A/N 1: Well, that took much longer than expected and I apologize for said delay. Had a lot of things catching up to me, and the priority for this got stepped down, slightly.
Anyway, now that all of them are out of the way, the next uploads shouldn't take so long.
And seriously, NO reviews for the last chapter? C'mon, if the Millennium Falcon needs fuel, so do I, in the form of reviews!
Well, I hope you guys enjoy this as much as the previous chapters, and as always, PM me for queries/doubts/suggestions.
Till next time, May the Force keep the winds beneath your wings.
Chapter 7
The Low Altitude Armored Transport (infantry version), or the 'Larty' as the clones had coined them, broke the surface of the clouds as it descended into Tython's atmosphere, it's twin ion engines roaring in it's wake. The craft angled itself towards the Jedi Temple, nestled safely between the hills that dotted the planet's lush-green landscape. The Temple had it's own hangar on it's upmost floor, which could be used by all Jedi Knights and Masters.
Jedi Masters Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi held on to the handrails as the LAAT/i carrying them and a squad of Republic Commandos turned sharply and slowed to a hover a foot above the hangar. The doors slid open once the craft came to a rest and the passengers stepped out, noticing the party that had arrived to greet them.
Turning, Anakin looked into the visor of RC-1309 "Niner" and said, "Omega, head out and report to Rex from the 501st. I believe he's at the training ground right outside the Temple. He will brief you about your training and missions."
"Understood, sir!", they saluted and made to gather all their equipment.
By then, Obi-Wan had moved forward and greeted their welcoming party, comprising of Masters Koon and Ti. Anakin dismissed the troopers and joined them, bowing to the two Councilors.
Bowing in turn, Shaak Ti said, "Welcome to Tython, fellow Councilors. I hope you had a pleasant enough trip?"
"Yes, Master Ti. Thankfully, there was a spare room available aboard my Cruiser, else Anakin's answer would've been slightly different compared to mine."
The two Masters raised their eyebrows quizzically at that.
"Pretty sure he'd have loved to stuff me into the hold if there wasn't a room to spare.", Anakin clarified, while Obi-Wan and the others merely chuckled.
Gesturing towards the corridor, Plo Koon beckoned them to follow him out.
"As this is your first visit to Tython and this Jedi Temple, I would ask you to acquaint yourself with the premises. The Council Chamber is on this floor, at the head of the staircases that lead to the lower level, along with the Library and the generator room. The lower levels house living quarters for all Jedi who require it. Since the Order is currently much larger than it was the last time we fell back upon Tython, additional quarters are being built outside the Temple, towards the back. Right outside the temple are the saber combat training fields, while the main Training Grounds are on the other side of the hills that ring the valley that the Temple is situated in. The Padawans are all trained and housed over there, while the main Temple itself is for Knights and Masters. The training fields right outside are currently being utilized to train the Clone Commandos and ARC Troopers that form up the Special Combat And Reconnaissance Squad, or as the Clones coined themselves, The Knight's Fist. The troops are currently housed in the Twi'lek village right up the ridge, towards the north of the Temple."
By then, the foursome had walked out of the hangar and reached the inner sanctum of the Temple. Two staircases led from this floor to the lower one, spiraling along the walls, forming an almost-complete circle in the process. In the middle of the lower floor sat a massive dais, on top of which an equally impressively sized cluster of Jedi holocrons floated. The entire structure holding the holocrons itself was shaped like another Holocron. As Anakin tried to take in the entire structure, he noticed that multiple holocron slots were empty, and voiced his thought to the others.
Plo Koon answered his query. "During the times of the Old Republic, the holocrons were housed prominently in the structure you see in front of us, as they interact constructively with the Force flowing around them. Given how Tython was believed to be extremely well-protected from the Sith Empire, the Order never believed the security of the holocrons to be much of an issue. Well, right until the day the Empire laid siege to Tython and managed to almost destroy the Temple, after which most of them were stored in the vaults. The holocrons that are currently housed in the structure do not contain any extremely valuable information as such and serve as a focus point for the Force Nexus, hence just reinforcing the flow of the Force within the Temple. The structure is shaped that way for that very purpose."
Anakin nodded, satisfied with the explanation. The Order's false sense of absolute superiority and habit of sitting on their asses had apparently backfired a lot of times before this too.
By then, they had reached the Council Chamber doors. Turning back, Master Ti said "Well, the Council is to be in session tomorrow evening. Till then, you can look around the planet, if you so wish, or can retire to your chambers. Any Temple Guard would be able to assist you with the latter, and if you wish to go out, Master Skywalker, your legion's Commander, Rex, has the detailed plans to the regions of Tython that have been explored and mapped so far, which is about half the planet's surface, with the Temple at it's centre. Master Yoda is also currently out, at the Memorial to the North. I'm sure Rex could guide you around."
"Thank you for receiving us, Masters. Your assistance is most appreciated.", Obi-Wan bowed. They parted ways, and the pair headed down to the lower level.
"Well, what do you think? It's not like we did much during our flight here. Want to go out and see what this place is like?", Anakin queried.
"Well, not like I have anything else to do anyway. Another added bonus if you get lost somewhere."
"Oh, come on. Let's go find Rex."
They walked out of the Temple and halted, taking in the scenery in front of them, wide-eyed. Coruscant, for all it's lights, traffic lanes and buildings, had absolutely nothing on Tython. A ring of hills surrounded them in the distance, with multiple winding paths from the Temple leading through the various passes in the hills. Sunlight fell through the almost cloudless sky, making the water in the river that flowed some distance from them shimmer, as it flowed down through the hills.
The sound of vibroblades clashing brought their attention to one of the training stages at the foot of the stairs, off to the right, and they noticed multiple Troopers in full armor, duelling each other with vibroblades and training sabres, while a few Jedi Knights looked on and put in instructions from time to time. The pair walked down the stairs up to the group of Clones intently watching the ongoing spars. Anakin immediately identified the trooper standing at the head of the group to be Rex by his armor paint.
Noticing the figures walking towards them, the clones turned, and snapped to attention when they recognized who exactly he was, the motion distracting one of the clones engaged in a spar, promptly earning him a whack on his head, sending him crumpling to the floor.
"At ease, troopers, this isn't an inspection. Continue with whatever you were doing.", Anakin said, remembering that he was still the Supreme Commander of the GAR as such. Continuing, he motioned to Rex and said, "If you don't have any pressing matters to get to, Rex, I would like you to give me a tour of the planet, and maybe take me to wherever Master Yoda is."
"Of course, Sir!"
Turning to the rest of the troops he said, "Break up into pairs and get on with your hand to hand combat drills. You have the rest of the day off after that. Your daily missions can be collected from the terminal at the Operations room in the Temple tomorrow."
The troops snapped to salute them and moved off, fastening their helmets.
"I believe Master Yoda is at the Hero Memorial up North. I could get a transport to take us there, but it's actually makes for an excellent trek by foot, for about half an hour."
"Oh, I'd definitely prefer to stretch my legs. Think you can make it, Obi-Wan?", Anakin smirked.
"I'd smack you on the head, but I suppose I'd be jailed for treason against the Supreme Commander, so I'm gonna stick to telling you to get on with it."
Anakin snorted and started walking towards the trail leading off Northwards, behind Rex, who had re-fastened his helmet by now.
"Even though we have scouted most of this area out, there are still a lot of those not-so-friendly natives out there. They're a species called Flesh Raider. Big, ugly brutes and even armed with tech some of them. We've never had any major problems with them after that one time a group of them thought it was wise to attack a squad of Clone Commandos that had taken up a recon mission in their vicinity."
"What happened?"
"Delta Squad made short work of them. I don't think a single Flesh Raider escaped some injury or dismemberment. Surprisingly, they didn't kill anyone."
"Delta? Showing compassion? That's new."
"Well, we are being trained by Jedi, after all. Still, stay alert. No harm in keeping our guards up. You can sense them in the Force, apparently. Master Yoda mentioned that to me, when I was assigned on a mission with him. 'Distinct signatures, they have.', he said, whatever that means."
They made their way up the ascending path, meeting many other Jedi along the way. Given how the Order had only returned to Tython a few months ago, reconnaissance seemed to still be the top-priority. They didn't need any other troubles for a while, after the entire Nexus tainting on Coruscant. Jedi and troops were assigned together to various areas, working on expanding the planet map and securing new areas.
"Any places of interest that have been discovered here?", Obi-Wan asked.
"Well, there is the Hero Memorial that we are going to. Apart from that, there's the Forge, but that place is closed off to us clones, the Twi'lek villages and some Ancient Ruins, much older than the Temple, even further up north. Most advance teams comprise of Jedi alone, and only the Tython Guard Force is told about locations of interest, among the clones on the planet."
"Guard Force?"
"Well, even though The Knight's Fist is a single battalion of troops meant exclusively for high-priority missions and such, there are multiple other Companies it's divided into, each having their own missive, for now and until need arises. The Tython Guard Force, or Tython's Gauntlet, as we call ourselves are one such unit primarily focused on guarding the planet from threats within and from outside. It comprises mainly of troopers from the 501st, alongside Omega and Delta Squad, placed directly under my command after my recent promotion, which I still haven't thanked you for, Sir. Omega will be formally inducted tomorrow morning, given how this is their first visit to Tython after that year-long mission they were on."
"It was well deserved, Rex old boy. Still, damn, you guys are creative with names, if nothing else.", Anakin chuckled.
A good twenty minutes of walking along the trail, accompanied by this one moment when Anakin almost swung his saber at a Uxibeast that stuck it's head out of the underbrush all of a sudden, they found themselves at their destination. It took Rex almost tackling the former in order to stop him from attacking a beast that was as harmless as a Bantha.
The Hero Memorial was situated on top of a hill which was taller than most other peaks in the same range. A massive thirty feet tall statue of a Jedi with a drawn saber stood at the far end of the clearing, which they now entered through an arch. A stream flowed down the centre of the clearing before cascading down the side of the mountain. The air was chilly, but pleasantly so, up here. Rex waited at the arch while Anakin and Obi-Wan made their way down the path that weaved it's way to the statue's pedestal, their gazes transfixed by the Jedi's face.
The made their way over a bridge that spanned the width of the stream and stood at the foot of the statue, gazing upwards at it.
"At peace, yet powerful, the statue looks, hmm?"
Anakin spun around at the voice, recognizing it to be that of the eight hundred years old Grand Master of the Order: Yoda. The diminutive being in question, albeit one with a powerful presence, sat on a rock right off the path they stood on, in a meditative trance.
"Master Yoda", they both greeted.
"Greetings, young ones. A pleasant trip you've had, till here, I hope?"
"Very so, Master. This planet feels much more stronger in the Force than Coruscant ever was. It's brimming with life and the nexus itself is much more prominent here. Just being on this planet itself feels rejuvenating.", Obi-Wan said.
"Right you are, Master Kenobi. Birthplace of the Order, this planet is, for that very reason. Tell me, know of the Jedi whose statue this is, do you, Master Skywalker?"
"No, I actually don't. Part of the reason why I visited this place. Who is he? I can't even seem to place his face."
"The Greatest of the Order, he was, during the times of the Old Republic, when Satele Shan was the Grand Master. Responsible for the death of the Sith Emperor, he was. Lost through the centuries, his identity has been, but not his ideologies or achievements. Know of him, we do, as the Hero of Tython. Peaceful, yet unrivaled in combat and strategy. Embody the Jedi Code, did he."
"That title I've heard of, yes, and now that you mention it, I've even heard that he killed the Sith Emperor, but I had no idea there was a memorial in his name. Given how there was barely any information about him, I pegged it to be just a rumor. Wow, went head to head against the Sith Emperor, huh? The same one that even the Jedi Hero Revan was unable to beat, that too. How did someone like that have his name forgotten?"
"Important, names are not. Matter, only ideologies and beliefs do. Remind us, they do, of what we stand for. Beacons of hope we are, during dark times. Peacekeepers, of the entire Galaxy. Propagators of Balance and Justice, are we."
Anakin nodded and looked back up at the gaunt face, feeling uncharacteristically inspired for once in his life. Before, all he had wanted was to be with Padme for his entire life, irrespective of who opposed him, but since the last five minutes, all he wanted was a thirty foot tall statue. With his face on it. Struggling to maintain a straight face at that idea, he almost didn't hear Master Yoda when he started speaking again.
"Of your other reason to visit, I would like to know, Master Skywalker."
"What? Oh, right.", he said, pulling his face away from the trance he was in, before continuing. "Master, I actually wanted to visit you for the other reason. I...I have been having dreams.", he ventured.
"Dreams, you say? Visions, are they? Of the future?"
"No, I don't think so. For some reason, they feel vaguely familiar, as if I've seen them before, but I don't think they indicate the future, at least not anymore. Somewhere down the road, I was faced with a choice, and I think I made the right one. But, I'm not sure, and I would like to confirm it."
"Start, when did they?"
"Right after I fought the Sith on Coruscant. When I was unconscious."
Yoda had closed his eyes, and was frowning in consternation. Or maybe those were just his facial muscles. Anakin could never tell.
"Sit, in front of me, and meditate. Join us, if you would, Master Kenobi. Help Master Skywalker see and interpret his vision, we shall."
Anakin moved to sit in front of Yoda, while Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow and followed suit, sitting next to both the Masters.
"Inwards, you must look. Seek out the vision."
Anakin's brow creased as he tried to focus his mind on the little bits and pieces of the vision he could recollect. Of all the various parts of that nightmare, the black mask was still emblazoned in his mind and it still made him go cold in fear as he brought up the image in his mind. Suddenly, he felt a powerful presence, one that seemed to flow around him before, latch itself on to the vision, preventing it from sinking into the depths of his mind again. He recognized it to be Yoda's, as barely anyone had a presence as powerful as the diminutive green Jedi.
He also felt Obi-Wan's presence, soothing and vigilant, and Anakin was truly thankful for that. There were just a few individuals he felt truly comfortable with, and Obi-Wan definitely ranked very high on that list.
Anakin felt like he was floating in a Force bubble, completely detached from his physical being, the entire thing being extremely surreal.
"Ready?" Master Yoda's voice echoed.
Anakin steeled himself and nodded. A second later he realized nods could not really be perceived in such a state, and he projected his thoughts out.
"Yes."
A second later, he felt himself get pulled into the vision, and for the first time since he was unconscious on Coruscant, he saw the entire vision from the start to the end. Except, it was like he was watching the vision being played out on a screen, with all three of them spectating.
He felt Obi-Wan's surprise and realization when the vision played out, and it dawned on him that this was indeed something that he had seen before, and it was not just a baseless hunch. Master Yoda seemed to be in control of the entire vision, even though it was actually taking place in his head.
When the vision faded, Anakin's consciousness returned to the physical realm, pulling out of the mental sphere. It was then that he realized that he was sweating profusely, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, symptoms that he usually woke up with when he had that nightmare.
Panting, he braced himself and looked up at Master Kenobi.
"You've seen this before, haven't you? I could sense your recognition and surprise."
Obi-Wan, surprisingly, looked calm as ever, not even out of breath. Frowning at Anakin's statement, he brought a hand up to scratch his bearded chin and spoke.
"It's not the vision that I recognize, but your surroundings in the vision. Anakin, this entire event transpired on Mortis, during the Clone Wars. I thought the Father had completely wiped it from your memory, but now I see he only managed to bury it deep in your mind. The Force energies that you experienced during your confrontation with the Sith seems to be the trigger that brought parts of it back to surface."
"Heard of neither this Mortis, nor a Father, have I, and neither do I wish to know of the events that transpired there. A possible future, it was, at that time. One that might've come true, if given yourself to the Dark Side, you had. Of the mask, I cannot say, but believe it to be a great evil that has been averted, I do.", Yoda followed up, his eyes still closed in contemplation.
"Master, does that mean that this will probably never occur? I mean, it used to terrify me, because I do recognize that cybernetic arm and lightsaber to be mine."
"Of that, I am sure. Blue, your lightsaber is not, any more. Balance, does it signify, and also the rejection of the Dark Side."
Anakin shook his head and stood up, wiping his brow. The relief was palpable on his face as he looked up to face the statue again. Obi-Wan followed suit and placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling at Anakin. They stood that way, each lost in their own thoughts, for a few minutes, before Master Yoda spoke up again.
"Interesting, it is, and maybe even a sign, of things to come. The last Jedi with the title of Barsen'thor, lived around the time of the Hero, did he. Fought in the same wars, they did."
"Right, I suppose I should brush up on all of that, now that I'm on the Council. Can't sound all wise if I don't know what I'm talking about.", Anakin replied, running a hand through the hair on the back of his head.
"You're still young, Anakin. Grow a beard first. Wisdom comes right with it.", Obi-Wan said, his mouth twitching almost imperceptibly.
Anakin turned to him, struggling to maintain a straight face as an idea blossomed in his mind. A beard, huh? Well, he'd see about that.
If there was one thing Anakin was much better than any Jedi Master at, it was at pranks.
Something starting along the lines of, "Well, Obi-Wan, I still owe you for standing up for me on Coruscant. I heard the Cantina in the Temple started up a few weeks back, and they have this really good Alderaanian Ale..."
(Jedi Council Chamber, Jedi Temple, Tython; The Next Day)
Anakin Skywalker walked in through the double doors that led from the inner sanctum into the Council room, alongside a distinctively unrecognizable figure. The former looked like he was in pain, given his grimacing, but the figure alongside him knew it to be him trying to hold in his laughter.
Masters Ti, Fisto and Koon stood up from their chairs, seeing the two figures walk in, and frowned.
"Greeting, Master Skywalker. I believe this was supposed to be a closed meeting, one only for the Council Members."
"Greetings, Masters. Yes, I am aware of that. Why would you think otherwise?", he answered innocently, maintaining an excellent poker face.
"Err, your companion, Master Skywalker..."
Anakin snorted at that statement, making his amusement obvious, and spoke before the other man could make a statement.
"Fellow Councilors, allow me to present to you Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. Without his beard, which he decided to take off, after a moment of inspiration yesterday night."
Jedi Masters were said to be the very personification of what the Order stood for. Calm and detached from emotions irrespective of how grave the situation was.
Which was basically in direct contrast to their expressions when they saw Obi-Wan's scowling, beardless face. Shaak Ti smothered her laughter with a hand and Plo Koon lightly chuckled to himself whereas Kit Fisto positively guffawed. Heck, even Yoda smiled.
"Now, that's one story I've got to hear.", Fisto said, barely able to control his amusement.
"Thank you, Anakin. What would I ever do without you? Anyway, if we're done with this, let's get on with the meeting."
"Yes, let us.", said Fisto, still chuckling, as everyone moved to take their seats.
Two minutes later everyone had settled in and Master Koon started with his report.
"This being the first official session of the Council after the Coruscant incident, I'm going to begin with an overview of all the issues that require our attention, immediate or otherwise. Training for the Padawans have begun at the training grounds, while the training fields outside the Temple, along with the training droids, are being utilized for training the Special Combat And Reconnaissance Squad (S.C.A.R.S) of Clones. Currently, the only issue we face there is the lack of sufficient Knights to teach groups of Padawans, but that should be covered once the next Trials are completed in a few months. Secondly, and more importantly, the loss of the AgriCorps on Telos IV. We were only able to rescue a dozen Force-sensitive Padawans, from the entire planet, so we're seriously short-handed there. I was going to propose a reform when it comes to the Jedi AgriCorps, but that is going to have to wait. On a more positive note, Tython is currently more secure than it has ever been in history. There is a fleet on standby at all times, situated around Secura Space Station. With the presence of the SCARS and so many Jedi, the Flesh Raider threat has also diminished considerably, and they have retreated back to their colonies, for which the Twi'leks are actually grateful."
The remaining Masters nodded at that, and Shaak Ti spoke next.
"As far as threats from outside grow, there is trouble brewing. There's a disturbance in the Force, one we've been able to perceive ever since the Sith Lord was found out on Coruscant. He's not dead, not by a long shot. The Dark side seems to grow, but thanks to the efforts Master Skywalker, we're no longer blind to it's existence and can prepare for it beforehand. Apart from just the Sith issue, there's unrest in the criminal elements throughout the Galaxy, and I've a bad feeling the two issues are somehow linked. Now that he has been found out, he knows that we will be actively hunting him down, as we've managed to make that Sith the galaxy's problem at large, and not just our own. Hence, he's going to require an army, unless he plans to just disappear permanently, which I very much doubt. To this end, I propose sending in Jedi undercover to find out whether the various crime syndicates have any links to the Sith."
"That seems like a good idea. To this end, I would like to propose another idea. Padawans who don't pass their trials can be offered a choice to join the SCARS, instead of the AgriCorps. This could be the first step to including non-Clone troops in the GAR. I know SCARS as such is a top-secret unit, but if this is successful, it could be implemented to the GAR at large. This would also increase the effective number of undercover agents to be sent to infiltrate the criminal empires.", Obi-Wan ventured.
The other Masters murmured their assent, finding no flaw with the proposition. Anakin nodded at him and then spoke up.
"Not so much of an issue from my end, but I suppose it still warrants discussion. Me and Obi-Wan monitored the Order's response to the various reforms we proposed, along with putting forward our misunderstanding of the Code. While there have been certain instances of disapproval amongst some Knights and a few Masters, most of the Order at large seems extremely relieved and welcoming. We've already had six cases of marriages between Jedi, along with two being with non-Force sensitive members, one of which was actually with a Clone trooper. The entire 'attachment' clause restatement seems to have brought the Order much closer than it was before. Emotions are no longer hidden, which basically implies lesser secrets and more trust. All in all, the emotional aspect seems to have finally attained balance. I don't know how many of you can actually feel it, but the Force seems to be flowing much more easily after that. I can't seem to describe it exactly, but in a way, it's like some aspect of the Force that was missing till now has been completed."
"Feel the difference, I do. More smooth the flow of the Force is, through Jedi. Studying it in depth, have I been. Unraveled another mystery of the Force, we might have."
"I agree. I kind of have been meditating on the same 'feeling' myself, making my observations based on Jedi before we proposed the reform and after. As far as I could gather, telling the Jedi to shut off an emotion, that too one as powerful as attachment, resulted in a lot of conflict within many Jedi, mainly Knights and Padawans. This inner conflict and confusion led to the creation of a 'bump' in the flow of the Force, as any Force-sensitive being is able to constructively or destructively alter the living Force around them, due to their high Midichlorian count. The 'bump', is like a restriction, which I believe corresponds to trying to close off the element of the Force corresponding to the attachment emotion. The Force can be assumed to be like a wave, and the various emotions and other aspects comprising different wavelengths that, when added together, gives rise to the entire spectrum of the Force that can be wielded effectively. Given how the Force is sentient, cutting off an emotion would create some sort of perceivable effect as a repercussion."
Shaak Ti and Plo Koon looked visibly taken aback at Anakin's understanding of the Force, never having pegged him to be the type to sit down and ponder an issue, rather than swing a lightsaber at it.
"Indeed, Master Skywalker. I see what Master Yoda meant when he said that the newest addition to the Council was of excellent caliber. I am impressed by your understanding of the living Force, along with your perception and cognition.", Fisto spoke, dipping his head slightly in acknowledgment, while the Shaak Ti still gaped at him.
"Wow, that's twice today. Seriously, whatever happened to not showing emotions?", Anakin thought to himself, and turned to Obi-Wan with a smirk.
"Beards aren't everything, Old man.", he winked. Obi-Wan just huffed back at him.
"Need to find solutions to the main issues, we do. More Council members do we require, for that. Propose two candidates, each of us shall, by the next meeting. For now, return to our duties, we shall. Until next time, adjourned this meeting is."
The Councilors all stood up, bowed and headed out, one by one. Obi-Wan walked out with Anakin and they stopped at the entrance, facing each other.
"Well, Anakin? Where are you off to?", Obi-Wan queried.
"Oh, I have an assignment. The new Senator assigned to Tython to overlook the requirements of the GAR and act as liaison between the Order and the Senate will be arriving in the next half an hour. I have to go make sure the Senator settles in comfortably and feels at home. I believe it's my duty as a Jedi Master, to extend the Order's hospitality to the Republic's members.", Anakin said, smirking.
"…."
"…."
"You're just going to spend the rest of the day in your chamber with Padme, aren't you?"
"Ah, you got me, Master. Seriously, beard or not, you're as wise as ever."
"Shut up."
Anakin merely chuckled and headed out towards the Temple's hangar.
(Korriban, The Tomb of Tulak Hord)
Darth Sidious walked through yet another tunnel that led even deeper into the tomb of some Sith Lord, absent-mindedly blasting lightning at some creature that leapt out at him from the shadows, fear settling into his stomach. The ghoulish abominations that resided in the tomb, the suffocating Dark Side energy and the various traps within the tomb itself; None of these even bothered him. No, the reason he actually felt afraid was because of his impending meeting with his Master, who despised weakness and detested failure. He was not pleased when the part of his spirit latched on to Sidious' mind saw his failure at decimating the Jedi, and now had ordered him to come to him.
To that end, Sidious walked into the antechamber at the lowest level of the tomb fearfully. The antechamber was square-shaped, with a raised path leading from the entrance towards the centre, where on a raised dais, stood an ancient relic, that pulsated with power. The relic was a tablet that stood on a casket, the Sith Code engraved onto it. As Sidious walked towards it, a Presence rushed in towards the tablet, settling visibly around it in a dark shape that looked like a cloud with a mask. He stalled and knelt a few paces from the tablet, acknowledging the Other's presence.
"Welcome back, my apprentice.", the Spirit said.
"Thank you, Master.", Sidious said, uncertainly. His Master's tone sounded anything but welcoming.
"I have viewed the events as they transpired through your mind, given how a part of my soul is attached to you. You have disappointed me, and failed. I let you go along with your own plans because you assured me they would work out, yet you stand before me, defeated spectacularly."
"My Master, it was a small mistake on my part. I underestimated the boy and he foiled my plans. If not for that, I-I'm sure I would have-.", Sidious stuttered.
"Silence! I did not call you here to grovel. You, the apprentice of the Sith Emperor, culmination of the Rule of Two, have been defeated by a mere boy! No excuse can cover up for your mistakes, and now, the boy is out of our reach. You have failed me for the last time.", the Spirit almost howled in reply.
"Please, Master, I beg you, let me try once again. I promise-"
Sidious's pleading rant was cut-off mid-sentence as the Presence rushed at him, slamming into him at full power. He felt his mind being torn to shreds as he screamed and clawed at the ground, trying to rid himself of the Spirit that was invading into his mind, but against a power so vast, he was almost defenseless. Less than ten seconds later, peace settled over the chamber as Sidious stopped thrashing abruptly.
Shakily, he got to his feet and spoke, in a much deeper and gravelly tone.
"The vessel I wanted would have been much more powerful, immortal even, but no matter, I will make do for now. I have trained you for this very purpose, to be my back up host, in case your plans failed. Little did you know that most of your feats and the increase in your strength was because of me. Now, I will set forth my own machinations and in time, the Galaxy will once again know me as the new Sith Emperor."
He pulled on his hood, his eyes now glowing purple, radiating power and malice, as he made his way back out of the tomb. 'Darth Sidious' no longer existed, but He would still carry that name, till the time he got his intended vessel, the one born of the Force, with almost unlimited Force potential.