Hey guys! I'm back! Did ya miss me? I had a great vacation, but I'm very happy to give you guys an update after so long. It's only been a week, but it feels like it's been longer. Chapters 40-41 have been redone, so check those out if you like.
Chapter 66 responses:
Sica Meni: Thanx! I had a great time. Part of Obi-Wan and Arica's fight is below, though personally I don't see what the big anticipation is…
G-Anakin 13: It's eventually intent will be pure evil. The episode I'm doing now would most definitely fall in that category. It's very heartbreaking since a lot of major characters get killed off. Episode VI, I would say is a mixture of both light and dark, though there are several conflicts in it. It ends a bit dark, but yet has a happy ending. Sounds strange, doesn't it? Episode VII, I would say is interesting. A major betrayal takes place in it, but I wouldn't practically categorize it as dark. Episode VIII is one of my favorites. It's probably the most action-packed episode I've done so far because so much happens in it. I'll give one small hint: A Jedi uprising takes place during the empire era.
JainaZekk621: Welcome to the story! I'm glad you like it. Here's your update. I'm sorry you had to wait so long. I've just been so busy the past few days.
TnTornado: Welcome to the story! I'm glad you think it's interesting and I hope you continue to enjoy liking it.
The Lure of the Dark Side: Chronicle 1-The Turning of an Era
Episode V: Revenge of the Sith
Chapter 22: The Tides Begin to Change
Outer Rim Planet, Utapau
Because General Grievous was informed by her master of Obi-Wan Kenobi's impending arrival before the effect, she wasn't surprised when one of her Magna Guards alerted her that a Delta 7 Aethersprite star fighter – the Jedi star fighter of choice – had just arrived in orbit of the planet.
Time to get the Separatists Council off world, but… first things first.
Once the Council was informed to be waiting in the main hanger of the Confederacy's planetary command center and droid factory, Unlimited Projection, she, flanked with two of her Magna Guards, left the ten story high Lucrehulk-class Core Ship and entered the sinkhole city she and her forces occupied, Pau City, where she held the Utapaun leaders of the planet hostage in their own chambers.
The sinkhole world of Utapau was shared by two symbiotic near-human races, whose ancestors settled the planet some 57,000 years previous. The languid, gray-skinned Pau'ans comprised only thirty percent of the planetary population, but served as Port Masters, bureaucrats and patricians of the world. The stubby, humble Utai comprised the Utapaun labor class, maintaining the windmills of their sinkhole cities and serving as handlers for the native Varatcyl and Dactillion dragon mounts.
Originally, the Pau'ans and Utai lived separate lives; the former on the unremarkable surface, the Utai deep underground. However, thanks to the efforts of Utapaun nobles such as Timon Medan and the Fey family – in conjunction to a natural climate change – the two species were united. The Pau'ans moved underground, and added their own, unique touch to the Utai cities. The sinkhole communities soon became a mixture of Pau'an and Utai architecture. The cities were built into the crevasses and rocky ledges that lined the edges of the sinkhole.
Pau City in particular was a settlement governed by the descendant of Timon Medon, Tion Medon, a large sinkhole sanctuary plunging deep into the planet's surface. Serving as Utapau's spaceport, Pau City ushered the planet's few visitors into the depths of the sinkholes.
The city was built into the walls and cavities of one of Utapau's large sinkholes. Many kilometers wide, and even more deep, the sinkhole was linked to neighboring sanctuaries via deep canyons running between the natural depressions. The scrub-covered surface was unremarkable; life on Utapau flourished underground.
Pau City was divided into sectors; visitors were welcomed in the main spaceport, an area littered with landing platforms and docks. Residential and commercial areas were spread across the sinkhole, while Utai workers in the industrial regions forged elegant weapons and ornate machines for their Pau'an administrators.
Shortly before the Second Battle of Coruscant, Grievous landed in the city, demanding sanctuary for her forces. She threatened to destroy Tion Medon's city if he did not assist, or if he were to bring in aid from the Republic. Medan had no choice but to allow the Separatists to use his sanctuary as their base of operations.
The Utapau Council Chambers were located to the left of a large open space dominated by a central spire rising from the rocky ground, Timon Medon Plaza. Everywhere you looked, all that was seen were B-1 battle droids and even some destroyer droids keeping the area under control; blasters raised and ready for action. They all saluted upon seeing their Supreme Commander, but the droids might as well began shooting themselves for all she cared. They were ignored.
The Council Chambers themselves were even more heavily guarded with at least a hundred of her forces scouting all areas of the building. None of the committee could escape even if they wanted to, but Grievous knew they didn't. They wouldn't for the fear of their city.
"Tion Medon!" she called upon arriving inside the main chamber hall.
The Utapaun Master of Port Administration rose from his high chair at the room's center and stepped forward, surrounded by battle droids. His few aids and committee members stayed back, conversing among themselves. That's the way the General wanted it to stay.
"General Grievous," he greeted. "What brings you down to see us on this fine day?"
She ignored the question. "A Jedi named Obi-Wan Kenobi will be arriving several minutes from now," she informed. "You will go to greet him, but will not tell him anything about myself, or the Separatists. Have I made myself clear?"
"Perfectly General."
"Good," she cooed. "Now, will I be able to trust you and your council enough to go to the spaceport without supervision and not trying to escape?"
"Yes General," he replied. "I have no intentions on escaping. After all, where would I go?"
She once again ignored the Utapaun's question. "Be off than. I have a meeting to be at."
Tion Medon nodded and he and his Council began to leave the room, though Arica remained standing where she was. As they walked by, she threw a small listening device into the administrator's pocket, enabling her to listen into his conversation with Kenobi.
She and her Magna Guards proceeded out of the city and into the now desolate watchtower above the Core ship. She wanted to see as well as hear Kenobi's arrival.
She didn't have to wait long. Several minutes later, the Jedi star fighter arrived in the sinkhole and landed at the planetary spaceport. As Kenobi climbed out of his star fighter, Arica saw Tion Medon approaching him and clicked on her listening device.
"Greetings, young Jedi," he said gravely as Kenobi gave a respectful bow. "What brings you to our remote sanctuary?"
"Unfortunately the war," the Jedi replied.
"There's no war here." Medon said a bit too stiffly for her tastes. "Unless you've brought it with you."
Kenobi gave another respectful bow. "With your kind permission I would like some fuel. And to use your city as a base as I search nearby systems for General Grievous."
Tion Medan turned and said something in one of the native Utapaun tongues – either Pau'an or Utai – to three nearby Utai spaceport workers. Nodding to whatever it was he said, they hastily grabbed a few fuel pumps and ran towards Kenobi's star fighter to do as obviously ordered.
Tion Medon than took a step closer to Kenobi and whispered, "She is here. We are being held hostage. They are watching us."
"I understand," Kenobi said.
"Tenth level. Thousands of battle droids!" Tion Medon hissed.
"Have your people take shelter," the Jedi advised. "If you have warriors, now is the time."
They both gave the other another respectful bow before Medan, council in tow, walked off the way they came and Kenobi returned to his ship. He said something to his star fighter droid and left the spaceport. The small ship took off into the sky not long after.
"Come!" Arica motioned to her Magna Guards, and together they returned to Unlimited Projection's hanger where the Separatists Council was waiting for her.
"Finally!" Viceroy Nute Gunray said upon her arrival outside the lift that led to the top level. "We've been waiting for the past ten minutes now General. And it's about time that you've-"
"Silence!" She glared at her fellow members – all aliens – as she approached and simply stood studying them a moment before speaking.
"As I'm sure you've all figured out by now, it won't be long before the armies of the Republic track us here." She allowed a moment of silence to go by as they all exchanged worried glances and continued. "As such, I am sending you to the Mustafar system in the outer rim. The planet Mustafar itself is a volcanic industrial world of fiery hotness. I can assure that you will be safe there."
"Safe! Hmpf." Arica stopped her pacing and turned. A snarl lit her face at who had spoken. It was Gunray. "Chancellor Palpatine managed to escape your grip General," he continued. "Without Count Dooku, I have doubts about your ability to keep us safe."
Her eyes flashed. "Be thankful Viceroy," she said advancing on him, "that you have not found yourself in my grip."
With a swift twirl, she gestured towards the nearby ship that would take them to their new base. "Your ship is waiting. Be off."
The teenage general watched the Council of eight members board the ship and take off into the sky. She was mildly disgusted to see it go, wondering how angry Sidious would've been if she simply left them here to fend for themselves against Kenobi's attack while she went elsewhere. Though this thought humored her, it also brought her attention to the possibilities of Kenobi's entrance; when and how he'd do so. It was obvious that he wouldn't be doing it with his pet clones, at least not at first. He'd come to Utapau alone; attempting to trick her into thinking backup wouldn't eventually arrive. Arica shook her head at the patheticness of the plan. It was rather insulting for him to think she was that dumb.
Instead of thinking about the possible ways he might show up, she decided to simply wait for his arrival. Because he was by himself, it couldn't be that dramatic. He'd probably end up dropping behind her and…
"Hello there!"
Arica turned with a complacent smirk on her face to see… "General Kenobi!"
And there he stood, simply smiling, quite cheerfully, at her.
With a snap of her fingers, Grievous' Magna Guards came to life, electrostaffs lit and twirling. They stepped forward towards the Jedi, enabling Arica to fall back as the other numerous droids in the hanger began to surround the lone Jedi.
"As much as I would enjoy killing you myself, I think I'll let my droids do it for me," she said and gave her Magna Guards the simple command of, "Kill him!"
As her forces moved into position to do as commanded, she wore a simple smirk, watching the scene play out in front of her. Electrostaffs at the ready to strike, the two Magna Guards that were practically upon him as well as several others, charged towards the Jedi. Kenobi merely ignited his lightsaber and stood in a ready stance.
Arica almost laughed. It was all too easy. He'd be dead in no time. She was soon surprised though at Kenobi's use of the Force to have one of the beams from the ceiling collapse in front of him, destroying all seven Magna Guards that had been there, ready to attack him seconds before. Arica's smirk vanished and changed to a glare.
The other droids surrounding Kenobi – B-1s, destroyers, and droidekars mostly – prepared to open fire, but Arica stopped them.
"Back away!" she ordered. "I will deal with this pathetic Jedi myself."
Kenobi merely smiled as he approached her, lightsaber still activated, though it was now arched to the ground. "Your move."
Arica allowed a smug smile. "Gladly."
Throwing off her black & white flowered cloak that revealed a black leather halter top and pants beneath, she ignited the blue blades of her two last Jedi victims during Palpatine's kidnapping, Foul Moudama and Roron Corobb, and attacked, twirling her lightsabers at a rapid blur as she threw herself at him. This only gave her opponent a brief second to readopt his ready stance before she was upon him.
For a while it seemed like Arica was winning the fight, but Kenobi soon began to grab the upper advantage when he abruptly sliced away the lightsaber in her left hand. She had just enough time to yank her hand away so his blade didn't cut the limb off.
As they began to regularly duel, each opponent only having one blade, the sound of blaster fire suddenly interrupted it. Arica turned and scowled at what she saw.
Like expected, a large army of Republic clones were now lowering themselves on belt ropes from gunships and storming the hanger.
Giving this one last look with a shake of her head, she turned back to Kenobi, to find him looking mildly triumphant. Arica merely flashed him her signature smirk.
"Army, or not. That's not going to stop me from killing you."
Kenobi simply gave her a smirk of his own. "You will try Arica, but that doesn't mean you'll succeed."
And before she knew what was happening, Arica was being Force shoved up onto a higher level of the hanger, only to than fall back down onto the one underneath Kenobi. It just so happened that her speeder bike was parked a few meters away, just waiting to be used.
Knowing she was outnumbered, she lifted herself off her back and began to run towards it, with Kenobi hot on her tail. Once atop the speeder, she quickly started the ignition and took off right towards Kenobi. She saw his eyes widen as she got nearer and nearer to him. But just when it looked like she was going to run over the Jedi, he suddenly jumped onto the lower level. Turning around slightly for a second, Arica saw Kenobi holding his fingers to his mouth and give a whistle. Obviously, he was calling for one of the native dragon creatures he'd come to the base on.
Stepping down hard on the accelerator, she raced out of the hanger and Core ship, falling several dozen feet below and into the Republic swarmed Pau City with her destination being her escape ship.
Core World, Coruscant - Jedi Temple
Located in the highest tower of the Jedi Temple, usually referred to as the temple spire, was the war room. This room enabled the Jedi Generals of the war – Senior or High – to keep track of the current positions of all off planet Jedi fighting in the war. Its current occupants included the live forms of Anakin and Master Windu and the holopresences of Yoda, Ki-Adi Mundi and Aayla Secura.
They were just going over the positions of war on each of the worlds the three holographic Jedi were on – Kashyyyk, Mygeeto and Felucia – when the holographic projector beeped with an incoming message from Utapau. The holographic form of clone commander Cody appeared an instant later.
"Master Windu? May I interrupt?" the non-helmeted clone asked.
A simple nod from Windu answered this. "General Kenobi has made contact with General Grievous. And we have begun our attack."
"Thank you Commander."
Cody gave a nod and the transmission ended.
Windu turned to his fellow room occupant. "Anakin, take this report to the Chancellor. His reaction will give us a clue to his intention."
Anakin nodded respectively. "Yes master."
Once Anakin had left the room, Mace Windu turned back to the holopresences of the other Jedi.
"I sense a plot to destroy the Jedi," he stated. "The dark side of the Force surrounds the Chancellor. And yet..." He paused briefly in hesitation. "And yet, it's as if I sense something else as well. A new dark presence that has been hiding for some time and has just now decided to show itself."
"Hmm." While Mundi and Secura looked slightly confused, Yoda appeared thoughtful. "Sense this as well I do," the small master voiced. "Tread carefully, you must Master Windu. Do not know what it is capable of, this dark presence is, or whom it may be. At all times, keep your eyes open you must. Not even one shadow should be ignored…"
Core World, Coruscant - Galactic Senate Building
Anakin arrived at the Galactic Senate Building from the temple via air taxi and headed for the Chancellor's office. Seeing that the Republic's Supreme ruler wasn't in the outer chambers, Anakin headed, if yet slightly hesitant, into the inner, more private chambers.
Feeling Anakin's presence approaching behind him, Palpatine quickly turned off the holograph of the Death Star he'd been studying and swung around in his chair to face the boy.
"Chancellor," Anakin greeted with a slight nod. "We've just received a report from Master Kenobi. He has engaged General Grievous."
Palpatine allowed a grim expression to light his face. "We only hope that Master Kenobi is up for the challenge."
This brought a sigh from Anakin. "I should be there with him."
"It's upsetting to me to see that the Council doesn't fully appreciate your talents." Palpatine said gently. "Don't you wonder why they won't make you a Jedi Master?"
Anakin shrugged. "I wish I knew. More and more I get the feeling that I'm being excluded from the Council."
He paused a moment and adopted a determined, almost angry look. "I know there are things about the Force that they're not telling me."
Palpatine nodded in what Anakin probably thought was understanding, but it wasn't.
It was time.
"They don't trust you Anakin." Palpatine rose from his seat and placed a sympathetic hand on Anakin's shoulder. He then motioned for Anakin to follow him out into the hall that connected the inner and outer chambers of his office. "They see your future. They know that your power will be too strong to control. You must brake through the fork of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you to know the sodalities of the Force."
Anakin was confused. "How do you know the ways of the Force?"
The Chancellor gave a mysterious smile. "My mentor taught me everything about the Force. Even the nature of the dark side."
There was a moment of shocked silence before Anakin moved ahead of the Chancellor, and simply looked at him, betrayal and confusion evident on his face. "You know the dark side?" he asked, obviously thinking he'd miss heard the Chancellor.
Palpatine ignored the question. "Anakin, if one is to discover the great mystery, one must study all it's aspects, not just the dogmatic narrow view of the Jedi." Anakin's face was now expressionless. "If you wish to become a great and wish leader you must embrace…"
He allowed a mild grin.
"…a larger view of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin." They were now circling each other. "Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the dark side of the Force, and you will be able to save your wife, from certain death."
Sidious smirked at Anakin's stunned face. "What did you say?"
Again, he ignored the question. "Use my knowledge I beg you."
Anakin ignited his lightsaber and held it at Sidious threateningly. "You're the Sith Lord!"
Sidious couldn't careless about the lightsaber that was hovering below his throat as he continued. "I know what's been troubling you. Listen to me. Don't continue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council. Ever since I've known you, you've been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi. A life of significance. Of conscious."
Sidious turned his back to Anakin and felt the boy's lightsaber humming above it.
"Are you going to kill me?" the Sith asked plainly.
"I'd most certainly like to," Anakin snarled.
"I know you would." Sidious whispered, closing his eyes, and drawing on the dark side. "I can feel your anger. I gives you focus, makes you stronger."
Sidious reopened his eyes and turned back to Anakin. The young man looked and felt a cross between quite anger, very confused and betrayed. He lowered his lightsaber and deactivated it.
"I'm going to turn you over to the Jedi Council," he said in a deadly calm, yet threatening voice.
Sidious was slightly humored. "Of course you should," he encouraged. "But you're not sure of their intentions are you?"
"I will quickly discover the truth of all this." Anakin spoke in a leveling voice.
"You have great wisdom Anakin. Know the power of the dark side. Power to save Padme."
With one last look at the Chancellor, Anakin stalked out of the room. Sidious returned to the inner chambers of his office and contacted his daughter via their mental bond.
"Lady Baynetta?"
"Master?" she answered.
"It is time."
"Yes master. Myself and Antellica will arrive post haste."
"See to it that you do."
The connection ended and after also contacting Arica via telepathy to return from Utapau at once, with or without Kenobi's head, Darth Sidious: Dark Lord of the Sith, sat back in his chair and waited for the Jedi to arrive.
The Sith Legacy will finally be reawakened at last.