Meanwhile, on Naboo, two Trade Federation Lucrehulks hung trapped above the planet—caught in a suffocating shroud of living darkness. The sky was blotted out, the world below smothered by Jin-Woo's shadow.
Inside Theed's castle, in the ornate throne room, chaos reigned. Viceroy Nute Gunray paced in agitation, voice cracking as he barked desperate orders.
"Fire again! I said fire again on that abomination trapping us! Get the primary command ship online—we need the broadcast for an SOS signal! We must contact Lord Sidious!"
On the holoscreens, the Lucrehulk turrets hammered at the darkness canopy. Plasma bolts vanished into the gloom, swallowed by an abyss that never gave anything back.
Rune Haako hovered nearby, face ashen, hands wringing. "We will not survive this, Viceroy. We should never have bargained with Lord Sidious… Do you think Jin-Woo might execute us? He opened a portal right into this throne room, and didn't kill us immediately. Instead he threatened—said our deaths would be painful."
Nute Gunray's head dropped lower, his breath shallow, sweat beading down his brow. The realization pressed on him: his life now dangled by the thinnest of threads.
Suddenly, a presence stirred in the shadows by the window. For the first time since the planet's fall, Darth Maul spoke—voice calm and eerily confident, slicing through the panic. "This darkness is no match for a true Sith," Maul said,
"He is a pretender. The true Lord here is my master—Lord Sidious. He will not abandon us. He already moves to aid us. Stand ready. This world is not yet lost."
A metallic clanking echoed from the corridor—a OOM command battle droid approached the throne, .
"Viceroy," the droid intoned, "one ship detected. It appears to be… a corvette."
Nute Gunray lunged for the holopad, his trembling fingers tapping commands. A grainy feed flickered up—one Defender-class corvette on approach, homing in on the main hangar of Theed castle.
Rune Haako's eyes widened in terror. "Viceroy, shoot at that ship! It will kill Jin-Woo—if he's inside—before he lands!"
But Maul stepped forward, voice slicing through their hysteria. "Not one of you do anything. If you open fire, you'll only shorten our time to live. My master warned me—Jin-Woo is unorthodox, but even I didn't expect him to wield such strange power. This darkness , It is his domain."
Maul glared at the two Neimoidians, eyes flat and deadly. "Transfer command of the remaining forces to me—if you value your lives. Hide if you must, but do not get in my way."
Nute Gunray's voice wavered, half-desperate. "But those are our troops! We've already lost nine Lucrehulks,. If we give you control of the remaining two—with millions of battle droids—you might betray us to save your own skin!"
Maul said nothing. His glare was answer enough—cold, absolute, merciless.
Rune Haako swallowed hard. "Viceroy… we don't have much of a choice. Better to trust Lord Maul—for now. Jin-Woo is already on a warpath against us. If we stand in his way, we're dead."
Nute Gunray hesitated one heartbeat longer, then—defeated—. "…Do it," he croaked. "Transfer command to Lord Maul."
Rune Haako quickly guided the viceroy away, vanishing with him into a side corridor leading to a fortified hiding place behind the throne room's secret panels.
As they left, an OOM Command battle droid marched stiffly up to Maul, voice flat and obedient. "What are your orders, Lord Maul?"
Maul's expression was cold, but his yellow eyes burned with a simmering, relentless vengeance. "Clear the main hangar. I want nothing left behind—not a single piece of metal scrap from your droids. The area is to be pristine when he arrives."
The OOM command unit saluted. "Understood, Lord Maul." It marched off, relaying orders through the droid network. The sounds of battle droids moving out echoed through the palace.
Maul then made a subtle, almost imperceptible gesture with his hand. in the far corners of the throne room quivered. From those depths, more than a thousand hooded figures began to appear—Sith cultists, silent and fanatical, each kneeling in a single motion, their heads bowed, wicked Sith daggers gleaming in their hands.
Maul regarded them in silence, eyes sweeping across the assembly. .
"Wait in the hidden corners near the main hangar. Do not move until Jin-Woo draws close. Ambush him when he enters—force him into the waiting ranks of the B1 battle droids and their tanks. I want him exhausted, stretched thin—so that I alone can finish this."
His hands tightened on his saber hilt, voice dropping into a promise. "He's escaped me twice. That will not happen again. I will kill him with my own hands, and deliver his head to Lord Sidious."
The cultists did not speak. One by one, they melted into their stealth positoin , blades at the ready—
At the main hangar, the Defender corvette's ramp lowered with a hydraulic hiss. Jin-Woo stepped out first, his silhouette framed against the lingering shadows. Padmé followed close behind, scanning the empty hangar with a frown.
"It's empty," she murmured, tension in her voice. "I expected to be surrounded and delivered straight to the Viceroy."
Qui-Gon reached out with the Force, gaze sharpening. "I sense an ambush, but… not directed toward Obi-Wan or me."
Jin-Woo's thoughts flickered—Maul. He wants to exhaust me before he makes his move.
Morgan's voice echoed in his mind, cool and conspiratorial. Should we test what we've produced from Kamino? Some of our Zakuul Knights are getting eager.
Jin-Woo glanced at her, a single sharp nod answering her unspoken suggestion.
He moved forward, deliberately exposing himself—inviting the trap. In a blink, one of the Sith cultists burst from hiding, twin daggers flashing, lunging straight for Jin-Woo's eye. The blade came within two centimeters of its target—
Suddenly, a pinkish portal of Transfiguration split the air beside Jin-Woo. A Zakuul Knight, gleaming in white and gold armor and wielding a lightsaber pike, erupted through the rift—cleaving the cultist in two with a single, flawless stroke. ( img here )
More portals flared to life, and a half-dozen other Zakuul Knights marched forward, their pikes humming. Each one knelt in formation before Jin-Woo, voices unified and sharp: "Awaiting orders, Supreme Executor."
Panaka watched the scene unfold from the ramp, eyes wide for just a moment before he exhaled, dryly. "I guess nothing surprises me anymore."
Padmé crossed her arms, shooting Jin-Woo a pointed look. "Stop scaring me like that, Jin-Woo. Though… I didn't realize you had other Jedi associates besides the Order."
Morgan's laughter was warm, but edged with mischief. "Oh, Padmé, those aren't Jedi."
She stepped forward, pride gleaming in her eyes. "Those are Jin-Woo's and my little secret project. Our own knights—bred for war and loyal only to us."
The Zakuul Knights stood at attention, lightsaber pikes raised in a precise salute, their presence radiating silent threat.
Jin-Woo broke the silence, his voice matter-of-fact. "The remaining Zakuul Knights—lead the way. Find the commander on the enemy side."
A metallic chime rang in his mind—Offensive Bias, cool and clinical. Affirmative, Supreme Executor. Transferring another batch of Zakuul Knights. Total now: ninety.
The hangar filled with more shimmering portals as the Knights assembled in tight, disciplined ranks. They pushed forward, clearing a path, pikes sweeping aside the frenzied Sith cultists. Their defense was relentless and efficient—nothing got close.
The group advanced behind the armored phalanx. Suddenly, a dagger flashed out from the shadows, arcing toward Morgan's head. She didn't flinch. Her hand snapped up, catching the blade mid-air—then, with an almost casual squeeze, she crushed it to dust. The fragments fluttered to the floor like gray snow.
Obi-Wan, trailing at the rear, couldn't help a wry, sarcastic comment. "You prepare as if everyone's your enemy, Jin-Woo."
Qui-Gon glanced sideways at Morgan, tone more curious than reproachful. "How long have you been preparing for this, Morgan?"
Morgan flashed a teasing smile, mixing truth and a hint of mischief. "Why look at me? Ask Jin-Woo. I have no idea how this army even looks."
Padmé shot Morgan a deadpan stare, . " You seem very excited that these knights are doing exactly what you expected. And Jin-Woo just looks bored."
Morgan kept walking, a sly smile flickering. "I started preparing them four, maybe five months ago. Didn't expect I'd actually need them now, to be honest."
Qui-Gon's eyes narrowed as he watched the Zakuul Knights move with silent efficiency. "Their Force signatures are… unusual. Muted, but strong. Are they living beings, or some kind of construct?"
Jin-Woo answered with a faint shrug. "They're clones—bred and programmed. I gave Morgan the materials, and she had all the creativity. Think of them as blank slates with just enough edge."
Padmé, curiosity lighting her eyes, turned to Morgan instead. "I'll ask you, then, since you're clearly the brain behind these extraordinary knights. Each one's as strong as a Jedi. For what purpose did you create them?"
Morgan's lips curled, her tone playful yet guarded. "Long-term goal? That's a secret. But right now, let's just say I wondered if I could do what Jin-Woo did."
Obi-Wan frowned, confusion plain on his face. "What Jin-Woo did? I don't understand."
Morgan only grinned, choosing her words with cryptic care. "Oops—not for now. Better you see it with your own eyes, Obi-Wan. Jin-Woo's always had a personal army, if he ever felt like showing it off. And it looks like tonight… he finally does."
Obi-Wan's brow furrowed, voice rising in disbelief. "Wait a minute—I've read the Jedi archives. I know about clones… but never Jedi. Every attempt has failed. How are these ones—stable?"
Qui-Gon nodded, curiosity piqued. "Most curious indeed. Thank you for reminding this Topic my Padawan,. No one has ever successfully cloned midichlorians—at least, that's what the archives say."
Morgan walked quietly for a few paces, thoughts swirling behind her smile.
To be honest, this is where I excel—the power of Transfiguration. Jin-Woo can raise the dead, make them his personal shadow army. As King of the Dead, he manipulates Death itself—bestows power on his allies, like the Crypters from The lostbelt , who gained Force abilities through his midichlorian manipulation. But he can't manipulate Life itself. The Flood's Gravemind fears him, but doesn't follow him blindly.
One day, I wanted to prove—even if only in one thing—that I could reach his level. As the current Monarch of Transfiguration, this is my domain.
She turned, meeting their eyes. "I have the power to manipulate the very code of a living being. Jin-Woo can do many things—but his gift doesn't work on clones. That's where I excel."
Jin-Woo's senses flared—a ripple at the edge of his perception. Maul. The man's approach had changed. Normally , he'd have struck from the shadows, all feral violence and assassinations. But now, Maul was playing a more cunning game, pulling his cultists back instead of sending them to die. The Zakuul Knights had already cut down two hundred; charred, split bodies littered the stone as they advanced, yet the rest retreated into the gloom.
At the far end , Maul sat atop a broken slab of stone—waiting, silent, his saber hilt across his lap, eyes burning with anticipation.
Jin-Woo held up a hand, halting the group. "We'll talk later, everyone. Right now, the current head commander of their forces is about to show his cards."
Padmé glanced around, voice low. "You mean the Viceroy? Shouldn't he be cowering in some secret room by now?"
Jin-Woo shook his head, a faint smile curling. "The Viceroy's probably holed up in the throne room or one of the castle's hidden chambers. If you want him, you can take the main stairs and go hunting. But what I mean is this—"
He nodded toward Maul's waiting figure, voice cool and sure. "The real commander here—the mysterious Sith who tried to assassinate you, Padmé.."
Qui-Gon let out a dry, almost sardonic chuckle. "From what I can tell, this Sith—Darth Maul—seems to hate you more than he does To Padmé,. He's targeting you first, not the queen herself."
Jin-Woo just smirked. "Padmé, I might suggest you capture the Viceroy. We'll deal with Maul—along with the rest of the group. I suspect there are plenty of traps waiting for me anyway."
Padmé nodded, a cool edge in her voice. "Panaka, Sabe—you and the rest of the Royal Naboo Security Forces will capture the Viceroy and bring him to justice."
Sabe and Panaka both nodded, rallying their troops. A dozen Zakuul Knights—at Morgan's subtle command—silently joined them, ready to deal with any droidekas or battle droids lurking in the upper halls. They moved quickly, disappearing up the grand staircase Jin-Woo had indicated.
Padmé lingered, eyes still fixed on Jin-Woo. "I'm staying with you,. We haven't finished our journey yet. And there's so much I still don't know about you—I want to see it all, personally."
Jin-Woo shrugged, his tone light, but a glint of something else in his eyes. "Hmm… Mmm, okay. Not that I mind, though."