The Sith Afterlife
A.N: Timeline setting: Immediately after Maul kills Sidious
Darth Sidious awakened to find himself in unfamiliar territory. Why he had been lying on his back in the middle of what looked to be a dying forest was unknown to him, but clearly it had happened for some reason. Sitting up from his position, Sidious began to glance around at the trees around him. The forest was not exactly dense, but rather sparse, with plenty of space between the trees for movement.
However, what truly caught his golden eyes was not the number of trees, but rather their colour.
There was no sign of the usual mixture of greens and browns that were almost universal for plants and trees, but rather the various almost monolithic trees around him were an oily black in hue, and almost appeared to be shimmering, as if not truly there.
Rising to his feet slowly, Sidious scowled slightly, his nose picking up some rank stench nearby. If he didn't know any better, he would say it quite literally smelled like death.
Shifting his focus, Sidious began to walk into the trees, his long cloak brushing along the ground beneath him. It was only now that he realized that he was barefooted. What was going on?
Closing his eyes, Sidious attempted to delve into the force, to try and figure out exactly what had happened.
So it came as both a great and horrifying surprise when he realized he could not sense anything around him through the force. He was, to the best of his knowledge, cut off from it.
Him! Darth Sidious! Ruler of a galactic empire, master of the Sith, cut off from the force altogether!
Was this some sort of Jedi trick?! Or some prank by the Inquisitors? Thrawn's pet maybe?!
Ideas flooded into Sidious' head, each making him angrier and angrier as the time passed by.
It was then that he remembered!
Colours and faces flashed in his memories. Orange and red, blue and white.
Togruta and Zabrak.
Tano and Maul!
He fought them, and he had lost!
Or had he? He was not dead! He was here, instead, amongst a sparse forest of oily trees, alive, and in one piece.
Sidious began to cackle aloud. Of course he survived. He would always survive.
The force may have left him temporarily, but it was still with him. And it would still be his servant.
"Master." A voice echoed across the forest around him, Sidious freezing in his movement as he recognized it. One didn't forget the cybernetic sound of it, nor the telltale hiss of the respirator that kept his former apprentice alive.
Turning to the source of the voice, Sidious smiled at the tall imposing black figure before him.
"Lord Vader, my friend. This is a surprise, I had assumed you died on Malachor."
Vader said nothing in return, and made no gesture to suggest that he had heard Sidious' statement.
That didn't bother Sidious in the slightest. He was used to Vader's silent brooding.
"Tell me Lord Vader, do you know where we are currently?" Sidious enquired, genuinely confused about his surroundings. Never had he heard of a place such as this before!
Once again, Vader did not reply, the only sound emanating from him being the sound of his mechanical breathing.
This time round Sidious turned to face him, a grim look on his face. Usually Vader would have had some sort of response to a question. He was only the apprentice after all, and his master had asked him something.
"Lord Vader, did you hear me?" Sidious snarled, clenching his fist tightly in anger.
"You abandoned me to die master! You tried to replace me!" Vader boomed out, his voice loud and terrifying. Sidious had never been scared of Vader before, but this unerved even him.
"It is the way of the Sith my apprentice. I assumed you had fallen, and thus sought your slayer as a worthy replacement. Though it seems I was mistaken. Perhaps now you can reclaim your place by my side as it should be." Sidious replied, keeping his tone steady. In the end, it didn't matter who his apprentice was. They were simply tools to be cast aside when the time was right, and Vader was no different.
But he didn't need to know that!
Vader did not respond as expected. Rather than bow his head in submission as he had many times before, the man who had once been Anakin Skywalker now took a different approach.
Sidious had to force himself not to flinch at the snap hiss of a lightsaber igniting, the bright crimsons blade casting its colour over Vader's black armour, making him even more imposing than he already was.
"Lord Vader! What is the meaning of this!?" Sidious snarled in response as Vader began to advance slowly, the heavy clunking of his boots echoing throughout the oily forest.
"As you said my master, it is the way of the Sith to betray one another. Now, you will die!"
Vader's tone was one of clear evident hatred, fueled entirely by a desire to see Sidious dead.
And that was something Sidious could not allow.
"How unfortunate." Sidious muttered in reply, before reaching into his cloak. He may not be connected to the force, but he still could use a lightsaber.
However, it was then that Sidious made another shocking discovery.
His hands were gone!
And in their place was a pair of stumps where his hands had clearly been sliced off, the telltale scorch marks of a lightsaber as proof on the edge of the stumps.
A flare of terror flooded through Sidious. He had no hands, and no means of defending himself from Vader's wrath.
Falling backwards, Sidious once again found himself on his back as he began to scuttle away from the approaching cyborg.
"Lord Vader! Don't!" Sidious all but pleaded one last time.
But it did not work.
"Die!"
And with that Vader swung his crimson blade downwards towards Sidious' terrified form, the Sith master screaming in terror as it happened.
Darth Sidious awakened to find himself in unfamiliar territory. Why he had been lying on his back in the middle of what looked to be a dying forest was unknown to him, but clearly it had happened for some reason. Sitting up from his position, Sidious began to glance around at the trees around him. The forest was not exactly dense, but rather sparse, with plenty of space between the trees for movement.
And he could have sworn he had already experienced this exact feeling, not moments ago.
Rising to his feet, Sidious began to glance in every direction. He was still cut off from the force, and from the brief glance down at his hands he could still see that he had none.
But right now his concern was elsewhere.
"Where are you Vader you traitor! Come out and face me!" Sidious boomed aloud, his golden eyes surveying each and every tree, waiting to see if there was any indication of the black cyborgs presence.
A few minutes of desperate and frantic searching later, Sidious began to believe that his former apprentice was no longer around.
Suffice to say the Sith master was no more than confused. Whatever this place was was something he had never even heard of before. Was it perhaps some sort of nexus of the force. Or perhaps a meeting spot for those deemed worthy by the darkside.
Or perhaps it was an afterlife of some kind, considering Vader's presence and all.
But he hadn't died, had he? He had escaped, as he always did? Maul and Tano certainly had not been able to kill him!
It was then that Sidious heard movement, coming from behind him. Spinning on his heel, Sidious glanced out at the thick array of oily trees before him, half expecting something, or someone to walk out.
If it was Vader again, he'd be ready this time.
Not that he could truly do much without his connection to the force, or without hands in general.
Truth be told, he was defenceless, and dare he say, weak.
Not that he would ever admit that aloud.
Nothing emerged from the trees before him at first, but the sound of rustling trees continued. He'd assume it was the wind, if he could have felt any blowing against him that was. The air was oddly stale, and that only unnerved Sidious more.
The rustling began to grow closer, and closer, and closer, and beneath his thick cloak Sidious could feel his skin begin to sweat in aprehension.
And then a figure emerged from the shadows of the trees, and Sidious eyes widened in both horror and surprise.
"You?!" Sidious whispered as the tall man dressed in regal clothes approached him, a venomous look on his face, his pointed beard only further adding to the sharp lines that made up his wrinkled face.
"Me!" The man snarled back, his eyes blazing gold in hatred.
"Impossible! You died Lord Tyranus, on the Invisible Hand. Skywalker decapitated you!" Sidious exclaimed as the man who had been his apprentice before Vader approached him slowly, much as Vader had previously.
"Indeed I was Lord Sidious, by your own orders if I recall. Now it is time for my revenge." The figure of Count Dooku spoke, his ever pompous voice reeking of self importance. Sidious had always despised the man.
As Sidious began to cautiously back away, he found himself suddenly suspended in the air with what felt like a rope being tightened around his neck.
Sidious eyes bulged as he realised what was happening, all the while the grip around his neck growing tighter and tighter. Before him, Dooku had one hand out, gesturing brutally with a clawed hand towards his former master, a dark satisfied smirk on his face.
"Tell me master, how does it feel to be on the receiving end for a change? Speaking from experience, I know it is quite painful." Dooku boasted, the smark never leaving his face, even as Sidious vision began to darken due to lack of oxygen.
It was then that Sidious began to feel the grip around his neck loosen, and oxygen flood back into his body.
And then Dooku spoke again, still suspending Sidious above the ground.
"Choking someone with the force, while effective, is not as satisfying as this though!"
In an instant the shape of Dooku's hand changed from a claw into an outward position, fingertips pointing directly towards Sidious' form. The Sith master yelled out in shock at the realization of what was about to happen.
Lightning erupted from Count Dooku's hand, crashing into Sidious' body and sending volt after volt of deadly energy through him. Sidious began to scream in agony as he felt his skin begin to burn and cook, much as it had years ago at the hands of his own lightning. Back then it had disfigured him badly.
But now there was no way to stop it. He was not the one in control. Dooku was.
And from the elder man's face Sidious could tell he had no intention of ceasing anytime soon.
The lightning continued to burn into his body, his breathing beginning to grow heavily out of sync, his heart rapidly beating out of control.
But still Dooku continued, shifting his hand in various motions to direct the energy in vicious arcs, scorching each part of his former master's form.
Sidious screamed and howled in agony, until everything went dark.
Darth Sidious awakened to find himself in unfamiliar territory. Why he had been lying on his back in the middle of what looked to be a dying forest was unknown to him, but clearly it had happened for some reason. Sitting up from his position, Sidious began to glance around at the trees around him. The forest was not exactly dense, but rather sparse, with plenty of space between the trees for movement.
No! Wait!
He had done this before! And Vader had come to kill him!
No, it had been Dooku that was out to kill him, not Vader!
But he remembered Vader, and his lightsaber!
And Dooku, and the lightning!
What was going on?
"Master?" A chorus of voices echoed from behind Sidious as he vaulted to his feet in terror, causing the Sith Lord to pivot sharply, taking in the assembled group before him.
A large collection of individuals all stood before him, each a different species, but each dressed in armour adorned with the imperial cog.
Glancing between each face, Sidious identified each species.
There was a Mirialan, and a Miraluka. A Dowutin also stood among them, as well as several other species that even Sidious could not identify.
And there, at the front of the assembled group stood a Pau'an male, a fierce look on his face.
It was then that Sidious realized exactly who stood before him.
Sidious watched as each figure gripped hold of a hilt of a lightsaber, igniting the blades with what appeared to be fury. The group before him was now bathed in red light, and grew ever closer, some of their blades beginning to rotate viciously, whilst others remained still and poised to strike.
As Sidious continued to survey the group coming towards him, clearly intent on killing him, he noticed the specific lack of a certain Terrelian Jango Jumper.
However, Sidious had no time to dwell on such thoughts, not as the first murderous individual barred down upon him, a chorus of dark laughter from his siblings echoing throughout the oily trees.
Darth Sidious awakened...
Author's thoughts
So... surprise one shot for you all. Hope you like.
Truth be told we know a far amount about what happens to lightside users when they die, but I always wondered what the Sith equivalent would be. Thus, this idea was born. I'll leave the implications as to what happens to Sidious for the rest of eternity to you lot ok? :)
Anyway, just thought I'd post this one shot as I had inspiration to write it. My focus is still on my main story for now, which is currently five chapters in and I am in the process of writing the sixth, so progress is being made on that end as well. Feel free to check it out if you haven't already. It's called 'Agent of the Chancellor' (shameless self promotion is shameless)
No idea what the next one shot will be or when it will be. When I get inspiration I guess.
As usual, comment and speculate at will. Speaking of which:
Mysterious Guest one: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Having Maul show up and the acolytes thinking it was Vader come for revenge was a funny idea in my head. Poor guys really didn't know what they were in for.
Binks and the Bro will come, and yes it will feature a certain Gungan. ;)
Cranky Paws: Glad you enjoyed the symbolism of Ahsoka destroying her old sabers for her new ones. She looks cooler with the white ones anyway.
Barriss and Ahsoka reuniting will come, I promise. Hopefully you like the direction I take it in.
Chiara Polairix Edelstein: I'm glad you enjoyed all aspects of the one shot. Vader's diary was hard to write. It was even harder to make it convincing that he kept a diary to begin with!
Travis Middleton: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed my characterization of the Acolytes, since you were the one who requested them in the first place.
I couldn't resist the in universe joke of Sam Witwer playing both Maul and the Son. It was too good to turn down.
Hopefully you liked this one shot as well, since you were interested in it.
SLE's fave guest: Glad you still like my creepy possessive Vader. He is fun to write for.
Ahsoka is indeed no Jedi any longer, thus she no longer needs her old sabers.
Sam Witwer is Darth Maul... no question. Maul does not exist, it is only Darth Witwer!
The green eyed monster will be a humourous one to write, its just a case of figuring out who is effected by it and who will be the most humourous in it.