The Greatest Sith... That Never Lived
Posted by: Darth Danno 03.14.07 12:01am
Previously:

• CHAPTER I: MEDITATION and REFLECTION
• CHAPTER II: SEEKING THE SITH
• CHAPTER III: THE PLOT THICKENS (Part I)
• CHAPTER III: THE PLOT THICKENS (Part II)
• CHAPTER IV: THE LEGEND OF THE MASTER
• CHAPTER V: A PADAWAN FLEES
• CHAPTER VI: DEBACLE IN THE DOCKING BAY (Part I)
• CHAPTER VI: DEBACLE IN THE DOCKING BAY (Part II)
• CHAPTER VII: CONUNDRUM ON CORUSCANT (Part I)
• CHAPTER VII: CONUNDRUM ON CORUSCANT (Part II)
• CHAPTER VII: CONUNDRUM ON CORUSCANT (Part III)
• CHAPTER VIII: THE PRODIGAL RETURNS (Part I)
• CHAPTER VIII: THE PRODIGAL RETURNS (Part II)
• CHAPTER VIII: THE PRODIGAL RETURNS (Part III)
• CHAPTER IX: ENTER THE APPRENTICE
• CHAPTER X: AN UNEASY ALLIANCE BEGINS
• CHAPTER XI: THE APPRENTICE REVEALED

CHAPTER XII: SUSPICION GROWS

Immediately after meeting with Mortis. Ruin summoned Darth Contagion to his chambers. He told him to find out everything he could about this strange race Lord Mortis belonged to. Two weeks later, Contagion finally had some news, though not a great deal of it.

It seemed the Yuuzhan Vong wery warlike in nature. Everything they did was for the glory of their gods. Things like self mutilation and trophies taken from their opponents were looked upon as badges of honor. All other races were indeed considered inferior. It simply made no sense that someone from this culture would ally themselves with anyone, let alone a human. The suggestion was brought up that perhaps Danno had made some kind of deal with the Vong. This did not sit at all well with either of them. Ruin asked if Lord Rage was keeping a close eye on the two, and Contagion's slow reply did nothing to allay the Sith Master's fears. It seemed most of the time Contagion was looking for Rage, she was nowhere to be found. Strangely, Ruin had the same thing always happen to him when he went to the lab to converse with Lord Vikuru. When he finally did locate him, he made some lame excuse about being in the archives, or getting some much needed air.

The progress he had made on the holocron was minor, at best. Vikuru said it took more time than expected due to the fact the artifact was laced with many dangerous, if not deadly boobytraps. He had managed to uncover some information about a process in which a Sith could actually turn his or her body into complete Dark Side energy. No longer needing to simply use the dark side, but embodying it incarnate. Ruin highly doubted these findings. He knew something was up, but just couldn't put his finger on it. Contagion surmised that perhaps Rage had fallen in love with Danno, but Ruin dismissed it as preposterous, stating a Sith only had one true love...the Dark Side, and the power it promised to all who embraced it. Something had to be done, and quickly, but what? Ruin suggested that perhaps Danno might meet with a rather unfortunate...accident. Contagion sneered as various pictures ran through the black recesses of his mind.

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud explosion that ripped through the facility. Shortly thereafter, alarms rang throughout the halls as everyone scrambled to their appointed posts. Ruin contacted Lord Rancor to assertain if they were under attack. When the reply came that the blast came from inside, Contagion knew exactly the point of origin.

Racing through the corridors, Ruin closely behind, he made his way to where the lab was, or had once been. The door to the room was blown out completely. Inside was complete blackness, except where fires of varying sizes pock-marked the walls, floor and ceiling. Lab equipment, lighting, and chunks of permacrete wall littered the floor. Service droids rushed to contain the fires from spreading out into the rest of the fortress. Using what flame retardent foam they had, they managed to bring the flames under control in a short amount of time.

Ruin just stared at disbelief at what had become of his lab. Shock turned to anger as he bellowed out a single name...

"DANNO!!!!!!!!!!!!"

From behind him, a voice softly replied, "Yes?"

Ruin whirled around to face him, and it took Contagion and a few others to pry the two apart. Regaining his composure, Ruin growled, "You're behind this!!"

Danno just snickered and nodded in mock acquiesence, which fueled Ruin's fury. The only thing stopping him from going at Danno once again was the voice of one of the service droids.

"Sir! We have located two bodies within the rubble."

Ruin ordered all the assembled Sith to dig out whomever was underneath in case they were still alive, and more importantly, perhaps they could shed some light on what really happened. It took more than a few moments, but when those trapped were finally extracated from the debris, it was clear they were too late.

The figures were horribly burned, almost beyond recognition. But considering all Sith were present...minus two, it was clear who these two corpses were.

Darths Vikuru and Rage.

Once more, Ruin turned his ire towards Danno. Danno tried to plead his case, reminding the Sith Master about the numerous traps that lay within the holocron. It was then Ruin realized that all the Sith were not present...Darth Mortis was strangely absent. When questioned about this, Danno stated his apprentice was most likely still in the training room. While training, there was nothing that could break his concentration, not even an explosion.

"I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOUR LIES, LORD DANNO!" Ruin roared. "With the apparent destruction of the holocron, our truce, along with your usefulness, has expired." With that, he detached his lightsaber and ignited it.

"As you see fit!" Was Danno's reply, as he grabbed and activated his own twin double-bladed sabers...

Darth Danno