THE RISE of SIDIOUS

Night time had fallen on the vast cityscape of Coruscant.

Many thousands of lights were shining inside the buildings and hover vehicles were going back and forth along air traffic lanes at different heights, like endless flocks of birds.

“The time has come,” said Chancellor Palpatine, who was looking out of his quarters.

“What time my Lord?” Mas Amedda asked.

“Time to execute Order 66.”

“What of Count Dooku?”

“I will terminate him. He has failed me for the last time.”

At that very moment, Count Dooku was sitting in his castle on his home world Serenno, in deep meditation.

Suddenly, a light started flashing on his holographic message receiver. He switched the receiver on and a life-sized hologram of Darth Sidious appeared.

“Yes Lord Sidious?”

“Once again Lord Tyranus, you have failed to eliminate Anakin Skywalker.”

“I keep trying my Lord, but he’s too strong, too elusive.”

“Too strong for you yes.”

“I’ll try har–“

Suddenly, Dooku was seized by dark side energy and lifted off the ground. He clutched at his throat, but the grip tightened.

“You have failed me for the last time Lord Tyranus.”

“Please–“

“There was a sickening crunch as Dooku’s neck snapped. His limp corpse fell to the floor.

“Now that I’ve eliminated Dooku, I will go to the Jedi temple and terminate everyone present.”

“What about execute Order 66?”

“You will carry that out.”

“And Skywalker?”

“Skywalker and his pathetic Padawan are out on Kashyyyk fighting alongside the Wookiees.”

“Do you want them executed my Lord?”

“No. I’ll execute them myself. Tell Captain Rex that Skywalker and his pathetic Padawan are needed at the Jedi temple. I’ll terminate them in the Council chamber.”

Meanwhile, Anakin and Ahsoka were out fighting alongside the Wookiees against a Separatist invasion, when Captain Rex received a message from Mas Amedda, informing him that Anakin and Ahsoka were needed back at the Jedi temple.

“Are you serious?” Ahsoka asked.

“I’m afraid so.”

“Why exactly are we needed back at the temple?” Anakin asked.

“I have no idea General. I was only informed that you and Ahsoka are needed at the temple.”

Anakin was fuming inside.

“Well, I don’t know whether you’ve realised, that we have a battle to win here.”

“The Message was most urgent General.”

“More urgent than our assigned mission here?” Ahsoka asked in a voice full of disappointment.

“I’m afraid so.”

“Well I guess there’s nothing else for it,” said Anakin.

“The rest of us can handle this,” Captain Rex said.

“Come on Master,” said Ahsoka. “Jedi business comes first.”

So Anakin and Ahsoka, along with R2, left Kashyyyk and headed for Coruscant.

At the same time, Masters Obi-Wan, Yoda and Mace Windu were sitting in the Council chamber, deep in thought.

“A great disturbance in the Force, I sense,” Yoda said.

“I sense it also,” said Obi-Wan.

“Me too,” Windu said.

“A plot by Darth Sidious to destroy the Jedi Order, sense I do,” said Yoda.

“I sense it too,” Obi-Wan said.

“In very grave danger we all are,” said Windu.

“Terrible things happening, there are,” Yoda said. “Executed, the Jedi are being. One by one. There goes Master Luminara.”

“I sense it too,” Windu said.

“Killed not by droids the Jedi are being,” said Yoda. “Clone troopers they are being executed by. There goes Master Adi Mundi.”

“Clone troopers?” asked Obi-Wan, who was shocked.

“Afraid so, I am.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Windu said. “The Clones have fought alongside us in many battles. They’ve always been loyal. Why would they suddenly turn on us?”

“Sense a dark hand behind this I do,” Yoda said.

“Are you talking about Grievous, or Dooku?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Grievous no, Dooku partly. But sense I do that the true mastermind behind this villainy, Darth Sidious is.”

“Are you certain?” Windu asked.

“Yes. Think otherwise, do you?”

“Not entirely. It’s still possible that Dooku is behind everything. After all, he was responsible for the creation of the Clone army.”

“So he was,” Yoda said. “But sense I do, that terminated, Dooku has been.”

“Terminated?” Obi-Wan asked in surprise.

“By whom?” asked Windu.

“By Darth Sidious,” replied Yoda. “Sense I do, that on his way to temple, the Sith Lord is. Terminate us all, he will.”

“Darth Sidious, coming here?” Obi-Wan asked with fear in his voice.

“Yes,” replied Yoda. “Safe at the temple, no one is.”

Sure enough, Darth Sidious was in his speeder, heading for the Jedi temple.

“Shouldn’t we warn everyone to be on guard?” asked Windu.

“No,” Yoda replied. “Too strong for any Jedi, the Sith Lord is.”

When Sidious reached the temple, he entered through the main entrance. Jedi Masters Shaak Ti and Aayla Secura, along with a Rodian Padawan were present.

“I don’t like the look of this,” said Secura.

“That’s no Jedi,” the Padawan said.

“It’s the Sith,” said Shaak Ti.

The two Jedi and the Padawan went for their lightsabers, ready to engage in battle, but Sidious didn’t draw any weapon.

Instead, he seized his victims by their throats, using the dark side and lifted them off the ground. He then electrocuted them to death with lightning and hurled them against pillars.

The corpses slumped to the ground and lay, all wounded, bloody and smoking.

After executing those three, Sidious purged the entire temple – eliminating everyone in his path, including the youngest Padawans. The Sith Lord drew no weapon. He strangled his victims using the Force, hurled them against walls and pillars and electrocuted them.

Meanwhile, Anakin and Ahsoka were sharing devastating visions through the Force – visions of Jedi being exterminated throughout the galaxy and of the events taking place at the temple.

Eventually, Darth Sidious reached the Council chamber.

“Darth Sidious,” Yoda said.

“Master Yoda,” Sidious said menacingly.

“I recognize that voice,” said Obi-Wan.

“Reveal to us, your true identity,” Yoda said.

Darth Sidious pulled back his hood – revealing the head of Chancellor Palpatine.

“You,” said Windu.”

Through the Force, Anakin and Ahsoka witnessed the Sith Lord terminate Windu, Obi-Wan and Yoda. Yoda, being the second most powerful Jedi to Anakin, put up a good fight, but Sidious got the upper hand. Yoda’s body, vanished to become one with the spiritual realm of the Force.

After that the Force visions came to an end.

When they reached Coruscant, Anakin and Ahsoka went straight to the Jedi temple.

“Are you ready for this Ahsoka?”

“Yes Master. We must try and defeat Darth Sidious.”

“Which would be a one in a million chance.”

“My senses tell me that he’s waiting for us in the Council chamber.”

“Mine do too.”

“Well, at least we now know who the Sith Lord is.”

“And how powerful he is.”

“Well, we’ll just have to face it. Come on Master.”

So Anakin and Ahsoka entered the mighty Jedi temple.

First of all they examined the bodies of Masters Aayla Secura and Shaak Ti and the Padawan. All three of them had broken bones and severe wounds, which were bleeding heavily.

“This makes me sick,” Ahsoka said.

“Yeah, me too.”

“What chance will we have Master?”

“I don’t know Ahsoka.”

As the pair of them continued throughout the temple, they saw the sheer devastation of the ghastly situation. Corpses of Jedi Masters, guards and Padawans lay strewn all over the place. The temple librarian, Jocasta Nu was dead too.

Finally, Anakin and Ahsoka reached the Council chamber.

“I sense we’re walking into a Jedi trap Master.”

“I sense it too.”

“Well, there’s nothing for it.”

Ahsoka opened the door and entered the chamber, followed by Anakin. Anakin closed the door behind them.

There he was, Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious, sitting right in Anakin’s seat.

“Master Skywalker, Padawan Tano,” he said in voice full of cruel sarcasm.

His facial expression was all menacing and chilling and there was a disturbing look in his eyes.

“Darth Sidious,” Ahsoka said in an icy voice.

“Never for one moment did the Jedi suspect you as being the Sith Lord,” said Anakin.

“You’re a traitor to the Senate, the Republic and the galaxy.”

“Yes Padawan Tano, I am a traitor and the downfall of the Jedi Order.”

“Why didn’t you just have us killed by the Clone troopers?” Ahsoka asked.

“Because, I will deal with you and Skywalker myself. It was I who ordered Mas Amedda to inform Captain Rex that the pair of you are needed here. My Jedi trap was set and you and Skywalker walked right into it.”

“Tell us, are you responsible for the Clones turning on the Jedi?” asked Anakin.

“Yes. I commanded Mas Amedda to order the Clones to terminate the Jedi.”

“The Clones have been serving alongside the Jedi throughout the Clone Wars,” Ahsoka said. “Why have them turn on the Jedi?”

“The Clones served the Jedi, but they answer to me.”

“I don’t understand,” said Anakin.

“When they were embryos, the Clones had chips implanted in them. When the time was right, the chips activated and the Clones executed Order 66. The termination of the Jedi.”

“Was Dooku responsible for the creation of the Clone army?” Anakin asked.

“At my command, yes. Not only have the Clones executed Order 66, but they will go on to serve a far greater purpose.”

“What greater purpose?” Ahsoka asked.

“The first galactic Empire.”

“Galactic Empire?” asked Anakin.

“Yes. Now that the Jedi are extinct, I will crush the Republic and rebuild it into a galactic Empire. General Grievous will be the leader of the Empire, while I sit in the shadows pulling the strings.”

“What about Count Dooku?” Ahsoka asked. “Where does he come into all of this?”

“He doesn’t. Dooku is dead.”

“Dead?” asked Anakin.

“Yes. I executed him myself.”

“I don’t understand,” Anakin said. “Why did you kill your own apprentice?”

“Because he failed over and over again to terminate you.”

“What about Viceroy Gunray and the other Separatist leaders?” asked Ahsoka. “What about the Trade Federation? Will they be part of your Empire?”

“No. I have no need of them. My Empire will wipe out the Separatists, the Trade Federation, Death Watch, Crimson Dawn, the Pike Syndicates and the Black Sun. It will control the Black Market, the Banking Clan and increase slavery. All opposing star systems, will crumble.”

A sudden thought occurred to Anakin.

“What will become of the Force sensitive children in the galaxy?” he asked.

“My first apprentice Darth Maul will seek them out and bring them to me. I will raise them in the ways of the dark side, in order to create a supreme Sith army.”

“A Sith army?” asked Ahsoka.

“A Sith army, which will rule the galaxy for eternity.”

Ahsoka and Anakin were horrified.

“And now, I will terminate you two,” Sidious said.

The Sith Lord’s eyes suddenly glowed bright red.

“Take us if you can,” Anakin said coldly.

“Young fool,” said Sidious. “You may be the Chosen One, you may be the most powerful Jedi the galaxy has ever known, but you are no match against me.”

“We shall see,” Anakin said.

Darth Sidious got up and stepped forwards.

“We’ll do this together Ma–“

Sidious used the dark side to seize Ahsoka by the throat. He lifted her up and hurled her with extreme force against the door. Her unconscious body slumped to the floor. Fortunately she wasn’t injured.

“I will deal with you first Skywalker.”

Sidious emitted lightning, which Anakin blocked with his hands. The Sith Lord was sent flying back over Anakin’s seat.

Anakin pulled out his lightsaber and approached Sidious, but the Sith Lord attacked again. He lifted Anakin high up, using the dark side and brought him to the floor with incredible force.

Anakin tried to get up, but Sidious struck him with lightning, which enmeshed his body.

“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA,” cackled Sidious. “HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.”

Anakin writhed about in excruciating pain, as the lightning electrocuted him inside and out.

Dooku’s lightning had been bad enough, but it was nothing compared to what he was experiencing at that point.

“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.”

Anakin weakened rapidly, until he died. His body disappeared into the spirit world of the Force.

“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.”

Sidious was enjoying his moment of victory over the Chosen One, when something unexpected happened.

Ahsoka, who had been unconscious the whole time, came round. She got up and hurled Sidious away from Anakin with full force. The Sith Lord flew back against the other side of the chamber, between two of the windows. He banged his head and slumped to the floor.

Ahsoka pulled out her lightsabers, turned them on and swiftly approached Sidious.

The Sith Lord got to his feet and emitted more lightning, which Ahsoka blocked, by crossing her lightsabers.

Sidious moved forwards – increasing the pressure rapidly, but Ahsoka summoned up her every strength and stood her ground.

Then something unexpected happened. The lightning rebounded on Sidious and sent him back against the side of the chamber again.

Ahsoka moved further towards Sidious, who used the dark side to lift her up by the throat. The Sith Lord threw her very heavily to the floor in the centre of the chamber.

Ahsoka tried to get up, but it was too late.

Sidious got to his feet and struck Ahsoka full force with lightning.

“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. THINK YOU CAN BEAT ME, DO YOU? NO ONE CAN BEAT ME. I AM INVINCIBLE. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.”

Sidious increased the pressure more and more, until Ahsoka died.

“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA. The Jedi are no more. The galaxy is mine. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.”

All hope for peace in the galaxy was gone.

The shroud of the dark side had fallen for eternity.

Darth Sidious had won.

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