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“Press forward!” roared the commanding officer in uniform. He didn’t know how the rebels got in under his watch.
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Even if he did survive this skirmish, it would be no doubt that Lord Vader himself would finish off the officer. After all, failing to keep rebels out of the Imperial palace is a big deal.
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“Keep them pinned!” he said, hoping that if he succeeds in stopping the rebels here and now they may have a fighting chance of surviving Vader’s fist, “Focus your fire on the Jedi!”
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“Limited choices!” mused the young Lee Noir. His Cato Nemoidian Master smiled,
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“Don’t be weary, my former apprentice,” Master Dree Narro replied, “We were expecting this.”
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Soon the Jedi managed to repel the blaster fire back to the opposing side!
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The Jedi are soon able to rush the remaining troops!
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“Leave none of them alive, we don’t want them coming up behind us!” Master Narro commanded,
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“Yes, Master!” replied the Knight as he drove his emerald blade deeper into the trooper’s chest.
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“No, please! I surrender!” Begged the officer, as he is now the only remaining opponent in the team of Imperials.
“The clones I knew never would’ve surrendered. The Empire’s made you soft.” Master Zac Godlen sneered,
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“Why don’t you grow a pair and die like your fallen brothers!”
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“My lord, they are continuing through the palace!” exclaimed an officer watching through the security feeds.
“Fine,” replied a low, mechanical voice, “I’ll do it myself.”
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“You would think they would have Imperials at every turn,” Jedi Knight Nian Rad mused,
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“That could only mean one thing…” moaned the Cato Nemoidian Master,
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“Vader.”
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Standing before, in his dark, broad form was the fist of the Empire.
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Screaming from his bulking light saber hilt was a crimson blade. The Sith stood still, so as to bade the death of his Jedi opponents.
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“Remember what we practiced, Knights of the Order,” Master Dree reminded,
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Then, all the Jedi stretched out their arms, calling the Force to their aid…
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Using all their strength together in unison…
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Draining almost every drop of their energy for a common purpose…
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…and not even the strength of a mechanical Sith monster can withstand them. Vader’s weapon is pulled out of his grasp…
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…and slapping into the palm of Master Dree!
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“And push!” commanded the Cato Nemoidian,
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Together, the Jedi threw Vader across the room…
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…and bursting through to the other side of the burocrete wall!
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Metal gears groaning, wires torn and flickering inside his weak body…
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Nevertheless, Vader rose to his feat. His survival depended on it. The fight wasn’t over. He was going survive. He was going to destroy the Jedi.
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The four Jedi came around the corner, seeing Vader still on his feat.
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They surrounded Vader, they spent and cherished the moment that they could look in Vader’s eyes, and justify what he did to the galaxy.
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This was to be the greatest blow to the Empire. Once Vader is dead, then the galaxy will no longer fear the Emperor, and the Jedi and its Republic will rise once more.
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“Look at me, Vader,” Master Dree growled, “You may think I will not kill you. But I will. I am a guardian of justice, and killing you will not only be serving justice, but it will also make me very happy…”
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“Now die!”
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There lies the form of Vader.
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Then the chilling moment when the insides of the sith begin to jolt and shock.
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“Master…that isn’t Vader!” Lee cried. Dree’s knees almost buckled under him,
“It’s a machine designed to be a decoy, we gotta go now!”
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“We’ll find a different route to get back to the ships, let’s-”
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Then the sound of a light saber, the sound of flesh boiling from the inside of a torso, and then the wincing, groaning cry of a Jedi echoed through the halls.
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Then he spoke his final word, spending his last bit of life that he held onto,
“Run.”
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The body of the Jedi Master hit the floor, and the dark form that struck down the Cato Nemoidian simply stepped over him.
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“No!” Jedi Knight, Bart Brunman gasped,
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“We gotta go, we gotta go!” Master Vaz panicked,
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“He’s huge, he’s blocking the exit, we’ll never get passed him!”
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The metalic beast flicked his hand, and Bart’s head twisted until the beast was satisfied with the sound of bones popping and cracking out of joint.
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Lee’s body then crunched and gurgled as his torso is twirled over his hips, and Vaz could hear his own organs popping inside his body, his heart exploding from inside his chest was the last sound he ever heard, and the metallic beast: the last thing his eyes met.
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The beast stood over the robotic duplicate of himself. It served its purpose perfectly.
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However, Darth Vader was not satisfied with the outcome. It was in past battles such as his meeting with the Jedi on Kessel that he truly felt one with the Dark Side. It was moments like those that he felt he had purpose.
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He will cease the funding of the production of Vader duplicates. To make sure he never saw another one of these decoys, he will destroy the factories, production companies and anyone involved.
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Before the attack on the palace, the Emperor had asked for Vader’s presence.
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Perhaps it was another mission. Vader groaned with irritation. For three years, Vader has done nothing but battle rebel cells, making the galaxy fear him, and negotiate with other planets. His heart is torn with the dire need for war against the Jedi.
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Ironic, actually, how Vader as a Sith Lord, feels incomplete without the Jedi involved in his life.
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But what happens when all the Jedi are gone? What happens when he finally delivers that fatal blow to Obi-Wan Kenobi?
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“What is thy biding, my Master?” Vader heard himself speak. Muscle memory suggested to the sith that after doing this for three years, he has grown into the habit of kissing up to an old man and destroying entire cities for the same individual.
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“Ah, yes, Lord Vader,” the dark, callous form of the Emperor exclaimed, “I assume the palace is restored back into order?”
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“Yes, my Master. The rebels were composed of four Jedi, whom i dispatched with ease.”
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“As you did on Kessel, my young and powerful friend.” responded the Emperor as he rose slowly from his seat and strode eerily down towards his apprentice.
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“I have felt a disturbance in the Force.”
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“I have felt it.” Vader replied. Lord Sidious smiled, “You have grown stronger indeed,Lord Vader…”
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“I am sending you to Bondo III, as I have received information on a great disease that has fallen over the planet.”
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“Infectious epidemics are becoming an frequent problem.” Vader mused, “Is the epidemic on Bondo III related to the event that occurred on Dathomir?”
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“I feel that it is not, my young apprentice…”
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“…There is something far more dark at hand.”
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“You will go to Bondo III, discover the source and the reason of the epidemic, and you will…take care the one responsible.”
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“But most importantly,” Sidious continued,
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“There is a Jedi outpost on the planet I do not know where but the outpost contains information I feel are necessary to discover the dark veil behind all of the this.”
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“You will be granted an Elite Response Team that will accompany you, as well as a secondary team of twenty troopers led by three of the best officers in the Empire to aid you. You leave tomorrow, Lord Vader, do not fail me.”
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“Yes…my master.”
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Memories. They are a beautiful thing.
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He swore to return to his Republic during the second year of the Clone War. When he finally made it back…
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It was an Empire.
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CC-5576-39, also known as “Gregor” had made his promise. But was it a good promise to keep?
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This Empire that has taken the place of the shining Republic. Even the air that the battle-scarred commando breathed was odd; cold in his lungs.
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His clone brothers, having gone from warriors, each of which baring different personalities had suddenly become emotionless slaves, taking orders and following them without hesitation; Gregor’s brothers became the very droids they defeated.
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My thoughts are suddenly interrupted as coincidentally, a clone officer walked into my quarters. He didn’t even knock.
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His face is blank as he speaks, “Commander Gregor, the Emperor himself has selected you as a combatant for an E.R.T. You will read the debriefing file and are obligated to meet in the hangar tomorrow at 0500.”
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My eyes are fixed on the paper file.
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Now I find myself staring at the officer.
“Let’s see the file then.” I offered.
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I read the first paragraph. I sigh with frustration as yet symptoms of war cause my hands to shake uncontrollably. I never could get the shaking to stop…not since the Void.
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I put the paper down…
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The Officer is still here, as if he is waiting for me to excuse him. Before all of this I would have already been halfway across the galaxy. I notice the paleness of his skin, I notice the scar on the left side of his cheek running along the side of his nose. He hadn’t seen battle for a few years now; forced to work inside and has already forgotten the tastes of war.
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“Officer,” I asked him,
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“Take off the helmet.”
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“Please.” I heard myself say, “Take it off.”
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“Yes, sir.” he said firmly, holding the helmet in his hands.
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There was a moment where I hesitated. I don’t why…I just did.
“Do you miss the Republic, son?”
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His face seemed to have froze, or reacted blankly like a droid being reactivated,
“Out with the old, in with the new. Imperial does what Imperials do.”
Programming.
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“Very well, Officer. You’re excused.”
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“Yes, sir.” he walked away. I look down at my throbbing hands…
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Was it a good promise?
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My hands stopped shaking. Was it a good promise?
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Was it?
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It’s down to just two.
| |
| 
They have gone through intense training that have test the limited of any being known to the galaxy. The two specimens are at the peak of potential. But only one will become an Inquisitor for the Empire.
| |
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“Come on, kids, this is only review!” growled their commanding officer. He was the High Inquisitor…
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…The blade of the Emperor…
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…and former Jedi Master.
| |
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“So after three years of B.I.T, twenty-eight dead contestants, and being broken in areas you didn’t know could break…”
| |
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“Only one of you will live and become one of the dozens of Inquisitors serving the Empire…”
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“And only one will die at my own hand.”
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“Yes, sir!” the two boldly replied.
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“I have tested you physically, mentally, and even spiritually. But today…” the High Inquisitor declared motioning one of the officers to him,
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The officer handed his blaster to him, “Your final test will be a test of loyalty.”
| |
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“Now tell me,” smirked the master Force wielder, “Who do you serve?”
| |
| 
“We serve the Emperor, sir!” the two simultaneously replied in unison.
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| 
“Really?” the Master hissed as he blasted the two humans in the legs.
| |
| 
“Tell me again…”
| |
| 
“…Who do you serve?”
| |
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“I serve the Emperor, sir!” the human replied firmly once again, his eyes watering with pain.
| |
| 
“Who do you serve?!”
| |
| 
“I-I serve the Emperor, sir!” the boy replied loudly.
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The Master sighed with disappointment, “Oh, child. You shouldn’t have hesitated.”
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“Congrats, kid. You are the galaxy’s next Inquisitor. Get up.”
| |
| 
“You did good, kid. Now get yourself fixed and report to the Emperor.”
| |
| 
“Inquisitor Tes Dorlo,” an officer called as he walked calmly into the training room.
| |
| 
“Inquisitor, the Emperor himself has selected you as a combatant for an E.R.T. You will read the debriefing file and are obligated to meet in the hangar tomorrow at 0500.”
| |
| 
“A mission?! You sure you got the right Inquisitor, bucket-head?” Tes jabbed,
| |
| 
“Affirmative, sir. The Emperor has your name listed here among-”
| |
| 
“-Give me that!” Tes interrupted as he snatched the file from the officer’s hands. He read the papers. A smile began to curl in the corners of his mouth. He hadn’t been on a mission in over 5 years, even before the Empire was established…ever since…
| |
| 
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| 
“…Very well. I’ll be there.”
| |
| 
The next day at exactly 5:00 A.M…
| |
| 
“Today,” Vader growled, “You will all be embarking on a mission,”
| |
| 
“Each and every one of you have been selected for your unique set’s of skills:…”
| |
| 
“Chaos…”
| |
| 
“Death…”
| |
| 
“Annihilation…”
| |
| 
“…and victory.”
| |
| 
“The planet we are going to is infested with disease. Those who are infected are beyond help, and you will shoot to kill, should they pose a threat.”
| |
| 
“Our objective is to find the one responsible for the epidemic.”
| |
| 
“When we do, we will extract as much information as possible…”
| |
| 
“We will learn to perfect what has been unleashed on Bondo III…”
| |
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“And the rest…we will burn!”
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