Vader's Folly

Author's notes: Thank you for all the feedback! I appreciate it all :) Anyway, as always, read, enjoy and Review!

Canon: I will be using a mix of both the Disney and Legends canon. Mainly Legends.

Summary: An ancient site filled with ancient technologies, of course Dr Aphra can't resist playing around. The result, one Sith Lord with a lot of options.

Chapter 12

Master Yoda watched as the enigmatic woman known as Dr Aphra pranced out of the Jedi Council chambers after dropping her bombshell revelations.

The woman was hiding much, yet everything that she had told them rang truthful in the Force. And yet was it the entire truth…or was there more that she was hiding? In either case, they could not afford to sit idly by and ignore the intelligence brought to them. On that, Yoda could agree with Tholme, bringing her here to them had been the right thing to do.

Her revelations were startling and unwelcome. Much already was uncertain in the face of the Seperatist threat and the Hutt violence that had erupted. Though it was almost too serendipitous that she managed to overhear Vader and Dooku talking before Vader defeated Dooku.

News of a second Sith Lord opposed to Sidious was not welcome. Nor was news that Sidious was behind the Separatist threat. Vader's words over Dooku's plans to use and corrupt Master Bulq to cause a schism in the Jedi Order were just as disturbing. There were far too many factors to properly keep an eye on, too many moving pieces that could be significant or inconsequential in the grand scheme of things; and they would never know which was which til it was too late.

And the most saddening of all of the woman's revelations was that Dooku had been a Sith called Darth Tyrannus. A name that had been mentioned by Jango Fett to Obi-Wan.

Most distressing…assuming that she was telling the truth.

Either she was a plant, placed and sent to them by this Vader or she was unimaginably lucky to have spied on two Siths Lords and not be noticed.

Truthfully, Yoda did not yet discount either possibility, history was filled with enough 'lucky' acts to lend credence to the second possibility as well. Many times it had seemed the will of the Force, the simplest things turning actions on their heads and altering history in an unexpected manner.

He sighed, it was all too much, too fast. The future was shifting at a hectic pace and it was all they could do to keep up. No time to think and meditate and find the best path.

Hastiness was not the Jedi way…and yet their hand was forced in too many things these days.

"Disturbing and alarming this is," Yoda lamented loudly.

"And yet, it may be to our advantage," Master Oppo Rancisis pointed out, "Sith intercine war has helped many times in our history."

A murmur of agreement spread through the Council Chambers. The serpentine Master Rancisis was not wrong. Many Sith had risen over the millenium, only to be brought down by their own kind before they could become a threat to the Jedi and the Republic.

"This Vader seeks to remove Sidious- and then what?" asked Master Plo Koon, "He remains a Sith, and not to be trusted." This was also true.

Master Rancisis nodded, "That is not in dispute, and yet, what do we really know of Sidious? After so many years, he remains a whisper on the air," he paused and shook his clawed hand in annoyance, "Ten years since the Battle of Naboo and we have nothing." He stopped and took in a deep breath, "At the very least we may use this Vader to draw out Sidious."

"Assuming we can trust this woman," Master Ki-Adi-Mundi interjected.

"There is much that I do not trust about her," Tholme admitted reluctantly, "And yet she could have harmed us more by remaining silent and not interfering. We afford to ignore this potential lead- even if it turns out to be a trap. Even then we could learn much," he gave his recommendation grudgingly.

Yoda nodded, along with several others of the assembled masters.

"The Dark Side hides much these days," Master Plo Koon lamented.

Master Windu had been pensive and silent till now, he broke it now, "Master Bulq was a good man…and he was slain out of hand by this Vader. Whatever plans Dooku had to corrupt Master Bulq did not happen…and it no longer matters. He is beyond their corrupting force now," He paused and Master Yoda could feel the turmoil in Mace at the dark possibilities surrounding Bulq. Mace mastered his emotions and stared around at the assembled masters, "Whoever Vader truly is or isn't, he is no friend of the Jedi."

Master Yoda nodded again, "Much to think of we have. Too many paths… tread lightly we must- for now."

Mace nodded in agreement with him, "In the meantime, we must meet the threat of the Separatists head on. We cannot afford to appear weak or more systems will cross over to their cause."

Yoda grimaced unhappily, for now the war had to be addressed. A reckoning with Vader and Sidious was coming, and he had no idea who would be the victor. The only thing that he knew was there was still much more suffering to come for all…

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Vader did not sit idly by waiting for Aphra. There was one thing he had contemplated deeply. As much as he would have liked to simply kill her, here and now, Asajj Ventress was potentially a powerful asset he could use to stir up chaos and mayhem.

That was the one thing she had been truly good at. Making a mess wherever she went. Though in the end both Dooku and Palpatine had grown weary of her failures.

Which is why he was here on Rattatak now.

This was a world that was not friendly to outsiders. Or even to its own people. A world of soldiers and warlords, constantly at war with itself. Even the environment was harsh and matched the demeanour of the people.

The three native species of the Rattatak; the Rattataki, Vollick and Trogodile were cruel, suspicious races, most that found their way offworld became criminals or joined notorious mercenary bands.

All in all, this was not a world that invited tourists to visit.

But Vader was no tourist, and he strode alone through the spaceport openly. Daring anyone to challenge him.

He didn't have to wait for long.

"They're following you now," Caedus whispered to him.

Vader nodded discreetly, "Indeed," he stated under his breath.

They'd been watching him since he set foot off the ship. A local gang of thugs, probably maintaining a standard protection racket in the spaceport. Though they had turned out to be smarter than they looked, but still entirely far too stupid.

There had been three of them at first, but in an act of meagre intelligence that defied his expectations, they'd actually waited and called for reinforcements before coming to confront him.

Not that that meant much. There were six of them now, and still completely outmatched. And they were making their move now.

"Hey! Offworlder!" the lead thug called out gruffly.

Vader stopped and turned back towards the speaker. He stared at them, not responding, only the sound of his breathing coming between them.

The six were a mixed bunch. Three Rattataki, a Nikto and two humans. Various ages and experiences, all of them stared at him trying to be intimidating. All were armed with blasters, the Nikto wore scruffy armour with a vibroblade on his belt, the rest only wore regular clothes. The leader was one of the Rattataki, his clothes were a different quality, marginally better than the others.

"You. Offworlder. You new here?" the leader demanded with an arrogant scowl. Even as the other thugs spread out to encircle Vader.

"Yes."

The leader smiled nastily, "Well, we got a security tax here. You pay, we make sure everything remains we're it's supposed to be."

Vader smiled under his mask, it was the same story that happened in all lawless dens, from Nar Shaddaa to Tatooine, scum like these were everywhere.

And today, that suited him just fine.

"And?" Vader demanded dismissively.

The leader frowned for an instant, before sneering at him, "It won't be good for your health. As in we're going to shoot you dead and take your ship- if you don't pay," he spat angrily.

Vader slowly turned around looking at each of the pathetic thugs in turn, before facing their equally pathetic leader.

"Then shoot."

The leader frowned for an instant not understanding, before anger flared in his mind. He pulled out his blaster and pointed it at Vader, firing in what to anyone else, might have been a reasonably fast manner.

Unfortunately for the thug, Vader wasn't just anybody.

His lightsaber was out and deflecting the blaster bolt back at the thug in an instant. The bolt ricocheted back, to hit the thug right between the eyes. The thug's head snapped back and he was dead before he even realised what had happened.

The other thugs gaped for a painfully long moment before going for their blasters, but Vader was already moving. The nearest thug, one the Rattataki, never even got his blaster out of the holster before Vader's lightsaber swept through his midriff.

The thug had a confused expression on his face for an instant, before both pieces of his body fell separately to the floor with a sickening thud.

The other thugs managed to finally get off shots at him- or rather where he had been standing. The initial shots went wide even as Vader thrust out a hand pushing the three thugs behind him, sending them crashing to the ground.

The last thug standing, got off a second shot at him and met the same fate as the leader, dropping to the floor with a smoking hole in his forehead.

Vader turned around to face the fallen thugs, he reached out a hand and pulled the Nikto to him. The alien's face contorted with fear as he was dragged into Vader's waiting lightsaber, his head rolling off with a whimper as he was decapitated.

Mere seconds had passed and four of the thugs were already dead.

The last two were scrambling to their feet, Vader threw his lightsaber at them, guiding it with the Force and they met the same fate as the Nikto.

Silence reigned as his lightsaber returned to his hand. The hum of the blade and his breathing, the only sounds that could be heard in this part of the Spaceport now.

Very slowly, the surrounding area of the spaceport started coming back to life. Droids and sentients slowly coming out of hiding, staring at the butchered thugs lying around Vader.

"Heh, I give it a seven out of ten for intimidation," Caedus snarked mockingly, as he walked around the impromptu battlefield, looking around with calculating eyes, "It's not your best work. I'd have let one go. Might have gotten us faster results."

He ignored Caedus's snide critique as he held his lightsaber across his body, in plain view for everyone in the spaceport to see.

Soon enough rumours of a red lightsaber wielding warrior would travel across the city and then the world.

And then…Ventress would come to him.

He stifled an annoyed sigh, that unfortunately meant he had more waiting to do now. He shook that sense of annoyance aside, soon enough, she would make her appearance in some dramatic fashion.

He thumbed his lightsaber off and continued walking through the spaceport. No one else dared approach him now.

Author's Notes: Hope you enjoyed this, as always don't forget to review! :D