The Imperial Fleet returns to Endor under Darth Claria's leadership, but the rebels have already evacuated the scene and only the Ewok natives will suffer the anger of the new Sith Lady.
Claria and Lumiya then begin to have strange dreams during their sleep.

Members of the Ewoks protection league may be shocked by this chapter, though those who found Claria too cool for a Sith should be delighted. ;-)

Chapter 10: Aborted counterstrike

Super Star Destroyer Lusankya, approaching the Endor system

While the Lusankya and the massive fleet that had been gathered were traveling in hyperspace, Claria had gone to the training room. Her right arm was now completely healed and she had no difficulty in deflecting the training droids' shots with her lightsaber. After a good hour of physical exercise, she went back to her quarters to cool off and then resumed the study of the Sith holocron that Lumiya had given her the day before. She was still deeply absorbed in it when her comlink rang:

"Lady Claria, Makati here. I would like to inform you that we'll arrive at Endor in ten minutes."

"Thank you Admiral, I'll join you right away on the bridge. Let the fighters stand ready to take off as soon as we arrive."

She closed the holocron, put her black cloak back on her shoulders and left her quarters to join the bridge. The Lusankya emerged from hyperspace above the forest moon of Endor a few minutes later, soon followed by the rest of the Imperial fleet. No rebel activity was immediately perceptible, no ship in sight nor on long range scanners, no communication signal from the moon. The only traces of the battle that had taken place a week ago were a ring of debris in the stationary orbit and forest fires still active on the moon where fragments of the Death Star had fallen to the ground. Claria had read scientists' reports explaining that the implosion of the central hypermatter reactor had opened a vortex in hyperspace in which the bulk of the station's mass had been sucked in and that only its outer layers had been dispersed in realspace. This was the reason why the surface of the moon had remained habitable and the space above navigable. A few squadrons of TIE fighters, including Colonel Fel's Saber squadron, were deployed to fly over the surface of the moon in search of traces of rebel presence.

"Lusankya, Saber leader here," called Fel using his recognition code. "We flew over the moon but found no trace of rebel presence apart from barracks that seem to be abandoned in a clearing about thirty kilometers from the destroyed field generator."

"It seems that you were right colonel," replied Claria, "the rebels have withdrawn elsewhere. Admiral Makati, you can call back the fighter squadrons."

She then turned to General Maximilian Veers, who had successfully led the assault on the rebel Echo base on Hoth a year ago and who, assigned to another mission, was not present during the first battle of Endor. He had been reassigned to the Lusankya and had gone on board with his troops shortly before leaving Coruscant.

"General Veers, prepare your troops for a surface landing. Even though there seems to be no one, we have to go and explore these barracks to make sure that the rebels have left no clue that could lead us to their secret base."

"At your orders, Lady Claria."

General Veers left the bridge to reach the main hangar of the Super Star Destroyer while the TIE fighter went back on board. A Y-85 Titan disembarkation ship then took off with four AT-AT walkers on board which she deposited near the former rebel base. Some time later, General Veers made his report by holocom.

"As you had foreseen, Lady Claria, the base is abandoned. We searched it but found nothing interesting. All the computer equipment was either carried away or destroyed. I don't think there's anything here that can lead us to their current base."

"Thanks General, leave a reduced garrison to retake possession of this moon in the name of the Empire and go back on board."

"With all due respect, my Lady, I don't think it wise to leave only a reduced garrison. We had some clashes with native Ewoks who tried to attack our walkers with ropes and stones. We also had to shoot several of them inside the barracks after they attacked our men."

"Those are the same primitives who helped the rebels to defeat the elite troops protecting the field generator. You're right, general, leave two walkers and half your men there. We'll show these stupid furballs what it costs to defy the Empire."

"At your orders, my Lady."

"Admiral Makati, you will fire at all the Ewok villages within a five-hundred kilometer radius of the old field generator with your turbolasers. I want them all reduced to ashes, make these savages pay the price for supporting the rebels."

"I am delighted about it, Lady Claria! I heard that they had eaten many of our men outright, so it's only justice to exterminate them."

The Lusankya turbolasers came into action, the powerful rays striking various points in the forest that covered the moon, lighting up so many fires. With each new village reduced to ashes with its inhabitants, Claria felt exhilarating pleasure. She rendered justice in the name of the Emperor and for the soldiers who had died here the week before. She felt the power of the Dark Side strengthen inside her.

"Admiral, when we have recovered General Veers and the half of his men who don't stay in garrison here, head back to Coruscant, we have nothing more to do here. I'll be in my quarters."

"All right, my Lady."

Claria left the bridge. In the ship's corridors, she noticed that the crewmen she was crossing lowered their eyes in front of her or looked at her with fear. It was not until she reached her quarters that she understood why as she saw her face in the mirror: her eyes now shone with a yellow glow, she had Sith's eyes. She then took back the holocron and continued to study the old black language during the return journey.

Imperial City, Coruscant

Back on Coruscant, Claria was relieved to find that her eyes had reverted to their usual green color. The change of color was therefore not permanent, for the moment at least, and only occurred when she plunged herself into the Dark Side. At first, she went to the Imperial Palace to report to the Emperor. He was not surprised to learn that the rebels had left Endor and was very pleased that she had a large number of Ewok villages destroyed. He remembered that Grand Admiral Thrawn had warned him about these primitive savages when Endor had been chosen as the place of construction for the second Death Star. He should have listened to him then and have them all exterminated. He then entrusted his young apprentice with a new mission to find the secret base the Rebel Alliance had retreated to and to destroy it by all necessary means.

She then went to Lord Vader's former palace, escorted by a squad of stormtroopers who now formed her personal guard. The palace, which now belonged to her, was a large tower not far from the Imperial Palace. It was also possible to go from one building to the other by a protected skywalk. Along the way, she met a team of HNE reporters, led by well-known interviewer and presenter Kaithlin Piell, who, although wounded in the arm during the collapse caused by the Lusankya's takeoff, was always on the move. She was even bold enough to question her outright.

"Lady Claria? Kaithlin Piell for HNE, may I ask you for a quick update of the situation on your return from the Endor system? Is it true that the rebels have left the system? Do you have any idea where they were able to retreat?"

Claria had to refrain from silencing this insolent journalist with the Force. Lord Vader would certainly have done so, but she had every interest in maintaining good relations with the press, her position was still too fragile to allow herself alienating an important opinion maker whose courage and professionalism were praised by everyone. She took it upon herself to reply in a civilized manner.

"Yes, Ms. Piell, I can confirm that we have encountered no resistance except for a few skirmishes with the primitive local natives. The Endor system is back under imperial control. As to knowing where the rebels have retreated, the Emperor has entrusted me with the task of discovering and annihilating them once and for all."

"And what can you say to the millions of inhabitants of the city neighborhood that was destroyed by this despicable bombing attack and who are currently relocated to temporary camps or orbital cities?"

"The Empire will not forget them. The site is being cleared by autonomous earthmoving droids and the neighborhood will be rebuilt identically as soon as possible. Within a few months, all refugees should be able to move in again."

"Thank you, Lady Claria, I wish you a good day."

"You too, my dear."

She then continued on her way to her new palace. The interior was very simply laid out, most of the furniture was of greel wood and there was no decoration on the walls. Claria told herself that she should have it remade in a style better suited to a Sith Lady. The only curiosities were Vader's hyperbaric chamber, the only place where he could remove his armor and which she had no use of, and his personal collection of Sith artefacts which, on the other hand, was of the utmost interest to her. So she had ordered as soon as she returned that a room on the floor where the Sith objects were stowed was arranged for her. There she found a holocron and several books and scrolls dealing with Sith history and culture and began to study them. She was still plunged into it when, at the beginning of the evening, the sergeant commanding her escort came to inform her of a visit:

"Lady Claria? Forgive me for disturbing you but Lady Ismaren is here. She says you asked her to come and see you when she returned to Coruscant."

"Yes, that's right, sergeant, let her in."

Roganda Ismaren stepped into the room. She still wore her traveling dress and hairstyle, a sign that she had actually just come back.

"Good evening, Lady Claria, I was told at the Imperial Palace that I could find you here. I come to report to you as you have requested."

"Come sit down Roganda and tell me everything."

As she approached to sit down, Roganda could not help noticing the objects that Claria was studying:

"Oh, I see that you're studying Sith artifacts, my Lady?"

"Yes, indeed, a Sith Lady must know the ancient language and the millennial culture of the order of the Dark Side. Are you interested, Roganda?"

"Oh yes, my Lady, I'm well aware that I'll never be strong enough in the Force to become a Sith Lady like you, but the language, history and culture of the Sith fascinates me. Do you know that one of the most powerful Sith Ladies who ever existed was a Theelin named Darth Phobos who lived several thousand years ago and was venerated as a goddess long after her death?"

"I actually heard her name in the chronicles but I didn't know that she had been the subject of such a cult. But tell me about your mission to Warlord Zsinj."

"You were right not to trust him, Lady Claria. He has assembled a large army of mercenaries in black and red armor which he calls raptors and which are entirely devoted to him. I don't think he will try anything as long as Emperor Palpatine is alive, but he was aware of Kadann's prophecy and was preparing to position himself as an independent warlord in the event it had come true. And his right hand man, General Melvar, is a scum of the worst kind: fanatic, crook, murderer and sadistic pervert. He gave me cold sweats as soon as I saw him, he's a very dangerous man."

"Thank you, Roganda, may I ask you a more personal question?"

"Of course, my Lady, what do you want to know?"

"On the last Empire Day, you tried to seduce me, remember? Were you acting on the orders of Director Isard?"

"Can I answer you frankly, Lady Claria?"

"Yes, tell me the truth, I won't harm you."

"I like you, my Lady, you're very beautiful. I've always been attracted to women as much as to men. But it's also true that Ysanne Isard had asked me to seduce you and try to obtain information about your past. As you seemed to show no interest in her best male charming agents, she thought, and I, too, that you might be lesbian."

"On this point both of you were heavily mistaken, I simply felt through the Force for what purpose her agents were courting me and I decided to dismiss them. I love men, Roganda, but only if they please me, take an interest in me without any second thought and without seeking true love. Those who meet these criteria are very few, I think I can count my nights of love on the fingers of one hand. As the Sith creed says: passion is strength, but attachment is weakness. I must accept that my life will essentially be made of loneliness."

"I understand, my Lady, and I apologize for offending you."

"Let's forget that, will you? This shouldn't prevent us from working together in the interest of the Empire. But I have another question for you. You've long been my master's favorite and you continue to serve him as a Hand and even occasionally as a mistress, don't you? And yet I know you don't love him. What drives you to continue serving him? Fear?"

"No, my Lady, I don't love him. On the contrary, I hate him for what happened to my family and my native planet. But if I continue to serve him, it's not out of fear, it's out of admiration, for his power in the Dark Side. I love that power, but I don't have enough strength in the Force to feel it fully by myself. When he's satisfied with my services, he allows me, by a physical or mental union, to share a little of his power. It's a unique experience to feel the power of the Dark Side in ones mind or body, an ecstasy unlike any other. For that, I'm ready to do whatever he will require of me. As the Sith code says: through strength, I gain power, through power, I gain victory and through victory, my chains are broken."

"Yes, I know how much the Dark Side can be exhilarating. But when you fail to satisfy him, what happens?"

"In this case, I'm punished for my failure."

Roganda lowered the right side of her dress, revealing her shoulder. On her alabaster skin, Claria saw fine scars she recognized without difficulty: these were the marks left by Force lightning. She had herself been punished in this way on a few occasions during her apprenticeship as a Hand and she knew how painful it was. At the time, she had been convinced her master was acting for her good and took no pleasure in it. She was not so sure now that she had seen his true face.

"Yes, our master can be cruel, I have experienced it myself. But why put yourself in my service now? You know I won't reward you by offering to share my bed, so what do you expect from me in return? That I teach you the ways of the Dark Side? That I make you my future apprentice?"

"No, my Lady, not me, I know that I'm not worthy of it. But my son is strong in the Force, far more than I ever will be. I hope one day he could become a Sith Lord."

"Well, I'm far from being able to think of taking an apprentice myself, but I promise you that I will keep an eye on your son and that I will follow his progress in the Force."

"Thank you, my Lady. I'll leave you now and go see him. Good night, Lady Claria."

"Good night to you too, Roganda."

That night, Claria's sleep was agitated. She dreamed and saw herself on the balcony of the Imperial Palace. The Pliada di am Imperium and the Glitannai Esplanade were filled with people. She was wearing a long dark red dress with a train held by two ladies of honor behind her. This dress was embroidered with gold and silver threads that drew Sith symbols. Her hair was tied in a bun with a gold brooch, and her forehead was girded with a magnificent diadem of gold and silver adorned with precious stones, of which a very beautiful Kaiburr crystal of green color. Her face seemed ageless and her eyes shone with a bewitching yellow glow. The immense crowd cheered her, chanting: "Long live the Empress Claria."

Her vision changed and a woman with blond-chestnut hair dressed in the black robe of the Sith and holding a double-bladed sword appeared to her. She recognized Darth Zannah she had seen by studying the historical holocron of Vader, the apprentice of Lord Darth Bane and first Lady of the Reformed Sith Order who lived a thousand years before. She spoke to her in her dream:

"Claria! Darth Claria! I'm Zannah, first Lady of the Rule of Two. The Dark Side has chosen you, Claria, to ensure the continuity of our order. You will reign on the Galaxy and your daughter will bear my name."

The vision changed again. Claria found herself lying on a bed in the medical center of the palace, surrounded by medical droids, giving birth. She woke up brutally and instinctively carried her hand to her belly.

"A daughter," she murmured, "Princess Zannah Jade!"

Was it a mere dream or a vision of the future that the Force sent her? And if it wasn't a dream, who would be the father of her daughter? She was a Sith and if sexuality was not forbidden to her, attaching herself to someone and founding a family would be an inexcusable weakness. She will have to try to find answers. Should she talk about this dream to her master? No, certainly not, if he knew she might oust him, he would get rid of her as soon as possible; she had to hide it from him, at all costs.

In her new apartment in the Imperial Palace, Lumiya also had restless sleep. She first dreamed of past events: the kiss exchanged with Luke, the icy cold of space that had almost killed her, her secret Sith baptism by Darth Vader, her lost duel against Darth Claria, her night of love with Jix.

Then these simple memories faded and were replaced by a much more troubling vision: a woman appeared to her, young, athletic, with a tanned skin and long black hair. She wore a black tattoo on her forehead, goldrings to her ears, a red cape and held in her hand a lightwhip whose unique red filament was waving around her. She looked at her with a charming smile before talking to her:

"Lumiya, listen to me! I'm Lady Githany, dead for over a thousand years for not wanting to see that Lord Kaan's folly led the brotherhood of the Sith to its destruction. Today, again, the Sith are led by a Dark Lord whose thirst for power borders on madness and sheer excess. Sidious's obsession with eliminating the last of the Jedi almost led to the extinction of the Sith, only the intervention of Claria prevented the worst. You must ally with her, Lumiya, temporarily at least, until you have an opportunity to eliminate Sidious. If you play well, you may have the opportunity to take your revenge and become the new mistress of the Sith!"

With these last words, she winked at her and the vision disappeared. Lumiya awoke with a start. What Githany had just told her in a dream gave her a deep sense of uneasiness, awakening her fears and anxieties. The first light of dawn had begun to brighten the skies of Coruscant and she knew she could not go back to sleep. She got up, put on an indoor suit and went into the living room. She took a bottle of corellian whiskey, sat down on the couch and began to serve herself a first drink.

She thought about Luke. Why had she fallen in love with him? If only he had responded to her kiss instead of just standing there speechless. If he had asked her, she would have gone with him away from all this, they would have settled somewhere on a distant planet to found a family. But fate had been cruel with her and the Force had abandoned her. All she had left was her hatred and pain. As tears ran down her cheeks, she began to drown her grief in alcohol.

Note: The ancient Sith Zannah and Githany that our heroines see in their dreams appear in Drew Karpyshyn's Darth Bane trilogy.