Epilogue
Evening sunlight gave the Coruscant skylight a pleasant and warm orange hued color, as the enormous ecumenopolis' parent star slowly had began to descend into the horizon. The Galactic City's political sector was teeming with life, celebrating populace, as well as minor riots, as the news of the Republic's dismantling had spread quickly like wildfire. The Galactic Empire had been formed, replacing the thousand year old government that had ruled over the Galaxy through democratic, although increasingly corrupt ways.
The news about the emergent regime had gotten a mixed reception among the populace. While many were now celebrating on the streets, excited about Emperor Palpatine's promises of a strong and stable future, others could tell that something fishy was going on, especially due to the fact that the Jedi Order had been branded as enemies of the state. While the majority of the common people within the Republic had been manipulated to view the Jedi in a negative light, drastic measures and changes such as the ones that the new Galactic Empire had already put in motion, were something that a large portion of the people of Coruscant would not abide by.
The rays of sunlight shined through the large window of the former Supreme Chancellor's Suite, inside the Republic Executive Building, that had already been renamed the Imperial Executive Building. The damage to the office resulted by the battle between Darth Sidious and the Jedi attempting to apprehend him had mostly been repaired, with some lightsaber cuts still visible on the walls and furniture, and the bodies of the slain Jedi taken away to be disposed of.
The newly crowned Galactic Emperor Palpatine sat down comfortably on his chair, leaning on his office table with a smile on his face. Standing beside the human man were his closest advisor, and the first member of the newly formed Imperial Ruling Council, Mas Amedda, as well as his umbaran aide and secret Dark Acolyte apprentice Sly Moore.
Across the table on the other side, the representatives of the Chiss Ascendancy, Admiral Thrawn and his sister Veeren, sat down on the seats in front of the Emperor's desk. They were flanked by the two Dark Acolytes Barriss Offee and Sora Bulq, who stood silently behind the chiss delegates. The new Galactic Emperor's closest allies had all gathered to celebrate their monumental victory over the Republic and the Jedi. The Emperor had a small glass of whiskey on the desk, which he took in his hand, and raised it up slightly, as if making a toast.
"This is a glorious day for us all, my friends. We have finally taken our rightful place as the Galaxy's rulers.. and make no mistake, our rule will be absolute, and last for ten millennia." The former Supreme Chancellor announced joyously, taking a sip of his drink, being all too pleased with himself. The elder man had worked for decades to see this day become a reality, and now that he had finally reached it, the enjoyment and exhilaration were clear as day in his demeanor.
"The plan was executed perfectly, your Excellency. A bright future is ahead of us.." The female chiss Veeren noted, as she smirked while glancing at the new Emperor, as well as her brother who sat beside her. Before the chiss admiral could respond to her sister's remark, the chagrian advisor standing next to the Emperor tapped his golden staff on the floor once, getting the human's attention.
"My Lord; we've already received reports of several planets renouncing the Empire's rule, seceding from the Senate. I predict that more will follow in the coming days.." Mas Amedda announced, his voice stern and serious, but it didn't seem to deter the new Galactic Emperor's joy in any way, as the elder man simply waved his hand dismissively.
"They will be dealt with in due time. All shall bend their knee to their new Emperor, or join the Jedi in a pile of ashes. The Galaxy belongs to the Sith once again.. and our rule will not be challenged." Palpatine replied nonchalantly, clearly not concerned about the fact that the news about the Republic's dismantling were not taken well everywhere in the Galaxy. The chagrian male then stayed quiet, realizing that his liege couldn't be bothered with such issues right now.
"There will be a lot of changes coming our way, changes that will make the Galaxy a better place. Starting with you two.." The Emperor then said, as he stared at Bulq and Barriss, who both nearly jumped, as they had not expected to be called out. The two Dark Acolytes glanced at each other, after which they then looked at their Sith Master again.
"Us.. my Lord..?" Barriss asked cautiously, not knowing what the Sith Lord had in store for them. After a short moment of smirking deviously, the elder man then leaned back on his chair, and took a sip of his drink again.
"During the days of the old Sith Empire, they had an institution of Sith who acted as agents, assassins and keepers of ancient knowledge. They were known as Inquisitors, and I have decided to reform the Inquisitorius.. and you two shall become the first Inquisitors to serve the Empire.." The Emperor declared, as he placed his whiskey glass back on the desk. Both Barriss and Bulq raised their eyebrows, as they again glanced at one another.
"Your job will be to serve the Empire from the shadows, hunt down rouge Jedi and eliminate them.. or convert them to our cause. I expect that there will be more than a few survivors of Order 66, that would join the Empire, if given the chance..." The human man continued, to which the two Dark Acolytes both bit their lips, as the weequay male cleared his throat.
"We live to serve you and the Empire, my Lord. It is an honor to be the first Inquisitor at your command.." Bulq assured, as he bowed down to his lord. Barriss frowned in sheer annoyance, as her hatred for the weequay man was still booming, but the female mirialan swallowed her grievances, and followed in her colleague's suite, bowing as well.
The Emperor could sense the young woman's anger and hatred, which especially pleased him. Although his new orders for the two rivaling Acolytes made them bound to work together, the Dark Lord of the Sith was still hopeful that one of them would eventually kill the other. Despite initially promising them, that whichever of them would win the rivalry, would gain Lord Sidious' favor, and become his apprentice, the human man was now only wanting to see the two Acolytes tear each other to pieces, as it amused him. He already had found the perfect apprentice, someone far greater than both Barriss and Bulq combined.
And at that moment, the doors to the Emperor's office slid open. As the doorway opened up, an eerie silence fell inside the office room. The Emperor looked up and past his allies towards the entrance, a devilish smirk appearing on his face. As Barriss raised her eyebrows, glancing at her Sith Master, she could suddenly hear an echoing, almost mechanical sound of breathing. The sound was the only thing that could be heard within the office for a short moment, which sent shivers down the young mirialan's spine. The chiss delegates and the two Inquisitors then turned around to glance towards the entrance as well, after which they were exposed to an awe-inspiring, albeit slightly disturbing sight.
Standing at the doorway was a dark figure, clad in obsidian black body armor, decorated with light metals and expensive looking leather and fabrics. The metallic parts of the armor had decorative symbols on them, marks of ancient Sith Lords of a forgotten age. The body armor was coupled with a black cloak, that featured a hood that could cover the individual's head, which was covered with an intimidating helmet.
The helmet covered the figure's entire head, looking protective and awe-inspiring. The front of the helmet was a decorated mask, which looked like the masks Sith Warriors were known to wear thousands of years ago. Barriss could feel her heart beating faster, as she stared at the individual, knowing that it was Darth Vader, in his new and intimidating looks. The former Jedi Master's new outfit made him look like Tulak Hord himself had reemerged straight from the history books, his new armor and helmet making him a truly powerful and intimidating sight.
"Lord Vader! Join us, my friend... our new Empire is finally taking its shape!" Darth Sidious stated, urging his new apprentice to come further in. The young Sith Lord said nothing, simply staring at the group before him for a few moments, before he started to approach them, his metallic and leathery boots stomping on the floor.
As the armored Sith Lord walked up to his master, the human man stopped near the front of the desk, and knelt down, bowing his head as he greeted the Galactic Emperor. The chiss delegation and the Inquisitors silently watched by, as Lord Sidious smiled widely, and stood up from his seat.
"My good friends.. may I present to you the new Supreme Commander of the Imperial Military.. Darth Vader!" The elder human man announced in an excited voice, which was responded by small applause from the two chiss delegates, who smiled politely as they looked at the knelt down Sith Lord, who bowed his head further in front of his master.
"Thank you, my master.." Lord Vader replied calmly, his voice low-pitched and drastically different, a voice modulator built into his helmet modifying the human man's voice enough to make his true identity indistinguishable.
After that, the young man's Sith Master smirked, and signaled him to stand up with his hand, as the Emperor then sat back down on his chair, and once again took the whiskey glass in his hand. As Lord Vader got up, and stood tall next to the two Inquisitors and the chiss delegation, their overlord chuckled quietly, as he took another sip from his drink.
"Needless to say that this victory is the result of all our hard work. Trust me when I say this; we will all reap the benefits of what we've achieved here today. As future historians look back at how the greatest and most stable Galactic government was formed, they will remember our names.. until the end of times.." The Emperor of the newly formed regime assured self-confidently, the pleased smile on his face never having faded. He had achieved everything he and his former Sith Master had dreamed of, succeeding in the plan that the Sith Order had schemed for nearly a thousand years.
As the Sith Lord and his allies could bask in the pleasure of their historic victory, their Jedi enemies at long last lying in ruins, the rest of the Galaxy's inhabitants could only stand back and watch their lives change drastically. The Republic was gone, and with it the freedoms and rights that its citizens once had would soon disappear as well, as it was always the goal of a Sith to dominate, and not to serve anyone but themselves and their cause.
After thousands of years, the Sith were once again at the top, their patience and hard work of scheming and plotting having truly paid off. Their next goal would be to solidify their grip on the Galaxy, especially since many planets had already voiced their discontent with the Empire. But the Emperor, as well as his closest allies, were confident in their ability to quickly quell any uprisings that would try to challenge their rule. And with every crushed rebellion, the populace would feel fear, and submit to the absolute rule over their lives.
That was how the Sith had always ruled, and it would be so once again, now that they had at long last managed to take over the Galaxy. Only time would tell whether or not they would truly be successful in subjugating every living being under their rule. The newly crowned Emperor was confident about this, but so had been many Sith rulers in the Galactic history before him, and none of them had succeeded. However, no other Sith had succeeded in destroying the Republic ever before, so Darth Sidious had already gotten further than most of his predecessors. And this fact gave the devious Sith Lord even more confidence and determination, and was why this victory gave him even more satisfaction than he had anticipated.
...
Warm sunlight shined on the clear sky of the mysterious and remote world of Odessen. Flocks of small birds flew across the beautiful scenery, the thick forests teeming with wildlife, both docile and aggressive. The many different songs that the species of birds sung echoed within the woods, making the scene quite idyllic.
Trudging through the thick vegetation was the young togruta female Ahsoka Tano, following behind her personal assassin droid bodyguard and guide, HK-55, who used his metallic legs to clear some of the thick bushes that grew on the ground, allowing his owner to have a slightly easier time making her way through the vast forest. The two of them had been trekking through the Odessen forests for a few hours now, getting closer and closer to their destination; the ancient headquarters of the Eternal Alliance. Ahsoka had mused to herself about the irony of that organization being named in such a way, only for it to end up being a simple footnote in Galactic history after its collapse.
After a few minutes of trekking through the lush vegetation, Ahsoka could see that the droid in front of her was approaching a clearing in the forest, which relieved her. She had slightly exhausted herself from all the walking, especially since the forest was hard to navigate through, filled with bushes, trees and other vegetation.
The ancient droid pushed through a large bush, cutting down many of its branches with his arm and legs, still carrying the heavy backpack that had been provided to Ahsoka by Jonash Solo. As HK-55 got to the clearing beyond, the young togruta quickly made her way through the pathway the droid had created for her, arriving to the clearing as well a short moment afterwards.
As she came to the clearing, Ahsoka could quickly figure out that she had gotten the edge of a cliff, facing a vast and beautifully lush valley. The young togruta could feel her breath being taken away, as her icy blue eyes widened by the sight she was witnessing. Before her was a vast, green valley, decorated by several wrecks of ancient starships; their hulls rusted out and overgrown with vegetation. At the other side of the valley, built into a mountain, was the massive ruined building complex that presumably used to be the Eternal Alliance's headquarters.
"Wow..." She said in quiet amazement, as she gazed upon the vast area opening up before her. It was like she had found an ancient lost city, filled with treasures and prizes, a place perfect for an adventure.
The main building of the headquarters seemed somewhat similar to the Senate Building on Coruscant, though not as large in size, and badly deteriorated, its ceiling almost completely having caved in, and vegetation surrounding it. Large landing pads suspended above the valley had long since collapsed, their metallic and stony ruins laying on the bottom of the lush valley. Despite its decayed looks, Ahsoka was still impressed by the sight. During its prime, this place must have been an even more spectacular sight, with all the ships and people occupying it.
As she continued to stare at the scenery, HK-55 silently standing beside her, waiting for his master to give him to order to continue forward, Ahsoka could suddenly feel the familiar cold and shivering breeze flow through her. Clenching her teeth together, she could sense her ancestor Kallig materializing next to her. Looking to her left, the togruta girl could spot the spirit of her human ancestor standing right beside her, staring at the valley before them as well.
"I remember coming here the first time.. I was one of the founders of the Alliance, and I became one of its leaders. I witnessed the construction of this base firsthand... it's.. strange seeing it again, and in the state that it is right now.." Kallig noted, as his eyes gazed upon the large building in the valley in front of them.
Ahsoka bit her lip, looking at her ancestor. She couldn't even imagine who it would feel like seeing something thousands of years after witnessing them the last time, being able to see just how much it all has changed in the passage of time.
As she opened her mouth to say something, the young togruta's attention was suddenly caught by dark and thick clouds, slowly approaching in the horizon. She bit her lip further, knowing that the weather would get worse soon.
"Looks like there's a storm coming.. hopefully that base is still able to hold out rain..." Ahsoka then said, not really knowing what else she could say to her ancestor, who had a short moment of nostalgia.
The spirit of the human man took a moment to glance at the still clear sky, seeing the approaching clouds, after which he chuckled slightly, as he then turned his attention at his young descendant.
"Well, shall we begin then, child? We have much work to do.." The former Sith Lord then stated with a slight chuckle, winking his eye at the young girl, who could feel her heart beating a little faster. Even though she was more than determined to see through her training, the fact that she had no idea what it entailed did make her anxious. She however nodded her head in acknowledgment.
"Yes... I'm ready for it." Ahsoka answered, trying to sound as confident as she could, despite her slight hesitations. Kallig stared at her for a moment, a smile appearing on his face, as he chuckled slightly again.
"Let's get to it then.." The human man replied, after which his ethereal body disappeared, as if he was swept away by the wind, like dust in the air. Ahsoka took a deep breath, after her ancestor's body disappeared, as she then turned her head towards HK-55, who was staring at her silently.
"Inquiry: Who were you talking to, master?" The droid asked her, obviously having not seen the togruta's ancestor, and his former owner's spirit. Ahsoka took in a short breath again, before answering the droid.
"No one, don't worry about it. We should get to that base before the storm will hit us." She told the droid, pointing at the Eternal Alliance's ruined headquarters. The assassin droid simply nodded in acknowledgment, as he continued to glance at her.
"Acknowledgment: Of course, master.. my barometers indicate that those clouds will be on us within the hour. I can take you to the base at once... we should be covered from the weather there.." HK-55 explained, after which he fell quiet once more, waiting for Ahsoka to give him orders. The togruta girl bit her lip, as she then nodded at the droid.
"Okay.. lead the way then." She answered to the droid, who without a word then turned around, and began to head towards a small trail, that seemingly led down the high cliff they were standing on.
In the following moments the duo started to climb down the cliff, and heading to the lush and beautiful valley beyond. They'd continue their journey to the Eternal Alliance's former base of operations, as the dark and gloomy clouds slowly approached the area, more than likely bringing rain and thunder with them. If they were lucky, the long since abandoned structure would offer them amble protection from the incoming storm, or else they'd need to weather it, and be exposed to cold rain and other harmful elements.
After reaching the base, Ahsoka would be that much closer to finally starting her training, and moving forward to becoming stronger in the Force, and honing her skills as a Force Walker. Although still uncertain and hesitant, there was no turning back anymore. Ahsoka's destiny was to go through her training, and become a powerful Force user in the process, her ancestors guiding her closely through all of the coming hardships, that she would have to face.
Beyond completing her training, Ahsoka had no idea what the future might bring to her. But regardless of what would happen, she was still determined to do everything she could, to ensure that she would one day live a happy life with her secret lover, in a Galaxy that is devoid of needless war and destruction. She wanted peace, security and most importantly the love of her life, and to have all of those things in her reach again, the young togruta was prepared for anything.
...
The sun of the planet Coruscant had almost completely set below the horizon of the Galactic City's military district, the evening sky bright orange in its coloration. As the evening had shrouded on the vast cityscape, the Coruscant Guard and law enforcement agencies had finally started to get the numerous riots and rowdy celebrations under control. Although the riots had caused some property damage, the quick response from the law enforcement had put an end to the unrests around the Galactic City's political district.
Overlooking the massive staging area that was used for the Republic's, now the Empire's armies to deploy, was a tall tower, built near the former Republic Center of Military Operations, now having been converted for the Galactic Empire's use. Located on one of the tower's higher levels was a sizeable balcony, which gave an excellent overview of the staging area.
Several people stood on the balcony, watching over thousands of clone troopers and Imperial equipment embarking Acclamator-class assault ships, and Venator-class star destroyers. Among the people on the balcony were the Empire's newly crowned Emperor Palpatine, accompanied by his aides and closest advisors, as well as a select few senators of different worlds. Several officers of the newly reorganized Imperial Military were standing nearby as well.
The delegation representing the Chiss Ascendancy was also present, as were the first members of the new Inquisitorius; Barriss Offee and Sora Bulq. Standing right next to the Galactic Emperor, was the young Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader, clad in his intimidating armor. Some of the senators and the military officers felt more than a little uncomfortable, being in the presence of the silently breathing, completely unidentifiable Sith Lord. Palpatine could sense their uncomfortable thoughts, which pleased him. His apprentice struck fear into their subjects, which was exactly what he had hoped would happen.
As the assembly of people looked over to the staging area, they could see how the Empire's garrisoned on Coruscant was now preparing to deploy to the frontlines. Among the clone forces now boarding their transport ships were the 501st Legion, personally under the command of Lord Vader, as well as the 327th Star Corps, formerly under the command of Jedi Master Aayla Secura. The thousands of clone troopers, now loyal to the Galactic Empire, were being deployed on new frontlines all across the Galaxy, as the war with the Hutts would only heat up in the coming weeks. Despite the new government had just taken its seat as the ruling power, replacing the former Republic, they wished to waste no time in ridding the Galaxy of a rivaling regime; the largely unorganized but still powerful and influential Hutt Cartel.
The news about several planets seceding from the newly proclaimed Empire was also of no concern for the Emperor, as the massive redeployment of the former Grand Army's forces was also a strategic move from Palpatine to solidify his Empire's power, by quickly and ruthlessly quelling any and all possible insurgencies that would aim to resist their rule. The Dark Lord of the Sith had worked too long and too hard to let his new Empire fall into disarray because of a few unruly subjects. Once the resisting worlds would be taken care of, the elder human man was certain that the age of prosperity, peace and security would finally begin, as they would then wipe the Hutts off the face of the Galaxy as well.
"Lord Vader.. I have a mission for you and the 501st Legion. Your work to punish the enemies of the Empire shall begin immediately.." The Emperor proclaimed to his Sith apprentice, as he leaned over the balcony's railing, still looking at the massive deployment of the Empire's military might. The armored human Sith Lord silently turned his gaze towards his master, his helmet making the sounds of his audible breathing almost mechanical and devilish.
"I am at your command, master." He answered, to which his Sith Master grinned deviously, as he breathed in for a short moment, before exhaling and giving his orders to the young Sith beside him.
"Your task is to join up with the fleet that crushed the Hapan Royal Navy at Onderon. Our intelligence indicates that the Hapan Queen Mother perished during the battle, which has left their small and insignificant Consortium in complete chaos..." The Emperor explained, which made his young apprentice raise his eyebrow under his helmet.
Vader had heard about the former Jedi turned Queen Mother of Hapes, who had initiated a short-lived, but destructive conflict against the Republic. He hadn't heard about it more than that, but hearing his master say that the Hapan Royal Navy had been decimated above Onderon, he could only assume that the short war had been a failure for the Queen Mother.
"Once you've rendezvoused with the fleet, it is your mission to invade the Hapes Cluster, and conquer the pathetic Consortium. Decimate their defenses, and show the people of Hapes why the Empire is to be both feared and respected!" Lord Sidious then commanded, his voice filled with determination and sadistic excitement.
His young apprentice was silent for a moment, as he could tell that conquering Hapes would be only the first of the many bloody battles his Sith Master would command him to partake in. Lord Vader then simply nodded in understanding, as he acknowledged the Dark Lord's order.
"As you wish, my master. Hapes will fall to us.. the 501st will make sure of that." The young Sith assured, which made his master's grin widen, as the elder man nodded.
After a short moment of silence, the large group continuing to witness the Empire's military boarding the many starships gathered on the staging area, the Emperor then once again spoke up.
"Your ship has already been prepared and is awaiting your arrival, Lord Vader. Go now, and bring order to the Galaxy in your Emperor's name.." The man ordered, expecting his secret Sith apprentice to leave and carry out his orders.
Although many of the new Empire's high-ranking officials were aware of Darth Vader's existence, and his Sith persona, no one other than his closest allies and advisors were aware of Emperor Palpatine's true identity yet. And the former Supreme Chancellor intended to keep it that way, as it would keep the Empire a little more stable for now.
"By your command, my master..." Lord Vader replied obediently, giving his Sith Master a slight bow, after which he turned around, and began to head back inside the large building, off the balcony the assembled delegation accompanied the Emperor.
As the darkly armored Sith Lord made his exit, the Imperial officers nearby swallowed audibly, many of them letting out a quiet sigh of relief, feeling that they could once again relax a bit, as the intimidating servant of the Emperor was no longer in their presence. Lord Sidious took in way too much satisfaction from the fact that his apprentice was striking fear into their subordinates. Everything had worked near perfectly according to his plans.
In the following moments, as Darth Vader made his way to the staging area below, and towards his personal star destroyer, the rest of the Emperor's delegation stayed behind, overlooking the Imperial forces' deployment. The thousands of clone troopers accompanied by heavy weaponry and vehicles boarded the dozens of Acclamator-class assault ships, and the Venator-class star destroyers, many of the ships in the nearby dry-docks undergoing redesigns.
The Emperor had already given the order for the massive Grand Army to go through extensive redesigns, including starships, vehicles and the clone troopers themselves. All of the symbols of the Old Republic and their colors were to be removed, and replaced by the new colors and symbols of the emergent Galactic Empire. Soon, the red and silver colorations of the Venator-class star destroyers would be gone and replaced by the dark and grey colors of the Empire, signifying the coldness and ruthless professionalism of the new Imperial Navy.
Although just having taken power, the Empire was already moving fast in order to solidify its place the sole superpower of the Galaxy, wiping out all competition and keeping its citizens under strict, but fair rule, or at least fair in the Emperor's opinion. Like the totalitarian regimes of the Sith Order in the past, the Empire would either enter an age of peace and prosperity, even if many of its citizens were to face harsh times, or it would only live to see an abrupt end, like so many short-lived Sith "empires" before.
But nevertheless, Darth Sidious had successfully seen the millennia old Grand Plan, first imagined by Darth Bane, to its fruition. The eons long dream of a total Sith victory over their Jedi enemies had finally come true, and it was all thanks to the patient scheming of Sith Lords over the last thousand years. But despite all of their efforts, all the credit would go the man who brought the plan to its completion, and managed to finally bring the Sith back on the top, and doom the Jedi to certain extinction. And that man was Darth Sidious, or as the rest of the Galaxy would continue to know him as; Emperor Palpatine. And if there was one thing that the Dark Lord of the Sith would do, was to make sure that every Sith to come after him would always remember, that it was he who made this all possible.
As the sun finally set below the horizon, darkness began to fall on Coruscant, as darkness had fallen on the entire Galaxy. The shroud of the Dark Side would soon consume everything on its path, as the dark energy of the Sith would corrupt everything in the Galaxy. Despite many were celebrating the many changes coming their way, some of them even welcomed, the citizens of the former Republic, now turned to the Galactic Empire, were sure to face dark times in the future...