A/N: This story is the sequel to The Dark Fire Chronicles: Ember and Shade. I would suggest reading the first story before tackling this one, as things could get pretty confusing if you haven't read Part One. Also, be warned that in both stories there is a heavy helping of OCs in addition to the many canon/EU characters. If OCs aren't your thing, you may want to look elsewhere. Hope you enjoy! :)

The Dark Fire Chronicles
Part Two: Night Must Fall

Prologue

He should have crawled from the pit.

Instead he walked away from it, battered and bruised, weeping and cursing the universe. He cursed the Force, too – the same Force that had whispered to him, telling him not to jump, to stay where he was. He remembered how badly he had wanted to ignore that warning, but in the end he obeyed.

He should have fallen to the flames. Instead, he watched his brother die.

3 ABY

Pooja Mirana stood at the end of a long hallway in the Theed Palace, staring up at the portrait of a young, dark-haired woman who had once been Queen of Naboo. In the painting she wore the concealing white face paint that was typical of Naboo's monarchs, as well as a red dot on each cheek and the Scar of Remembrance on her lower lip. Elected at the age of twelve, Queen Apailana had died at only fourteen during an attack by rebel clones, though it was whispered now and then that she was actually killed for harboring fugitive Jedi Knights. Pooja was only eight years old at the time, but she vividly remembered the shock and sadness that had overtaken the populace. Two queens dead within one year of each other. It had only taken two decades to shatter the generations of peace on Naboo.

The guards at the other end of the corridor opened the throne room doors and stepped aside so that she could enter. Pooja looked up at Apailana's portrait for a few more seconds before entering the throne room.

A woman stood at the tall windows, her head bent slightly as she stared out at the streets. She wore a black shimmersilk gown with very few decorations and a headdress of short black feathers that stood in contrast to her blonde hair.

"You wished to see me, Your Highness?"

The woman turned away from the window, revealing a face painted bone-white. The makeup that had been applied to her cheeks and lips was a much darker red than past queens had worn, but Pooja found it very appropriate for the day.

"Yes, Senator Mirana, please come in."

"Not a senator anymore, my lady. Not for some time."

Queen Kylantha placed a black-gloved hand on the windowsill and glanced out at the crowd gathering on either side of the main boulevard. "Twenty-two years. It seems like a lifetime ago."

Pooja shifted uncomfortably. "For us it was. We were both so young."

"I remember that day clearly. The whole planet seemed to stand still." Kylantha stepped away from the window, the hem of her gown brushing lightly across the marble floor. "You must be tired of hearing people talk about it."

Pooja shrugged and offered the queen a small smile. "Not really. Every year it gets harder to remember her. It helps to hear everyone's memories, what they loved about her. In some ways it keeps her alive."

The queen gestured for Pooja to follow her. Together they left the chamber and walked down the corridor which Pooja had come from only moments before.

"Pooja?"

The former senator turned her head to meet the queen's gaze, but the other woman was staring straight ahead, her eyes locked on the open archway at the end of the hall. Something in Kylantha's voice made Pooja glance back at the two black-robed handmaidens who were following them. "Is there something wrong, my lady?"

"We have a slight situation." Kylantha let out a slow, deliberate breath. "It's the Imperial delegation. They're arriving early."

Pooja felt her stomach tighten. "How early?"

"Today."

Pooja kept her mouth shut tight as a dozen protests filled her thoughts. After a moment, she dared speak. "What about the memorial gathering?"

The queen came to a stop and turned to face Pooja. "I am told that the Emperor wishes to honor his homeworld and his former queen, and that the delegates will be arriving early for that purpose."

"And the Emperor?"

"Not coming, of course. He rarely leaves the capital, and never for something as unimportant to the galaxy as this memorial." If there was any anger on Kylantha's face, the paint was doing an excellent job of hiding it. "He means to throw us off guard, see if we're hiding anything."

"Given our recent history, I can't say I'm surprised."

The queen placed a hand on Pooja's arm. "I wanted to tell you this before you saw the Emperor's men at the memorial. I know that we have nothing to hide, but there will always be suspicions, especially after the assassination attempt."

"Yes, of course."

"And the tragic circumstances of your sister's death will no doubt continue to give them pause whenever they consider your loyalties."

Pooja averted her eyes and clenched her teeth to keep her emotions in check. The Empire had formally apologized for the accident on Rega 9, but even after five years the bitterness was still there, a poisonous serpent wrapped around her heart. Over time she had allowed herself to forgive the people who had carried out the final orders, the ones that had killed Ryoo. But she could never forgive the powerful men who had decided her sister's fate in a microsecond. Most of all, she could never forgive the Emperor for allowing such tragedies to continue. Perhaps it was for the best that the Imperial Senate was dissolved. Her last two years as a senator were the hardest because she knew deep down that if given the chance, she would topple Palpatine's New Order.

"I didn't want their presence to startle or upset you or your family." The queen's voice pulled Pooja away from her rebellious thoughts. "This day is hard enough as it is."

"My family and I are grateful for your concern, Your Highness."

Kylantha gave her a tight smile and resumed her casual stroll down the vast corridor. "There is another reason I asked you here, Pooja. I received a transmission from Lord Vader himself, requesting your presence at the meeting."

Pooja's eyes widened. "Did he say why?"

"No, but he made it quite clear that you are to be there."

Pooja recalled her days as a senator on Imperial Center, when she occasionally crossed paths with Lord Vader. His face had always been obscured by the hood of his cloak, but there were several times when she could almost feel his eyes on her. Quite honestly, he frightened her.

"Then I have no choice," Pooja replied. "I will be there."

"Would it make things less awkward if you were part of my advisory council? My political advisor, perhaps?"

"I beg your pardon?" Pooja came to an abrupt halt. "Don't you already have a political advisor? And an Imperial liaison?"

The queen waved her hand dismissively. "Kyret is stepping down in the next few weeks, and don't get me started on Tradyiss, that little lapdog. The point is, I could use a woman with your experience as one of my ministers. As a former Imperial senator, you possess unique insights into the workings of the Empire."

"My lady, I am honored, but my answer is the same as before. I have no qualms about giving you advice as a friend, but I would prefer to distance myself from Imperial politics."

Kylantha cast her an amused look. "And yet the Emperor's most trusted servant asks about you. If that's distancing yourself, Pooja, then you have failed miserably."

Pooja let out a sigh. "I'll think about it. In the meantime, when and where is this meeting going to be held?"

"An hour after the ceremony, here in the throne room."

"I'm not sure that the Imperial delegation will appreciate such a display of authority."

Kylantha smiled. "Well, that's just too bad."

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