Chapter II

Summoned to Lord Vader's sanctum sanctorum, Lt. Commander Rayfin was all but certain that he was marching toward his own doom. Rumor had it that no Imperial Command Officer, except for Stormtroopers, had ever survived more than 14 months working directly under the Dark Lord. Rumor also said that the average of those doomed officers was about 5 months. Rayfin, quietly counting out his 11th month, had updated his will and said a final goodbye to his wife already. However, duty was duty. And so the Lt. Commander marched to his death in a military fashion, with pride and few life regrets.

Steeling himself, he reached for the door chime to Vader's office. Before he could press it, a metal crack loudly cracked from the other side of the door, "Come in, Commander." Fixing an imperceptible pierce of lint off of his shoulder, Rayfin stepped into the office with a forced casualness and confidence which did not, to the Dark Lord's senses, match the fear echoing in his force presence.

"Commander, I will now give you specific orders that I want enforced to the letter. Otherwise I shall be most displeased. You will compose a short message, without specifics, and order Grand Admiral Thrawn to take up the matter of the Lothal rebels. Tell him they just escaped us here through the intervention of an old traitorous apprentice of the Emperor's. Warn him that Darth Maul was working with the Lothal rebels and they may have more allies than we had earlier guessed. Thrawn is to immediately take supervisory military command of all Imperial forces in the Sector and start suppressing the rebels in whatever manner he deems best. A copy of the report and orders are to be forwarded to the Imperial Palace on Coruscant for the Emperor's eyes only. Then you will manually shut down all communications…"

"Sir, do you mean…"

"Do not interrupt me Commander. I might entertain questions when I am finished. I may not. You will manual sever communications by having the engineering crew go EVA and physically cutting out all cables to the oscillator. You will then bring it to me, in person. With the oscillator out, you will still be able to receive messages but not transmit."

"Yes sir."

"The communications officer is to put a scrambler on all incoming messages and, without reviewing them, to provide them to either you or me personally. I want all contact outside of the ship to be impossible. I want one of the Lambda intelligence shuttles equipped with a communications intercept package and launched, to track and intercept any outgoing messages. I want our own shuttle to jam our communications. Clear?"

"Yes sir," said Rayfin, with fear giving away to puzzlement.

"You will have Stormtrooper Commander Moehler personally selected the 10 most loyal and obedient Stormtroopers to relieve the naval troopers guarding my prisoner. The Stormtroopers are ordered to keep her incommunicado, but also keep her from any harm. No interrogation. No torture. No one is to speak with the Jedi prisoner at all…"

"Is that because of their mind control powers, Sir?" Rayfin asked.

"Yes, in part. But she is a high ranking rebel. And given the ambush we suffered, I believe that the Imperial military has been infiltrated. Even the Stormtroopers are not to have contact with the prisoner. No one speaks to her but you and me. And you will not speak to her unless it is an emergency."

"Yes Sir."

"Then, you will have the Captain pick random hyperspace coordinates, close by here but away from any civilization. I want to be floating alone in the black. Before we jump to the chosen coordinates, a troop transport will be sent ahead. If they find nothing nearby and the site is clear, they will radio back with the code 'A43NE.' If the site is not suitable they will radio back 'B99PO.' If the situation is 'other' they will radio back the code 'N80AS.' If any signal but the affirmative is sent, the troop transport will head for Raxus and await further orders there."

"Yes Sir. I have the signal protocol down."

"Because of the jamming, the Conqueror will not hear the signal. The three men you handpick to man the Lambda shuttle will receive the message and then break the jamming long enough to relay it to you. When we arrive at the coordinates, the navigation officer will immediately plot and program a hyperspace course for Raxus. You will also tell the Captain that he must launch two wings of TIEs as soon as we arrive, to take up a roving perimeter escort position. The TIEs should receive orders that, in the event we must make an emergency jump, they will be picked up by the ISD Devastator within 48 Hours. Have the Lambda equipped with supplies which can quickly be dropped and left for the TIEs."

"Yessir."

"You have that all?"

"All of it."

"Good, also issue orders that every compartment adjacent to the rear detention cells are to be evacuated and sealed. I believe that is crew quarters for 200 and one of the Pilot's messes. Tell the pilots assigned to that hall to eat with the Bridge Crew. And the operations officer will make arrangements for hot-bunking for the 200 or so displaced crewmen,"

"Lord Vader, such crew arrangements are below your statute and notice. Are you alright….kkgh" Rayfin trailed off as he started choking as if an invisible hand was reaching for his trachea.

"Do not question me again Commander. It does not matter to you how I want to use my star destroyer, nor what security arrangements I make for our high value guest, nor how I treat the crew. Your concerns are living and dying. Isn't that right?"

"…yes, My Lord…" Rayfin rasped out.

"Good." Boomed the Dark Lord as he released his grip. "If you follow my orders you live. I will see to it. Failing to do so is a different matter… I do not throw away competence lightly, Commander. You have served me well. But I will also have obedience. And no aide of mine will make me pick between competence and obedience."

"Yessir" Rayfin trembled "Anything else, Sir?"

"I want to see the intelligence agent aboard shortly. Sinclair, I think it is. In twelve hours, have three trays of food brought here. You will be here when the food arrives."

"Yes My Lord."

"Rayfin. Serve me well these next days and I promise you that you will be recognized for it. You are dismissed."

Never in his life had Rayfin been so glad to salute, click his heels, and turn around. Out of the room, he turned right and walked 15 meters to the nearest comm panel and started issuing orders.

Imperial Intelligence Agent Sinclair was similarly nervous to be summoned by Lord Vader. Normally agents posted to ships wore their normal off-white ISB uniform and acted as political commissars, at least aboard bigger ships like Star Destroyers. However, Intelligence had felt it would antagonize Lord Vader to have a commissar on one of his personal ships so, with his permission, they had inserted one of their own onto the bridge crew, with a normal Imperial Navy Rank and uniform. In this case, the rest of the ship knew him as Senior Lieutenant Sinclair, the ship's jovial second weaponry officer and the most junior member of the bridge staff.

He had been unaware that his identity as the Intelligence Agent onboard was known to Lord Vader and his staff. Intelligence had received assurances from the Emperor himself that the Intelligence Agent could maintain his cover, be anonymous, and perform the functions demanded of him. However Rayfin's order did not ask for "Lieutentant Sinclair" but ordered "Agent Sinclair" to report at 0330 shiptime to Lord Vaders's meditation chamber, just aft of the CIC. It was a shocked and dismayed Sinclair who hastened through the ship to answer Lord Vader's summons.

The door opened with an ominous hiss before Sinclair could reach the pad. Swallowing, Sinclair stepped forward toward a large black egg which took up almost the whole room. With a different pneumatic hiss, the egg opened revealing the Dark Lord being helmeted. The chair turned 'round slowly and a voice boom "You are Sinclair, the Intelligence Agent aboard, correct?"

"Sir. I am the asst. weaponry officer."

"Agent, we have all had a long night. We have taken a high value rebel prisoner, but also revealed rebel infiltration into the ranks of the military. As a result we are taking extraordinary security precautions. I care not for your mission or your purpose here. I have not disturbed your cover. I need access to the resources that ISB possesses. Now can you help me…or not?" said the Dark Lord, injecting a most menacing tone into the last question.

"Anything I can do to help Lord Vader."

"Good. I need two things. I want two doses of the strongest truth serum that you possess onboard. Then I want you to send a classified message, through whatever means or coded signals necessary, demanding the immediate assignment of Inspector Thanoth to my command to conduct a security investigation. I've heard excellent things about him and I want him to meet me at Raxus Prime."

"My Lord. The serum I can happily provide and even administer if you wish. Thanadrine works wonders. However, My Lord, you've shut off outgoing communications…"

"Your help with administering the drug is appreciated but not required. You will put your message in code and provide it to Commander Rayfin and it will be transmitted wherever you say to whomever you say. I do not care what codes Intelligence uses nor do I have any interest in its technical communication channels. I just want the Inspector."

"Yes My Lord. Shall I provide Commander Rayfin with the drug and the dosing instructions?"

"No. You will provide the drug and instructions to Moehler, of the Stormtroopers, personally."

"Yes Sir."

"I want that message coded and within Rayfin's hands within the hour. You're dismissed Agent. I will report favorably to your superiors in due time."

"My thanks, My Lord." Said Sinclair as he nearly raced out of the chamber.

The Captain of the Conqueror was feeling irked. Not that this was a healthy thing to feel in the shadow of Lord Vader. Lord Vader was rarely interested in details, normally only looking in broad strokes with a ruthless eye toward results. This left Commodore Lafayette with a small area of concern in which he was the absolute master of his fate. Lord Vader told him to paint a fruitbowl, but how to arrange it, what fruit was in the bowl, how to paint it, and how to hold the brush were left to Lafayette.

Since the ship had rescued the Dark Lord from that accursed planet 48 hours ago, life had been turned on its head. Vader was secretively issuing orders directly to his staff and cutting everyone out of the loop. Lafayette had expected to find the Dark Lord ill-humored (a word tough to apply with any distinction to a Sith) since he had to be rescued, but this was why backup plans were put in place. Instead the Sith Lord had returned on a stretcher possessing both a captive and a new manic energy with a dark underlining.

Lafayette had essentially been replaced as Captain. Vader was issued orders of incredible detail and minutiae. He had wrested communication with the larger galaxy into his sole hand by coopting the engineering crew to physically sever the space radio interlinks. That alone was unheard of—one of the Emperor's battleships severing communications with High Command. He had ordered the details of prisoner confinement and security. He had tie pilots eating in the Bridge Crew's mess. He was summoning staff officers to his quarters or his office to issue direct face to face orders. Other than the minor freedom of picking a random piece of empty space, the Captain was now doing little more than serving as the morale officer for the ship. Deployments of individual troop transports and tie fighters were being run through Vader.

The humiliation of reporting to an aide junior to him was overwhelming when Lafayette's own fighter commander, weaponry officers, Stormtrooper commander, mess stewards, and chief engineer had seen the Dark Lord in person to receive their orders. Lafayette intended to do something about it. Not because of his rank or his ego. He had long ago sacrificed ego when serving as a Captain of Lord Vader's personal armada. However it was obvious that something important was going on. And Lafayette felt that he was a man of some skill and he was going to contribute.

Even the ship's rumor mill, normally an important source of information in navy life, had taken a decidedly different tenor. There were no leaks about what Vader was ordering. Only the apparent fact that things were happening, and being reported to the Captain in real time, was evidence of any high plan or coordination. The rumor mill was, as always, somewhat hysterical. One bit of gossip had the Dark Lord unmasking an mole who was assigned by Intelligence to keep an eye on Lord Vader. Lafayette discounted this because he still received reports from the medical bay and the mortuary. No unexpectedly dead bodies had shown up, either choked or missing limbs or which gaping holes in their chest. That pretty much ruled out any truth to the rumor that the Dark Lord had discovered an Intelligence Agent spying on him on his own ship.

Lafayette had received the regular daily report from the Chief medical officer. Only those who had served with Lord Vader for sometime could read his literal fingerprints into a medical report detailing repairs to biological prosthetics. Oddly, breathing apparatus was never reported on. However a longtime associate could read details into the insertion of a new posterior substitute electronic ligament for a right forearm.

Having raised his concerns about being in the dark to that pedantic Lt. Commander Rayfin, the Dark Lord's aide simply indicated that this was a close security operation. He had also refused Lafayette's request to see Lord Vader. The Captain was peeved.

Lafayette had, appropriately, realized that losing his temper and marching up to the Dark Lord's office was not merely a career ender, but a waste of life. That decision was a day ago, however. A day spent in blackout in the black, with no apparent mission, no heading, no orders, and no supplies. Now, more calmly, the Captain was simply going to bypass Sinclair. He knew that Rayfin had an appointment at the rear bridge comm terminal with the communications officer in 10 minutes. Which meant the little watchdog would not be standing between Lafayette and his potential doom, in the form of a 7 foot tall Sith Lord.

When Lafayette got to the Sith Lord's office, there was a guard of two Stormtroopers posted outside the office. Suspecting that his immediate plan had been fouled, he nonetheless stepped up to the guard and asked for admittance. The Stormtrooper checked with someone, by comm, before letting the Captain in Lord Vader's chambers.

The Captain could not be more thrown if he had been run over. The Dark Lord was sitting at his desk, unhelmeted, half breathing through a harmonica jutting up from the throat of his suit. His handsome visage seemed vaguely familiar to the Captain. But the Sith Lord was apparently dining with a Togruta. There were some non-humans serving on the ISD Conqueror, but her rumored status as prisoner was confirmed by her attempts to eat with a fork while both hands were manacled together.

"Captain, you are the man I thought you to be. You passed the test." Said the Sith Lord, "Come in and have a seat. We have a tray for you."

"Test, My Lord?" stuttered Lafayette. "Are you alright, My Lord? You…you…"

"…are eating, out of that awful helmet, regular food and with a rakish appearance? Yes. He is," chimed in the apparent rebel prisoner.

"Impertinent as always Snips. Sit Captain. I will explain all. But first I should warn you that I expect you to eat with us, and that I have dosed your meal with truth serum."

"Yes, My Lord." Said the Captain as he shakily stepped forward and sat in the proffered chair.

"Both your meal and our prisoner's are dosed with truth serum. Not enough to compel you to unwillingly reveal secrets, but enough to ensure that only truth is spoken. Eat up while I explain some of what's going on. Do you know our prisoner?"

Lafayette, with a mouthful of good food, looked the vivacious young Togruta up and down from head to foot. He shook his head no.

"Then you are in good company. I did not recognize her at first either. Imperial Intelligence knows her only as 'Fulcrum' a high-ranking rebel courier who runs several rebel cells in the Outer Rim and even serves as handler for an unknown number of spies infiltrated into the Imperial Military."

Ahsoka jump in her chair, just a little, not knowing that the Imperials were aware of her spies at all.

"However" continued the Sith Lord, "I know her as Ahsoka Tano a former Jedi who left the order and disappeared about sixth months before the treachery and the start of the Jedi Purge."

"I though the Jedi were hunted down, My Lord. Didn't the Inquisitorious and yourself see to that?"

"We were thorough, but not exhaustive. The Inquisitor service reported to me that she was dead. Now, before we go further, can we trust you?"

"Yes sir."

"This is not just trust to follow orders Captain. We're talking about the fate of the galaxy and the Empire. I am concerned about treachery at the deepest parts of our government. A problem so deep that rebels are, pardon me Snips, but a nuisance. So who and what are you loyal too?"

"To the Empire and to you sir."

"And if the one does not follow the other?"

"Are you a rebel sir?"

The Togruta loosed a soft giggle at the Captain's question.

"Decidely not. At least not yet. But the deep treachery I am now investigating may have already pulled off a coup d'etat silently, while no one was watching. We may be forces to raise weapons against fellow Imperial Soldiers, before the day is out. Can you fight for the soul of our government and the safety of its people?"

"That's why I have stormed your office sir, to follow up on my oath to serve."

"Then let me explain yet more. Do you recognize me, without the helmet?"

"Vaguely. I've seen your face before. But I'm not sure where."

"You were one of Admiral Yularen's non-clone staff officers were you not? In charge of tactics, strategy and war coordination?"

"Yes sir."

"Then while you may not remember the name Ahsoka Tano, 20 years on, you will remember a young Togruta padawan answering to…"

"Snips. Yessir. Her master…"

"…was me, Anakin Skywalker.

"The Hero-with-no-fear?..."

"More like a reckless idiot in my youth. Do you now see the position I find myself? Even a portion of it? This young rebel here is one of our former colleagues. A brother in arms. I believe in loyalty. Foremost. Something must have gone wrong, fundamentally, in our government for our former brothers to take up arms against us. Snips, without giving away rebel secrets, you're not the only Clone Wars Republic veteran to fight as a rebel are you?"

"No Master. There are many of us."

"Memories of former battles aside sir, where does this leave us? How do you get to treachery?" asked Lafayette.

"The more I dig, the more insidious it becomes. First I should tell you that I have done my fair share of morally questionable things. But I have never been disloyal, only picked between competing demands of loyalty and honor."

"That sounds like a loaded statement, sir."

"It is." Glowered the formerly jovial Togruta.

"The Inquisitorious told me she was dead. While I was out completing the Emperor's assignment to round up the Jedi, they assisted me at his order. The Inquisitorious are a lesser order of dark side Force users. The Sith, much rumored but little known, are historically the higher guardians of the dark side of the Force. Back when I was a Jedi, my colleagues predictably told all kinds of stories of the evils of the dark side."

"Sir? I've never understood the force, even with Jedi fighting at my side. Isn't the dark side evil?"

"It is." Said the Dark Lord.

"It can be." Corrected Ahsoka. "It is a set of powers that lend itself well to corruption, disregard for life, cruelty, and careless ambition. In older Jedi stories, the so-called grey jedi walk a path between light and dark. They try to do good, but are less…picky about their methods and more ruthless in the pursuit of their objective."

"Aren't you a Sith now, sir?" asked the very confused Captain.

"Yes." Intoned the Dark Lord.

"How does this relate to…" asked the Captain.

"Because the Force, and now the history is so muddled that neither of us can determine which way is up. What is good and what is evil. I know that even regular Imperial Navy officers have moral qualms, at least those who remember the Republic and served during the war. When was the last time you knew, with absolute certainty, right from wrong, good from evil, what you were fight for and who you were fighting against? Think carefully."

"I suppose that you've already hit the nail on the head sir. Right before the end of the war. A battle between liberty and slavery. And even now I can name the enemy as if they were my own children. Grievous. Trench. Loathsom. Ventress. Gunray. Poggle. Dooku. Kalani."

"Among our young rebel prisoner's cohorts, she has found a number of retired clones. Isn't that right Snips?"

"Yes." Ahsoka reluctanctly revealed, moving one shackled hand up to readjust her collar. "The surviving clones had an incredible story. There was some kind of preprogrammed chip inserted into their head at birth by the Kaminoans. No one has ever been able to decipher the chip, as they are biological and are destroyed in the extraction process." She continued.

Lafayette asked the curious pair, "Do you have any idea what's on the chip? Or how it relates to treachery and the Inquisitors?"

"We think it relates to the incredibly sudden manner that the Jedi were purged after being branded. Only one traitor, by the name of Barriss Offee, was ever brought to trial. She had already been tried and sentenced to death for treason and murder, for which I had been framed. Suddenly she was wheeled out and, looking in poor health and frazzled state of mind, she delivered two days of rambling confession about how the Jedi had planned and been on both sides of the war, intent on taking over. Then she was convicted and sentenced to life in prison amongst great fanfare before she disappeared. I think she was influenced. But I certainly think it is telling that none of the other Jedi, numbering around twenty to thirty thousand of the most powerful individuals in the galaxy, were never taken alive or given a trial. There are even reports that some who were arrested were sent incommunicado to a blacksite prison only known as Lusyanka. Most of what we have is pieces of a puzzle that don't add up. Some of it is guess work and supposition. We can't even confirm some of what we suspected because the Empire has the records locked down." Said the Rebel.

"The Rebellion has learned all that? You really do have spies in the military!" said the Captain.

"Captain. In war we do horrible things. Kill. Slaughter even. In some ways, I think it a blessing that we only faced droids in the war, rather than terminating sentient life. My name change is due, in part to a change of allegiance from the Sith to the Jedi, after the Jedi betrayed me, on a personal level. But I can tell you of things which Snips is not aware. For example, I personally killed all remaining members of the Separatist Council, under direct orders from the Chancellor. But more importantly, before the war started, the Jedi were chasing a Sith Lord named Sidious. Count Dooku admitted just before the first battle for Geonosis that he was a junior Sith in a partnership which already controlled the Senate. Given his perchant for lying, no one trusted it. However, the investigation heated up just before the war ended, like the mother of all coincidence." Intoned Lord Vader, solemnly.

"Isn't this all ancient history?" asked the Captain.

"It is the myth and very foundation of your Empire" spat the Rebel bitterly.

"It is the Empire," the Sith Lord gently corrected. "For the Supreme Chancellor, later Emperor, was Sidious. Therefore all coincidence is relevant. One of the last missions I took together with Master Kenobi was to find what happened to a long vanished Jedi Master named Sifo Dias. Sifo Dias had had a force vision of a massive conflict destroying the Jedi and the Republic, so he went ahead, without authorization, and ordered a million man clone army from the Kaminoans to be delivered in ten years. Obi-wan learned this from Jango Fett and the Kamino Prime Minister before Geonosis. Anyway, Count Dooku operating under his Sith name Lord Tyrannus, impersonated a Jedi and helped the Kaminoans perfect the Clone Army that he would later fight."

"Why in the name of god would any man put an army in his way, as an obstacle?" asked the disbelieving Lafayette.

"We have to confirm this," said Vader with a silencing glare at his apprentice, "but we think the Sith of the time wanted to control the galaxy by exhausting both sides against each other and then stepping in afterwards with something like the Empire."

"But if what you are saying is true, they already ruled. Dooku leading the CIS and Palpatine as Chancellor…" said the Captain struggling with the logic.

"Yes, but they did not hold absolute power. Although I was a young boy, I remember when the Chancellor deposed his predecessor, Finis Valorum. However corrupt we might now think of the Republic as, or however bad the Sep's said it was, it was still an overtly democratic institution. I myself have already seen a draft of a declaration that will issue in 20 weeks from the Emperor abolishing the Senate. Even Dooku had to pretend to go along with Bonteiri's peace initiative, and to appear to cooperate with the Banking Clan, no matter what machinations or assasinations were below the surface. The Sith of the time did not just want power, they wanted absolute power."

"Those autocrats are going to abolish the Senate and you work for this slime!" interjected an outraged Ahsoka.

"SILENCE, Snips. We must focus on the task at hand. Yes, it is in the works if Krennic's scheme comes through. Anyways in the closing days of the war, we tracked an aide of Valorum's to the Pike Syndicate. He was assassinated by Dooku, before my very eyes, before he could tell us more about the creation of the clone army. Obi-Wan knew more about it than I did, but we reported back to the Council, only to learn that Grievous had captured the Chancellor. We rushed to save him, and Dooku was killed in the affair. In his last moments, I think he was asking the Chancellor, his secret Sith master at the time, to save him. I was…ruthless in his execution. Obi-wan and the Jedi Council continued to trace who Sidious was, in a hunt through Coruscant's underground before coming to 500 Republica, the apartment building where the Chancellor and many other Senators lived. Eventually, we learned that the Chancellor was the Sith Master Sidious. The so-called assassination attempt by the Jedi was, precipitated by me reporting his identity when I learned it. Master Windu and others went to arrest the Chancellor. I was told to sit tight, but got antsy and went anyway."

Ahsoka frowned, feeling the regret and the pain of the decade old memories welling up in her former Master.

"The Chancellor was not just a secret Sith, he was a powerful one. He had smuggled a lightsaber into the office, past security, over a decade by bringing in pieces concealed in items of furniture. When I arrived, three of the masters who accompanied Mace were dead and Mace had cornered the Chancellor. Mace was about to execute the Chancellor and said he was too dangerous to take alive, because he controlled the Republic and the Courts would just let him go. For personal reasons, I wanted the Chancellor alive although, by accident, it was the moral thing to do. I interceded to stop Windu from killing the Chancellor and in the scuffle Mace was thrown out the window, to a fate unknown, but probable death from a several thousand story freefall."

Ahsoka barely dared breathe, having never heard this story before.

"The Chancellor promised to reveal to me secrets that would safe Padme Amidala, who was secretly my wife. In return I pledged loyalty and changed allegiances to the Sith. I was crowned with the name Vader and sent off on a mission to end the War and bring peace and stability to the galaxy. As vengeance for the attack on him and the damage to his body, the Chancellor declared the Jedi enemies of the state and ordered the purge. I was ordered to the Temple and while there I ended up slaughtering all Jedi present, even younglings when they raised a blade against me. They fought me and the clones to a man. I was also ordered, to Mustafar, to kill the Separatist Council. Although removing Nute Gunray's head was a particularly satisfying act of war, afterwards a galaxy-wide shutdown signal was sent out to the droid armies by me, using Gunray's codes. Leaving aside the great personal tragedies that befell me, some of my own making, that…that should have brought peace and order. Yet we still put down rebellion and repress the people. Thrawn, when he thinks I am not listening, calls it a useless and wasteless distraction from greater outside threats that he warns of."

"Other than the stark brutality of the Emperor's rise, what does this change? The historical narrative is mostly true isn't it? Even you said that Master Windu was going to kill the Chancellor." Asked Commodore Lafayette.

Ahsoka perked up.

"Yes, that's true. But the narrative has been twisted. There were loyal Jedi like me who did interfere to keep order, or at least protect innocent suspects from summary execution. The Chancellor should have faced trial. But the lies and subterfuge propogate. The Chancellor had always promised to surrender his war powers but never did. Although I was not listening to her at the time my wife, Senator Amidala, constantly pushed against more war, more money, and more power for the Chancellor. Even the peace I was told we brought to the galaxy was an illusion. The final Separatist Strongholds held out for years, and I suspect they are not all gone. Even Snip's rebellion here is the logical outgrowth of the Sep's. They use Sep technology, spring from disaffected former Separatist worlds, only now they fight not a corrupt democracy but a repressive empire." The Sith Lord imparted mostly dispassionately.

"Your empire." Ahsoka quietly castigated the two men.

"The rightful government, for which you once fought." Captain Lafayette weakly retorted.

"How does the illegitimate origins of the Empire redound to today's problem of inquisitors and rebellion?" asked Ahsoka.

"Because we need truth. At least those of us who fought and bled and died. But also because treachery is easier to conceal in the darkness of an autocracy than the open glare of a democracy. I suspect that a cabal of inquisitors and miscreants intend to use the illegitimacy of the Empire as a crutch and an excuse to support a coup d'etat against the Emperor. The Emperor himself has allowed Tarkin and Krennic to carry him away into a mad scheme involving a world-destroying superweapon. Such a weapon is a waste and useless. Although I oppose it on different grounds than Grand Admiral Thrawn, this weapon is a catalyst which will cause the cabal of conspirators to up their timetable. Until the weapon is complete, the Emperor is in a precarious position. Rebels and conspirators surround him. And if you think him autocratic and cruel now, just wait till he wipes away the Senate and embraces Tarkin's doctrine of fear enforced by a world destroying superweapon. Unchecked by any institution except his own whims and paranoia he'll be unleashed. I cannot say that I support the disorder that I think Snip's rebellion brings, but the Empire we thought we knew was a lie Captain. Are you with us?"

"Yes Sir." Rang out a strong affirmative from the Captain.

"And you Snips. We have a lot more to discuss personally, but are you willing to help us uncover the truth?"

"Yes master. It will be a great privilege to work beside you again."

"You may need to reveal rebel assets or secrets, for if we are going to out a galaxy shaking truth, against the will of the Emperor, to protect galaxy from a coup d'etat by conspirators, we must all show our hands."

"So far as I'm able."

"What is our timeline?" asked Lafayette.

"Unless Tarkin ups the schedule on the weapon, the test is in 19 weeks and the dissolution of the Senate will follow that."

"What is the next move, Master?" the curious young Rebel asked.

"We must gather trustworthy allies and answers. We will start with Raxus Prime, the old Separatist Capital. I have recently obtained a code and the location of Dooku's repository of records, stemming from his fear that Sidious would betray him which, to his credit, came to pass. You Captain after we meet up with reinforcements at Raxus, must head for Kamino, take the system by surprise, seize access to the computer records and vital witnesses. I want the entire system locked down and out of communication."

"Yessir. Who are we getting for reinforcements" Asked Lafayette.

"The Death Squadron-my personal armada, and the 501st. The Devastator will go with you, under your command to assist in the Kamino operation. You must keep operational security. We cannot afford for either the Emperor or the conspirators to get word of this." Said Vader.

"Yessir."

"Commander Tano and I will proceed on our investigation from Raxus. I will send her and we will rustle up some support from old friends while we hunt down the truth. You must keep the Kamino System locked down and out of contact for 3 weeks. I do not care if you have to kill innocent people, establish a military government, or destroy every subspace transceiver in the system. No communications except from a controlled shuttle using preset codes, addressed to me. You'll use codes that Rayfin develops before we get to Raxus."

"Do you trust Rayfin my Lord?"

"I'm not sure. One of several reasons that we are keeping up the pretense of Ahsoka's arrest. Nonetheless, he will pass on codes from me."

"Yes My Lord. Anything else?"

"No. You are dismissed. Proceed to draw up plans to keep Kamino well in hand with the resources of the Devastator and the Conqueror."

"Now what master?"

"You tell me Snips. I have cleared a way forward. What will you do? And what do I do next? This entire plan going forward rests on your idea that the darkness is not permanent and that I won't kill you in 10 minutes."

"Grey jedi were once well respected. Their historical exploits are well enough known that jedi and learned leaders will listen and forgive."

"Assume that being the Chosen One and balancing the Force requires more. Then what is your answer?"

"Master, no prophecy can ask more of you than you can honest given with best efforts. More importantly it did not say you had to do it alone."

"Who've we got? We need trustworthy help. Right now we've got three people. The Jedi are scattered and broken, most dead. The Emperor's security bureau has hunted down all of Padme's old pacifist democratic friends. That list of 2000 was damn near the start of the purge lists on Coruscant. Or there is your pitiful band of rebels…"

"…Hey…"

"Snips. They mean well, maybe. But they bring chaos. And they could not stand up to my personal armada, much less the Navy in Thrawn's hands or Tarkin's monstrosity."

"What is that anyway?"

"Reveal high government secrets to an avowed rebel? What do you take me for?"

"Just askin'. So fine. Make us bigger."

"Moving up from requests for espionage to leak classified government secrets into treason by actual support for the enemy?"

"If you want this reveal to go properly you will need my friends at the table. They will need a material reason to come. They will give it depth and scope. On a personal note, some of them may even give you closure."

"What the hell does that mean!" snapped the Dark Lord.

"Master, you were just spouting off about a wife. And I'm pretty sure that your liking of dark colors never extended to primitive painful and scary life suits. Its pretty obvious that you don't change your name, turn your back on a lifetime of Jedi teachings, and become a Sith for no reason."

"You walked away! What's the difference?"

"I didn't hunt down and kill any of the people who did wrong to me. You took vengeance. Plus I have studied the holocrons trying to help you. I know what it takes to be nudged down the dark side. Sharp trauma. Would you like to tell me about it?" said the Togruta, soft and fully of warmth.

"No." came a hollow and haunted reply from the Sith Lord.

"Going to send me away to my warm cheery cell?" ask Ahsoka with a burnish of sarcasm.

Vader winced and then said. "Returning to the topic at hand. I could make you bigger. But then what. Your rebels must contribute something too. Something besides 'scope.' Otherwise this shall fail and the galaxy will be fracture thrice and worse off than even the Empire, from your perception."

"We will bring heart Master. I rather think you would enjoy seeing Rex again."

"Rex! He made it!"

"I wasn't joking about closure Master."

"So you weren't."

"How will you make us bigger?" asked Ahsoka.

"Assuming your motley crew of rebels can commit, I thought I would share Separatist tech which I have been hoarding for 15 years. I have two castles, one on Mustafar and the other on Bast, where I have been hoarding any Separatist droids, documents, plans, or ship's I could find. Almost all of the Empire's stash of Separatist tech is under my command. I also know where to find General Grievous's hidden guerilla fleets of droids are. There are even some Separatist Strongholds that have not fallen to the Empire, which are not publicly known, and I could put you in contact."

"That's incredibly generous Master. But aren't you concerned about us stepping into Dooku's shoes."

"Perhaps. But this time I would know the principles espoused by the movement were genuinely held by the leadership. You rebels are nothing if not committed. Padme's old friend the Senator from Chandrilla is honest—a little pie in the sky—but genuine. You too. As well as Organa's brat. I thought he was bad. You should see the Intelligence file on her."

"What happened to her Master?"

"You know—Organa's brat and Padme do look alike. To answer your question, I'm not exactly sure. I helped Sidious because I had a force vision of her dying in childbirth. She and Obi-Wan followed me to Mustafar. After the duel with Obi-Wan I woke up in this suit. Sidious said that I had killed her in my anger. I…remember choking her. Self-loathing has power the hate necessary for my dark side powers for years. I was not allowed to attend her funeral or visit her crypt on Naboo. Less than a year ago I snuck away, defying the Emperor by visiting her grave anyway. I had another vision, this one of the past. I know she lived long enough for Obi-Wan to get her to a hospital, but I don't know what happened or what hospital they went too. The vision is clouded. And its only real world support is that I know the Emperor lied to me about her death. But I do not know her fate or my culpability. And I'm afraid to find out."

"Obi-wan might know?" Ahsoka offered gently.

"Do not speak to me of him! He betrayed me! He tried to kill me! Then, unable to do it, he left me for dead! He had no compassion when I needed it. He offered no support. He condemned my happiness. He shares an equal blame with me in her death…. Besides he must be dead by now. It has been years."

"He is not. For reasons he will not explain, he will not join the rebellion. He is protecting something or someone. Or hiding from someone. But he is alive."

"Then I will kill him." Hissed the Sith Lord.

"You said the same of me three days ago on Malachor."

"I still might."

"He betrayed me too. But forgiveness and redemption are two different things…"

"What would you have me do? You seek to return me to the light yet wave the very cause of my darkness in front of me." Said the exasperated Sith Lord.

"You cannot put the darkness behind you, ignore it, whistle a happy tune and go light. Balance requires facing up to it. A scale weighs both sides. After Raxus let me go and get him and Rex and the other surviving Jedi. Let us rally and unite. Lets make a difference again."

"Fine." Ground out the Sith Lord. "We'll finish that discussion later."

"Master! We are not done. You must inflict pain on me."

"That is not necessary for your cover. It has been arranged. You will not be harmed."

"No, Master. This is part of the bargain I made you on the surface. Part of the promise I made myself. You were concerned about the dark seeping in. Take it out on me. I trust your affection for me to prevent it from being fatal or permanent. However, you dark side will hear my suffering through the bond. It will sate it temporarily. It will reward you for taking a good path and take some of the strain off."

"No. That is unacceptable. I hurt those I love once. Never again. I won't dishonor her by failing to learn my lesson."

"Then I will search for a substitute. Something will sate the dark side in you. Even if only temporarily."

"Go with the Stornmtroopers now and return to your cell. I will arrange for some reading material to be brought to you." Said the Dark Lord.

"No. There is still much we need to discuss. Padme…" Ashoka continued

"NO! Not now. Maybe not ever. You're dismissed" finished the Dark Lord coldly, after a panicked and resounding negative.