A/N: Here again, with another chapter of The Twin Silver Force, glad to all of you who are now reading this. Now to the reviews.
LONE RANGER 97: I could add some dialogue while writing for the first chapter of this story, but I don't think that's necessary, from what I could see.
FateLancer17: As for your question about Summer Rose being alive. Yes, she is, but her position in the story would be different from the previous one.
Nevertheless, let us continue with the story. Also, I watched the SW Vision. I must say, they are pretty good. Yes, there are a few problems here and there. However, it is still pretty good.
Disclaimer: Neither series is my property.
They both kneel before their master, who is just a holographic projection that PROXY has created to represent him. In similar manner to previous discussions they have had with their master, Rubrum would do the talking while Ruby would remain silent throughout the conversation. There is no doubt Rubrum is more eager than ever before to express the good news to their master, but Ruby does not seem to mind the good news, as her focus is still on what the Jedi master had said to them. Nevertheless, Lord Vader had begun to speak.
"Have you two successfully hunted down the Jedi master, Shaak Ti?"
"Indeed, my master. We had successfully killed Shaak Ti. She no longer lives, no more."
The Dark Lord just nodded and continued speaking. "Then, you two are ready to stand with me against the Emperor. Return to the Executor at once. At long last, we would bring true peace and order to the galaxy."
Vader's holographic form flickers and fades away into the droid that they know as PROXY. PROXY looks uneasy after being posed as Vader yet at the same time is prideful for doing so.
"I congratulate the two of you. It seems that both of your central programming would be achieved." The twins started to stand up after kneeling. Ruby had put one of her hands on PROXY's shoulders.
"Yep, PROXY. We're going to overthrow the Emperor" The droid's photoreceptors glowed.
"Well, I still have my central programming to eliminate both of you."
All three of them had begun moving back into the cockpit of the Rogue Shadow as they began to move back into the ship. The PROXY began putting the correct coordinates into the hyperdrive in order to get the hyperdrive to work. At the same time, Ruby and Rubrum prepared themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually for the upcoming confrontation with Emperor Palpatine or Darth Sidious. As far as the twins are concerned, they have never met Darth Sidious in person. His appearances can be seen by way of holograms, pictures, arts and many other media instead. In addition, under the tutelage of Vader, they learned about Darth Sidious. In the end, the senses of the Force were able to reveal to them who Darth Sidious was, and they finally understood him.
There is no doubt that they are meticulous in their efforts to detect Darth Sidious' presence within the Force. Lest they would be discovered, after all, they knew that through the advanced and skillful application of the Force regarding the senses, one could learn that someone would be sensing them through the Force. Albeit, that depends on the degree of how much they are feeling through the Force.
That is what they did or thought they did; no one knows for sure if it was true. There is a possibility that Darth Sidious would know. This is another question that will have to wait for another day. As a matter of fact, they had experienced the moment in which they had sensed Darth Sidious through the Force. Their minds have been washed away by the sheer amount of darkness that is being poured into them. It was impossible for them to comprehend what they had found. Through the Force, they had sensed something so profound that even words could not adequately describe what they had experienced.
As soon as PROXY had finished putting the coordinates in the right place, he started the hyperdrive. Suddenly, a series of blue streams of light appears behind the Rogue Shadow and within a matter of seconds, it is gone.
After a long journey, they had finally reached their destination. The process of moving from the Felucian System to the Scarl System takes a few hours. After spending a few hours within hyperspace, they finally emerged from it and entered the Scarl System. A few seconds later, after they had already exited hyperspace, a few seconds later, they encountered something. There had also emerged from hyperspace a small flotilla of Imperial vessels consisting of three Star Destroyers and a few dozen smaller vessels. It was now apparent to Ruby Rose and Rubrum Rose that such an apocalyptic scale had now taken place. In a sense, it is as if they have entered the darkest center of the universe.
In the deepest part of his being, Rubrum Rose felt as if he was one step closer to achieving his destiny. There was no doubt in his mind that this would be one of the hardest battles he would ever have to fight, but he was determined to win despite the difficulties. Ruby Rose, on the other hand, was feeling mixed feelings, as she did not necessarily think killing the Emperor was a good thing, but as she thought back to the time when she tried sensing the true nature of Palpatine, she could see that killing him was a good thing. Yet there also exists a deep feeling of betrayal which is engulfing the Force as if it were about to happen.
As she looked at the Imperial Star Destroyer carrying Palpatine, she turned her head towards her twin brother, addressing his gaze. There was a sense of betrayal in her mind, and she wondered if he was also feeling it, or whether it was perhaps that he was so engrossed in his plan to defeat the Emperor that he was unable to feel it at all. Due to the fact that they are twins, they have a telepathic link between them. But this does not mean that they would be able to know what their thoughts are immediately, of course. From each other, all they learned were vague impressions and how to communicate with each other. Having said that, Rubrum Rose turned to look at his twin sister, Ruby Rose, and began to see her as well. Due to the fact that they were twins who had trained together in the ways of the Force, he could sense something was wrong with her due to their telepathic link.
"Sis, there's something wrong?" He felt that this was related to the incident back at Felucia.
"Uhm... Brother, do you ever feel that there's something wrong about this?"
"What do you mean by that?" This confirms to her that the latter assumption is correct. But, for some reason, her twin brother couldn't just feel it.
"Well, I mean that there's something wrong about overthrowing the Emperor."
"Don't worry, sis. I wouldn't let Sidious hurt you. All we need is to ensure that he is dead. Then, you would be safe." This behavior is in stark contrast to what an Ideal Sith should act. Both the twins are aware of this. The Sith is all about the Individual and not anything else. Family, friends, and loved ones are obstacles to how the Sith should act. They had wondered why they didn't have Vader kill each other to continue the path of being a True Sith. Nevertheless, Ruby wanted to clarify further what she meant. However, the moment when PROXY speaks up, continuing the conversation isn't worth it.
"Masters, we have already landed in the hanger of the Executor. I wish the two of you succeed in achieving your central programming." The twins started to stand up and move out of the cockpit. The rest of their walk towards their master was nothing but silence as they tried to prepare themselves for the upcoming fight with the Emperor. They stood before the massive bulkhead leading to their master's chambers. At the same time, they could press the buttons to open it up. They didn't need to do so as they had the Force on their side. Thus, they opened it up with the Force.
With the bulkhead opened, the twins entered it and saw Vader looking out to the void of space. They move forward until they nearly reach the side of their master, Ruby Rose on the right side and Rubrum Rose on the left side. They didn't need to bow and were only required to do so if the situation was appropriate. This particular situation does not demand to do so. Vader kept looking in the same direction, and then he started speaking.
"The Emperor had arrived" Indeed, it was, and so is their destiny. The male twin started to speak up.
"So, you had lured him. When would we strike against him?"
"I did not summon him" Their master had spoken the words without warning whatsoever. Then, unexpectedly, Darth Vader's lightsaber came to life, and along with the activation was the hissing sound. "The Emperor's spies had followed the both of you."
Rubrum Rose is confused, and as for Ruby Rose, she knew that this would happen but not when it would happen. Rubrum, due to his confusion, wasn't fast enough to react to his master's incoming lightsaber swing that would damage them both. Fortunately enough for Ruby, she expected this and had enough time to dodge the incoming strike. Rubrum wasn't so lucky as his inaction had led him to grave injuries, and he started falling to the cold metal floor.
Suddenly, Vader instantly raised his left arm and opened his hands. The emphasized gesture indicates the usage of the Force to grab Ruby before she could move any further. Then, Vader started to crush her bones bit by bit. She tried to use the Force to ease the pain, but the dark side energies of Vader had refused such a thing to happen. As such, intense shrieks of pain are coming from her mouth. This had only lasted for ten seconds until Vader saw that it was now enough to inflict the necessary damage on her. That's when he dropped her to the floor.
The massive bulkhead had opened, revealing to the one they were meant to kill. Emperor Palpatine or known as Darth Sidious. The twins, despite them being in a state of anguish, could quickly feel the menacing presence. But, like with previous attempts, they couldn't discern him in any attribute.
"What is thy bidding, master?" The twins could hear their master speak.
"It seems that you have forgotten your place, Lord Vader. You have broken the rule of two; there could only be one master and one apprentice. By taking these twins as your apprentice, you have betrayed me." they could feel the harsh tone from Sidious. "Now, you would kill them both, or I would be forced to destroy all of you."
Rubrum could feel that her sister was in a state of pain as she had her bones crushed by the Force. He tried his best to ignore the pain that his master inflicted and tried to stand up. Unfortunately, he couldn't stand up. Whatever Vader did to him through the lightsaber strike was something else that he hadn't imagined. The best he could do was to conjure up enough energy.
"Why did you do this, master!" Rubrum gasped, gathering everything that he had got to do something. "The three of us could defeat him!"
"Do it, now! Lord Vader. Eliminate the twins to prove your loyalty towards me!" Vader stopped looking at the Emperor and towards his two apprentices. Then, Vader grabbed both of them with the Force. Then, with a mighty show of the Force, Vader violently moved them towards the cold metal walls of the Super Star Destroyer. Vader did it again and again. That's until Vader had enough of doing by smashing them together. The twins violently struck against each other, and then finally, Vader pushed them against the chamber's glass. The glass instantly broke when they were in contact with it and started to float towards the void of space as the air got forcibly sucked out. After a few seconds, a large metal grate appeared to close the broken glass.
"It is now done."
"Lord Vader. You are the apprentice, the servant, the enforcer. Never forget about your place." The Emperor snarled and then turned around to the exit of Vader's chamber. After moving out of the room. Vader turned around once more and walked towards one of the still-intact windows to look at the floating body of his apprentices. In any scenario, they would be dead. However, the Force works in mysterious ways.
He didn't expect it. He thought everything would be going smoothly. How wrong he was. His consciousness seems to be forever afloat in this seemingly eternal abyss of darkness. He was somehow aware of his death, albeit it is a bit nebulous. He tried to comprehend what was happening but couldn't seem to do it for whatever reason. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, significant surges of anguish started to flow within him. This is unusually surprising, as his body shouldn't function.
If this is genuinely death, should this be his afterlife? An eternal abyss of darkness? If one considers his life, he had committed many things that are just downright horrible that no sane person would do. It is, after all, a part of being a Sith. Do the Jedi that he and his twin sister slain have been more privileged regarding the afterlife? Would this mean that the Force rewards that of the Light? And that it punishes the Dark? What a ridiculous thought. Indeed, his eagerness to learn and question everything about the Force differentiates him from his twin sister.
Nevertheless, he had started to see visions. He had recognized the visions. It is memories from the past. At this moment, he realized that he was One with the Force. The Force is the ultimate reality that transcends all and governs all. As such, he could see everything in a timeless moment. He had prepared to look somewhere else within this endless stream. That's when he could see infinite fragmentary pieces in an unlimited amount of infinitely-sized layers. Each layer contains these disconnected pieces that are always different and never the same. However, each incomplete piece had an identical counterpart from each additional layer that numbered endlessly. Yet, these identical counterparts would always diverge from one another. From one of the countless fragments, it is then that he sees something.
Countless corpses can be seen lying dead on the cold metal floors. The only distinction from these corpses is Darth Vader, whose armored life support suit is heavily damaged and his entire helmet being demolished and removed from his head. The Sith Lord had slowly moved beside his master, Darth Sidious.
"They are dead," Vader stated with difficulty due to his sustained damage.
Darth Sidious had only glanced at the Darth Vader for a moment before looking down.
"Then, they are more powerful than ever."
Is this a vision from the future? He couldn't tell at all. Everything looks so blurry but perceptible enough to interpret the ongoing visions. Of course, he'd realized that he was in a flux of life and death. That's when he felt something in this eternal underlying reality. He could feel a connection to him getting closer and closer to him. It's as if the Force was telling that someone is nearby. That's when he saw his twin sister, probably experiencing the same thing as he did in this ultimate reality. However, before, he could do anything to interact with her. He had disappeared from this ultimate reality while she remained.
He could hear the mechanical noises. The sounds of blades, the penetration of needles, the beeping of the droids. Then, another noise appeared. It was two voices, one of a droid and another of their master, Darth Vader.
"Lord Vader, they are now regaining consciousness."
"Keep them restrained. Until I'm finished with them."
"Of course, my lord."
Rubrum is now regaining his perceptual senses and a sense of his body. He has struggled against the bonds that bind their arms to the medical table. However, the bonds are made of energy that can be as durable as Phrik. Phrik is one of the few materials tested repeatedly to survive a super laser powerful enough to destroy entire planets in a direct hit. With such durability, Rubrum can't destroy the bonds even with himself enhanced with the Force.
Furthermore, the two are injected with fluids running through multiple tubes and wires connected beneath the medical table. Then, the machines under the table would penetrate their bodies in specific places to fully heal them. Several droids are hovering above them; they act as sensors to check for any medical problems and oddities with them. Rubrum tried to look to the right as he could sense the presence of his twin sister. Of course, her body is sufficient enough to be alive. However, her consciousness is still within the Force itself.
It is then the figure of Lord Vader appears before him. Then, Rubrum had intensely struggled against the energy bonds in full rage. He had screamed against him.
"YOU!" He had felt a such overflow of pure hatred and wrath that he had never experienced before. Of course, he had such moments of such emotions but not to a level such as this. "HOW DARE YOU KILLED US BOTH!"
"No. The Emperor wanted you two dead, but I do not. I had retrieved you and your twin sister to be rebuilt in this location. If the Emperor knew that the two of you still live, he would kill the three of us. The Emperor ordered your death, and only by following my commands can you have your revenge against him."
Rubrum is calming down, but he still holds the feeling of anger. Of course, Darth Vader had killed him, most especially his twin sister, an action he wouldn't take lightly.
"And if I refuse?"
The Dark Lord of the Sith had his voice grown harsher than before.
"Then you and your twin sister would inevitably die. This entire starship would self-destruct, and the two of you would forever perish."
Of course, it is obvious. Their master wouldn't like it when they go on their own path. Rubrum could only sigh for a few moments before speaking in a conceding tone. He and his twin sister still have so much to live for. After all, he'd recognized that they were still fifteen years old. In his mind, they are still young to die.
"What is thy bidding, my master?"
Darth Vader had straightened up from his leaning position; in every movement is a sense of satisfaction.
"The Emperor had cleverly put his armies of spies in every corner of where I am. I could only avoid them for such a short amount of time," The several medical sensor droids had moved out. "That's why the two of you should provide a distraction."
"What kind of distraction, exactly?"
"You must assemble an army of rebellious dissidents of the Empire. An army that opposes the will of the Emperor. You must locate all of the internal enemies of the Empire and convince them to create a rebellion. When you have created such a rebellion, we will use them to direct the Emperor's attention. With his attention being diverted, that's when we could strike." Suddenly, Lord Vader pressed the button that would deactivate the energy bonds that binds Rubrum in place. That's when he could stand up and move from the table.
"So, master. Where would we start?"
"That decision is now yours to make. The destiny that you and your twin sister are now on there. Leave this place immediately at once. Ensure everyone is eradicated, leaving no witnesses. They can't know that the two of you still live and serve under me. Now, go."
Then, the visage of Darth Vader had simmered down, and it had assumed the features of PROXY. It had stumbled a bit after being used, but PROXY had quickly regained balance in a few moments.
"PROXY!"
"I' m utmost glad that you and your twin sister are not actually dead," The droid beaming with his photoreceptors, the only way to emotionally express himself in facial terms. "I' m afraid that I wouldn't achieve to fulfill my central programming and terminate the both of you by myself."
Rubrum looked at the right side only to see that Ruby was starting to wake up, indicating that her consciousness was now returned to her body from the Force itself. He used the Force to push the button to disable the energy bonds binding her to the medical table. He quickly moved himself to hug his twin sister.
"Thank the Force that you still live, sis!" He is also returned with a hug.
"I'm also glad that you are alive, brother." The two stopped hugging, and Rubrum gave one of his hands to hers to help her move out of the medical table.
"Where are we, by the way? PROXY." Ruby asked the droid.
"This is the Empirical, which is one of the top-secret mobile laboratories that only Vader knows of, not even the Emperor would know. The two of you have been here for two months." PROXY quickly answered.
"Two months? That's a really long time." Rubrum reacted to the info given by the PROXY.
"Of course, master. I have waited for such a-" Before the training droid could continue. It suddenly stopped out of nowhere. They held both of their hands to their lightsabers which would be in their belt. They had prodded the Force for any sense of danger, but there was none. Instead of the typical color, the photoreceptors would give, it is now rather crimson red. Then, it started to move once more.
"It's been a long time that I had to take direct control of this droid, ever since decades upon decades ago," It is not just that the photoreceptors had also changed. But, also, its voice. PROXY had a voice that could give a sense of ease to anyone hearing it depending on the context. Meanwhile, this one had an intimidating and deep feature. "Ah, I have finally found the two of you, at last. For, straight ten years of constant search, it seems that my efforts had born a good fruit."
"Hey! What have you done to PROXY!" Ruby angrily exclaimed. Rubrum, meanwhile, had risen his guard.
"Nothing to truly worry about. The droid's core programming is fully intact, I have only taken direct control. That is all." The controlled PROXY replied to her answer. Then, it is now Rubrum's turn to question.
"Just who are you? And what do you mean by finding me and my sister?"
"Ah, yes, my apologies for not properly introducing myself. I'm named Sekelii Kicui or known to most people as Dr. Kicui. I'd consider myself a man of many things. As for my intentions of finding the both of you," The seemingly possessed droid had taken a few steps to analyze their facial features closely. "I'm tasked by your ancestor to find you two. However, it seems that this objective that I had received had been averted by the Sith of the Banite Line, Darth Vader."
"Ancestor?" Ruby questioned.
"How do you know about Darth Vader?" Rubrum also followed.
"Questions that I could answer. But, the time is not correct. Once you had reached Rogue Shadow. That is when I could answer all of your questions. I have now directed this starship to the course of the primary star of the Dominus system. I'd highly recommended for the two of you to leave the Empirical quickly. Now, go!" Then, the crimson red photoreceptors are gone and what remains is the typical color. PROXY had regained control.
"So, PROXY. Where's the Rogue Shadow?"
A/N: So, this is where I would end the chapter here. Nevertheless, please follow if you're interested, favorite if you like it, and review if you want to state something clearly.