10 days later

Imperial Center (formerly Coruscant)

Imperial Palace Throne Room

The satisfying noise of a cracking neck was not enough for Emperor Palpatine. While his officer was now merely a corpse, he found considerable pleasure in using the Force to break additional bones from head to toe.

When he had vented enough of his ire, he gestured to his stone faced major domo.

"Take that garbage away," he ordered, and walked slowly to the large transparisteel window to gaze down at the city around him.

Usually the view brought pleasure into his malevolent soul. For it was all his. He had schemed and plotted, he had overthrown the Jedi, he had brought down the Senate and the governments of countless worlds, and he was now Emperor of the known galaxy. Every sentient being on this planet was his, subject to his whims. On most days, these thoughts filled him with vicious pleasure. They had all underestimated him, the 'great' Jedi and leaders of the past. But in the end, the power of the Dark Side had overcome them all.

But today his thoughts were focused again on his errant second in command.

The pathetic officer whose body was even now making its way into the incinerators had brought him no information of value.

Drawing a deep breath into elderly lungs, Palpatine considered the information at hand.

Three months ago, Vader had been ordered to investigate the escape of Prince Listoff on Champala. Vader's report had been brief, and stated that a Rebel agent had successfully infiltrated the psychiatric hospital and freed Listoff.

All seemed relatively normal with his apprentice, though in retrospect Palpatine realized he had (most astonishingly) erred. He had sensed strange currents in the Force for some time, peculiar whorls and undulations in the galactic wide currents of the Force. The shifting was toward the Light Side so, not unreasonably, Darth Sidious had attributed the changes to that tiresome whelp, Luke Skywalker. That boy, in spite of minimal training, was growing very rapidly in power. He was, in fact, becoming rather a problem.

Even before the disaster with Vader.

For disaster it was. One month ago, his apprentice had suddenly vanished. It was not entirely unusual for Vader to creep away for a short time to attend to his own pathetic needs, but this time he had vanished in the Force. The bond between them, the bond between Master and Apprentice, was suddenly interrupted one day. Clearly Vader had plotted and planned to perpetrate such a betrayal. It was, Palpatine admitted grudgingly, quite an accomplishment to dissipate the bond without any prior notice.

At the same time, the pride of the Imperial Fleet, the Executor, vanished as well.

Palpatine had unleashed his best agents to investigate his wayward subordinate's bewildering disappearance.

Mara Jade had infiltrated the Imperial garrison in Pentz, on Champala. Her report had been most illuminating.

The "Rebel agent" who had freed Listoff was Luke Skywalker. There were reports of a meeting attended by Vader, two civilian doctors, Commander Binze of the Imperial garrison, and two other officers. Directly after that meeting, Vader had stormed back to his shuttle and returned promptly to the Executor.

Within two days of that meeting, the two civilian doctors and Binze were dead at Vader's hands. The other two officers were ordered back to the Executor. The rumored recorded interview between the doctor and Skywalker was deleted by Vader's men.

Thus Palpatine had no idea what Skywalker had said in his role as demented psychiatric patient. Whatever it was, it apparently had had a most regrettable effect on his sire.

For Vader had then proceeded to shed some of his men at various Imperial garrisons, stock up the Executor with supplies, sweep the flagship of the Navy for homing beacons (and yes, Palpatine had ordered them installed when she was built – they were now deactivated) and then ordered her to that tiresome prison planet near Ziost.

Five days ago, Palpatine's men had determined that the Executor had stopped at that planet before disappearing. The Emperor's task force found a group of 125 Imperial men, who explained that the Rebellion had evacuated the remaining prisoners and most of the stranded Imperials a week prior. They also said that Vader had clearly indicated he was going to hand the Executor over to the Rebellion. The Rebellion! The Executor!

The 125 had refused to depart in loyalty to the Empire.

It was pleasing that at least those men had been honorable enough to accept their fate instead of accepting evacuation by the Rebels for their own selfish reasons.

It was a pity that all 125 had been summarily executed after interrogation, but it had been necessary.

Palpatine couldn't have the details of Vader's rebellion spread around by his apprentice's former officers and men, could he?

Since then, there had been no sign of the Executor.

There had been no reports of Vader.

The only positive aspect to this entire disaster was that Vader had not openly announced his defection. So far, the Holonet was quiet concerning the apprentice Sith Lord, so apparently most sentients accepted that Vader was off fulfilling his master's will in some distant quadrant of the galaxy.

Still, there were reports of upticks in Rebel recruiting. In addition, disquieting rumors were spreading about a substantial increase of Alliance purchasing of weapons and supplies on the black market.

Was it possible that Vader had funneled secret funding to the Alliance?

Regrettably, it was all too likely.

With a huff of irritation, Palpatine creakily walked back to his throne and lowered himself into it.

There were times when the ages wore heavily on him. He had tremendous power, but it was true that the Dark Side did not lend itself to personal healing.

Though where Vader was concerned, that might be for the best. His apprentice was perhaps the most powerful being in the Force in the last thousand years, and the injuries of Mustafar had kept him in line. If Vader was whole, he might have destroyed Palpatine ten years ago.

On the other hand, perhaps not. Vader, while intelligent, was not a subtle man. Indeed, his master had been able to anticipate most of his actions since back when his apprentice was still Anakin Skywalker.

If he was honest with himself, though, Palpatine had to admit that he had underestimated the effect of the young Skywalker on Vader's psyche. It was ironic that Anakin Skywalker's devotion to his wife had pulled him to the Dark Side, and now his attachment to his son was (possibly) pulling him back to the Light.

Palpatine had not thought such a thing was possible, truly. Sith Lords did not turn back to the pathetic Light! But how else to explain those strange alterations in the Force?

He shook his head in irritation.

"Everyone, leave me!" he snapped, "And do not disturb me until I call."

The Emperor's Guards filed out, and his major domo as well.

The Throne Room was now silent and empty save for himself.

Darth Sidious took a deep, cleansing breath and leaned back. What he was about to do was risky. To dive headlong into the Force, to thrust himself into the dark energies, would take great power. It was certainly not beyond his personal capacities, but it would leave him somewhat weakened. If Vader chose this hour to attack, he would be limited in his ability to respond.

But…he stretched out his Force sense…there was no danger nearby. He was certain. All was well. Guards were in place. Vader might try to shield himself, but he could not get close without being sensed.

So yes, the time was right.

He leaned back, and closed his eyes.

For twenty long minutes, his mind focused in on his rage and hatred for Darth Vader. How dare his servant treat him so? He had plucked him out of the cesspool of foolish Jedi ideology. He had chosen him, Anakin Skywalker, former slave, as his own apprentice. There were many others to choose from (admittedly, none nearly as strong in the Force, but still) and he chose Vader!

And now, his servant had cast aside his master of 24 years for the sake of a blond guttersnipe. Admittedly the boy was Vader's flesh and blood, but that should not matter! Since when did Sith Lords consider others above themselves? Power was the ultimate goal.

If Vader had sought to topple his master in a straight forward manner, for ambition, for position, for power, Palpatine would have understood it. Perhaps even, at some level, approved of it -even as he would have brought his apprentice to his knees to show that Sidious was still master. But this was outrageous.

And, admittedly, quite concerning. If Vader was willing to sacrifice personal advancement for the sake of Luke Skywalker, he might approach a confrontation with Palpatine in an unusual way. A way that might lead to Vader's death as well. A Darth Vader willing to die in battle was even more intimidating than a typical Darth Vader.

The extra edge of fear from that thought stoked the powers of the Dark Side. Palpatine was ready.

He turned his mind towards the galaxy, in all its glory and power. The stars, the constellations, swirled in his mind's eye.

Carefully, cautiously, gently, he searched in all directions for the now dormant thread between himself and his apprentice. Yes, Vader had sought to cut the tie completely. But perhaps some ephemeral ghost of it remained? He didn't need to be able to enter into Vader's mind, he just needed to know where he was. If he could find Vader, he would send a thousand troops, ten thousand, a million to capture or kill him. No, kill him. The time for delay was over. Much as he would have enjoyed destroying Vader slowly, piece by piece, Palpatine's own personal safety was at risk now.

And once Vader was dead, he would redouble his pursuit of the young one. Luke Skywalker was strong in the Force – perhaps, incredibly enough, as strong as his father. With Vader dead, the boy would be left defenseless. It would be a true pleasure to corrupt that shining light in the Force.

Ah, there it was! The thread was there, glimmering and wafting in his Force vision. It was pointing towards a particular cluster of stars and while he did not recognize it, not yet, if he moved forward, if he followed the thread, he was confident he would find the location of his errant servant.

Palpatine smiled.

Indeed, the stars were growing brighter and closer as he followed the frail filament...

But what was this? Something was blotting out some of the points of light – indeed, the thread between master and former servant was suddenly obstructed by … something.

In his vision, he approached it – a formless darkness which transformed into a cloaked figure, which turned to face him, lifted its hood, and revealed the calm face of that precocious imp, Luke Skywalker.

Palpatine would have laughed if he hadn't been so furious. Skywalker? That boy? Seeking to block Darth Sidious's path to his father? Yes, the boy had potential but this was absurd.

Visions were strange things. He reached out one clawed hand and attempted to blast the boy with Force Lightening, but nothing happened.

He drifted closer in space. Skywalker gazed at him with eerie calm, but with determination in his eyes.

"I will not let you pass," he said resolutely.

Sidious snarled.

"You have no chance of stopping me, boy."

Skywalker smiled and looked to his right.

To Palpatine's amazement, another figure, also cloaked, moved to Skywalker's right side. He (or possibly she?) clasped hands with Skywalker. The figure wore a glove on the left hand, even as Skywalker wore a glove on his prosthetic right hand. Both raised their hands towards Palpatine.

"Be gone from here," Skywalker said firmly.

And then, to Sidious's astonishment, dismay, and humiliation, he found himself being hurtled backwards through the galaxy, hurtled backwards in space and time, through vortexes and kaleidoscope visions of light and dark, to find himself, breathing heavily, in his Throne Room in Coruscant.