Chapter One: Descent

Senator Sheev Palpatine, otherwise known as Darth Sideous, tapped a finger on his desk thoughtfully, his eyes washing over a datapad resting infront of him. He often kept tabs on missions that the Jedi were sent on. Usually, it was to keep him and his 'master' aware of the enemies movements. Sometimes though, it was prudent to get involved. This one was tempting, so very tempting, yet risky. He was unsure if he should simply pass over it or not.

Two pairs of Jedi were being sent out to recover and guard a young genius by the name of Talesan Fray. He briefly browsed over what was known about the boy, and raised an eyebrow at the information of the boy creating his own custom listening device that could overhear and tap into secure transmissions. It wasn't anything particularly amazing, there were already devices that could do that, though a custom built one could have uses in the short-term. Yet more importantly... developing such a thing at the age of ten? Now that was potential, potential that could be bent towards the goals of the Sith.

Snatching the boy away from the Jedi would be difficult without risking revealing himself, so his own efforts were ill advised. But... his young soon to be apprentice? Now this could be a proper test for Maul. Should he though? Maul was not skilled enough to take on four Jedi, not yet. Even a single Master and Padawan pair could be dangerous for him at this point. He glanced over the assigned Jedi briefly, one Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice young Obi-Wan Kenobi, and one Adi Gallia and her young apprentice Siri Tachi. Both Masters were not ordinary Jedi, and the second was a High Council member. Their padawans were young, not even eighteen yet, but the masters themselves...

Maul's chances of victory seemed slim. The young acolyte was still training at the Orsis Academy, soon to be taking the Gora. Maul would either have to separate the Jedi and dispose of them one by one, or spirit the child away undetected, which would be preferred. Could he manage to do so? He didn't particularly care if Maul died, but it would be such a waste of a potential resource, and Sideous sensed Maul would be a useful tool for years to come. Not to mention if he failed and was caught, that was a great risk to the Grand Plan. No, there was no need for this, there would be other opportunities. He was about to turn off the datapad and simply go about his day, passing up on the chance...

Yet...

He closed his eyes briefly, submersing into the Dark Side of the Force and demanding an answer. Would the genius child be of great service to the Sith? Was his would-be apprentice capable of handling this test?

The Dark Side answered, and Sideous's world warped and changed as a vision took him.

He saw himself push aside the datapad and pass up on the chance. In his mind's eye, Maul appeared, growing in age rapidly until he stood as a fearsome and deadly Sith Assassin. He saw the tool complete one task after another for his Master for years to come in brief flashes. Until at last, he saw Maul engage two blurry Jedi in open combat in a palace that looked a lot like the Theed Royal Palace, announcing the return of the Sith and the beginning of their revenge.

Then...

He saw himself take the chance and contact Maul. He saw the acolyte stalk his prey across worlds. The flash of red and blue and purple, the clashing of lightsabers. He saw death, a Jedi run through, then... a ripple of unfamiliar darkness, pain and loss and anger and hate, a surge so powerful and enticing, a new darkness that swallowed Maul whole effortlessly. And in his place, something new resided in shadow. It was humanoid, dressed in the robes of a Sith apprentice, but hidden half in darkness, it's face shielded from view. He saw himself in the shadows, pulling the figure further in, while an unknown Jedi grabbed the figure's hand and tried to pull it out into the light. In the darkness, a pair of tormented blue eyes flickered between blue and yellow, between a gray presence, and an immense darkness truly worthy of the Sith...

Sideous let out a small gasp as the Dark Side released him, a purr in his ear. Certainty and power, uncertainty and immense potential, choose...

While the future was always in motion, and nothing was guaranteed, it wasn't really a choice, given a chance to think on it. A tool, or a potential true apprentice. He would allow Maul the chance to prove himself, but if he failed to retrieve the boy or kill the Jedi if discovered, then he wasn't going to complain if the Dark Side was content to deliver him a new apprentice. He did not care for the paltry Jedi attempting to draw this unknown apprentice back into the light, once claimed by the darkness, there was no return. He rose from his desk and moved to contact Maul without hesitation, contemplating one question.

Who was this potential new apprentice?

Siri Tachi sighed and grumbled quietly to herself. She couldn't believe that the bounty hunter Magnus got away. After all that chaos, all that work, nearly dying on the ship, Master Qui-Gon Jinn simply let him go. She understood why, to safeguard The boy, Talesan Fry, Taly for short. She briefly glanced over to the other side of the room they were resting in on Rondai-2. The boy was being tended to by a medical droid and had just finished up, looking around anxiously. She was glad he was okay, yet it was so frustrating after all the hell the bounty hunter put them through. Though... if he hadn't, she and Obi-Wan wouldn't have admitted that they... well...

Her eyes briefly averted to the boy talking to his Master before taking them away from him and causing herself to silently brood. Her master liked to tease her about being headstrong, but she had no idea what she was supposed to do or think about him. She had never felt so lost in something before. She could handle most crap life threw at her. But love? That... that was something unknown, and forbidden. For all Obi-Wan had suggested about keeping their feelings a secret, or changing the Order, she had doubts. But the thought of it, the image of them working together as Jedi Masters, still in love... it made her stomach twist in an uncomfortable yet hopeful sensation. She supposed she'd have to wait and see. They had agreed to wait until after the mission was over to discuss it, which would be soon once the transport to Coruscant arrived...

Her thoughts trailed off as a subtle ripple in the Force drew her attention. Her first instinct was to look to her Master, but Adi didn't seem to notice. Neither did Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan. Odd. What was...

Her eyes went wide when she noticed that Taly was gone. "Master Gallia, where did Taly go?"

Her Master paused her conversation with a Guard and turned to her, eyebrows furrowed, before glancing over at the now vacated spot next to the medical droid. "He was just..."

"Qui-Gon!" called out Adi without a hesitation, "The boy's gone!"

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan whirled, looking around, the Master grew concerned. "He was just here a moment ago."

"Split up," ordered Adi, "Siri and I well check outside, you and padawan Kenobi check inside."

Qui-Gon nodded and left, Obi-Wan lingered for a moment longer, his eyes locking on Siri. She gave a weak, tentative smile, and then turned to follow her Master out of the building. Siri closed her eyes and reached out with the Force, and heard a whisper in response: To the left...

She turned in time to catch sight of Taly being carried unconscious by an unknown person in a black robe slinking along the outside of the building towards a trio of speeders. "Master! There!"

The moment her voice rang out the figure bolted straight for the speeders and leaped on. Siri and her Master rushed after him as he turned it on and flew off. In unison, they leaped onto the remaining speeders, ignited them, and took off. They roared out of the area, then the city, out into hilly countryside, the kidnapper barely still in their vision. Siri gritted her teeth in frustration. The mission was supposed to be over! She had way to much crap to deal with a sort through, namely a boy with gray-blue eyes, to have it starting up all over again!

"Focus and center yourself Padawan," came her Master's voice over the howling wind.

Siri's only response was to gun the engines full-throttle. She WAS focused, on catching the kidnapper and ending this stupid mission! Her speeder caught up with the kidnapper's as a ship came into view, hidden under the canopy of a few tree's and nestled between two hills. Oh no, he was NOT getting away! She swerved away and then swerved back, making to ram into the speeder. She was surprised when the kidnapper leapt off just before they collided, Taly on his shoulder, and flipped through the air. Siri barely had the time to do the same, lunging off the speeder before it could hit the other now uncontrolled one. There was a hiss of sparks a crunch of metal as the two speeders collided and crashed into a hillside at full speed, exploding in a gush of fire and parts. Siri rolled as she hit the ground, coming to her feet in time to see the kidnapper land on the ground and start for the ship.

Siri leaped, drawing her lightsaber as she did, and landed in front of him, igniting her violet blade. "Stop!"

She caught sight of an irritated scowl under the black cowl, the kidnapper's head turning briefly as Master Gallia slowed to a stop a bit behind him and climbed off her speeder.

"Siri," came Gallia's own irritated voice, "We're going to have a long talk about disobedience and safe flying practices when this is over."

Siri resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I couldn't let it get away Master."

Adi took the cue and focused on the kidnapper. "Put the boy down and surrender."

The kidnapper did nothing for a minute, thinking and weighing his options, before he slowly reached up a hand and flipped back his hood. Siri's eyes widened at what she saw underneath. A young face, around her age, but the face itself... red and black tattoos, a horned head, those sickly yellow eyes... Siri felt a spike of fear and took a step back, her lightsaber briefly wavering before she shook her head and refocused, determined not to be intimidated.

"Jedi," spat the kidnapper with distaste.

The breath left Siri's body as she suddenly felt darkness ripple through the air around the young man. Adi stiffened as well, surprised. The kidnapper took the initiative and threw Taly at Siri with a Force assisted momentum. Siri scrambled back, dropping her lightsaber in order to safely catch the boy.

Snap-hiss.

Siri glanced up away from the boy and was shocked, a small gasp escaping her lips, to see the kidnapper igniting a red lightsaber and launching himself at a momentarily surprised Master Gallia. Her Master barely managed to get her lightsaber up and activated in time, but did not block cleanly. Instead of being run through, she smashed the attack ungracefully up away from her chest, and into her right shoulder. Adi hissed and stumbled back in pain, switching her lightsaber to her offhand as her attacker gleefully continued his attack.

Her Master's pain rippling through the Force knocked Siri out of her stunned stupor. A dark Jedi, it was a dark Jedi! Oh kriff! As if Xanatos and Bruck hadn't been bad enough! No, they weren't bad enough, not nearly as dark as the man before them. The man... the man who had just hurt her Master!

Siri narrowed her eyes in anger, dropped the unconscious Taly aside, grabbed her saber, and burst forward with a cry, "Master Gallia!"

"Stay back Siri!" ordered her Master as she painfully continued her defense.

Oh no, Siri was not standing for that! Her Master was hurt, fighting clumsily with her none-dominate hand. She needed her help! Or... or...

She felt fear at the thought of her Master dying and struggled to contain it as she arrived and frantically swung her lightsaber at the man's back. He turned and parried the attack before lashing out with a boot and slamming it into Siri's stomach, sending her stumbling back and to the ground on her butt, breath leaving her body. Without another care, the man turned and blocked an attempt by Master Gallia to take the offensive.

Siri bristled at being so easily knocked aside and dismissed, her anger simmering. She clambered to her feet and rushed at him again. Despite being attacked on both sides, he easily switched back and forth between the injured Master and angered Padawan, his lightsaber a red blur.

With a spin, the man turned and lashed out at Siri, forcing her to stumble back and parry the decapitating slice away. She yelped as the man threw a hand forward and sent her launching backwards with a ripple of screaming energy. She landed on her back, stunned, her ribs protesting painfully, before slowly rising to a knee. Master Gallia was struggling, the wound in her shoulder might have been cauterized by the lightsaber, but the strenuous act of a lightsaber battle was ripping the burnt flesh open. Blood was leaking down her shoulder. Each parry, block, and strike sent a flash of pain through her face and the Force. She was losing strength and focus fast.

In the span of an instant, the dark Jedi smashed his blade into Master Gallia's, knocking it away from her body and out of her hands. Siri's eyes widened as the man made to cut her down.

"NO!" screamed Siri, throwing out her hands.

The Force responded to her fear, rippling through the air and slamming into the dark Jedi, sending him flying away from her Master. To her chagrin, the wave of Force energy also flattened her Master to the ground. Siri scrambled to close the distance and stood in front of her Master, lightsaber bared in her defense.

"You stay the kriff away from her!" yelled Siri, her hands and voice trembling.

Force... by the Force... she had almost lost her... lost Master Gallia.

"Siri," came a pained voice from her Master, "Calm yourself and focus, you are my Padawan, a Jedi, control your emotions."

Siri briefly bristled. They were in the middle of a life and death battle and Master wanted to chide her?

The Dark Jedi slowly stalked forward, eying her. "Little Jedi, if your Master couldn't stop me, what makes you think you can?"

Siri glared at him, anger spiking. "Master Gallia would have trashed you if you didn't catch her offguard you sleemo!"

"Siri!" barked Master Gallia, "Focus! Whats gotten into you? Your emotions are all over the place!"

Siri blinked a few times and took a deep breath, trying to contain herself. The mission. Obi-Wan and their fledgling love. The Dark Jedi's foul presence. Almost losing her Master. She felt so raw and unhinged and jittery at the moment. She needed... Master was right, she needed to focus and calm down. Unfortunately, the Dark Jedi gave her no chance to, launching himself at her with a spin through the air, coming down with a hard overhead blow. Siri dove to the side and then made to swipe at his shoulder, only for him to pull back. The Dark Jedi bared his teeth in a cruel smile and rushed forward again, unleashing an onslaught of quick thrusts and swipes that forced Siri to backpedal and scramble to keep up. Fear crawled up her spine, this guy was good. Not as good as a fresh Jedi Master in their prime, not yet, but far ahead of a mere Padawan. Bleak terror coursed through her, she was going to die, she was always prepared for that as a Jedi, but to do so before she and Obi-Wan could even figure things out...

With a heavy uppercut, the Dark Jedi sent Siri's lightsaber flying, his own blade lightly scraping and burning Siri's Jedi tunic. He half turned, pulled his lightsaber back, and made to thrust and run Siri through before she had a chance to recover. Siri's eyes went wide before she closed them and turned her head...

Only to yelp as someone slammed into her. Her eyes opened to see Master Gallia shove her aside and take the blow meant for Siri. She watched in horror to see that red lightsaber erupt out of her Master's back. The Dark Jedi pulled his lightsaber out and watched, smug and gleefully riding a dark high, as the Jedi Master collapsed to the ground at his feet.

"MASTER!" screamed Siri, rushing forward and falling to her knees at her Master's side.

"Siri...," whispered Master Gallia, "Run..."

"No... no no no no no...," whispered Siri, her hands shakily on her Master's arm, staring down at the hole in the woman's chest.

There was the faint scuffing of boots on the ground as the Dark Jedi began to circle and taunt his prey. "Pathetic, I was lead to believe Jedi Masters were worthy and dangerous foes. I'm not even done my training yet and it was easy. Tell me little Jedi, how does it feel to watch her die?"

"No... she's... she's not going to die!" yelled Siri in denial, shaking her Master, "Get up Master... please..."

Master Gallia gave Siri one last hazy look, opened her mouth as if to say something, before the light went out of her eyes and her head lolled to the side. Siri felt it the moment she died and passed on into the Force. The moment her bond with her Master, the connection between them, was ripped away. She clutched her head and screamed in agony as her end of the bond ruptured, bleeding out into her, if not physically, then mentally and through the Force. She shook uncontrollably with pain and grief, staring down into her Master's lifeless eyes and still form.

"You have no one but yourself to blame little Jedi," taunted the Dark Jedi, "It's not her fault you were so weak that she had to die for you to survive for another minute."

Siri flinched. Guilt and shame rocked her, forcing her to look away from her Master's corpse, tears streaming down her face. Her fault... it was her fault...

The Dark Jedi finished his circling and stopped a ways infront of Siri. "What a sight. I'm tempted to disobey orders and go after the other Jedi. I wonder if killing the other Padawan's master and breaking him will be as elating as it was for you and yours."

Siri's blood ran cold. "Obi... Wan..."

"Is that the other Padawan's name?" asked the Dark Jedi gleefully, "Would you like to see him die to?"

Siri's eyes went wide for a moment, and then... then... something replaced her pain, her grief, her sadness and sorrow. First it was cold gripping fear for Obi-Wan, the desire to not see him harmed, to not suffer as she was...

Abruptly, the temperature around them plummeted, enough for the Dark Jedi's breathing to suddenly become visible. Something in Siri changed and warped as rage, dark cold rage entered her, followed by deep hate as she glared up at the Dark Jedi.

The Dark Jedi's eyebrows furrowed. "Is that...?"

"You wont touch him," came out a hushed, cold and deadly whisper, parting out Siri's lips like a hiss on a snakes tongue.

With a furious war cry, Siri's lightsaber flew into her hands, demanded there by the Force at her will. She burst forward, feeling invigorated and empowered, driven by a determination to see this beast dead and her Obi-Wan safe. She, like he did her Master, took the Dark Jedi completely off-guard. Her first slash knocked aside his saber like it was a twig and cut from his lower right stomach up diagonal across his right breast. It wasn't nearly deep enough for Siri's tastes, but the howl of pain that ripped from his mouth at her saber's searing touch was oh so satisfying. She battered him back, swinging her lightsaber in Force fueled blows that were coming far to heavily to be naturally from her arms. Her foe fell back from each rage fueled strike, naked fear in his eyes. Oh that fear... what a rush!

She pursued him, a hungry growl escaping her lips, as he staggered away, looking towards the ship, and for a brief moment, she felt relief and hope emanate from him as he gasped out. "Master!"

Siri's eyes briefly flickered to the ship, it's open ramp, but there was nothing there aside from dark shadows, and nothing in the Force that she could sense. She felt disgusted, had some deranged madman really slain her Master? The mere thought of it sent another spike of rage through her as she shot after him. The hope and relief faded, replaced by confusion, then a sensation of anger and betrayal. Whatever aid he expected wasn't coming, wasn't real. He turned back to Siri and met her charge. She swung down in a brutal overhead strike, and he raised his blade to block. For a few split seconds, he held his own, purple and red sabers crossing against one another in a test of strength. But at this point, Siri didn't care about strength, skill, or fair play. She just wanted it DEAD!

She raised a foot while he was looking up at her saber, and slammed her boot right into his crotch. The beasts eyes bulged as he gasped and staggered back, his lightsaber moving out of line as he lost his focus and concentration. With one swift motion, Siri brought her lightsaber down, severing his sword hand from his body, and then in a smooth spinning backstroke, took his head clean from his body before he could even scream. Dark elation ripped out of her body as she watched his body, his hand, and then his severed head hit the ground. She threw her head back and raised her hands into the air, a triumphant yell escaping her lips.

"I did it Master Gallia! I...," she began, grinning ear to ear in a twisted teeth bared smile.

Then it all came crashing down on her. Slowly her smile left her, along with her elation, her rage, and her hate. Her eyes fell on her Master's corpse. She silently walked over before falling to her knees and dropping her lightsaber. She tenderly reached out and drew her Master close, putting her head on her apprentices lap. She felt numb, cold, pained, her strength leaving her all the sudden, her broken and festering bond aching in her mind. She felt weary and tired. She wanted to go home to the temple, curl up in her bed, and cry herself to sleep. She knew she'd alarm anyone who knew her with such an act so bizarre and unusual from her, but she didn't care anymore. She was tired of the tough girl act, didn't have the strength for it, all she had left to show was raw grief.

"Oh Master...," whispered Siri mournfully, "I'm so sorry..."

"The dead can't hear your apologies," came a cold, cruel voice, "Nor would they care."

Siri looked up, and her blood froze. Descending the ramp from the beast's ship was a figure wrapped in a black cloak. She could feel nothing from him, but his voice... merely looking at him sent a horrific chill through her body. Two things ran through her mind. The first was every urge in her body screaming at her to run. The second was a sad, resigned whisper from the Force that made no sense to her: You chose this fate when you bore the power he wields...

"And let it be said, I will tolerate no other Master before me, even a dead one," said the man as he reached the bottom of the ramp, a dark, possessive gleam in his twisted and putrid yellow eyes shining from under his hood, "My apprentice."

She looked at him, bewildered, confused, and alarmed. "W-who are you?"

The man drew closer, and as he did, all light in the area seemed to shrink away, leaving just the man in a swirling black vortex in her mind's eye. "For now, Darth Sideous will do, but in time..."

A dark chuckle escaped his lips as he raised his hands, curled fingers flexing. "You will learn to call me Master."

Lightning burst forth from his hands and slammed into Siri, sending her to the ground screaming in horrific agony as blackness tore through her vision and consciousness left her...

Author's Notes:

An idea that has been sitting in my head for awhile. There's not nearly enough Siri focused stories, or even one where she is the main character. A Sith/Dark Siri? I can't remember finding one yet. I don't know when I'll really be able to pick it up and go, as I have a bunch of other stories I need to actually finish at the moment, but I didn't want to let it sit in my head unwritten and become forgotten. So here it is as a 'story proposal', let me know if ya'll are interested.