I was weakened by them as well, and I could see that. So I had to do something to change that. So I went to a planet named Kamino, and I asked the cloners there to begin construction of an army. A Clone Army, for the Republic. I knew that the Jedi would not be able to stand alone in a conflict, and that they would need assistance if open war became a reality. So I acted. Then, I returned to the Council and revealed who I was, truly. Given my lineage, they saw me as more susceptible to the temptations of the Dark Side, and refused to allow me to remain in the Order. I agreed to go into exile, and they told everyone that I had been killed, so that none would follow me. Now, you find me here, on the exile's path."
Vader's voice seemed to express some kind of amusement. "An interesting history lesson, Jedi. So it was you that ordered the construction of that Clone Army. It would be a shame to kill one such as you."
"Don't even think of offering to spare my life, Vader. I see through the lies of the Sith as easily as I see the weakness of the Jedi Council. My destiny ends here, whether I destroy you or not. I, Jedi Master Cypher Dias, will face whatever the Force has in store for me." he concluded, taking the hilt of his own lightsaber and igniting the blue-hued blade.
"Then you will meet your destiny." Vader affirmed, bringing up his lightsaber in challenge. Dias could feel the rush of the Force, filling him with energy and strength.
"For Mandalore!" he cried, lunging and locking sabers with the Dark Lord.
The crackle of energy lit up the darkness around them as Vader's emotionless form countered everything that Dias threw at him. The Mandalorian's attacks were aggressive, full of a long-forgotten breed's passion for battle. He fought for all Mandalorians that had died, his entire people were gone, but he would give them an end to remember, if this was to be his resting place; the homeworld of the Mandalorian people.
He swung upwards, then lunged again. Vader, however, dodged. Dias knew instantly that he'd over-stepped. Vader's crimson saber pushed through his body, though the feeling was like nothing Dias had ever expected. A cold chill ran along his spine as the blue light extinguished itself in his enfeebled grasp. The sensation was not completely unpleasant, however. There was something gently rewarding about it, as though he was joining those long-fallen Mandalorian comrades. His entire body, drained of energy, sagged to the ground, and the Dark Lord simply turned and walked away, back to his shuttle. Dias stared-up at the stars, finally understanding; this was his destiny, just like all Mandalores since the unification of the clans. Scattered, like dust in the wind, and at last, One with the Force.