*I don't own Invader Zim, and I don't own Star Wars: The Old Republic!*
"Gaz, there's an alien in the house!" = Regular speaking and people's reactions
"May the Force be with you." = The story that they are reading.
A Strange Man Cave & A Book!
Appearing in a flash of light, several people ended up being piled up onto each other. Among this group are Dib, his sister, Gaz, and their famous scientist father. Also among this group are…
"ZIM!" dramatically exclaimed Dib as he untangled himself from the pile of bodies.
At least until he got a closer look at the Irken in question and realized he was actually speaking to the one Irken who hates Zim more than anyone else. Invader Tak. And standing next to her is her custom built SIR Unit, Mimi, in her real form. Not wearing her disguise of an Earth cat.
"Oh, sorry. I thought you were somebody else." Dib said apologetically.
Gaz groaned as she and her father got up and dusted themselves off. Looking around, the group noticed that they are now in a rather well furnished theater room of sorts. Along with a rather comfortable recliner, there's a two-person couch, a beanbag chair, a coffee table, a snack bar loaded with goodies like popcorn, nachos, donuts, coffee, soda pop, assorted fruit juices and much more. And in the center, overlooking everything else, is a large flat-screen plasma TV.
"Where are we?" Gaz asked.
"I'm not certain, daughter, but it appears to be a man cave or family room of sorts." Doctor Membrane theorized.
Looking around the room, the devoted scientist and father saw lots of entertainment equipment such as retro video games and game consoles and snack foods, but no doors. Not even a window or two that they could use to escape from.
"One thing is certain, though. We won't be leaving any time soon." He added grimly.
"You would be right about that, Doctor." said a new and unfamiliar voice.
Everyone snapped to attention as a new figure started rising up from the shadows of the room. A man who is fairly tall with a lean yet muscular build, and his voice has an accent that sounds almost like that of an Englishman or someone who grew up in the UK. He's wearing a set of armored robes that are a combination of red and charcoal black, and he has what looks like the mid-section of a bo staff clipped to his belt. His light black hair is slicked back, but it's his other features that make him so unearthly. His skin is orange with bony growths growing out from above his eyes, his cheekbones, and either side of his chin. And his red eyes appear like they could burn a hole right through your soul with a glare alone.
"Welcome, all. My name is Darth Reaper, and I have brought you all here for a very special purpose." the mystery man said.
Being the over-eccentric young man that he is, Dib grabbed the closest thing he could use for a weapon, which happens to be a lamp, and pointed it at the man as though it were a rifle.
"DAD! GAZ! THERE'S ANOTHER ALIEN HERE!" Dib practically screamed.
"You mean, besides you?" Gaz asked mockingly.
The man chuckled at the ridiculous behavior being shown and simply spoke the truth.
"Oh, make no mistake. Your brother is right, Gazline. I am an extraterrestrial being from the planet Korriban known as a Sith Pureblood." he said with an almost feral grin.
The strange man wasn't even startled in the least when Doctor Membrane seemed to teleport right in front of him and pointed right at him in a dramatic manner.
"NOT SCIENTIFICALLY POSSIBLE!" he yelled.
And now we know where Dib gets it from. The man just calmly pushed the doctor's finger away as he used some sort of invisible force to sit everyone down in the various seats around the TV.
"Oh, make no mistake, Doctor Membrane. What you believe to not be scientifically possible, is indeed VERY possible. And the proof that your son is right about aliens existing is about to be shown to you as well." he said as a large book materialized in his hands. "Within this book are the events that are currently taking place in your universe. I have brought you all here to read and bare witness to these events, all of which revolve around the one called Zim. The television in this room will provide visual aid as the story is being read, so you can actually see the action as it happens."
The orange man tosses the book to Doctor Membrane, who caught it easily, before raising his hand to snap his fingers.
"So, get reading. I won't take no for an answer."
With a snap of his fingers, the man poofed away and left his now captive audience sitting there with the book. Shrugging his shoulders, Doctor Membrane opened the book and cleared his throat whilst switching his goggles to 'Reading Mode'. Hey, he's seen this Darth Reaper use a power like telekinesis without the use of scientific equipment, so the chances of him possessing other such powers are surprisingly high. Better to just go with the flow this time.
"If nobody minds, I shall read first." Doctor Membrane said.
Getting no objections, the good doctor started reading.
"NOW… prepare your starving, gurgling child-bellies for the awesome eventuality of DINNER!"
"Jeez, Dad. Did you have to be so dramatic?" Gaz asked.
"It had been a long time since we'd last had dinner together as a family. I wanted to add a little more flair to the event." Doctor Membrane responded with a shrug.
He certainly doesn't see the harm in trying to add a little whimsy to one's meal time. Especially when one is usually too busy to have dinner with their family every night like most other families get to do. It's one of the few things that makes the doctor secretly regret his choice in life to become a scientist. He certainly hadn't counted on becoming world-famous, or being so busy that he hardly has any time to spend with his children.
At the Membrane household, Doctor Membrane had just finished cooking dinner for his family thanks to his robot chef assistant, Foodio 3000. Just call him Foodio. The robot opened up his cooking chamber body, which I assume is similar to a pressure cooker, and shot out several servings of food that made Doctor Membrane's daughter, Gazline 'Gaz' Membrane, stare wide-eyed in amazement. On her plate now is a good sized serving of roast chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, peas, and an ice cold glass of juice to drink. Mostly, she's amazed that it didn't explode as soon as it hit the plate, like it usually does.
"Foodio 3000 hopes you love what I have made." said the chef robot before he frowned and asked "Also, what is love?"
"Looks great, Dad. I'm gonna eat that food." Gaz said.
But as she picked up her fork to take a bite, she was stopped by her normally too-busy-for-family father.
"Hold up now, daughter! Isn't it time your brother joined us?" he asked as he gestured to the empty chair where his son usually sits.
"Oh, man, no." groaned Gaz in a combination of annoyance and horror. "Since Zim vanished, Dib's been in his room for, like, a million years. I hardly recognize him anymore. He just sits there in that chair getting grosser… smellier."
Gaz shudders as she remembers just how horrifying her brother was when he was like that. Before he started exercising, got a haircut, and actually took a shower, that is. Now, his appearance is more tolerable.
"He sure does, but try to be more understanding. Dib's finally letting go of his silly obsession with aliens and ghosts and all his other non-scientific nonsense." said Doctor Membrane as he started assembling a scientifically advanced eating utensil before pressing a button and creating a hard light fork. "And it's not easy for him. Imagine if you stopped believing in, oh, video games."
"Don't even joke about that, Dad!" growled Gaz as she crushed her fork in her hand.
"There's no reason to take your anger out on the silverware, Gaz." Dib quipped.
"Shut up." Gaz said simply.
Tak just raised a nonexistent eyebrow at the two's behavior. Being an only Smeet herself, the concept of sibling interaction is quite foreign to her. The closest she's ever seen to brotherly interaction is the antics of Tallest Red and Purple, and they're not even related by blood.
"Very curious. Do your Smeets always act like this?" she asked Doctor Membrane.
"Oh, believe me. There are times where it escalates to much more than simple quips." the good doctor said.
He's used to his children arguing with each other, but that doesn't mean he approves of it. He just wishes that his kids would be nice to each other. Is that really too much for a father to ask for? Perhaps it has something to do with not having a mother figure in their lives for most of their childhood. When his wife passed away, Doctor Membrane swore to never remarry. But then he remembered the words his wife told him upon her death bed.
'It's okay, Honey… It's okay to let go and move on… No matter what choices you make in life, I… will always… love… you…'
Perhaps it's time Doctor Membrane opened back up to the concept of love once again. For his children's sake.
This didn't bother Foodio, who quickly replaced Gaz's destroyed fork with a new one, or Doctor Membrane as they're both used to how Gaz gets when someone mentions the possibility of her outgrowing something as addictive as video games. Even Doctor Membrane was fascinated by the old 8-bit Mario and Sonic video games when he was still a child right up until he was about halfway through his *Hi Skool* years, but don't tell his kids about that.
"Honey, letting go of silly ideas is just part of growing up. Why, as a child, I thought sharks were my friends." Doctor Membrane said.
But then he dramatically turned around and removed his bicep length black latex glove to reveal a robotic replacement arm that was hidden underneath.
"OMIGOSH! An Earth shark did THAT to your arm?!" exclaimed a truly alarmed Tak.
Even Gaz and Dib recoiled in their seats as they saw the ever present reminder of a mere fraction of the damage that that rogue shark did to their father when he was a little boy.
"You don't know the half of it." sighed Doctor Membrane.
Tak groaned and massaged her temples as best she could with her cybernetic implant in her head, feeling as migraine the size of Montana coming on. She could really use a soda to calm her nerves right now. To her delight, Mimi handed her a cup of lemon lime soda with ice and a straw which the Irken accepted with a nod of thanks. As she sipped her fizzy beverage, Tak felt much better.
"I know better now…" he said darkly as he flexed the mechanical fingers of his prosthetic… before slipping his glove back on and turning to his daughter. "So, try to be more supportive. He's your brother, after all."
"Okay, Dad." Gaz relents.
She quickly puts on a hazmat suit and picks up Dib's food. Walking down a dark hallway to her brother's room, Gaz shudders at the eventuality of facing her now totally disgusting brother. His paranoia has turned him into something that NOBODY would want to be around if they can avoid it. Knocking on the door, she calls out to her brother from what she hopes is a safe distance.
"Hey, Dib! Dad says come to dinner!"
"You know I can't leave my post, Gaz. Just shove the food in here." Dib calls back.
"Where's the shoving stick?" Gaz asks. "I can't shove without the shoving stick."
As Gaz opens the door, we can now see that Dib has really let himself go. He's stayed in that chair by his desk for so long that he's neglected his own health. He's so overweight that he has a very distinct potbelly and doesn't seem capable of getting out of his chair without help, his hair has grown so long that it now reaches the floor, his eyes have that weird crusty stuff built up in the corners, his nose is running a little, his teeth have pretty much all gone to hell, and I think I see signs of acne on parts of his face and forehead.
Upon seeing the image of what Dib did to himself in his paranoia, Tak proceeded to do the most epic spit take anyone has ever seen from an Irken. A spit take that lasted for a full minute before she took another sip of her soda and spat once again in Dib's face.
"GREAT MOTHER OF IRK, WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOURSELF, MAN!?" shrieked Tak.
"This is what happens when paranoia gets the better of someone! They neglect their own health and personal hygiene!" Dib responded.
"Zim's still out there, Gaz, so I have to wait and watch. No one else will. They could never see the truth. Why, though? Brainwashing? Mind control? Brain-erasing ghosts?" Dib pondered as he went into a monologue. "Nobody believes me now, but I'll make them see. I'll expose Zim to the world, and open humanity's eyes to the danger they were in all along. Even Dad, world-famous man of science will say, 'I believe you, Dib. I'm sorry I ever doubted you.'."
"You were close with your impression, Son. But next time, try to make the voice just a tad more baritone." Doctor Membrane advised.
"That's the worst Dad impression ever, but, Dib, let it go. Zim's been gone a long time, and as far as you know, he might just be gone for good." Gaz said as she tried to reason with her brother. "I'd be willing to bet that Zim will never, ever come back."
Oh, but if only young Gaz knew just how wrong she is.
Zim's POV.
"Oh, great. So now we have to listen to this from ZIM'S point of view?" Dib asked as he crossed his arms and scowled.
"You might want to get used to it, Dib. Something tells me that a majority of the chapters in this story are going to be from how Zim sees things." Tak said with a scowl of her own.
Mimi simply nodded in agreement with her mistress.
Hello there. For all who are wondering who I am, it's very simple.
I AM ZIM! Former Irken Invader Zim. But I know I was never an invader. The Tallest merely sent me to Earth in an effort to get rid of me. They had hoped I would have just ended up in an endless void or possibly died by flying into a sun or a random black hole, or something. But in doing so and leaving their secret logs unencrypted, all they've done is given me enough hatred to tap into my previously unknown Force abilities. A Sith Overseer here on Korriban caught wind of my strength in the Force, so they covertly came to Earth and brought me here for a chance to become a part of the Sith Empire. An empire that all Irken kind normally tries to stay away from. Tallest Miyuki and Tallest Spork, the predecessors of Red and Purple, tried to invade Imperial Space once before. They failed horribly, and many Irken soldiers died in that one battle.
"I remember reading about that. It's one of the most important pieces of Irken history that's already preprogrammed into our PAKs before we even hatch as Smeets. A way to ensure that the Irken military doesn't attempt such a foolish invasion ever again." Tak explained.
"Coming from you, this is going to be a nightmare if Zim's joining this empire." Dib said gravely.
But my point is that ever since the discovery of my Force Sensitivity and my apparent mastery of a blade, I'm the first Irken to ever be enrolled in the Sith Academy.
"I knew it." Dib said.
My shuttle has just arrived on the Sith planet known as Korriban, and I can already feel the power of the Dark Side simply oozing from the very sands of the planet. I exited the shuttle flanked by two Imperial troops in pilot clothing. Rather than my usual Irken Invader uniform that I used to wear, I am now garbed in basic gray acolyte attire with a Vibroblade strapped to my back. And there's a couple of other funny things that happened to me during my initial training.
It turns out my PAK really wasn't needed for me to survive like I initially thought. A couple of Imperial scientists ran several tests on me and discovered that I actually would grow to be a very tall Irken one day. About as tall as the Tallest, actually. Topping out at an even height of five feet, maybe five foot eleven inches if I'm lucky. That PAK that was installed into me when I was a Smeet was actually a device that would prevent me from reaching a certain height due to the Control Brains believing me to be a Defective. Lucky for me, it was able to be removed and I hit quite the rapid growth spurt. I currently stand at 4 feet eight inches and have retained a thin yet strong body type. And my antennae have grown a little longer, too.
Everyone in the room looked at the screen when Zim mentioned his new looks, and they were quite surprised to see Zim standing there looking quite tall with longer antennae, and a thin yet fit body type like most other humanoids, unlike the thin and spindly bodies of the Tallest and other Irkens. Tak looked surprised and angry that the very same Irken who ruined her chances of becoming an Invader in Operation Impending Doom 1 is now tall enough to rival the Tallest.
"Wow, what a growth spurt. And what do you know, you were right about aliens being real, Dib. I guess I owe you five bucks." Gaz said to her brother.
"Great! As if to add insult to injury, NOW the one who wants to destroy the Earth is taller than me!" exclaimed Dib before he started thinking "Then again, this does prove that he's actually older than an elementary skool kid. On the other hand…"
While Dib's ranting faded out to just a mental rant, Doctor Membrane continued to read. With all of these new revelations, it would pay to learn more about this galactic empire.
But as I took a moment to take in my surroundings, I noticed a separate shuttle with a batch of former slaves disembarking. Although I made a note of one individual who was wearing fancier robes. Likely a prodigy who is being trained in the Sith Arts.
"You there, slave! Stop standing around and go join your fellow rubbish!" a rude voice said to me.
I looked in the direction of the voice and saw a rather annoyed looking Hyooman walking my way. He has reddish brown hair, blue eyes, and white skin that has a bit of a tan to it. On his right eye is a reddish tribal tattoo, and he has a pointy beard on his chin that, if I'm being honest, looks more like he ripped it off of an Earth goat's face and glued it to his own. He's wearing dual tone red armor like that of a warrior, and has a single Lightsaber hilt clipped to his belt.
"And I thought Dib looked gross before, but THIS GUY makes how Dib looked before look like the appearance of a male model." Gaz said as her eyes opened wide.
"For real." Mimi added, speaking for the first time since they got here.
"I'm sorry, are you talking to me? Because I see no slave here." I ask him in honest confusion.
Perhaps my shuttle arriving at the exact time as that shipment of slaves threw him off.
"Don't play dumb, slave. You know that all new slaves in this group are under scrutiny by the Sith Lord, Lord Zash, to find one worthy of being her apprentice. Although, I must admit, this is the first time I've ever seen an Irken as a slave." the man all but growled.
"Is this an act, or is this guy just plain oblivious? I mean, what kind of slave is treated with respect by troopers who have obviously been assigned to act as escorts?" Tak asked incredulously at this guy's one track mind.
"I wish I could tell you, child. I truly wish I could." Doctor Membrane said before he continued reading.
"Oh, but I am afraid it is you who is mistaken, Harkun." said a new voice. "This is no mere slave."
Harkun and I looked and found a man in standard armor for a Sith Warrior walking towards us. He looks to be what humans refer to as African or African-American in terms of physical appearance with dark skin, light black hair, and brown eyes. He has a strong build, but the deeper wrinkles around certain areas of his face, like his eyes, forehead, and the corners of his mouth, show that he is getting on in years. Clipped to his belt is a single Lightsaber.
"I would appreciate if you would leave my new charge be, Harkun. Simply focus on the acolytes you will be training." the man instructed.
But I can tell from the amount of power he is giving off that it isn't a request. Harkun grumbled and gave me one last glare before he walked back to where his supposed 'students' are waiting for him. I can already tell that I'm not going to like this guy.
"Terribly sorry, acolyte. It seems your arrival was poorly timed, and your shuttle arrived at the same time as a recent shipment of slaves. Don't mind Harkun over there, he simply hates his job and the fact that he has to work with slaves. Not to mention the fact that he detests aliens with a passion." the man said. "Ah, but where are my manners? I am Overseer Tremel, and I shall be your instructor here at the academy."
"Well, at least this Tremel fellow is polite." said Doctor Membrane.
"Yeah, it's a welcome change compared to Harkun." Gaz added.
The others in the group just nodded in agreement. They already like Tremel a hell of a lot more than they ever would Harkun. Then again, maybe the entire universe just hates this guy.
He extended his hand to shake and I returned the gesture, giving Tremel a firm handshake as custom dictates.
"A pleasure to meet you, Overseer. My name is Zim, and I hope to do well under your tutelage." I said to him with respect.
Hey, after putting up with Dib and everyone always turning a blind eye to his antics, anyone who stands up for me is okay in my book.
Nobody really commented on Dib's behavior in regards to the methods he used in order to try and prove that Zim is an alien. Which just so happens to have been proven in this very book.
"Good. Now that we have gotten pleasantries out of the way, there is much to do and every minute is critical. You see, Zim, for decades, I've administered the trials that prove who is and who is not worthy to join the Sith Order." he explained. "The trials are a chance to weed out the weak. Those who face them either survive to become Sith, or die."
Having confidence in my skills, I simply spoke what was on my mind at the time. All the while trying not to revert to the arrogant personality of the PAK that the Control Brains had used on me.
"I won't disappoint you." I said simply.
"Good. I risked a lot to make this happen." Tremel said as I raised a nonexistent eyebrow at his words. "Yes. You are here and ahead of schedule because of me. I expect you to obey. You face your trials, you serve me, and I will make you the most powerful acolyte here."
Tak shook her head and simply said "Somehow I doubt that."
And Dib agreed with her, though for different reasons.
"Sounds like a plan." I said with a nod.
"Come. Walk with me." Tremel instructed as he started down the path from the landing pad.
I gave a final look to my trooper escorts and gave them a nod of thanks, which the female trooper responded in kind with a bow. As she and her male companion returned to the shuttle, I jogged down the path to catch up to Tremel. I can already tell that things are about to get hectic.
"The trials themselves are difficult enough, but they are hardly the greatest threat you face." Tremel explained to me as we came to a stop at a shielded door. "There's an acolyte here named Vemrin. He's your enemy, and he will try to kill you. We must prepare you."
Why am I not surprised that I already have an enemy at this academy. No surprise there, considering how quickly Dib became my enemy when I first arrived on Earth. I'm just glad the Sith Empire took me in, so that I could finally get off of that spinning ball of… FILTHY... rr-rr-rrr… dirt!
Still, I couldn't help but say "But I just got here. How is it I already have an enemy?"
That caused everyone, alien, human, and machine alike, to give inquisitive looks at how this happened. Nobody, not even the lowest scum of the Earth, can make an enemy THAT quickly. Especially if they haven't even met in person yet.
"All you need to know is that you are a threat to him, and he to you. We'll make sure you can stand up to that threat." Tremel said simply before pointing to the Vibroblade on my back. "That practice sword you've arrived with is insufficient-the blade of lesser acolytes. You need a dominating weapon."
"And where might I find such a weapon?" I asked.
"I am glad you asked, Zim, for I shall tell you where to find one now. In the tomb of Ajunta Pall, there's an old armory. A strong Sith Warblade awaits you there. The tomb is thick with K'lor'slugs-deadly, savage creatures. Be speedy but careful. They've been the end of many an acolyte." Tremel explained to me.
Dib and the others looked a bit disturbed at the fact that Zim will have to go graverobbing for a weapon, but they're also curious as to what this warblade will look like.
I couldn't help but let just a sliver of my old personality show through at the mention of the K'lor'slugs.
"If they attack me, I'll see to it that they are the ones who are ended! For I AM ZIM!"
I slapped my hands over my mouth and saw the overseer was slightly startled by my outburst. Not that I blame him. The hyoomans back on Earth never really paid much attention to my outbursts, but here, everyone notices these things.
Dib laughed at Zim's embarrassment while Tak just smirked.
Zim's gonna get it one day if he doesn't learn to keep those outbursts under control.
"Terribly sorry, Overseer. That was part of a habit I'm trying to kick." I said apologetically. "Just tell me where to go and let's just… forget that that outburst of mine ever happened."
"I don't blame you for wanting to kick such a habit. I had a very similar one when I was entering my adolescent years." Tremel said with a bit of empathy. "Anyway, the tomb of Ajunta Pall is just beyond this door. You can't miss the entrance. Once you acquire the warblade, I suggest you spend some time in the tomb bloodying it. Then come to me in my chambers in the academy."
Dib and Tak scowled at how Zim didn't get in trouble for such an outburst. This overseer must have the patience of a saint if they can put up with Zim of all Irkens.
I nod in understanding of my instructions as Overseer Tremel walks off to the Academy. I sigh and slump forward at my initial screw up. It's times like these that I really wish Gir was still in one piece. The Tallest may have blew him to pieces, long story I'll tell you later, but I was able to save his core and store it away for when I can get some better parts to rebuild him. It will take time and money (which will take awhile to get, since I currently only have 50 credits to my name), but I'm positive I can put him back in one piece!
But first, I must acquire my warblade and pass my trials. And so, I am off!
With the first chapter over, Doctor Membrane marked where they were and closed the book as he looked at the others who were gathered.
"Who would like to read next?" he asked.
Tak raised her hand as she volunteered to read the next chapter, and the good doctor handed her the book.
***To Be Continued…***
If you enjoyed the chapter, be sure to like and follow it so you'll always be alerted when new chapters are posted. Also, be sure to check out the original story if you want to read it without seeing everyone's reactions. Leave a review for this chapter, and for the story Dib and the others are reading too, if you don't mind. I'll see you all in my next update! Buh-Bye now!