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Star Wars AU The Triumph of Darth Plagueis: Episode Twenty-Nine – Rebels Part IV: Rumble in the Jungle

By

Celgress

Kashyyyk, morning

"It is just like old times my love." Obi-wan said to Siri as both Jedi Masters each dispatched a dozen battle droids with ease.

"Truth is I've kind of missed scraping these bots." Siri replied with a smile as she and Obi-wan fought back to back.

"Tell me about it." Katooni said with a smile of her own after destroying several droids. "These things always were pushovers. You'd think the Empire would have upgraded their basic operating system by now."

"The Empire only stations droid garrisons on non-strategically important planets." Han Solo said blasting away a couple of battle droids with his laser pistol. "If this was a more important world we'd be facing stormtroopers instead, believe me they're not nearly as easy targets. Ah crud, here come the super battle droids." Sure enough a contingent of twenty super battle droids had sped out of the base from a previously hidden door.

"Handle these I shall." Yoda said confidently.

"How exactly?" Han said staring doubtfully at the small Jedi Grandmaster.

"Watch," Leia said effortlessly defecting with her yellow lightsaber a blaster blot back at the battle droid who had sent it. The droid exploded into a shower of sparks.

"This is gonna be good." Luke said almost with glee doing the same to an advancing droid with his own green lightsaber.

While Han watched skeptically Yoda stood still as a rock. Without warning the twenty super battle droids were lifted several feet into the air and violently smashed together. Their arm mounted blasters were then wrenched to the side so that when fired the lasers hit their neighbors rather than their intended targets. The mighty super battle droids were now little more than scrap. The pieces falling out of the air.

"What just happened?" An astonished Han asked no one in particular.

"The Force," Leia said without missing a beat.

"Incoming," Siri warned.

Eight MagnaGuards leapt out of the base. The specially designed droids homed in on the four elder Jedi Masters ignoring the other combatants. Twirling their electrostaffs overhead they broke off into pairs.

"Leia, Luke get the Wookiee younglings we'll handle the MagnaGuards!" Obi-wan ordered. Nodding the twins made for the base.

"Hey wait up." Han said running after the two young Jedi.

Inside the base all was quiet, too quiet. The trio immediately concluded the Wookiee younglings had been moved to a more secure location. Making their way to the control room they finally encountered another being. Near the primary control bank the Tactical Droid T-One-Three-Seven stood stoically.

"Where are the Wookiee younglings?" Leia asked. "Answer me or you're scrap!"

"My you're a firebrand." Said a smooth, sinister voice slowly Darth Tropiheus, hands clasped behind his back, and a large contingent of stormtroopers stepped of the shadows.

"Put your hands were we can see them people, now!" The Commanding Stormtrooper ordered.

"Allow me commander." Tropiheus said coldly. Soon his right arm was extended a shimmering crimson blade in his hand. His lightsaber hilt sported an unusual vertical hand guard that closely resembled certain classical fencing swords. The stormtroopers backed away giving Tropiheus the room he silently demanded. "Come now, who's first?"

Without a word Leia engaged Tropiheus. Leia's base dueling style was the defensive form Soresu with Niman elements for offense. In spite of her best efforts Leia couldn't penetrate Tropiheus' guard. The Sith's precision blade work and economy of physical movement indicated he apparently favor Makashi when perfected it was a truly difficult style to overcome, fortunately for Leia so was Soresu. Following several minutes of stalemate Tropiheus broke off. Circling Leia he laughed.

"What's so funny Sith?" Leia asked taken aback by his reaction.

"Do I detect the fighting style of Jedi Master Obi-wan Kenobi? Yes, I do. However your variant is unrefined, disjointed, sloppy even. How old are you fourteen, fifteen? You should be much further along in your training by now young Jedi. Have your handlers babied you perhaps? If so it was most unwise. The Galaxy is a cruel place, it shall eat you alive." Tropiheus said shaking his head mockingly.

"Don't talk about my parents Sith!" Leia hissed.

"Ah struck a chord I see?" Tropiheus again laughed. "Your emotions betray you young Jedi, you lack control."

"Leia don't," Luke tried to warn before he was brutally slammed into the wall by Tropiheus who extended his left hand towards the unsuspecting Jedi knocking him out cold.

Enraged Leia flung herself at Tropiheus. Following a brief flurry of intense strikes Tropiheus used a quick spurt of his Djem So based offense to easily get behind Leia's now near non-existent guard. Leia was soon disarmed her lightsaber on the floor. Leia clutched her burned right forearm.

"Pity, I desired a true challenge." Tropiheus said placing the tip of his blade in front of Leia's neck.

An audible click was heard. Han aimed his blaster squarely at Tropiheus' head. "Let her go baldy."

"You dare threaten me, a dark lord of the Sith?" Tropiheus said incredulously. "I assure you it is most unwise."

"Hey nobody has ever accused me of being overly intelligent." Han said. "Now give me your saber." Han extended his free hand gesturing for the crimson blade.

Quick as lightning Tropiheus simultaneously choked and levitated Han several feet in the air with the Force. Han dropped the blaster. It clanked against the floor. Leia used the distraction to force push the unsuspecting Tropiheus into the stormtroopers and retrieve her lost lightsaber. Freed from Tropiheus' influence Han fell to the floor. Once recovered from the unexpected assault the stortroopers started firing. Suddenly the stormtroopers found themselves floating in the air. Their guns refused to fire.

"Hurry," Obi-wan ordered from the doorway his voice strained he and Siri holding the stormtroopers in place. Collecting Luke (along with is lightsaber), Han and Leia escaped the base Siri & Obi-wan right behind.

"Stop them you fools!" Tropiheus shouted the instant he'd escaped the Force neutralization field of the Jedi Masters.

"Where did all the stormtroopers come from?" Luke asked groggily.

"And that Sith," Leia added a shiver running down her spine.

"The Wookiees have learned a Star Destroyer recently entered orbit." Sir said. "No doubt the droids called for reinforcements some time ago."

"Wonderful," Han grumbled.

"Wait, what about the Wookiee younglings!?" Leia said frantically.

"Don't worry Master Yoda and Katooni already retrieved them, and defused the bombs the droids placed on each." Obi-wan explained.

"Thank the Force." Leia said.

"Speaking of thanks," Han said directing his words at Leia. "Aren't you forgetting to something dear?"

"Like what?" Leia said.

"Oh I don't know…." Han began.

"Down," Obi-wan yelled he and Siri used the Force to knock the others off their feet seconds before a huge explosion impacted nearby throwing up a shower of debris.

"They're bombarding the area from orbit!" Han realized a few seconds later when another massive explosion occurred not far away, "what a day."

"Don't they risk getting their own troops?" Leia said.

"Obviously whoever is in command up there has decided its' worth the risk." Siri declared sourly.

Leia's assumption soon proved correct as the next several impacts scattered the broken bodies of stormtroopers everywhere. Looking on with disgust the three Jedi and Han slowly picked their way through the clearing and back into the relative safety of the planetary forest. Behind them Wookiee snipers picked off the few remaining stormtroopers.

Once back at the Wookie city the group observed the heartwarming reunion between the Wookiees and their children. Locating Yoda, Katooni, R2D2 and C-3PO the group prepared to depart Kashyyyk not wishing to focus any further Imperial attention on their fury friends. Before they could depart however the male Wookiee named Chewbacca approached the group.

"Owe us a life debt for rescuing their younglings the Wookiees feel they do." Yoda translated the gentle giant's words in basic. "Chewbacca decided to accompany us until debt is paid he has. Great honor this is turn down his offer we should not."

"Sure, why not? The more the merrier I say." Han said sarcastically earning a deep growl from Chewbacca. "What'd I do?" Han asked taken aback.

"You're impossible, you know that." Leia muttered heading towards their ship which was skillfully hidden within the canopy.

"Hey I saved your life remember?" Han said heading after her. "I didn't have to you know."

"Thanks, and here I thought you might be turning over a new leaf." Leia said.

"Children there will be plenty of time for bickering once we're safely in hyper space." Obi-wan scolded.

"Dad's right." Katooni said. "We have to get out of here, now."

"Good idea," Luke said grabbing his gear from the hut they'd shared while Chewbacca exchanged an emotional series of goodbyes with his fellow Wookiees.

Star Destroyer Conquering Light, several hours later

Darth Tropiheus knelt on one knee before a flickering life sized hologram of his own dreaded master Darth Vader. "I apologize for contacting you on such short notice Master. However what I have to report is of the utmost importance. On the Wookiee planet of Kashyyyk I encounter what I strongly suspect is the same rebel cell which committed the recent terrorist attack on Corellia. I engaged one of two Jedi padawans in lightsaber combat. Her dueling style was highly reminiscent of one Obi-wan Kenobi."

"Are you certain?" The hologram of Vader said visibly tensing at the mention of his former Jedi Master.

"I am my Master."

"Furthermore the padawan in question claimed Obi-wan Kenobi as one of her 'parents'."

"Interesting," The hologram of Vader said. "Where are these padawans now?"

"Regrettably they eluded capture. Their ship escaped into hyperspace while Conquering Light was on the other side of the planet." Tropiheus paused briefly. "Though I didn't see them myself stormtrooper reports indicate the four elder Jedi of the cell closely resemble the known or extrapolated appearances of fugitives Obi-wan Kenobi, Siri Tachi, Yoda and the Obi-wan's last known padawan Katooni. I'm transferring the data to your location now master."

"You have done well Tropiheus, I am most pleased farewell my apprentice."

"Thank you, farewell my master." The hologram vanished.

Imperial Center

"What is it my love?" Darth Cyrin said her concern mounting as Vader telekinetically trashed the living area of his personal quarters in 500 Republica.

"Obi-wan and Siri they have children of their own now, damn them!" Vader spat the high dark lord even more frightening in his unrestrained rage.

"I see," Cyrin said her voice cool but venomous, hatred boiling below the surface. Pushing it down with all her considerable might in the Force the dark lady of the Sith formed the nucleus of a malicious plan. "Don't you see this is wonderful news, a precious gift."

"How can you say that? If not for Obi-wan and Siri we'd be a family with our children, as we wanted." Vader said flabbergasted.

"Listen you'll understand," Cyrin said calmly. "Now we have a means by which to make Siri and Obi-wan pay dearly for taking the twins away from us by their interference. We'll take their children away." If Cyrin could have smiled at that point she would have. "They'll feel the worst pain a parent can feel when their children call us their masters."

"What if they cannot be turned?" Vader asked intrigued by the plan.

"We kill them, preferably in front of Siri and Obi-wan." Cyrin said with a harsh mechanical laugh.

"Ah Cyrin you truly are my dark angel," Vader embracing the female cyborg.

Imperial Throne Room

"You have done well Boba, as usual." Emperor Darth Plagueis said to the kneeling Sith Assassin.

"Are you certain you don't want any of them eliminated my master?" Boba Fett said his head bowed.

"I am certain." Plagueis chuckled. "Let them think their recent clandestine meeting in the Maw went unobserved. Remember young Boba betrayal is the nature of our Order. I shall not fault them for that, at least not yet. I am most pleased with your work, you may go now."

"Thank you, farewell master." Boba said quickly departing the chamber.

"I trust you heard everything?" Plagueis said.

Out of the gloom behind the ornate throne stepped another Sith hood pulled tightly over his head. His sickly yellow eyes glittered from within the black confines. "I did." The Sith answered softly in a voice like liquid darkness.

"Good," Plagueis said without so much as glancing at the other Sith. "When the time is right we shall deal with our enemies."

"As you wish, master," The concealed Sith said evenly.

To Be Continued