Sizhran Xizor had two faces that he liked to present to the galaxy. In his public persona, as the son and heir of a great Falleen house with ambition beyond the homeworld, he followed a career in politics, becoming his world's senator. Privately, however, as also befitted a Falleen noble with extraplanetary ambition, he was a Vigo in the Black Sun criminal cartel. It was important for his political career that his criminal career remained a secret.
At ninety-seven Xizor was still young for a Falleen, but old enough to be trusted as a senator. He had come into office during the last years of the new Emperor's tenure as senator of Naboo. Looking back, it was probably fortunate that he had met Palpatine at that time. Situated in the Mid Rim, Falleen, Naboo, Rodia, and Bothuwi were all neighbors. Onaconda Farr of Rodia was center-left leaning senator on most issues, while Kai Bwua'tu was hard left, like Xizor himself. Actually, both Bothan and Falleen society were extremely conservative on their own worlds, but their senators had to champion diversity in all its forms to have a chance at political success in a galaxy dominated by humans. Naturally both species thought themselves to be the most highly evolved beings in the galaxy and superior to all others—the Falleen were right on that count—but they had to behave on Coruscant, amongst the other senators as though they thought they were only superior to Core-world humans and believed in the full equality of everyone else. Of course, inferior races had their uses: many human and Twi'lek females had brought Xizor much sexual gratification, and Palpatine proved he had the capability of being a useful ally during the Trade Federation blockade of Naboo.
Palpatine's own political leanings were center-right, or at least he had everyone believe they were. There was much about the humble unassuming Naboo senator that was not what it appeared. There had been many Force-sensitive individuals in Xizor's bloodline, and though he himself had not had a high enough midi-chlorian count to be of interest to the Jedi, he was still somewhat above average. He could get feelings and make politically advantageous guesses. Something told him that there was something about Palpatine—he was not aware of this fact about his fellow senator until the blockade or and the subsequent vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum—Palpatine had orchestrated the whole thing. And how did Xizor respond? By becoming one of the first senators to endorse Palpatine publicly after his nomination, setting aside ideological differences to argue that Palpatine best knew how to clean up the mess the Republic was in, as his planet had been the most affected. Chancellor Palpatine repaid the favor the favor by appointing Xizor to prestigious senatorial committees and covertly help Xizor's next reelection campaign on Falleen. Then during the Seperatist crisis, Xizor distinguished himself as a member of the Chancellor's Loyalist Committee—albeit, he was absent due to illness when Ask Aak aggressively called for a Grand Army of the Republic after the rediscovery of Kamino, but he had been the most vocal member of the committee for an army when present. Palpatine even acknowledged as much when they next spoke. Xizor firmly supported every subsequent measure to extend Palpatine's emergency powers.
The only time Xizor's machinations went against Palpatine's was in the recent Shadow Collective mess. As a Vigo, he was subordinate to Black Sun's new leader, Ziton Moj, who had brought Black Sun into the Shadow Collective. Fortunately, all that had been required of Xizor was the shipment of some household retainers, weapons, and credits to help with Darth Maul's war effort. He took extra steps to ensure that nothing could be traced directly to him. Fortunately, things calmed down when the Separatists defeated Maul, only now he was in the position of serving Dooku, for all of the brief period that that lasted. It was quite frustrating because Xizor wanted to become the Underlord of Black Sun, the same position that Ziton Moj now enjoyed. He had hoped to use the resources he had acquired by attaching himself to Palpatine in his political career to make that happen. After all, an Underlord who was also a galactic senator would have a reach unrivaled in Black Sun's history. However, as it was, he did not have the resources to unseat Ziton Moj, and if he continued on his current path, he would lose the political favor needed to ever reach that position.
The Confederacy was defeated, so he no longer had to worry about Dooku, but he could not trust in his own plans so long as Ziton Moj breathed. Then, not long after the Republic became the Empire—a vote that Xizor was the first to cast—he met Darth Vader and the answer hit him. Vader was a Sith, Maul was a Sith, and the Jedi claimed that Dooku was a Sith…so had the Sith won or lost? What they had done that was consistent was support the Emperor. The Naboo blockade changed Senator Palpatine to Chancellor Palpatine, and the Separatist crisis and ensuing Clone War had first enabled the chancellor to stay in office two years after his term expire, then acquire emergency powers, and finally declare himself Emperor. And the discovery of the clone army, which had been so instrumental in destroying the Jedi, had come from a Jedi's investigation of an assassination attempt on Padmé orchestrated by Dooku.
Padmé…
Xizor banished the thought of his unquenched lust and returned to his analysis. The discovery of the clone army had been too coincidental. The only explanation that made sense to Xizor was that the Emperor was the Sith Master and the two known Sith and one suspected one had only been apprentices. If the Emperor knew that Xizor had discovered this about him, Xizor would be the one to end up dead. He would have to banish any hint that the Emperor was a Sith from his mind and think only that Palpatine was non-Force-sensitive agent for the true hidden Sith Emperor—and Ziton Moj knew this and wanted to use it to bring Palpatine and the Sith down.
Of course Ziton Moj did not have the information to conclude that the Emperor was the Sith mastermind of the clone wars—but Xizor, or rather, someone who hated Ziton Moj even more than he did—would point him in that direction. Xizor glanced at Alema, Zitonn Moj's red=skinned Twi'lek slave girl. She was serving drinks to the Vigos in her tightly fitting top that exposed her arms and slender belly, and her incredibly short shorts. Xizor had caught enough glimpses out of the corner of her eyes to tell that she hated her owner—not just because he owned her, but because of what he made her do. Xizor didn't really disapprove of Ziton's behavior on this account—they were both Falleen males of noble houses and had the right to sexually exploit any female that pleased them. However, Ziton had made an enemy in Alema, and Xizor would be foolish not to capitalize on it. He also made a note to himself to favor short-term relationships with consenting partners—there would be less resentment that could be used against him that way. The only female that he would have considered a permanent relationship with was the human senator of Naboo, Padmé Naberrie Amidala. The had argued ferociously leading up to and during the Clone Wars and during their arguments Xizor had grown attracted to her. Then she died mysteriously, and while she had been alive had spent an unusual amount of time with Jedi Knight, Anakin Skywalker. Ah, well, that ship had sailed.
It was the end of the Clone Wars and the defeat of the Confederacy that had cost Black Sun Mustafar, now homeworld to the confirmed Sith Darth Vader. Now they met at Ziton's resort on Canto Bight.
Ziton dismissed the Vigos, being the first to leave the room, and not being there to notice that Xizor and Alema were the last two beings in the room. Such careless oversights could get you killed.
"You hate your master, don't you?" Xizor asked, still seated while Alema wiped the stains of beverage condensation from the table.
"What choice do I have," she replied, "I belong to Back Sun."
"And what if the leader of Black Sun set you free?"
"Moj would never do that."
"I didn't mean Moj. I meant me."
"He never goes to sleep until I leave and his door is locked."
"I'm not asking for you to do anything other than feed him information, and eventually the Empire will kill him for you. Then I will set you free."
"What do you mean."
"When Moj complains to you about how Black Sun has been languishing under the Empire, offer him a way to get rid of the Empire."
Alema laughed. "You're mad!"
"Oh," Xizor said confidently, "Quite reasonable. It's just a matter of convincing Mol that he can make the galaxy believe our beloved Emperor controlled every detail of the Clone Wars."
She still looked at Xizor as if he were crazy.
"And one more thing…this information didn't come from me."
The next morning, the Underlord summoned Xizor to his private study at the complex. Yellowish-tan plastered walls, ceiling, and florr combined withan obsidian desk and a rotating chair combined to give throom of something mundane trying and failing to be something ominous.
"Sizhran, take a seat," Ziton Moj said.
Xizor obey and sat in the non-rotating black chair in front of the desk.
"I understand you have political ambitions."
"Yes, that is correct, sir."
"How would you like to be the Falleen who saved the Republic?" There was a glint of danger on Ziton's eye.
"But there is no more Republic, we are an Empire now, with no threats it needs saving from." Caution laced Xizor's voice.
"And if I told you that the Empire needs saving from its own Emperor?"
"Underlord, I do not understand—" Xizor began, only to be interrupted by five words that said everything.
"Palpatine is a Sith Lord."
"I'm sorry?" Xizor injected as much surprise into his voice as he could manage.
"The Invasion of Naboo, the Clone Wars, Palpatine orchestrated it all. Have you ever noticed how odd it is that his primary enforcer is a Sith?"
"Underlord, I fail to see-
"Naboo-Darth Maul, the Clone Wars-Count Dooku, the Empire-Darth Vader."
Xizor scrunched his face to appear to be lost in thought. He remained silent for some time before speaking.
"The Sith were clearly in league with the Trade Federation at the time of the Naboo blockade which got the Emperor elected chancellor, and Lord Vader is a Sith Lord, so that makes a reasonable case for the Emperor being the Sith Master. However, that doesn't mean he caused the Clone Wars. We don't know that Dooku was a Sith. In fact, his fight against Maul suggests that he had no present ties to either the Jedi or Sith Orders."
"And yet the Chancellor used Dooku's war to gain enough emergency powers to make his elevation to emperor. And Dooku mysteriously withdrew his fleet from Scipio just when the Muuns ceded control of the banks to the Chancellor. Add that to the fact that the Jedi thought Dookuu was a Sith, and that they seemingly attacked the Chancellor for no reason when General Grievous was killed."
"But then the Emperor says that Dooku was secretly working for the Jedi throughout the war so that they could bring the Republic under their own control."
"And does that sound more like a Jedi or a Sith?"
"Like a Sith," Xizor admitted, "but they could have seen it as a way to bring about what they deemed to be good. They deny emotion, so all the deaths caused by the war would not matter if the end result was something they deemed beneficial to the galaxy."
Ziton Moj scowled.
"Sizhran, I'm giving you an order."
He handed a data pad to the Xizor.
"Show this to the Senate."
Xizor did not go to the senate. Ziton Moj had played right into his hand and given him an excuse to speak to the Emperor about the Emperor's most damaging secret, while at the same time revealing to the Emperor his most politically damaging secret. Either he would be killed, or he would establish a bond of trust. The risks were high, but so was the potential reward.
After receiving permission to enter the Emperor's private audience chamber, Xizor sent a tint of fearful pallor into his scales. The Falleen had evolved with characteristics of both mammals and reptiles: their females, produced milk and they had limited amounts of body hair, but their skin was scaly they had they classic reptilian inner-ear structure, they could control the color of their scales, and unlike most mammalian or reptilian species, Falleen could also control their metabolism to be endothermic or ectothermic at any given moment. Right now, Xizor chose ectothermy—it was the default state when a Falleen lacked control due to anxiety.
The door opened.
To Xizor's great displeasure Mas Amedda was with the Emperor.
"Ah, Senator Sizhran, you requested a meeting?" The Emperor said warmly.
"Yes, M'lord, but it is a matter of utmost secrecy. I had hope to speak to Your Highness alone."
The Emperor rotated his chair to face Mas Amedda.
"Leave us."
When the two were alone, the Emperor said, "Speak," in a commanding tone.
"M'lord, what I am about to tell you involves a serious danger to your reign, but in exposing the threat, I also open myself to your wrath—a duel identity I have tried to hide."
"Enough, sniveling Sizhran. It doesn't become you. I'll decide whether your alter-ego deserves my wrath. I need to know this threat to my rule," the Emperor commanded.
"Yes, M'lord," Xizor began, closing his eyes and swallowing. "I am a Black Sun Vigo, who has been using my support of you during your years as the Chancellor to increase my own influence and acquire the resources to become Underlord. Unfortunately, the current Underlord, Ziton Moj,
Has pieced together details about you that question your legitimacy as Emperor."
"What details?"
"The blockade of Naboo made you chancellor. The Sith Lord Darth Maul was involved. The war with Dooku, whom the Jedi believed to be a Sith apprentice made you Emperor—and the discovery the clone army came at a time which I must admit was a little suspicious-espially considering the donor, Jango Fett, worked for Dooku. And now, your chosen inforcer, Darth Vader, is an open Sith Lord. Majesty, it is Ziton Moj's belief that you yourself are a Sith Lord, and the architect behind the Clone Wars."
Xizor gave Ziton Moj's data pad to the Emperor.
The Emperor laid it down without reading it.
"These are the same accusations that the Jedi leveled against me. And you have to admit when seen from a certain point of view, they explain a lot, don't they?"
Xizor gulped, and it was not part of his act. He really did fear Palpatine, for the Emperor did not need to be a Sith Lord to take him down for being a Black Sun agent in the Senate.
"The theory that you are a Sith Lord explains much, but there is another theory, unique to me, that I think explains more."
A rare look of intrigue spread into a smile on Palpatine's damaged face.
"Tell me your theory, Xizor."
The use of his given name meant things were about to go either really well really badly for Xizor. The genuine fear he was feeling had to be helping his performance.
"I believe that you are connected to the Sith in the same way I am connected to Black Sun. If you were a true Force Sensitive, the Jedi would have taken you in as a child. Naboo may not be the Core, but it is not exactly the Outer Rim either. And I don't believe a Sith Mastermind would make himself or herself the most noticeable person in the galaxy. Anonymity has been their greatest weapon for a millennium. No, you have your own ambitions, but must report to the Sith, just as I have my own ambitions but must report to my masters in Black Sun."
Palpatine looked surprised. Xizor felt ice in his spine.
Suddenly, Palpatine laughed. It was a dark, cackling, laugh.
"We truly are the same, Sizhran, aren't we? I cannot overthrow my Sith Underlords, but you have just given the Empire the information it needs to take down your Black Sun Underlord. You are closer to the truth than you know. The fact that you came to me rather than the Senate tells me that you have linked your own political survival to my own, and that you are an ambitious enough Vigo to try to bring down your own Underlord even if you risked going down with him. I think the Empire can use a Black Sun headed by Sizhran Xizor. The Empire, and of course, the Sith, not that you can mention them. Lord Vader would have to kill you, whether I wish it or not."
"I understand my liege. My political and criminal ambitions rest with you and our mutual masters. The Senate will learn nothing, I will ask nothing, Ziton Moj will die what I hope to be an agonizing death."
"I will contact my master to learn how to proceed. Do nothing out of the ordinary, attend to your duties in the Senate, and I will contact you once My master has reached his decision."
"Very good, M'lord."
"Don't rest easily, Sizhran. They may still kill you, but I will argue in your favor."
"Very well, Your Highness. I knew the risks when I brought this information to you."
"I will try to remind my master of that," Palpatine said.
Xizor felt fairly confident as he rested in his chambers. Regardless of what he himself had said to the Emperor, he was confident that Palpatine himself was the Sith Lord—and, as crucially, Palpatine had bought his story. Of course, not being Force Sensitive, Xizor couldn't be sure, but he was very good at reading body language and vocal inflections. The only being he occasionally crossed paths with whom he could not read was Vader, though he got the feeling that Vader was not used to walking in his full suit, and he could detect a measure of self-loathing in the beats of Vader's voice. The modified voice also could not fully filter out Vader's emotions. Xizor knew that Vader had to have become Palpatine's apprentice sometime in the weeks between Dooku's death and the establishment of the Empire. The only individual that Palpatine trusted that much other than Tarkin, was Anakin Skywalker, his personal representative on the Jedi Council. Anakin—Padmé's possible lover, Xizor's one-time rival and now coworker?
Xizor could not afford to distract himself in speculating of Vader's identity. When Palpatine contacted him, he needed to look a bit worried. For all he "knew," the Sith Lord might have decided to kill him. Technically, Palpatine could still decide to kill him, so a little caution would do him good.
His room's holoprojector hummed.
Xizor, dressed in a silken lavender night robe punched the "on" button.
A figure tall enough to fill the entire room from floor to ceiling. It wore a robe of similar—no—identical design to Palpatine's. However, the figure's face was completely obscured, and the voice was unnaturally low and rasping.
"Sizhran Xizor," The figure said, "Palpatine wanted to speak with you, but I prefer to keep my respective agents ignorant of one another. I am Darth Sidious."
"M'lord," Xizor bowed, relieved that he fell under the useful category of "agent." He also had no doubt that this was Palpatine that he was speaking to. The cadence of speech was too similar.
"How may I be of service to he Sith?" Xizor asked.
"Stay out of Lord Vader's way as he eliminates the Black Sun leadership. Then you will assume their place. You will use Black Sun's resources to gain influence and leverage over the other syndicates. Palpatine will serve as the legitimate face of my Empire, while you will serve its interests in the Underworld. But before I trust you, you must eliminate everyone who Ziton Moj acquired his information from, excluding only yourself. I have scanned the data pad for DNA, and found only Ziton's, a female Twi'lek, and another Falleen male beside yourself. It matches one Than Kaj. Eliminate him and the Twi'lek personally."
"As you wish, m'lord," Xizor clasped one fist into a palm and bowed again.
"I sense great potential in you, Sizhran. Do not disappoint me."
Those words confirmed it. Sidious was Palpatine.
"You shall not regret the trust you placed in me, Dread One."
Ziton Moj had called a meeting of the Black Sun Vigos on Canto Bight to discuss the removal of Xizor from the organization—and from the world of the living. Naturally, Xizor was supposed to attend his own sentencing and execution, and if Vader did not hurry, that is exactly what would happen.
Xizor carried a transmitter with him, and there was a Star Destroyer in orbit, but Vader would do nothing until Xizor confirmed that he had killed Than Kaj and Alema.
Xizor chimed the door to Than's apartment. It slid open to reveal the Falleen.
Than was old for a Falleen, approaching his two hundred and fiftieth birthday, clean-shaven like Xizor himself. and among all the Vigos had been the most supportive of Xizor's political career. It had been easy to get Alema to talk to him about the information Xizor had shared with her.
"Xizor," he said levelly, "At least you are not a coward. I take it you tried and failed,"
"Oh, no, I succeeded quite admirably," he said once he stepped into the apartment.
"Then what is the Imperial Star Destroyer doing over Canto Bight?"
"The Holonet won't tell you this but they are on our side and there is about to be a major regime change."
"You mean that there is going to be another war."
"Not at all, a war requires two sides capable of sustaining conflict over a prolonged period. What is about to happen will be a massacre."
"You mean that the Empire supports us?"
"I mean that I have the Empire's full support."
Than knitted his eyebrows.
"You?" He obviously thought that the nearly all human Imperial Navy had just agreed to be led by a Falleen Emperor—if only that were true—but, no. Xizor could never achieve that for himself. He'd have to settle for leading Black Sun. It wasn't that much of an adjustment, if any. He'd long ago conceded that he would never be elected chancellor. He had not given up on Black Sun, however.
"Me?" Xizor said, feigning confusion. "For what purpose?"
"To be our new leader—"
"Exactly," Xizor interrupted, "I will lead Black Sun when that traitor Ziton is dealt with."
Than dropped his mouth, too stunned to react as Xizor chopped the side of his hand against Than's neck. As Than's body lay unconscious on the floor, Xizor dropped to one knee and pulled a short, serrated kudbod dagger out of his sleeve and began to saw away at Than's neck. Xizor thought for a minute that he would miss Than's company in council meetings, but that was as close to remorse as he actually came. He was perfectly comfortable with betraying friends who got in his way. Such was the nature of Black Sun.
Xizor noticed a paper bag on the counter in his peripheral vision. Than was one of the view Vigos who preferred shopping for his own groceries—probably a result of his non-aristocratic upbringing. Xizor removed the contents and placed Than's head in the bag. With his non-bloody hand, he turned on the transmitter.
"Sizhran to Lord Vader. Than Kaj has been eliminated. However, I will need help with Alema. She is Ziton's mistress."
Vader entered Ziton's mansion with his Stormtroopers and Xizor followed in their wake. Vader was also present, giving them orders not to harm a red-skinned Twi'lek slave girl. Xizor separated from the body of Imperials at the earliest opportunity, heading for Alema's room.
"Lord Xizor," she said, upon his opening the door, "You did it! The Empire is here!"
Xizor gently kissed her forehead and motioned for her to follow him to the bed where both took a seat.
"Yes, my dear, the Empire is here, distracting Moj even now. His era is finished, brief though it was."
"And now you will lead Black Sun and I will be free," Alema said before straining to listen for blaster fire. She was not disappointed.
"It has already begun," she said in anticipation. "Do I have your word that I will be free when Moj is gone?"
"Darling," Xizor said, "have I given you any reason to doubt my word. I've brought the Empire with me, just as I promised." He ran his hand down her bare thigh to her knee.
"I'm just worried that you might want me in the same way Moj did," she said.
Xizor scoffed.
"Dear, you were instrumental in Moj's downfall, and you did it all because you wanted freedom. I'd be a fool to keep you from it now that I've taught you how to take. I'm willing to part with you," he withdrew his hand, "though our forbidden liaison was fun while it lasted."
She kissed Xizor on the lips, her eyes warm with gratitude when their lips parted.
"Thank you for letting me go."
"But I'm not letting you go," Xizor said a hint of possessiveness in his voice. His expression had not changed at all.
Alema was confused.
"But you promised—"
He rose a hand and verbally cut her off.
"I promised to free you, and I mean it."
He brought one finger to her lips and whispered, "You shall be truly, totally, completely free."
He flexed his other wrist and grasped his kudbod.
He leaned in for one final kiss and slit her jugular vein.
She looked up at him in confusion and pain as her energy ebbed away.
"I could tell you that I was only following orders, but the truth is, I hate leaving loose ends."
Within minutes a Stormtrooper entered the room, saw Alema's body and the blood on Xizor's kudbod.
"Report to Lord Vader that my part in the mission is done. Alema and Kaj are both dead."
"Very well, Senator," the Stormtrooper said.
It was done. Shizran Xizor was now the undisputed leader of the Black Sun criminal empire, and one of the few beings in the galaxy who had the ear of the Emperor, Darth Sidious.
This story is meant to explain the close political ties between Xizor and Sidious in my story "Shadows of the Sith." All references to Xizor mentioning Sidious's identity to his face are retconed. My OC Darth Shadow's status needs to be retconed, starting out as an Inquisitor or Crimson Guard and not claiming the "Darth" title until both Sidious and Vader are dead.