A/N: Here's the new Chapter! Which also means the next four chapters are up on my Patreon for early access as well as the chance to vote on the direction of the story!

Wow, Chapter 69 and no smut to be seen? When did this story become so plot-driven? xD

-x-X-x-

Still reeling from the knowledge that Palpatine is likely the Sith Lord who’s orchestrated this entire shitshow, Tylo takes a moment to just breathe and assess the situation. In the end, the most important thing was getting their hands on Order Zero. Trying to surreptitiously remove the biochips from every Clone in the galaxy without someone noticing would be impossible. Especially if the Supreme Chancellor was the Sith all this time.

Palpatine would activate the contingency orders the moment he caught wind of their movements, and they would subsequently be up shit’s creek without a paddle. The only saving grace that they had right now was that the Supreme Chancellor didn’t know about this base, apparently. And he didn’t know about Order Zero either.

This was their one chance. Their only chance. And Tylo couldn’t afford to screw it up. Plastering a smile on his face and trying to inject as much ‘evil’ and ‘malevolent desire’ into it as he humanly can, Tylo bows to the Remnant of Darth Plagueis before him.

“Of course, milord. I am eager to learn at your feet.”

Despite being a mere shade of the true Sith Lord, the remnant is still very much egotistical in the extreme. The holographic Muun’s lips pull back into a satisfied grin and he inclines his head in easy agreement.

“As you should be.”

But the galaxy couldn’t afford to have Tylo put all of his eggs in one basket. So it was now or never.

“That said, milord… while I am being trained, my servants will have nothing to do. Perhaps you could find work for the Mandalorians… and perhaps there are some things the other two can learn from this laboratory in the meantime? They are both educated, and the more skills that my slaves pick up, the more useful they are to me.”

He’s doing his best to pander to not just the ego of the Sith Lord Fragment in front of him, but also to the sensibilities. Everything he’s seen so far seems to imply that Darth Plagueis prided knowledge over all else. Even the man’s super-secret base was a research laboratory, after all. However, it was the Sith Way to dominate and conquer and take… not give. So would the shade actually accept Tylo’s reasoning for why Aayla and Maris should be granted access to the laboratory’s systems?

They all wait with bated breath for a moment as the spirit of the holocron ponders this… before finally, the hologram nods his large bald head.

“Hm, very well. The Zabrak may have restricted access to a terminal. I will set up a series of tests for her to determine her… education so far, and then the automated systems will determine the rest from there. However, the Twi’lek needs no such access. She will be coming with us… she will serve as an excellent subject for some of the things I have to teach you.”

Oh. Well that certainly didn’t sound fucking ominous or anything, now did it? Tylo swallows and exchanges a look with Aayla, but she just offers him a small smile, her mind all but shouting her love and trust even as her lips remain sealed.

“As for the Mandalorians… yes, there’s work for them. This laboratory is well-hidden from sentients, but not quite so hidden from beasts. The Dark Side permeates every inch of its construction of course, which kept the nearby wildlife away originally. However, a direct consequence of this is that the animals who call this region home have either fled… or adapted. And those who had become steeped in the Dark Side can cause problems at times. I shall prepare a list of creatures for your Mandalorians to cleanse from the nearby cave system, so that they do not damage any more of the laboratory’s internals.”

Right. That sounded… good. Especially since, despite this place being quite evil in both purpose and sense, they needed it intact if they were going to get ahold of Order Zero and stop this war. And the fact that Maris would have access to the computers, even if it was restricted to a single terminal… Tylo sweeps his gaze across the rest of the group, letting himself pick up on their surface thoughts.

Aayla, of course, is ready to do whatever it takes to succeed here, even if it costs her everything. Tylo doesn’t want to even think about that, but hopefully they’ll be able to avoid anything too permanent.

Maris, meanwhile, has picked up on what Tylo is hoping she’ll do with her ‘limited access’ while he and Aayla are busy with the Remnant of a Sith Lord. She gives him an ever so slight nod that he returns, letting her know that she’s right on the money.

Bo-Katan, on the other hand, is less than thrilled about having to leave Tylo alone here but intrigued by the concept of getting to fight Dark Side Beasts. She is a Mandalorian after all.

Similarly, Rook Kast is in the same boat, intrigued… but still ready to support Boba if the younger Mandalorian speaks up in defiance of that.

Fortunately, while Boba Fett certainly isn’t happy to be sent away and Tylo picks up on her discontent from her thoughts, she’s smart enough to recognize that now is not the time or the place to voice said discontentment. In the end, she too gives him a nod when he looks her way.

With that all settled, Tylo gestures to Aayla.

“Come with me. The rest of you have your orders.”

And with that, they allow Darth Plagueis to lead them off. The holocron guides them away from the main laboratory, down a hall into a much emptier room. There’s another pedestal there that the shade has them put his holocron on, disappearing for a moment before flickering back to life as a life-size projection. Clasping his hands behind his back, the remnant narrows his eyes.

“Now then. Down to business. Unfortunately, we do not have years to spend on your training. If my apprentice is dead, then it stands to reason that the Separatists will soon be defeated as well. They were never meant to win, after all and without the power of Supreme Chancellor to keep them propped up, they will likely crumble like a house of cards if they haven’t already. At which point, the Republic might decide to do any number of things with the Clone Army… such as separating them from the Jedi Order, or even disbanding them altogether. Both of which would be disastrous to the Grand Plan.”

Right. Because the plan was to have the Jedi die at the Clones’ hands and that couldn’t happen nearly as easily if they were no longer part of the GAR’s command structure. Tylo stamps down on the shiver that runs down his spine at that.

“As such, we will probably have to shorten your training to months instead. Fortunately, you seem to already have a solid foundation to work off of. While Jedi Teachings are inherently flawed, they are still of the Force. You may have to unlearn some things, but first… we shall focus on Force Lightning.”

Force Lightning. Also known as Sith Lightning due to its connection to the Dark Side. It was commonly considered one of the most powerful physical manifestations of the Force. But it was also considered one of its most malicious as well.

“Some might tell you that Force Lightning is all about anger. That to even spawn the faintest of sparks requires you to feel such burning fury that the lightning itself is coursing through your veins. This is only the case for those who are not well-versed in matters of the Force.”

Pacing back and forth before the two of them, the Remnant of Darth Plagueis seems to be in his element right now as he lectures Tylo while Aayla listens in.

“To be able to manifest lightning is the mark of a True Sith, apprentice. However, another mark of a True Sith is that YOU master the Dark Side… rather than letting it master you. If we had more time, I would have you start by utilizing your anger and your hatred to manifest your first Force Lightning and then go from there. But we do not have that time. Meditate. Focus on your connection to the Dark Side. Make it your own. And then show me that you can manifest Lightning without emotionally compromising yourself.”

… Seriously? That wasn’t a lot of information. Darth Plagueis hadn’t even told him what to actually do, had he? He’d only told him what NOT to do. That said, Tylo had heard about another form of Force Lightning, separate from Sith Lightning. A form practiced by one of the Jedi Order’s current Jedi Masters in fact.

Plo Koon, a member of the Jedi High Council, was said to be able to manifest a green lightning called ‘Emerald Lightning’. When Tylo had first heard about it, he had been shocked and wondered why such a thing was allowed. But according to the rumor mill, Plo Koon’s form of Force Lightning was not inherently dark side. In fact, it was less dark side adjacent then even say something like Master Windu’s Form VII, otherwise known as Vaapad.

Supposedly, Master Koon’s Emerald Lightning was based in the Light Side, in a sense of determined justice. It wasn’t about hurting people, but rather protecting people. In fact, there were stories about Plo Koon using Emerald Lightning to shield himself and others as much as he used it to take down bad guys and villains.

… Could Tylo possibly recreate the Jedi Master’s technique off of just rumors and hearsay though?

“When you feel you are ready, you will use the Twi’lek as your target.”

Wait, what? Perhaps sensing his recalcitrance, the Sith Lord’s Shade explains.

“Force Lightning is best used against living creatures. This is why I had you bring her along, because she will provide both an acceptable target and a handicap for your training. We are on a short time table, after all.”

Well fuck. There went his Emerald Lightning idea. It was always going to be a bit of a Hail Mary of course, but Tylo figured he MIGHT have been able to convince himself that the wall of this Sith Base deserved some determined justice or something. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a world in which Tylo could justify using Emerald Lightning on Aayla of all people. She didn’t deserve it. She wasn’t evil, not even remotely.

When he looks over at her, she’s giving him a knowing sad smile, even as her thoughts reach out to him.

I know you don’t want to hurt me Tylo. I understand. But do what must be done. Please, don’t let the galaxy burn for my sake.

The scary thing is, he just might. Urgh. Stepping over to the center of the room, Tylo sinks to his knees and begins to meditate. His eyes drift shut and he focuses on… what even is he supposed to focus on here? Should he focus on thoughts of domination and possessiveness, like he did before? But if he was focusing on owning Aayla, would that really help him cast Force Lightning? Technically he WOULD be allowed to do whatever he liked with his toys… including break them if he really wanted to.

Tylo grimaces at the thought. There’s simply no denying the difficulty of this. He doesn’t want to hurt Aayla anymore than he’s already had to. But if the fate of the whole galaxy hangs in the balance… maybe they can stall. He’s sure that Maris is already hard at work doing her part. She’s proven to be a reliable enough hacker at this point, so given some more time…

But, how much more time? Days? Weeks? How long did they really have here before Palpatine used his control over the Clone Army to take over the galaxy? Tylo’s grimace turns into a frown at that, his emotions in turmoil as his hands clench into fists.

“Focus, apprentice. You are letting your emotions get the better of you. Take hold of them. Harness them. Dominate them as you must dominate every aspect of life and the universe around you. Only then will you be capable of becoming a True Sith Lord.”

With Darth Plagueis’ fragment watching so closely, Tylo has no choice but to follow his commands. If he performed a light side meditation and released his emotions into the Force, the holocron spirit would realize it immediately and there would likely be hell to pay. So instead he reaches out as he’s been told… and grabs onto his emotions, gripping them tightly.

They writhe in his metaphysical grasp like a bunch of vicious eels, screeching and fighting him with everything they have. And yet… and yet Tylo find it surprisingly easy to dominate them. Quickly, they lose the form of ‘eels’ in his mind’s eye and instead take on the shape of… of his women. Aayla, Shaak Ti, Bo-Katan, Maris. And further. Annie. Padme. He’d never truly dominated the two of them like some of the other women he’d been with, but now he sees him doing so. He sees the Chosen One kneeling at his feet in a collar and it feels… it feels good. Too good, to be honest.

Tylo releases a shuddering breath as he finds himself reaching a strange state of being. He’s calm… oddly calm. Especially since he feels like he’s currently bathed in the Dark Side. Dominion… he’d never realized how much this concept resonated with him until now. All his life, he’s been the dominant force in every relationship he’s ever had. He’s never had to rely on the Dark Side to do it though. Though he’s certainly leaned on his mutation often enough.

Now though… now it almost feels right. To be in control. To be in charge. He’s not giving in to the Dark Side… he’s forcing the Dark Side to submit to HIM. And imagining the Dark Side as a woman is actually making that very, very easy.

“Good… very good. And only in a few hours at that. I do believe you’re ready to make an attempt now. Rise, apprentice… and assert control over your slave.”

Pulled out of his thoughts, Tylo’s eyes flutter open and he blinks stupidly for a moment. A few hours? Had it really been that long? It felt like a few minutes at most. But he’d been sunk deep into the meditation, he supposed. And now… now he was being asked to use the Dark Side to hurt Aayla. To utilize Force Lightning on her.

Even now, he’s not sure he can do it. But he rises from his knees and turns to face her all the same. His old Jedi Master is waiting for him, smiling encouragingly as she stays on her knees.

Go ahead, Tylo. Do what must be done.

The thing is, he can feel the power within him. And as he lifts his hands, he can feel it gathering at his fingertips. He almost certainly CAN cast Force Lightning now. Sith Lightning. The Dark Side wells within him, but rather than fill him with disgust and sickness, it feels natural. Too natural.

He still hesitates though. He doesn’t want to hurt Aayla. He-

“What are you waiting for, apprentice? You-!”

Tylo blinks as Darth Plagueis’ voice suddenly cuts out, the holocron looking off to the side.

“… It would seem we have more guests. Strange that two different groups would find this place so close to one another. Hm… the only logical conclusion is that you were followed.”

Tylo and Aayla both go wide-eyed at that. Guests? Who else could have come here? HOW would they have come here? Followed? Had they missed something? A tracker or something?

Darth Plagueis’ image flickers and disappears back to the holocron in the pedestal.

“Retrieve my holocron and let us go greet these newcomers. We shall see just who followed you here, apprentice.”

With no other choice in the matter, Tylo grabs the holocron as he and Aayla hurry out of the meditation chamber and back down the hallway to the main laboratory.

[X] Stick with Tylo's POV for the confrontation - 72%