- 67 BBY -
- Bal'demnic, Outer Rim -
Darth Tenebrous' personal starship lands on the ground of planet Bal'demnic in the Outer Rim Territories. Lord Tenebrous learned of a cortosis deposit on the planet and personally went there to survey it with a treddroid, an M-2 mining probe droid and his apprentice, Darth Plagueis, provided by Subtext Mining. Tenebrous plans to use the cortosis' natural resistance to lightsaber blades in his future attempts to overthrow the Jedi and replace the Republic with a Sith-controlled Empire following Darth Bane's Grand Plan.
The Sith Lord and his apprentice walk out of the starship and head towards a cave, where the droids had told them the cortosis ore was located.
"You will see, my apprentice, with this, we are one step closer to our goal of replacing the Republic and the Jedi Order and turning this pathetically weak galaxy into a Sith Empire," Tenebrous says.
"Indeed, Master," Plagueis agrees.
"Go on, M-2, start mining the cortosis. I want to see it," Tenebrous demands.
{Affirmative.}
Rather than seeking out the precious metal they desired, the mining EM-Two probe droid instead searches for the flammable gas lethane, against Tenebrous' orders, and begins digging. Lethane is a highly combustible, naturally occurring gas. Pockets of it often form near cortosis deposits...
"It's a lethane pocket! Run!"
The two Sith try to rush back to their ship and escape the resulting explosion, but they are too slow.
*BOOOOOOOM*
A large explosion occurs, catching the two and forcing them to start using the Force. Tenebrous uses the Force to contain the blast so that it does not kill him and his apprentice, while Plagueis makes sure that the impact of the explosion does not destroy their ship, as it is their way to get off this planet secretly. The blast, while reduced in force and destructive scale, still impacts the two and throws them off their feet. Plagueis hits his head, and everything turns black for a moment.
...
Plagueis lies on the ground, and as he slowly raises his head. He feels the pain, not from the blast and the injury, but from the memories he just now received. Memories of another life, his life, a story of a galaxy not so far away, and the story of a wise Muun, betrayed and killed off pathetically.
"Urgh... Essence... well, what do you know? The Essence of the Sith Lord, how fitting," Plagueis says.
____
The Essence of the Sith Lord:
- You may remake your body however you want, and can even change your species to any Star Wars species (outside of Celestials, The Ones or any other race similar to them).
- You now have the same Force Potential as Anakin Skywalker, but start at the same level of raw power and skill as Starkiller at his strongest, having already mastered everything Starkiller knows, like Telekinesis, Force Push, Force Lightning, Mind Trick and even Force Fury, which you can use without fear of hurting yourself. But you will find yourself easily learning whatever force techniques you try to learn.
- You are a dark lord of the Sith and get to choose your Darth "Name". If you arrive in Star Wars during a time when the Sith Empire exists, you will be considered one of the Lords of the Sith. You can also choose how or if the Dark Side has an effect on you, from choosing whether your eyes are yellow or red to whether your skin becomes paler or not.
- You have a bottomless well of darkside emotions which you can draw from and use to empower yourself via the Dark Side. It will never corrupt or influence your thinking or behaviour.
- You are completely immune to Dark Side corruption and degradation, allowing you to wield the dark side without your body being destroyed, hurt or corrupted by it. Any negatives with the dark side do not affect you. You can share this benefit with others, making them just as immune as you are. You can also take this immunity away should you so desire.
- You are a master of all seven lightsaber Forms, but are an unparalleled master of one Form of your choice. You are ambidextrous and are just as good wielding two lightsabers as you are with one. This also includes a double-bladed lightsaber.
- You also receive your very own lightsaber, designed to your specifications and with the colour of your choice. Can optionally be two lightsabers, a shoto lightsaber, a double-bladed lightsaber or whatever other kind of lightsaber you want.
-> (Post your ideas)
- You have a Sith Holocron, which will be able to teach you everything about the Force that the Sith have ever learned, including any Force abilities and rituals.
- Optionally, you may receive a loyal PROXY droid similar to Starkiller's PROXY, which is irrevocably loyal towards you and won't try to kill you unless you ask it to.
- Optionally, you receive enough wealth to become one of the richest beings in the Galaxy.
____
"Ha! Haha... HAHAHAHAHA... What a stroke of luck. It seems my story won't be as pathetic as it might have been otherwise," Plagueis says to no one in particular.
He feels the jump in his power and the change in his potential. His interest in studying midi-chlorians and creating life has suddenly diminished to almost nothing. He knows that the Force doesn't like that, and while he won't technically need it anymore, he still doesn't want to 'anger' it just yet. However, he won't worry about what others think. He will do what he wants and not be limited by anything.
Plagueis stands up and looks around, taking in the crater that the explosion has caused. He sees his master, Darth Tenebrous and thinks about what good he was for him. Plagueis was mainly self-taught, since Tenebrous refused to make him more powerful, to make sure he would survive till the coming of the Chosen One and then take over his body. But that will not happen. He walks over to his master, who is weakened right now.
"Cough... cough... Plagueis... come, help me, my apprentice..." the Bith says.
Plagueis walks forward and stands before him. He looks at him in thought, thinking about what he plans on doing.
"Ah... you won't help me, will you, my apprentice," Tenebrous says, seeing Plagueis' look.
"Not in the way you expect, no."
"Good, very Sith of you, using my weakness to take my place. Go on then, do it."
"You won't defend yourself?" Plagueis asks.
"Of course I will," Tenebrous says and ignites his lightsaber.
Plagueis' lightsaber flies out of his robes and into his right hand. He can feel that he is truly ambidextrous now, thanks to the essence taking effect. Tenebrous has tried to keep him weak and controllable, and suddenly, he has jumped to the power of Starkiller, the future apprentice of Darth Vader. It is ironic, in a way. Starkiller was trained the same way by Vader as Plagueis was. He had to learn everything on his own.
Darth Tenebrous doesn't wait for Plagueis and attacks. He uses the Force to reinforce himself, pushing himself more than he should in his condition.
*TSSCCHHHH*
The blood-red blade doesn't cut through Plagueis, as he ignited his lightsaber just before.
"What's wrong, Hego? Having second thoughts?" Tenebrous asks. "But it makes sense, you always were a failure after all."
Tenebrous starts to taunt his apprentice, trying to provoke him into anger. But the question is, why does he try that? Dun Möch is a form of combat that uses distraction and doubt, usually through taunting, in conjunction with lightsaber combat.
Their blades clash, with Tenebrous using the seventh form of lightsaber combat, Juyo fuelling himself with the Dark Side. Juyo is the most vicious form of lightsaber combat, filled with both fury and "malignant grace." It is very suitable for a Sith Lord.
"Is that it, apprentice? Is that all you learned under my tutelage?"
The Sith Lord aims to completely dominate Plagueis' spirit through whatever means possible by employing his combat doctrine. Dun Möch commonly involves spoken taunts, jeers, and jests that expose the opponent's hidden, inner weaknesses or doubts, ultimately eroding the opponent's will to fight. Mental attacks are also utilised during combat to strip one's concentration with the Force, making an opponent less precise and effective. As such, Dun Möch embodied using the Force as a form of psychological warfare.
But against Plagueis, this is no longer a helpful strategy. The reincarnator has surpassed the abilities of his former master, his previous and peak self, and is currently testing his new limits. Or the absence of them. A powerful opponent like Tenebrous will not soon cross his path, and so he has to use this moment well. He takes the ferocious attacks and reacts, allowing himself to grow accustomed to his new status. He blocks a horizontal slash and uses Force Push to create distance between himself and his master.
He uses the feeling he has and holds out his palm, facing upwards. A second later, a lightsaber materialises. Through his Essence, he can choose one lightsaber form, which he is an unparalleled master of. Plagueis has chosen the sixth lightsaber form, Niman. He would surpass Exar Kun in all aspects.
"What is that?" Tenebrous asks.
"It's your death in material form," Plagueis says.
"..."
"Your pathetic use of Dun Möch won't help you, master. We both know that you consider me a master in lightsaber combat, despite my previous belief that it was a tedious affair."
"Oh?"
Plagueis holds his new lightsaber in front of him and activates its blade. He waits for his master to attack, which he does, using more of his darkness and attacking ferociously.
*TSSCCHHHH*
*TSSCCHHHH*
*TSSCCHHHH*
"Niman? Are you serious? What is this?" Tenebrous taunts Plagueis in disbelief.
*ZZZZZZZZZZ*
Plagueis fires Force Lightning towards his master and swings his lightsaber through the air. Tenebrous fires his own Force Lightning, cancelling Plagueis', but feeling drained as he does so. He raises his lightsaber, blocking the slash.
*TSSCCHHHH*
They continue to clash, with Plagueis pushing more and more, and finally reaching out. He pulls Tenebrous towards him, slightly disrupting his concentration. With a fluid motion, he grabs his lightsaber with both hands and attacks his master. Tenebrous swings his lightsaber from below, trying to get his initiative back, but is surprised as his blade cuts through the air and hits nothing.
"Wha-"
Plagueis suddenly holds two lightsabers in his hand, having split them and using Jar'Kai. He swings them through the air, attacking his master with increasing ferocity and skill that would make Exar Kun drool. Tenebrous has nothing to offer in this fight any longer, and Plagueis decides to end it. He increases his speed, using the Force to drain vitality from his opponents, either to heal himself and reduce Tenebrous' personal Force reservoir and stamina.
Tenebrous dodges a lightsaber strike, but is surprised, as it suddenly elongates and cuts through his left arm.
"AARGH!!"
The very next moment, Plagueis cuts through Tenebrous' second arm and ends the fight.
"Mmmmmmmm... arrgh..."
Plagueis walks forward and kneels next to his master.
"That was a disappointing display, master. But I suppose you were weakened after all. This next bit will hurt, by the way..."
Plagueis holds out his hand and starts to use the theory of the Force technique: Drain Knowledge. But he hasn't done it yet, and therefore does it rather badly. Tenebrous screams in pain as his knowledge and memories leave his mind and enter Plagueis.
"AAAAAAHHHHH....."
Plagueis observes Tenebrous' dying body through the Force in an attempt to manipulate his midi-chlorians and prolong his life. But he stops a second later. Plagueis closes his eyes and goes over the bits of his former master's knowledge he could extract.
"Maxi-chlorians, huh? Quite innovative, master."
Maxi-chlorians are a creation of Darth Tenebrous, designed to achieve a form of eternal life. The Sith Lord injected himself with a retrovirus that infected some of his midi-chlorians, turning them into maxi-chlorians at the loss of his precognition abilities. These maxi-chlorians are long-lived midi-chlorians that even now, linger after he has died, instead of migrating back into The Force.
Just now, after he had died, these maxi-chlorians remained, containing Tenebrous's consciousness. They flew out of his old body and into his apprentice, Darth Plagueis, essentially giving Tenebrous a "host". But Plagueis knows about it now, and he feels his master's maxi-chlorians having entered his body.
"This won't do," he says.
Darth Plagueis uses the Force. He holds out his palms and uses Force Lightning on himself, electrocuting his body and allowing it to flow through all cells. The lightning hits all of the maxi-chlorians, destroys Tenebrous' consciousness and immobilises them. But he doesn't allow them to be destroyed just yet and controls their path, making them exit his body.
As incredible as this 'technology or technique' might be, he will make it better and stronger. The fate of Darth Plagueis the Wise will not be the same.