Author's Note: More reviews please. How hard is it to leave behind a few words of your thoughts on the chapter? I almost didn't update today since only receiving one for the last chapter, and another for the one prior.

Darkvampirewitch (for Ch.47): I battle with writer's block on occasion also. I think every writer does. However, Han Solo will be in this, later on and not in this episode, but the next.

MissNaye (for Ch.48): We shall see...

Episode VII: Heirs of the Empire

Chapter 4: Battle Plans

Battle Station – Death Star, Mustafar system orbit

When Tarkin and Supreme Commander Grievous had left for Kessel the day before, the running of the fleet and overseeing of the Death Star had been left to Grievous' teenage children, Alexander and Anneliese. Both had recently been made Generals of the Navy, and in a few months time, the fleet would be divided into three squadrons, Antellica and her children running each.

Antellica was immensely proud of her children and their accomplishments in the military. Both had always wanted an active part of it, and after graduating from school early attended the Academy on Labor. Despite their ages – Alexander, 19 and Anneliese, 14 – they were very well respected among the Empire and fleet for their mature and professional no nonsense attitudes.

Both teens were in the Death Star's hangerbay to greet their mother and Tarkin when they arrived via the Supreme Commander's shuttle.

Antellica's darling son Alexander had gone from the adorable four-year-old who dreamed of being a music holostar, to a charming and handsome young man who still played his guitar on occasion, but was more interested in being a militant officer of the navy and a successful Sith Knight then anything else.

As for Anneliese, she was Antellica's little girl. Antellica loved and adored her daughter so much, not that she loved Alexander any less, but the two of them had a strong unbreakable bond that had been forged between them when Ani (pronounced Ah-ne) was born. Antellica remembered gazing into the eyes of her little girl for the first time and feeling such love and warmth, especially being the fact that unlike with Alexander, she had Ani around people she loved and whom loved her back in return.

Anneliese knew nothing about her father, which was something Antellica seemed to be punished with every time she gazed upon her. While Alexander had taken to looking like his mother with dirty blonde hair, yet his father's blue eyes and skin tone, Anneliese was a pure female image of her father, sans the brown eyes of her mother, with auburn hair and Obi-Wan's same exact smile. Antellica was always reminded of ex-husband every time she looked at their daughter, though she tried to keep it out of her mind. All Anneliese was told about her father was that he died not long before she was born. Whenever she'd ask for more details on the manner, Antellica simply told her that it was too painful to discuss and not to bring it up again.

Anakin and Arica didn't understand why she kept the truth from her daughter in telling Kenobi as the traitor he was, but Antellica had her reasons. She didn't want Anneliese getting any ideas about perhaps running away to find and meet her father because the matter of that special other parent was something Anneliese always wished for. Antellica saw it every time Anneliese was around Anakin and his daughters. The way he dotted on them and called them his beautiful princess angels. Anneliese wanted that.

Now Antellica had done well in raising her children, she knew, but there was only so much a single parent could do. This longing Anneliese had for a father wasn't as bad as it once was when she was younger, but Antellica knew she still thought about it from time to time. More then once Antellica had considered marrying again for Anneliese's sake, not her own. Alexander, Anakin, and Arica, however, had quickly, and quite firmly, put a stake in this analogy saying she was fine single and didn't need to get married again because she was fine the way she was.

Despite herself, Antellica had grown slightly more overprotected of Anneliese then Alexander. She always feared that if Kenobi were to come for her children and Anneliese learned of his relation to her, she'd go away with him without a moment's hesitation. Alexander she wasn't worried about. He knew who his father was and had no intention in having anything to do with him, a point he made quite clear numerous times. Antellica knew she'd have to tell Anneliese the truth someday, but when that day would be she had yet to decide.

Antellica hugged both her children upon arriving on the battle station while Tarkin went on ahead. After which, she asked how things were out here.

"All's been quiet," Anneliese informed. "The governors arrived safely and are currently getting a tour of the space station from Commander Piett."

Antellica nodded. Tarkin would be meeting with an assembled group of governors after some tests were run on the station.

"Yeah, no exciting action like what you went through," Alexander said. "I heard it was quite the battle."

Antellica detected disappointment in her son's voice for not being there and gave a chuckle. "Don't worry Alexander, you didn't miss anything worth boasting about. Just a defiant Princess and some missing plans, that's all."

Anneliese and Alexander both appeared perplexed at the Princess part, so Antellica nodded to her shuttle's ramp. Leila was now being brought down it. She glared when she saw Antellica, but the Supreme Commander had nothing more to give her than a mere slight wave.

Alexander gazed awe stroke from his mother to Leila and back again. "You captured Leila Skywalker?! Do you realize what this will now do to the war effect with one its leader's down?"

"Precisely Alexander," Antellica said. "Now that we have her, the pathetic rebels may be eliminated in no time at all, and for good this time."

"What a glorious day that will be," Anneliese said, eyeing Leila with distaste.

The look was returned as Leila was led on.

As Leila was taken to the detention block on the fifth level above the Core, Antellica joined Tarkin in the overseeing of the Death Star's final tests. Alexander and Anneliese, meanwhile, returned to their posts with the fleet – Anneliese stationed on the Executrix, Alexander on the Executor.

While all other tests had succeeded, the only one that failed was the one that had been failing continuously for the past six months now. The test in question was the battle station's turbolaser.

An ongoing debate had been going on between Tarkin and the Emperor concerning the matter. While Tarkin thought it a good idea to use a plasma gas beam in the laser engine, Skywalker disagreed, saying he wanted the legendary crystal of Elderin that had been found in the Unknown Regions eighteen years ago to be used. According to the Emperor, only that would be satisfactory to the station, a belief that Tarkin continued to argue against. In his eyes, no magical crystal could do what a plasma gas beam couldn't and so stubbornly disallowed the crystal to be installed despite the fact of the tests' perpetual failure. The emperor grew impatient with Tarkin's stubbornness, and had threatened that if the plasma beam wasn't removed after the next test, he would remove Tarkin from command of the project and take over it himself. Tarkin, however, had been convinced that it would work this time so naturally was angered and frustrated when it failed again.

Muttering a profanity under his breath, the gray-suited Moff stormed out of the room before the officers could ask of the governor what they were to do next. Antellica went ahead and gave the order that the crystal be installed. Work was set to that right away.

Tarkin would be heading for the conference room on the third level above the Core to meet with the governors that had arrived for their annual meeting. These monthly meetings were usually held in the Old Imperial Palace on Coruscant, but due to the Death Star's nearing completion, the emperor scheduled for it to be held here with only a small group of the most respected and high ranking Moffs.

Antellica was about to go join them in hope of seeing Grand Imperial Moff Jovovich when an officer suddenly called, "Supreme Commander Grievous!"

Antellica turned to see the space station's own Commander, Firmus Piett, approaching her. He was the former Commander of the Super Star Destroyer Executrix before Anneliese took over a year ago. Piett was a good acquaintance of the Imperial family, thus being promoted as the station's Commander after the emperor's personal request.

"Yes Commander Piett?"

"The Emperor's shuttle has arrived."

Antellica gave a nod of acknowledgment. "Thank you Commander."

With a nod, Piett went on his way and Antellica took a lift down to the Core level of the station where the hangerbay was located.

Antellica guessed that Anakin hadn't ordered a greeting party because besides her, and a few officers here and there whom were busy going about their work, there wasn't anyone else to meet him.

As she came up before the customary triangular flagship shuttle that only Imperial importance held, the boarding ramp lowered. The Emperor, Anakin Skywalker / Darth Vader, 42, donned in his thirteen-year-old life-sustaining suit of the deepest black, strolled down a moment later soon followed by the First Imperial Prince, Hilton.

Antellica gave a slight bow to the both of them, causing Hilton to smirk. "You don't bow to us any other time, Aunt Antellica." His tone suggested mirth. "Why start now?"

Antellica looked up and into the face of her oldest nephew with a sly grin that matched his own. "I don't know." Her tone suggested the same as his had. "I guess I'm feeling suddenly subordinated with your royal highnesses arrival."

Hilton laughed. "I forgot how good you are at making a magnificent person like myself feel special by treating him as the royal god he is."

This quip brought a laugh from both Antellica and Anakin. Antellica opened her arms and beckoned to her dark haired, medium heightened nephew. "And I forgot about that little ego of yours."

Hilton accepted his aunt's embrace fondly. "Well, at least I'm not as bad as Troy."

This comment amused Antellica. "Indeed not."

Troy, of course, was the Emperor and Empress' child after the twins, Lacovia and Hilton. He was Anneliese's age, only a day younger, and as arrogant as ever. He always carried a pocket mirror around with him to check out his reflection every few minutes, and was under the illusion that every girl that looked at him wanted him. He strutted around like he owned the streets he walked on and was always boasting about one thing or the other, one of these things being that he was too arrogant to ever fall in love with anyone because he was too obsessed with himself. He was a nice guy besides all that, just a tad bit egocentric at times. He also had a dark sense of humor, where he had the tendency to insult people in a facetious manner. Arica found his attitude to be cute while Anakin voiced that Troy had gotten his ego from him being as Anakin had been something like that at Troy's age. Being the center of attention was another thing Troy loved, which fit in perfectly with his career as a holodrama/model star.

Troy wasn't the only royal in the entertainment business. Thirteen-year-old Gabriella was also a holodrama star, as were Elektra, 11, and River, 10. Dylan and Cole, 8, however, were mostly satisfied with being Princes only, while Philomena, 6 did modeling for clothing catalogs. Arica, meanwhile, managed all their careers. Hilton had done acting on occasion when he was younger, but not usually. He was currently majoring in business economics at the University on Coruscant.

Yet despite how successful their careers were, show business weren't major career choices for the five royal heirs involved. It was something they simply did for fun and a way to make their own money. Most likely by the time they were all adults, they'd probably retire from this for something else more interesting and purposeful.

In addition, notwithstanding all nine Grievous-Skywalker heirs' different career paths, each and everyone of them were also Sith as well under their parent's training. This was a little known fact by the outside public, but not a secret. People just weren't interested in the fact too much unless they were talking about Lacovia.

Once Antellica disengaged from Hilton, she and Anakin embraced. However, after which she brought him up to speed on everything, in which time they strolled to the conference room on the third level above the Core.

Thoughts originally angered at the missing Death Star plans, this soon changed for the Emperor at his discovery that Leila had been captured by Imperial forces in the conflict.

His daughter was here on the Death Star. Finally, after all these long years, he'd be able to see her again. And after thinking it thoughtfully through, Anakin realized what a perfect opportunity this was. Eventually, the Jedi fools and Luke would discover that Leila was being held here, and as a result, a rescue team would come for her, most likely being led by one of the Jedi. Only the rescue wouldn't succeed, the party being killed, and the Jedi tortured for stealing his children all those years ago. It was this prospect that satisfied Anakin. He told Antellica she'd done well and to continue the debriefing.

The rest of the way to the conference room, she did so, informing him of the rest, including the test failure and the crystal installation.

Upon arrival outside the conference chamber doors, the trio walked in without announcement and began to listen in to the conversation inside; the governors' oblivious to their presence due to their heated debate.

"Until this battle station is fully operational we are vulnerable," a lower-in-command Moff was saying. "The Rebel Alliance is too well equipped. They're more dangerous then you realize."

"Dangerous to the star fleet yes," Grand Imperial Moff Jovovich agreed, "but not to this battle station."

"The Rebels will continue to gain support from various systems across the galaxy-"

"The various systems across the galaxy are no longer any concern to us," Tarkin cut in. "The Hands of the Emperor and Empress are currently dealing with that. Fear is what will keep the various systems in line; fear of this battle station."

"And what of the Rebellion?" the same Moff asked. "If the rebels have a complete technical readout of the station it is possible, however unlikely, that they might find a weakness, and exploit it."

"The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands," Anakin said speaking for the first time since he, Hilton, and Antellica had arrived.

As expected, everyone, seated around a large, circular black table in a room of the same structure, jumped at the sound of the emperor's loud, booming voice and quickly made moves of reverence towards him.

"Emperor Skywalker." Tarkin quickly rose from his chair. "I express my apologizes for everyone present that you were not greeted into this meeting properly. We didn't know you had arrived yet." He gave a bow. "Welcome."

Anakin nodded and waved a gloved hand, gesturing for the meeting to continue.

"Any attack by the rebels against this station would be a useless gesture, whatever data they've obtained," Moff Colten of the Neimoidia system haughtily stated. "This station is now the ultimate power in the universe. I suggest we use it."

While the entirety of the Neimoidia system, at the number of four worlds, had been decontaminated soon after the Clone Wars and left deserted during Palpatine's rule, Skywalker had had the system of planets rebuilt beyond their former glory; allowing civilians to live on the worlds once more. The same had been done with Kashyyyk once the entire wookie race had been quietly slaughtered due to the emperor's growing tiredness of using them as slaves.

Anakin studied Neimoidia's self-assured Moff a long moment before speaking. The man's brother was one of the main designers on the station, an obvious reason why he stood so firmly behind it.

"I wouldn't get too proud of this technological terror that's been constructed here," he said in a level tone. "The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force."

Colten, despite himself, scoffed. "Don't try to frighten us with your sorcerer's ways, Emperor. Your sad devotion to that ancient religion hasn't helped you conger up the stolen datatapes. Nor given you a clear discovery of the rebel's hidden for-"

But Colten wasn't able to finish saying "fortress", for at that moment a Force choke began to suck all the air out of his throat.

At about the halfway point of Colten's mockery of the Emperor, Anakin circled slowly towards the Moff, intending to make an example out of him.

The foolish forty-something was presently clawing fruitlessly at the grip on his throat that continued to grow tighter by the second.

"Enough of this!" It was Tarkin's voice that suddenly rang out. "Emperor, release him!"

"I don't think so Tarkin," Anakin growled. "An example is being made here, and I intend on finishing it."

The Emperor snapped his gloved hand that had a moment before been shaped like a claw. Colten's hands and head fell to the table with a thud. The governor was dead.

Waving to the officers stationed at the door, Anakin motioned for them to retrieve the body. "Dispose of it," he commanded with distaste.

As the officers rushed to do so, Skywalker circled his way around the room, looking into the faces of all those twenty some governors present.

"Let that be an example to all of you. Dare to insult the Emperor, and the price is death. This bickering you are doing is pointless and accomplishes nothing. I promise you, I will have the location of the rebel base by the time this station is operational. We will then crush the Rebellion with one swift stroke."