Coruscant

Primus stood behind his Master's throne in the dimly lit receiving room on Coruscant. Huge windows opened out onto the Coruscant skyline, the endless stream of ships buzzing past the glass, metal and concrete spires of the plane city. The sun threw its last light over the horizon, washing the terrain and the black metal of his form fitting helm in orange and red.

The Emperor sat on the throne and seemed lost in thought but Primus knew better. Turning his gaze from behind his three striped optic visor towards his master. The Emperor's thinking ranged in a way Primus couldn't fully understand. The Emperor thinking allowed him to anticipate and plan for contingencies that other didn't recognize. That was the reason the Emperor remained emperor. Primus wanted to learn the skill one day…provided he and Vader didn't kill their master first. It was the way of the Sith. The master dying at the hands of the apprentice once the apprentice had surpassed the master's power and gains his knowledge. Darth Bane stated correctly 'Two there should be; no more, no less. One to embody power and the other to crave it.'

But there were three Sith Lords. Not the two that Darth Bane had stated. When the apprentice asked their master why both were chosen the Emperor stated 'You both are abnormally strong in the Force. Stronger than any who'd come before. If I'd chose one of you the other would've 'cause complications the empire may not recover from. Plus I want to be sure I have the strongest apprentice to carry on the ways of the Sith.' To Primus this form of taking more than one apprentice led to the Sith downfall in history time and time again. The master would take on multiple apprentices and when the apprentices believe they have received all the knowledge and lessons learned from their master they slew him, when in fact they hadn't thus weakning the Sith but Sidious assured he was strong enough to destroy them if they betrayed him prematurely.

Primus took a brief glance down at his body. The kyrat dragon leather body suit adorned his body as well as black flexible, ribbed armor plates covering the severe burn he received when his ship exploded during his duel with his master. His right leg was destroyed in the explosion and was replaced with a metal replica just like his left arm. His right arm and left legs were now and unholy mixture of flesh and metal. Taking in his appearance…wasn't he already.

Too those looking in, strange is the relationship between master and apprentice. But to the Sith it was necessary. It is a symbiotic balance. An apprentice showed and owed the master loyalty and the master owed knowledge and showed only strength. Should either fail in the obligations it was the duty of the other to destroy him.

The Sith required it. More importantly the Fore required it.

As Primus reflected on this he felt Vader presence enter the sector.

"He's almost here m'lord." Primus announced as the moments continued away. It wasn't long before Vader respirators was heard and before the door was opened by the force to reveal the dark evil that was Vader. For a brief second Vader was gone replaced by Anakin who held in his hands holocrons he took from the vaults. 'A time long gone…'

"It seems we are all here." The Emperor said motioning for his other apprentice to join him by his side. Vader like a phantom appeared next to him and watch as a hologram was brought up showing a planet. "It is here on this planet, known as Dok, which the relic of Darth Hos is here. This relic is what Darth Hos created to see into 'other worlds' that a parallel from our own. It must be found and destroyed if can be. If not sealed before some fool activates it."

"Yes m'lord." Both Vader and Primus said in unison as they left to carry out their master orders.

2 days later upon their arrival on Dok

The great temple doors flew off of its hinges by a powerful force push landing with a thunderous thud. A platoon of red striped storm troopers entered before the two being carrying light sabers.

"It's all clear, My Lords." Commander Ace said turning to face Sith Lords. The trooper looked at his wrist for moment before continuing. "The probes have picked a amulet on the pedestal. This seems to be what you are looking for."

"Thank you, Commander." Primus said as the loyal clone nodded. Primus and Vader continued onward being followed by the troopers. All were loyal to Primus since he led them during the Clone Wars. To those who argued that they couldn't be trusted since their failed revolt on Kamino were met with the red blade of Primus. Maybe it was the mandalorian blood that wouldn't allow him to let an insult not only on his people and his men go unpunished.

"That was excessive Primus." Vader said as he kept pace with the only true friend he had. Primus simply shrugged. "Much like the sabers on your belts…" Vader referred to his fellow Sith ten other lightsabers of various designs that hung from his multiple belts. Trophies of various Jedi Master he hunted down himself yet the one of his master still alluded him...

"I want to leave here as soon as possible." Primus muttered as he and Vader neared the pedestal. On the pedestal they saw an amulet of tribal design glowing faintly. "I guess this is it."

Vader remained silent as he studied it. It maintained a strong connection to darkside…no to the Force and that glow that it was giving off... it couldn't be active. Not after all these years. Vader was too slow to act thinking on how to handle the situation as Primus grabbed the amulet. Vader grabbed his wrist a moment to late as they felt a strong pull on their very being as their world became black.

They both fell into the endless void that the talisman opened.

'So it was active all along. Master couldn't...he did! It was a trap!' Thought Primus as he fell endlessly. Turning his head he could feel Vader was not spared from the trap as he was falling to. 'At least Anakin is here.'

For what felt like days they fell in the quiet void. For Primus it was madness no matter how loud he tried to call out Vader never responded even through their mental link. Primus felt the void was coming to an end and somehow gaurded relief filled him. He didn't know what on the lightside awaited him be he was tired of being in the darkness...

'Vader…' He began on their mental link.

'I can sense it Primus.' Vader responded as light soon filled the end of the void. 'Ready yourself.'

Primus didn't need to be told. As he reached with right hand and felt the cold metal of his lightsaber.

Wait a minute. Since when could he feel with this hand?

He could feel the lightsaber and only the lightsaber. There was no more pain from the armor he wore. Before he could do a more careful examination they both fell through opening. With surprising agility both Sith Lords landed on their feet blood-red lightsaber at the ready for any enemy to show themselves. The lightsabers he carried in case clattered onto theground. He quickly took in their surroundings noticing that they land on an abandon building. Reaching out with the Force confirmed they were no one in the building.

"It's clear Vader." He said only to hear a voice that he hadn't heard in a long time. The voice that was his…before he had become Darth Primus. After a pause he brought up his right hand to find it not the unholy combination of metal and pale flesh, but his own from when he was a child gladiator on Tatooine. The tattoo signifying his ownership to Master Tsun and the multiple scars that crisscrossed over it and his now naked body. His left arm was as it was then as well…all metal (think of Edward Elric arm from fullmetal), yet different it felt…alive.

As he continued his self examination he realized his hair was had grown back and was shaved exactly the way it was when he fought in the Pitts. His face and body no longer carried the devastating wounds inflicted from the loss of his duel with his Master Windu. He seems to have reverted back to his child hood state the same was said for Vader. He turned back into the boy he grew up along side with and who Qui-Gon took back to the temple. What were different were the eyes. Those sulfuric yellow colored eyes were filled with hate. He had the feeling his were the same as well.

"What happened to us?" Primus asked aloud to no in particular.

"I don't know but first thing first we need clothes." Vader answered as he walked over to ledge and peered out unto street below. "I can't read any of this shit."

Primus following his friend over to the ledge immediately understood. Most of the shops seem to have scribble-scrabble on them. Instead of trying to decipher they're meaning he began to look at his surrounding surprise to see they were in a large sprawling city. In distance he could see walls surround the city as well as four faces on the mountains. He noticed Vader suddenly stand up and point to a clothing store nearby.

"Let's go." He said as Primus quickly followed grabbing the other lightsabers as he did. Surprisingly Vader had created a route for them not to be seen by those who still roamed the street in the late afternoon. Soon they found themselves in the back entrance of the shop reserved for employees only. Using the Force Vader opened the door and strode inside the shop. Primus followed behind lightsaber in hand.

"I sense three people." Vader said in a low whisper. "One is in the office down the hall. The second is in the back taking inventory. Third…"

A loud crack was heard as the man body fell with a thump. Vader turned to Primus who only shrugged his shoulders.

"I saw him on the roof enjoying his smoke break. He was going to see us." Whispered Primus before finishing with a smile before raising his lightsabers and with a jovial voice. "Now we have only two."

"I'll deal with at the register. You go deal with the one in the office." Vader began but Primus interrupted.

"What if this place has cameras?" He asked not dropping the voice.

"Then it'll be shown in the office and you can deal with it." Vader responded his patient thinning greatly with Primus antics. "I'll wait for your okay."

"Got it." Primus muttered as he gave him two thumbs up and handed him his fine collection of lightsabers except one to him before heading over like a black naked shadow toward the office.

After moment Vader heard to quick activation of a lightsaber and deactivations.

'Camera's are off.' Primus said over the mental link. Vader no longer seeing and reason to hide walked calmly behind to girl and reached deep into the Force. He raised his right hand as if holding the back of her head and quickly brought it back and down. The girl brutally had her head smashed unto the counter, and again, and again, and again, and again. Till Vader was sure she'd never get up...hopefully. He took a glance at her crumpled form and the pool of blood that had formed around her head there was no need to activate his lightsaber.

As an added precaution he used the Force to crush the cameras that were there. Vader began to pick out his attire…from pre-teen section.

After choosing mostly clothes that were black or white. Vader turned to see Primus patiently waiting for him dressed in a all black attire with a blood red sash hanging off his waist on it was the symbol of the ancient Sith he held another out for Vader who applied it to his own. In one of the two book bags that he had with him, was full of clothes and two pairs of shoes the other filled with cash from the register and safe in the office as well as his lightsabers.

"I was careful not to leave fingerprints." He said motioning to the register, which was now scorched due to his sith lightning. "The safe is burning light orange right now so my finger prints have already bit the dust. You ready Vader?"

He sensed that Primus had or was up to something but he let slide. It's not as if he wrote a message saying they were here…right?

"Yes, let's go." He said as he led him back to the abandon building.

A few hours later in the abandon building

"So we are stuck here." Primus said as Vader only nodded.

"The talisman that Palpatine sent us to retrieve belong to the Sith Lord Darth Hos. He conducted experiments to see if it was possible to reach other dimensions but was killed before any them bore fruit." Vader explained as he recalled upon the knowledge that had them going into the ruins in the first place. "So I'm guessing that that talisman acted as a one way 'door' since it didn't come through. Until we find another 'door' or can make one we're stuck here."

The words sunk in and they both grew quiet.

"At least we don't have to worry about-" Primus began but was cut short when a scream came from nearby. He smiled as he fed off their fear. "Seems someone stumbled unto the crime scene…we best get moving."

"Agreed." Vader said as the two Sith Lords grab their bags and proceed to get further away from the building.

Root HQ

"Lord Danzo." One robbed man began but was silenced with a lifted hand. The owner of the hand belonged to a frail, old man, whose cane rested on the armrest of the chair he sat comfortably in. Wrap up in wrapping gauze along the right side of his face he left eye held cold calculation and determination. This man was none other than Danzo Shimura.

Danzo sat in silence as he his subordinate kept kneeling.

"I felt their presence." Danzo said as he exhaled. Though he didn't see…whatever it was come he felt their power upon their arrival. He felt their chakra…so unbelievably cold and powerful. It awoke an emotion within him that he had long believed to have purged himself of…

Fear.

But through the fear he saw opportunity in his sight. Danzo knew he must act quickly even those who weren't sensory types would've felt their presence.

"Do you have news about them other then their arrival?" He demanded the man before who shook his head.

"If I may bring something else to your attention…during the time of their arrival there was a massacre at Gin Clothing Emporium. What was taken was all of the money from the store and as oddly as it sounds… clothing from the pre-teen section." The kneeling man reported.

"It seems we are looking for children then." Danzo surmised as his subordinate nodded. "It would likely seem that perpetrator or perpetrators will likely be trying to blend in the general populace. Keep an eye out on the roster roll of the schools and ninja academy. Any new students will be under surveillance until other wise assured they can't be who were looking for."

"Yes sir. But there was one more thing." The kneeling man began once again. Danzo nodded for him to continue. "In the main office of the store the manager had been ripped open… his 'inner workings' were laid out to form a message on the wall."

"Well what was it?" He commanded of the kneeling man.

"The message read, 'Let this be a warning to all those see. We come like a black tide and fear us because we hold the power of the Darkside'. On top of that we can't even pick up a trace of the two. We don't know what to make of this…" The kneeling man said.

"…" Danzo was silent contemplating on this. "Gin I'll have you infiltrate the Ninja Academy. I want you to be able to directly watch the listed suspects and report your findings to me frequently."

"Yes, but Lord Danzo, why send us to hunt...why not kill them? This may just be a beginning of something deeper like an invasion…I'm sorry Lord Danzo I spoke out of line." He said looking up at his lord.

"I don't think this is the case. If it were they would've gone after high ranking officials, shinobi and adminstrators or begun to test our defenses by other means. It could be that it may but we won't know until we find them." Danzo said to Gin who nodded. Danzo continued once more. "On top of that they very well may have useful information or unknown justu. Dead or alive it can be used by us to protect against the enemies the Hiruzen is blind to see. Now go and carry out your orders Gin."

Gin nodded before disappearing to carry out his orders.

BIG THANKS to and for The Digger for pointing out major problems in the chapter. Hopefully I got them all…