Prologue: The Last Sith Standing
The air crackled with the energy of the dark side as the two Sith Lords clashed,. their power echoing across the planet with a wave of dread and terror. The master, Darth Malus, a black-clad kaminoan that towered over his apprentice, Darth Ravos, with his hooded cloak billowing in the gusts of Ravos' most force push.
Darth Malus's crimson lightsaber clashed fiercely against Darth Ravos' virulent red blade with a speed unparalleled within the galaxy, movements resembling that of lightning faster than organic should be capable of accomplishing. In comparison, the Kaminoan's human apprentice fought with a burning intensity, fueled by a treacherous desire to usurp his master's power. The cavernous chamber they fought in echoed with the hum of lightsabers, and the terrible laughter of the dark side.
As the battle raged on, Darth Ravos felt the weight of his decision pressing upon him. He had plotted and schemed, anticipating this moment when he could strike down his master and claim the mantle of Master of the Sith. But Malus was no ordinary opponent; his mastery of the Force was unmatched.
Blades clashed and sparks flew as the combatants circled each other, the dance of death unfolding with each calculated strike. Darth Ravos fought like a wild animal, his eyes darting back and forth as he struggled to keep pace, his master's power greater than he had ever imagined. The apprentice's mind raced, and desperation crept into his glowing red and yellow eyes.
Darth Malus' sensed the flicker of uncertainty in his apprentice and seized the opportunity with a sadistic grin. With a surge of dark energy, he unleashed a torrent of Force lightning, just as Darth Ravos sent a torrent of his own. The power of two Sith lords crashed into each other with the might that one might see when a pair of meteorites impacted each other, creating a shock wave that sent both combatants flying away from one another, crashing through the walls behind them.
Getting back up as quickly as he could in parallel to his master doing the same, Darth Ravos couldn't help but growl, not just with hatred against his former master, but with frustration targeted against his own apprentice.
While apprenticed under Darth Malus, in the shadows, Darth Ravos had secretly trained another, a pawn he hoped would tip the scales in his favor. Found on a strange little planet in the middle of the unknown region, Malus had found an apprentice heavily gifted in the force, living amongst a civilization that all but worshiped a strange evolutionary gift they called 'quirks' rather than true power like the force.
After finding out that he was among the few individuals on the planet without this 'power', it was all too easy to tempt the child to join him and be trained in the arts of the Sith, grooming his power to aid him in this pivotal moment of triumph.
'Even now the boy believes he can be a hero,' scoffed Ravos mentally. 'After Malus is finished off with, I'll have to destroy that childish notion once and for all.'
Leading up to this monumental moment for him, Ravos had communicated the plans through encrypted messages, each one filled with strategies on how they would take down his aging master together, and claim their rightful places as the two true Sith Lords under the Rule of Two.
But as the battle wore on, and there was no sign of the secret apprentice, panic began to grip Darth Ravos, his focus slipping as doubts gnawed at his resolve. His eyes darted around the chamber, searching for the ally who was supposed to arrive and secure his victory. Yet, the shadows remained silent, and the ominous hum of a third lightsaber was absent.
Seizing the opportunity, Darth Malus intensified his next assault. He unleashed another barrage of Force lightning, crackling with feelings of hate and betrayal, aiming to shatter his apprentice's defenses. Ravos, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught, struggled to deflect the lightning with his lightsaber.
The chamber echoed with the sizzling sounds of energy as Ravos desperately countered the attack. Veins bulged on his forehead as he strained against the overwhelming power of his master. But Malus' malevolent laughter reverberated, the sadistic pleasure evident in his eyes.
Darth Ravos, fueled by a surge of anger and desperation, summoned the strength to repel the lightning. With a defiant scream, he redirected the dark energy back towards Malus, who skillfully absorbed it with his outstretched hand. The display of power between master and apprentice became apparent when the room was bathed with a wave of darkness that almost visibly wafted off of the master of the dark Side, his supremacy over the force becoming increasingly apparent to the human apprentice.
As the lethal dance of lightsabers and Force powers continued, the very foundation of the chamber seemed to tremble. The dark side pulsed through the combatants, leaving an indelible mark on the environment. Malus, however, remained in control, his mastery of the dark side evident in every calculated move.
"Did you truly believe you could defeat me alone Ravos?" the Sith Master snarled. "I would be more angry if I weren't so terribly disappointed. It is the way of the rule of two for you to surpass me, but you have always lacked the passion and conviction to do so. All you will accomplish today is prove to the Sith lords of the past that you are not worthy of the title!"
After his master's declaration, Ravos could feel no other feeling besides rage. How dare this creature insult him. How dare this wretch call him inferior! In a daring move, Ravos attempted to immobilize his master with the power of the Force, telekinetically hurling every piece of debris in sight at Malus, from starfighter sized boulders, to the smallest of pebbles. However, Darth Malus, undeterred, countered by manipulating the very air around him, creating a protective shield that deflected the onslaught.
Darth Ravos, feeling the weight of defeat pressing upon him, drew upon the darkest depths of the Force. Shadows swirled around him as he attempted to induce a complex illusion within the Kaminoan's mind, creating phantom duplicates of himself that attacked Malus from all directions. The master, attempting to counter his rival's attempt, lashed out with precise strikes, attacking each illusion one by one to determine which was real, and which were an illusion.
However, so focused on his apprentice's assault, he barely noticed a premonition through the force, jumping back at the last moment the roof above him collapsed from a massive explosion that shocked both combatants.
The explosion sent shockwaves through the Sith temple, tearing through its darkened corridors. Debris and dust filled the air, shrouding the battlefield in chaos. Both Darth Malus and Darth Ravos were thrown off their feet, shrapnel from the temple almost tearing through both combatant's hastily thrown up force shields as their lightsabers were momentarily extinguished and came loose from both hands as the temple trembled from the impact.
Coughing through the dust, the two Sith Lords struggled to their feet, realizing that the balance of power had shifted. The source of the explosion became evident as they glanced upward, their eyes piercing through the settling debris. Barely visible in orbit above the Sith temple was a massive cruiser, dark and ominous against the backdrop of the stormy skies of Korriban.
The revelation struck both combatants with a wave of realization. The explosion was not a result of either of their attacks, but the result of a devastating attack from orbit. The Sith temple, once a sanctuary for a 1000 years worth of dark rituals, now lay in ruins around them. The remnants of their fierce battle were overshadowed by the destructive force staring down from above.
Darth Malus, his senses tingling with the remnants of the dark side, turned his attention to the cruiser. The betrayal of the Rule of Two now seemed to extend beyond the apprentice to a grander scheme by a force unknown to him. Another rival, unseen and unanticipated, who had forewarned knowledge of this battle and had orchestrated a different assault to eliminate both the master and the apprentice.
"Was this how you planned to defeat me? Training an apprentice who has now turned their back on you the first moment they could? You truly are pathetic," sneered Malus, his words laced with scorn as he towered over the fallen Darth Ravos.
Ravos, still reeling from the explosion and the revelation of the orbital attack, struggled to find words. The weight of his failure, both against his master and the unseen assailants from above, bore down on him. The apprentice's grand scheme had unraveled before his eyes, leaving him exposed and vulnerable.
Darth Malus continued his taunting, his voice echoing through the ruined chamber. "Your lust for power blinded you, Ravos. You underestimated the true nature of the Sith, the treachery that courses through our veins. You thought you could manipulate the another to serve your foolish ambitions, but at the first opportunity they chose to turn against you."
As Malus' taunts echoed through the wreckage, a harsh metallic voice crackled through the communication device on Darth Ravos' belt. The voice belonged to Ravos's secret apprentice, a figure that stood on the bridge of the cruiser above them, looking down upon them as if they were mere ants fighting over crumbs and scarps.
"Greets Master Ravos."
"Vorithrax," Ravos sneered. "What do you think you're doing!"
Vorithrax, the secret apprentice, stood confidently on the bridge of the cruiser, his cold gaze fixed upon the communicator he was using to contact his former master. His armor gleamed in the dim light of the cruiser, the entirely droid manned crew rushing around him with unparalleled efficiency and calculated precision.
"Master Ravos, your plans were misguided from the beginning. I serve a vision that goes beyond the narrow ambitions of individual Sith," Vorithrax declared, his voice devoid of emotion. "I am an instrument of a higher purpose, one that seeks to control the galaxy for the greater good."
Darth Ravos, still seething with rage and confusion, struggled to comprehend the magnitude of the betrayal. The apprentice he thought he could control had, in fact, positioned himself a master in his grander scheme, making it clear that Ravos was no longer a player but a victim of this game of treachery.
Vorithrax continued, "The old ways of the Sith has obstructed our goals for too long. It's time to move beyond the antiquated principles laid out by millennia's worth of old tired men. The galaxy has grown stagnant with its weak Republic and equally inadequate Jedi. The galaxy doesn't need more chaos and destruction, it needs to be controlled by a strong and guiding hand, it needs me to be the instrument that will guide it to a new era of power and prosperity."
Darth Malus, standing nearby with a mixture of amusement and disdain, interrupted with a cynical chuckle, "seems your grand plan to overthrow me, Ravos, has led you to become nothing more than a pawn in someone else's game. A pawn with a lot to say as well it seems!"
Ravos, his face contorted with a mixture of fury and disbelief, barked, "You dare defy the true ways of the Sith? You dare betray the very essence of the Dark Side?"
Vorithrax remained stoic, his voice unyielding. "The old ways are a hindrance. The galaxy needs a guiding hand, a force that can bring care and strength to its growing weakness and complacency. You and your master are no longer relevant to that vision."
With those words, Vorithrax left Darth Ravos seething with impotent rage. The Sith temple, once a symbol of their dark order, now lay in ruins around them, a testament to the shattered ambitions of both master and apprentice.
Darth Malus, seemingly unperturbed by the revelation, turned his gaze to his fallen apprentice. "This is the way of the Sith, Ravos. Betrayal is inevitable. Power is fleeting. Only the strongest of wills shall survive, with the galaxy bending to the sprit of those with true passion."
As the stormy winds continued to whip through the ruins of the Sith temple, Darth Ravos, humiliated and defeated, found himself alone amid the wreckage. The echoes of his failure reverberated in the air, but the attention of Darth Malus turned towards the anomaly Vorithrax, a figure he had no idea existed until now.
Darth Malus, his black cloak billowing in the wind, used the force to pull the communicator off of Ravos' belt while he was distracted and mentally raging at his treacherous apprentice. Regarding it with a mixture of disdain and curiosity, Malus said "so, you seek to change the Sith, to control the galaxy for some vague notion of the 'greater good'? How naïve."
Vorithrax, his expression hidden behind a thousand miles worth of space, responded with a calm certainty, "Naïve or not, the Sith have been mired in their own self-destructive cycles for too long. The galaxy needs a strong hand to guide it, but it also needs one that cares for others, one that sees others as tools for future ambitions. I will be that hand, even if it means breaking away from the traditions that have held us back."
Malus chuckled, a dark and throaty sound that echoed in the desolate chamber. "Order? kindness? The Sith thrive in chaos, in the pursuit of power and dominance. There is no such thing as kindness in that world. Your vision is flawed, apprentice. The galaxy may not need the order you seek, but it craves the strength and cunning that the Sith embody."
Vorithrax tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing down from the bridge of his ship, somehow staring down at a figure thousands of miles away. "Strength and cunning need not be synonymous with chaos and destruction. The galaxy can be shaped, guided to a future where power is wielded for the betterment of all."
Even leagues away, the two Sith lords managed to lock eyes, a silent battle of ideologies playing out between them amidst the ruins. Malus, a staunch traditionalist, and Vorithrax, an agent of change seeking to redefine the Sith purpose.
"You tread a dangerous path, Vorithrax," Malus warned, his tone carrying a hint of grudging respect. "The Sith have survived for millennia through the strength of their convictions, along with the domination of lesser beings. To deviate from that direction for a more 'kinder' path risks the very essence of our existence."
Vorithrax remained unmoved, his voice unwavering. "Change is inevitable, Malus. The galaxy evolves, and so must the Sith. Whether you accept it or not, I will forge a new destiny for our order."
Malus' eyes glinted with a feral intensity. "You may believe that, but do not underestimate the chaos that will follow. The Dark Side itself is an entity of chaos, which is not easily swayed. You may meet those who will test the strength of your conviction, and extinguish them before it can ever light the flame you seek. Be prepared for the challenges that lie ahead."
The aging Kaminoan gave a light laugh, and looked back at Ravos with utter disdain. "You have been an utter disappointment from the day I met you, but it seems you have brought a true spirit into the order at least, one with the ambition you have been lacking in. I had hoped you would grow that strength in time, but it seems that is no longer needed."
Darth Malus' laughter echoed through the ruined chamber, the dark resonance filling the air like a malevolent symphony. His eyes turned his glazed around Darth Ravos, the former apprentice now standing amidst the shattered remnants of his aspirations.
"Ravos, you have always lacked the vision to see beyond your own desires. Your betrayal was as inevitable as the rise and fall of the tide. Now, it seems you've managed to find a successor with more passion than you could ever muster," Malus sneered, his crimson eyes narrowing.
Darth Ravos, seething with a mixture of anger and humiliation, retorted, "Vorithrax is but a child playing at heroism, nothing more. He may think he can reshape the Sith for some misguided notion of order and kindness, but the galaxy will consume him and doom the Sith to ruin."
Malus' gaze bore into Ravos, his amusement evident. "Ah, the bitterness of a fallen apprentice. You underestimated the potential within him, just as you underestimated the true nature of the Dark Side. Your apprentice may prove to be a far more formidable adversary to the Jedi than you could ever present."
Ravos, unwilling to concede defeat, spat back, "He's a fool, blinded by a false sense of righteousness. The Sith thrive in cruelty and death, not in the delusions of heroes. You are the one to teach me this lesson more times than I can count. He'll learn the harsh truth soon enough, or die alongside his childish notions."
Malus circled Ravos, his movements deliberate and predatory. "The truth, Ravos, is that the Sith are defined by their strength, cunning, and unyielding will. Whether that strength is wielded for personal gain or the so-called greater good is irrelevant. The dark side respects power, and the will to do as one pleases. This was the one lesson you never understood."
Ravos, clenching his fists, shot back, "You revel in your supposed wisdom, Malus, but you, too, are blind to the changing tides. The galaxy is shifting, and with Vorithrax at the helm, the Sith will be doomed to ruin."
Malus' laughter echoed once again, resonating through the desolation. "The galaxy may shift, but the power of the dark side remains constant. Vorithrax may think he can alter the course of the Sith, but in the end, it will be his convictions versus the force's. If he proves strong enough to face it and subjugate it's will, then that is all that matters. That is the essence of what it means to be Sith."
Ravos, battered and humiliated, could feel nothing but hate and anger, both at his former master and so-called-apprentice. Fueled by this last surge of defiant rage, the Sith Lord gathered his remaining strength, grabbed his lightsaber and charged at Malus with a reckless abandon just as the heavy turbolaser fire began to rain down upon the surface of the planet.
Malus, using the force to ignite and pull his fallen crimson lightsaber to his hand, met Ravos's charge with a weary but calculated defense. The dark side itself seemed to surge around them, the shadows themselves seemingly twisting to their wills. Flames danced in their wake as the Sith temple crumbled, and the very air crackled with raw destructive energy.
The two Sith, so intensely locked in mortal kombat, paid no heed as megatons worth of firepower rained down upon them. As the turbolaser bolts finally struck near their position, the ground beneath them erupted in an almost volcano-like explosion, with both Malus and Ravos finding themselves engulfed in a maelstrom of destruction.
Their lightsabers, once symbols of their power and dominance, flickered and dimmed amidst the chaos. The heavy fire swallowed them whole, and their defiant roars were drowned out by the relentless onslaught.
In a blinding explosion, the two Sith Lords were consumed by the turbolaser fire. The shockwave sent debris flying in all directions, and the remaining structure of the Sith temple collapsed upon itself, burying the remnants of their wills beneath a mountain of rubble.
The heavy silence that followed was broken only by the crackling of embers and the distant hum of the cruiser in orbit, having completed its ruthless task. The once-formidable Sith Lords, Darth Malus and Ravos, were no more, their legacies obliterated in the inferno of their final confrontation.
Above the scorched battlefield, the winds carried away the ashes of their conflict, leaving behind a desolate landscape. The dark side, now devoid of their malevolent presence, lingered like a ghostly specter, awaiting to crown the new heir to its power, the one who would bring change to the galaxy, one way or another.
Far above, on the bridge of the cruiser, Vorithrax observed the aftermath with an impassive gaze. The turbolaser fire ceased, and the destruction below settled into an eerie calm. The galaxy, forever in flux, had witnessed the fall of old Sith, and the rise of the new.
On the bridge of the cruiser, amidst the hum of machinery and the lingering echoes of destruction, a protocol droid approached Darth Vorithrax. Its metallic form moved with a measured precision, and its optic sensors glowed with a curious inquiry.
"Master Vorithrax," the droid intoned in its sterile mechanical voice. "Our current location and mission parameters have been fulfilled. Where shall we proceed next?"
Vorithrax, still fixated on the remnants of the Sith temple below, turned his attention to the droid. His expression, obscured behind the cold visage of his Sith armor, betrayed no hint of emotion. He contemplated the galaxy in flux, a canvas awaiting the strokes of a new master.
"Set course to my homeworld in the unknown regions," Vorithrax replied in a tone devoid of sentiment. "Set course for Earth."
The droid processed the command and conveyed it to the ship's navigational systems. Dozens of droids walked back and forth as a series of beeps and whirrs initiated. Once warmed up, the cruiser sent commands to activate the hyperdrive, streaking away from the scarred planet of Korriban toward the distant reaches of space.
As the cruiser vanished into the void, leaving behind the aftermath of Sith destruction, Vorithrax remained standing on the bridge, his gaze fixed on the hyperspace tunnel forming before him. The journey to Earth that awaited the enigmatic Sith Lord would be a long one, one where he would have the time to reflect and think.
"Home," he repeated to himself, this time in a quiet tone filled with vulnerability for the first time since he began his training as a Sith Lord. A sense of nostalgia and relief finally engulfed him for the first time in 10 years. He was finally free, free from the schemes of his master and the old ways of the Sith.
The galaxy, once again thrust into uncertainty, observed the departure of one era and the emergence of another. The force, like an insatiable current, attempted to guide Vorithrax toward a destination; but as a Sith, he could never allow that. And as the stars streaked by in the expanse of hyperspace, the Sith Lord could only wonder if anything had changed from how he remembered his old home. If the people he cared about had moved on from his abrupt disappearance.
"I wonder how mom, dad, and Kacchan are doing?"
…oOo…
That's a wrap! I hope you guys liked it! I think it's rather apparent who Darth Vorithrax is, but I'm trying not to be too edgy as some dark side stories can get. That's not to say that Vorithrax will be a completely good character with cool dark side powers, he will be as brutal and dominating as a Sith Lord should be, but he will still be Izuku Midoriya, just one that was raised under the Rule of Two since he was 4 years old.
I do need to make it clear though, that he will not be any kind of Grey Jedi, more like a Sith that has more of a heart than your typical Sith Lord. But then again, 5% more than 0% can be defined as alot more as well, so I'll just leave you with that little bit of perspective.
Anyways, for those who are curious about the timeline, regarding Star Wars, I'll say that it's been a few centuries since Bane created the Rule of Two, and regarding My Hero Academia, Deku is 14 years old at the moment.
Regarding power levels, I won't make any direct comparisons to the MHA-verse, but I will say that Izuku still has room to grow. It's the reason why he chose to orbital bombard Ravos and Malus rather than face them in combat, because he would not be able to beat either of them in a fight one-on-one. But that isn't to say that he'll be weak either in the story, he just that he won't be defeating end game characters like end of series Shigaraki for example.
For anyone disappointed with that, I want this story to be interesting. The strongest of Sith Lords like Darth Sidious or Vitiate would dominate the MHA-verse, but we're not dealing with the strongest of Sith at the moment. I hate it when writers give the MC the highest midichlorian count, a harem, and the moral right at every turn. That's not a character any more, that's a Gary Stu.
So expect Izuku to have his fair share of struggles, and things that will challenge his power and his way of thinking.
But either or, hope you enjoyed this, and I'll see you next time!