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Star Wars AU The Triumph of Darth Plagueis: Episode Twenty-Two – Rebels Prologue II: Imperium
By
Celgress
14 BBY
Imperial Center (formerly Coruscant)
Darth Vader dark lord of the Sith, second in command of the Empire and heir apparent to both the Imperial Throne & leadership of the Sith Order was bored. Vader was dueling with his young apprentice, the twelve year old Pau'an, known as Darth Tropiheus (Trop-he-us). The boy was underperforming. Vader had enough, disarming Tropiheus with ease catching the youth's lost lightsaber with his free left hand.
"If you were dueling with a true opponent you'd already be dead. You're unworthy of my time. Improve your technique before we duel again boy, or next time I'll take one of your arms. I hope you understand?"
"Y-yes M-Master Vader. I will try better next time." Tropiheus stammered cradling his injured right arm with his left. A nasty slash ran diagonally across the middle of his forearm.
"Succeed or fail do not try! Your attitude disappoints me greatly Tropiheus! Get out of my sight, at once! Before I do something you'll regret." Vader ordered.
Tropiheus groveled shamelessly before the greater dark lord as he back out of the training chamber. Tropiheus didn't even request Vader to return his lost lightsaber. Vader grumbled something unintelligible handing Tropiheus' deactivated lightsaber to the nearest training droid while clipping his own deactivated lightsaber to his belt before departing the chamber.
Arriving at his private luxury apartment in 500 Republica Vader sighed beholding himself in the full length mirror in his specially designed bathroom. It had been a long day. In spite of being the second most powerful individual in the Galaxy, in terms of both political influence and Force ability, Vader was woefully unhappy. In fact at times he hated his life. When he looked at this reflection what looked back both frightened and disgusted him. Vader's outward appearance was a reflection of his inner darkness. A suit of black armor, a fearsome helmet with empty eyes he resembled an ancient Sith battle droid plucked out of the distant past.[1]
If not for the events on Zeltros things would be so different, for both himself and Darth Cyrin. Following their humiliating defeat at the hands of Obi-wan and Siri things were never the same. Being turned into cyborgs against their will was bad enough the situation was made worse by the fact their Master Darth Plagueis, could have healed them more fully if he had so desired. Plagueis instead decided to teach his headstrong pupils a lesson, as he'd stated several times over the past five years, by making them remain cyborgs for a minimum of ten years before he would even consider helping them heal. Vader still bitterly recalled General Grievous' smug laughter when Plagueis announced Vader's & Cyrin's 'punishment' following their transformations. One day Vader vowed he'd make Grievous suffer.
Vader and Cyrin no longer cared for Plagueis, nor did they hold the old Muun in high regard. They had witnessed too much of his cruelty first hand. Vader longed for the day when he would overthrow Plagueis and assume the mantle of Sith Grand Master, that day couldn't come soon enough. When the time did come Vader, with Cyrin by his side, would sweep away the last trappings of democracy, such as the impotent Executive Council, and rule supreme. The thought of destroying the conniving Plagueis, and his lapdog the despicable Grievous, was one of the few things which brought him joy.
Later that day Vader, accompanied by his snivelling apprentice, attended a special meeting of the ineffective Executive Council chaired by the contemptible former senator Bail Organa, a man Vader despised. Plagueis had appointed Organa Chair of the Council officially because he was one of the few remaining senators who had secretly remained loyal to the now defunct Republic in the face of the Jedi/Senate Conspiracy. Only a few beings in the entire Galaxy knew the truth, Vader being one of them. Which was Plagueis had picked Organa because the man had been broken following several years of torturous 'conditioning' at the hands of the deceased Darth Tyranus. The experience left Organa little more than an empty shell an empty shell which could be filled by the will of another, in this case Plagueis'. The situation rendered the Council even more of a rubberstamp than it otherwise would have been. The rest of the councillors were a band of pathetic sycophants without an original thought between them, oh how Vader loathed the lot.
"I yield the floor to Lord Vader, heir designate of Empire Plagueis." Bail Organa said before returning to his seat.
"Thank you Chairman Organa. It is an honor to appear before this august body. Today our Galaxy is securer and more prosperous than any other time in history. Under the tutelage of the Sith Order this fine body has guided our Empire to ever greater heights. Our brave armies safeguard our worlds against threats both foreign and domestic. Vigilance is the price of freedom. Which is why I am proud this body has approved the final spending bill for the Death Star Project, once completed the Death Star will secure indefinably the future peace and prosperity of our glorious way of life. Long live the Sith! Long live the Empire!"
"Long live the Sith! Long live the Empire!" Parroted the councillors the chamber erupting into ruckus applause, as Vader knew it would because of the weak willed fools who sat before him.
Finishing with the Council Vader left Tropiheus behind, returning to his private residence Vader sensed a dark presence waited. Entering his sleep chamber Vader encounter the only person in the Galaxy, save Plagueis, who would dare enter his inner sanctum unbidden. The only person he still gave a damn about, his beloved Cyrin.
"I've missed you my dark lord." Cyrin cooed her electronically distorted voice had an odd seductive quality to it, which beguiled her frightful appearance. Or perhaps it was because Vader could see the soul inside. His little Snips the only person who had always stood by his side, the only person who had never, could never betray him, she loved Vader for what he was no need to pretend he was something he wasn't.
"I've missed you my dark lady." Vader replied running a gloved hand gently along the metallic surface of her mask. Both were now encased, trapped, in these unfeeling shells. Vader hated Plagueis for many things. The one however which infuriated him most was the choice the elder Sith had made for Cyrin and Vader himself. Reconstructing the pair as sensationless cyborgs without even consulting them first! Plagueis had purposefully robbed them of so much; feeling with their own hands, seeing with their own eyes, hearing with their own ears, tasting with their own mouths, smelling with their own noses and perhaps most galling of all experiencing physical intimacy of any kind. Plagueis would pay for everything who took away along with Obi-wan and his whore Siri. If not for the interference of the latter he and Cyrin would have their healthy, young bodies and be raising his children with Padme as if they were their own. The twins would be calling Cyrin mother and he father right now. They'd be a family, the kind he'd always dreamt of having while growing up. Who knows he and Cyrin might even have had their own biological offspring by now.
"How went your mission, my dark beauty?" Vader asked, using Cyrin's pet name.
"Don't call me that." Cyrin said cringing away from Vader's touch. "I'll never be beautiful again", she whispered.
Vader could feel the pain in her voice. "Nonsense, you're shell means nothing I speak of your true self. You will always be the most beautiful think in the universe to me. I love you with my entire being."
"I knew, I love you more than words can express." Cyrin said. "I just, sometimes I think, I deserve this suffering…" Cyrin looked down at her spiked hands in dismay. If she still possessed the ability to generate tears Vader knew she would cry. Vader hated what Siri, Obi-wan & Plagueis had done to her, curse them!
"Never think such." Vader said folding his arms around Cyrin in a loving embrace. "The Jedi left us no other option. They betrayed us, we merely returned the favor. Besides Plagueis' intransigence I blame Obi-wan. He preached the virtues of the Jedi Code though he couldn't live by those rules, yet he condemned us for doing the same. Worry not my dark beauty when we rule the Galaxy I promise I will restore you no matter the cost. When we are whole once more the stars themselves will shudder with fear."
To Be Continued
[1]This version of Vader's armor is based off the design seen in the comic book Star Wars Infinities the Empire Strikes Back. The only different being a fully armored chest plate and the subsequent lack of an exposed chest mounted control panel.