Darth Vader: Hero of Naboo

Chapter 25

Vader grew annoyed by that, but his curiosity and suspicions overruled that. He reached out, taking sense of things in the Dark Side. He could feel much, of course. Anger, rage, sorrow, fear, sadism and so much more. But there was something else. Something Vader relished to feel yet found baffling all the same.

Despair. More specifically, Sidious's despair.

The scheming senator, the man that would have manipulated the entire galaxy into playing his tune, was in utter and total despair on the inside. The Jedi would never sense it through the rage and twisted delight Sidious radiated, but it was there, truly.

Sidious had no hope of getting out of this situation, no hope of seeing tomorrow. He was fighting, not to survive, but to do as much damage as possible. But why? Surely Plagueis's presence wouldn't be enough to prevent Sidious from at least trying to force a path out of these circumstances. Sidious was an opportunist, he never admitted defeat and, as weird as it was to think about, always had hope that things could work out to his desire. With enough plotting, killing, torture, visions of the future, and mind control.

So, what could make Sidious feel like there was nothing he cou-?

Vader stilled and Plagueis chuckled knowingly. "I'm pleased to know I can surprise you, Lord Vader," the Muun remarked in amusement. Dark, horrible amusement.

"What have you done?" Vader questioned ominously, almost unable to believe what he was sensing.

"Oh, don't tell me you aren't pleased with this," Plagueis said casually, gazing down at his former student, who had made another explosion occur. Oh, was that the lightsaber Plagueis had tossed out the window earlier? The Dark Side had a strange sense of humor sometimes.

Vader stood there in silence for a moment, obviously processing some implications. "...How much longer?"

"If he wasn't fighting? Maybe a few days. As it is? He'll be lucky to see the sunset before it takes full effect."

"Sidious didn't know you had such a thing at your disposal," Vader noted, and he knew it had to be true. Because he certainly didn't know about this. And this was definitely something Sidious in the future would have been interested in.

"Of course not. He thought our Order abandoned that project entire. And we did," Plagueis assured before smiling cruelly. "But I always knew how in love with his own power Sidious was. I could think of no better punishment for him than infecting him with a Force-severing virus."

Silence fell over them, Plagueis's words hanging heavy in the air. The fighting now felt like a distant echo under the weight of this topic, and now the blaringly obvious fact that Sidious's presence in the Force was slowly growing weaker. His very power eroding like a stone against the waves. Vader had sensed the weakness before, but just believed it was Sidious being overwhelmed, having to fight the Jedi after fighting Plagueis. And that was still true, but it meant that Sidious would never recover from this. Even if he survived, he would be cut off from the Force entirely.

"And there is no chance of it spreading?" Vader questioned pointedly.

"None," Plagueis assured. "The virus is genetically engineered to infect Sidious, and only Sidious."

Vader wasn't completely certain of that. After all, if Plagueis couldn't promise it wouldn't mutate. But he decided to trust Plagueis's expertise in such matters.

That and Plagueis completely lowered his mental guards, for a moment. A bold move, assuming Vader wouldn't attempt some form of mind assualt. But he was telling the truth about the virus, if nothing else.

Still, to be severed, that was a nightmare for many: Sith, Jedi, and others. To lose one's connection with the Force, a bond formed practically at conception. Vader could scarcely imagine a greater hell for Sidious. And on some level, that pleased him, but...