STAR WARS: DEPTHS OF THE FORCE

PROLOGUE

A sweet metallic scent filled the air with each swing of Sidious' blade. He could not see the results of his attack due to the mask his master insisted he wore, but he knew the curved sword found meat thanks to the smell of the spraying blood. Like a beast driven by hunger, the scent drove his aggression to new heights. His body twisted and writhed to avoid the retaliatory strikes from his opponents. A few lucky hits slithered past his defenses, but the pain only served to bolster his connection to the Dark Side.

Where there were initially ten, there now remained three. Sidious twirled the sword in an elaborate flourish, goading his foes into attacking him. He heard their ragged breathing and felt disappointed they were not in better shape. This little game arranged by Plagueis meant to test his skills when robbed of eyesight, yet the pitiful talents of his opponents meant that he felt nothing except bored disappointment. He snarled at the injustice of being denied a worthy fight and launched himself at the nearest target. His blade sang through the air before coming to a silent stop. The scent returned, and he heard a soft, wet thud.

A shuffle of feet alerted him that the two remaining challengers sought to finish the fight. They expected him to retreat away, so he charged forward to meet their attack. His sword lashed out towards the loudest first. Sidious grinned at the splash of gore onto his face that told him of his victory. His jubilation quickly ended as a spear pierced his side. Enraged, he roared and swung using both hands. A soft cry meant that his sword found purchase in his target. He yanked the weapon free and delivered a second, third, and fourth blow to the target until he could only hear his frustrated breathing.

"Excellent. You may remove your mask."

Sidious yanked the wooden mask off and tossed it to the side with an irritated grunt. Yellow eyes glared down at the figures scattered around the stone arena. He looked to the nearest corpse and stared into the mutilated face of some alien. Despite the damage due to her face, he could still make out the expression of terror now permanently etched onto her once pretty features. He caught sight of the brown robes she and the other corpses wore.

"Jedi?"

"A gift," said Plagueis from his shadowed seat above the arena. "Some I bought, and others I captured personally. You deserved a real test of your abilities. As usual, you did not disappoint."

"Thank you, Master." Sidious bowed to hide his scowl. The Muun should have spent the money elsewhere instead of a team of pathetic worms. "I enjoyed it."

"Good. In time, I suspect there will be more Jedi." The Sith Lord grew quiet momentarily as if searching for the right words. "Do you realize the point of the test?"

"Of course. This was a combat exercise to test my progress under your tutelage."

"It was," agreed Plagueis. "But there was a lesson I wish for you to take from it. I took from you your eyesight but expected you to kill. This was not a reminder of your place below me, at least, not intentionally."

Sidious tilted his head to the side. "Lesson?"

He expected his master to become frustrated, yet Plagueis seemed more amused than anything else. "Every test I give you has a hidden lesson. It is the nature of the Sith not to reveal our secrets openly. Only the worthy have the privilege of learning. Now, tell me how you killed them."

"I tracked them through the scent of their blood and the noise they made," Sidious explained. He paused as his realization slowly came. During the fight, I harnessed my anger, which increased my physical abilities."

"Technically correct. You used your emotions to deepen your connection to the Force, allowing you to fight without seeing your opponent. It is a useful, practical talent that I suggest you practice often. But there is a more philosophical lesson to be learned." Plagueis stood and pulled the mask to his outstretched hand. He placed it on his face before joining Sidious in the arena.

"Strike me," he commanded.

Sidious gladly followed the order and slashed towards the defenseless Muun. His smile faded instantly when the older Sith easily evaded the strike. He tried repeatedly, but Plagueis always seemed just out of his reach.

"I'm waiting," taunted Plagueis with an exaggerated yawn. He dodged another blow before snatching the sword from his student's hand effortlessly. With a wave of his hand, he forced Sidious into a kneeling position and placed the blade at the exposed throat of his student. "As Sith, we do not fight using our eyesight or senses. We need solely our passions to guide us in battle. I chose to have you fight Jedi to demonstrate a fundamental difference in our philosophy."

"The Jedi channel the Force. Each action they take is guided by the Force, such as how the wind carries leaves. They are subject to the Force's whims, helpless and vulnerable. The Sith, however, reject such weakness and strive to control the Force. We use our emotions to bend the Force to our will. The Jedi believe such ways are unnatural. In this, they are right. The Force expects all life to be subvariant to it, much like how the laws of physics dominate the universe. It takes a potent individual to shrug off the natural order to achieve liberation. This is the essence of our code."

The Dark Lord of the Sith returned the sword to his apprentice to continue the duel. Once more, Sidious launched himself at the much taller Muun desiring to disembowel his master. The first strike failed, yet his second bore crimson fruit as a long gash across Plagueis' arm. Encouraged, he continued the assault but found that his master's speed was even faster than before. Another blow would require double the effort.

"Let us go through the code," Plagueis declared between dodging attacks. "Peace is a lie; there is only passion. Explain."

"It is a rejection of the entire Jedi code and philosophy. Whereas the Jedi avoid conflict, we embrace it and accept that it is the only truth in the universe. All beings burn with passion and lust and thus come into conflict with one another."

Plagueis vaulted over his apprentice and sent a sharp kick into the young man's back, temporarily stunning him. He looked down at the helpless form of Sidious but made no move to attack him. "Excellent. Through passion, I gain strength."

"We must accept our desires instead of denying them like the foolish Jedi," Sidious snarled through the sting of defeat. "Our passions keep us alive and grant us the willpower to overcome the weak."

"And 'Through strength, I gain power'? What of that?"

"Life without power is worthless. What is the point of living if one cannot satisfy one's desires? Oblivion is better than helplessness."

He watched his master circle him like a wolf about to strike. His fingers tightened around the emerald hilt of the sword until his knuckles turned white. The humiliation of being on the ground fueled the furry rising in every fiber of his being. He would not be defeated here and lay forever among the corpses of the Jedi. Destiny called him; this would not be his end.

"Through power, I gain victory."

"To achieve victory is to prove your superiority over the weak. It is not enough to destroy the foe. One must prove themselves superior. Only then can one gain true victory." He rolled to the side to dodge a swift kick from Plagueis. In an instant, he was back on his feet with the sword raised like a scorpion's stinger. His master remained still.

"And what is the most important line of the code?"

"Through victory, my chains are broken."

Sidious, yellow eyes blazing ablaze with malice, erupted with a powerful howl strengthened by the Dark Side that drove Plagueis back. Every fiber in his body coiled with tension as the deadly dance renewed, each movement charged with the maddening desire for victory. In the maelstrom of his hatred, distinctions between style and form vanished, and every wild swing of his blade edged ever closer. The moment of triumph drew near as the Muun miscalculated a strike then involuntarily recoiled.

With lightning speed, Sidious released his sword and leapt forward to seize victory.

Plagueis was caught off guard by the sudden move, and he collided with the arena wall alongside his apprentice, enduring a barrage of punches. His longer arms, usually an advantage in a duel, became hindrances as Sideous maneuvered between them to avoid his attacks. The confrontation ended when Sidious tore the mask off.

Sidious' euphoria was abruptly shattered as he watched the black robes of his master fall to the ground. He swiftly spun around searching for the Muun, only to find himself standing alone. Cold sweat trickled down his face as an eerie chill consumed the chamber. It was only then that he realized the true nature of Plagueis' game. A blinding flash from the shadows offered the only warning of the impending torment. With no time to react, he opened himself to the onslaught.

"And the Force shall free me."