C23 Fall of the Rule of Two

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In an extravagant mansion in a wealthy district of Naboo's capital city, Theed, Darth Sidious, known in the public eye as Sheeve Palpatine, the newly elected senator for Naboo, toasted to his and his master's success, his eyes gleaming with malevolent triumph.

Beside him, his master, Darth Plagueis, a being of unmatched power and dark wisdom, raised his glass, mirroring his apprentice's enthusiasm perfectly.

The air was thick with anticipation and the aura of victory, for the political ascent of Palpatine marked a significant stride in Plagueis's elaborate scheme to overthrow the Galactic Republic. However, beneath the facade of celebration, a more sinister plot brewed in the depths of Sidious's ambition.

Sidious, under the guise of celebration, had been meticulously refilling his master's cup, encouraging him to indulge further into intoxication. "Let me refill that for you…" He spoke humbly, maliciousness hidden in his actions.

The drink, however, was laced with a potent concoction, a final, deadly ingredient to ensure the success of Sidious's treacherous intent.

As the night waned, Sidious watched with a predator's patience, waiting for the alcohol and poison to take effect, unaware that his master harbored suspicions and paranoia that ran years deep.

Plagueis had played the part of the unsuspecting victim like an A-Class actor. The alcohol, he knew, was a ruse; the true poison lay in the ambition of his apprentice.

With a subtle bit of bodily manipulation through the force, which only a being of his caliber could manage, Plagueis filtered out the poison and alcohol as he drank, rendering Sidious's plan futile.

Seeing his master dozing off in his chair, Sidious seized the moment, his lightsaber humming to life, casting the room in a sinister red glow, he lunged towards his master, certain of his victory.

But sadly, for him, the moment was short-lived.

Plagueis, sober and powerful, ceased his acting, and with a swift motion, unleashed a torrent of Sith lightning upon his apprentice.

Sidious, caught off guard, was flung across the room, screaming in agony as the electric fury of the dark side enveloped him. "Aaaarrgghhh!!!"

Plagueis, with a cold laugh, pursued Sidious, letting the lightning dance around him a moment longer, savoring the taste of betrayal turned upon itself.

When the screams had subsided into desperate gasps, Plagueis ceased his assault, looking down at Sidious with an expression that was both a mockery and a reprimand.

"Did you think me blind, deaf, or perhaps dumb?" Plagueis's voice was a mix of amusement and disdain. "To not see this little betrayal of yours coming from miles away, even as you dared to take a Nightbrother of Dathomir as your apprentice?"

The revelation struck Sidious like a physical blow. His betrayal, intended to secure his ascension, had been anticipated from the start, his every move surveyed by his master.

Plagueis, with a derisive laugh, continued, "Mother Talzin and I have known each other for decades. Did you truly believe she wouldn't inform me? Especially after you kidnapped her son?" He stares down at his apprentice, disappointment and contempt painting his features. "Even the Jedi have been snooping around, asking questions about you… Who knows what stupidity you must have attempted to draw their attention-"

'The Jedi have been investigating me?' Sidious barely computed his master's words, his form shrouded in pain and humiliation.

Logging that new bit of information away for later, Sidious rose to his feet, rage filling his veins, a dark, poisonous fury that had been festering for years, now unleashed in a moment of reckoning. His failure, a bitter taste he couldn't swallow, propelled him forward, his lightsaber flying back to his hand.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Plagueis's own lightsaber dropped into his hand and ignited, its blade a deep crimson. The air crackled with raw power as the two Sith Lords faced each other, the tension rising.

Sidious charged, his movements a blur, fueled by a maelstrom of rage and resentment. Each swing of his saber was aimed with lethal intent, designed to cut down the master who had outplayed him.

But Plagueis was no mere opponent; he was a force of nature, his defense as impenetrable as steel. With a grace that contradicted his tall stature, he parried each strike, his every counter a dance of death, precise and calculated.

The clash of their sabers lit the room in flashes of red, casting long shadows that danced along the walls like specters.

As the duel dragged on, Sidious's attacks grew more frenzied, a desperate barrage seeking any weakness, any chink in his master's armor. Yet, for every move Sidious made, Plagueis had an answer, his strikes not just defensive but punishing.

Though it wasn't just a battle of blades but of wills, as both Sith Lords tapped into the dark side, hurling force pushes and pulls in an attempt to unsettle the other.

Sidious, in a moment of raw power, unleashed a torrent of Sith lightning, arcs of electricity aiming straight for his master. But Plagueis simply held his hand out, absorbing the attack, channeling it back towards Sidious with a single gesture, amplified by the fury of the dark side.

"Ugh!" Sidious, unable to absorb the lightning like his master, was forced to use his lightsaber to block, the lightning drawn to the energy blade and away from himself.

The room trembled under the weight of their power, objects levitating and shattering as the battle raged on. Sidious, sensing a momentary lapse in his master's concentration, aimed a low sweep of his sword, hoping to amputate Plagueis's legs.

But the move was anticipated, sidestepped with a fluidity that spoke of centuries of training. Plagueis's counter was swift, a heavy telekinetic blow aimed at Sidious's midsection, sending him reeling back.

Gasping for air, Sidious barely caught himself before crashing into the wall. His eyes, burning with hate, met Plagueis's unyielding gaze. There was no fear, no hesitation—only the cold, hard truth of the gap in power between them.

In the brief standstill that followed their furious exchange, Plagueis's face split into a sinister smirk, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement. "You know, my foolish apprentice," Plagueis began, his voice dripping with mockery, "I decided to follow in your ambitious footsteps. I, too, have taken a new apprentice. You might be familiar with him as well…"

Sidious, panting from exertion, narrowed his eyes in suspicion and rising dread. The mention of a new apprentice sparked a flicker of realization, mingling with the shock that coursed through him.

As if on cue, a figure emerged from the shadowy doorway, the hum of a lightsaber igniting to reveal a blade as red as blood, its glow casting an eerie light on the newcomer's features.

The eyes that met Sidious's were unmistakable in their yellow gleam, a hallmark of deep immersion in the dark side. "Count Dooku," Plagueis announced, his voice laced with triumph.

The figure stepped forward, revealing himself fully. Count Dooku, a man of noble bearing even now twisted by the dark side's embrace, stood beside Plagueis, his lightsaber at the ready.

"Hello, old friend…" Dooku greeted Sidious with a smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes.

[Insert picture of Count Dooku here]

Dooku, a former Jedi Master, trained by Yoda himself. After leaving the Jedi Order, due to his growing disillusionment with the corruption and perceived flaws within the Galactic Republic, he now serves as Count of Serenno, his home planet, which is where Plagueis found him.

Sidious's shock gave way to a surge of betrayal and anger. Dooku was supposed to be his pawn, a piece he was slowly working to bring under his control. Yet, here he stood as Plagueis's apprentice, a clear sign that Sidious's master had outmaneuvered him once again.

Realizing the odds were now heavily stacked against him, Sidious's survival instincts took over. With a hiss of rage, he turned on his heel, attempting to flee the room. But as he moved, Plagueis and Dooku were already upon him.

In a blur of motion, they cornered him as Plagueis struck, his lightsaber arcing toward Sidious with lethal precision. Sidious, caught in his flight, felt the searing pain as the blade grazed across his chest, carving a cauterizing wound from shoulder to waist.

"Aaaahhhh!" Sidious shrieked in agony.

The pain was intense, but it fueled his power through the dark side, lending him the strength to leap through a nearby window, shattering the glass and tumbling into the night beyond.

Landing with a roll, Sidious quickly gathered himself and sprinted off, his hand clutched over the wound that marred his flesh. The burn of the cut was a stark reminder of his failure.

Behind him, on the mansions balcony, Dooku was about to leap off and pursue, but Plagueis called him off. "Don't bother. You won't catch him. If there's one thing that boy knows how to do, it's to run and hide like the rat he is. Just let him go…"

…

Minutes later, the mansion began to glow with the light of a growing fire. Plagueis, knowing that his former apprentice could out him at any time, was erasing all evidence of their presence, leaving nothing but ash in their wake.

As they stepped out of the burning mansion, Plagueis turned to Dooku, a dark resolve etched into his features. "It is time we leave, my apprentice. The Jedi and the Senate must remain ignorant of our existence. The plan must evolve, and Sidious… let him hide. His fear will serve as a reminder of the true power of the dark side."

With that, the Sith Lord and his new apprentice vanished into the night, leaving the burning mansion behind them.

————

Groaning in pain, his chest a tight knot of agony, Darth Sidious staggered onto the sleek ramp of his private ship, hidden away in the less frequented landing pads of Theed. As he entered the dimly lit interior, a figure stepped out of the shadows to greet him.

Darth Maul, his young apprentice, a red Zabrak with black tattoo-like markings all over his body. Horns adorned his head, adding to his intimidating, demonic visage. His eyes, burning with loyalty, immediately narrowed in concern at the sight of his master's injury.

[Insert picture of Darth Maul here]

"What happened, Master?" Maul's voice, usually steady and filled with conviction, held a note of unease.

Sidious, his patience frayed to its limits, lashed out. Lightning crackled from his fingertips, striking Maul with vicious intensity.

"Aaarrggh!" His apprentice's screams filled the ship, a twisted symphony to Sidious's ears, briefly alleviating the crushing weight of his failure. As the lightning subsided, Maul collapsed, unconscious but alive.

Sidious, his breaths heavy and uneven, felt a momentary release from his torment. With a flick of his wrist, the ship's engines roared to life, the vessel lifting off, leaving Naboo and its political entanglements behind.

Sidious, now alone with his thoughts and the unconscious form of his apprentice, considered his next moves. The Republic, with its vastness and power, had been his playing field up until now, but with Plagueis's influence likely to unmask him, as well as the Jedi's recent investigation into his background, it had become a cage.

He just became a Senator, which was one step away from Supreme Chancellor, which in turn was one step away from Emperor, but now he was forced to throw it all away.

As the ship set its course for the outer rim, far away from any Republic control, Sidious pondered the possibilities. The Kree and Nova Empires, both nations embroiled in war, presented a new arena for him to dominate.

War, after all, was a breeding ground for the dark side, a chaos in which a Sith Lord could thrive, manipulate, and rise to power. Sidious allowed himself a thin, cruel smile. The Republic was but one stage; the galaxy was rife with opportunities for those willing to seize them.

…

..

.

Unbeknownst to both Sidious and Plagueis, their clash and subsequent separation marked a turning point in Sith history. The Rule of Two, a doctrine established by Darth Bane millennia ago to preserve the Sith lineage through secrecy and cunning, was forever broken.

This rule mandated that only two Sith could exist at any given time: a master to embody power, and an apprentice to covet it, ensuring that only the strongest would survive and rule.

With Sidious and Plagueis now operating independently, with their own apprentices, the strict adherence to the Rule of Two was effectively shattered. This divergence from centuries of tradition could potentially lead to a resurgence of the Sith in numbers, strength, and visibility, challenging the Jedi and the Republic like never before.

Yet, it also sowed the seeds for internal strife, as multiple Sith, unbound by the Rule of Two, could vie for dominance in a galaxy ripe for the taking.

The ramifications were endless…

A/N: 2153 words :)

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