Chapter One
The cloning method Darth Sidious used was even better than Kaminoan cloning, the way the clonetroopers were created. It was good, but his was better. Instead of the years it took to create a fully-grown clone, his method took months. Of course, he only had to grow the body. The consciousness was already there, in the realm of the Force. With some coaxing, he could lull the consciousness back into the body. And, of course, it only worked with Force-sensitive individuals. In fact, he was going to use that method on himself once he had died…but that was eons away, he wagered. He was also fairly sure that he was the only one who knew how to do that. Thank the Force…
His senses surged, and the Dark Lord realized that Tachi had fully come to her senses, and had become conscious. She was extending her Force-sense to find her surroundings. He hurriedly told the medical droid to administer an anesthesia.
"Sweet dreams," he said, and turned toward his comm unit.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she became fully aware of her body. She seemed be floating in some sort of liquid chamber, presumably bacta, due to its thickness. What happened? Where was she? Had the bacta saved her? Had Obi-Wan gotten her to a bacta tank? She knew bacta was miracle-working, but she didn't know it could raise the dead!
She peered through the murk, and could see a little bit of her surroundings through the transparent glass. She saw a dark room, and a distorted medical droid to the side of the cylindrical container. She thought the distortion was due to an eye infection or something, then realized it was because of the shape of the container. "Duh."
Siri decided to risk looking around with the Force. She stretched out with the Force with some effort; she was still weak. She felt there was a great evil in this room, and it chilled her to the bone. She probed more, and almost pinpointed the location of the evil.
With her eyes, she squinted, looking out the glass. She realized she saw some dark cloak, distorted through the glass. She saw some hood move, and the figure faced her. It started walking toward her.
Some blue liquid entered the chamber. She tried to get away from it, but she realized that she was bound at her hands and legs. She tried to shout through the mask that allowed her to breathe in the bacta, but to no avail. The blue liquid seeped into her pores, and just as the darkness drew itself in, she caught a glimpse of the face of the cloaked. Distorted as it was, it loomed in the glass. It chilled her to the bone. She knew she recognized it…but…
The darkness took her.
Siri had been lovers with the famous General Obi-Wan Kenobi, before she died. Darth Sidious knew this, and planned to take advantage of it. In his experience, love was a weakness, and hampered progress, and brought about danger. Love was a liability. And a costly one.
"Lord Sidious," said the mechanical, sinister head on the holo display. General Grievous was a cyborg, and Count Dooku, Sidious's apprentice, had trained him in the Jedi arts. Grievous had already killed over four Jedi; definitely a skilled warrior.
"I have an assignment for you," Lord Sidious said. "A Jedi, by the name of Siri Tachi will be hunting you down within the next few weeks or so. I need you to run from her, pretend to flee from her. When the moment is right, I want you to decimate her forces, and capture her. A Jedi, one I believe you know well, will be coming after her to rescue her. I want you to kill him, and then kill Tachi. Is that understood?"
"How do you know this, my Lord?"
"Do not question my knowledge. I have foreseen it."
"I understand, my Lord."
"Good. All of this will bring about our victory, General. Soon, I will rule the galaxy," Sidious said, and smiled; a rarity. If he wasn't careful, he would soon find himself becoming…sentimental.
No. Nonsense.
Soon the Republic would be brought to his knees, and his final plan, one last scheme, would come into play, and soon, he would bring about his greatest triumph.