SKRULL SPACE
“Thank you for the private audience, your Highness. And congratulations on your recent anointing. Hearing of the majority of the Skrull Empire and Kree uniting under your leadership is quite the accomplishment I am told."
"Thank you, General. Hence, you appreciate the limited time I have."
"Yes indeed. I will not waste time as it is running out for our dire situation.”
“Dire?" Hulking scoffs. "Dire is when hope exists at the end of your war, General Organa.” Emperor Hulking retorts, “Is There Hope for any group running headlong into the crossfire of a war?”
“Always.” Leia retorts, “Hope is the spark that lights the fire in the darkest night. It warms us in the coldness of defeat. It lights the way to victory. It helps you withstand anything.”
Emperor Hulking smirks. Leaning forward, Hulking nods, “I remember those who spoke like you. Avengers one could say. Unfortunately, they no longer exist.”
Leia smiles in kind and raises her gaze to the towering ceiling that disappears into darkness, “Our two universes are so different. Species. Politics, and powers…” she says, before resting her eyes on Hulking, “However I believe Avenger in my universe means the same as in yours.”
“Oh?”
“Avengers exact punishment. Take revenge for those who are unable or oppressed.” Leia explains, “Rebels, do the same. Exact punishment unto authority that oppresses those who cannot fight back, no matter the odds - they stand.”
Hulking cannot help the smile of approval on his face as he sits back.
“Hence…” Leia continues, “...one could say an Avenger is a Rebel, and a Rebel an Avenger. Regardless, hope to win, the hope of support, hope to be victorious is the spark that drives them to continue, and others to join them.”
Hulkling nods, “Is that why you are here? To be victorious?”
“No.” Leia retorts, “I’m here, hoping all hope - that you will hear my story, and that you and your great Empyre...will join us.”
Hulking leans forward again, his interest piqued, “But we are not oppressed.”
“Not Yet.” Leia corrects with a tilt of her head, “But he will try.”
Hulking narrows his green eyes, “And who is ‘he’?’
“He is a Sith. His name is Sidious, Darth Sidious.”
STAR WARS - THE CAMPAIGN II: RISE OF THE SITH EMPIRE
CHAPTER 3 - FALL OF THE KREE EMPIRE
PART VI - DESTINY
This is Following Part 1 - The Debrief
SOMEWHERE NEAR KREE SPACE
Deep within the dense shadows of the immense chamber, Darth Sidious sits on his throne, sat high on the elevated row of ascending stairs.
Two of his cardinal red Royal Guard flank his left and right. Behind their emotionless red masks, silence is the language they utilized. As they remain in their fixed positions, Sidious's throne moves slightly forward.
Passing vibrant nebula clouds momentarily cast colorful light through the ray shields onto the chamber floor, glistening off of Doctor Doom’s chrome armor.
Yet, the passing luminance fades and is replaced by the incessant burning vibrance of Darth Sidious's amber-colored eyes. His burning irises, brimming with energy from the Dark Side, rove over each of his Acolytes on a bent knee, but settle on Doom.
Doctor Doom, clad in his armor, stands defiantly in the darkness. He never knelt. He never bowed. He simply stood. His arms folded, his green eyes fixed to the Sith Lord.
On his right, knelt on their knees is Psylocke and Archangel, both draped in their Horseman attire.
Sidious eyes proceed to his greatest jewel amongst them all. A true worthy apprentice:
The Void. His stony square-jawed face was as set like granite. His eyes rivaled the darkness of the blackest of black holes.
He was the Void. Filled with despair, soaked in mental anguish, and powered by the Dark Side energy. A living conduit that almost rivaled himself - but he lacked the ‘will’ to control it, unlike Vader.
By the will of the Dark Side, Sidious was now in possession of two wonderfully powerful weapons. A Vader, and a Void. A pack of Acolytes, and an Empire. Everything he required for the rise of the Sith Empire to conquer this new space, at his fingertips.
Closing his eyes, Sidious allows the soothing memories of his thoughts to wash over him.
Opening his eyes, Sidious's gaze rests on his acolytes.
“I have had a vision.” declares Darth Sidious. His voice both deep and expansive, filling every corner of his chamber.
“The City of Hala, home of the Kree…” Sidious continues, “...shall fall. The new Sith Homeworld will be Hala. It is...our destiny."
Raising his eyes to his master, Void speaks.
“At last we will Rise. At last, the Sith will stand Victorious as we did against the Kree on Malachor," he states. {Void is referring to what occurred in Chapter 3, Pt. 1}
A throaty chuckle escapes Lord Sidious.
“Indeed.” Sidious grins, “The Victory of this Sith Empire is certain. However…” he pauses with a serious tone coating his words, “...those who will stand Victorious among us remains, unclear.”
Doom’s jaw clenches. The sudden pressure over his body and armor from Sidious's gaze shifting onto him was inescapable.
“Such is the way of the Force, no?” asks Sidious.
A grunt of discomfort escapes Doom before he answers as the pressure from Sidious's gazes increases on his person.
“No.” Doom curtly answers, struggling to disguise the strain in his voice, “Victory is determined by the strength of one's will and intelligence." he counters, "The Force is powerful but can be bent to ones will. One wonders how the tides of destiny will change, when Doom bends the force to his. ” Doom dares to add.
The statement immediately garners a synchronized look from both Archangels and Psylocke’s knee-bent position. Ignoring them, especially Void’s intense glare.
“Be careful not to choke on your aspirations, former ruler of Latveria." Sidious growls, "You underestimate the full power of the Dark Side while forgetting that while you may have ruled once, and have the attributes of a true Sith...your life is in my hands.” chides Sidious.
Doom remains silent. Silence fills the room as tension grows in the darkness. Sidious stands up. His ethereal black robes flow over his body as if caught in a gentle breeze. Beside him, the charred black hammer that was Mjlnor rises to his side, now twisted by Dark Side energy.
"And I AM, the Dark Side." Sidious declares, "I am its voice. Its channel. And I bend to no one."
Remaining still, Doom narrows his eyes as his gaze meets Sidious.
This wasn't going to be easy, that much Sidious was aware. Of all the knowledge he absorbed from Uatu's Eyes and Brain, one thing was clear - Doom was not loyal. Opportunistic, ruthless, and calculating were his attributes. A fine addition to his growing Sith Empire.
If only Vader was as intelligent then the Jedi would have fallen all the quicker. However, Doom wasn't the wide-eyed desperate young man looking for power, he already had it. Now stripped of it and a planet, Doom was forced to 'contribute' to this Sith Empire - but by no means was he loyal; and as such required much more effort than Vader did. One day they would come to a face-off. Sidious need not the Force to foresee it. They were natural-born rivals, but Doom was handicap by lack of resources, outnumbered by forces and technology, not of his world.
But soon, he would learn, gain an advantage and, strike.
They would fight.
And he would die.
Sidious smirks at the thought of this and removes his hood. Siphoning power from Mjolnir that now renders his face youthful.
“Such is the weakness of this dimension...” Sidious says dismissively, “...the hubris of belief in once self is a plague. It existed within Uatu’s eyes when I took them…”
Opening his eyes, Sidious lowers his gaze with a sneer across his face, “...even more so in his mind as I nourished on it.”
The statement itself gives Doom pause. His intense glare, hammering away at his body is suddenly relieved as Sidious turns away peers through the ray-shield to open space. There, held amongst the infinity of stars, a cluster of planets with hundreds of ships peppered in front of them.
“And it shall be the downfall of the Kree." Sidious predicts. "They will use their Accusers in a full-frontal assault, confident that they are more powerful than the Dark Side." glancing over his shoulder, Sidious smirks, "They believe in, Supreme Intelligence.” he orders.
Turning to Doom, Sidious points, “So you shall bring him to me.” he states, his gaze lingering on Doom before turning to his acolytes, “The rest of you, will destroy Hala.”
Turning away from them, Sidious peers out the ray-shield one more, “And the Sith Empire then become the dominate power in two Galaxies with a path clear to fulfill our Destiny."
Psylocke’s brow furrows, “Master, what destiny do you speak of?
Sidious smirks, “To find the ancient grounds of the Force.” he answers, turning to Doom’s wide-eyed attention, “The Heart of the Universe."
Turning to the rayshield and staring off into the distance, Sidious snarls, "But first things first, get rid of these insects."
to be continued...
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