The Middle Ring. A planet unknown to the maps of the Beynites.
751 DBYA.
13 years before the Mandalorian Purge.
Back to the present day.
Darth Doom.
Finding myself inside the Dark Meditation Sphere and closing its walls to block out the influence of the outside world... I immediately felt an incredible unity with the Force. Bursting out of my body, it collided with the reflective walls and returned, forming an incredibly dense background inside the sphere and around me with every passing moment.
Every cell of the air remaining here was saturated with the Force and my cold calmness, so much so that I felt a chill run through my skin, which immediately penetrated to the bone.
Blinking and shaking off the visions, I closed my eyes again and sat down in the lotus position, almost immediately rising to the centre of the sphere.
Detaching myself from the real world, I began to direct the flows of the Force around me, concentrating and focusing them on the interactions with the walls of the meditation sphere. I forced them to integrate into the system of the latter, while at the same time not breaking my contact with myself.
This was not an easy process, even for me, and certainly impossible for Jedi, if this device and this place were connected not to the Dark Side, but to the Light Side of the Force.
In the latter case, I would need to clear my mind of thoughts... But I am Doom... And a Sith. That is why I use different methods.
I focused precisely on my passionate desire to find other gifted individuals. My greedy desire to take possession of them, gain control and make them my puppets — in these matters, it is better to be frank and honest with the Force. It won't tell anyone about it anyway.
Maybe she'll drop a hint... But directly, when I took every possible precaution and learned all the variations from Tulak Horde, a user of the Sith variation of Jedi Combat Meditation? No, that's definitely impossible...
And then, the moment came. First, I saw and felt at the same time a tiny spark of the only living being on this planet besides me — Vi. Then my perception expanded to the entire star system, where there were already more intelligent beings on other planets with an atmosphere almost suitable for humans.
But they were not intelligent, so they were almost imperceptible to my changed perception of the world, based purely on the Force.
So I headed further... Further through the Force. Through countless kilometres of cold and empty cosmic void filled with nothing but the Force.
Further, even further.
I came across new star systems that had too few resources or no habitable planets to be included on most galactic maps.
Then I came across those where intelligent beings already existed... But in my perception of the world, both personal and in the Force, they were only slightly less insignificant than mindless organic creatures.
The faintly gifted, like Vi, began to shine a little brighter, but they didn't interest me either. The Dark Side doesn't like weakness, and that's exactly what they were. I took note of some of them, but honestly doubted that I would ever use them as another tool.
"There it is." — I opened my eyes wide, fixing my gaze on the matte black wall of the sphere and carefully lowering myself onto both feet.
I found a couple who stood out to me like bright stars against a backdrop of thousands of dim candles. Young, a little over a dozen years old or so, clearly close relatives, and most importantly, gifted. Unfortunately, more details can only be obtained through long meditation or sleep, during which the Dark Side likes to throw in visions, often frightening, but... I don't trust either method.
So we'll do things the old-fashioned way.
I will fly there myself and find out who could be useful to Duma.
It was not for nothing that I forced the droids on this planet to build another building in the image and likeness of the Academy on Korriban, which is now abandoned. True, this one will be smaller, because I frankly cannot handle more than a couple of dozen students, even for my plans to conquer the galaxy and find my mother. A smaller number... Well, the idiots will die quickly, and the smart ones will adapt. And then, even in small numbers, they will pose a greater threat to the Jedi than they expect.
Besides, I know perfectly well how to maintain the illusion of greater numbers among the new reincarnation of the Sith... Real Sith, without any condescending mockery.
Outer Ring. Nam-Chorios.
751 DBY.
13 years before the Mandalorian Purge.
Two days later.
Refugees from the Meridian sector, or more precisely, from the planet of the same name, settled on Nam-Chorios just a year ago. A negligible period of time by galactic standards, but this did not particularly bother the few inhabitants who were forced to flee after the change of ruler. They wanted to live, but their professions were peaceful and not in high demand, so they couldn't try their luck on developed planets where competition was fierce. It was easier to move to an unclaimed planet and become colonists of sorts.
Yes, even tens of thousands of years later, there were still such people in the galaxy.
True... If one can put it that way, they weren't of the best quality.
Nam-Horios was a sufficiently desolate and not particularly fertile planet to have attracted their interest earlier.
And the weather here... Constant purple, very ominous-looking thunderstorms and thunder, but without particularly impressive amounts of rain. And the dim glow of the local star created eternal twilight on the surface...
However, they and their sister were among the few who were not afraid of these lightning bolts... They only gave them strength. They did not know the reason for this, nor did they know why they could move some things with the power of their minds. Frightened that their not-so-pleasant father would be angry with them for this peculiarity, the twins decided not to tell anyone about it, although they constantly tried to do so in secret, as it was one of the few entertainments available to them in their situation.
Access to the Holonet was too expensive for them, so they were left with only children's toys... which the fourteen-year-old twins considered themselves too old for.
"Damn you!" — their father raged once again, on yet another day, causing the children to sigh and roll their eyes once again, having long since grown accustomed to such behaviour and therefore feeling nothing special about it. "Why are you staring at me like that? You little bastards!" he barked, turning to the children, who turned pale.
Despite his temper, their father had hardly ever drunk before, but at that moment... His face was red and much more angry.
Without consulting each other, the twins took a step back from the kitchen, where they had been heading to make themselves something to eat.
"Stay there, you little creatures!" — he barked, unusually fiercely for himself, rising abruptly from the table, where Onisa, one of the twins, caught a glimpse of several bottles with red labels.
The children jerked back. But due to their childish awkwardness, Alsat, the second twin, hit the doorframe with his shoulder, causing him to hiss in pain as he caught up with his sister, who was even more frightened.
...Which is why the first blow fell on the male twin. The bottle that flew in at an angle did not add to Alsat's joy, causing him to fall face forward and literally crawl on all fours to try to get up and rush back.
"Argh! Useless... First exile, and now this hovel, damn you!" — roared his father, not in his own voice, but clearly stopping and giving the boy time to turn sharply around the corner towards the exit of their small house.
And already running out of the house, he suddenly caught sight of his sister lying a dozen metres from the entrance, cradling her right leg.
"What happened?" — he exclaimed anxiously, running closer and meeting his sister's gaze, her eyes filled with angry tears.
"My leg... I twisted it," she hissed, clearly trying to overcome the pain, apparently coming to her senses after the initial shock.
As Alsat noticed, she had once again demonstrated a trait of her character — even if she was more frightened than him, she would recover more quickly. His fingers were still trembling slightly.
"That's bad..." — the boy bit his lip involuntarily, remembering very well that for some reason their family was not liked in the refugee camp.
And none of them understood why! The residents didn't say anything! Was it because of their father? But he behaved normally most of the time, not like he did with them at certain moments!
"Thanks, brother, I figured it out myself..." — Onisa whispered, wincing painfully.
"We should...
"Go... come here, you bastards!" — interrupting his brother's words, came a sharp voice from the house.
Turning around tensely, the brother and sister saw their father staggering, this time, for the first time, deciding to get out of the house! He had never done this before.
Events unfolded rapidly for the twins — their father, despite his drunken state, was too quick for his children.
And while Alsatu was lucky and only flew to the side, receiving a powerful blow with the back of his hand, Onisa, who was sitting on the ground... received a professional-looking kick to the chest, flying a whole metre away.
"Oni!" — shouted the twin boy as he got up from the ground, but because his attention was focused on his sister, he didn't notice the man moving towards him, whom he could hardly call his father even in his thoughts after this incident. " — Kh-kh-kh...
"You little bastards, because of you, hic, us... Me! They sent us to this hole... Nam-Horios... Hic! New Hope! Ha-ha-ha!" — he shouted with obvious anger and mockery, jerking the boy's neck up into the air and ignoring his kicks and attempts to break free, which faded as quickly as the oxygen stopped reaching his blond head. "You half-breeds! You common scum!"
"No." — came the furious and surprisingly clear cry of his sister. " — Laugh." — Turning his eyes towards the twin girl, the boy's fading consciousness noted that Onisa's eyes were burning with an almost tangible flame, which shimmered in orange and red hues in her pupils. "— Don't touch him! My brother!
The next second, obeying the girl's will, the man and the boy rose into the air together.
"What the hell..." — the first man was seriously surprised, letting go of his son.
However, Alsat didn't even feel the pain in his backside, where he landed, hitting the not-so-soft sand. All his attention was focused on the drunk man who, right before his eyes...
Started to break down.
Twisting.
Spinning around.
Twisting.
Bones cracked.
Flesh tore with a squelching sound.
The air around the disfigured piece of organic matter rippled.
It seemed as if the space itself had begun to transform the body inside it into something completely useless, and whose blood splattered all over the boy's body.
This went on for about ten seconds, and as a result, the once rather impressive man turned into a compressed ball of skin, muscles, internal organs, and bones before the eyes of the absolutely shocked boy.
"Die... You monster..." — said the sister, breathing heavily, to which the boy, almost reflexively and without realising what he was doing, turned his gaze with wide eyes.
"This..." — he shuddered, as the realisation of what had happened here and now began to sink in. "You... You killed him..."
"He deserved it! It should have been done long ago! Khah!" — The woman, who had hair exactly like his, light but longer, became enraged, but was interrupted by a bloody cough that stained the girl's elegant but clearly old and worn clothes." — That piece of trash didn't deserve to be called our father! He deserved to die!
Even in his state of shock, Alsat felt a white-hot rage coursing through his body... And also a faint note of fear for the person his sister had become at that moment.
The hanging silence was broken by barely audible blows against steel, resembling some kind of perverted clapping.
And at that moment, from the shadows of a nearby frail tree, barely surviving in the desert climate, emerged a man clad entirely in steel, like an ancient knight from his home planet. A green cape only added to the image of an intelligent being, but his eyes... Blinking, Alsat slowly realised that his eyes were sparkling with fiery suns of a similar shape.
"Magnificent words, girl. Good. Worthy." — he said, folding his arms across his chest and looking at Onis, who stared at the stranger suspiciously, her eyes flashing with unexpected courage.
"Who are you?" she asked in an equally confident tone, glancing at her brother, who was still stunned, looking like an idiot.
"You're not lacking in audacity. But that's a side effect of the Fall... Although this is the first time I've seen it in person. A very interesting sight." — said the man clad in steel with a hint of thoughtfulness... And in the next moment, both twins jerked as if from blows, feeling fear rising inside them, and a flock of goose bumps running down their backs made their fingers tremble. "But don't forget yourself. You are powerful in the Force! That is why you will become my glorious apprentice, girl!" — Continuing to flash his burning eyes, he pointed his steel finger at her.
"Who are you..." — the girl muttered much more quietly, her eyes slightly dimmed in the late evening darkness.
"Oh... Perhaps I should tell you. I am the last of those whom the Jedi believe to be destroyed. I am the one who will give you the power you have possessed since birth and have now finally accepted. I am a Sith. A Sith Lord. And from now on, you will be my apprentice." he said solemnly, clenching the fingers of his right hand into a fist and then slightly unbending them.
Green lightning sparks danced menacingly on his fingers, and at the mere sight of them, Onise and Alsatu felt an overwhelming urge to... Bow down. Obey.
To submit to someone who was much stronger than them.
These were animal instincts, long forgotten by humans under the pressure of civilisation... But... Something told the twin sister that this would be the right choice — to follow her instincts and feelings, screaming about the power of the creature standing before her.
The girl involuntarily dropped to one knee, bowing her head...
(roughly the same image for the twins)
Outer Ring. Nam-Chorios.
751 DBY.
13 years before the Mandalorian Purge.
An hour later.
Darth Doom.
Looking at the twins once more, I shook my head almost imperceptibly.
It was an interesting situation, after all. Was it the will of the Force, or just a coincidence, a chain of events that I happened to be a part of, but... In any case, it was extremely entertaining.
It's not even certain that I'll ever see anything like it again.
Upon arriving on this planet forgotten by all gods, I immediately discovered its significant connection to the Force. In particular, with its Dark Side. There was only one settlement on it, with a population of only ten thousand intelligent beings, almost all of whom were representatives of the human race, and I instantly found the dwelling place of those who were sensitive to the Force.
However, of course, I did not go to them right away (I'm not a Jedi, after all...), deciding first to find out the situation from the minds of my neighbours. Not particularly concerned about the safety of their brains, I quickly understood the situation and began to think about a plan to recruit two gifted individuals into the future Sith Order, which, again, would serve as a distraction for my main enemies on the path to galactic domination...
And just as I had more or less come up with a decent plan to ensure the absolute loyalty of my future acolytes, when...
How did this happen?
From the recollections of my neighbours, I knew that the father of the family (that pathetic nobody, unworthy of the proud title held by my now deceased father, who protected me) periodically raged at his children, but there were no injuries on their bodies, which is why today's escalation of events... came as something of a surprise to me. It made me literally jump out of my seat when I felt an impressive flash of the Dark Side, now tightly enveloping the girl and, to some extent, the boy.
I don't even care about the second one. Something in his mind was clearly damaged after such a spectacular, close and entertaining death of his father.
Even if he doesn't become a full-fledged Sith, his giftedness will always come in handy. More precisely, a loyal and unambitious gifted person.
Not to mention that, judging by all appearances, he will be an excellent tool for influencing his sister. Oh yes, attachment. Attachments that the Jedi do not like. But they give the Sith unimaginable power, just like other feelings and emotions. True, most do not have the ability to... No, not even to control and restrain them, but to direct them. That would be the right word in this situation.
"Perhaps you would tell me your name, sir... Sith...?" — Despite acknowledging my superiority, the girl looked at me with confidence on her well-groomed aristocratic face.
Well, well. Insolence, of course, but I don't need spineless fools in the Order. My Order of the Sith. And even if the name has already been used by the locals, I'll mould it into whatever I want to see, Dohm!
"I will accept three appeals, girl..." I said with a hint of warning, setting the necessary parameters in the cockpit for the most inconspicuous and slow take-off possible.
The locals must not know that someone had come to them. All ties to the members of the Order must be destroyed. They must die today in a burning building, where the remains of their father's genetic material will be found. Especially since pirates, whom I had already paid for the raid, would soon arrive here. After him, no one, no one will be able to find the origins of the future Sith.
For a moment, a colourless image appeared before my eyes, hinting at a future that had not yet happened, as the Force whispered in my ear.
A young woman with a strong connection to the Force was fighting with lightsabers against a huge... And here's the most surprising part: a Hutt.
"So, by my actions, I have completely destroyed the possibility of this event..." — I said aloud, snorting contemptuously.
And what are you trying to tell me with your alien semblance of reason, Force?
"Um-mm?" — The girl, whose eyes were not yet the same colour as mine, looked at me strangely. This signalled either an unwillingness to sever her connection to the Dark Side, or an inability to do so due to a lack of skills, as in our case, or because of too strong a connection to the Dark Side.
"Returning to the titles. I will accept three. Lord, Master, Sir. You are not yet worthy of knowing my name." — And besides, I have not yet received your absolute loyalty, which would assure me that even under the most terrible torture and mind control, you would not reveal my Sith title, for it echoes my true mask.
I am not going to consider the Jedi completely single-minded. They may be fools, but they are not half-witted creatures like those I met and defeated on Corriban.
"I see... Master." — Bowing her head, she chose the most neutral of the suggested forms of address... Onisa.
"Anticipating your questions, girl, I will explain what we will do next. I assume you know at least something about the Sith." — The light-haired girl nodded nervously in response. "I will expand your knowledge of them and show you how to use that power... The power you gained by destroying that worthless creature."
"That..." — After hesitating for a moment and turning pale, she remembered the small thing she had done. "I had to." — She said firmly, with a slight feeling of nausea rising in her throat, but without much guilt.
Good potential. Very good. Which has only been strengthened in some way by being on this planet connected to the Force. I will investigate this phenomenon further, but later, when I have studied the part that is now contained in this girl in more detail.
"You're obliged, I'd say. He's your brother, after all." — I shrugged indifferently, beginning to lift the ship covered by the invisibility field.
Yes, I hadn't forgotten to maintain her connection with her brother. It was her weak spot. Her enemies, that is, my enemies, would not know about it and therefore would not stop her, but I would and could do so if my brilliant plan to win her loyalty went to Mephisto because of someone's completely insane interference.
"And I... Probably... Shouldn't have done that in front of him..." — she glanced nervously at her brother, whose blue eyes were focused on a single point, not moving even a millimetre.
"It's too late to talk about that now. What's done is done. However, I'm not going to babysit you, girl. The fact that you have good potential to build your power doesn't make you elite by definition." — I said, not turning my head this time. "You have to show me that you have enough intelligence and perseverance to become at least a halfway decent Sith... Speaking of which... Us. Get to know us, so I don't have to hear any stupid questions from you later."
Without taking my eyes off the ship's controls or moving my hands, I used telekinesis to levitate the datapad right into the girl's hands.
"As you say, sir." — After casting her twentieth glance at her silent brother, the light-haired girl turned on the device and began to obediently read the lines of text that appeared.
Well... The first step towards creating my Sith Order has been taken. There is still a lot of work to be done... But the main thing is to start.
My brilliant mind will take care of the rest. It will undoubtedly succeed. Regardless of what others think about it.
***
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