I swear to you all, the Ganathan and their technology are not my creation! Blame Legends for that!

Year 2 of the Empire: Tarkin discovers strange technology

When Tarkin had taken the cloaked Carrion Spike to explore the Oktos Nebula he had been ready for strange things-after all the whole reason he was there was to check if a Jedi had survived thanks to Vader, as usual, not checking if he had finished the job (then again it was near Nar'Shaddaa and a radioactive nebula was involved, so for once it was understandable), and Jedi tend to get involved with weird things. On the other hand, this was weird even for Jedi-related encounters.

"I'm sorry, did you just say that ship is leaving a trail of steam?!" he asked his sensor operator.

"That's what the sensors say." the operator meekly replied.

"Not so strange, steam rockets are actually a viable technology, if primitive." the captain pointed out. "And by the looks of that ship, this people has been isolated for a while. What is that ship's power plant, by the way?"

"Nuclear fusion."

"Very well, decloak and send out first contact package." Tarkin ordered. "And keep the torpedo launchers ready, just in case."

"Package sent." the comms officer announced. Then, quite surprised, she continued with: "They're hailing us-in Basic."

"Put them over." Tarkin ordered with a smile-if they spoke Basic, and not Huttese, it could be a hint that their target was indeed alive.

"This is the Robida Colossus, of the Ganathan people. You will follow us to port-or you will be fired on and destroyed."

"Follow them, this is their space after all."

Once in port there was a good news, and a series of bad news. The good one was that Empatojayos Brand was alive and in charge. The bad news was that Vader had done quite a number on him, forcing the locals to turn him into a cyborg, and wasn't happy to see them.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't have you executed here and now." he demanded. "The Ganathan helped me, and if your Empire and its Sith, Darth Vader, find out, they will be punished for it."

"Miss Verla, that's your cue." Tarkin said.

At the words, the only civilian in Tarkin's group advanced and stood in front of the maimed Jedi.

"My name is Verla." she said. "I am a Force sensitive and the last survivor of the Disciples of Barr, and before confronting Darth Vader he sent me to find a Jedi to complete my training."

"Did that mad Padawan win?" Brand asked-and he obviously meant it, Barr was both half-crazy and highly intelligent, he could have cooked up something.

"No, but he provided important information to those who would fight the Emperor-and when confronted by Clonetroopers and Inquisitors, that is Jedi who joined the Sith, he triggered Order 66." Tarkin explained with a smile.

It took five minutes for Brand to stop laughing.

"That kid was amazing." Brand admitted once he got himself back together. "Still, I don't know what good fighting Palpatine will do, not without taking down Vader's influence on him."

"Palpatine is the main Sith, and Vader the pawn." Tarkin explained.

"What?! But he was already ruling the galaxy!"

"He's a Sith."

"Point. But if Vader is the pawn... He's actually Skywalker and Palpatine used his friend-with-benefit Padme Amidala to manipulate and turn him, didn't he?"

"Almost correct: they were married."

Brand pinched his nose in frustration at the situation.

"I know, I know." Tarkin admitted. "After all, once my cousin, the Senator, told me about their closeness I took our encounter on Carida as a chance to introduce Skywalker to my marriage counselor... But he didn't listen."

"Assuming he even realized what you were hinting." Brand pointed out.

"Point. Anyway, I came here to see if you were alive-and as you are, I would like you to take miss Verla as a Padawan. Barr entrusted her to me for this, and I'd prefer not bringing her to the other survivors I know about, in case they're discovered."

"I shall do that."

notes

Empatojayos Brand is a Jedi originating from Legends. He survived the Jedi Purge and came to rule the Ganathan for almost three decades, during which he made some interesting guesses on how things had developed in the wider galaxy, before being found by Han during the events of Dark Empire. He also bears the honor of being the one who gave Palpatine his final death-and made sure he stayed dead by literally dragging his soul to the afterlife. Not bad for a quadruple amputee...