Vader looked at his master, and then bowed. Sidious walked towards his apprentice and Vader felt apprehension. He was unhappy.

"Vader."

"Master," Vader said politely as he stood on the bridge of their cruiser. "What troubles you?"

"You do, Vader."

Vader waited for the fury.

"Do you recall sixteen years ago when you delivered the woman to the Anzat? The senator from Chianar."

"Yes, my lord."

"Do you not recall me asking you if the woman was dead?"

"I do, my lord."

"And you had an officer contact the Anzat. She was dead, correct?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Well," Palpatine said, his red eyes flashing with anger. "I have received dozens of reports from stormtroopers and captains throughout the galaxy stating that they have seen the woman senator."

"Is this so?" Vader asked with interest.

Palpatine drew him over to a screen and pointed to it. On it was a woman with dark hair walking up the ramp onto a ship, her eyes looking away from the camera as if she were looking for something, or someone.

"Is this not the woman?"

Vader's harsh metallic breathing filled the air while he contemplated the picture. "She looks older, but it is her, my lord."

"Why is she alive? You told me she was dead, which forced us to place the man in her spot. That man has been nothing but trouble for us."

"I'm sorry, my lord."

Palpatine sighed, pulling the hood over his head. "You are forgiven, Vader. However, to redeem yourself I have a mission for you. You are to find the woman senator. And bring her to me alive. If she has been alive all these years she must be weak. The experience with the Anzat must have affected her. Also…"

Vader waited.

"Before you do that I want you to question why the Anzat left her alive. And then kill him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Do not disappoint me, Vader."

"I will not, my lord."

--

Vader and a small group of stormtroopers made the trek to the Anzat's home planet. When they arrived, Vader took one look at the planet and snarled with disgust. No wonder why the planet was dying out.

As they walked along the marshy swamps of his homeland, Vader went through his memories to recall the last time he had seen the woman.

Faint memories. He met her before, when they were young. He remembers kissing her once or twice. He fully remembers the night the Anzat took her life. Or so he thought.

How dare he betray the Empire, Vader thought angrily as they climbed onto a small speeder and drove across the planet to where the Anzat was.

When they arrive, Vader smiled to himself. What a pitiful home. He ordered the stormtroopers to knock the door over, and then they stormed inside. The troopers went ahead to clear the place.

Inside it was nothing but dark, black, red, depressing, death. Vader smiled. He could get used to this.

"Lord Vader, we found the Anzat."

Vader followed quickly, his surprise evident. How quickly that was.

He walked through two double doors and stopped. The Anzat was standing before a roaring fire silently as the troopers stood around him.

"Nikkos Tyris," Vader said dangerously. "You are a traitor to the Empire."

"Have you come to kill me?" the Anzat asked feebly. "Just do it. I want no soliloquy, Lord Vader."

"Do you know why you're to be killed?"

"I do not, Lord Vader."

"You lied. You said you killed the woman, yet we have evidence that she still lives. Did you kill her or not?"

The Anzat turned around and Vader looked at him with disgust. He was a stick, with wrinkles and old age completely dominant in his body. His tentacles were nothing but lines.

"I did not."

"Why?"

"I wanted her for myself. I wanted her to forget everything and begin her life anew as mine. She was my ultimate quest. My goal was to take her for myself."

"In short, a sexual obsession."

"If that's what you want to call it," Tyris said quietly.

"But you lied when you reported that the woman was dead."

"My servant answered that call, not me," he replied.

Vader felt a twinge of anger. "Where is she?"

"I killed for her strength."

"What happens when you die?" Vader asked, drawing his lightsaber and holding it tauntingly.

"All of the energy I consumed will be released to those who still live." Tyris' eyes seemed to glow. "Which means that, according to you, since the woman is alive, she will receive her energy, her Jedi abilities, and her memory back. She remembers nothing now, who she really is, or where she came from. But as soon as I die, it will all be released."

Vader froze.

"Is that what you want? You want her to receive her energy, strength and memory? She'll remember that you handed her over to me, she will want revenge. She will be a Jedi again and she will lead the Republic against you."

Vader ignited his lightsaber, and he saw fear in the Anzat's eyes.

"If you give me energy, I will live, and you can prevent that all," he bargained.

"What will it be, Lord Vader?"

Vader turned around, snarling.

He pulled out his comm. "Master, there's been a delay."

--

Nikkos Tyris stood up, feeling powerful, unstoppable.

He felt his biceps and smiled. He touched his tentacles, dripping with energy still.

He looked in the mirror and saw the man he knew sixteen years ago.

"Since you lied to me, you will be the one to seek out your victim," Sidious had said as the weaken Tyris stood before a crowd of prisoners that were sentenced to death. "Bring her to me alive. If you don't, I will kill you, then the woman."

Nikkos felt bold and up to the challenge.

Time to start up again.