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Star Wars AU The Triumph of Darth Plagueis: Episode Thirty-Three – New Hope Interlude III: The Stage is Set
By
Celgress
"Great men are forged in fire. It is the privilege of lesser men to light the flame."
The War Doctor – The Day of the Doctor (2013)
O BBY
Muunilinst
"Excuses, excuses I grow weary of hearing your miserable excuses Chairman Zilan, as does the Emperor." Darth Cyrin hissed.
"My sincerest apologises Lady Cyrin." The Muun said groveling shamelessly before the Sith cyborg.
"The InterGalactic Banking Clan will provide the Imperial Treasury with more credits immediately, no more excuses!" Cyrin barked.
"Nothing would please us more, if only it were that simple Lady Cyrin." Chairman Zilan's Aid, one of a group of other Muuns, standing behind Zilan said only for Zilan to elbow the younger Muun away.
"Your order shall be filled at once Lady Cyrin." Zilan said.
"See that it is Chairman or suffer your predecessor's fate." Cyrin said a not so subtle reminder of San Hill's violent demise, "farewell." Cyrin and her contingent of imperial guards left the frightened Muuns to their own devices.
"Their demands are becoming increasingly oppressive, and unrealistic." Zilan said shaking his large head. "We lack the raw materials to insure any more credits. What can we do?"
"All the more reason we should join the Rebellion." The Aid said.
"Your aid is correct." Mara Jade said emerging from the shadows Luke by her side both wore traditional brown Jedia robes.
"If we joined your Rebellion Jedi the Sith shall destroy us." Zilan said.
"At least allow us the honor of dealing with Darth Cyrin before our departure." Mara Jade said.
"And bring the wrath of Darth Vader down upon us all once he learns of his favorite's fate, I can't not allow that." Zilan said.
"Very well Chairman." Luke sighed. "We wish you luck. If you change your mind you know how to contact us."
"What a waste of time." Mara scoffed as she and Luke made their way back towards their vessel several minutes later.
"It could have been worse." Luke shrugged the Jedi rounding a sharp corner "We could have been discovered by the Imps."
"Correction you have been discovered by us Imps." Cyrin said standing in the middle of the hallway. "Stand back I need a workout, these padawans are mine." Cyrin ordered activating her twin crimson blades with two snap hisses. The imperial guards following Cyrin's commands backed away around the next corner. "Alright who's first?" Cyrin taunted flinging off her black robe while assuming a crouching stance.
Mara advancing on Cyrin activated her purple lightsaber. Mara handed Luke her own robe. Luke fell back assuming a respectable distance.
"Fascinating color choice for a Jedi, I must say" Cyrin said.
"Fascinating choice of grip for a Sith, I must say." Mara said grinning taking note of Cyrin's reverse grip.
"Are you mocking me?" Cyrin said her mainly artificial body growing stiff.
"Me mock the great and powerful Darth Cyrin, perish the thought." Mara said giggling.
"How dare you laugh at me upstart," Cyrin roared leaping towards Mara.
The pair clashed in a tornado of motion. While Cyrin wasn't nearly as fast and agile as she'd been before her reconstruction she more than made up for her lack of dexterity and quickness with precision and raw power. Most opponents would have been quickly overcome by Cyrin's unorthodox, duel blade style. Mara Jade however was not most beings. The Vaapad practitioner was channelling Cyrin's burning rage right back on the Sith. Distancing herself from Mara following their final lockup Cyrin unleashed a force scream that almost blew Mara over. Cyrin flipped her left hand, shoto lightsaber into a standard forward grip. Cyrin again fell upon Mara though now Cyrin's demeanor was one of eerie calm. Sensing her earlier advantage had been negated Mara started heavily utilizing elements of Soresu.
"Obi-wan Kenobi has taught you well child." Cyrin said continuing her relentless barrage. "When properly applied Soresu possesses an all but impenetrable defense, all but impenetrable."
Cyrin lashed out with a quick low kick with her right leg which connected violently with Mara's right shin. Mara howled in pain feeling the bone snap after making contact with Cyrin's durasteel foot. Blinded by pain Mara fell to one knee her lightsaber hand hanging limp by her side.
"Now you die foolish girl." Cyrin said aiming her shoto at Mara's heart.
"Nooooooooooo!" Luke screamed sending Cyrin tumbling into the far away Imperial Guards with a powerful force wave. "Mara run!" Luke said.
"I can't that kriffing tinny broke my leg." Mara said wincing in pain.
"Let me help you." Luke said offering Mara his hand.
Deactivating her lightsaber Mara accepted. Draping her arm across Luke's shoulders Mara leaned on the other Jedi for support. While Cyrin and her imperial guards were busy untangling themselves from each other Luke used Force enhanced speed to escape.
"I hope these kriffing expenditure reports Zilan's aid gave us were worth shattering my leg over." Mara lamented on the floor behind Luke in the cockpit of their small vessel. Her broken limb extended. "If not I'll be so angry."
"Our Rebellion leadership has been curious for a while why the Empire has been using up their credit reserves so rapidly. I'm sure the reports will help shed some light on matters. You were lucky Red it was a clean break." Luke said piloting the ship into hyperspace. "Besides Red helping fit up your leg will provide Leia with some much needed hands on experience as a Jedi Healer."
"Oh joy," Mara said rolling her eyes.
"Don't be like that Red you know she's trying her best." Luke said frowning.
"I know she is Skyboy." Mara said letting out a deep breath. "It has been a bad day, okay."
"Upset your newly learned Vaapad technique couldn't defeat Darth Cyrin, huh?" Luke said punching in a sequence of commands into the main computer. "Remember what Grand Master Yoda said. Vaapad is far more difficult to master than any other single form, if one can master it at all."
"Which is why a working knowledge of all seven classic forms of lightsaber combat is required as a prerequisite before an attempt can even be made, I know." Mara said. "I always thought the Dark Side was fueled by rampant emotions, but during our duel Darth Cyrin seem to shutoff her emotions becoming cold and calculating. Once she did so my Vaapad proved less than useless against her."
"I suppose one doesn't receive the title of Darth, or dark master, without learning a trick or two before hand." Luke consoled Mara.
"Or three," Mara groaned, rubbing her broken leg. "She has one hell of a low kick."
"Having metal legs helps I'm sure." Luke laughed in spite of himself. His actions brought a smile to Mara's face.
"You always know how to cheer me up Skyboy, no matter how bleak things may seem." Mara said.
"I have great inspiration." Luke said smiling. "I love you Red."
"I love you Skyboy." Mara said.
"I sure am glad we live in the New Jedi Order in which attachments are allowed." Luke said thoughtfully. "Living during the old days must have been hell."
"Same here," Mara said. "I wonder."
"Wonder what Red?" Luke said.
"Allegedly Vader and Cyrin are rather close." Mara said. "I wonder if their mutual attraction proved their downfall."
"Perhaps," Luke said thoughtfully never having considered the matter.
Back on Muunilinst things were far from pleasant for Chairman Zilan, his aid and the entire governing body of the InterGalactic Banking Clan. Darth Cyrin was furious. Stomping back and forth in front of the terrified group of Muuns Cyrin gave verbal vent to her fury.
"I, third in overall command of our glorious Empire, was attacked by two Jedi assassins minutes ago on your watch Chairman Zilan! What are you going to do about it!?"
"How dreadful," Zilan finally managed. "I'll lunch a full investigation at once."
"Not good enough!" Cyrin shrieked her amplified voice sounding like an electronic harpy. "Contact the nearest Star Destroyer. Tell them to proceed to at once Muunilinst, possible rebel activity has been detected. Then return to me with their ETA."Cyrin ordered one of her imperial guards.
"Thy will be done Lady Cyrin." The female imperial guard, a clone of the long dead Ventress, said snapping to attention her grey armor gleaming as she departed.
"Now who should I interrogate first, hmmm?" Cyrin said calmly eyeing the shivering Muuns.
Imperial Centre
Over a standard week had gone by since the Muunilinst Incident, as the events were now being called. Darth Plagueis had summoned all Sith on planet to attention a mysterious event. The entire Order along with supporters, acolytes, trainees, and imperial guards were crowded into a rather small, private amphitheater that hovered high above Imperial Center on extensive anti-gravity treads. Conspicuous by his absence was Lord Vader. While Cyrin was seated to Plagueis' left and Grievous occupied the seat immediate behind the aging Grandmaster Vader's throne remained strongly empty. Clearing his throat Plagueis got up.
"I have recently been informed of a plot against my life. In our Order only the greatest of Sith lords may prosper. For some time now I have personally trained a secret apprentice, Darth Ultimin. Now the chief conspirator will face my secret apprentice. The winner shall be named my heir the loser and his co-conspirators, if he has any, shall die." Plagueis grinned at Grievous and Cyrin both of whom were startled by his disheartening declaration.
Below in the staging area Vader walked out of one entrance accompanied by several imperial guards while out of the opposite entrance Darth Ultimin came alone. The imperial guards quickly withdrew. The two Sith stared each other down. They activated their crimson blades the crowd roared.
"You cannot possibly hope to overcome me pup." Darth Vader said slowly circling Ultimin.
"Ha," Darth Ultimin said tossing his dark cloak aside. "Boast while you can Vader. I am far beyond your crippled skills."
Ultimin struck first stabbing at Vader's chest plate. A move the more experienced dark lord easily parried. With a flick of his right wrist Vader answered with a surprisingly powerful vertical slash that rocked his opponent. Ultimin wasn't thrown of his game for long however returning with a flurry of vertical and diagonal slashes. After again parrying Ultimin's various blows the stock still Vader lashed out with an overhand striked that narrowly missed slicking through Ultimin's right shoulder. Vader continued his assault raining down overhand blow after overhand blow on Ultimin until the younger Sith pushed Vader back with a force push then unleashed a torrent of force lighting with his free, left hand. Vader temporarily convulsed in pain.
Force lightning was the one offensive power Sith power Vader had never mastered. Being heavily reliant on cybernetics, including his vital internal regulation unit, Vader naturally feared such high caliber electrical discharges. To compensate for his failing Vader had mastered two separate little used force abilities; tutaminis and the even rarer kinetite
Dropping to one knee Vader calmed himself. Reaching into the Force Vader used both his lightsaber and his free hand to redirect Ultimin's force lightning back at it's source. Getting a taste of his own medicine Ultimin flailed about until Vader had expunged the remaining energy. Rather than rest before fully regaining his footing Vader instead generated a solid ball of energy and slammed it into Ultimin's chest. Taken aback by Vader's unexpected dual displays of tutaminis and kinetite Ultimin found himself on his back looking up a Vader's humming blade.
"Submit or perish your choice pup." Vader said had grinding his obsidian boot heel into Ultimin's chest.
Desperate Ultimin played his final card. The Falleen Sith preformed his Midi-chlorian Denial Attack learned from Plagueis against Vader. Unfortunately for Ultimin Vader sensed an impending force attack or some type was coming. In retaliation Vader used force choke to break Ultimin's neck then stabbed him through his heart before Ultimin could finish.
"I am victorious." Vader said severing Ultimin's head from his shoulders and floating the gruesome trophy around for all to see.
In the stands Cyrin and Grievous breathed shuttering sighs of relief. Plagueis smiled. Sure he was rather dismayed at Ultimin's loss. Such sacrifices however were often needed to assure greater successes. The Dark Side itself had shown him the path that must be followed. Whether he approved of them or not Vader and his cohorts Cyrin and to a lesser degree Grievous were vital fellow travelers upon said path. Once they'd reached the end, assisted by his new god, he'd personally deal with their treachery. Who knows perhaps one or more of Vader's offspring and/or their friends could be turned to the Dark Side. A whisper in his mind told him if the children killed Vader and Cyrin it would make no difference, long as the former Jedi knights redemption is permanently prevented nothing else matters. Yes, this could work out nicely Plagueis thought his smile growing into a full-fledged smirk. The Dark Side is generous, as it always has been.
To Be Continued
Next up in the coming chapters - New Hope including Death Star Rumble.