BATMAN: DARK SIDE 2 - DARK PRINCE
CHAPTER 5: DARK TRUTHS
1 Somewhere in the bowels of Imperial Center.
The smoke that filled Ted Kord's nostrils had a taste he couldn't quite place, but he was sure that it was million year old dung dust. He wondered how he could smell anything through Mike's force field and realized that it must have overloaded protecting them from the fall. The physical components of the lift they were in failed, sending the car crashing down.
Ted's mind raced through the calculations, contemplating the amount of time they had fallen and multiplied it by the rate of acceleration and then dismissed it as he realized he had no idea what the rate would be on this planet. Pushing himself up, he determined that nothing was broken and began looking for his partner.
Pulling out his Blue Beetle goggles, he slipped them on and activated the starlight mode, as there appeared to be no lighting down here. It was if the planet had swallowed them, and that did not set well with him. When they had first come to this place, they had materialized inside a sewer and were immediately attacked by armored rats. He was positive that some prehistoric spiders or giant mucous creatures were waiting for them to move out of the wreckage.
"Mike!" he called and received a grunt from behind.
Turning slowly, he made out the shape of his friend, smoke rising from where he knew were the power cells for the Booster Gold costume. "Are you okay?"
"My.butt.is.asleep," Michael said.
The two checked each other over and discovered some bruises and cuts, and Mike's costume would no longer be the secret weapon that Batman had figured it would be. The controls were completely destroyed. "That's okay," Mike said, examining a small flashlight he normally carried. "I think Batman brought me along just to keep an eye on me."
Ted smiled. "Let's worry about all of that later. We need to get out of here."
"Where do you think we are?" Mike asked, shining the light into the space in front of them. They were in what appeared to be a large cavern that would have seemed natural except for the metal ceiling. There were large bay doors ahead of them.
Ted examined some rubbish on the floor. "I can't read any of this," he said with finality. "Reminds me of an aircraft carrier."
"Huh?"
They started walking towards the bay doors. "An aircraft carrier? Naval vessel.used to carry aircraft."
"Oh, yeah, I read about them in my history books," Mike said. When they got to the doors, they began to look for some sort of panel that would open them. They did not find that, but instead found a hatch on the other end. It was not completely shut and they were able to get though without much problem.
After a few minutes, Ted spoke up. "Mike, shine your light over into the corner. No! The other corner, idiot!" Michael complied and immediately there was the glint of metal. A lot of metal. "Well, smack my behind and call me Sally, Mr. Carter," Ted said.
The response was a sharp slap to his posterior.
2 Outside the Bounty Hunter's Guild, Imperial Center.
"If you expect me to quake in fear, you're going to be sorely disappointed," Boba Fett said. The Batman stood before him in full costume, looking like some sort of Devronian nightmare. The bounty hunter's helmet sensors, boosted by a microwave link from Slave 1, his personal ship, told him that another human male was standing behind him. He assumed it was the redheaded man that had been looking for information concerning the galaxy's most famous bounty hunter. "I don't impress or scare easily."
Batman made no expression. "You know what I want."
"Sorry, but I don't betray my employers."
"Want me to rough him up, Batman?" Arsenal said with a grin. A swift elbow strike by Boba Fett sent him down to his knees. Fett heard faint laughter, definitely female. She wasn't on his sensors yet, which meant she was in a location near the communications equipment for the Guild offices.
"I don't have time for this, Fett," Batman said, gritting his teeth. His accent made the words sound strange, but his expression made the intent crystal clear. Fett began to weigh his options. "You kidnapped my friend."
"You mean your padawan, don't you, Jedi?" There was sarcasm in Fett's voice. He knew that this Batman was not a Jedi Knight, but he wanted to keep the conversation going while he used his optical interface to activate the call signal for his ship. His custom ship would add a little leverage to his side of this debate.
Batman showed his own quick reflexes by reaching out and snapping off the antenna on Fett's helmet. He then pointed to his own cowl. "I'm picking up your transmissions to your ship. Let's cut the bull."
"Bull?" Fett asked.
Batman decided that enough time had been spent in discussion and leaned in close to Fett. He whispered something very slowly and Fett nodded. "Nice threat, but you can't carry it out."
The Batman said nothing, but continued to stare the bounty hunter down. Fett considered his new options. If he gave in, it would go against everything that he believed in, such as his word. On the other hand, Xizor hadn't actually paid Fett his normal fee and the man behind the Maaladorian helmet was still upset by it.
Still, his word was his word. "How about we go a different route, then," Batman said. "I'm interested in purchasing a ship capable of trans- dimensional travel."
Fett smiled grimly as he realized he had a way of keeping his word and getting back at Black Sun. "I've heard that the Falleen own a company that produces such a craft."
"Who are the Falleen? I'm new around here."
Fett explained that they were a race of reptilian humanoids. "One of their royalty, Prince Xizor, owns several estates on planet. I'm sure he would be able to point you to the appropriate ship-builder."
Arsenal stood up, holding his stomach and the Huntress landed softly beside him. "You two, find a local information terminal and see what you can come up with on this Prince Xizor." As the two turned to walk off, Batman stared down at Fett again. He could almost sense the arrogance coming off the armored man. "Let me give you a warning.stay off of my planet."
There was a choking sound that Batman assumed was a laugh. "It'll take more than a funny outfit and a scary look to convince me." He held his hand out, waiting for Batman to return his rifle. "My weapon.now."
Batman waited a second, and then a second longer before handing the blaster back. "I don't ever want to see you again." Fett took the weapon, turned around and began walking away. "Don't worry about it; next time you won't."
3 Palace of Emperor Palpatine, Imperial Center.
"Our spies report that Lord Vader is moving towards Prince Xizor's castle," the Crimson Guardsman said from his kneeling position. The Emperor could sense the desire to attain power and prestige in the man and smiled. "Rise, Connor Jax, and speak freely."
Jax rose slowly, but kept his eyes directed towards the floor, as if he were unworthy to gaze upon his master. "I have received a report that Lord Vader has met with a local resident at a non-descript barracks. From there, he has taken a shuttle in the direction of Prince Xizor's southern retreat."
"Interesting," was the only comment the Emperor would allow. This was a dangerous game he was playing, but one did not become master of the known galaxy without encountering a threat here and there. All of this had started as an attempt to not only fish out the true reach of his courtier, prince Xizor, but to also put to rest a question that had plagued the Emperor for three decades.
Darth Maul, his first apprentice, was long dead, but before his untimely demise, he had described an encounter with a man possessed of single determination and raging anger. This man had fought Lord Maul to a standstill; though his apprentice had refrained from using the Force directly. Battling a Sith Lord with bare hands required grit that was nearly unheard of in this day and age of hyperspace travel and amusement holos. Such a person would be the perfect genetic blueprint for an army of clones unheard of!
The problem had been the distance, for it seemed as if Maul had described a world that could not possibly exist. Luckily, Maul had been in Palpatine's private apartment when the portal to this other world had been opened. It was amusing that the Emperor actually forgot about the sophisticated sensors and recorders in his apartment until after Maul's death. What at first had seemed like a flight of fancy, a daydream, had turned out to be something real.
"Have Lord Vader ordered to contact me immediately," the Emperor commanded. Jax performed the required rites of obedience and moved off.
The Emperor slowly stood up and began to move towards his private quarters. He would have to reign in Vader before he found out the truth. There was very little threat of the Dark Lord turning on his master, even if it appeared that his master was seeking a new apprentice.of sorts. Vader's loyalty had always been unquestionable, but the recent destruction of the Death Star had given the Emperor pause. When he learned that it was Luke Skywalker.a Skywalker.it dawned on him that Vader may be tempted to do something.untoward.
The Emperor was no fool; for all of his supposed devotion to the Dark Side, Darth Vader still carried the feelings of a life long destroyed in his heart. No amount of training in the ways of the Sith could fully erase the emotions his apprentice had experienced as a boy and a young man. Would his protégé turn against him in favor of a son? The possibility was there, and so the Emperor began to surround himself with potentially powerful allies.
Prince Xizor was one such being. Though a non-human, he was human-enough that he could be tolerated. He played the part well, but Palpatine suspected that there was more to the prince than just someone who wished to rub shoulders with the Imperial elite. He had no direct evidence, but there was always that suspicion. If he were able to produce even the most minute of results from his request, his suggestion that the man who had battled Maul had an apprentice, then Palpatine would have more circumstantial proof of Xizor's reach.
In order to gain that proof, however, he needed to keep Lord Vader away from him. It was no secret that there was a palatable tension between the two, and the Emperor held no illusions of who would be the victor in a direct confrontation. Xizor, he was sure, would be very valuable in the future, and may possibly provide the instrument of Lord Vader's destruction.
Should that prove necessary.
The Emperor cackled and clapped his hands as watched the storm of destiny beginning to rage.
4 Prince Xizor's Castle, Imperial Center.
Mara Jade regarded her prisoner coolly as he stepped from the sonic shower, smelling much better than previously. He was still continuing to try and speak with her, and she thought about lancing his speech center with a Force-spike. His saving grace was that he was very pleasant to look at. Mara spent far too much time escorting withered old Imperial politicians to Imperial parties. Her master, Emperor Palpatine, did his best to keep away eligible younger men.
It wasn't the first time she had seen a naked man, but it was the first time seeing one who seemed so well.designed. She had trained with Imperial Marine Special Forces that had only a tenth of the muscles that this man had. There was a shyness about him as well, and she found it stimulating and refreshing.
He put his uniform back on, a strange, padded work of varying shades of blue and black. She had seen an impressive compartmentalized belt, though empty, that suggested that this man was adept at using and carrying weapons. Mara had no idea who he was, only that her master had wanted her to find out what the Prince was hiding in his castle. She had found it and now she had to get this man to the Emperor.
Though they did not speak the same language, they were able to basically read each other and he understood that it was time to move. She opened the door leading out of the refresher and scanned the passageway. Using her limited Force abilities, she checked for any approaching guards. Satisfied that there was no danger, she stepped into the passageway.
He moved with one fluid motion, seeming to melt into the shadows. His ability to conceal himself in the open was astounding and she found herself impressed more and more. She began to suspect that this was perhaps one of the Emperor's Crimson Guard, the elite stormtrooper unit that answered only to her master.
She wanted to say something but stopped when he put a finger up to his lips, a universal sign for quiet. He had heard something, but she sensed nothing. A second later, two old-model Trade Federation battle druids came marching along. Their armor gleamed, indicating that they were well serviced. At one time, these were the premier models of mechanical military force, but a short war against the planet Naboo had ended their reign as kings. That Xizor had them indicated wealth beyond imagining.
"Halt!" one of the druids called, and the stranger was up and running towards them.
Nightwing had no idea what the robot was saying, but when it leveled the weapon at him, he had a pretty good idea that if he didn't do something, he was going to end up a prisoner again. He left the young girl behind and charged at the lead droid.
The girl seemed pretty sure of herself, despite her age and he was briefly reminded of another redhead in a Batgirl costume. Still, she was only a kid and probably didn't belong here to begin with. He appreciated the fact that she had lead him to a shower, though it was a strange one, but did she have to stare at him the whole time?
The first robot had quick reflexes, but Nightwing had guessed correctly that it would take it another second to get a proper lock on him, especially if he was moving. He chopped up, but the mechanical hands of the robot held the weapon fast. He saw the muzzle begin to glow and thought for sure he was dead when it seemed like lighting flashed in front of him.
The girl was slashing with some sort of laser sword, sending pieces of the robot clattering down the passageway. The other robot drew down on her and she jammed the sword deep into its chest, while seemingly willing the weapon to fly into her hand. As the robot fell, smoking and crackling, the girl fell down to one knee. The laser sword disappeared as she shut it off. Obviously, the effort had been too much for her. She was a metahuman of some type, Nightwing guessed, but probably not very well trained in the use of her powers. Her attack had been blunt, lacking the finesse of a professional.
Accustomed to combat, but not to using her abilities. Nightwing wondered just what kind of world he had stepped into. He offered his hand to her and she gave him an odd look and then got up on her own. She looked at him and then at the weapon she had taken from the robot. She offered it to him, but he refused. "I don't like guns."
Again, he got another strange look. Then she got that expression people tended to get when their best-laid plans got ruined. Obviously, being seen by the sentries had not been part of the plan. "Sorry," he offered.
She put her finger up to her lips and it was his turn to be quiet. He wondered who this woman was and who had sent her. He strongly suspected that Bruce, his father, had once again recruited a young person into his dysfunctional family. If only he could place her language.
Moving off into the corridor, they began to make their way towards a seemingly far-away doorway. Again, the young woman motioned for silence and she closed her eyes. Nightwing could see her visibly straining, but had no idea what it was she was attempting to do. A few moments later, she opened her eyes and appeared to be satisfied that their way was clear.
Nodding to her, they each began to slink along against the walls, in pursuit of escape.
Xizor, prince of the Falleen and lord of Black Sun, stared out at the common landing pad that had been constructed for use by service craft. He smiled grimly as the Imperial military shuttle settled down, repulsor coils sending loose trash and refuse scurrying away like mynocks before a turbolaser. He was aware that Lord Vader was on-planet and only the Dark Lord of the Sith would be brazen enough to land here without clearance.
He considered briefly sending out a contingent of his personal bodyguard to "escort" the Dark Lord to his audience room, but decided that the Sith filth did not deserve the recognition. Xizor turned his cold reptilian eyes to Guri. "Is our contingency plan in place?"
"Of course, just as you ordered at the beginning of the operation." She paused and accessed several security files in her personal database. "It appears that you were correct in believing that Fett was not as careful as he believed. Our spies in the stormtrooper ranks have verified that a small- time nobody provided information to Lord Vader."
"Don't be too hard on hunter Fett, Guri, he's still the best. He's out of his environment here.too many eyes and ears.far too many mammals scurrying about. It was, however, a bit of good fortune that the flight path we gave him allowed him to come across a secret Imperial proving ground."
"I strongly suspect there was more to it than that; Fett deviated slightly from the flight plan by coming out of hyperspace a few light years too early."
Xizor stepped away from the window and threw a casual glance at the security board. There was a fire reported in one of the lower levels. "Yes, maybe I should have actually paid Boba Fett; this, however, allows me to come to understand him a little better. Not only did he 'betray' me, for lack of a better term, but he did so to the one person I hate most in the universe."
"Providing you with the knowledge that the most secret inner workings of Black Sun."
"Are apparently readily available for Boba Fett to review at will. He is a shrewd man and a worthy ally, but most of all, it tells me that we have one of his spies on our midst. Find the leak and seal it, Guri." He moved a little closer to the status board and noted that the fire was only one floor above his personal dungeon. "This could be a problem. Guri.check the Batman's apprentice now."
The blonde android's head tilted slightly. "We've lost contact with Patrol #12."
Xizor's green skin seemed to take on a darker shade as he absorbed the information. His plans were changing, but a true predator was always ready to alter its plans.
"Lord Vader, I am C-4QR, the prince's personal assistant, how may I be."
The protocol droid flew through the air, lifted by the Force and thrown off of the landing platform. It tumbled down out of sight and would not stop until it reached the next building, over a kilometer down. Darth Vader thought no more about the annoyance.
There was a slight stirring in the Force and the dark lord searched it out with invisible tendrils. When he touched it, he could feel Mara Jade's presence as if she were standing right next to him. He felt no emotion upon detecting her, for her life and place in the Force were nothing to him. She was to him, even with her limited training in the Dark Side, naught but an insect. If his master chose to amuse himself with her, then that was his master's business. He would, however, have to admit that her skills as an operative were second to none.
If Mara were here, then it was under the direction of his master and while he was curious about her mission, if his master chose not to inform him of it, so be it. Was he not moving around Imperial Center without at least a cursory glance towards the Emperor's castle?
Turning to the stormtrooper officer, Vader lifted a single finger. "Guard the shuttle. If any attempt is made to have the shuttle moved or to board it, you have orders to shoot to kill."
The officer acknowledged the order and turned to his small squad when the pilot stepped out of the shuttle. "Lord Vader, incoming transmission from the Emperor."
Vader stood silent for a moment, weighing his options. There was no disturbance in the Force as when he was pursuing Luke Skywalker down the Death Star trench, and he had to conclude that whatever it was that led him here, it was not his son. There was a mystery here, however, and it involved one of the Emperor's courtier's. It was his duty to his master to discover the duplicity.
The Dark Lord knew, however, that by now the Emperor knew about Luke Skywalker and for the first time in several decades, the man in the black armor felt fear. What he feared, he wasn't sure of, but the Force was whispering to him in subtle tones and it was telling him that something was not right.
It was telling him to avoid the Emperor.
Darth Vader began to respond when he felt something amiss and he turned his gaze up. A shadow seemed to move, more mist than man, and it disappeared somewhere above. It was followed by two more figures that moved with grace, but not grim purpose like the first one.
Lord Vader knew he was about to learn the truth.
CHAPTER 5: DARK TRUTHS
1 Somewhere in the bowels of Imperial Center.
The smoke that filled Ted Kord's nostrils had a taste he couldn't quite place, but he was sure that it was million year old dung dust. He wondered how he could smell anything through Mike's force field and realized that it must have overloaded protecting them from the fall. The physical components of the lift they were in failed, sending the car crashing down.
Ted's mind raced through the calculations, contemplating the amount of time they had fallen and multiplied it by the rate of acceleration and then dismissed it as he realized he had no idea what the rate would be on this planet. Pushing himself up, he determined that nothing was broken and began looking for his partner.
Pulling out his Blue Beetle goggles, he slipped them on and activated the starlight mode, as there appeared to be no lighting down here. It was if the planet had swallowed them, and that did not set well with him. When they had first come to this place, they had materialized inside a sewer and were immediately attacked by armored rats. He was positive that some prehistoric spiders or giant mucous creatures were waiting for them to move out of the wreckage.
"Mike!" he called and received a grunt from behind.
Turning slowly, he made out the shape of his friend, smoke rising from where he knew were the power cells for the Booster Gold costume. "Are you okay?"
"My.butt.is.asleep," Michael said.
The two checked each other over and discovered some bruises and cuts, and Mike's costume would no longer be the secret weapon that Batman had figured it would be. The controls were completely destroyed. "That's okay," Mike said, examining a small flashlight he normally carried. "I think Batman brought me along just to keep an eye on me."
Ted smiled. "Let's worry about all of that later. We need to get out of here."
"Where do you think we are?" Mike asked, shining the light into the space in front of them. They were in what appeared to be a large cavern that would have seemed natural except for the metal ceiling. There were large bay doors ahead of them.
Ted examined some rubbish on the floor. "I can't read any of this," he said with finality. "Reminds me of an aircraft carrier."
"Huh?"
They started walking towards the bay doors. "An aircraft carrier? Naval vessel.used to carry aircraft."
"Oh, yeah, I read about them in my history books," Mike said. When they got to the doors, they began to look for some sort of panel that would open them. They did not find that, but instead found a hatch on the other end. It was not completely shut and they were able to get though without much problem.
After a few minutes, Ted spoke up. "Mike, shine your light over into the corner. No! The other corner, idiot!" Michael complied and immediately there was the glint of metal. A lot of metal. "Well, smack my behind and call me Sally, Mr. Carter," Ted said.
The response was a sharp slap to his posterior.
2 Outside the Bounty Hunter's Guild, Imperial Center.
"If you expect me to quake in fear, you're going to be sorely disappointed," Boba Fett said. The Batman stood before him in full costume, looking like some sort of Devronian nightmare. The bounty hunter's helmet sensors, boosted by a microwave link from Slave 1, his personal ship, told him that another human male was standing behind him. He assumed it was the redheaded man that had been looking for information concerning the galaxy's most famous bounty hunter. "I don't impress or scare easily."
Batman made no expression. "You know what I want."
"Sorry, but I don't betray my employers."
"Want me to rough him up, Batman?" Arsenal said with a grin. A swift elbow strike by Boba Fett sent him down to his knees. Fett heard faint laughter, definitely female. She wasn't on his sensors yet, which meant she was in a location near the communications equipment for the Guild offices.
"I don't have time for this, Fett," Batman said, gritting his teeth. His accent made the words sound strange, but his expression made the intent crystal clear. Fett began to weigh his options. "You kidnapped my friend."
"You mean your padawan, don't you, Jedi?" There was sarcasm in Fett's voice. He knew that this Batman was not a Jedi Knight, but he wanted to keep the conversation going while he used his optical interface to activate the call signal for his ship. His custom ship would add a little leverage to his side of this debate.
Batman showed his own quick reflexes by reaching out and snapping off the antenna on Fett's helmet. He then pointed to his own cowl. "I'm picking up your transmissions to your ship. Let's cut the bull."
"Bull?" Fett asked.
Batman decided that enough time had been spent in discussion and leaned in close to Fett. He whispered something very slowly and Fett nodded. "Nice threat, but you can't carry it out."
The Batman said nothing, but continued to stare the bounty hunter down. Fett considered his new options. If he gave in, it would go against everything that he believed in, such as his word. On the other hand, Xizor hadn't actually paid Fett his normal fee and the man behind the Maaladorian helmet was still upset by it.
Still, his word was his word. "How about we go a different route, then," Batman said. "I'm interested in purchasing a ship capable of trans- dimensional travel."
Fett smiled grimly as he realized he had a way of keeping his word and getting back at Black Sun. "I've heard that the Falleen own a company that produces such a craft."
"Who are the Falleen? I'm new around here."
Fett explained that they were a race of reptilian humanoids. "One of their royalty, Prince Xizor, owns several estates on planet. I'm sure he would be able to point you to the appropriate ship-builder."
Arsenal stood up, holding his stomach and the Huntress landed softly beside him. "You two, find a local information terminal and see what you can come up with on this Prince Xizor." As the two turned to walk off, Batman stared down at Fett again. He could almost sense the arrogance coming off the armored man. "Let me give you a warning.stay off of my planet."
There was a choking sound that Batman assumed was a laugh. "It'll take more than a funny outfit and a scary look to convince me." He held his hand out, waiting for Batman to return his rifle. "My weapon.now."
Batman waited a second, and then a second longer before handing the blaster back. "I don't ever want to see you again." Fett took the weapon, turned around and began walking away. "Don't worry about it; next time you won't."
3 Palace of Emperor Palpatine, Imperial Center.
"Our spies report that Lord Vader is moving towards Prince Xizor's castle," the Crimson Guardsman said from his kneeling position. The Emperor could sense the desire to attain power and prestige in the man and smiled. "Rise, Connor Jax, and speak freely."
Jax rose slowly, but kept his eyes directed towards the floor, as if he were unworthy to gaze upon his master. "I have received a report that Lord Vader has met with a local resident at a non-descript barracks. From there, he has taken a shuttle in the direction of Prince Xizor's southern retreat."
"Interesting," was the only comment the Emperor would allow. This was a dangerous game he was playing, but one did not become master of the known galaxy without encountering a threat here and there. All of this had started as an attempt to not only fish out the true reach of his courtier, prince Xizor, but to also put to rest a question that had plagued the Emperor for three decades.
Darth Maul, his first apprentice, was long dead, but before his untimely demise, he had described an encounter with a man possessed of single determination and raging anger. This man had fought Lord Maul to a standstill; though his apprentice had refrained from using the Force directly. Battling a Sith Lord with bare hands required grit that was nearly unheard of in this day and age of hyperspace travel and amusement holos. Such a person would be the perfect genetic blueprint for an army of clones unheard of!
The problem had been the distance, for it seemed as if Maul had described a world that could not possibly exist. Luckily, Maul had been in Palpatine's private apartment when the portal to this other world had been opened. It was amusing that the Emperor actually forgot about the sophisticated sensors and recorders in his apartment until after Maul's death. What at first had seemed like a flight of fancy, a daydream, had turned out to be something real.
"Have Lord Vader ordered to contact me immediately," the Emperor commanded. Jax performed the required rites of obedience and moved off.
The Emperor slowly stood up and began to move towards his private quarters. He would have to reign in Vader before he found out the truth. There was very little threat of the Dark Lord turning on his master, even if it appeared that his master was seeking a new apprentice.of sorts. Vader's loyalty had always been unquestionable, but the recent destruction of the Death Star had given the Emperor pause. When he learned that it was Luke Skywalker.a Skywalker.it dawned on him that Vader may be tempted to do something.untoward.
The Emperor was no fool; for all of his supposed devotion to the Dark Side, Darth Vader still carried the feelings of a life long destroyed in his heart. No amount of training in the ways of the Sith could fully erase the emotions his apprentice had experienced as a boy and a young man. Would his protégé turn against him in favor of a son? The possibility was there, and so the Emperor began to surround himself with potentially powerful allies.
Prince Xizor was one such being. Though a non-human, he was human-enough that he could be tolerated. He played the part well, but Palpatine suspected that there was more to the prince than just someone who wished to rub shoulders with the Imperial elite. He had no direct evidence, but there was always that suspicion. If he were able to produce even the most minute of results from his request, his suggestion that the man who had battled Maul had an apprentice, then Palpatine would have more circumstantial proof of Xizor's reach.
In order to gain that proof, however, he needed to keep Lord Vader away from him. It was no secret that there was a palatable tension between the two, and the Emperor held no illusions of who would be the victor in a direct confrontation. Xizor, he was sure, would be very valuable in the future, and may possibly provide the instrument of Lord Vader's destruction.
Should that prove necessary.
The Emperor cackled and clapped his hands as watched the storm of destiny beginning to rage.
4 Prince Xizor's Castle, Imperial Center.
Mara Jade regarded her prisoner coolly as he stepped from the sonic shower, smelling much better than previously. He was still continuing to try and speak with her, and she thought about lancing his speech center with a Force-spike. His saving grace was that he was very pleasant to look at. Mara spent far too much time escorting withered old Imperial politicians to Imperial parties. Her master, Emperor Palpatine, did his best to keep away eligible younger men.
It wasn't the first time she had seen a naked man, but it was the first time seeing one who seemed so well.designed. She had trained with Imperial Marine Special Forces that had only a tenth of the muscles that this man had. There was a shyness about him as well, and she found it stimulating and refreshing.
He put his uniform back on, a strange, padded work of varying shades of blue and black. She had seen an impressive compartmentalized belt, though empty, that suggested that this man was adept at using and carrying weapons. Mara had no idea who he was, only that her master had wanted her to find out what the Prince was hiding in his castle. She had found it and now she had to get this man to the Emperor.
Though they did not speak the same language, they were able to basically read each other and he understood that it was time to move. She opened the door leading out of the refresher and scanned the passageway. Using her limited Force abilities, she checked for any approaching guards. Satisfied that there was no danger, she stepped into the passageway.
He moved with one fluid motion, seeming to melt into the shadows. His ability to conceal himself in the open was astounding and she found herself impressed more and more. She began to suspect that this was perhaps one of the Emperor's Crimson Guard, the elite stormtrooper unit that answered only to her master.
She wanted to say something but stopped when he put a finger up to his lips, a universal sign for quiet. He had heard something, but she sensed nothing. A second later, two old-model Trade Federation battle druids came marching along. Their armor gleamed, indicating that they were well serviced. At one time, these were the premier models of mechanical military force, but a short war against the planet Naboo had ended their reign as kings. That Xizor had them indicated wealth beyond imagining.
"Halt!" one of the druids called, and the stranger was up and running towards them.
Nightwing had no idea what the robot was saying, but when it leveled the weapon at him, he had a pretty good idea that if he didn't do something, he was going to end up a prisoner again. He left the young girl behind and charged at the lead droid.
The girl seemed pretty sure of herself, despite her age and he was briefly reminded of another redhead in a Batgirl costume. Still, she was only a kid and probably didn't belong here to begin with. He appreciated the fact that she had lead him to a shower, though it was a strange one, but did she have to stare at him the whole time?
The first robot had quick reflexes, but Nightwing had guessed correctly that it would take it another second to get a proper lock on him, especially if he was moving. He chopped up, but the mechanical hands of the robot held the weapon fast. He saw the muzzle begin to glow and thought for sure he was dead when it seemed like lighting flashed in front of him.
The girl was slashing with some sort of laser sword, sending pieces of the robot clattering down the passageway. The other robot drew down on her and she jammed the sword deep into its chest, while seemingly willing the weapon to fly into her hand. As the robot fell, smoking and crackling, the girl fell down to one knee. The laser sword disappeared as she shut it off. Obviously, the effort had been too much for her. She was a metahuman of some type, Nightwing guessed, but probably not very well trained in the use of her powers. Her attack had been blunt, lacking the finesse of a professional.
Accustomed to combat, but not to using her abilities. Nightwing wondered just what kind of world he had stepped into. He offered his hand to her and she gave him an odd look and then got up on her own. She looked at him and then at the weapon she had taken from the robot. She offered it to him, but he refused. "I don't like guns."
Again, he got another strange look. Then she got that expression people tended to get when their best-laid plans got ruined. Obviously, being seen by the sentries had not been part of the plan. "Sorry," he offered.
She put her finger up to her lips and it was his turn to be quiet. He wondered who this woman was and who had sent her. He strongly suspected that Bruce, his father, had once again recruited a young person into his dysfunctional family. If only he could place her language.
Moving off into the corridor, they began to make their way towards a seemingly far-away doorway. Again, the young woman motioned for silence and she closed her eyes. Nightwing could see her visibly straining, but had no idea what it was she was attempting to do. A few moments later, she opened her eyes and appeared to be satisfied that their way was clear.
Nodding to her, they each began to slink along against the walls, in pursuit of escape.
Xizor, prince of the Falleen and lord of Black Sun, stared out at the common landing pad that had been constructed for use by service craft. He smiled grimly as the Imperial military shuttle settled down, repulsor coils sending loose trash and refuse scurrying away like mynocks before a turbolaser. He was aware that Lord Vader was on-planet and only the Dark Lord of the Sith would be brazen enough to land here without clearance.
He considered briefly sending out a contingent of his personal bodyguard to "escort" the Dark Lord to his audience room, but decided that the Sith filth did not deserve the recognition. Xizor turned his cold reptilian eyes to Guri. "Is our contingency plan in place?"
"Of course, just as you ordered at the beginning of the operation." She paused and accessed several security files in her personal database. "It appears that you were correct in believing that Fett was not as careful as he believed. Our spies in the stormtrooper ranks have verified that a small- time nobody provided information to Lord Vader."
"Don't be too hard on hunter Fett, Guri, he's still the best. He's out of his environment here.too many eyes and ears.far too many mammals scurrying about. It was, however, a bit of good fortune that the flight path we gave him allowed him to come across a secret Imperial proving ground."
"I strongly suspect there was more to it than that; Fett deviated slightly from the flight plan by coming out of hyperspace a few light years too early."
Xizor stepped away from the window and threw a casual glance at the security board. There was a fire reported in one of the lower levels. "Yes, maybe I should have actually paid Boba Fett; this, however, allows me to come to understand him a little better. Not only did he 'betray' me, for lack of a better term, but he did so to the one person I hate most in the universe."
"Providing you with the knowledge that the most secret inner workings of Black Sun."
"Are apparently readily available for Boba Fett to review at will. He is a shrewd man and a worthy ally, but most of all, it tells me that we have one of his spies on our midst. Find the leak and seal it, Guri." He moved a little closer to the status board and noted that the fire was only one floor above his personal dungeon. "This could be a problem. Guri.check the Batman's apprentice now."
The blonde android's head tilted slightly. "We've lost contact with Patrol #12."
Xizor's green skin seemed to take on a darker shade as he absorbed the information. His plans were changing, but a true predator was always ready to alter its plans.
"Lord Vader, I am C-4QR, the prince's personal assistant, how may I be."
The protocol droid flew through the air, lifted by the Force and thrown off of the landing platform. It tumbled down out of sight and would not stop until it reached the next building, over a kilometer down. Darth Vader thought no more about the annoyance.
There was a slight stirring in the Force and the dark lord searched it out with invisible tendrils. When he touched it, he could feel Mara Jade's presence as if she were standing right next to him. He felt no emotion upon detecting her, for her life and place in the Force were nothing to him. She was to him, even with her limited training in the Dark Side, naught but an insect. If his master chose to amuse himself with her, then that was his master's business. He would, however, have to admit that her skills as an operative were second to none.
If Mara were here, then it was under the direction of his master and while he was curious about her mission, if his master chose not to inform him of it, so be it. Was he not moving around Imperial Center without at least a cursory glance towards the Emperor's castle?
Turning to the stormtrooper officer, Vader lifted a single finger. "Guard the shuttle. If any attempt is made to have the shuttle moved or to board it, you have orders to shoot to kill."
The officer acknowledged the order and turned to his small squad when the pilot stepped out of the shuttle. "Lord Vader, incoming transmission from the Emperor."
Vader stood silent for a moment, weighing his options. There was no disturbance in the Force as when he was pursuing Luke Skywalker down the Death Star trench, and he had to conclude that whatever it was that led him here, it was not his son. There was a mystery here, however, and it involved one of the Emperor's courtier's. It was his duty to his master to discover the duplicity.
The Dark Lord knew, however, that by now the Emperor knew about Luke Skywalker and for the first time in several decades, the man in the black armor felt fear. What he feared, he wasn't sure of, but the Force was whispering to him in subtle tones and it was telling him that something was not right.
It was telling him to avoid the Emperor.
Darth Vader began to respond when he felt something amiss and he turned his gaze up. A shadow seemed to move, more mist than man, and it disappeared somewhere above. It was followed by two more figures that moved with grace, but not grim purpose like the first one.
Lord Vader knew he was about to learn the truth.