The Art of War

by Djuva

A different plan continues: Palpatine might be dead, but the war is not over yet. As Darth Vader's little team makes a final effort towards defeating the Empire, the Dark Lord himself is pursuing a far more sinister plan.

6. Encounters

The Art of War

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters - yet.

Special thanks to Redone again. And Kee, of course. Links to the previous parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5.

Part 6: Encounters

Mara watched the Grand Admiral closely. He was sitting very quietly amidst the glowing displays circling his chair in his very private meditation chamber. It was an almost serene picture, Mara thought quietly. With nothing else to do she let her mind wander, scrutinizing the recent happenings. They had arrived at the Noghri world Honorgh almost a week ago and Thrawn had immediately made his move. He had explained to her that the Noghri held a special place with the Dark Lord, something she found hard to believe. But the Grand Admiral apparently knew Vader better than she did. It was easy to free a single person, Thrawn had told her, but when the lives of so many were at stake one could not take any risks. Which seemed logical. But they were dealing with Vader, after all.

This morning though Jay Gerran had confirmed the Dark Lord's willingness to meet with Thrawn. And Mara was actually pretty excited about that. What was Vader planning to do? He would not surrender just like that, Mara was certain. There must be something he held secret and the Grand Admiral undoubtedly knew that too. Thrawn had been going on about that in length, actually. But he was certain that Vader would not let the rebels fall without some justified reasons. Which was why the Grand Admiral was so concentrated right now. If he could anticipate the Dark Lord's motives he had won this game. And wouldn't that be fun.

"You are making a mistake. And if you leave now I will find you wherever you go. I will find you, Padmé. You will stay here, or suffer my revenge. If you leave now, Padmé, I swear I will kill you."

Those words, spoken in scorn almost half a lifetime ago were haunting Anakin now. He had regretted them immediately once they were issued, but by then it had already been too late. He remembered Padmé's eyes widening in fear and how she had taken a step back, the small, hurt sobs as he had let her go again. She had not said a thing. And he had been too proud to ask her forgiveness. He had come back to Coruscant, hoping for her insight, her reassurance and strength to soothe that nagging feeling of failure tearing at his soul. How disappointed he had been when Padmé had told him that she was leaving, that she did not trust him anymore. Could she not see how much he needed her now?

In his lonely battle he was being assaulted from all sides and the tension was threatening to suffocate him. The Jedi Council had made it clear that they did not approve of his course of action, had sent him to Alderaan of all places to cool down. The peaceful world had done nothing to ease his growing restlessness, the feeling that everything was getting out of control. And now this. He had felt her withdraw from him then, closing off her heart, only strengthening his fears that he had lost her, had lost everything. And he had known just who to blame.

Fighting Obi-Wan had only been another mistake in a long series.

Waking up always was the hardest part. His eyes hurt in the cold lights of the sterile room they had put him in and the chilly air made him shiver. Unable to move at all, he would simply stare up at the ceiling, imagining the stars above, telling himself that he was lying underneath the night sky above Tatooine or Naboo, not confined to his bed, shackled down by these cursed machines. Wishful thinking, he knew. His mouth was swollen and he was almost certain that his jaw had been broken. There was little he remembered of the happenings on Eol Sha. And maybe that was just for the best. He recalled fighting Obi-Wan, his own anger at his one-time friend and master, and the end of Anakin Skywalker.

I am Anakin, he reminded himself. Repeatedly.

But he knew very well that nothing was as before. And his captor took great delight in telling him over and over again. Palpatine's blue eyes regarded him with unmistakable mocking as he stepped closer to the patient hanging on to what little was left of his life. Of himself. Anakin had not even dared to assess his own condition, fearing the worst and loathing what he had let himself become. Leaning closer the Chancellor smiled coldly:

"Your wife was officially reported dead two weeks ago." His smile deepened. "Apparently she drowned in the lake above Otoh Gunga. Some even speak of murder."

At first his mind froze, his brain shutting down as an icy coldness swept over him, rendering his feelings numb. Dead? Anakin's eyes narrowed for the smallest fraction of a second as he rallied himself and his mind translated the words into their true meaning. Impossible. Obi-Wan would have told him, wouldn't he? If anything happens to me I want you to keep her safe, he had asked his friend before leaving for Alderaan on his lonely mission three months ago. He had returned only to find that Amidala did not trust him anymore, that noone seemed to trust him at all. He had been furious at Obi-Wan for sending her away, for turning her against him. But still, his friend would have told him if anything had happened to her. Two weeks. Two weeks ago he had been on his way to Eol Sha. Suddenly realizing the truth Anakin took a deep breath through the machine that had replaced his lungs. Forcing a smile on his dried-out lips he met Palpatine's gaze levelly.

"Brilliant," he wheezed laboriously, forcing his mouth to cooperate.

"Isn't it though? The Naboo blame the Gungans for her death and some even believe that you killed her yourself. Fools. Your friends have abandoned you long ago, Skywalker. There is no turning back for you."

"But - there is - a way," Anakin whispered weakly, fighting down the pain.

"There always is, my friend. Always. And I can show it to you."

Anakin stared at him for a long time unblinking. Amidala's supposed death would rekindle the animosities between the Gungans and the Naboo she had managed to lay to rest almost a decade ago. The result may very well be a civil war or, knowing Palpatine's plan, even something worse. He would use the tragedy in his favor, pressing for a quick ratification on the Cloning Act and he could even blame the Jedi for having failed to protect the queen. It truly was a brilliant move, one that had trapped his opponent effectively. Anakin might know that Amidala was not really dead, that it had probably been her bodyguard who had been found murdered on Naboo, but who would believe him? Especially now. Obi-Wan had seen him die on Eol Sha.

His life was in Palpatine's hands and the Chancellor was offering to teach him everything there was to know of the game he had started, stumbling into its hidden mazes and traps like a fool. And although Anakin was certain that his plan itself was right and that it was the only way to defeat Palpatine, he also knew that he had indeed a lot to learn until they could meet as equals. And it was true what Palpatine had said: he had no friends left. He could not go back. But he could take Palpatine's offer and turn that gift against him. Someday. An old saying came to his mind: patience is the virtue of the warrior. He might have lost this battle, but he could still win the war. Nodding grimly Anakin made his choice.

"Then show me."

Heaving a deep sigh, Anakin Skywalker opened his eyes and shook off the memories. For a long time he simply stared straight ahead, unseeing, and finally an ironic smile appeared on his lips.

"I thought myself really clever back then," he declared, sarcasm dripping off every word.

"You did, indeed."

Anakin smiled at his friend expectantly.

"You believe that I should have said something else?" Obi-Wan inquired coolly.

"Actually yes, but you would only lecture me about pride again."

Throwing up his hands in a defensive gesture, Obi-Wan shrugged in mock discomfort:

"The Force only knows that there is noone alive who could best you at this game. But you are right: pride is not for the Jedi."

Hugging his arms around his legs and drawing them up to his chest Anakin rested his chin on his knees pensively. Noone alive. He grimaced in disdain. But Obi-Wan had a point. He still was too proud. And he could only hope that somewhere along the way he could learn that lesson in humility he apparently needed so badly. For now though he refused to surrender his ego, telling himself that there was noone who could defeat him, although Thrawn had made quite an impressive try. As long as he remained aloof, shielding his emotions from any harm that might befall them, he was invulnerable. His children were very capable of taking care of themselves, and if not, there were always ways to help them without taking an active part, as Nuron had proven with Luke. There was always a way. At least that was what he believed.

"You are right, Obi-Wan, I know. But sometimes pride can be a very effective shield."

"Are you sure that you really need it?"

Anakin stared blankly at his friend before he answered in a small voice:

"Yes."

Obi-Wan folded his arms in front of his chest and shook his head ominously, gaining himself an angry growl from the Dark Lord.

"You are trying to hold on to them and keep them apart at the same time. But you must realize that this cannot work in the long run, Anakin. You told Master Yoda once that you have never learned to forgive, but you did with me, didn't you? In the end?"

"Yes," came the sullen reply.

"Then why can't you just surrender your pride too?"

"Surrender is a greater pain than you might imagine."

"For you, yes. But you are running up against a wall right now and surrender is your only way to break through. Don't you see? Neither your strength nor your wits can help you there."

"Palpatine broke me by turning my feelings against me."

"Forget him, Anakin. You of all people should know that a general who does not share the life of his troops will lose their trust. You are only human, after all."

"I cannot allow myself to become weak now. Maybe later, but not now."

"Well, I surely am not going to force you to do anything, even if I could. But when the time comes I hope that you will make the right choice."

"The right choice," Anakin snorted then continued in a more somber tone: "Tell me, what did Amidala think of what happened back then?"

"At first her mind was rigid with fear, understandably, and it took me long hours to convince her that there was no possibility whatsoever that you of all people would have made the mistake of confusing her with Sabé. In the end though she did come to see the truth. And I did too. You had gone too far, but I was certain that you could still come back."

"Is that why you let Luke keep his true name?"

"To mark the way home for you. Amidala was furious."

"And that was why she left Tatooine?"

"To be with her daughter for some time and away from me. She thought I had betrayed her by taking your side. And when I realized later that you were indeed lost I became very worried. But by then it was too late to change what had already been done."

Anakin did not reply and finally Obi-Wan faded away, leaving his friend alone to ponder the many questions their conversation had sparked in his mind. Anakin was preparing to meet with Thrawn and time was running out. Although he had allowed the Imperial warlord to gain the upper hand, or at least had made Thrawn believe to, there were still a few factors to take care of. Convincing the Alliance Command to accept Leia as new leader was one of them. And so far he had not found the time to talk to Nuron and he was not sure if he should reveal anything to her after all, not with Amidala on Korriban. He could not move against the Sith under these circumstance, at least not openly. And he was not certain if Nuron was completely loyal to him anymore.

A difficult situation. Sighing deeply, he dislodged his arms and rose. One step at a time. He would have to think about this and soon, but right now he did not feel up to developing any effective plan, not with what Obi-Wan had told him. For now he just needed some time alone to sort out his feelings and thoughts. Anakin knew very well that he had already given up moving unseen in favor of throwing Thrawn off balance and thereby he had made himself seem more vulnerable. Which he was not in the least. Thrawn might believe that the Alliance did not trust him or the former Imperial troops, but what he saw was not the same as what was truly going on.

But now the Grand Admiral thought that he had found a flaw in the design of the Dark Lord's plan: the Noghri. Anakin had not been best pleased when Palpatine had given the responsibility for their mission deployments and the control over their home-planet over to Thrawn when the Grand Admiral had left for the Unknown Regions. The Noghri used a formality that the Admiral did not care for at all and he did make them feel that too. In short, he did not care. Well, time to make him do so. And if not for the Noghri, then for someone else.

"Look at that, will ya?" Jix exclaimed in disgust, gesturing over the endless rows of nutrient bubbles lining the crew quarters aboard the Executor. Leia and Mon Mothma had been following him quietly, both wearing thoughtful expressions. The rebel leader stepped forward cautiously, frowning, and touched one of the cylinders tentatively:

"How curious. And you say that there are more on the other decks?"

"Yes."

"Very strange. What are those?"

"Cloning tanks," Leia replied calmly.

"Clones?" Mon Mothma asked in bewilderment.

The Princess nodded. She did not like the feel of this ship, not at all. Apart from a team of scientists they were the only ones alive on board and it made her skin crawl. She had accompanied Jix on his first scouting round through the Super Star Destroyer and had shared their findings with Admiral Piett. He had been the one who had filled her in on the clones. Since the Empire did lack sufficient troops Grand Admiral Thrawn had had the glorious idea of manning the Executor with a crew consisting mostly of clones. It had been thought as a last resort, but considering the Empire's current state it was indeed time for desperate measures.

"Thrawn is apparently on his way to some secret location to get the missing pieces for growing them," Leia explained softly," Genetic material has already been taken and stands ready for the process."

This ship felt like a tomb, a giant grave. That was what made her so uncomfortable. She wanted to get off board and fast.

"How did he know about all this?"

"Lord Vader sent him a message through Mara, I believe, some datacards containing valuable information."

The moment she had said it Leia knew it had been a mistake. Mon Mothma turned towards her, incredulous at first, then full of anger:

"He did what?"

"I -"

"That is treason, do you realize that?"

"I am sure he had his reasons."

"He always does, doesn't he?"

Leia's face hardened and when she replied her voice was wintry cold:

"It does not matter. What does are the results."

"Have you come so far then? To tell me that the ends justify the means?"

"No. Not at all. But you cannot just assume that he was wrong in doing so. You cannot be certain that moving the way he did, he did not he save the lives of thousands who would have died in a senseless battle to gain control of this ship."

"And you are certain of that?"

"This ship is huge and running it does cost a fortune. To us it is of no use and the Empire lacks the resources too. Don't you see? Lord Vader has offered Thrawn this way out and I am sure that he did not do it out of compassion or anything. There is another purpose behind that."

"Which one?"

Leia clicked her mouth shut. She did not know if Anakin wanted the Alliance Command to know exactly what he was planning to do. They might go so far and try to prevent him from leaving. Gritting her teeth Leia realized her mistake: by keeping silent she had made Mon Mothma suspicious, she could feel it. What a mess.

"Ladies?"

Jix was standing a few meters apart, behind the rebel leader, and his right hand was hovering dangerously close to the blaster hanging from his belt. Leia smiled at him reassuringly. Turning towards Mon Mothma, the Princess' expression became serious once more:

"Have you ever heard about the strategy of courting the enemy? Making him feel safe? Estranging his most trusted advisors and gaining the support of his people?"

"Yes. Of course. And that is what Lord Vader is doing?"

"No. This is what we must do. Lorth Needa and Tomas Piett are counted among the best Imperial command has to offer and both are with us now. Thrawn has been relieved of his command and he is left with only one ship, maybe two. The government is under public pressure and what the people want is peace and stability. The Empire has been thrown into chaos. This is our chance."

"What about Thrawn? Won't they call him back?"

"I am almost sure of that. And here time is against us. Which is exactly why Lord Vader is leaving."

"He will meet with the Grand Admiral? He will truly surrender? To what purpose?"

"Frankly, I do not know. But he will keep Thrawn off our backs. Our task is taking control of Coruscant. Now."

To Leia's great surprise Mon Mothma's anger faded and she smiled at the Princess warmly:

"Thank you. I must admit that Lord Vader has taught you very well. And although I still believe you are far too young for this sort of responsibility I fear I will have to trust his judgement once more."

"Needa and Piett will be helping me."

Mon Mothma sighed deeply:

"Lord Vader has outmaneuvered us and now all we can do is stand aside and offer you our support. Which we will do, of course. I had, for a time, forgotten the purpose of all this, that it is for the best of everyone, nor for our own personal gain. To get taught that lesson by Darth Vader of all people is, in a way, very humiliating. I guess that is why we refused to see the truth at first. And because of his absolutely infuriating behavior," she added with a tiny smile.

"He can be pretty demanding at times, yes," the Princess agreed slowly.

Why the sudden change? Mon Mothma had been absolutely furious after their retreat from Hoth and very hostile towards Leia's father. There must be something behind all this, she mused inwardly. A slight frown appeared on Leia's face as her suspicion deepened. There was someone she needed to talk to very soon.

She was standing at a window, very straight, her head held high and her eyes fixed into the distance. Approaching her Anakin could feel her longing, her uneasiness and the pain. He came to a halt a few steps behind her and studied her reflection in the transparisteel viewport. Nuron's eyes were yellow slits and her mouth was drawn tight in a stubborn pout. For a while neither said a word. Finally Anakin decided to make the first move. Closing the distance he laid a hand gently on her shoulder and immediately she tensed, as if expecting the punishment to continue:

"I will not hurt you," he told her quietly, but did not let go.

"It is not my place to question your actions, Lord Vader."

He smiled at the defiance in her tone, her stiff-backed pride.

"True, indeed. But neither is it mine to treat you like a child."

She turned around in surprise.

"I am a Sith. I obey the Council and the Dark Lord. I am not a child."

"You are an individual. And you are responsible for your actions. Which is why I punished you. Not because you are a Sith. Or a child."

"But you said- You said that you own me."

"You are, among everything else, a soldier, Nuron. And in that you are mine. This is something I teach all of my agents. I will tolerate their independent actions, but only so far. I explicitly forbade you to interfere. Yet you chose to ignore my orders."

"Lord Kell said-"

"Roj Kell has nothing to say on that matter. I carry the responsibility for the success of this operation. I alone am in command."

"But the Council-"

"Is obliged to follow me in wartimes. As you know very well. I came here to apologize, Nuron, but I can see that you still are not inclined to see the error of your ways."

"You told me once that I have to stand for what I believe in."

"Yes. So?"

"I believe in honesty, Lord Vader. And I believe in you. And for a time I thought that you believed in me too. What has changed?"

"You have, Nuron. You have lost your independence. Why I know that? Because else you would have saved my son not because Lord Kell told you to, but because you would have understood my request as a message to you."

"What message?"

"To remember what I have taught you. That simple, Nuron. But I realize too that I have been away for too long, that I did not have the time to finish your training properly. You must have felt incomplete and Roj Kell eagerly moved in to fill you with his dreams of glory. Am I right?"

Nuron stared at him, her yellow eyes unfathomable. Still, Anakin could feel the sudden feeling of betrayal slam into her as she finally understood what exactly he had punished her for. Taking a long step away from him she swallowed hard, setting her mouth in a grim line. Without another word she whirled around and stormed down the corridor, vanishing from sight. Anakin shook his head slowly, refraining from monitoring her feelings and thoughts through the Force. He had made the first step, but the next one would have to come from her. It would take her some time to sort out her desires and wishes, to admit her errors and to accept what she had learned. But in the end Nuron would understand that she had let herself become trapped. And as a warrior, she would not tolerate that at all.

Meditating in his small room, Luke was well aware of his sister approaching even before she tentatively knocked at the door. Rising gracefully he went over to open it for her. He gave her a warm smile and hugged her tightly before leading her over to sit on the bed. Leia stared at him, her dark eyes hard and questioning.

"How was your trip to the Executor?"

"Interesting. Did you talk to Mon Mothma?"

Luke winced slightly at the accusation: "They came to me, actually. The three of them. They wanted to know if you had changed in any way."

"I see. And what did you tell them?"

"It was ridiculous. Do you know that they actually thought that Father was turning you into a Sith?" He barked a small laugh but Leia kept very still. So he continued more earnestly: "I told them that he was teaching you strategy and that this has got nothing to do with the Force. He does not even use it himself when planning his moves."

"He did teach me about the Force too," Leia explained coolly, daring him to say anything against that. Luke looked at her pensively:

"And how did you feel about it?"

"Good, actually," she replied, just a bit too flippantly.

Luke gave her an uneasy smile, sensing that there was more behind that comment. Was she perhaps afraid that the Command's concerns were justified? If so, she was badly mistaken. Maybe she had felt it too, but chosen to ignore it, but their father was not what he seemed at all.

"Do you know that Nuron was his apprentice before you?"

She shook her head slightly.

"I am fairly certain that Father did not teach her only strategy and tactics either. He lectured her about the Force, about responsibility, about Life and about being a guardian."

"Sounds like your Master Yoda."

"Doesn't it?"

"You mean he has taught her how to be a Jedi Knight?"

Throwing up his hands helplessly Luke started pacing the floor:

"I am not sure where exactly Father stands on all this. He obviously has a different point of view from Master Yoda and I blame that on his life as a warrior, constantly fighting. No wonder his vision got warped quite a bit. He punished Nuron and felt bad about it afterwards - I could feel his pain across the room, you know? But he thinks emotions will make him weak. Which prompted the question who he is expecting to fight. Thrawn? I do not believe that this would trouble him so. No. There is something else. And when he told us that Mother is with the Sith on Korriban I got it."

"Got it?"

"The Sith, Leia, are the key. This whole plan is nothing but an elaborate ruse to distract them from realizing his true intent. The fact that he is helping the Alliance win the war is just a welcome side effect. Didn't you ask yourself why he would ever consider joining Thrawn?"

"And did you ever ask yourself why he never told us about them? That there are more?"

"Well, no. I guess he thinks the less we know, the less we are in danger. Nuron says he is the Sith' battle-leader and that he is responsible for the whole plan."

"You talked to her?"

"You did too. I found her in his office, after - you know."

"Soothing her?"

Luke blushed slightly: "You would have done the same in my place. Anyway. She said as Dark Lord the Sith Council has to follow his orders in war-times. I guess that is the whole reason why he agreed to take this post as-"

"Executor," Leia prompted him with a small smile.

"Yes. I know what you mean. He has planned this long before he ever became Darth Vader, I believe. And you know what that means, don't you?"

When he saw her eyes widen in understanding Luke smiled down at his sister pleasantly.

"I do not like the way the Alliance Command sees him," she said suddenly and Luke simply nodded. "We should talk to them. They trusted you because they know you have been trained as a Jedi. They will trust him too when they realize what he really is. Who he is."

"They will be afraid, Leia, very afraid."

"Why should they? He is our father. He is a Jedi Knight."

"He is too dangerous."

"What?"

"You know Mon Mothma. She does not like people being smarter than herself."

They shared a laugh. "You are right," Leia admitted finally. "Unfortunately. And I can see that you have learned a lot on Dagobah."

"She will try to get back in control once he is gone."

"I know. She already is trying to make me feel accepted. But I do not mind her taking over. She knows what she wants and what she wants is good. She is much more experienced at politics than I am and I will gladly learn from her. As long as she lets me do my job first."

The Alliance Command had followed the Dark Lord's call and now they were all assembled again in the Castle's huge meeting room, a bit forlorn, only the five of them. Mon Mothma was seated between her generals, as usual, facing Leia and Anakin across the table. Once everyone had settled down Anakin did not waste any time. Rising gracefully he gestured towards the holoproj and almost immediately an image of Coruscant materialized, spinning slowly above the table's smooth surface.

"With the loss of the Executor and Admiral Piett the government is facing increasing pressure from the people. Our sources report that more and more protests are being voiced and there is a mutual call for peace and safety from random attacks by Imperial troops. They are as afraid of their government as the government is afraid of us. Grand Admiral Thrawn has been replaced and it will take some time, even if they call him back, for him to return to Coruscant. In the mean-time my best guess is that Admirals Griff and Ozzel, the most senior members of the Navy Command, will take over."

"Have you heard anything from our teams on the planet?"

"Not yet."

"And that does not worry you?"

"No. If they had been discovered we would have heard by now. So we will assume that they are in position and ready to strike. Princess Leia has prepared the plans for the attack on Coruscant. Princess, if you please?"

Taking his seat again he watched Leia stand up, just a little bit flustered by the intent gazes of the three people facing her. She bent over the holoproj controls, staring hard at the image. Straightening again Leia cleared her throat once and nodded at the small assembly thoughtfully.

"The purpose of this operation will be not only the conquest of the capital, but also a symbol of unity. The Imperial government has lost the support of its people and they are looking to the Navy to save their necks, at the same time fearing a renewed military rule. With our covert operations we have made sure that the public does not harbor any love for the military and the government knows that too. And we will have to make good use of those contrasting sentiments."

Two more planets appeared, while the image shrunk to a smaller scale.

"We have to distract the military enough to assure an easy victory. They will be expecting us to strike at Gyndine and we will, with a superior force. Another attack will be lead on Duros, drawing more ships away from Coruscant. And while they are occupied our strike teams will make their move and infiltrate the Imperial Palace. When our main task force arrives," pushing a button Leia let a fleet of five Star Destroyers and five capital warships of different types converge on the planet, "the sentinel ships left behind by the Navy will certainly not be taken by surprise, and I daresay that the government will expect this battle to turn in the Empire's favor. Their major worry will be a public uprising. And by the time they realize that the enemy is already right on their door-step it will be too late."

"But they will not give up without a fight."

"No. The Navy will strike back, I am certain of that, but Coruscant will be secured without a fight. And that is most important."

"How are you proposing to make the Navy surrender then?"

"Without the government's support they cannot survive. With no goal to reach and nothing to defend their resolve will be broken. Unity will be torn apart when the troops realize that they are fighting a losing battle. They will surrender. Trust me."

"Will you be leading the attack yourself, Princess?"

"No. I am entrusting our Coruscant fleet into the able hands of General Dodonna." She smiled at their surprise." Captain Needa will take command of the Duros and Gyndine operations. To forestall your questions: I myself will leave for Coruscant once our main force is in position and the attacks on Duros and Gyndine have started."

Mon Mothma nodded slowly while General Dodonna's eyes narrowed dangerously. He had realized the purpose of this setup apparently. This way both commanders would be dependent on the other's success. There would be no back-stabbing, no rivalry, just one common goal.

"What about General Rieekan?"

"He will accompany me to Coruscant, together with Luke Skywalker."

"And Lord Vader?"

"Is leaving today," Anakin told them pleasantly and rose. "If all is settled then?"

"You are leaving?"

"Just what I said, Mon Mothma."

"Alone?"

"No. I will be taking my aide with me."

"And, if I may ask, where are you going?"

"You may ask, but you may not get an answer."

She scowled at him: "Mind your manners. What about your agent? Is she leaving too?"

"No."

"Very well. Then this only leaves us to wish you good luck on whatever your mission might be."

"Thank you. I will give your regards to the Grand Admiral."

"Do that, Lord Vader, do that." This time the Alliance leader smiled openly. "And may the Force be with you."

"Always."

When Leia and Luke went to see their father off in his chambers a few hours later they found Wrenga Jixton lurking in the hallway in front of the door looking quite miserable. When he saw the twins approaching though he straightened up from his slouch, his expression turning passive, even arrogant. Leia smiled at him warmly:

"Jix, what's up?"

"Nothing. I am just - waiting," he added, shooting an annoyed glance at the still closed door.

Leia followed his gaze, frowning:

"But I can feel him in there. Why-"

Stopping herself short she blushed at Jix' angry scowl. He threw up his hands in disgust and started pacing in front of the twins, growling something under his breath.

"What was that?" Luke asked as gently as he could.

"I said," Jix almost shouted, "that he is ignoring me. Completely."

"The Executor? Is that it? He is still mad at you?"

"Mad? If he were mad at me I would probably be in intensive care, sharing the room with Piett. But he doesn't even seem to care, you know? He knows that I have been waiting out here for half an hour!"

The twins shared a glance and Leia raised her eyebrows knowingly. Wrenga Jixton hated being ignored and he especially hated being ignored by the Dark Lord. They both could feel that the Corellian was at the brink of despair right now, desperately seeking some reaction to his disobedience, some acknowledgement for his reckless endeavor. Sighing deeply Leia stepped forward to pat his shoulder amiably, thereby stopping him in his tracks. He stared down at her, his blue eyes throwing angry sparks, but gradually his face softened again and in the end she could feel him relax a bit.

"We'll talk to him, alright?"

"You think that will help?" he replied gruffly.

"Probably not, but we can certainly try."

Just then the door opened and Leia turned around to see her father stride out of his room, eyes fixed thoughtfully into the distance. They fell in step with him, half-running to keep up, as he made his way for the Castle's main landing pad where a shuttle was already waiting for him. Leia shot a glance at Luke, who was grinning openly. They could both feel the stiff hurt pride in their father and Jix' anger at the Dark Lord. The tension between the two men was almost palpable, and furthermore the whole affair was getting ridiculous.

"Will you two be alright?"

Leia almost jumped at the sudden sound of her father's voice.

"I guess so. They seem relatively tame now that everything is settled."

"Good. Luke, I want you to keep an eye on Nuron."

"No problem."

"In your place I would not be so sure of that, son."

"Understood. And who will take care of you? Gerran?"

"Gerran?" Jix yelped, scandalized, from somewhere in the back of the small group.

Whirling around abruptly Anakin brought the agent up short, looming over the startled Corellian like a huge black cloud.

"You object?" he asked very softly and very coldly.

"It will be dangerous," Jix answered weakly and Leia could really bear with him.

A cruel smile appeared on the Dark Lord's lips:

"At least he is following my orders."

"You did not say that you did not want the Executor here!" the other man shouted defensively.

"I didn't, did I? I also distinctly remember myself telling you that your operation was to remain secret. Secret. Have you ever heard of that word? Does it, in your mind, encompass stealing a 12.800 meter long Super Star Destroyer more or less under the eyes of the Imperial Navy?"

"I -"

"Spare me, Jix. You are staying here."

"What? That is-"

"Unfair? Was that the word you were looking for?"

Clamping his mouth shut Jix simply stared up at him. Anakin gave him a triumphant smile, turned around again and left, with Luke by his side, not looking back once. Remaining behind sullenly Jix folded his arms in front of his chest, clearly hurt. For an instance Leia hesitated before following her father and brother, trying to find any way to soothe the agent.

"I'll be okay, Princess. Just go ahead."

"We'll talk later, alright?"

"Sure."

Anakin strode onto the landing pad only to find Nuron waiting for him. She was facing him proudly and he could feel the sudden tension rising from Luke by his side. Clearly the boy was expecting another confrontation. Motioning for him to stay behind the Dark Lord approached the warrior casually, revealing nothing. She stood at ease at the lowered landing ramp of his ship and it was clear that she had made a decision. Good. Nodding at her once he hooked his thumbs behind his belt, waiting for her to talk. She hesitated for a moment, clearly taken aback by the fact that he was forcing her to make the first step, something reserved only for emergencies. Custom demanded that she, as a common warrior, had to wait until she was given permission to speak. It annoyed Anakin greatly that Nuron apparently had not yet managed to come to terms with what he had told her and what he was expecting of her. She was still unsure of herself. Well, what did you expect in such a short time? he asked himself resignedly.

"I have heard that you are leaving. Lord Vader," she began, and the accusation in her tone for not having been informed by him first rankled immensely.

"So?"

"Do you have any orders for me?"

"No. But a request: my son has told me that you have been practicing with him. Keep up those exercises. There are a lot of things you can learn from a Jedi."

Flinching at the obvious reference to their previous conversation, Nuron's face hardened visibly. "I have some advice for you too, my Lord," she hissed coldly. "The Council does not trust you anymore. Take care or else you might trap yourself in your own web."

He watched her impassively for a while, letting her wonder how he would react. But when he spoke his tone was completely earnest: "What about you? Do you trust me?"

"I am not sure anymore. I - have a feeling that I know what you are planning. Please. Think about it once more."

Her voice had dropped to a soft whisper and only then did Anakin realize what she must be going through. He had given her a home on Korriban, people to care for her and an upbringing that was designed to prepare her for her destiny to come. A glorious one as a warrior, as a strategist, a Sith. She had grown up in the belief that the Sith were invincible, that one day she would rule by their side. And now he was going to take that dream from her. Just as he had destroyed her hopes of taking his place one day. Truly shocked at what a mess he had made of her Anakin shook his head slowly and reached out to touch her shoulder. But she took a step back, evading him, her face a show of cold pride.

"I did not mean to hurt you like this, Nuron."

"You did not care," she shot back hoarsely.

"Yes, you are right. I did not see you as the very capable young warrior you are, but as a tool for my plans. I realize now that thinking that way was a mistake. But unfortunately this is neither the place nor the time to make it undone. All I can say is that I am sorry."

Nuron did not answer but he could see her jaw working furiously to keep her from blurting out a reply that she feared might sound childish or immature or even unprofessional. For that was how she had seen herself so far and what she had hoped her mentor had seen in her too. A professional, an equal even, maybe.

"I am sorry for disappointing you like this," she said finally, her voice choked with silent tears.

Brushing past him she left, ignoring Luke standing in a respectable distance that would have prevented him from overhearing their conversation. He was looking at her thoughtfully, then came forward to join his father at the ship. Both men turned around, watching as Leia hurried onto the pad, frowning at the warrior headed in the opposite direction. The two women's eyes locked for a moment and then Nuron nodded at the Princess a quiet acknowledgement, the finality of it nearly breaking Anakin's heart.

"I have been such a fool," he whispered, remembering Obi-Wan's words. But he had tried, hadn't he?

"You did well. But it could have been better," Luke said quietly and again his father was helpless in the face of the young Jedi's astoundingly mature wisdom and insight.

"What is it that I am doing wrong? Can you tell me?"

"Well. Master Yoda would say that you have to find out by yourself. But maybe I can give you a hint by reminding you of just who taught you to play this game."

Leia's arrival prevented any answer, but Anakin understood well enough. Of course. That was what Obi-Wan had told him too. And Amidala had been shocked when he had proposed using calculated manipulation in her quest to bring the Republic back to a democracy. Although a deft politician herself she had always refrained from discrediting an opponent with false evidence and uncalled for accusations. He was acting like a Sith, and worse, he was acting just like Palpatine. But he had been aware of that, hadn't he? Which was exactly why he was leaving the field to Leia now. She was so much like her mother. Even now, looking down at her smiling face Anakin could see Amidala's features in hers and once again he vowed that he would never let his daughter be hurt the way he had hurt her mother.

"Are you alright?" she asked tentatively, a concerned smile on her lips.

"Yes," he answered weakly and stepped forward to embrace her: "Take care, Princess."

"Jix and Luke will be watching over me, so don't you worry."

Letting go of her again Anakin hugged Luke tightly, regretting that he had had so little time for him after his son had returned from Dagobah. But he would make up for that later, when all of this was over. Somehow.

"May the Force be with you," he said, smiling as Luke turned his clear blue eyes up to look at him.

"Just come back to us."

The Millenium Falcon dropped out of hyperspace a few clicks away from Nar Shadaa and the Wilde Karrde was already waiting for them there, hanging lazily in open space. Hailing the freighter, Han's fingers drummed over the comm console in an impatient rhythm that was getting on Chewbacca's nerves.

"Alright, alright!" Han told his co-pilot defensively when the Wookiee roared at him.

"Millenium Falcon, you got some problems?" Karrde asked coolly.

"No, not at all," the Corellian huffed indignantly.

"Good. Because we might get some over here."

"What do you mean?"

"Check your sensors and tell me what you see off starboard."

Han frowned at his display: "A Star Destroyer?"

"Headed our way. My guess is that we have landed right in its exit vector."

"Then we should get out of it fast, don't you think?"

Throttling up the ship to full speed Han let the Falcon glide into formation with the Wilde Karrde and they made their way towards the planet side by side. Undoubtedly the smuggler chief's sensor officer was eyeing his readouts just as critically as Chewbacca. But so far the huge warship had not seemed inclined to even acknowledge their presence, let alone tried to hail them. So far, so good. Swinging in a wide arc to the right they put a bit more distance between themselves and the Destroyer, just in case.

"Are you running or what?" Karrde asked suspiciously.

"No, just a bit of caution here. Wanna come along? I just want to get out of their guns' reach."

"That does sound reasonable."

But the sudden maneuver had not remained undetected. The Imperial ship changed its course ever so slightly, gliding smoothly towards the two freighters. Han watched the Destroyer loom ever closer, unsure of what to do. If they tried to flee now they would surely have a few TIEs on their trail before they could ever make the jump to safety. "Any ideas?" he asked Chewie under his breath, his eyes fixed straight ahead. The Wookiee growled slowly. "Yes, you're right. She is too well known. But we got her into Coruscant and out, so maybe we can manage one Star Destroyer also."

"Unidentified freighter, this is the Imperial Star Destroyer Relentless. State your business."

Han felt all color drain from his face. The Relentless? Grand Admiral Thrawn's personal flagship? Moaning softly he hesitated before answering the call.

"Err, we are in need of some repairs and fuel."

"It is a long flight from Gyndine, isn't it, Millenium Falcon?" a new voice asked smoothly and Han felt his heart skip a beat. That was him! Had to be. Thrawn himself. Oh man.

"Indeed. Sir," he added as an after-thought. There was a small laugh on the other end.

"Well, enjoy your stay on Nar Shadaa. The Chimaera sends her regards."

"Really? How - nice."

He was going to let them go! He truly was-

"She will be arriving here shortly, by the way. So if I were you I would finish my business as quickly as possible."

"Don't you worry," Han replied sourly and cut the transmission. "Real clever. Thank you so much. Karrde!"

"I heard it, Solo. He sounds like a nice guy, doesn't he?"

"Slick. Reminds me of someone else, actually."

"So, what do we do now? Head home to base?"

"No."

"No? You want to sit here waiting for the Chimaera to arrive?"

"No, it was true what I told Thrawn. We really need fuel and the forward deflector could use some work."

"Great. Now you are telling me. Well. I know some people. Just follow us. And try not to get lost."

"Just lead the way."

The Wilde Karrde headed towards the distant planet at full speed and when they hit the atmosphere Han cursed wildly, cutting his power to a minimum to compensate for the defective shield. They had almost lost sight of the other ship when they turned into the maze of the vertical city of Nar Shadaa, but Chewie's sharp eyes spotted the smuggler again soon. Dancing through the traffic wildly the two freighters mad their way deeper and down, into the underground. It was a twenty-minute flight of near catastrophes and confusing maneuvers, but in the end the Millenium Falcon touched down unharmed next to the Wilde Karrde on the landing pad of what looked like a repair shop.

Han powered down his ship and sighed deeply before leaving the cockpit, following Chewie aft. Han nodded at the fifteen Alliance troopers, but most of them returned that friendly gesture with a grim glare. The Corellian simply shrugged. It had, after all, not been his fault that the ride had been so rough. Waving them onward he followed his co-pilot down the landing ramp, where Karrde was already waiting for them. "Welcome to Nar Shadaa," he said with a mocking smile. Indicating the tall man standing next to him he gave Han a nod:

"This is Shug Ninx, who owns this place. Say hello to Han Solo and Chewbacca."

Ninx simply nodded: "We know each other." Laughing quietly Karrde shook his head:

"Of course. Come on. We don't have much time."

Han and Shug shook hands and shared a smile: "Haven't seen you in a long time."

Han shrugged: "Well, we have been keeping busy."

"So I heard. You are with the Rebels now?"

"Most of the time."

"Karrde has made a deal with them too."

"Yeah, I know. Listen. An Imperial Star Destroyer just pulled out of the system. Anyone know what they wanted?"

"I could make inquiries."

"Good. That would be great. You tell me who can give me that information and I go and get it while you take care of the Falcon."

"Done."

Mara stood next to the Grand Admiral as the Relentless moved towards her jump-point slowly, leaving Nar Shadaa behind. The encounter with Solo had shaken her, she had to admit and she was curious why Thrawn had let them go. If they found out exactly what kind of business they had been conducting... But no. Thrawn had taken care of that, hadn't he? Permanently. Still, he did seem uncharacteristically thoughtful. And she could very well understand what was bothering him. They had just received news of the attack on Gyndine and the disappearance of the Executor and Admiral Piett. Which was the whole reason for the delay in leaving the planet.

Now Thrawn was waiting for a certain message to arrive. Coruscant had no choice but to call him back into service, now that Piett was gone. And when they did the Grand Admiral would have to decide quickly if their current mission was still justified. Mara closed her eyes for a moment and unbidden the memory of her very first vision flooded back into her mind: Vader aboard the bridge of a Star Destroyer, standing guard, and someone hidden in the shadows. That someone had to be Thrawn, she was almost certain of that.

"Sir," a youngish lieutenant said softly as he came to a halt behind them.

"What is it?"

"A call for you. It is Coruscant."

Taking a deep breath the Grand Admiral turned around slowly, his glowing eyes boring into the officer's head:

"Coruscant, you say? Very well. I will take it in my private quarters. Mara Jade, you are taking command."

"Yes, sir," she answered smartly and smiled as she watched him leave unhurriedly.

In some ways Vader and the Grand Admiral were pretty similar to each other. But the one difference was that Thrawn accepted the role of the military as subordinate to the government. The Dark Lord was used to exercising sole control and hated having someone else interfere, especially politicians. A stance that did not sit well with the Alliance Command, she knew. On the other hand he was too important to the Rebels and they would tolerate his arrogance for as long as was needed. But no further. Contrary to that Thrawn's calm competence did not only convince his troops of his skills, but also soothed the government immensely.

How grateful they must have been when he had taken over. While the senior Navy officers surely had not liked him taking over the post of Fleet Commander it had also been them who had suggested him in the first place. And the whole machine was running on smoothly. Mara found that she liked that. There were no moody outbursts, no unexplained orders, no secrets. Thrawn was in command, and fully so. Serving under him had given her back some of the stability and security she had felt when serving as the Emperor's Hand. He did not treat her as if she were a child or incompetent. And, most important, he did not play with her. And she was very grateful that Vader had let her go like this. He had known how she had felt and acted accordingly. When the Grand Admiral stepped up to her quietly she was taken completely by surprise.

"Good news, sir?"

"Coruscant has requested me to return to the capital to resume command of our troops."

"And, will you?"

Thrawn shook his head slightly, but did not answer.

"Sir, if I may?" He looked at her, curious. "I know this might sound strange or even preposterous, but I just know that Coruscant is not the right place to go."

"It isn't, is it? I feel the same. There is nothing we can accomplish by leaving for Coruscant and I can issue my orders from here. No, you are right. First things first. Helmsman!" He called out sharply. "Take us to Wayland."

Luke found Nuron practicing in one of the more abandoned parts of Bast Castle. She had selected a huge chamber on the uppermost floor overlooking the distant plains and the sky painted red with the setting sun's dying light. The warrior was going through her fencing exercises with a fluid grace, moving from one pose to the next in a never-ending dance. Luke stood watching her for a long time until she stopped abruptly in a high guard position, her back forming a straight line with her arms, her neck and right leg, with her blade stabbing down, blocking an imaginary overhand blow. Shutting down the lightsaber she straightened up again and turned to face him.

"What do you want?"

He shrugged uncomfortably: "Well, it sounds a bit strange, but I do feel out of place here. Everyone seems to know what they are supposed to do and even though Leia says she'll be happy to have me along I get the feeling that she has other things to worry about."

"The attack on Coruscant."

"Yes."

"And you came up here to seek what, distraction?" She smiled at the thought of that.

"Maybe."

Their eyes locked and for a moment Luke felt electrified, just looking at her. Nuron's yellow eyes were like shining mirrors of gold, reflecting nothing at all. He smiled a bit at her beautiful face. But the spell had been broken and already the warrior was moving towards the windowpane to gather up her long cloak that she had left there. Clipping her lightsaber to her belt she ignored Luke deliberately, or so he thought.

"And why have you truly come?" she asked suddenly, her tone too light, hiding her nervousness. And nervous she was, that he could feel.

"To talk," Luke answered and started walking towards her slowly.

"Just that?"

Whirling around she faced him again and this time the coldness in her stance was unmistakable. The young Jedi stopped short, trying to understand what exactly was going on with her.

"Well. Yes."

"And what about?"

He shrugged again: "Whatever."

"Small talk?" Nuron snorted and shook her head. Heading for the door she was smiling to herself.

"Nuron," he called her softly and she looked over her shoulder at him questioningly

.

"What?"

"Whatever you do, consider the consequences. Revenge and unforgiving are the way to the dark side and I think I understand enough of the Sith to know that the dark is not your way, Nuron."

She did not answer, but her eyes flickered for a second before she turned back towards the door and left without looking back again. Luke bit his lower lip in frustration. He had not intended to come up here to lecture her at all. But it was strange how just being around her shook him off-balance and confused him. Shaking his head he smiled. Confusion was not for the Jedi. He would have to talk to her properly. And soon.

Wrenga Jixton was furious. Not only had Vader chosen to ignore him, no, he was also taking Jay Gerran with him, of all people. Jay Gerran, that pathetic wimp who would faint at the mere sight of an enemy Star Destroyer, let alone stormtroopers. What had the Dark Lord thought to accomplish with that? Yes, of course Jix understood that his being left behind was some sort of punishment, but it was true, this trip would be dangerous.

"Jix, calm down," the Princess admonished him yet again.

He was pacing her office, striding up and down the length of the room like a caged animal and he was surprised at how tolerant she had been so far. But then, she probably thought that she had to make up for her father's arrogance.

"Calm down? Thrawn will never agree to any deal with him, you know?"

She sighed: "And don't you think that my father has considered that too?"

"Sure, but I just know that this will go wrong somehow. Thrawn is not someone who will grant him any advantage just to be cordial, as he has already proven. They are not playing anymore. This is serious business."

"You don't say."

"And besides, even your father will be hard-pressed to stand against the Relentless all alone. And don't tell me that he has Gerran with him, cause the man is more of a curse than a blessing"

"He doesn't need a bodyguard."

"No? We'll see about that!"

This time Leia actually smiled at him: "You know Jix, your protectiveness is a bit exaggerated."

"Protectiveness? Don't come to me when it is too late. I am warning you. Thrawn is not playing fair."

"Why should he? It is not as if my father is playing fair either."

"Then you know what he is planning?"

"No. But from experience I would guess that it is something nasty."

"Then let us just hope that it will not back-fire on him."

"If it comes to that, Jix, you have my permission to interfere. Until then I just want you to calm down and relax. We will leave for Coruscant tomorrow."

"Fine. Coruscant. Haven't been there in a long time. Great."

"Jix."

"What?"

"Shut up."

Three days had passed since their arrival on Nar Shadaa and Han Solo was getting impatient. Shug had not been able to retrieve the information he had promised so far and the Corellian had almost resigned any hope of getting it at all. And to make matters worse, Karrde had abandoned him and Chewbacca under the excuse of dire business he had elsewhere in the city. Right now Han and his Wookiee friend were walking along the merchants' district conducting their own search. The Falcon was prepped up nicely again, but Solo had vowed not to leave before he did not have something. When suddenly alarms started wailing throughout the city though his face turned sour. And Chewbacca roared angrily at him, making it very clear that he did not appreciate the mess his friend had gotten them into at all.

"Cool down, buddy. It's just an Imperial Star Destroyer," Han said sarcastically as Chewie dragged him into a side corridor, nagging on. "And besides, there is nothing more refreshing than a few Imps on our trail, dontcha think? No? Well, suit yourself."

When the Wookiee let go of his arm abruptly, turning his indignant face down on him Han knew that he had made a mistake. Chewbacca huffed something and left, vanishing in the darkened hallways.

"Hey! Wait! I didn't... Oh, well. I don't need you, you know? I can do this all by myself."

Storming off in the opposite direction his friend had taken Han was fuming inwardly. The alarms could only mean that the Chimaera had arrived, probably with a very upset Captain at the helm. He did not know exactly how much damage the Executor had inflicted on the much smaller ship, but apparently it had not kept her from following the two freighters here. Just as Thrawn had predicted.

The warship was probably just now deploying its troops to search for them down here. Maybe he should get back to Shug's shop after all. To his surprise the alarms ceased their angry howling pretty soon. Suddenly breaking into a faster trot, Han started cursing under his breath: the Captain did not even have to send his own troops down here. This was Nar Shadaa, after all, and on this planet everyone was out for a profit.

"There you are," Karrde greeted him coolly. "Do you know that the Chimaera has just declared Nar Shadaa to be under military order? That is, if they do not deliver our heads to the Captain in the course of 24 hours." Han scowled at him fiercely. "Oh, you know already? Good. Maybe now we can get out of here?"

"We still don't know what the Relentless was doing here," Han hissed angrily.

"You want to wait for Captain Palleon to tell you, in an interrogation cell, perhaps? Go ahead. But I am leaving."

Chewbacca wrapped his friend in a protective embrace that was just the tiniest bit too tight for Solo's taste: "Alright, alright. I get it. Let's go then."

"So glad you agree. Let's go gather our teams."

Mara stepped off the shuttle's landing ramp gingerly, following Thrawn and trying to keep an eye on their surroundings at the same time. They had touched down at the edge of what passed as a city on this planet, a sad assembly of houses huddled together at the foot of Mount Tantiss, their original goal. The mountain rising majestically into the stormy sky above Wayland brought back memories. Palpatine had taken her here once, showing her the whole facility honey-combing the stone. Treasures, memorabilia and other, more useful things. If Coruscant should ever fall the Emperor could easily rule from this planet. Only a very few agents had known the planet's coordinates and she had always been proud to belong to the few select. But not anymore.

The mountain though was not the only source of her growing uneasiness. Just as the Grand Admiral she wore a nutrient cage strapped to her back and she could feel the Ysalamiri's cool reptilian skin rub rubbing against her neck. It almost made her wish that she had not chosen to put her hair up. Too late for that. Holding on to her blaster she studied the fifteen stormtroopers marching out of the shuttle's belly critically. They too were equipped with nutrient cages.

Next to her Thrawn was patiently waiting for everyone to take their assigned places before he gave the sign to advance on the village. Noone was about and Mara cursed the Ysalamiri on her back, for she had no possibility to determine if anyone was here at all. But one of the troopers was already scrutinizing the readout of the heat-detector he wore instead of an Ysalamiri. Looking up he held up his hand, indicating one target.

Mara took a deep breath. They were supposed to meet Vader here somehow, but knowing the Dark Lord, she was sure that he had prepared some surprise for them. As they marched down the single main street in good order, they gradually became aware of the ghostly silence permeating the village. As they neared what seemed the major plaza Mara frowned. Looking over at the Grand Admiral, she saw him purse his lips thoughtfully, then hold up his hand, signaling for everyone to stop. They stood there motionless, listening to the wind sighing in the forest surrounding the village. Nothing stirred at all.

"According to our sources the Emperor left a guardian behind to protect Mount Tantiss," Thrawn explained softly.

"A Dark Jedi?" Mara asked just as quietly. She had never heard of that tale and it made her suspicious.

"Probably."

"Do you think he's still alive?"

"Maybe, maybe not. That rather depends on whether Lord Vader got here ahead of us, don't you think?"

"Perhaps they will be teaming up against us."

"No, I don't think so. Come on."

The Grand Admiral started walking onward again, toward the single building dominating the plaza, its rough wooden doors hanging slightly ajar in the crumbling stone-frame. Mara's uneasiness grew. They had not detected anything indicating the presence of another ship on the planet. So they had to assume that the Dark Lord was not yet here, or else he had found some means to shield it from their sensors. For instance by hiding it inside the mountain. Which meant that the single presence they had been able to detect was either him, the original guardian or something else entirely.

She took the lead, ignoring Thrawn's surprised face, and slipped closer to the doors. Drawing her blaster she risked a glance through the small slit between the doors which allowed her to at least orientate herself. "Anyone here?" she asked finally, cautiously stepping into the darkened room beyond. Hundreds of candles were burning brightly, scattered over what looked like some sort of altar, a huge stone slab raised on a stone pedestal. Mara had to admit that it did look quite impressive. Behind her she could hear the Grand Admiral draw a sharp breath. "This looks like a tomb," he commented finally, his voice echoing strangely in the confined quarters.

"And indeed it is a tomb."

Both Mara and Thrawn turned around at the sound of this new voice. The stranger wore a long hooded cloak hiding his face, but Mara had a hard time not to blurt out his name. Instead she tried very hard to make herself seem tense and suspicious when the Grand Admiral looked at her, as if for reassurance. Well, he would not get it from her. This was not her game, after all.

"We bring you greetings from the Empire," Thrawn began pleasantly, but there was a hint of questioning in his tone.

"The Emperor is dead," the stranger replied harshly, turning around to leave the house. They followed him into the open where he snorted contemptuously at the fifteen stormtroopers shifting nervously on their feet. "Call back your watch-dogs, Grand Admiral. And tell me what you want."

"We were told that there would be a Guardian waiting for us."

"Really. And who do you think you have found in me?"

"Will you lead the way then, Guardian?"

"Only if you are willing to follow," the stranger replied coldly and Mara could almost see the mocking smile on his lips.

Thrawn frowned deeply at the other man, but gradually his expression smoothed again until it did not reveal any emotion at all. Nodding once he gestured for the guardian to take the lead. When she was sure that there were no eyes on her Mara shook her head slowly. Guardian indeed! She really had to admire the Dark Lord for keeping so calm even surrounded by Ysalamiri. She wished that she felt only half that confident.

For an hour they walked in silence up the mounting slope towards the facilities' main entrance. The huge blast-doors did look intact and untouched and opened smoothly at their approach. The former Emperor's Hand felt memories flood back into her mind, how awed she had been at the sight the first time Palpatine had taken her here. But the Grand Admiral did not seem to be fazed at all by the sheer grandeur of the facility.

"We are looking for something special," he explained to their guide, who was marching ahead without looking back once. Now tough he turned to face Thrawn again.

"I know why you are here," he hissed dangerously.

"Of course."

Whirling around again he quickened his pace, leading them along dimly lit hallways towards what seemed to be a turbo-lift. In front of the double-doors he waited for them patiently, then called up a car. Striding into the confined cylinder he shook off the hood of his cloak and smiled at Thrawn. The Grand Admiral stared at the stranger's scarred face with curious interest before he returned the smile pleasantly. Since there was not enough room to accommodate everyone they split up and the guide gave the ten troopers remaining outside a sharp nod: "Two levels down." And with these words the doors slid close again and the car began to move. Up. Almost immediately the five troopers with them moved for their weapons, but Thrawn raised his left hand to calm them down, his glowing red eyes intent on the guardian.

"Let me ask you a question," he began, seemingly unconcerned. "If you knew that Palpatine was dead, why did you not rejoin the Empire?"

"Rejoin the Empire?" The tall man's low laughter sent shivers down Mara's spine. "Palpatine was the Empire. There was no reason to return."

"We could use your services nevertheless."

"Indeed. Unfortunately I am not certain if you can give me anything that would be worth giving up what I have now."

The car stopped with a sudden lurch and spilled them out onto a gangway leading deeper into the mountain. Towards the throne room, Mara remembered.

"Maybe you would want to reconsider?" Thrawn was just asking.

"No, but I think that you should."

At the Grand Admiral's collar his comm began beeping urgently. Flicking it on with an annoyed glance Thrawn turned away a bit:

"Report."

Listening to the trooper on the other end the alien admiral's face turned darker with each passing moment. Finally he whirled towards the rest of the group and strode up to the tall guide angrily:

"Enough of your games, my Lord. My troops report that the treasury has been destroyed and the scientific facilities are ruined. And they have found Jay Gerran in one of the experimental cloning tanks."

"Ah. Did I fail to mention that? I am so sorry."

For a second Mara was sure that the Grand Admiral would go for the other man's throat. Calming himself visibly, he shook his head, his lips drawing back in a silent snarl:

"Nevertheless you lose."

"Lose what, Thrawn?"

"The game, the war, whatever. You choose."

"I have not even made my move yet."

"Too late for that now."

"Not at all."

"Come on. We both know that you came here to surrender."

The Dark Lord simply laughed again. Shaking his head slightly Thrawn unholstered his blaster, setting it on stun.

"You agreed to meet with me and you want to tell me that you did not anticipate this? I am a bit disappointed, I have to admit."

The other man smiled: "You are beaten already, Thrawn. Have been from the very first day you arrived on Coruscant."

"Really. I am anxious to hear in what way."

Leaning forward the tall warlord raised his eyebrows and his blue eyes were burning with an icy fire:

"You know who I am, Thrawn. Did you really think that I would let those fools win? No.
I have different plans."

"And what would those be, Lord Vader?"

"Do you realize why you have been called back?"

"Tell me."

"To get you out of our way, into my reach. Where I could play you off against both the Empire and the Rebellion."

"I see. What a devious move, to force those incompetent fools of High Command into recalling me from the Unknown Regions. That was, after all, the only reason for that ominous journal entry about a supposed threat, wasn't it? You were referring to yourself."

"Myself? Oh no."

"Then why?"

"Your people, Thrawn. We do not need any competition."

"We?"

"The Sith?" Mara answered in his place, incredulous. "Are you serious?"

"Very good, Jade."

Thrawn's face hardened: "The Sith, you say? I do not understand. Why have me capture you now, this close to winning? It doesn't make any sense."

"Doesn't it? It is very simple, actually. I need your help."

"What?"

"Your help," the Dark Lord whispered, smiling coldly.

Thrawn and Mara shared a frown.

"I am not sure I understand: you first betrayed the Empire, then the Rebellion and now the Sith?" Mara was aghast. No wonder even a genius like Thrawn had some difficulties following the Dark Lord's moves and reasoning.

"Exactly!"

"Why?"

It was Thrawn who answered her question: "Very clever, Lord Vader. Indeed. Your plan was to destroy the Sith all along. Am I right?"

"Yes. You are good, I have to grant you that."

"Thank you. But why should I help you at all? I could just as well get the information I need to defeat both the rebel troops and the Sith without your consent."

"Defeating the Sith might not be as easy as you think."

"I have captured you."

"Only because I wanted you to."

"Really?" Gesturing towards the slim-bodied reptile dozing quietly on his back Thrawn raised his black eyebrows coolly: "They may be warriors, but without the Force even they can be defeated."

The Dark Lord shook his head slowly. Smiling down at Thrawn he looked at him curiously:

"That was a mean trick you tried back there with Needa. You had him tortured, anticipating me to shield him from harm and then tried to trap my mind with the Ysalamiri. Gerran told you of that trick. But you forgot that it was me who told him in the first place. I wonder, what would you have done if you had succeeded?"

"I daresay you would not have lasted long against my questioning."

The tall man smiled:

"Maybe. Had you reacted earlier you might have had a chance. But did you really believe that Palpatine would have let anything survive that could have become a direct threat to himself?"

The Grand Admiral raised his head, looking into the other's eyes questioningly: "They do not affect you?"

"I did not say that. They do hamper my perception immensely. Still, if I choose to kill you, you and your troops are dead."

"I see."

"Good. Because I have an offer for you."

"Tell me."

"Your life for that of the Chiss, your people. You said that you know me. Well, I know you too. And furthermore I know the Unknown Regions as well as any other part of this galaxy. It is a very dangerous life out there."

"So?"

"I chose you as my opponent for a reason, Thrawn. Being here, now, you are leaving your people unprotected. Yes, you might tell yourself that they can take care of themselves but they have never faced the Sith. And they will, if you do not prevent it. As for Coruscant, even if I did agree to join you the capital will be in the hands of the Alliance very soon. And they will not hesitate to sacrifice me. But they will hunt you down, you and your people. Fear, Thrawn, is a very useful weapon. And fear you they do, as they fear me. In the unlikely event that they should lose you would still have me to deal with. Your first mistake was to misjudge me and my ego. Had you returned to Coruscant instead of coming here you might have been able to change the outcome of this war. But no more. You have made your choice and now there is no way back. I beg you: do not make another mistake now."

The Grand Admiral gritted his teeth in an effort to regain control over his emotions, but Mara could almost feel his anguish. It was true. Palpatine had seen the alien commander's potential and when the Chiss had exiled the over-eager warlord the Emperor had made his move, giving the ambitious Thrawn his own fleet to command. The ties between the Chiss and the Empire had remained loose even then, if only because the Unknown Regions were too far away for even the Emperor to exert his control over their worlds. And the place was dangerous, just as Vader had stated. Very much so. The Chiss did not need yet another threat to deal with and especially not the Sith.

"What do you want from me?"

The Dark Lord spread his arms in a gesture meant to soothe the Admiral's temper.

"I cannot take on the Sith all by myself. We have to work together in defeating them."

"You said that before," Thrawn replied coldly. "But how are you going to accomplish that?"

"Once they see their precious plan fall in on itself they will panic. And that is when you will strike. With their senses focused on this new threat they will not realize that the real danger is lurking in their midst."

"What if they find out about your betrayal beforehand?"

"I daresay that this will not happen. And if it does, good hunting to you."

Mara stared at two warlords in open astonishment. This simply could not be happening. They had defeated Vader and now it turned out that he had trapped Thrawn good and solid. And the Grand Admiral had seen that too. She still could not believe it. For once she was very glad that she was not the one who had to make the difficult decisions, and she did not envy the two of them at all. Although Thrawn had claimed to be loyal to the Empire his heart apparently was still with his people. Mara frowned at Vader deeply. Who was he loyal to? His family? Maybe. But, thinking back on their recent voyage to Nar Shadaa, perhaps this game was not decided yet.

TBC