Wayland

It took the Chimaera and the Ascendant five days to reach Wayland but that was alright. It took that long for Diabolis's specialists to educate the Stormtroopers, soldiers and technicians of the Empire how to equip and maintain an yslamari nutri-frame.

Captain Pellaeon and Grand Admiral Thrawn sat across from Darth Diabolis and Lady Silri as the shuttle descended towards the planet. The Imperial Captain was as uncomfortable as always and Thrawn said with an amused smile, "Do try to relax, Captain. I would hate for you to offend our allies. Lady Silri may decide you would serve her better as a second husband."

Diabolis laughed quietly at that and Silri smirked, brazenly looking Pellaeon up and down before turning her eyes on the Grand Admiral. "I'm afraid he is a bit elderly and authoritative for my taste, Grand Admiral Thrawn. You, on the other hand, would be a new experience for me. Perhaps I may slip into your quarters and steal YOU away. A Dark Lord as my first husband and a Grand Admiral as my second - my clan would be envious indeed."

Thrawn's Noghri bodyguard looked at her balefully with his large, black eyes but Admiral Thrawn chuckled. "I'm afraid you would quite quickly find me very unamusing. I'm rather eccentric and would not be very useful when it came to labor."

Silri chuckled and conceded. Pellaeon looked even more displeased than before. He apparently did not find trading jibes with a Dathomir witch to be appropriate for the Grand Admiral of an Imperial fleet.

When the shuttle landed, a group of soldiers met them. Thrawn watched quietly as twenty silver and black armored troopers and two black robed men strode and bowed before the Dark Lord. "Darth Diabolis, we are honored by your presence;" said one, a very elderly man. Darth Diabolis nodded and the twenty armored soldiers formed on either side of the party. Eagerly, the younger Dark Jedi began to report the findings within the mountain. "We received your message, my Lord, and have found the spaarti cylinders. Thus far, we have discovered that a high percentage of them are still functional. We have also found the complete schematics of the cloaking shield and are running simulated tests on them. Thus far, everything looks promising."

"Well done, my young friend. What about the other items we spoke of? Were they found?" asked the Dark Lord calmly. The young Dark Jedi smiled and said, "I think, my Lord, that you will find your expectation exceeded this time. Whenever you are ready, I will show you my findings."

Diabolis turned to Grand Admiral Thrawn. "Everything is coming together as we have planned thus far but now, I believe it is time that we finalized the plans of this partnership. Come."

As they continued, Thrawn quietly commented on the differences between the architecture of the buildings and designs of them, pointing out, with some wonder, that three different species and cultures lived in harmony together. They headed towards one great house together - a house that Thrawn pointed out was constructed using elements of all three architectural designs. Captain Pellaeon seemed as though he was humoring the Grand Admiral and Darth Diabolis felt ripple after ripple of amusement from his lover and apprentice.

The two Dark Jedi Masters led them into the large house. Inside, a table and refreshments were set up. Darth Diabolis motioned for his guests to sit before he and Silri sat themselves. The two Dark Jedi bowed and removed themselves. For a moment, and not for the first time, Diabolis and Thrawn studied one another. After several long minutes, Darth Diabolis smiled and said, "As agreed, the spaarti cylinders and cloaking shield schematics are yours, Grand Admiral Thrawn. However, you mentioned something else that you required of me or my Dark Jedi. I think it is time that we place all of our requests and needs for this operation on the table, so to speak. Oh and Admiral Thrawn, as a sign of good will to you, I return the three Noghri commando teams under my command to your service."

Silri looked at him, sharp surprise written on he face. Thrawn bowed slightly from his seat. "I thank you. However, I think we should discuss the outcome of this campaign. If we are successful, what will happen? Will you continue spreading corruption as Tyber Zann did or will you become the next Emperor? Will you attempt to kill me or will you banish me back into the Unknown Regions to continue mapping?"

Diabolis considered the questions. "Perhaps we should discuss how we will conquer the New Republic first."

Thrawn smiled tightly and said, "We must determine whether an alliance is truly even possible before I reveal my plan, Lord Diabolis."

The Dark Lord considered for a moment before saying, "Tell me something, Grand Admiral Thrawn - why did the Emperor send someone as tactically brilliant as yourself into the Unknown Regions when you better than any could have defeated the Rebel Alliance? I find it very hard to believe that some political squabbling during which you chose the losing side was the real cause for your exile. The records I studied on Ryloth seem very contradictory."

Thrawn smiled thinly. "Very good, my Lord. Your insight serves you well. The reason that I was sent out into the Unknown Regions was for far more than just a mapping expedition. While creating and recording charts of the Unknown Regions was certainly one goal, the ultimate mission was to make allies and conquer worlds and also to identify any threats that may be out there."

Darth Diabolis nodded. He had suspected as much. "Tell me, Grand Admiral Thrawn, what did you find out there?"

Thrawn's expression grew dark and distant. "There are a hundred terrible enemies out there, Darth Diabolis - enemies that, if they were to attack now, could wipe out this galaxy and every living being in it. That is why this galaxy needs to be unified."

Diabolis nodded again. His former master, Darth Revan, had suspected as much. After a long moment of silence, Diabolis said, "How do you see this ending, Grand Admiral Thrawn? Who will rule this Empire once it is re-conquered?"

Thrawn chuckled. "I don't care who rules the Empire, Lord Diabolis. I would happily endorse you as Emperor so long as you allow me to take supreme command of your military so that I may best prepare for the many threats against this galaxy. It is my place to command but not to rule."

Darth Diabolis nodded his head. He could tell that the Grand Admiral was telling the truth. Leaning back in his chair, Diabolis said, "I can accept that, Grand Admiral Thrawn."

I didn't escape his notice that Captain Pellaeon looked abhorred at the idea of having a non-Imperial ruling the galaxy but he wisely held his peace. Thrawn nodded his blue and black head in satisfaction. "Good. The cylinders and the cloaking shield schematics are only the beginning - a small part of the plan we need to conquer this self proclaimed New Republic. Tell me, Lord Diabolis, what obstacles do you see in our path?"

Diabolis looked mildly surprised. "What do you mean, Grand Admiral Thrawn? I thought the obstacles would have been obvious. There is the New Republic Fleet and Army, though my intelligence indicates that they are thinly spread and wanting for supplies. Of course, there is also the New Jedi Order. Luke Skywalker and his followers are slowly beginning to spread out through the galaxy as more of them become full-fledged Jedi. Besides that, we have limited resources of our own. Financially, Tyber Zann left me quite a tidy some of money. However we have a limited number of war ships, weapons and personnel and limited supplies as well not to mention few facilities to build ships and train personnel. They control the majority of the shipyards."

Thrawn nodded. "Continue, my Lord."

Diabolis realized that Thrawn was testing him and studying his responses. After contemplation, he sighed and said, "I'm afraid I'm not sure what other obstacles I can think of, Grand Admiral Thrawn."

The blue skinned being smiled and said, "Is that so? What about the fact that the New Republic's personnel are better trained than ours; or that they have a greater motivation and higher morale; or that Skywalker's Jedi are better trained than yours? or the fact that, for the most part at least, the people of the galaxy are happy with this new government?"

Diabolis chuckled. He knew that, as far as tactics and strategy, he looked too much at the big picture and not enough at the details. "Of course you are correct, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Tell me, how do we consider these problems?"

The Grand Admiral sipped from his cup before replying. "As far as the obvious problems, my Lord, they are too broad for us to simply tackle, I'm afraid. Solving them will take careful planning and long processes. The details though, those little, tiny details that so often escape notice, those we can begin to take care of. Tell me, Captain Pellaeon, why is it that our fleet lost the Battle at Endor?"

Everyone was a little surprised at the sudden change of topic. Captain Pellaeon swallowed and said, "I'm sorry, Admiral. Can you repeat the question?"

"How did just over a hundred war ships successfully defeat Darth Vader's personal fleet plus the second Death Star itself? You were there, Captain. How did it happen?"

Captain Pellaeon looked down, his eyes dark and distant from the memory. After the destruction of the Death Star and the flight of Admiral Piett and his ship, the Star Dreadnaught Executor, it had all fallen apart. While he sat silently, gathering his thoughts, Grand Admiral Thrawn turned to Darth Diabolis. "How much do you know about the Battle of Endor, my Lord?"

Diabolis reached back in his memory. "I heard and read that the Emperor himself was on the Death Star and that, as you said, Darth Vader's personal fleet was there. A commando unit landed in two disguised Imperial ships and destroyed the shield, allowing the fighter units of the Rebel Alliance to destroy the Death Star. According to the records I've studied, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade also managed to go aboard and kill Darth Vader and the Emperor."

Thrawn smiled thinly again. "You are looking at the whole picture again, my Lord. Captain?"

Pellaeon looked up and said in a confident voice that was a mask for his discomfort and shame. "Just as the fleet thought that we had them pinned, we received word that the shield was down. Minutes later, something happened. Our coordination faltered, our morale fell and it seemed as though everything simply fell apart. Then the Executer fled. I tried to take command and turn the fight but the Death Star was destroyed and it was over."

Thrawn nodded. "Yes. Everything fell apart once the Emperor died."

Pellaeon's head came up and his eyes narrowed. "The Emperor was NOT directing the battle, Admiral. I know. I was there. Not in any way. Everything can be easily explained from the loss of morale and the normal confusion of battle stress."

"Really, Captain? You expect me to accept that six Star Destroyers were lost in engagements that should have given them no trouble at all, to accept that Admiral Piett, one of the most promising officers in the Navy, fled and to accept the last minute incompetence of our TIE fighter pilots and that all were caused by low morale and battle stress and confusion? It is time you gave up your blindfold and face the truth, Captain Gillad Pellaeon, no matter how bitter you might find it."

"And what is that?" Pellaeon all but snapped. Thrawn's voice was hard. "You had no real fighting spirit of your own - no will. None of you did. You were all driven by the Emperor's will and by the Emperor's mind as if you were all borg implanted into a combat computer."

"That's not true;" Pellaeon shot back, though the conviction was beginning to drain away, "It can't be. We fought on after his death."

Thrawn nodded. "Yes. You fought on - like cadets."

The two men stared at one another until Darth Diabolis cleared his throat politely. "So I take it that you want myself or one of my more powerful Dark Jedi Masters to mimic what Palpatine was able to do."

Thrawn turned to him with a respectful smile. "Not at all, my Lord. My anology with combat borg inplants was a carefully considered one. The Emperor's fatal error was to try and control the entire Imperial Fleet personally and as completely and as long as possible. I only wish that their skills, focus, coordination and so on be enhanced and then only at critical times during very specific combat situations."

Lord Diabolis nodded his head. "So it is the ancient art of Battle Meditation that you want, Grand Admiral Thrawn. I myself am not particularly skilled but there are several who are. However, I will need to retrieve several ancient artifacts from the Sith world of Ziost before we can continue. My historian has searched long and hard for it and I believe that it is the key to making this happen."

Thrawn's blue-black eyebrows rose slightly. "Oh?"

Darth Diabolis nodded. "Not even my most powerful Dark Jedi Master can effect battles over lightyears by his own strength in the force. It would take someone as powerful as Palpatine to do so."

"And you cannot do this yourself, Lord Diabolis?" asked Pellaeon calmly. The Dark Lord shook his head with an indulgent smile. "I'm afraid not, Captain. Everyone has their skills. This is not one of mine I'm afraid."

Thrawn nodded and sipped his drink again. "Then retrieve your artifacts, my Lord and let us begin. First, however, let us go into the mountain and retrieve what we need."

A search that would have taken any number of hours had Diabolis's garrison not prepared was cut down to two. The cloaking shield and the cloning cylinders were found and work began immediately.

Captain Pellaeon settled himself as he entered the Grand Admiral's command room. "A word with you, Admiral?"

"Certainly, Captain;" said Thrawn from his seat at the center of his command room, surrounded by the double circle of repeater displays. "Come in. Has there been any update from the Imperial Palace?"

"No, Sir. Not since yesterdays. I could request one if you'd like."

Thrawn shook his head. "Probably unnecessary. It looks like the details of the Bimmisaari trip have been more or less settled. All we have to do is alert one of our commando groups - Team Eight, I think - and we'll have our Jedi."

"Yes Sir;" Pellaeon braced himself. "Admiral, I must tell you that I am not convinced that letting Diabolis rule when this is all over is a wise idea."

Thrawn cocked a blue-black eyebrow as Pellaeon continued. "None of the Empire's other leaders would accept him. They would see him as an outsider and an interloper. What's more, he's another Sith Lord. Is it wise to support putting someone like Darth Vader on the throne?"

Thrawn gave a low, melodious chuckle. "Captain, our glorious late-Emperor was a Dark Lord of the Sith as well by the name of Darth Sidious. Palpatine was just the name he used in public."

Pellaeon wanted to deny it, wanted to tell Thrawn that he was mistaken but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. The Emperor was very powerful and, especially if what Thrawn had said during their meeting with Diabolis was true, had commanded frightening and unspeakable power. There were so many rumors about the Emperor during the height of the Empire. Some said that he was a puppet for Vader. Some said that the Moffs only claimed that he existed and disguised one of their members whenever it was required for the Emperor to make a public appearance. Some even believed that he was a Jedi Master who had learned the most powerful skills in the mysterious force. "I can see the gears turning in your mind, Captain. I can see the realization dawning on you;" Grand Admiral Thrawn almost purred. "With so many of Skywalker's Jedi in the galaxy now, we need the support of our own or else we will never stand a chance - not with every remaining Star Destroyer and not with every remaining Stormtrooper and not even with all the strategic and tactical genius in the universe. The force must be our ally."

Pellaeon wanted to continue the argument but it was clear that Grand Admiral Thrawn's mind was made up. "Would you like me to send a transmission to Team Eight, Admiral?"

"No, I'll do it myself - being their fearless leader and all that. You know how Noghri are. If there's nothing else, Captain?"

It was clearly a dismissal. "No sir;" Pellaeon said and turned to go. As he headed towards the doors, Thrawn called after him. "This will bring us victory, Captain. Silence your fears and concentrate on that."

Coruscant - Imperial Palace

Han Solo finished his reports and waited for the criticisms to start. "So once again, your smuggler friends refuse to commit themselves;" said the Mon Calamari Supreme Commander Ackbar, sounding both vindicated and disgusted. "I'd like to remind everyone that I was against this from the beginning."

"It's not a matter of commitment, Admiral. It's just that they don't see any real gain from switching from their current activities and business to working for the New Republic. To them, it's no different than smuggling under the Empire."

"Or perhaps it's a lack of trust;" came a melodic alien voice. Han closed his eyes and counted to ten. "Could that be it?"

"It's possible;" said Han.

"Possible?" asked the Bothon, Borsk Fey'lya. "You said that it was possible?"

Han sighed and counted to ten again. He might as well get it out there. "Some of the groups I talked to don't trust us. They think the offer might be a trap to bring them out into the open."

"Because of me, of course;" snapped Admiral Ackbar, his normal salmon turning darker. "Haven't you tired of retaking the same territory, Councilor Fey'lya?"

The Bothan's eyes widened again and he silently gazed at Ackbar and the tension in the room became worse. They had always been rivals, ever since Fey'lya had brought his faction of Bothans firmly into the Alliance's fold. Ever since, Fey'lya had been dealing and jockeying for position and had made it perfectly clear that he expected a high position in the fledgling government. Ackbar had considered such ambition to be a dangerous waste of time and effort especially considering the precarious position the Alliance had been in at the time. With his typical bluntness, he had made those sentiments perfectly clear as well. Given Ackbar's reputation and successes, Han had no doubt that Fey'lya would have been shunted off to some unimportant government post if it hadn't happened that the spies who had discovered the secret location for the second Death Star were all Fey'lya's Bothans. Having been absent most of the time, Han had never discovered how that little piece had been used by Fey'lya to secure the position he now had and he was fairly certain he didn't want to know. "I merely seek to clarify the situation in my own mind. It's hardly worthwhile for us to send a valuable asset like Captain Solo on these contact missions if each is pre-doomed to failure."

Han stiffened and Leia sent him a warning look. "They're not pre-doomed to failure. The kind of smugglers we're looking for are conservative business men. They'll come around once they weigh the odds and test the waters."

Fey'lya shrugged. "And in the mean time, we spend a great deal of time and effort with nothing to show for it."

Han all but growled, "Look, you can't build up any -"

A hammer tap from the head of the table cut off the argument. "What the smugglers are waiting for," Mon Mothma said calmly, looking each being at the table in the eye, "is the same thing that the rest of the galaxy is waiting for: the formal reestablishment of the principles and law of the Old Republic. That is our first and primary task, Councilors - to become the New Republic in fact as well as in name."

Han caught Leia's eye and sent her a warning look this time. Leia grimaced, but nodded slightly and kept silent. Finally, after a long silence, she said, "We Thank you for your report, Captain Solo. With that report, we are adjourned."

Quickly, Han and Leia scooted out but only of Mon Mothma informed them of a request by the Bimms that Luke go with them to Bimmisaari. Once they were out of the council room, Han chuckled and said, "Well Mara sure isn't going to appreciate that;"

Leia chuckled too. "I made Luke tell her. I'm sure he'll recover sufficiently in time to leave."

Han nodded. "So when exactly is Mon Mothma going to allow you to get back to your Jedi Training?"

She sighed. "I don't know. It won't be any time soon, though. If I were to hazard a guess, she probably thinks that the New Jedi Order has plenty of students - especially after those two clones."

Han shivered, "They still give me the creeps."

Leia gave him a pointed look. "Why? Ferroda never creeped you out."

"Well that's because I knew him for almost a year before I ever learned that he was a clone. Those two though -" and he shook his head. "Who did Luke say they were clones of again?"

Leia pursed her lips. "Two Jedi Masters named Dooku and Mace Windu, I think he said. Master Kanan seems to think that's true as well."

Han shuddered again and Leia couldn't help but laugh. "Come on, Han. Let's get ready to go."

Luke stepped into the penthouse and readied himself for facing a pregnant and angry Mara Jade-Skywalker. She was already standing there, leaning against a counter in the kitchen, her arms crossed and an expectant expression on her face. Luke knew that she knew what he was going to say already. Their bond had been opened throughout the entire conversation and Mara had done nothing to hide her displeasure. After a moment of silence, Luke sighed and lifted his arms, "The force preserve me. I submit myself to my fate."

It had the desired effect. Mara's lovely face broke into a smile and she even chuckled a little. "Are they ever going to let you be a Jedi without hauling your ass all over the galaxy on random diplomatic missions?"

Luke walked over to her and leaned against the counter beside her. "If we're being fair, this is the first one they've sent me on in quite some time. Not only that, Jedi of the Old Republic were quite often sent on missions like this - if not as guardians then as ambassadors."

Mara nodded. "Okay, that's fair but why do they have to send YOU? Couldn't someone else handle it - like Kanan or Nisotsa or just about anyone else?"

"Apparently the Bimms are also quite 'hero oriented' - Leia's words, not mine - and, despite what is a matter of public record, they still think I'm the one who killed the Emperor and saved the galaxy;" Luke said, his face turning red, a remnant of that farm boy humility and embarrassment that remained after so many years. Mara chuckled and moved into his arms. "But you ARE a hero. You're my hero."

Her voice had taken that maddening sultry tone that she did so well. After a tender, loving kiss, Mara sighed and said, "Fine. You have my permission to go but if you get hurt, preggers or not, I am going to kick your near-perfect ass."

Luke laughed and kissed her again before saying, "Oh thank you. What ever would I have done if you had withheld permission?"

Mara separated from him and ducked into the refridgeration unit as she replied, "Oh you would have gone and I would have been mad for the first two days or so but then I would start to miss you and would do what I always do when you walk through the door."

"Stand leaning against the counter with your arms crossed and glaring at me;" asked Luke, knowing full well he was treading on thin ice but unable to resist the playful jab. Mara's red-gold hair and brilliant green eyes glared sternly at him over the top of the refrigeration unit's door. "No;" she said, "I would grab you, kiss you, drag you to the nearest comfortable service and rock your kriffing universe."

Luke felt his mind flash with several rather intense and intimate memories of occasions when he had come home from assingments and Mara and had done just that. He smiled, "I'll hurry home then."

Mara came out of the fridge with a jar of pickled roots in one hand and butter made out of some nuts from Corellia. "You'd better, Farmboy."

Luke chuckled as she proceeded to take one of the roots and slather it with the butter before eating it. She glared at him as she took another bite. "It's not smart to laugh at a pregnant woman, Skywalker - especially not one who's experiencing cravings."

Luke nodded and apologized, as he always did, for being such a horrible husband. The love and affection that flowed through their bond told Luke that she thought him the greatest husband in the galaxy and the adoration and love that Mara felt coming from Luke told her that he thought her the greatest and most beautiful wife. Discarding her roots and butter, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. When the kiss was over, Luke couldn't help but burst into laughter. "What are you laughing at?" she growled playfully. Luke replied through another series of chuckles. "You taste likes pickled roots and Corellian nut butter."

Mara laughed to before kissing him again.

Updated 12.04.2017