A Duel Among the Tombs is a Star Wars WildeHopps story by PrinceBalto.
The Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban, where the duel takes place
Premise
In this story, part of a longer Star Wars crossover, Nick and Judy have met the Jedi and trained to be part of their order, and Zootopia is revealed to in fact be a planet in the Star Wars universe, on the farthest edges of the galaxy. In this entry to Star Wars: Knights of Zootopia, the females of the core team, Judy, Elena Howlington the coyote and Zara McClaw the leopard, head to the desolate, barren planet of Korriban, birthplace of the Sith, in order to see just how strong the Sith opposition is. While on the mission, they have to separate, and Judy faces a difficult duel. Please remember that I am using the old Expanded Universe/Legends canon, not the current Disney Star Wars canon. It is the version I love most.
Trivia
- Just in case it wasn't clear, Nick and Judy are married by this point.
- This is set sometime before Judy becomes pregnant with Noah.
- This story is set in the early days of the Zootopian Jedi order.
- Nick, Judy and the other Zootopian Jedi have been educated in the history and ways of the outside galaxy.
- Judy wields a short-bladed lightsaber with an orange blade (intended out of universe to represent the color of a carrot).
- Judy is the grandmaster of the Zootopian Jedi order.
- Judy fights like Yoda does.
- Korriban is indeed haunted by the ghosts of dead Sith lords.
- Elena wields two purple-bladed standard lightsabers and Zara uses a yellow-bladed lightsaber with a curved hilt.
- Darth Maul is still alive here.
- This is a non-canon part of my Star Wars: Knights of the New Empire continuity, where Anakin defeats Palpatine on Mustafar and becomes emperor.
Story
Judy sat in her seat aboard the transport ship, talking with Zara and Elena about the current mission. They were headed to Korriban, the barren, rocky, harsh, haunted desert world that give rise to the Sith. Judy was not thrilled about it.
"Even though I will do what I must, I admit that I am not eager to visit Korriban," she said.
Elena smiled.
"Why not, Grandmaster Wilde? Worried about seeing a Sith ghost?" she said in a playful tease.
Judy laughed ever so slightly.
"The Sith are in their tombs, and have been for thousands of years. No, I worry about being ambushed," she said.
The female bunny sighed, quietly recited the Jedi code and rested up the rest of the trip. Suddenly, the pilot, a male Zootopian puma, spoke over the intercom.
"We approaching Korriban. I am going to put us down near the Valley of the Dark Lords. Hold on," he said.
Judy, Elena and Zara did so. Before long, they had touched down on the planet. Exiting the ship, they stood on the barren surface of Korriban. As it was said, their fur began to stand on end as they heard the winds howling around them. Above them, the sky was perpetually a fiery orange color, as if the sun was setting. However, this was not the case. It was still daylight, although it was a shadowy, dim world. It was truly an appropriate place for the Sith to have originated. The females' hearts beat nervously.
"Here we are, Korriban, the cradle of darkness," Judy said.
There were dangers all around them: lurking in the wastes were the vicious predatory beasts called Tuk'ata, who weighed 700 pounds and hunted in packs. Their hides were black, and their eyes glowed blood red. Other dangers included flying carnivores called Shyracks. After walking from the ship a certain distance, Zara saw a cave entrance.
"Maybe that's a shortcut to the old Sith academy ruins," the leopardess said.
Elena nodded.
"It's up to the grandmaster," she said.
Judy sighed.
"No, we go through the Valley, by the tombs," she said.
They slowly began to make their way closer to the tombs. Once there, they stopped to rest for a moment. Though the ancient tombs and structures were in utter ruin, they were still awe-inspiring.
"If this place weren't so evil, it would be an interesting place to visit," Zara said.
Suddenly, they were surprised by the sound of igniting lightsabers. All three of them drew and ignited their lightsabers and turned to see a female figure standing there, holding two ignited lightsabers with crimson red blades. She was feline in appearance, a member of the alien race known as the Cathar. She snarled.
"Jedi," she said in a growling, accented voice.
Judy bravely approached her.
"I am Grandmaster Judy Wilde of the Zootopian Jedi order. I demand to know who you are," she said.
Messelina narrowed her eyes, which had been turned crimson red by use of the dark side.
"I am Messelina, servant of Darth Maul," she said.
Zara nodded.
"You're a Sith," she said.
Messelina hissed and growled viciously.
"No, not yet. A Dark Jedi," she said, raising her lightsabers.
Judy quickly turned.
"Elena, Zara, go on ahead. I will catch up with you!" she said.
Zara was shocked.
"But Grandmaster Wilde..." she began.
Judy motioned with her head.
"GO!"
Elena and Zara did so, deactivating their own sabers as they left. Messelina smiled wickedly.
"Now you're all alone," she said.
And with that, she attacked viciously. Judy only barely had time to jump away. She was a user of the 4th form of lightsaber combat, Ataru, like the great Jedi master of old, Yoda. Messelina continued to press the attack. She was determined to return home to Nick uninjured. She would fight, and she would win. Their duel amongst the ancient Sith tombs continued on. Then, suddenly, Judy heard another lightsaber igniting and saw a blur of someone leaping. Then it became clear. Standing there, green-bladed lightsaber ignited and held in the opening stance of his chosen lightsaber form, Niman, which was the sixth form of lightsaber combat, was Nick himself.
"Leave my wife alone!" he shouted.
Judy was shocked.
"Nick, where did you come from?" she asked.
Nick shook his head.
"Later, Cottontail. We need to end this," he said.
Nick and Judy attacked in unison. Messelina was unfamiliar with fighting two enemies at once, and was hard-pressed to defend against them. Nick knew the moment was right. He unleashed a powerful Force push and sent her flying away, where she fled. Judy faced Nick.
"All right, Nick, where did you come from?" she asked.
Nick smiled slyly.
"I stowed away in a storage closet on the ship, cloaking myself through the Force," he said.
Judy's eyes went wide.
"Sly fox," she said.
Nick kissed her.
"Powerful Jedi bunny," he replied.
After that, they headed off to reunite with Elena and Zara. They did so, finished the mission, returned to the ship, and headed home for Zootopia. Nick sat in his seat.
"May the Force be with us all," he said.
The trip home would be a quiet one. However, Judy remembered reading the words of Darth Traya, spoken thousands of years ago, just before the Sith lord's death and preserved by the Jedi Meetra Surik, who had defeated her: "Korriban shall be as it always was. A graveyard for the darkest of the Sith Lords, still whispering within their tombs. It shall always be a source of evil, spawning threats throughout the millennia."
Judy had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before she walked this evil planet's surface again. She was not looking forward to it.