Chapter Ten: Into the Shadows

Note: There will be a lot of original stuff (My own personal characters and such) and theoretical sciences tossed about this chapter, as well as the next few so don't be scared. This is all a buildup to a huge arch in the story later on.

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Yelona 33, 13 GRS

"You must go there, to the place I once walked. It is a place hidden in the shadows of the galaxy, it's people are fair, and may help you on your path to destiny." the hooded man told Anakin as they looked out over the plains and oceans of Lehon.

"What about all of this? You said it would be the capital of our Empire?" Anakin asked while motioning with his hand to the area.

"In time, what is an Empire without people? Without resources? Or defense? Your time will come young Anakin, but you must be patient. If you are not, those you wish not to find you may not only find you, but force their will on you." The hooded figure explained as he looked out over the water.

"Then I am suppose to just let those coordinates sit in my ship without being used?" Anakin asked with a hint of frustration in his voice.

"For now, you still need to learn patience and while the crew you have compiled can help you it will take more for you to complete your destiny. You have already sent HK-47 into Hutt Territory, now Tee-Three can program the route into your ship, from there you must choose wisely who you introduce to who you find. It is almost time young Chosen One, but for now you must trust and let what is going to happen, happen." The cloaked figure told him.

"How the hell do you know! I don't even know who the hell you are!" Anakin yelled angrily.

"I was you...three thousand five hundred years ago. I was the Chosen One the last time the Sith arose to prominence, darkness, light, death, life, everything there was to be, I was all of it, I was the Force. The difference between us Chosen One? I had the patience and discipline to complete my goals. You will either bring the galaxy to balance, or die as an afterthought. Just as I once did. That is your curse, one I once shared." The masked figure told Anakin before he faded away.

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Anakin was more than frustrated at this point, this was their forth detour to Lehon and Anakin didn't like it. He wanted to be done with it, he wanted to be able to create his empire, free the Outer Rim, end slavery, but everyone is telling him he wasn't ready. To make matters worse Ahsoka and Aubrie were beginning to ask questions about Padme staying in his quarters.

As Anakin was pacing when the ship suddenly jarred and alarms began blaring. Once he picked himself up he quickly began making his way from the Captains Cabin to the bridge. When Anakin got to the bridge Ahsoka and Aubrie were already at their posts and Padme was at the Comm working.

Anakin quickly took his seat in the captains chair and began working at his own controls. When he looked up he saw it right in front of the Angel, a large ship. As he looked on Anakin could tell that the ship was only around twelve-hundred meters long but the design was closer to an egg with large landing beams that had strategically placed torpedo tubes on the side. Anakin had no doubt that this vessel could blow the Angel out of the sky without much effort and wasn't about to make any stupid moves with his family on board.

Just as Anakin was trying to figure out what to do the Angel was caught in a tractor beam and the ship hailed them.

"Unknown craft, you have entered into Imperial Space. Lower your shields and prepare to be brought on board." A male voice told him.

Anakin quickly opened up dialog with a reply. "This is Captain Anakin Skywalker of the Arcane Angel. We are carrying civilians. I request that myself and two advisers be brought aboard instead."

It took a moment but an answer then came through the speakers. "Amendment acceptable. Any attempts at deception will be met with lethal force." the man told Anakin.

"Understood." Anakin responded before getting up. "Jolee, Mira, you two are with me, everyone else keep the ship afloat. Master Kota, any sign that the crew could be in danger I want the Angel out of here." he ordered.

"You got it." Kota responded taking Anakin's seat.

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"Really Anakin, did you have to try to use a mind trick on that captain?" Mira asked as she sat in her cell's floor, blocked off with a disruptor field.

"How do you know it was the Captain?" Anakin asked incredulously as he sat on his bunk on the other end of the cell.

"The uniform was of a higher ranking officer. You're so dense." she told him as she folded her arms over her chest, almost pouting.

"I..." Anakin started before being cut off by a voice on the other side of the disruptor field that held them.

"Not Captain, I am what you would call an Admiral. I am Admir John Sheppard, Fifth Fleet Admir of the Shadow Imperial Defense Force. My ship is called the SID Normandy, a Divine Legacy Class warship." the man told them as he stood tall with his hands behind his back.

Jolee looked at the man. The uniform was pitch black from top to bottom, topped off with black boots. He also noted several accommodations on the man's chest as well as an embroidered name on the uniform.

"An Admiral aye, I knew a Shadow once. Ever here of a man named Dickson?" Jolee asked, speaking up for the first time from his seat.

"General Dickson retired from active duty long ago. His son-in-law Admiral Maxwell Oliver is now the Supreme Commander of the SIDF. He is aware you are here and gave me the authority to lay out any and all actions as to your treatment, as well as make you an offer." Admir Sheppard explained, not moving from his spot in front of the deflector.

Mira walked up to her side of the deflector and looked at the taller admiral before crossing her arms over her chest and asking "And what will that be?".

Anakin then got up and walked up beside Mira before speaking. "What offer would that be?" he asked the Admiral which caused Mira to roll her eyes.

"Military training for you and your crew along, with resources. In exchange you will become an arm of the Empire, your own entity with your own laws, only answering to us when you act out in a way that could damage the universal infrastructure. From what we understand that would be mutually beneficial to keeping peace and ending what the Empire feel as many unscrupulous practices in the galaxy." Admir Sheppard explained.

"And your empress approves of this?" Mira asked with a raised eyebrow and hands on her hips as she leaned slightly to the right.

"Empress Dantly has approved deals like this with the Chiss, it is not unheard of. Do you accept?" Admir Sheppard explained non-nonchalantly.

"What are the alternatives?" Anakin asked seriously, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Prison and when released a memory wipe for your entire crew. Also your navigational systems and droids will be wiped." the admir told them.

"Then I guess we accept." Anakin told him.

"Good. EDI, take down the deflector shield, but keep the defenses trained on them." Sheppard told the ship.

"Aye Admir." the mechanical female voice replied.

"Now, let's go to the conference room shall we." Sheppard told the group as he stood aside so that they could walk past.

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Back on Coruscant Master Yoda was in meditation when he began having visions. The images were foggy, shady, images that depicted everything from ships to soldiers. The images were troubling but needed to be checked out, hopefully he wouldn't be too late.

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An hour later the High Council had been summoned and they were all looking at the elderly Grand Master expectantly.

"Disturbing images I have seen. Investigated they must be." Yoda told the Council.

"What exactly did you see?" Master Mundi asked curiously.

"A fleet, positioned over a planet. Destroyed the planet was. Soldiers, commanders, investigate this I must. Time for me to leave you it is, with one last order. Recall all Jedi from the battlefield, peace negotiations are needed. Join battle only when hopeless. Prepare for a bigger conflict the Jedi must. Come to pass I will try to prevent." Yoda told them before getting out of his chair and into the hoverchair, hovering out of the council chambers.

When Yoda was gone the council was silent, and a bit confused. The Jedi had not needed to deal with new leadership in nearly three hundred-fifty years.

"What do we do now?" Master Secura asked.

"We appoint a new Grand Master. Then we follow out Master Yoda's final command. We begin slowly taking Jedi off the field of battle, transferring the leadership of the Grand Army to the civilian commanders." Master Windu told them with a sad nod.

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Anakin was sitting in a room on the SID Normandy in a meeting with Fleet Admiral Sheppard and Supreme Commander Oliver, listening to them talk about something in a language he did not understand.

"Haud Forza?" (No Force?) Sheppard asked unsure of the order from his chair behind his desk.

"Aucun. Elles postul a conteso. Agnitio of the terra, tott abiliti." (None, they need a challenge. Knowledge of the land, true ability.) Admir Oliver explained from his seat.

"Caso elles Survie?" (Chances of Survival) Sheppard asked his superior.

"Vegran." (Small) Admir Oliver responded.

"Hello!" Anakin said irritated with a slightly raised voice. "I AM in the room." he told the two admirals.

"Yes you are." Admiral Oliver responded smoothly from his place beside Anakin.

"What were you saying?" Anakin asked moving to look at the higher ranking Admiral.

"Your crew, minus Mister Bindo and Master Kota as they are too old; will train for six months with our new recruits, no use of the Force will be allowed, you will more than likely not survive but you do have a chance. If you survive you ill be better for it." Admiral Oliver explained.

"So let me get this strait, six months, no force powers during training, all of us minus civilians, next to no chance of survival?" Anakin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." Admiral Oliver answered.

"Great..." Anakin trailed off as he drifted off into thought.

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