The Greatest Sith... That Never Lived
Posted by: Darth Danno 05.23.07 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
• CHAPTER XIII: STALEMATE (Part I)
• CHAPTER XIII: STALEMATE (Part II)
• CHAPTER XIV: THE PIECES COME TOGETHER
• CHAPTER XV: THE SEEDS OF SUSPICION
• CHAPTER XVI: THE BEGINNING OF THE END (Part I)
• CHAPTER XVI: THE BEGINNING OF THE END (Part II)
• CHAPTER XVII: A THIRD SITH?
• CHAPTER XVIII: IT ALL BOILS OVER
• CHAPTER XIX: SURVEILLANCE, SUSPICION,and SABOTAGE (Part I)

CHAPTER XIX: SURVEILLANCE, SUSPICION, and SABOTAGE (Part II)

Sith speeders have much more power than probes, so they were able to cover twice as much ground in half the time. Before long, they came upon Lord Danno’s craft, still parked where it had been all this time. Yet now, it had been under attack. Apparently, a marauding band of a half dozen Tusken Raiders had come upon the ship, and were attempting to scavenge it. Yet as the Sith drew nearer, they saw the attempt was being thwarted by a lone figure standing alongside the ship, wielding a blaster cannon. Three sandpeople were lying in the sand, the remaining three had hopped on their Banthas and were hastily making their retreat. Even though the scavengers had ridden some distance away, the figure with the cannon took aim at the trailing Tusken, fired, and managed to hit him square in the back. The Raider jerked, fell from his mount, and dropped to the sand.

Lords Ruin and Contagion arrived on the scene a few moments later. Upon arrival, Ruin realized the shooter was actually a droid, an older model to be sure, an HK unit perhaps? It showed numerous signs of wear, but was in quite decent shape overall. He admitted to himself this ongoing saga of Lord Danno and his mystery apprentice grew stranger by the day.

“Problems?” Lord Contagion inquired of the droid and he dismounted his speeder.

The HK unit turned its head in his direction. “Oh sire, I saw your approach. This incident was nothing I couldn’t handle. In fact, it was good to actually get out and wreak some carnage for a change, as opposed to my current master’s methods of subterfuge and laying in wait. So boring and not at all fun.”

Contagion nodded, “Quite. Not to worry, your servitude for Lord Danno is at an end. He will not be leaving this planet, alive or otherwise.”

If droids were capable of elation, this unit would have shown it in spades. “That is the best news I’ve received in quite some time, sire. You have no idea what it’s like, having a Master who port…”

Contagion interrupted him, while casting a glance in Ruin’s direction. “Now is not the time for that, my metallic friend. What I need you to do is gather up the bodies in a pile and burn them. I’m going to go aboard the craft and prepare it for takeoff. You will then fly the ship back home and wait there for our return.”

“Understood, sire. Or should I refer to you as…Master, now?”

“Whatever you prefer. Now hurry, we have no time to waste!”

The HK unit went about picking up the three closest bodies and tossed them in a pile. Contagion grabbed a bag off the back off his speeder and boarded Danno’s craft. No sooner getting on board, he opened up the bag containing various tools and such, and began opening up a large panel in the wall. Ruin watched the droid for a few moments before following after Contagion.

“Do you mean to tell me that…droid has been here the whole time?” Ruin queried.

Contagion responded, but never looked up from his work. “Yes. He’s been hidden in one of the contraband compartments in the floor.”

”So how much of what’s been going on has he personally been responsible for?”

“That would involve a rather lengthy answer, my Lord, and I unfortunately do not have the time to go into it right now. I must finish this bef…”

Ruin had had just about enough of all this. “Lord Contagion. I demand to know exactly what it is you’re do…” Then he happened to notice another speeder anchored off to the side of the hold. “Is that the droid’s personal speeder, or are Lords Danno and Mortis riding together?”

Contagion glanced over at the parked vehicle, turned back to Ruin, and with a knowing smirk, replied, “something like that.” Then returned to his work.

Ruin was about to bend down and smack Contagion across the face, but the HK unit called from outside. “Master! May I avail myself of your transportation out here to retrieve the last corpse? It is some distance away, and in this heat…”

Contagion looked up and called out. “Of course! Take all the time you need!”

Ruin was now completely disgusted. He stormed out of the ship and watched the droid climb aboard the speeder, and zoom off over the nearest dune. This whole escapade was a waste of time, he thought.

With nothing else to do, Ruin simply paced back and forth in the shade of the craft, mulling things over in his mind. Perhaps this whole charade was something cooked up between Danno and Contagion to get him away from the rest of the Sith and do away with him altogether. He instinctively reached toward his belt, feeling his lightsaber dangling there; he breathed a small sigh of relief. Thinking twice, he detached it, ignited it, and only upon seeing the crimson blade emanate from the hilt, did he relax slightly. He knew he must be prepared for treachery around every corner. Keep all his senses on high alert. He had come too far, amassed too much power, to let these…young upstarts take it all from him now. They would try, of course, but he would be ready for them.

Just then he heard Contagion’s voice from within the ship.

“Finished!”

Ruin quickly walked up the ramp and saw Contagion putting the panel back into place.

“All set.” Contagion said with confidence. “Has the droid returned?

Ruin was about to reply in the negative, but then heard the whine of a speeder engine. “I believe so.”

“Excellent!” Contagion nodded and exited the craft with Ruin in tow. They watched the droid unload the last of the bodies, toss it on top of the pile, take a few steps away, turn, activate its’ flamethrower attachment, and turn the pile into a large burning mass.

“Does my circuits good to see such wanton destruction.” The HK unit said with glee. “It’s been sooooo long.”

“Unfortunately, we do not have the time to stand and admire your handiwork.” Contagion interjected. “Finish the pre-flight check and be off!”

“Whatever you say, Master!” The droid gave a small but adequate salute, turned and exited up the boarding ramp and into the ship.

“That unit knows too much!” Ruin protested, “We cannot allow it to just leave…”

“Patience, my Lord. My time on the ship was spent attaching a bomb to the hyperdrive system. It will blow the minute he tries to engage it, casting the wreckage among the stars. That way, no evidence of the Sith will remain on Tatooine for the Jedi to find and speculate over.”

Ruin nodded his approval. “Impressive. I admire your foresight. Now what?”

“Now we’re off to witness the end of the two Sith who have been a thorn in our side for far too long.” Contagion then climbed aboard his speeder and started it up. The HK unit had started up the ship’s engines, so Ruin had to hurry to get his speeder out of the way before the ships thrusters reduced it to molten slag.

The heat from the twin suns was nothing compared to the scorching combat taking place in the Krayt Dragon Pass. Lords Danno and Mortis were heavily engaged in their battle to the death, and neither was willing to give even a millimeter of ground. Lightsabers spun and clashed, whirled and crashed. The fight had gone on for some time, and showed no signs of ending anytime soon.

Danno fought as best he could, relying on his extensive training, but every move was perfectly countered by his opponent. His entire body was caked in sweat. Perhaps he should have removed his Sith robes before beginning this struggle for superiority which had now taken on epic proportions. Perhaps Mortis was right, he thought. Perhaps he truly was the better of the two. Quickly purging the negativity from his mind, knowing full well if his apprentice caught wind of his self-doubt, it would only fuel his attack. But still, Danno needed a few seconds to disrobe. Mortis was quite heavily dressed as well, and also showing signs of succumbing to the heat. His opportunity came when Lord Mortis brought his blade down in a wide arc, hoping to use sheer power to drive the blade right down Danno’s center, cleaving him completely in two. Danno brought his two smaller twin blades up in an “X” formation above his head, successfully parrying the blow. Mortis leaned his face in close to Danno’s, glaring and sneering at him, hoping to gain some psychological advantage. What he got was a head butt to the nose. Blood spurted from Mortis’s face as he took a few steps back, not releasing his blade, but loosening his grip momentarily. It was all the time Danno needed. Calling on the Dark Side, he pulled the saber from his opponent’s grasp and flung it into the sand near the far canyon wall. Mortis wiped the blood that had spurted into his eyes, and went scrambling after his blade. Danno used the distraction to try and remove some of his clothing, finding it plastered to himself with perspiration. Resolved, he took one of his blades and literally cut his robe and tunic off. The smell of seared flesh filled the pass as the laser cut a little too close for comfort. He thought, “What’s another scar when I already have so many.” Kicking the loose rags aside so as to not accidentally trip over them in the heat of battle, he quickly stretched, flexed, and took a ready attack position, one of his twin blades raised above his head, the other held diagonally across his chest. Yet when he looked around, Lord Mortis was nowhere to be seen. Hurriedly spinning and twisting to determine his foes position and not finding him, he wondered if Mortis might have actually been concealing a stealth field generator. Now, this momentary distraction on the Master’s part had actually given the apprentice time to use it.

“WHERE ARE YOU, LORD MORTIS?????” Danno dried out. “AFRAID TO FACE YOUR DESTINY?”

“I’m right where you left me, Master.” Came the reply.

Danno whirled around and sure enough, Lord Mortis was standing right where he last saw him, right in the area the lightsaber had been tossed. The blade had been recovered and now it was Mortis, who with a primal scream emanating from deep within himself, tore his drenched robe and tunic from his body, and even went so far as to take off his pants, revealing a pair of skin tight black shorts that went to just above the knees.

“Round two.” Danno called out.

“Round two, indeed.” Mortis shot back, re-ignited his weapon, and charged in for the kill…

Darth Danno