Darth Vader, the dreaded Dark Lord of the Sith, had been summoned to Emperor Palpatine's office on Courscant. The Dark Lord was sent right in when he arrived, as everybody knew better than to keep the Emperor's top enforcer waiting. The Emperor sat behind his desk, flanked by two Royal Guards.

"Lord Vader," the Emperor said, slowly rotating in his chair.

Darth Vader strode into the room and paused by the desk, bowing his head in respect to his Master. Vader raised his hand to his chest and spoke, his mechanical breathing the loudest sound in the entire room.

"You summoned me, Master?" the Dark Lord asked.

"My spies inform me that they have... uncovered Jedi activity on the jungle world of Telos," the Emperor said, getting straight to the point. "And since none of our agents have experience in dealing with Jedi, I have decided to send you to personally... deal with them."

"...Them?" Vader inquired.

"Two Jedi," the Emperor informed his apprentice, nodding his head.

Darth Vader had been responsible for leading the extermination of the Jedi Order after the Clone Wars came to an end. He had led the entire batallion of the 501st Legion to the Jedi Temple where he personally brought an end to the era of the Jedi. Thanks to the interference of Vader's former Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, many other Jedi had managed to survive and went into hiding. Most of the Dark Lord's time was spent searching for these Jedi, most particularly Obi-Wan himself, as Kenobi was responsible for Vader being forced to wear the armor that kept him alive after being burned alive on the lava world of Mustafar.

"They will trouble you no more, Master," Darth Vader promised.

The Emperor didn't respond to this comment as he watched Vader turn and leave the room. Slowly, he rotated his chair back into position. The Emperor folded his arms on the desk and leaned forward, his eyes gleaming. Soon, the Jedi would no longer be a problem.

Taylor Williamson sat cross-legged in her quarters, meditating. She lived in a small hovel big enough for only two—herself and a fellow Padawan, Leah Antonides. The two had been in hiding since they first recieved the warning from Master Kenobi on Courscant. Of course, they were both aware that hiding wasn't possible forever. Sooner or later, the Dark Lord of the Sith would discover their whereabouts and come hunting them down.

And being both Padawans, they knew that when the time came, they would have to fight back. Leah was confident they could handle themselves, but Taylor knew that against the Dark Lord of the Sith, they had very little chance surviving a duel with him. She had an escape plan set should the need arise.

"Taylor?"

Taylor opened her eyes, and saw Leah standing in the doorway, a worried expression on her face. Her arms were folded across her chest, and Taylor already knew what was causing her problems. She took a deep breath.

"He's coming..." she announced.

Leah nodded.

The Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader himself, was on his way. They could sense his hate through the Force. Somehow he had reached out through the Force to connect with them. He knew their location—and he was coming for them. Taylor knew there was only one way he could've learned about their whereabouts.

The Emperor's spies.

"Are we going to run...?" Leah asked.

"You will," Taylor replied, pushing herself to her feet. "In order for the escape plan to work, one of us will have to face the Dark Lord when he arrives."

"B-But you said you weren't prepared to face him!" Leah protested.

Taylor sighed. She remembered specifically telling Leah when she suggested they track the Dark Lord down and make him pay for what he did that they weren't Knights or Masters—they were only Padawans, and much too weak to take on Darth Vader by themselves. But as time had passed, she begun to realize that avoiding Vader forever wasn't an option—whether she was prepared or not, she knew she would have to face him.

"We're Jedi," Taylor said. "And I'll meet my fate as one."

"Then so will—" Leah begun, but stopped when Taylor raised her hand.

"One of us must survive this," Taylor told her. "As long as we live, the Order survives. Do you understand why it is important that you live?" Leah nodded, and Taylor felt some sense of relief. She turned to the window and peered out. She didn't know how long they had until the Sith Lord arrived.

However long, it was only a matter of time.

The Lambda-Class T-4a Shuttle flew through hyperspace. Darth Vader stood in the cockpit of the Shuttle with the pilot. In the rear, a detachment of the 501st's best troopers stood at attention. Darth Vader allowed the Force to fuel his power. He allowed all his hatred for Obi-Wan Kenobi to fuel his hatred for every Jedi.

Darth Vader clenched his fists.

He could sense his quarry through the Force. No doubt they knew he was coming. Darth Vader turned to the cockpit doorway and strode through to the back. The Stormtrooper Commander walked up to the Dark Lord and stood at attention.

"The men are ready to disembark as soon as we arrive, my Lord," the Commander said.

"Your men will separate across the entire sector, Commander," Darth Vader told him. "Every possible exit must be blocked to prevent the Jedi from escaping. I will engage them myself, but if either of them attempt to escape—kill them."

"As you wish, Lord Vader," the Commander responded.

The Stormtrooper Commander turned and counted his men. As Darth Vader thought about the coming battle, the Stormtrooper Commander explained the plan to his men, giving them their instructions and what to do should the Jedi turn tail on run. Darth Vader felt the hilt of his lightsaber and looked up.

The Lambda-Class Shuttle dropped out of hyperspace above Telos.

They had arrived.