Star Wars: Empire Dawning
Part 4: A Safer, More Secure, Society
Vader's personal Imperial Attack Cruiser landed on Naboo. It was smaller than most of the other Cruisers but it was faster and more powerful. He waited on the bridge for a moment, surrounded by the surviving members of the 501ST. After many of his troops were lost they had commissioned themselves with a new name. To some they were known simply as Veterans of the Clone Wars and teachers to the younger, newly enlisted troops. Their look had also changed. They were now clad in black armour, complete with capes. The Imperial insignia was boldly presented on their chests and helmets. They were an emulation of their master, Darth Vader. They were his executioners. Vader heard a knock on the metal of his ship. The ramp lowered and Vader exited to find a lone Gungan knocking on the metallic structure, surveying the ship, and admiring it. The Gungan cowered at Vader's appearance but his cowering was quickly subdued. Vader moved his hand and the Force was commanded. The Gungan's neck snapped. The Kaduu accompanying the Gungan was smarter than its master. It ran off out of Vader's sight, safe. The Executioners exited the ship also, stopping behind Vader.
"We're heading to the Palace, there we will eliminate the threat. Leave none alive."
The wreckage was still smouldering. The fire was still blazing in the darkness of night. Obviously it did not seem a major hazard to the Mygeeto Government. It was just a little bit of pollution, and they had executions to see. All but Tarkin's.
Out of the flames stepped a figure. His face flickered in the firelight, displaying several scars around his face, all of which had been there for a number of years.
"Finally you found me! I've been waiting long enough Wilhuff. I expected you to get here sooner, I expected a squad of troopers. They didn't survive I take it? Pity. I hope my "note" came in handy?"
Tarkin stopped dead, staring coldly at the glimmering face of the man. He had heard the voice before, it was all too familiar to him.
"Just who… who are you!" demanded Tarkin, raising his fist in the air and yet towards the man, ordering him to show himself.
The man stepped forward a little. His face became more visible but still Tarkin stared looking for more information.
"And I thought you would have been quicker than this. Pity"
The man stepped forward fully into the light. His hair was greyish and he had a slight beard. He wore a uniform with an insignia unrecognisable to Tarkin who was still staring at the face. Then it clicked as Tarkin stepped back in disbelief.
"It's impossible!" Tarkin recognised that face now. It was Jango Fett's face, the baseline for the Army. This was a Clonetrooper.
Vader and his troops marched forward. The streets themselves were empty. The sky was dark and there was a gushing wind blowing. Naboo was not like this; it was nothing Vader has seen before, in his past life.
The Palace remained the same except for one large electrified gate stopping any unwanted visitors getting through. . Two guards were stationed there. They stopped in front of the gate
"I'm sorry sir, this building is not open to the … eh … public"
Vader said nothing. He moved his hand and the Force was at his command again. The guards were pushed towards the gate; the electricity coursed through their bodies until they were dead and the only thing alive in them seemed to be the smoke. With the force he pushed the gate open and marched on.
The Clone bellowed. "Impossible! Ha. Don't make me laugh."
"Then how and more importantly why are you here?"
The Clone checked around in his belt for something. He picked up an old holoprojector and it played the message broadcast by Palpatine to every Clonetrooper at the end of the War: "Execute Order Sixty-Six!"
Tarkin nodded and was about to speak but the Clone cut him off.
"At the end of the Clone Wars not all of us responded and complied to that order. Not all of us were on missions but we were all in different parts of the galaxy but the order still seemed to reach us. The reason we didn't follow it was because of our generous makers. The first clones made contained different genetics to the ones you are affiliated with now. They are ordered to comply with Darth Sidious, your Emperor, and any orders issued by his staff in the Empire. The first of us were not made to comply but we were held back from the Battle of Geonosis. We were only let into the war after General Grievous started winning. We were needed immediately, all five thousand of us. There's only a few hundred now"
Tarkin shook his head. "This can't be true. Surely you wou…"
"Surely we would have been found out? No that's the thing. We were able to blend in long enough with the Order until we were able to secure a ship. Some of us decided to remain. There's a few hundred of us now, working together but there's still over a thousand working for us inside the beast itself. Inside the Empire!"
Vader and his Executioners ascended through the doors to the palace. Inside there were many different officials running about upon their arrival. Vader signalled for their lifes to end as he marched onwards to the Throne Room.
The troops began firing on the officials. Within minutes the room was a mess of blood and guts and dismembered bodies. They were called the Executioners not just for their deadly precision and accuracy but also for the other tools they used to disarm their opponents, literally.
"Hallway secured Lord Vader!"
"Good. Clear the other rooms, I shall secure the Throne Room alone"
"Understood sir!"
Vader entered the Throne Room as the doors unwillingly opened. As his head rose to "greet" the occupants he stopped as he seen people he recognised. A group of people alongside the new Queen., Padme's family.
Tarkin's eyes lowered. For the first time in his life he felt truly uneasy. For their to be renegades within his Empire made him feel as if his own heart were being ripped up.
"What do you from me?" Tarkin's voice didn't show the signs of uneasiness. It was calm, as always.
"Always straight to the point Wilhuff eh? Very well. I want your expertise. I know you are the only one capable of building the new weapon and I want it. With such a weapon I could destroy the weapon once and for all and things will go back to the way that they were. Oh don't answer the question yet, I already know what you would say now. I'm giving you three years Tarkin."
Tarkin's head jerked upwards at the mention of his last name. The Clone was being serious, he wasn't joking.
"Three years to think about this, to analyse it. To live with the Empire as you now know it. Three years to the day you will be here in exactly the same spot as will I. It will be arranged that way. I expect the right answer from you Tarkin, don't disappoint me"