Star Wars: The Risen Darkness

Prologue

The rumbling sounds of thunder filled the skies over Coruscant's planet wide city. The dark day was made even gloomier by heavy rain, falling down to the high-rise buildings' roofs, and the millions of streets and walkways built in-between them.

Lightning struck near the tall, mysterious, almost menacing looking Chancellor Palpatine Surgical Reconstruction Center. The privately owned medical center was a mystery for most of the common folk living on Coruscant, not even most of the prestigious senators knowing what was going on behind its closed doors.

The building had been constructed a few months earlier, by the direct order of the long reigning Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, for unknown reasons. However, as with many things surrounding Chancellor Palpatine, the journalists and media did not try to press him for answers, as the Clone Wars still raged on.

Inside the dark building's private office, a black hooded figure stood in front of a large window, looking outside at the stormy weather. The figure didn't move, just kept staring out of the window.

The room's door slid open a moment afterwards, though the hooded humanoid still didn't react. Another dark clothed figure walked in, approaching the person looking out the window. The just arrived person, a female, stopped a few meters away from the hooded figure, after which she knelt down, bowing her head.

"You summoned me, master..." The female, a mirialan by her species, said quietly. The dark figure in front of her stayed quiet for a moment, before slowly turning around, which made the woman bow her head more.

"Yes... I am glad you're as punctual as ever, young Barriss." The hooded figure, a human man entering his elder years, said, his wrinkly hands holding each other. The mirialan young woman, the former Jedi Barriss Offee, continued to hold her head down.

"If there is one thing I learned from the Jedi, that is to always please your master the best of your abilities. The Dark Side gives me strength, and purpose, Lord Sidious.." Barriss said humbly. The hooded human man, Darth Sidious, smirked slightly.

"Your Jedi training certainly has made this easier... the Dark Side has finally allowed you to harness your true abilities. However, I sense impatience in you..." Sidious said, his smirk disappearing. Barriss bit her lip, though still keeping her head down.

"I'm ready for your service, master. I'm ready to fulfill your wishes! Let me do your bidding.." She implored, squeezing her hands into fists. Darth Sidious was quiet for a moment, before humming.

"It is too early for us to set in motion the final stages of the 'Grand Plan'. Darth Tyranus and General Grievous are doing good enough work for now, keeping the war going." Sidious explained, to which Barriss was about to say something, but was stopped, as her master continued.

"But... there is something you can do.." The Sith Lord said quietly. His young apprentice smiled, her head still down.

"Anything, my master.." Barriss assured. Sidious smirked again, and nodded his head.

"I have a final test for you. There are two people, who have escaped our wrath, that need to be punished; my old apprentice Maul... and Tyranus' former assassin Asajj Ventress. Find them.. and kill them. Only then, can you take your place as my rightful apprentice." Sidious ordered, before slowly turning back around again. Barriss lifted her head up, her eyes glowing with yellow; evidence of her immersion to the Dark Side.

"They will fall before me, master." She declared, standing up, and bowing to her master one last time, before she turned around, and headed out of the dark room.

As the dark apprentice left, Darth Sidious walked to the window again, and looked out, seeing the stormy weather continuing to preside over Coruscant's cityscape. The Sith Lord's face turned to a devilish grin, his eyes also taking the color of yellowish-orange.

"Everything is going as I have planned... not much remains until the Jedi can finally be wiped out.." He said to himself, as he stared to the rainy scenery.

Outside, the people of the galaxy, and especially the Jedi, continued to be in dark about the centuries old plan, that the Sith had been working to fulfill in secret. If everything would continue as planned.. the Sith could rise from their ashes again, and take control of the galaxy, as planned by Darth Bane over a millennia ago.