— The Will of the Empire —

###

Chapter Fifteen


Author's Notes: So it's occurred to me that one of the reasons I might be/have been struggling to publish my chapters is that I try to maintain a large word count for every chapter, likely due to my dislike of short 1-2K word chapters. Once I have a general outline of a chapter, it can be somewhat daunting to add enough content to make that chapter fall within the "acceptable range" while keeping the narrative cohesive. With that in mind, I'm going to be experimenting in publishing smaller chapters more quickly. This chapter has an extremely long Author's Notes (Rant) section at the bottom compared to the actual chapter content, but that won't be the case again.

Also please keep in mind that, while I believe myself to have a pretty solid grasp of Legends lore, I have not read any of the comics and haven't read some of the books. The characterization of some of the more peripheral characters (primarily the Grand Moffs/Admirals), is largely gathered from Wookieepedia and sometimes act out of character simply to suit my story. I appreciate Reviews that tell me when I don't have a character quite right and will often attempt to rectify the flaw in future chapters, however that won't always be the case.

I've given a lot of thought about whether or not I want to introduce a reborn Palpatine and I've finally decided against it. The main reason is that it simply adds too much complexity to a story already brimming with subplots. Perhaps if I manage to finish this story, I might introduce him in a sequel, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here.


###

(Derek "Hobbie" Klivian): "Have I told you today how much I really, really hate you?"
(Wes Janson): "Oh, sure, your lips say 'I hate you' but your eyes say—"
(Derek "Hobbie" Klivian): "That someday I'll murder you in your sleep?"

#

Fifty-three days after BoE
The Skirata homestead, Concord Dawn
Concord Dawn system, Mandalore sector

Brown eyes snapped open as the vision of a shadowy room, green and red lightsabers clashing, the mourning of a son for his father and the familiar city-world that he'd once called 'home' finally dissipated. Gotab sat up on his bunk and rubbed his eyes, trying to make sense of all that the Force had shown him.

Glancing out the window, he was dismayed that it was still dark out and debated on going back to sleep. Unable to forget what he'd heard and seen, he abandoned the hope and got to his feet.

I'm getting too old for this, he grumbled inwardly, putting on a simple beige tunic and making his way to the communal kitchen. There he was surprised to find Tallisibeth perched on one of the counters, looking as tired as he felt. Without saying a word, she poured him a cup of coffee and slid it toward him as he joined her.

The red-haired, green-eyed woman eyed him while he drank it, waiting until he'd finished before asking, "Vision?"

Gotab blinked and nodded slowly, "You too?"

Tallisibeth made a noise of agreement while she took another drink. Gotab was about to comment when Kad entered the kitchen, coming to a halt as he noticed them.

"Vision?" Kad asked.

"Vision," Gotab and Tallisibeth answered in unison.

"Well, isn't this wizard," Kad mumbled. "Guessing we had the same dream? Creepy room, jetii, dar'jetii, jetii'kade and Coruscanta?"

"Yep," Gotab answered at the same time that Tallisibeth replied with a 'No."

"What did you see, Scout?" Kad asked.

Tallisibeth frowned, "A young woman wearing a white dress standing in front of an open holocron, practicing the seven forms with a blue lightsaber. She's on a star cruiser, I think. I see a world in the viewport, mostly oceanic with three orbiting moons and an asteroid field."

After a pause, she gave them both a half-smile, "Looks like the galaxy isn't finished with us just yet."

Kad looked unhappy. "I am no Jetii and Gotab is now Mando'ad."

"That may be true, Kad'ika, but we still serve the Force, knowingly and willingly or not. You can hear its call. Gotab may no longer be a Jedi, but Bardan Jusik is still an undeniable part of him," Tallisibeth replied.

"You survived the Clone Wars, you survived Order 66, the Empire and the Great Purge because you stayed with your family," Kad argued, "and now you want to split up?"

Gotab held his hands out in a placating gesture. "No decisions will be made now. We'll discuss this later with the others."

Both of the younger individuals of Clan Skirata let out a sigh and nodded their agreement.

#

Buir,

My squad will be deployed to Concordia in a few weeks with orders to capture or destroy any surveillance or early warning facilities. You know as well as I do that Manda'yaim will be the next target and the whispers I've heard suggest that it won't be receiving a minor tap on the wrist. One of the ISB officers that's prepared our intel has informed us that at least one individual on the planet will be armed with a black lightsaber. I don't remember any Jedi having a blade with that color, but it's important that the Empire take custody of it. Important enough that one of the Emperor's Inquisitors has been assigned to the task force. I don't have to tell you what will happen if he's able to sense the presence of the Jedi you've taken in.

Take Venku and the rest of the clan and get off Mandalore; it's no longer safe. Go to Concord Dawn and if I survive this campaign, I will find you and join you as I should have so many years ago.

Darman

Every word of the final message he'd received from Darman had been burned into Kal Skirata's memory. It was the reason that he and nearly everyone else in his clan had managed to escape the Great Purge to forge a new life. To this day, Darman's fate was unknown to the clan, though the reasonable assumption is that he was killed in the bloody battle waged against the surviving elements of Death Watch, the Nite Owls and the Rebel cell following the Empire's planetary bombardment.

Not long after everything had gone to hell, after Order 66 and the rise of the Empire, Darman had returned to Mandalore to see the Jedi whose presence put his son's life in danger. It had not been a pleasant encounter for anyone involved and Kal was far from being the only one to see how Darman's mental state had declined since Etain's death. Still, the Jedi were left alone and Darman decided to return to his unit and wage war amongst the stars until he died and could rejoin Etain in the Force, or whatever shit he'd said to cover up the fact that he wanted to die and wasn't willing to eat a blaster bolt like one of his squadmates had recently done.

Kal closed his eyes and sighed.

While Mandalorians regarded Jedi with general antipathy, there was a respect for their mastery of the arcane power of the Force. And so Kal Skirata found himself and the remaining members of Clan Skirata crowded together in a clearing, listening as the Jedi, the former Jedi and the son of a Jedi all described their recent visions.

Though he may be an old man now, Kal's memory was as sharp as ever and memories best left buried were now being awakened. Kad'ika, or Venku as his adopted daughter had named him, rarely spoke of the Force even in the privacy of their homestead. The aftermath of the war and Order 66 had left deep wounds in the clan's psyche that made forgetting the past a tempting proposition. But Venku had so much of his mother in him and Kal refused to allow Etain Tur-Mukan to be forgotten entirely, even if that meant that he was given enough training in the Force to protect himself and mask his presence. Also in attendance, and who thought as he did, were his remaining sons from the Null ARCs. Kom'rk and Corr, whose experience observing and working with the jetii had proven invaluable in evading the Emperor's inquisitors, were listening attentively.

Focusing his attention back on the three, he wondered what Etain would advise on the matter. Kal had no connection to the Force and while he imagined Etain would want her son protected, he wasn't sure she would advocate ignoring what appeared to be a nudge from the Force that lacked anything resembling subtlety. On the other hand, the idea of splitting their family apart after they'd finally established themselves on Concord Dawn in the wake of the Great Purge seemed mad.

When Kad paused to take a breath, he raised his hand to forestall further conversation. Standing, he cast his gaze upon Gotab and Tallisibeth. "During the Clone Wars, Etain remarked that the dark side of the Force obstructed the jetiise vision. In the years following the Clone Wars, Gotab once said that the Force was even darker, even more oppressive than it ever had been before. Almost two months ago, that changed, did it not?"

Tallisibeth nodded, "When the Emperor and Darth Vader were killed."

"And now you, Scout, are being sent the vision of a Jedi in training. You, who were instructed by those trained at the jetii temple itself, seem to have a clear path before you. Family is central to our identity as Mando'ade, but family should never be seen as a cage that prevents one from walking a path of their choosing. If you believe you must go, then do so with the knowledge that Clan Skirata will be there should you need us." Kal nodded once to emphasize his words before turning to Gotab and Venku.

"While Scout's task seems clear, yours is less so. As she alone has held to her identity as a jetii, perhaps this is so. Perhaps you were chosen because you are not jetii but something else entirely. You saw the death of the dar'jetii and now see Coruscanta clearly in your mind. While the purpose the Force sets before you is unclear, the destination is not. Be resolute in your decision and make that decision not out of fear."


Fifty-five days after BoE
Aboard the Imperial Class I-Star Destroyer Tormentor
En route to Imperial Center

Admiral Feyet Kiez rubbed the bridge of his nose as six of his most senior officers left departed from his stateroom. One would think that a Rear Admiral, a Commodore, and four Senior Captains would be able to understand simple Basic when I say, 'No, I don't know what to expect when we arrive.'

But apparently not, as all six had continued to bombard him with variations of the same questions at every single encounter. Of course, what was most irritating was that the answers they sought were the same ones he hoped to discover.

The Empire had been gutted at Endor and the wave of violence and assassinations that followed in its wake. Whispers of senior Imperial officials setting up private strongholds had already reached him and while he didn't put much stock in rumors, it was hard to dismiss them entirely. Though the undercurrent of anxiety that thrummed within his body when he'd been recalled to Imperial Center was undeniable, it was still something of a relief to know that there was still a functional administration in the Empire's capital.

He didn't recognize the blue-skinned alien who'd contacted him, but the authority with which he spoke, the authentication codes, the source of his transmission being the Imperial Palace and the crisp white uniform of a Grand Admiral provided ample evidence of his seniority. He stood and strode to the viewport, clasping his hands behind his back as he stared at the swirling blue colors of hyperspace.

Commanded to leave his powerful flagship behind and to bring with him the officers "he trusted most" spoke of secrets and possible betrayal or conspiracy, but that could also be explained by the unsubstantiated reports of battle in the Coruscant system. So he followed his orders and now waited for his ship to arrive over Imperial Center, his nervousness made manageable only because of the strength he needed to show to ease the anxiety gripping his subordinates.


Fifty-six days after BoE
The Forest Moon of Endor
Endor system, Moddell sector

Trailed by the Noghri, Mushkil, Mara stepped off the AEG-77 Vigo transport and stared at the dark forest which surrounded them. Seeing a small rise in the terrain, she walked over to it to gain a better view of the surrounding area.

While the Noghri wore the tube on his back containing the ysalamir, he stayed far enough behind her that she was able to touch the Force. Among his many talents, Mushkil appeared to be a mind reader because he hissed without prompting, "The Emperor said you would need the Force to accomplish your task. It is here for my protection while I observe."

"Yub yub!"

Mara Jade glared at the short furry creature that stepped out of the underbrush, jabbing its spear toward her and letting out a soft growl. In response, the Noghri bared his fangs and hissed. Letting out a panicked shout, the Ewok darted back out of view, the soft sound of rapid footsteps marking its flight.

"So that is what turned the tide of the battle that should have marked the end of the Rebellion," Mara spat. "Half-meter tall, barely sentient creatures armed with sticks and stones."

The Noghri said nothing, simply stood there and watched her.

"Well, let's get on with it. Where to?" Mara asked.

Cocking its head, the Noghri growled out, "The Emperor said to trust your instincts, you would know where to go."

Rather than debating on the accuracy of Skywalker's status and the inadequacy of his instructions, Mara closed her eyes and searched for...there!

"That way," Mara said, nodding in the direction she'd felt the disturbance. Without waiting for an acknowledgment, she activated a glowrod and used it to light her way.

#

12 hours later

The hike wasn't a great distance, but journeying in the dark, turning away curious Ewoks and all while contending with the natural hazards of an unfamiliar forest meant that it took many more hours to reach her destination than she'd have liked. That destination was a small clearing that was notable for three reasons.

A silence so profound that not even the natural sounds of the ever-present insects disturbed it.

A sense of weight...a pressure that was the disturbance she'd felt in the Force.

The charred remains of a funeral pyre.

With a shiver that had nothing to do with the night chill, Mara slowly advanced toward the pyre while Mushkil remained at the perimeter. There was no doubt that this place was why Skywalker had sent her here and now she had to find out why. Crouching down, she examined the ash and debris, looking for a sign, something, that would prove this wasn't a waste of time. Though the heat had long since dissipated, she was careful when sifting through the ash and handling the charred logs that remained.

Not even a minute had passed before her hand brushed against something black, hard and inorganic. Reaching deeper into the pile of logs, she carefully extracted a...

The fire had reduced it to something nearly unrecognizable, but the color, the shape, the feel of it was still too distinctive for it to be anything else. Dropping it back to the ground and rocketing to her feet, she stepped back and stared at Vader's helmet.


Fifty-six days after BoE
The Imperial Palace, Imperial Center

With Maarek Stele and Rukh now on their way to the Senex sector to track down Crueya Vandron on Karfeddion, Luke was still left with the problem of securing Imperial assets, securing Imperial loyalty and the new concern regarding the summons Grand Moff Thistleborn. It was difficult to not immediately act to counter this new threat, but it served as a reminder that the longer it took for him to issue a public proclamation regarding his identity, the more likely that systems and resources would be diverted to individuals or coalitions that were considered more legitimate. It was unfortunate that orders could be issued in the Emperor's name only for so long when the only known Emperor had recently passed.

While Admiral Piett hadn't known of any system in the specified coordinates in the Braxant sector, Grand Admiral Thrawn had informed them that the location marked a secret Imperial administrative hub known as Bastion. Bastion, or Sartinaynian as it was officially named, was an ideal staging ground to organize a new government and reorganize one's military forces, but fortunately for Luke, it also meant that those forces would be gathering a single location in a short amount of time. Yet again, he was left with the root problem of having to secure the loyalty of the Empire and if done quickly enough, the problem of Harrsk, Kaine and Prittick could be resolved in a single decisive battle.

Luke rubbed his eyes and turned off the projector that had been displaying the galactic map. "Artoo, what do you think?"

R2-D2 let out a few inquisitive beeps as he rolled over to rest beside him.

"How do I convince Imperial Naval officers who've spent their adult lives fighting with unjust methods for an unjust system to believe in me, someone they've been told is a mass-murdering rebel terrorist?"

Artoo was silent before letting out a mournful sound.

"I don't know either, but Feyet Kiez and several of his senior staff will arrive in the next few days along with four of his Star Destroyers. I need their support if the Empire is going to survive," Luke ground out, then let out a sharp laugh. "Well, that's something I never thought I'd wish for."

Artoo's answering chitter told him that he was not alone in his amusement, then let out a few beeps that made Luke squint at the droid.

"What government?" Luke scoffed, "everything was centralized after the Senate was disbanded..."

Luke sat up a little straighter and pressed a red button in the table's recessed console.

Hardly a second passed before an anxious member of the palace staff walked in holding a datacard. "Your Highness?"

"I need to know if any members of the Imperial Senate are located on Imperial Center and, if so, what systems they represent. For that matter, include any former Senators of the Republic as well."

The man bowed deeply. "It will be done, Your Highness."

#

"Your Highness?"

Luke glanced up to see the aide standing stiffly by the door.

"I was able to locate two senators of the Imperial Senate who are currently on Imperial Center: Tashrikam of Grizmallt and Pooja Naberrie of Naboo. Tashrikam was attempting to lobby support for an economic endeavor on his homeworld and Senator Naberrie was engaged in charity work in the lower levels when the fighting erupted. They've been trapped on the planet since then," the aide reported, holding out a datacard. "I've assembled a more complete report for your review."

Luke stood and walked over to take the offered device. "Thank you..."

The aide somehow managed to stand even straighter and Luke sensed an undercurrent of fear that belied the man's otherwise opaque expression and demeanor. "Giles Shysa, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Giles Shysa, you're dismissed."

Luke sat back down at the table once the man had left and inserted the card into an open port, but before he had a chance to look over any of the data, Artoo rolled over to him and started beeping urgently.

"The Senator? Tashrikam?"

He didn't have to translate the annoyed bleets that came from Artoo in response.

"Naberrie, what about her?"


Author's Notes: Hard truth: "Skywalker Family Drama" is probably my favorite tag on AO3.

If anyone is unfamiliar with the names/events in the Concord Dawn section, the material comes from the Republic Commando series. I tried to make the Mandalorian words understandable by context, but look them up on Wookieepedia if you still need clarification. In case anyone got confused with the names/people:
Gotab = Bardan Jusik, a Jedi Knight who'd left the order before the end of the Clone Wars and joined the Mandalorians.
Etain Tur-Mukan = A Jedi Knight who fought with a Clone Commando squad, fell in love with one of the commandos, Darman, and had a son. She was killed during Order 66.
Kad = Venku, the son of Etain and Darman
Scout = Tallisibeth, a Jedi Padawan who found sanctuary with Clan Skirata following Order 66.

/Rant/

Let's talk about superweapons: Alright, in this edition of things I'm impressed or unimpressed at in Star Wars, I'm going to be talking about a specific type of superweapon or rather the theory of superweapons in the far-flung future (or possibly a long time ago?) and how Star Wars fits in. Before I go any further, I'll go ahead and say that a lot of my ideas are a result of reading other book series which has contributed to my opinion of Star Wars centric ships/attributes. Also, I don't count the Centerpoint Station as it wasn't truly designed to act as a superweapon. First, let's talk about the existing Star Wars superweapons.

World Devastators: When it comes down to it, I think the idea of the World Devastators is the most inspired, most impressive concept that was ever developed in the Star Wars universe. When it comes down to the subjugation (not destruction) of another world, the problems that typically appear are the sheer number of personnel required to subdue and control the indigenous population, the area that needs to be occupied and the logistics of keeping an occupying force supplied and adequately supported. In a more relevant context, this can be summed up with: never get involved in a land war in Asia. The World Devastators are an answer to all of the above, a group of massive machines capable of resupplying and rearming themselves, whose very act of destruction also serves to improve their own arsenal and create additional support craft. Putting aside the known weaknesses of the machines, I believe they were the single most impressive weapon, in concept at least, that the Empire ever created.

Galaxy Gun/Sun Crusher: Mobile weapons platform capable of mass destruction. In terms of widespread destruction, nothing is better than these two. The Galaxy Gun was much smaller, more mobile than the Death Star or World Devastators and was able to destroy entire planets and also had the capability of adjusting the damage its warheads inflicted. It did have some glaring weaknesses, namely its extreme lack of mobility in real-space. The missiles it fired, while well-shielded, could be shot down if hit with sufficient force.

Sun Crusher: Extremely mobile weapons platform capable of mass destruction. The Sun Crusher had all of the GGs strengths and none of its weaknesses. It was, more or less, indestructible and could destroy entire star systems rather than mere planets. The only limitation of the ship was that it had a limited number of torpedoes, was equipped with very light armament, and once discharged, functioned best as a super-duper battering ram. I'm not sure, but I don't think it was capable of adjusting the destructive power of its torpedoes.

Death Stars (Prototype, I, II) Ugh. Incredibly wasteful.

Darksaber: Piece of shit.

Starkiller Base (Death Star 3): Like a long-range Death Star artillery piece. Putting aside its notable weakness, the mobile planet was capable of destroying multiple planets at once from afar. Its payload traveled through hyperspace (or a sort-of hyperspace?), meaning it could sit back and blow up entire star systems before using its hyperdrive to scoot over to another system, refuel and start over. If Starkiller Base's location had been kept secret, it could have proved to be a far more devastating weapon than any of the above superweapons.

Planet destroying Star Destroyers (TRoS): These really bothered me in that they took away from the menace of the Death Stars and Starkiller Base. In theory, they represent a massive increase in destructive power for whoever controls it so I can be impressed with them when taken out of context with the rest of the Star Wars superweapon lore. I mentioned this before, but I feel like the only reason they gave these weapons to the biggest fleet in the galaxy was to give them an easy weak spot that made it so snubfighters could go 1:1 with them.

Now, back to my original point. So, with all of this, what is the most effective superweapon in the galaxy? Go outside and pick up a rock, because that's it. The destructive power of all those superweapons is incredibly impressive, almost as impressive as the number of resources it would take to go through research/development, construction, and continual maintenance. All of them, excluding the World Devastators, simply aren't worth it when it comes down to cost-efficiency, upkeep requirements and the destructive power they offer.

So, the rock. Fling a rock with enough mass/density at a high enough velocity and you could destroy planets easy peasy. The book series I mentioned earlier went over its brand of exoplanetary superweapons, which were just big hunks of tungsten steel launched at high velocity which had enough destructive power to destroy a city or even destabilize a planet. Depending on mass/composition and velocity, an asteroid anywhere between a mile and 60 miles wide could destroy all life on Earth. If the Star Wars universe has the technology (it does), they could increase the speed of an asteroid relatively easily and let it fly. There are logistical problems with this, how to deploy it quickly and without the target learning about it, but in terms of cost-efficiency, well...there you are. And if it's just about instilling fear, look at what Thrawn did with 20-30 cloaked asteroids hovering over Coruscant in the Thrawn trilogy.

So there you have it. Go away Death Stars, bring me a giant slingshot.