Chapter 18
Darth Sidious observes the form of his Master, sensing his murderous intentions and the sense of betrayal within him. It is evident that his ploy with Darth Plagueis has been all but a failure but that means he would have to win or else this traitor to what it truly means to be Sith would be allowed to rise to a greater power.
How could he have survived? He has been drunk just mere minutes ago and seconds away from certain death, but now he understands that that has been one of Plagueis's deceptions, making him deeply feel like a fool and making him realize that he should have just severed his head from his shoulders when given the chance. Of course, the old fool wouldn't have fallen so easily.
"I should have known this would have come from you, you snake," Plagueis hisses.
"You surely would not be able to defeat me, my old Master. The circle is now complete. At this moment in time and forever more no longer am I but the learner; now I am the Master." Sidious says coldly, masking his surprise who he has seemingly just killed is now standing in front of him with a cold determination
"Are you finished with your boring monolog, Sidious?" Plagueis replies before clenching his hands up into fists. "You would die for your betrayal."
Sidious peers his head down, the dark side of the Force shuddering, two hilts suddenly shedding from his robe.
"You and I both know who will be the victor of this situation," Sidious declares tightly.
Plagueis chuckles. "This is going to be the greatest challenge in my life."
Sidious smirks. "At last, I could prove myself as the true Master. You might have believed I acted out of fear in striking you down at a feeble state but I shall prove myself as the true Sith Lord among us."
"Malak have once followed the same belief which only gotten him killed by Revan," Plagueis replies tensely.
"Malak was incompetent. He couldn't truly kill his Master even when his back was turned." Sidious responds, clenching his jaw, his hands on his lightsaber tightening. "Malak has come close to destroying the Jedi, purging the Enclave. It is only due to the failure of his Master that he survived."
"Ironic, you are just like Malak, a madman which I should have laid to rest years ago before you could have all but destroyed my plans." Plagueis responds as he grips hold of his lightsabers within his sleeve and point them towards Sidious.
"I am not the only failure here. You have had largely left an influence already after Pax Teem's attempt to assassinate you, retiring to Muunilinst to pursue his experiments, but you had ended many of your experiments due to those failures: that was when we had attempted to decisively tip the Force in favour of the dark side and will a being of our own design into creation. We failed, and most of our test subjects died thereafter, which you have wrongfully interpreted as the Force recoiling against him. As you would only discover ten years later just before your supposed death, the Force also reacted by creating the Chosen One at that time. So, by the time of my election, you were effectively up a blind alley in your immortality experiments, and so you wanted back into galactic government. You arrogantly thought from there you could control the whole galaxy to seize control of the Force, and your arrogance would now be your undoing." Sidious replies.
"Well done, you are far more intelligent than I thought," Plagueis replies, regarding his greatest enemy, his greatest pupil, his greatest disgrace.
"Let us end this."
The screams of lightsabers clashing are what engages next. None shall intervene in this battle no matter if this is a world of the Jedi, for the future of the Sith relies on the one Sith who is triumphant.
All those years ago, the first creators of the Sith would have never thought a battle such as this would have happened, a battle that would be so amazing and send shockwaves through not only the galaxy but in dozens of galaxies, in dozens of dimensions, disturbing the orb of time itself.
Jedi around Coruscant shiver at the dark side growing so strong to the point where it crashes on them, and it is only a matter of time before they would be here to find the two Masters of the Dark Side dueling, both Masters knowing that they would have to make this quick and evacuate.
Even if Sidious wins, he would have to go into hiding, for the Jedi would have sensed that disturbance in the Force.
Yet never before they would have thought to see such a battle, a battle that would have left even Emperor Vitiate himself in astonishment as the power of the dark side has build-up to the point where even non-Force-sensitive can feel the tremble and the shaking of the ground.
This is not merely a battle between the fate of the galaxy but the fate of the Sith, at what is to come, and their destinies. Powers are being tested. Lightsaber combat is being exploited to the whole. Neither duelist is tiring out.
At this very moment, will it be the rule of a new Order that will be outright tyrannical with only one individual being primely in charge or a Sith Empire where Sith rule primarily as they did millennia ago and before without struggle or something else?
Whatever happens, this will be a darkening day which shall lead to darker days, days where the light will only shimmer through a miracle, a day where the galaxy will be watching as they are either destroyed or saved by a miracle.
Darth Sidious vs Darth Plagueis.
Former Student vs Former Master.
Sith vs Sith.
Their lightsaber strikes more and more, coming extremely close for both opponents, and their very lightsabers might as well be seconds away from breaking. Their power is fully thrown at one another. Both are extremely powerful Sith, one supposedly passed his time and the other one is current.
The dark side is not abandoning either, for each time their lightsaber clash they grow stronger, for when they test their abilities in the hope to overwhelm the other the darkness among Coruscant is thriving to the climax. At this point, a Force User who has never been on Coruscant would have hardly believed that the Jedi Order once was a superior force on the planet.
But these two Sith have proven that wrong.
Darth Plagueis parries another blow before closing in himself, releasing assaults after assaults onto his traitorous serpent of the apprentice. Sidious parries each of his blows with his two crimson lightsabers, gritting his teeth slightly before dodging to the side, just in time too before Plagueis could have beheaded him.
"You have grown weak, my old Master," Sidious says coldly, sending a series of attacks that the Muun easily deflects. "If I knew it would have been this easy to best you, I would have done it earlier."
"I should have killed you years ago, Sidious, you were a mistake, a glitch in the Sith," Plagueis remarks, countering his lightsaber like an acrobatic dancer. It is obvious Sidious is beginning to overwhelm him but Plagueis's mastery of the Force is not to be underestimated. If he perished, he would make sure Sidious shall not live without injury which would remind him of who the better Sith is, even in death.
"You should have known I would have overthrown you eventually, Master," Sidious replies, forming up the Force around himself, calling upon the dark side and becoming among it. He throws the full power of it directly towards Darth Plagueis who raises his hand, formulating a repulse around himself, parrying a crimson tentacle of lightning until they come to a crossroads.
When it becomes obvious that neither will prove victorious in their Force confrontation, they relinquish their hold onto their powers and dash at each other, lightsabers targeting each other's bodies but both come into contact with their respective lightsabers.
"You are a fool, Sidious, you attempted to kill me when I was in a supposed drunken state. You were naive enough to believe that I wouldn't have suspected you for this betrayal. I must thank you, my old apprentice, for when your life is forfeit, I will be the dominating power of the dark side, no exceptions." Plagueis declares darkly, thrusting his lightsabers forward, missing Sidious's heart in just a second.
Sidious sidesteps another volley of blows that Plagueis sends at him, twirling his lightsabers a second later at the Muun Sith Lord, who counters each of his blows with ease. Rotating on his heel, Plagueis sends another barrage of assaults which Sidious dodges before deactivating his lightsabers, causing Plagueis to stand in a fighting pose.
"Running away, Sidious?" Plagueis growls darkly, glaring at the Naboo Sith Lord, golden orbs brightening. "I have expected better from you."
"I was always stronger and more powerful than you, Plagueis," Sidious replies smoothly, grasping the hilts of his lightsabers before shedding them as if they disappeared within his dark christened robes. "You are not my better, but a Sith who has decayed and became weak with age. You survived longer than you should have."
White electricity builds up from within Sidious's free left hand before he sends it at Plagueis, attempting to catch him off-guard. Slowly, the Muun disengages his lightsaber, pocketing it before throwing his hands up to deflect the Assault.
"You cannot hold your outclassed powers forever, my old Master," Sidious declares calmly, pressing on his relentless attack, attempting to penetrate past his currents of blocking.
"Nor can you, Sidious," Plagueis replies simply, sensing his teeth grinding within his mouth but not willing to allow himself to perish. "You are not completely powerful, Sidious. Not even myself. We both have our limitations."
Sidious scoffs. "Speaking like a true Jedi! You have grown weak and ineffective! You would have destroyed the title of the Sith but I would save our Order!"
He throws a hurl of energy towards his electricity power, propelling further power, and Plagueis stumbles slightly but remains concentrated, forming his layers of powers, before he is thrown into the nearby wall, leaving his cackling former Apprentice.
Sidious claps both his hands together, "Your performance is proving lacking, Darth Plagueis. I am no longer your apprentice. You are no longer my Master, for you are weak."
Plagueis begins throwing his hurl of power which knocks Sidious back, relishing his assault and forcing Sidious down the chambers of the office before standing up, grasping his second lightsaber and igniting it, towering over his failed Apprentice.
"You are still blinded by lust, Sidious. You had an opening to kill me yet you choose to merely cackle as if I am truly defenseless and am at your mercy." Plagueis says, eyeing Sidious, feeling his former apprentice's rage growing. "You may not receive a second chance to do so again, my old apprentice."
"We shall see," Sidious replies tightly, building up the dark side around himself and propelling hell itself, throwing chairs, chunks, and even a table at Plagueis in full-on hyperspeed.
He begins to skillfully hack away at the floating material, dodging and sidestepping, before jumping into the air, temporarily lowering his defenses at blocking the attacks coming at him. The Naboo-born Sith Lord grins, two teeth ground together, hurling his combined power of the dark side against the momentarily off-guard Sith, sending him into the wall, cracking it, and causing stones to collapse onto the Muun Sith Lord.
"Disgrace," Sidious remarks to the piles of stone, walking forward slowly, knowing that his former Master has survived worse and that he must damage his respirator immensely before moving in for the kill.
The stones are suddenly thrown at him, debris and wind itself slamming back at him, a dark monolith standing in front of all these stones, lightsabers rotating in the air to the Naboo Sith, provoking him to raise his hands and propel the lightsabers onto the floor, but the attack doesn't end there. The Naboo-born Sith does several back-flips, sending his power of electricity elevating towards the packs of stone though not even that could stop him.
Sidious is reduced to crouching, awaiting the entourage to end before moving around, surprised to see that Plagueis is not moving from the spot, though still in a battle position. Admittedly he would have expected Plagueis to be hacking away at him, attempting to behead him, but the Muun Sith still knows how to catch him by the element of surprise.
"You insubordinate child," Plagueis states coldly, positioning both lightsabers behind his back with a simple flurry. "You have the tendency to mock instead of moving in for the kill, something that nearly cost you your life for years. Eventually, that arrogance will be the ultimate cause of your demise."
"We shall see," Sidious says, clasping both hands together, glaring daggers in his golden eyes like a black hole. "You should have predicted with all your delusions and talks of power that I was going to overthrow you."
"That is the problem that led to our near obliteration centuries ago. With a single master and a single learner, things will get left out or forgotten, holocrons of vital information will be lost, and misunderstandings of the lore will proliferate. Some things considered so absolutely basic as needing no explanation will fail to be explained and the learner will fail to learn. An impatient apprentice may strike when he feels he is ready, though woefully lacking in training, and through sneakiness, raw combat ability, and/or luck he kills his master. The probabilities point towards a degenerative spiral rather than steadily increasing power. The greatest advantage of society is the ability of the great minds of one generation to build upon the great minds of the previous generations. When you reduce the population of each generation to a single person, the points of failure are too many to maintain an increase in knowledge." Plagueis replies, glaring at his traitorous apprentice and ensuring he isn't going to try anything. He should have never trained him from the beginning.
"Even when we consider the fact of your rule of two, you are still viewed as an individual who is incapable of asserting your dominance. The very purpose of the Rule of Two was to ensure that each Sith generation was stronger than the previous one. That means that it wasn't enough for the apprentice to just kill his master to succeed him. You had to over-power me, which means confronting me directly in mortal combat, at the peak of my power. At this point, even if you defeat me in combat, the ascend of the Sith Order's power would be in question. As if that wasn't enough though, your method of eliminating me was by assassinating me in my sleep. As such, your power was never even remotely put up against that of mine and, in extension, that of the rest of the Sith that came before us. Following the terms of either Order rather than the old Order or the Rule of Two, you are still weak and a failure. Perhaps you would eventually did end up more powerful than our predecessors. Either way, it was never done through the application of the Rule of Two that you follow, Sidious." Plagueis continues, a cruel levity filling him at the rage that is beginning to blind his former apprentice. This is nothing but a trap that Plagueis have formulated together.
And fall for the temporary trap he did.
Sidious scowls. "Perhaps you are right, my old Master, but you have forgotten one thing. That the Jedi was close to discovering us if they haven't with the traitor in our ways, Darth Vader. Tell me, what did you plan to do with him? Did you plan to have him do combat with me and replace me then use him as a weapon until he overthrows you?"
"I already told you what I planned to do with him. He was showing the makings of a warrior, showing someone who is firmly in the balance of the dark side, and he isn't someone with an unsophisticated mind. He is someone who could have been utilized against many of our enemies, a public figurehead who would have been the instrument we could have used. All I needed was to tame him, play at his better nature, and we would have had a powerful ally along with power Acolytes and the making of a new Order where we would have all ruled as one." Plagueis responds with despondency before tilting his head down in shame, almost as if he is genuinely remorseful of something. "Unfortunately, this is a plan that shall no longer involve you, my old apprentice."
"Vader had ill intentions against me from the beginning. He hates me." Sidious replies, recalling the previous encounter where Vader glared at him, the Force itself glaring at him, almost as if attempting to constrain itself but prepared to move.
Plagueis shrugs as if unconcerned. "Perhaps he was, but the fact still remains. It is no mood point, Sidious, you were the one who unleashed this Sith war between us, this war that should have never occurred. The one who almost unleashed Vader against you. You should have stayed yourself, at least until we rose to power. I wouldn't have used him against you, not when we could have remained aligned that would have made us victorious for many years. I wanted to train you in seeing my view, observing your potential from afar, and assisting you in killing your entire family with your power. In the rule of two an apprentice must kill his Master to become the reigning dark Lord. But what if during a fight the two Sith killed each other? The entire Sith Order could be destroyed in one battle. I told you this before but you refuse to listen, to understand, and that is what astonishes me, my old apprentice."
"I am no longer your apprentice, old man!" Sidious shouts, the power building up around him, releasing a force of power directly against Plagueis, causing him to slam his head harmfully onto the floor.
Yet, he is surprised by the grin flashing across his old Master's face when a crimson pierce flies directly at him, forcing the Sith Lord to dance around the piercing belonging to the dark side before the Naboo Sith launches over his former Master and extends lightning at the Muun before he sees it.
Before the Muun Sith can block the electricity with both lightsabers, his body is consumed by tendrils of lightning, snakes of thunder crashing against Plagueis's body before he is blasted out of the window, making Sidious stare down as his former Master lands on the ground of the landing pad below.
Not willing to allow Plagueis to escape now, Sidious jumps down, the dark side itself crashing against him as he begins to walk down, before he raises his gnarled hands, sensing the Force screaming in warning before two crimson blurs come at his hands, who comes to the floor, now stumped.
Quickly dodging out of the way of the strikes, Sidious advances on top of a pillar, glaring down at Plagueis who has a smirk crossing his lips, his hands squeezing his two crimson lightsabers as he glares up at Darth Sidious.
"You lost, Sidious," Plagueis says, angling his two crimson lightsabers before sending the lightning back at Sidious, causing him to produce a shield around him with the Force itself before blasting the electricity back with the mind's eye, knocking him away and slamming him into the wall, small remnants of his lightning coursing around the Muun.
"Even without my hands, Plagueis, I am not defenseless," Sidious spats, before the hands themselves begin to regenerate, bone and skin growing back as if they have never been amputated and sprawled across the ground. "I have learned much from beyond your understanding. Perhaps I would be able to tell you the locations of where I have gained this knowledge before I destroy you."
Plagueis himself appears to be stunned for a moment before a smirk crosses his lips, "Your power of Sith Alchemy has never ceased to amaze me, my former apprentice."
And crackles of lightning vibrate into the air, thunder crashing as it is about to rain before he propels the electricity along with the thunder towards Plagueis. The Muun is unable to dodge nor truly deflect the blow, forming a red shield, though Sidious's power crashes through the barrier, exploding the Muun's parry and slamming him into a wall, leaving a large crack and shrapnel in their wake.
"Wounded, Master?" Sidious questions coldly, taking the chance to send electricity towards the down Plagueis, flames beginning to surround the Dark Lord, hitting his head. It would have been amazing to any other that he is still alive.
Sidious ignites one of his lightsabers within his dark robes and dashes forward, preparing to lunge his lightsaber through his former Master's throat.
A barrage of Force Blasts comes at the Sith Lord, though he barely is staggered, piercing his lightsabers through where Plagueis's head should be yet he is surprised to see there is instead a pipe which smoke explodes into his eyes, forcing him back and causing him to growl, clutching his wounded eye
The smoke didn't truly damage the Sith Lord's vision, but it did stun him for a moment. He knows he will have to be careful against his former Master as he still has the treachery mind that every Sith before them has.
"Why must you resist my rise to power, Master? We both know I would be victorious." Sidious's lips twitch before he seizes the limping Plagueis and throws him against the wall.
"Don't you see, Sidious?" Plagueis replies, struggling to stand up. "Even if you defeat me, sooner or later the Jedi will catch you. Or better, even Vader would engage you and kill you in single combat."
"The Jedi each have been incapable to hunt us," Sidious replies, sending a massive Force Blast against Plagueis's direction, causing him to fly up before he walks forward, sending torrents of electricity towards the Muun. "Perhaps I should not kill you. Perhaps I should take your body and turn you into my Apprentice. There are many techniques that would leave you barred from your potential, Master, that I would be able to use you."
Plagueis snarls. "I WOULD NEVER SERVE YOU, BOY!"
Sidious smirks at the aggression of Plagueis, feeling like for once he is the Master in this fierce dance.
At those words, Plagueis's eyes are now an icy crimson, before he appears to grab the lightning with the Force and propel it back at his former apprentice. Sidious, unexpected of this assault, is forced backward.
"I am no one's weapon, Sidious. We are no Jedi. When we fight, one must win and the other must die." Plagueis says before seizing Sidious into the air, yanking him back and forward, throwing harsh metals against Sidious before Force Pushing the Sith across the air.
He didn't give Sidious a chance to recover, springing into the air towards Sidious, lightsabers activating as he crashes against him, going full onto the offensive, and his former apprentice can only dodge before he barely manages to reach out for one of the lightsaber and blocks each of the assault. Their lightsabers seem to roar as they crackle, with Sidious attempting to avoid a head decapitation before the Muun knees him in the spine, sending lightning towards Sidious and knocking him over the ramp to the street below.
Plagueis jumps after him, staring around and noticing the crates and pipes. Between them is his former apprentice, and a scowl would have been on his face if he was still able to do so.
"You have been known to have spares over your weapon, my old apprentice," Plagueis says somewhat soothingly, eyes dilating as if he is recalling something.
Sidious says nothing as if welcoming the next attack, falling into a Makashi stance and waiting for the Muun to attack to lure him into a trap.
The Muun charges, blocking the lightning in mid-air before crashing it against his Apprentice and slamming him against the wall. Suddenly, pipes and crates are sent at him from all directions, causing him to swipe at each of them or send them away with a mental Force Push, countering each blow, pushing the strikes away from him, their lightsabers locking every clash.
Plagueis flicks his wrist to the side, attempting to feign a movement to the right. Sidious sees through it and swipes downwards as if he is falling into a trap before pulling his blade back up, flipping to the side, all the while swinging his lightsabers down to the Muun's arm.
The Muun is barely able to evade the strike to his right arm, failing to do so completely as his arm is pierced before slicing upwards, rotating his lightsaber though each of his efforts is countered by Sidious's lightsaber.
"Done yet?" Sidious inquires, grating on Plagueis's patience.
"Shut the kriff up and let me rip your throat out, Sidious!" Plagueis snarls, now playing the role of the aggressor, slicing at his throat which only misses by mere meters.
"Ah, you are desperate too now. Good." The younger Sith crackles, jumping away from Plagueis's slash.
Just as swift, turrets are activated, and blaster bolts come towards Plagueis, forcing him to deflect each of the bolts, his crimson orb directed towards Plagueis's eyes before he leaps upwards into the office.
Deactivating both lightsabers, Plagueis plants them onto his belt. Flames extend from his hands and crash against the turrets, causing them to disintegrate before approaching in a pouncing position and jumping up in front of Sidious.
"Going somewhere, Sidious?" Plagueis snarls, activating both lightsabers and positioning them in front of him, a noticeable strain on his muscles becoming obvious. The more he is continuing through the battle, the more he feels himself losing, all hope for him to survive appears to be lost.
Sidious swipes his lightsaber side to side, a sickly grin crossing his lips, responding. "You were never meant to succeed, my old Master. At the end your supposed tame pacifism shall be your greatest failure. While I may have wanted to morphed you into my slave, I decided I will kill you and keep your body as a trophy as a warning to others who may attempt to rebel against me. My Sith Empire will be the greatest power in the universe!"
Sidious launches towards the Muun, bloodthirsty for the man who he once called Master, and to finally strike him down as coordination within Sith tradition. He has fought many rivals! Jedi who was unfortunate to clash blades with him! He would kill his Master! He would be able to rule the galaxy without opposition! That fool, Vader, shall follow in a similar path as would all who follow him!
Plagueis blocks each of the blows perfectly, after years of training by himself after his former Master pragmatically casts him out, which allowed him to kill his Master's other apprentice.
Sending swipes towards Sidious, his wave of anger combining into one, cleaving and hacking away at him before one of his lightsabers pierces past his defensive, Plagueis hinders each of Sidious's pitiful attempts to kill him. Seconds away from chopping off his head, he misses only because Sidious sidestep, destroying the left lightsaber and grazing the hand with the intensity of his lightsaber.
Sidious sneers before sending a flurry of lightning directly towards the Muun Sith Lord with his hand, clenching it up into a fist, beginning to strain his old Master's respirator when Plagueis bellows, releasing a lake of a Force Blast towards the Sith Lord, launching up into the air towards the descending Sith Lord, his fury rising to a climax, charging with incredible speed, forcing Sidious onto the defensive as he barely manages to sidestep the lightsabers or block each strike with the Force.
Amid his anger, Plagueis misdirects an assault in which Sidious and closes in once more, impaling the Muun in the torso, smirking as he begins to pull the blade up when Plagueis grabs him by his throat and slams him across the ground, deactivating both of his lightsabers, propelling them to the side, and merely taking the lightsaber out of the spot where he been stab in and cracking the hilt with his robotic hand before throwing the damaged hilt to the outside of the window.
"That's all you got, my old apprentice?" The Muun speaks, his voice almost as thunderous applauds, a thousand roars in rings surrounding him.
Sidious frowns. "Do not think I would have thought this an easy confrontation, Plagueis. Until your head is on my throne, I shall remain vigilant, even now."
"Then perhaps you are stronger than I thought," Plagueis responds, his fist forming a repulse which causes Sidious to leap out of the way. "I wonder if your future apprentices would have been just as powerful or if you would have been still sticking with animals."
Sidious sends a portion of lightning towards Plagueis which the Muun deflects, a shield wrapping around the Muun Sith Lord before suddenly flames burn in the Muun's hands before throwing the barrage at the Naboo Sith who manages to evade the Force Attack. He outstretches his hand as do Plagueis for the two lightsabers that land in the opposite hand, both activating the lightsabers and eyeing each other down.
"Ramble all you want if you must, Plagueis. It will not avoid the inevitable. Whoever my apprentice will be shall be more than you ever be." Sidious counters hotly, narrowing his golden eyes directly into the eyes of the Muun Sith, the sadistic grin on his lips.
"Ah, yes, your next pet, but you fool. They would merely an individual who will be bested in battle, for they could never see what it means to be Sith." Plagueis responds, eyes diluting with currents of flames, power radiating through him that he elevates towards Sidious which causes him to deflect the round of Force Assault. "I shall be Sith Master shortly."
Both raise their lightsabers, e coming at each other in offensive and defensive, the Force blurring crimson, the ground trembling. There is no communication; there need not be - swipes, assaults, attacks, coming directly at each other, shoving each other backward as their lightsabers pivot at each other.
"We shall see, my old Master," Sidious replies, a grin crossing his lips.
Sidious feels a mirthless smirk forming on his lips.
This is no longer a battle between two Sith Lords, two individuals who want to form Empires in their way. This is a battle between two ideologies, two individuals who just want the other to burn. Their intensity crackles against one another and it appears to be a fight of endless motion after a few minutes.
Exchanging blows after blows as they clash against each other relentlessly, Sidious falls in Makashi and swings into Plagueis's direction which the latter counters with an impressive manner of Soresu. This is not a contest of mere lightsaber combat. This is a contest with one Sith Order against another. Lightsabers crackle off of one another, hacks, jabs, and parries tested to their fullest potential.
Every Sith, ranging from Ajunta Pall to Darth Revan, among the grave stares at the battle, their echoes evident to feel across the middle of this battle of Sith and Sith, the dark side growing ever more powerful and intense. Drawing on the hatred for one another that they have for one another, forcing Force Assaults and blows at each other, the future between who would be the victor.
Sidious and Plagueis aggressively lock blades, both staring at each other with a strain in their eyes. There are no words. There need not be as their combined forms leave each other in a stalemate, casually blocking and sidestepping, Sidious finding himself being on the defensive, growling as he locks blades with his foe.
Not so surprisingly, Plagueis ceases attempting to kill him, propelling himself backward before deactivating his lightsaber, leaving Sidious to wonder what the old Sith would do, but he appears to be thinking about something, golden orbs searching before he nods.
"Who is Vader?" Plagueis inquires as if he is contemplating a school topic as a teacher would do for a class of students. "Ever since he arrived, I have thought of him as your student, but even that is not a proper conclusion. I can sense he is much more."
Sidious knows not to doubt his old Master as this may be a ploy to catch him off-guard and impale him in the back, but he decides to humor the Muun nevertheless.
"He was not my apprentice," Sidious replies. "He was someone who was too powerful to be my Apprentice. Had he been my Apprentice, I would have dispatched him against the Queen and Naboo during the attack of the Trade Federation. You sensed power within him, enough to match that of the Chosen One. He could have been a great power among my powerbase."
"He is greater than even you," Plagueis says, and it is not a taunt.
"He would have been limited on us," Sidious replies angrily, charging Plagueis and deflecting each of the slashes, arcing his lightsabers around him. "Why don't you just die, you fool?!"
Sidious roars, and the dark side sings with him, carrying each of his movements, accelerating his power against that of his former Master.
The Muun Sith cleaves at Sidious which the former blocks before sending his series of assaults towards the Sith Lord. Mustering their attacks at one another, their fury rises with each blow, sabers crackling against each other more and more before Sidious slips past the defense of Plagueis and impales him into the spine before kicking him onto the ground.
"You may have once been able to best me, my old Master," Sidious makes his victory obvious, "but your skills have passed their prime."
Plagueis coughs. "We shall see."
And suddenly Plagueis slams a wave of daggers against Sidious, hurling him backward before he halts in midair, and suddenly, just as the Muun stands up, a desk and three chairs crash against him, knocking him onto the carpet before the lightsaber comes straight at him like a boomerang, and he barely manages to duck twice when the lightsaber comes back towards Sidious.
"Even fatigued, Sidious, your powers are a sight to behold," Plagueis says, knowing that he is losing his energy more he puts up this desperate.
Sidious gives no response, opting to lift Plagueis and sending another torrent of lightning towards him, making Plagueis shout as he is forced into the ceiling before onto the ground.
And Sidious is barely able to jump to the side when a twirling wheeze in the air sprouts from Plagueis's hand before the Muun blocks more lightning extending towards his direction before a Force Wave extends at the Naboo Sith, not slamming him back but staggering him before Plagueis lands onto the ground, catching the other lightsaber.
An instant too late Plagueis realizes that Sidious is building up a Force power and he barely manages to hinder it, though he is dull enough for Sidious to cease it and slams his lightsaber to his thigh, pressing upwards before Plagueis bellows and falls away.
The power of the Sith Lords unleashes, and they interlock lightsabers. There is no victor, for there have been no other opportunities, both standing in the middle of the silent corridors where the wind crashes in. Whatever happens next would be the deciding factor.
The Naboo Sith Lord tilts his head, sending glass and desks against his Master, causing him to crash onto the floor into a heap, the glass scraping across his body, especially his head.
Plagueis attempts to stand once more when his traitorous apprentice lunges forward, chopping his left arm clear off, making him shout as the stump where his arm once was poured blood.
"I have won," he says, almost a mechanical laugh forming on his lips. "Escape is impossible now, my old Master, and now you shall perish. It was a miracle to learn from you, for I would establish the greatest Sith Empire that the galaxy could have ever dreamed of."
What had once been the strong and tall Sith Lord is now replaced by an old man who has been bested and outclassed by the boy who he has once seen as a perfect legacy. Agony is crawling up his body, his skin peeling more, his armor tearing against his body.
"A great day Lord Plagueis. With your death, it would all but mark the death of the Republic and rise of the Empire in all but titles. It is humorous at how you believed you took me for a fool. Your feeble schemes to overthrow me using that pathetic Sith, Vader, of your apprentice were pitifully obvious from their inception. Now, Damask, you will die."
Plagueis is on the ground, eyes widened as he stares up at the greater Sith, the boy with who he has wasted so much of his potential, now that all have been turned back against him.
The dark side still does not abandon him even in the end...
Plagueis would have to find a way to not allow this boy who has become so powerful to live. Clarity strikes, and he sees the dark side completely and utterly evaporated from the galaxy, sees where the then master of the dark side is being whirled down a core shaft of some sort, sees where the light rises above the darkness, and sees where the dark side is destroyed entirely.
Every fiber of the Sith Lord burns up. He would survive this day and the rule of two would be brought to an end under any means necessary.
The power of the dark side screams from within Plagueis in a last-ditch effort. He is the only one who could save the Sith from their unbecoming destruction. He is the embodiment of what the Sith of old was, someone who is the legacy of the ancient Sith, not of that fool, Bane, whose efforts only weakened the Sith but the legacy of Ajunta Pall and Tulak Hord.
The ancient Sith from the Empire from long ago guides his movement, and he screams, a scream that fuels his energy, the energy that comes from his very lungs, crashing against that of not only Sidious but every descendant from Bane's flawed Order. The tables are knocked over, the glass to the windows shattered, and the carpets, couches, chairs, and other furniture completely obliterated.
Sidious is not an easy one to fall, having every teaching that has been earned from Bane's Order, crimson currents crashing against his Master, unaffected by whatever is thrown at him even glass, releasing a similar scream to his Master, not willing to allow himself to be defeated so easily by the likes of the Sith who he has promised to destroy.
At last, the defeated Sith collapses onto the ground, spent and all but severed from the Force, energy drained from him completely.
A thousand generations now rely on the victor.
The greater Sith...
In the end, he has been foolish, a collision of his destruction.
This has gone completely against him. Now, he realizes that ever attempting to do this was foolish and that, either way, he would have lost.
This isn't how it is supposed to be. He would have been a perfect Sith Lord, someone who could have been the embodiment of the dark side, someone who would have created wonders among the ancient title of the Sith. Darth Bane would have been insignificant compared to his own abilities, a black hole of unlimited power.
Dreams of what he could have been would never happen now.
And the dark side embraces its fallen user who would have been a perfect Sith for the final time.
And so, the victor - Plagueis - moves like the phantom of the dark side, right hand clutching the lightsaber, decapitating the head of his traitorous apprentice. The moment Sidious collapses to the ground, something screams out at him, colliding as if the death of his student...
Something isn't right about it. It is almost as if he...
No, Plagueis won. He could have eventually grown to match him, but now Plagueis is alone and wouldn't need Sidious any longer, not when he has plans for greater individuals that would follow his cause.
A white light emerges from within the room, and Darth Plagueis can't shake the feeling something isn't right. No matter, the Muun is alone and wouldn't need Sidious any longer, not when he has plans for greater individuals that would follow his cause.
"Such a wasted cause."
The rule of two shall be brought to an end.
Even should Maul be able to kill Kenobi and Jinn which he has little doubt he would be able to do with Vader being present, the Muun would have to see to it that he isn't allowed to roam in the galaxy, that Sidious's legacy doesn't be allowed to be continued.
Plagueis laughs.
Sidious has been a failed servant.
Now is the time for him to be the ultimate power in the universe.