Outer Ring. Corriban.
751 DBYA.
13 years before the Mandalorian Purge.
A few minutes later.
Darth Doom.
Distracted from the remains of the droids, which I had used telekinesis to grab and bring onto the ship, I discovered that the ship was no longer in the atmosphere and had landed on the planet's surface. It was a subtle feeling, but I sensed that my connection to the planet had grown stronger, as my body and its body were now connected by something more tangible than air.
"Phew..." I exhaled, feeling the unfamiliar powerful energy of the planet spreading through my body.
I had already been to several planets with a strong manifestation of the Dark Side of the Force, but... This world was something else. Its ancient breath was unique, and the coldness of death felt as if I had met that special someone again in my home galaxy...
Walking to the exit of the ship and stepping onto the orange soil of a planet that was dead in every sense of the word, I came across a truly magnificent sight that even I was struck by for a moment. The Force resonated painfully with this place. It resonated so strongly that the citadel on the nameless planet of the Beynites was mere child's play compared to what I felt, sensed, and saw before me. Countless statues and tombs of ancient rulers were intertwined here in bizarre architecture that spoke of the ancient history of this world.
All the ups and downs, everything was enclosed in buildings half-destroyed by time... But it was not the outward appearance that was important to the user of mystical powers. The Force and its Dark Side raged here, meeting its adept with their streams.
This place existed even before the arrival of Sorzus Sin and her fellow competitors in this world. Unlike her acquaintances, Sorzus was interested in the ancient history of this world and knew that it lasted much longer than the time that the Republic and the Jedi existed.
As she discovered, the locals had even repelled the ancient Rakata conquerors, who used the Dark Side in their technology.
In essence, these Rakata were technomages, who impressed me greatly with their combination of technology and a local variation of magic. Perhaps, in addition to the secrets of the Force hidden here, I could find something from the arsenal of the ancient invaders. This will help me advance my plans significantly, for I will spend a long time sowing discord and mistrust among the main worlds of the Galaxy with my own hands, only to return as a liberator and harbinger of order in the surrounding chaos — that is, as I had previously conceived in my rough plans for subjugating the galaxy to my will.
The idyll, interrupted only by gusts of wind ruffling my green hooded cloak, was finally shattered by the sound of engines as a second ship landed nearby.
My irritation burst into the Force, causing a chilling wind to howl sharply in the Dark Lords' realm. The planet influenced me, feeding my Dark Side and increasingly blocking my theoretical transition to the Light, quite reasonably not wanting to let go of such a powerful adept, but I also influenced the planet, embodying my own power and emotions in its nature.
Come to think of it... The Dark Side is the direct transformation of emotions into energy, into embodied matter... A very interesting and potentially infinite source of power... I'll have to think about that. Very well thought out, because even a hint of possible potential tells my outstanding intellect about the infinity of the power I can obtain.
"He-he-he..." — I grinned contentedly, my eyes flashing with fire as I headed towards the ship, from which my Dumbroids were already beginning to emerge along with Vi.
Behind them, a motley crew of various races began to emerge, their entire appearance showing how much they disliked being here. Despite the scorched sands of this planet, even the less gifted intelligent beings found it both cold and hot at the same time.
However, as Sorzus Sin mentioned, ordinary intelligent beings could easily adapt to the local environment, although they would eventually become more cruel, selfish, and aggressive creatures.
It was for this reason that I became convinced that the capital of my future state should be located on a planet with weak ties to the Force. I do not want the emotional state of my mind and the minds of my subordinates and subjects to be influenced by outside forces. Even if it is the side of mystical energy that I actively use.
If it weren't for the destroyed station in orbit, I would have considered reviving the local Sith Academy once again, but... The Jedi will show up here sooner or later.
So I'll put that off until more favourable times.
"Why am I feeling so awful? ... Ah, boss?" — The saboteur, who was not very sensitive to the Force, asked me, nervously twitching her shoulder. "It's like I've caught a cold... I'm hot and cold, and I'm shivering... Brrr!" — Vi shuddered all over.
"Because you can sense the power of this planet, even if only a little." — I decided to condescend to an explanation, watching as the galactic scum gathered around the ship. "The great power of the ancients that once so frightened the Republic. The Chancellor at the time, together with the Senate, were so frightened that they authorised one of the few open and undisguised genocides of an entire species in history. The species of the Sith, from which the name of the followers of the Dark Side originated. And a number of insults that are still used in the Galaxy today.
"Fuck." — The little one, whose eyes were already beginning to glow with shades of scarlet, expressed her opinion succinctly and concisely.
Apparently, even her level of giftedness is enough for the Dark Side to begin to take root in her body. Well, I won't get in the way. I'm very curious to see what her proximity to the natural background of this planet, fuelled by ancient rituals whose time has not yet come to an end, will lead to. Only small remnants of them remain, but... They have been active for tens of thousands of years, and that is why they have finally and irrevocably turned this world to the Dark Side of the Force.
"Take care of the trash. We're heading that way." — I waved my hand towards a giant pyramid in the distance, very reminiscent of the Egyptian ones.
I once studied the magic of the ancient Egyptians, the inhabitants of Ta-Kemet, in the hope of adding to my own arsenal. And I must say, I did learn a thing or two. And I hope that this experience will help me in my exploration of the secrets of the local ruins.
It was beneath my dignity to communicate with future victims for rituals and possible sources of emergency replenishment of my Power, which had weakened somewhat after the battle with the Jedi. There were subordinates for talking to such insignificant fools who were attracted by the jingle of coins. Such as Vi, for example. But she alone was not enough.
I needed to find more conduits for my will.
Preferably ones connected to the Force.
Hmm... And again, it all comes down to the fact that I need to create my own true Sith, who will become the continuers and executors of my plans, thereby freeing up my time to learn about the Dark Side.
Well, then.
I'll take care of that after I've taken everything of value from the Sith worlds.
As I walked towards the abandoned Sith Academy, I completely let go of my disguise, allowing my symbiosis with Corriban to take its course.
My Force spread across the planet like a network of spies, reaching into every corner of the valley around us, searching for the greatest sources of the Dark Side, which were usually ancient manuscripts, artefacts, books and holocrons.
It was not a quick process, otherwise Darth Varborus, who had been here before, would have found everything he wanted. But no, he remained a weakling, using what the Beynians had found.
In response to my search, the local inhabitants reacted with caution and scrutiny. They clearly sensed my power, my Sith'ari potential, with their dead souls. But they could not penetrate my mind, which was many times superior to theirs, and therefore more strong-willed and powerful, and its walls were impenetrable to their forces. Perhaps in life, the ancient lords could have competed with me in the strength of their mental walls, but now they were only dead men who had made an unequal bargain with the great trickster.
But if they had already understood Mephisto's deception, then they must understand that I am no friend of his. And we most certainly have a common enemy.
"I advise you to make your decision quickly, spirits." I spoke as if to the void, but my voice echoed across the local sands and rocks. Ignoring the intelligent beings stirring behind me, I continued in the same confident voice, full of inner strength: "Darth Doom will not wait for you long. And when my patience runs out, I will use force and the Force to tear everything I need from your cooling ghostly corpses." — I said harshly, instantly sensing discontent and... Interest.
Even more than before.
The dead were interested in whoever had dared to challenge them so boldly.
If I were a weakling with nothing but unimaginable stupidity to my credit, which could also have led me to issue such a challenge, they would have already tried to destroy me, subjugate me, and use a new puppet to restore their will to the Galaxy...
But I was not that person.
Without hiding my power, which shook the very reality of this planet steeped in Darkness and Flame, I showed them that in the future, I would surpass the peak of their power during their lifetime. With or without their help.
And only by submitting to me and helping me could they hope that their millennia-old dreams would come true, that they would once again reveal themselves to the Galaxy. For these hopes, they had entered into such an unfavourable, dangerous, and treacherous deal with a demon even more ancient than themselves, who had deceived them and failed to punish them for breaking the contract.
Taking another step and allowing the wind to howl around us even louder, whipping tons of sand into the atmosphere and causing the scum behind us to cough, I let my feelings and emotions out.
A deep-rooted contempt for enemies and heroes so similar to the Jedi.
A burning hatred for Mephisto, who took my mother away from me.
An unimaginable desire... To see my mother.
The desire for power.
The desire for power.
A desire for authority.
Ambition.
Pride.
All that unites me with the ancient spirits who were defeated and also experienced similar emotions when they saw what the Sith had become over the last millennia.
Everything that fuels my Dark Side and gives me such unimaginable power, allowing me to reach a level of strength in less than seven years of training that even Jedi who have been training for decades are unable to match.
The connection between my genius and everything I experienced on Earth during almost half a century of an incredibly intense life provided the perfect fuel for my Dark Side.
Oh yes, right here and now, walking and interacting with the aura of this planet every second, I began to understand the potential of the local mystical energy. With just the corner of my eye, I managed to catch a glimpse of the true power of the Force.
It wasn't the usual Vision of the Force, but... a glimpse of what I could achieve.
The destruction of entire worlds.
Extinguishing stars.
The annihilation of all life in star systems.
The incineration of an entire galaxy.
Unimaginable power that would bring down all my enemies, starting with Richards and ending with Mephisto. Especially Mephisto. The fool has deceived himself by sending me to this universe.
No doubt he has some plan to try to take this power away from me, to reap the rewards with someone else's hands, that is, my hands, but... Do you really think, you insignificant demon, that you can so easily deceive the Doctor, who has become Darth?
Deceive the Doctor himself?
Oh no. You have once again deceived intelligent beings and discarded them like used toys. Only these toys are already dead and have nothing to lose, which is why they can focus entirely on revenge against you. And rest assured, red-skinned demon, I know what to offer individuals so similar to me. Their minds are not as great, and their power is not as significant as mine... But the Force itself will help us, seeking revenge on the invader from another galaxy, from another reality.
I feel the burning anger of the Dark Side, lava flowing through my veins, and with my help, it has now realised that you, Mephisto, are not its ally. You are its worst enemy, seeking only to increase your power.
Echoing my thoughts and manipulations with the Force, the atmosphere on the planet also began to darken and grow gloomy. The shadows from the tombs became more sinister, and Horuset began to roast the planet's surface twice as hard. Cold and heat began to intertwine into something new, chilling even me to the bone.
The rest...
Looking back at the Sith Academy pyramid, I glanced behind me and saw the bandits completely broken and weakened. The planet itself and its dead began to suck the life out of the few who were still alive on this planet.
Not that I had expected such an effect, planning to use these nobodies on my own...
An idea formed in my mind like a supernova.
The dead need the living to manifest themselves... And I have a bunch of fools here who are completely useless to me, but full of life and base emotions.
Instead of wandering this planet for years, searching every tomb like the idiots who came before me... Why not summon the ghosts of the Dark Side to me?
Doom does not seek knowledge. Knowledge seeks Doom.
Yes, that would be a more appropriate decision, in keeping with my personality. I will not grovel before the local traps and labyrinths, gathering the legacy of the dead piece by piece. They themselves will bring it to me, telling me their secrets.
"Yes, that's wonderful... Vi!" I called over a young girl who seemed to feel much better than the others. She was quite inclined towards the Dark Side, which is why the aura of this world did not oppress her, but rather filled her with strength. True, later I would have to come up with something to hide her Force aura so that the Jedi wouldn't mistake her for some weak cultist and kill her in the name of their stupid ideals.
"Yes, boss? Do you want to make me happy and tell me we're flying away from here?" — But unfortunately, the girl's mind was still too small and insignificant for her to realise the benefits of staying on this planet for herself.
"Don't forget." — Reaching out, I slightly affected her with the Force Choke, which acts on the neck and makes it difficult to breathe. "And listen carefully.
"Dha... Yes... Master..." — Quickly realising her mistake, Vi proved to me that I had made the right choice. Her mind is still better than the rest of them. "I'm listening..."
"Tell the scum that we are going to set up camp in this pyramid..." — I waved towards the more or less intact ruins of the Sith Academy.
It would serve as an excellent focal point and centre of concentration for my ritual, the outlines of which were beginning to take shape in my magnificent mind, capable of conceiving something new in the Force. Perhaps I would call this ritual "Summoning the Ghosts." It sounds quite menacing, and it also reflects the truth and essence of what I was doing.
"And?
"And nothing. Let them await their employer's orders..." — I uttered the last words with palpable sarcasm, so much so that even Vi instantly understood the role of the bandits who would become lambs to the slaughter of the Dark Side. The Side whispered in my ear that on a larger scale, a similar ritual, but aimed at increasing my power, would make me invincible and unbeatable...
But I dismissed such nonsense. I am too smart to succumb to the temptations of the Force. Only I decide what to use and when to use it.
You can give me advice, Dark Side. You can help me. But I will never let you control my mind!
"I do what I think is right... And I bow to no one!" — I whispered fiercely, suppressing the Force that was stirring within me with my own will. " — Not even you, Dark Side. I will return your power to the world, but only as I see fit!
Ignoring the gangsters who were eyeing me as they entered the Academy, I turned my gaze to the valley.
The Dark Side was not going to give up so easily. It was reasonable to assume that, like its followers, it was not going to give up so easily either. Having lost the ability to influence me directly, it decided to punish me for my disobedience indirectly. I began to feel hundreds of lights of life appearing around me.
It was enough for the Dark Side to stir and turn to rage for the local inhabitants, who had fallen into hibernation, to sense their food, their side of the Force, which allowed them to survive on a planet where there was no other sustenance for them.
My new companion in this life and eternal enemy, the Force understood perfectly well with its collective unconscious that this would not kill or stop me. But it could deprive me of the opportunity to obtain the necessary knowledge, killing the victims for my ritual and thus forcing me to either postpone it for a long time, because the Jedi would rush here, or use my own Life Energy as a sacrifice, weakening myself.
No way... No.
"You won't defeat me so easily!" I exclaimed, directing my own anger at the Dark Side, revealing the duality and hypocrisy of the Force and manifesting all of this in Her Lightning Bolts.
Filled with my Power, which had entered into symbiosis with the Power of the planet, the electric currents that burst from my fingers instantly turned red, heading towards dozens of different creatures of the Dark Side that had broken out of their burrows in the graves and mausoleums of the ancient Sith lords.
"So that's how it is?" I squinted, watching as these creatures, instead of dying, began to feed on the Lightning Bolts that struck them.
Nice move, Dark Side.
But unfortunately for you, I have invented something you cannot control.
The Wild Force.
The lightning bolts were replaced by a haze enveloping my right hand, already flashing with yellow-green discharges of pure Force that did not belong entirely to either side. Ichor began to flow down my body, replacing the raging Dark Side.
"Let's start the second round, Force!" — I grinned excitedly under the creaking steel of my mask, twisting the power of the Wild Force around me into an incredible storm.
Nearby.
The saboteur and mercenary Vi.
"Hey, you bunch of sheep! Work faster! Move your asses, morons! You're not getting paid to sit around!" — the girl burst out with a torrent of hurried insults, feeling strange sensations throughout her body since landing on this planet.
She didn't understand what was happening, which made her twice as angry as she urged on this rabble, brought here solely to die in the name of the Force.
If the native of a distant planet understood anything, according to her mentor in the Unknown Regions, it was that the lives of others could be transformed into one's own power. And Sith like Lord Dohm could do that.
She did not fear for herself. After all, her master was not the kind of intelligent person who would break plans already made involving her for the sake of momentary gain.
Did it bother her that she was just a pawn, a piece in the undoubtedly grand plans of a lover of steel masks and secrecy? No, it didn't. Sooner or later, she would have become just that, only under some criminal boss like the Hatto family. And it was better for her to be used by someone greater and more ambitious than just another gangster.
Despite his outstanding arrogance, pride, and love of self-praise... Lord Doom... Darth Doom was not just another nobody trying to hide his weakness and cowardice with these character traits.
This Sith lord impressed with his intelligence, cunning, ambition, and well-thought-out plans, as well as his personal power. The Jedi had defeated many local kings who also considered themselves the centre of the galaxy, but in Darth's case... They had already been defeated twice.
Mercenaries and even the Mandalorians could boast that they had killed or could kill a Jedi... But her boss had defeated an entire station of temple guards in just a pitiful ten minutes.
What's more... Even if Vi didn't understand what her sensitivity to the Force meant and perceived it as just part of her instincts... Those instincts literally screamed every second that she had to obey the power hidden behind this man's steel armour.
That's why she flinched when she felt the deafening rage behind her.
"What the hell..." — she noticed the legion of goose bumps running down her small body. "Watch them!" — she shouted to the Dumbroids, all her photoreceptors tracking the cowering and dejected bandits from Nar-Shadaa.
The droid responded almost humanly with a slight nod of its metal head, while Vi was already jumping out of the entrance to the old pyramid... She stopped immediately, struck by the sight of an epic battle worthy of being immortalised on tapestries for various wealthy individuals.
"Your mother..." she blurted out, and the sound of her words finally drowned out the whisper that had been in her head since she arrived on the planet.
Surrounded by hundreds of monsters, even more terrifying than the mutants from the lower levels of Nar-Shadaa, poisoned by industrial waste, her boss, enveloped in a greenish glow and haze, fought off the advancing enemies. A beast with black fur and eyes glowing scarlet roared from a raised platform.
"Azarah Udu-u-u-ur!" — it howled, uttering something in an incomprehensible and harsh language, the sound of which sent shivers down the saboteur's spine once again.
"Is it... intelligent?" — the saboteur shuddered, feeling her fingers tremble with superstitious horror.
Apparently obeying their leader, a dozen smaller creatures of the same species immediately pounced on Boss Vi.
"You cannot defeat me, Duma, you pathetic half-witted beast!" — exclaimed the steel-clad Sith proudly, grabbing one of the creatures by the throat, immediately tearing out a chunk of flesh and simultaneously striking the other creatures with a green chain lightning bolt. "My power and strength are greater than yours!"
"Gra-a-a-a!" — The reptilian, four-metre-tall creatures that had burst onto the battlefield from another tomb roared fiercely, inspiring fear with their mere appearance.
Mercilessly pouncing on the huge black dogs that had survived Darth Duma's blow, they began to tear them to pieces, ripping out whole chunks of flesh along with internal organs, causing the previously fearsome beasts to whine like beaten mongrels.
"You dare take my prey, part of my future army?" — the steel-clad Lord Sith practically hissed, exuding an almost tangible aura of white-hot rage, hatred and poisonous contempt.
The young mercenary did not know where such thoughts and comparisons had come from, but she felt in her gut that they were right.
In response, the reptiles abruptly... disappeared.
Like her boss's ship, they ceased to be visible to the eye or audible to the ear.
But the one whom Vi had come to regard as her boss and master had no intention of dwelling on such trifles.
"Learn and taste the power of the Wild Force, you stupid beasts!" he thundered, concentrating a poisonous green glow in his clenched fists, which spread out in crackling lightning bolts.
Forcing the mercenary to step back, the glow spread out in numerous streams, incinerating the sand and tearing away the reptiles' natural camouflage, causing them to growl and moan in unimaginable pain, which seemed to be physically transmitted to the mercenary.
"Ugh... That's unpleasant..." — Vi fell to her knees and coughed.
However, such a powerful release of green energy attracted one whose massive body could not fit through the entrance of one of the tombs, and this huge carcass had to split the ancient stone into pieces in order to get out into the valley and appear in all its terrible splendour.
This time, Vi did not know how to describe this enormous, multi-metre-long creature, full of giant teeth and fangs, which would make anyone want to wet their pants. Starting with the Jedi and the mighty Wookiees, ending with the Mandalorians and even the droids.
"Gra-a-a-a-u-u-a-r-r-r-ra-a-a!" Against the backdrop of this creature's roar, the cries of all her boss's previous four-legged enemies sounded like the pitiful snorts of an offended nexus.
Not even noticing her disgraceful landing on her backside, Vi stared wide-eyed at the creature, as if it had emerged from ancient myths and legends about monsters from the underworld of various cultures. Having grown up in the lower levels of Nar-Shaddaa, the mercenary could not describe this monster beautifully or poetically in her mind, but one thing she knew for sure...
To her shame, this time she could not say with certainty that the monarch of Hyperborea would prevail.
The fury, hatred, and eternal hunger that this terrible beast exuded seemed too piercing and unbearable.
The battle... The real battle was just beginning.
***
patreon.com/posts/dr-doom-in-star-132737081