AN: Good day everyone and welcome to the latest installment of The Legend Reborn! Finals are over, with it, so is college. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.
Ebon Hawk - Hyperspace
Dooku disengaged the hyperdrive as the Ebon Hawk dropped out of lightspeed. Since he had arrived on Tython, he had spent many hours in the Star Forge's flight simulator, familiarizing himself with the various types of vessels in Revan's fleet. From his experience in the Solar Sailor, there was one thing he was certain of. The design of Revan's ships and their various control panels was certainly upgraded over the year. The instruments served the same purposes, however their design varied over the years.
They had left Tython four standard days ago. Galidraan was an outer rim world, on the edge of the Tion cluster. It was what most people would consider forgettable, but it had certainly had its history of misfortune.
Galidraan was absorbed into Xim's empire as he expanded his borders from the Kingdom of Cron around twenty-five thousand years ago. After the fall of the empire, it eventually joined the Galactic Republic. After several millennia of Republic rule, Galidraan was the site of a battle between the Jedi Order and the True Mandalorians. Dooku, Komari Vosa, and an entire task force of Jedi later discovered they had been tricked into slaughtering the True Mandalorians by the governor, who had falsified the atrocities they had committed. Jango Fett survived, but as whole the True Mandalorians were eradicated.
And now with Palpatine's Imperial declaration, it was only a matter of time before imperial forces arrived in the sector. Dooku engaged the sub light engines, knowing that their window of opportunity was slowly shrinking.
Spar stepped into the cockpit with him, placing a hand on Dooku's chair as he leaned over to gaze out the viewport at the distant planet. Dooku glanced at his compatriot, noticing Spar's neutral expression. He could sense the confusion in the Mandalorian. Jango's memories of the battle flooded through Spar as they began to enter the atmosphere. But they weren't Spar's memories, and as much as the clone wanted to base his opinions on those memories, he was realizing that he had to form them through his experiences.
"Any ideas on where to start?" Dooku broke the silence.
"I did some research on the flight here. From what I can tell, the planetary governor moved into a fortified compound about five kilometers east of the northern mountain range overlooking the capital settlement."
"And you think he has the mask?" Dooku asked.
"You said in your vison I claimed the mask, even if he doesn't have it, we'll find it. I'm not leaving empty-handed." Spar picked up his helmet off the co-pilot's chair putting it on as he heard the enviro-seals engage with a short hiss of oxygen. His voice came through with a slight mechanized tone. "If Revan's serious about recruiting the Mandalorians, we won't do it without that mask."
Dooku nodded in agreement. "Alright, I'm going to set the ship down a few kilometers south of the compound. We'll have to walk the rest of the way."
"And if things go south and we need a quick escape?" Spar countered.
"We'll deal with that fire when it catches." Dooku answered. He set the ship down carefully, trying not disturb any of the local wildlife.
He and Spar spent the better part of the next hour checking and rechecking their gear. Spar armed himself with a repeating blaster rifle and a pair of mandalorian blaster pistols. Dooku took only a few ration and med packs in addition to his lightsaber. They left the ship at a brisk pace, hoping to reach the compound just after nightfall. It made the most sense to them that the guards would correlate shift change with sundown.
The walk took the pair several hours, Spar's eyes constantly following the position of the sun. Often he would adjust his pace to try and better time their arrival, when the compound came into view, the guards were already moving to their next stations. Dooku took a deep breath before speaking.
"What do you see?"
"I can see two guards on the eastern wall. One of them just left. Probably changing stations."
"How would you propose getting inside then?"
"If I can take out that guard do you think you can throw me up onto the wall before anyone comes to check it out?"
Dooku hesitated, "I believe so. But then how will I get inside? You can't pull me inside after."
"Do you have another idea?" Spar snapped, "That wall is too thick for you to cut through and if we blast our way in they'll definitely know we're here." Dooku didn't answer, "Get me inside, then I'll find a way to open of the access tunnels. Keep your comm tuned in on my frequency."
The Count thought for a moment that it has been a while since he had let anyone other than Sidious talk to him so brashly without any consideration of retribution. Still, he nodded in passive agreement; remembering that he gave his word to Spar to follow his lead on this personal, almost spiritual, mission.
Dooku rechecked his comlink once more just as Spar adjusted the sights on his blaster before taking aim on the guard. It was roughly twenty-five meters. The sights were only reliable up to twenty. He exhaled slowly before pulling the trigger three times. The smell of plasma filled the air, the guard slumped over.
"Now, Count!" Spar felt himself being carried by some invisible presence, carrying him toward the wall. Dooku released his focus as Spar was close enough to let his velocity carry him the rest of the way. The mandalorian landed on the edge of the wall. He heard someone shout as he landed.
He drew his pistol and took aim at the recent arrival, it was another guard coming to check on his partner. He discharged the weapon and watched as the second guard dropped dead. He frisked the two corpses, taking spare power cells and patching his comlink into their frequency. He listened for a brief moment. There was no chatter about his arrival, the guard hadn't gotten the chance to report their intruder. He smirked, luck was on his side this time.
"Alright, I'm in. I'm gonna find a terminal; somewhere I can let you in." Spar said.
Dooku's voice chimed in his earpiece, "Just tell me where."
He found the nearest stairwell and began descending to the ground levels. The mandalorian was careful to remain unnoticed, he did his best to avoid guard. If he began leaving a trail of bodies he was sure to be found.
He stepped into another hallway, but it felt like he was going in circles. The entire compound was decorated the same; ornate and overly expensive. He had no interest in any of the trinkets or tapestries that filled the halls. He froze as two guards stepped out of a door a few meters in front of him. He drew his second pistol and took a shot at both of them before placing his back against the wall. He pulled out a flash grenade and tossed it inside the room. He looked back the way he came, seeing a flash through the corner of his visor.
Spar stepped inside, the room was empty. He holstered his pistols before dragging the two corpses inside with him. Spar sealed the door behind him. There was a security console in the room. He cracked open its maintenance panel and connected it to a data chip. He began transferring information from the system. The seconds seemed like hours as the time ticked by. He had to find the mask. The system chimed. Spar smirked as he detached the chip, inserting it into his suit as he flicked through the different schematics and patrol routes.
"Dooku? I've found a security station, I'm in the system but I can't let you in from here. Head to this location, I can get you inside from there."
Dooku didn't say anything at first, Spar sat idly for a moment panicking, had Dooku been captured? Did they find him instead of searching for Spar?
"I'm on my way." Dooku answered, Spar let out a sigh of relief knowing that his companion was still safe. He then set off the alarm on the far side of the facility. If he could distract a good portion of the facility's security, then it would make things much simpler for him and Dooku.
He began moving toward the access tunnel he told Dooku about. The facility schematics said it was around two-hundred and seventy meters from the security station. Spar drew one if his pistols again, keeping it close as he rounded a corner. He stepped toward the door and knocked on it four times. He listened carefully, faintly hearing four knocks in return as Dooku answered him. He began splicing the access panel, prying the panel from its mount on the wall, crossing wires and disabling circuits.
The hydraulics hissed as the door opened slowly. Dooku stepped through smirking, "I guess all that training on Kamino didn't go to waste."
"If there's one thing Jango did well, it was training the ARCs."
Dooku pulled his lightsaber from his belt, igniting the crimson blade. The low glow leaving them both in a shallow red light, "Let's find that mask."
Spar smiled beneath his mask, feeling an excitement he hadn't experienced in a long time. He nodded at his partner before drawing both pistols and motioning for the Count to follow him. He started retracing his earlier path, only turning left at an intersection rather than the way he came. The security console had a map of the entire compound. He didn't know where the mask would be, but he did know where he could find the Governor.
Spar raised his fist for Dooku to halt. Dooku took the hint, crouching slightly behind the Mandalorian. The pair stood five meters away from an open courtyard, security guards were amassing in the open air, most likely they were regrouping after Spar's fake alarm went off.
"I count eighteen guards. Probably more nearby. I figure I'm good for ten or eleven."
"If you plan to start a firefight it's going to alert this entire place. How long would it take for you to reach the Governor?" Dooku asked.
Spar pulled up the schematics, "it's another twenty meters from the other side of the yard."
Dooku exhaled, "I'll keep them distracted. You find the mask."
Spar hesitated, "Are you sure you're up for this?"
"I can handle this. You just get what you came for."
Dooku's comrade nodded, he didn't approve of leaving the older man alone, but Revan needed the mandalorians, and Spar planned to deliver. "Whenever you're ready Count."
Dooku took a moment to contemplate that he is actually about to do something selfless. Chuckling briefly as he pondered on Revan's influence on him, be it good or bad yet to be determined, he stepped into the courtyard. The guards immediately turned their sights on him. The former Sith lord then raised his hands, as two of the guards took a step toward him. One of them had a pair of binders. It was only a moment before the situation turned against them. Dooku channeled the Force, sending both guards across the yard as they collided with the far wall. They died instantly as their bodies were crushed. He drew his lightsaber and began deflecting blaster shots that their sources before channeling the Force into his offhand. Bolts of blue lightning arced through the air.
Spar watched briefly. He had to take advantage of the ensuing chaos while he could. The mandalorian ran into the courtyard, firing his blasters whenever he had a clear shot. He sprinted as fast as he could. The warrior dove behind a pillar to avoid an incoming shot. He inserted a fresh power cell. Spar stepped out from behind cover, pulling the trigger over and over before his foe fell to the ground.
He could see the Count fighting across the yard. Guards fell to him. The mandalorian dashed down the open hall, moving toward the Governor's chamber. He reached the door and tried to open it, but it was bolted shut. He lifted a permacrete charge from his belt and placed it on the door's weak spot before setting the timer for ten seconds. He primed the detonator and retreated to a safe distance.
The charge exploded, a plume of smoke followed the combustion. Spar waited for it to clear. He grunted in his suit as he saw that the door was unaffected. Aside from a scorch mark the door was completely untouched. He swore under his breath.
"Dooku?" He opened the comlink, "The door's reinforced. I can't get through."
"Any other way in?" Dooku replied, Spar could hear the stress in his voice.
"None that I'm seeing on the schematics; this is the only door." Spar flipped through the various security maps he had uploaded.
"What about the vent systems?"
Spar blinked inside his helmet, interacting with his suit to sort through the files, "Negative. They're too small." Spar didn't say anything for a moment, deep in thought. "Wait, that's it, I have an idea. Hopefully it works."
He took his pistol out of his holster and aimed at the vent shaft directly above the door. He took a shot and grate fell off its hinge. He took out a pair of gas canisters and threw them inside. He smiled briefly as he listened to the hiss of chemical vapor moving through the system.
His helmet's olfactory blockers kicked in, filtering the air as it entered his suit. Cyanogen gas was poisonous to most all species who came in contact with it. The gas was unique; it was absorbed through the skin rather than inhaled.
Spar waited for a few moments. The hydraulics on the door began to kick in. He could hear the governor coughing and gasping for breath as the poison entered his system. Spar stared at him through the menacing T-shaped visor.
The governor turned pale as soon as he realized Spar was standing in front of him. The mandalorian drew his pistol once more, "Bal kote. Darasuum kote. Jorso'ran kando a tome, sa kyr'am Nau tracyn kad vode an.
The ancient Mandalore chant rolled off Spar's tongue flawlessly. The governor stood there in absolute terror as he understood what was about to happen. Spar pulled the trigger, and the man who caused the downfall of his people fell at his feet.
Spar stepped inside the chamber, scanning the walls. To the left of the bed at the far end of the room, he saw it held in a repulsor field. The mask sat suspended there. He jogged across the room, shutting off the ray shield and grabbed the mask. He hesitated to take off his mask before remembering the gas that still flooded the chamber. Soon, he thought. Soon.
Dathomir's Surface – the outskirts of Talzin's Stronghold.
To say Barriss Offee was completely and utterly gob smacked would be an understatement of galactic proportions. The young Mirialan was stunned out of her mind, her brain going numb and temporarily refusing to send signals to the rest of her body, leaving her totally fixed to her spot on the chair. Even her lungs stopped working long enough for her lack of oxygen to become the equivalent of a mild Force-choke; such was her shock.
Slowly, she raised her head to look at the Sith researcher for a few moments before looking back down to the title of the journal.
The Science of Creating Life.
She understood what Plagueis was implying, especially with the comment about being her being his long lost daughter. But her analytical mind, Barriss most prized trait, deeply struggled to comprehend the enormity of the revelations that were making her thoughts reel. Because if the conclusions she was drawing were right, then Plagueis wasn't merely her father.
He was her creator.
At long last, she found her voice but it came out shaken. "What…how…why…" Barriss stammered, closing her mouth when she realized she wasn't ready to form coherent sentences.
Plagueis made a sound that reminded Barriss of soft wind in an attempt to calm her down. It struck her as odd, considering he was a Sith. Still, it helped her relax a little as breathed deeply. She opened her eyes to look at the elderly Muun once more and kept it simple.
"Explain," She pleaded, her blue eyes craving answer to the mind shattering revelations.
Plagueis nodded and began. "Before the assassination attempt on my life by the Maladian assassins that forced me to wear a transpirator's mask until I outgrew my need for it, I made a breakthrough in my research for Midi-chlorian Manipulation. That was little over three decades before the beginning of the Clone Wars and the breakthrough allowed me to figure out a way to impregnate the beasts in my laboratory without the normal means of conception, but rather through my Force powers instead."
Barriss nodded mutely as he paused, starting to get an idea of where the story was heading but unwilling to trust her voice to speak up. Plagueis paused for a second as if considering the best place to continue with his explanations before settling for a question.
"What did you heard from your former Jedi superiors about the circumstances of the birth of Anakin Skywalker?"
Barriss blinked. "That he was conceived by the Force itself," She said automatically, "which is why the popular opinion in the order was that Skywalker was the Chosen One…wait…" Barriss trailed off as numerous possibilities erupted in her mind with the potency of a Mustafarian super caldera. "Seriously?" She gaped with her eyes wider than a grav ball. "You created Skywalker?"
The shell-shocked Mirialan thought back to the point in time where she dueled Skywalker before he beat her and forced her to admit her crimes to the Senate. She remembered his barely contained fury as they fought, the thought that he might make an excellent Dark side user even crossed her mind.
"And he was the closest thing to a brother I had ever have," Barriss now realized with a flabbergasted expression.
She tried her hardest to pay attention to Plagueis when he started talking again.
"Not entirely," Plagueis said slowly. "Around the exact time he was conceived, I was performing something I dubbed the Grand Experiment. That in and on itself is a very long story for another day but for now, know that the results of the experiment, which partially involved reaching out across the stars with the Force and overloading the biological link of the mystical energy field, the midi-chlorians, with Dark side energy. In that regard, most of the experiment was a success because I managed to erect a curtain of dark matter that was responsible for diminishing the capabilities of the Jedi when it came to seeing the future. But there was a much more…unexpected result."
Barriss nodded to indicate she was listening and wanted to hear whatever it was he had to say. She shouldn't have thought of the word whatever when mentally describing the situation, however. It didn't do the scenario any justice.
"Around the time of the Blockade of a Naboo, Anakin Skywalker finally came to my attention," Plagueis said. "A boy with the highest midi-chlorian count on record, apparently conceived by the Force itself. And most importantly, I realized he was conceived on the very same day I did the Grand Experiment after performing some mathematic calculations," He said while looking at Barriss with interest. "Do you understand?"
Barriss did but it took her a moment to find her voice because of the sheer magnitude of what she was hearing. "You are the indirect creator of Anakin Skywalker," She declared with awe. "The midi-chlorians, the biological, proxy army of the Force didn't appreciate your Grand Experiment and so it swung back in retaliation by creating a candidate that fit the Prophecy of the Chosen One almost entirely to the letter," She uttered in stunned amazement at the grand revelation she was hearing.
But she still couldn't help but wonder…where exactly does that get her. Before she could continue to ponder, Plagueis nodded proudly and he had her attention once more.
"Indeed. Sidious decided to try his best to corrupt his candidacy to the prophecy, however."
Barriss nodded almost imperceptivity, as she remembered the report she heard from HK about the fall of Skywalker. Still…
"Does that take him out of the equation?"
Plagueis remained silent for a moment, his eyes gleaming with calculating thoughts. "Probably, but to be honest I am not entirely sure. Prophecies are as tricky as a snake that only looks calm to keep a façade. In any event, this information was just to prepare you for the following explanations with better understanding of the events."
Barriss sighed and tried to smile with an amusement she did not really felt. "I suppose this means that you are just beginning to stun me speechless?"
Plagueis stifled a mild chuckle. "You could say that."
There was a long pause as the Muun tried to gather his thoughts for the next round of revelations. In the meantime, Barriss couldn't help but wonder if her almost private obsession with midi-chlorians started in the first place because of the circumstances of her own…birth? Creation? She suddenly realized she wasn't sure which word to use anymore and the knowledge sent shivers down her spine.
"Did you ever learn who your mother was?" Plagueis finally asked.
Barriss shook her head slowly, vaguely taking note of the fact the Sith used the word mother instead of parents. "I was abandoned as a newborn in a star liner. Apparently the nurse onboard had enough medical equipment to detect a concentration of midi-chlorians in my blood high enough to make me Force-sensitive which is why she gave a report to the Jedi Order about me. But I never had any solid leads to follow the trail of any family I may have had. And to be honest…I think a part of me never wanted to," She admitted slowly as she looked at Plagueis up and down.
Plagueis stared at her for a moment as he took the anecdotal evidence in. Then his shoulder slumped. "There is not really an easy way to tell you this Barriss, so I am just going to be blunt about it. The reason your mother abandoned you as a newborn was because she thought you were an abomination so she left you to your fate since she couldn't bring herself to kill you in your cradle herself."
The young woman's jaw dropped. "Why?" She asked with a small voice, her expression shaken.
"Well, that's where I come in," The Muun said with a tired sigh. "Your mother's name was Rain Lanai. She was given to me as a gift by Gardulla the Hutt to serve as a slave in my laboratory back on Sojourn. However, I soon discovered that your Mirialan mother was mildly Force-sensitive. Not enough to become a Jedi but definitely more than an ordinary being."
Barriss bit her lip as she wondered the rest of the tale. Unknown to her, Plagueis silently realized that his own Muun mother also fit the description of a servant and passive Force-sensitive. He squashed the trail of thought quickly but not before looking at Barriss with newfound appreciation.
"This was a couple years after I deemed the ultimate result of my Grand Experiment a failure, you see," Plagueis went on. "I knew my previous attempt to create a mighty Force-sensitive being were short on success but then I acquired Rain and I was struck by inspiration. I had open myself to the Force across the Galaxy, that had been saturated by my its dark influence because of me, and decided to try one more time; thinking the fuel of the Dark side would allow me to succeed where I couldn't before."
Plagueis paused as he looked at Barriss up and down with precise, calculated stares. "And succeed I did," He finally said.
Barriss swallowed and shook her head in a futile attempt to calm down. Her mind spun, fully aware that the Muun before her just turned her universe upside down. Abruptly, she stood up.
"I need some peace and quiet," She declared weakly.
The scholarly Sith just nodded slowly. "Take your time. I'll be here when you want to know more."
Barriss said nothing as she went to the only bathroom on their ship. Feeling mute all of a sudden in the newfound silence, she proceeded to refresh her face. As she started to dry it up, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. And for the first time, she felt as if her true self looked back.
A part of her had always known that she never really fit with groups of traditional Jedi, regardless of the convincing act she tended to pull. She had fooled many with her by the book approach to the Jedi rules and by having an attitude that fit a Jedi Consular quite well. But she had never been able to fool herself. There was a hole inside Barriss that she had never been able to fill. That never stopped her from trying, however, which is why she ended up becoming the most studious Jedi of her generation. But no matter how much knowledge could she memorize from the vastness of the Jedi archives, that craving for knowledge had never been satisfied.
And now, looking at her reflection in the mirror, she finally understood why. She inherited that thirst for knowledge from Plagueis.
Barriss closed her eyes as she eased her breathing. The Mirialan wasn't sure if the epiphany was to blame but for the first time in her life, she emptied her thoughts fast enough to qualify for meditation while she was still standing. Tension poured out of her body with every exhale, the chemicals in her brain that are triggered by intense emotion slowing down. She wasn't sure how long it had been but when she finally opened her eyes, she could almost sense an invisible mask around her face cracking.
That was when she remembered that feeling from the Force that her life would never be the same if she discovered the secret hidden in that journal. Only this time, she wasn't concern. She finally discovered her roots. Moreover, she finally had the lead she had been looking for all these years to fill the hole in her soul. And by every aspect of the Force in existence, she was going to fill it all the way through.
She opened the door and walked towards her newfound destiny.
AN: And thus ends chapter 21. Originally there was going to be a lot more content from the Barriss & Plagueis side of the arc but then my beta reader and I realized that said arc worked better as a 3 parter and we didn't want to overextend the chapter when this particular end seemed fitting for the second part.
At any rate, we hope you enjoyed. And for those wondering about Plagueis being the indirect creator of Anakin Skywalker, those topics were covered in the now Legends novel Star Wars: Darth Plagueis and heavily implied in Plagueis's own text called the Science of Creating Life from the in-universe Book of Sith. We are borrowing elements from those books for the fanfic.
And finally, I know many Star Wars fans despise the midi-chlorians but in order to connect Barriss birth to Plagueis, there was no way around that. Sorry if anyone reading that were annoyed but please remember, the midi-chlorians are only related to the Force in its biological aspect. It still ties all inanimate matter together as well, like Yoda says in Episode V. So the midi-chlorians aren't the whole deal.
Thanks for reading and until next time.