Star Wars VIII: Shadows of the Past (6)
#6 of Star Wars
In writing this story, I combined canon, legends, and theory information.
Darth Plagueis learns of his apprentice's failure and decides to try a different plan.
"Lord Plagueis, Kylo Ren has been captured by the Resistance," General Hux reported. He stood behind the Dark Lord on the bridge of the Finalizer. Darth Plagueis was examining a holoprojector at the back of the room. A planet displayed by a blue light which shot through the glass table. Hux knew the planet as Jed-Hai, where, over 30 years ago, the Galactic Empire mined certain crystals to power their first Death Star. It now was home to one of the First Order's weapons foundries.
"That is...unfortunate," Darth Plagueis replied, in a cold deep voice. "And what about the others?"
"Only a few TIE fighters were able to escape, my lord" Hux stated. Upon hearing this, Darth Plagueis angrily slammed the palm of his hand against the side of the holoprojector.
"With Skywalker to aid them, the Resistance will be a greater hinderance to us. We must act now."
"But, my lord, we do not know where they've fled," General Hux replied. "If we did, our stormtroopers would..."
"We will not use your stormtroopers!" Darth Plagueis interjected. "Clearly they aren't proving to be that effective." He pressed a button on the console, and a yellow marker appeared on the display. It highlighted a small building east of the foundry. "The Knights of Ren have been training at this outpost for the last few months. They will easily locate the Resistance's new hideout. Set a course for Jed-Hai."
"As you wish, my lord. I will also have your shuttle prepared." General Hux gave a small bow and turned away. Soon the coordinates for the planet were locked. There was a loud *BOOM* as the Finalizer suddenly shot into hyperspace.
The Finalizer's south elevator slowed to a stop in the medical bay. A black protocol droid stood motionless in a corner of the white room. It's video-receptors watched, unblinking, as Darth Plagueis stepped out.
"Welcome," greeted the droid. "I am T1-RT, assistant medical officer. How may I assist you?"
"Where is he?" the Dark Lord asked, quietly. The droid must have known exactly what he meant. It gestured to a nearby room, and Darth Plagueis walked over to it. The door slid open to reveal two medical droids operating on a badly wounded man. His left leg, and part of his right, had been blown off. Most of his face appeared badly burned. One of the droids was inserting a synthetic eyeball into the man's right socket. A synthetic arm was already attached to his left side.
"What's his status?" Darth Plagueis asked the second droid.
"Vitals are not fluctuating. The patient's nervous system appears to be accepting the wiring," it reported. "We will begin injecting the serum you requested. After that, the patient will be put into a forced stasis for rapid recovery."
"Good. Continue as planned." Darth Plagueis turned and exited the room, as another man exited the elevator terminal. His black uniform seemed to shimmer in the soft light. A small gold insignia was pinned to his jacket, identifying the man as a Staff Sergeant.
"Sir," he said,"your shuttle is ready. There have been reports of numerous sandstorms on the planet, so I advise that we leave immediately."
"Very well, Staff Sergeant." Darth Plagueis quietly followed him down to one of the hangars. There, several dozen stormtroopers and officers formed ranks near the shuttle. No one dared to move, as he walked past row after row of his First Order army. The shuttle itself was similar to that which had been used by the Empire. Modifications had been made to the wings and the engine, allowing for a greater speed and tighter turns. Steam poured out from the shuttle's main cabin. Darth Plagueis walked up the docking ramp and sat down in a chair. The ramp folded back up and sealed the cabin. There was a loud *VOOSH* as the shuttle slowly rose into the air. It's wings started lowering as the ship moved past the hangar's force field and into open space. Three TIE fighters flew out from other hangars and formed a protective barrier around the shuttle.
It took ten minutes before the ships broke through Jed-Hai's atmosphere. Small panels on each side of the shuttle slid back, revealing thick glass windows that looked out just behind the ship's wings. Sand blasted past the windows, making it hard to see anything. The planet was unlike other known desert planets. It was hot and sand covered most of the terrain, but there were scattered lakes which had trees and other vegetation growing around them. Because of these lakes, the climate was painfully humid. Cities were commonly located near these lakes, which supplied clean fresh water for the citizens.
As the shuttle past over the weapons foundry, the TIE fighter escort broke off, leaving Darth Plagueis's shuttle to continue the short remaining voyage to the First Order outpost. When it finally arrived, the shuttle landed on a sand-covered platform. The power from the engines managed to blow off all the sand, revealing a walkway to the building's main door. Two stormtroopers ran down the ramp. The sand attacked their armor, making a loud *DINT* each time it hit. Darth Plagueis, unfazed by the sand, came down after them, and they followed him to the door. The sandstorm had already started, and sand was blowing everywhere. The storm was so strong that the light of the planet's sun could barely get through, making it even harder to see.
"I can't see a thing in this mess," one of the troopers remarked to his friend, who nudge him to be quiet. The three came to a normal-sized durasteel door. Even in the darkness, they could see it had been covered with sand for a long time. Darth Plagueis pushed a button next to it, and the door slowly opened, spilling sand as it moved. Behind it was a dark narrow tunnel that seemed to on forever.
"Stay here," he ordered the troopers. "I must go in alone."
"Yes, sir," replied both of them. They watched as the Dark Lord calmly walked into the darkness. Except for what had blown in this time, there was no sand in the dark hallway. His black boots echoed loudly as he walked. Finally, he came to the central room of the building. From in here, the sandstorm sounded like a muffled rainfall. Darth Plagueis reached into his cloak and pulled out his lightsaber. Igniting its red beam, he could now faintly see the details of the room. A small round table sat in the far left corner. A single pillar rose through the middle of the room, and nailed to it were decorations only a Sith would enjoy. Wooden supports branched out from the central pillar in every direction. Although it seemed that no one was there, Darth Plagueis could, in that dark room, that he was being watched.
"Knights of Ren," he said in a loud voice, "reveal your selves!" Almost immediately, the door to the building shut with a *THUD*. The sound of light footsteps could be heard moving around the room. Darth Plagueis looked up to see someone climbing down from the wooden beams. When there was no more motion, suddenly the lights of the room turned on. Six armor-clad men knelt before their master. They were each wearing dark robes and had masks covering their faces.
"Master, what brings you to us?" A heavy voice sounded from one of the men.
"I have a mission for you."