Preface: IT'S FINALLY HERE! I have been working on this for quite some time! Now, the uploads aren't going to be quite what I anticipated, I had planned to upload one chapter at a time. But a WHOLE chapter... is gonna be like 10 - 15k words EACH and pretty dense. My lovely beta reader eyecandyeoz suggested I break it into smaller chunks. That does mean however that you will have Sins content more often! Not as often as my long-running A Prince of Dathomir series, but I am gonna aim for fortnightly uploads.

Thank you also to eloquentmoon and maulslittlemeowmeow for the encouragement and the feedback on the little crumbs. I am very happy with how this has turned out and I really look forward to seeing what you guys think of it!

Chapter 1 - The Long Road

You see the only path before you now

It's the only road you feel, that you can walk down

Revenge is one long and lonely road

And once you walk it then, you know, you cannot let go

Again

So if you chose this, you must know

You'll walk alone, you're on your own

Angel chose the road of hate

And given in unto this fate

You cannot stop what has begun

Now see it though, what's done is done

I would spare you if I could

But you won't take it as you should

This hand of mine I offer you

Until the Devil pays his dues

The City of Lies

Coruscant.

It's a city that doesn't ever really sleep. Even in the quiet hours, it only waits. Waits for the next unsuspecting fool to stumble into the shadows. To be swallowed into the darkness. It only took a few steps to stray from the path and fall. Some fall into it, blindly flailing for a handhold.

But some. Some walk into the shadows with their eyes open. My eyes are open. I know what this path will lead me to. I know these old familiar shadows. I have seen the true face of this city and I will not shy away. Mother, I know you wanted better for me, but I cannot turn away, not after learning the truth. Perhaps if I can make the monster of our past pay… well. I make no promises. I know this path. And I shall reach its end, one way or another.

Zaiya Valessa looked up at the old building. Ten storeys, built well over a hundred years ago, once perhaps it was a hotel, glamorous in its prime… Now it was little more than a testament to squalor. The apartments were run down, the building itself in desperate need of repair… or demolishing.

The parking lot was cracked, weeds attempting to retake the asphalt between the old rusty cars, they too having had better years before the downturn of the times and people were scrambling for the resources just to survive. Who would have thought that in a city known for progress and passion and plenty… that poverty was so rampant? Her upper lip curled, it was shabby, miserable, dangerous… drafty. But it would be perfect for her purposes. No one would notice her here. No one would even be looking, they had no idea what she had planned.

The 6th floor studio apartment itself was cramped, a sliding cupboard door to the wardrobe and linen closet was to the immediate left of the door, and to the right was the rest of the space. The walls looked as if they had not been painted in a while and a few cracks evident in various places.

On the wall along from the door was what she supposed was a kitchen, more of a kitchenette really, a few sagging cupboards, a small dented fridge and a few other small appliances that looked older than she was. Opposite was a small table, really only big enough to seat two but it was not like she planned on company anyway. On the far wall were windows though grimy, a worn looking couch below it. The only door other than the main one was adjacent to the kitchen and led to a questionable bathroom, it seemed clean but with the dark tiling and stained grout it was hard to tell for sure.

The bed was somewhat concealed by the wall separating the bathroom from the rest of the space though the mattress was definitely not new and she did not want to know what those stains were. Glad enough that she was wise enough to bring a mattress protector to fit under her sheets.

She dragged her things inside, having to make three trips from the taxi that had dropped her off, she finally closed the door once she was inside and observed that the chan lock was relatively new and there was evidence that there had been another but it had been ripped out forcefully. If she had to guess she would say the door had been kicked in before, a wonder it was holding together at all. Though, it was all she could afford with her meagre savings. Through the connections of her father she'd been able to secure a job at a little bookshop that would allow her flexible hours and the ability to do as much research as she needed so long as she did enough to cover rent and expenses. It was not some flight of fancy that had brought her here after all. She had a job to do.

All she'd brought with her were a few boxes and a large suitcase, she didn't plan on making herself at home. She hoped this entire endeavour would not take long though there was of course no way to tell. How long did revenge take? How long was a piece of string? The most important task for now was to begin with information gathering.

She paused as she lay the box she carried on the kitchen table, it rocked to one side - one leg being too short - and looked down at her rumpled clothing. Hm. Actually, the first order of business would be to unpack enough to have a shower and get changed. The trip had been long, from the train to the taxi, and now she was pretty tired. Her father had often said that actions while tired, hungry or horny were never wise to act upon. He was right, though maybe telling a twelve year old that had not been the best idea.

The room felt cold, like it was aching, she could almost hear the faint memories in the walls as she began to rummage through her main suitcase. She was barely a guest here. A ghost, and she intended to remain that way. Small comforts however were something she could indulge in. Zaiya made up the bed with newly purchased sheets, and grabbed a pair of pyjamas. It was already late, the sun had set and she was tired from the constant travel. As much as she wanted to get to work immediately, she was already sluggish in her movements.

The young woman dragged herself into the bathroom and glanced at her reflection in the cracked mirror. Her white hair had mostly stayed in the braid she'd done that morning, though there were a few wisps now loose around her pale face. She leaned forward, her dark makeup still looked good, the only indication of how tired she was were in the electric blue eyes peering back at her. She did have to remove the thick winged liner and black lipstick now though, she had no one to mask for after all. Her dimple and septum piercings were alright, though she would have to make sure she cleaned around them carefully when she removed her makeup.

The shower was at least hot, though the groan of protest from the pipes suggested it may not last long. The water eased her aching shoulders and growing headache, but she washed up quickly, she wanted to check something before she hit the hay. The events of the last few weeks rushed through her mind and for the first time in about three days, she was able to reflect on the events that had led her here.

Home was an odd thing to the pale-haired woman, this place, a town like any other, nestled between two mountains, friendly, welcoming, unassuming. She'd not been born there, she'd arrived on the doorstep of two men on the outskirts in a rush of panic and fear, delivered to them by a frantic woman that was ever looking over her shoulder.

The woman had been a part of a news crew that had been sent to investigate what Zaiya had learned to be a zealous religious group whose compound was settled deep in the forests.

The woman had been sent with a message from the nine year-old's mother;

"Look after her for us,"

All this Zaiya only remembered in a blur. One day she was in the strange village in the redwoods, the next, she was in the little house of two fellows that she had never met before. Adaji Treshan and Jango Fett were old college friends of her father, Temuss. They had taken her in when her parents could not escape the compound and there she had stayed for many years.

The two had taken her in, trying their best with how to deal with a small child suffering from constant nightmares and a streak of aggression that was too big for someone her size.

Adaji was the man she now referred to as 'Dad'. He and Uncle Jango were not exactly the best of men, having been a part of gangs in their younger years. Jango had only just gotten used to being a single father of twins, and Zaiya had been more than willing to assist with little Boba and Omega. Their house had gone from empty to full in the space of about a year. The two men had taught her a lot, how to survive, how to fight, and then as a teenager, how to tend a bar because of course they had. It was one of the sources of income for the household; Fett Stopp they'd called it and even as a child Zaiya was unimpressed and it served as something of an in-joke in the family.

The other source of income came from Adaji and his PI business, he was a lot cleverer than he pretended to be and was actually very good at his job. Even as a child she had been fascinated by his line of work, so it was not long til she was learning little things from him as well.

Life had been relatively simple, considering her complicated beginnings. For years she just lived in that little town, the blurry memory of the village swathed in red and… a fire? Memories she did remember were only few, the fear, thick and choking, like a smog that filled the village. Another memory was a man in black, imposing, frightening, twisted, always watching her.

The last was… a boy. A young boy about her age with skin of red and black, little horns on his head. She remembered him fondly, hiding in secret places and whispering together. In comparison, this new town was one of peace, friends and smiles. For the most part. Though it was always Zaiya's hope that her mother would be able to escape too and join them. Learning via a letter smuggled with the girl that her father had died was hard enough, but awaiting her mother had been a thread of hope in her life. Her mother had to join them. She had promised after all. She had promised the day she had sent Zaiya away.

It had taken a long time for her to stop asking, and as the years wore on, the wish had become something to cling to. One day her mother would return. One day. She had to.

It was when Zaiya was nearly an adult that she had the choice to attend a private school in the far North that she had to tell herself that it was alright to go, that she would not miss anything. She convinced herself that by the time she'd returned, her mother would be there. Her mother would be waiting for her, proud of everything she had done. Of the diploma she'd earned, the way she had grown strong…

But it wasn't to be.

When she had arrived it was a happy moment, but even then, she'd seen something in Adaji's face that had told her something was not right. It was not until she had received the letter that she understood. That first line… it had been too much.

My darling daughter,

If you are reading this, then I failed. I was not able to escape and I am gone.

The scream that had ripped from her lungs was harrowing. She felt the last of her hope torn from her grip and no matter how she clawed and cried and wailed, the words didn't change. Adaji had held her. Just held her until her voice was gone, the whole body-wracking sobs settled into a low moan of agony and shuddering breaths. Then even that faded into silence. Zaiya had stared at that letter for hours, the words simple yes so hard to process.

The truth in that letter had ripped her world apart. Torn her to pieces and left her so broken. Her mother was gone. She had gone, leaving this confession, the reveal of a monster. Or a man that had been the entire cause for the whole of that little town of red. The reason her mother had been trapped. Had he not created that place, made it and then left them all to suffer.

She learned the location of that monster and where to find him. Rage seeped in where sorrow had lain and she felt everything change for her in those moments. Zaiya had been a hollow shell for days, until the morning she had come to breakfast and announced - eerily calm - that she intended to venture to Coruscant and find the monster that had ruined their lives. She would find him. She would destroy him. She would tear him into little pieces. She would take everything from him and only then. Only then when he had nothing, would she finally kill him.

It was nothing less than he deserved. Why should she hold back when his actions had destroyed an entire town? Her family? She had never felt such anger in her life. Zaiya did not however tell Adaji or Jango any of this, lest they think she was foolish and tried to stop her. Perhaps she was foolish. Perhaps they would be right to stop her. She had made up her mind though. He deserved to pay. The man once known as Father Sidious would suffer for everything he took from them. The town. Her family. From her.

The water had run cold by the time Zaiya shut it off. She stepped out of the shower, dried and dressed in her nightclothes, a simple old band shirt that had once been Adaji's and a pair of flannel pants. Her task would begin as the dawn rose.

She would have to be careful. He was powerful now, had great influence, she would have to be careful to avoid drawing too much attention to herself. Her bare feet padded across the cold floor and to the bed she would be using for her rest for the foreseeable future. Beside the bed was her backpack and she reached in to tug out her laptop, plopping it down beside her as she sat, her knees near her chin. Her eyes scanned the screen as it came to life, she connected to the net through the password she was provided by the estate agent she had signed the papers with.

Her first check was to the City Hall site, it was her first stop in the morning, perhaps she would have a chance to spot the filth she was there to destroy… though really it was better if she didn't, she did not want to risk him recognizing her. The page came up and she nearly gagged, there he was, a photograph of the man himself, the ceremonial robes and all. The target of her hatred and her vengeance.

Sheev Palpatine. Mayor of Coruscant.

The City Hall building was as ornate as her apartment block was shabby.

Ostentatious, came to mind. The air was bitingly cold, and Zaiya was swathed in her black turtleneck, trousers and boots, a long grey coat hung to her knees and she had topped it with a wide brim black hat and gloves and a black and red scarf. Sunglasses hid her winged eyeliner but her matte black lips stood out against her pale skin. Luckily for her it was a busy day, there were people everywhere so no one would have a chance to linger on her for too long. She joined the slow procession that were citizens asking enquiries, and requesting information.

After a ridiculous wait she asked the clerk politely for access to the lower levels, the archives for her research paper, she flashed a fake student pass as identification, though it was not her name. The clerk barely looked at her and hit a few keys, printing out a small pass with a barcode that would allow her into the archives in the basement.

The 'stacks' as she learned they were referred to, were guarded by a shy Pantoran girl, barely older than Zaiya by the look of it. The girl showed her the section she was after, and Zaiya dived in. None of the resources were permitted to leave, but she could make copies at least. She dug immediately into the information from twenty years ago, of when Sheev first came to Coruscant, and how he had gained favour by inciting an outcry against the former Mayor's policies. There was nothing about where he had come from, one article suggested that he had been travelling the Outer Rim continent with the church for charitable endeavours. She rolled her eyes. Of course he would put it that way. How pious of a former priest. She scanned these articles briefly and was rifling through a pile of old papers in order to sort them to put back, when one when a headline caught her eye.

Who is Palpatine Really?

Zaiya read a few lines, then sat back down as she was suddenly invested in the article, it asked questions of Palpatine's life before and implied that it might not be as benevolent. It was the first article she'd found that was not a glowing review of all the housing projects and charitable works Palpatine had accomplished during his time as mayor.

She quickly pulled out a few more files to search for the reporter's name. It wasn't easy, and the more she looked the more it seemed like there was something missing. She called out to the Pantoran girl.

"Yes?" the woman asked, peering out from one of the bookshelves on the far side of the room.

"I'm looking for more information or articles from a certain reporter, goes by the name Fives?" Zaiya called and the girl's face fell.

"Ah…" she muttered, "yes, well… he doesn't have the best reputation, many called him a conspiracist." she rolled her eyes but Zaiya was even more intrigued.

"Oh I see, he might be interesting to interview, I can present a more rounded paper if I can counter all his arguments…!" she reasoned and the Pantoran perked up, seeming to align with the same belief that Palpatine could do no wrong. Stupid girl. As it turned out, Fives was so disliked by the administration, much of his works had been stricken from the record, but the clerk was able to show her a few articles for Zaiya to copy.

Several hours had passed by the time she'd finished collating all the information together and slotted into a file she carried with her. There were one or two people on her list that she wished to speak to, but the top of that list was this 'Fives' though nothing in the archives told her where he might be now. Apparently he had become a little radical and had been fired from his job at the Coruscant Daily, and none of the sister papers wanted to touch him.

She made herself comfortable in a coffee shop near the City Hall building, taking notes in a little notepad she always carried with her. Adaji had taught her to back up her notes both physical and digital, and that phones were good but she could not rely on them completely. It was useful however as she now had signal on hers, and she was able to do a search for Fives on the holonet and sure enough he had a blog… and a podcast apparently. Of course he did. She scrolled through his blog, seeing rants, but there were a few interesting pieces and while she understood the conspiracist name, she believed that most if not all of his suggestions were true.

"Hello new bestie," she muttered to herself as she sipped the hot chocolate from the takeaway cup. She wasn't able to find an address, but there was an email address, and she quickly typed up a message.

Hello Fives,

You do not know me, but I think that you want to. I have information you need when it comes to a certain individual's past. An individual responsible for your current situation. As proof, I have attached a photograph taken more than twenty years ago. If you would like the uncensored version, you would be wise to trust me. I do not offer this freely of course, my request is simple: I propose an exchange of information.

Please contact me at the earliest convenience. You won't be sorry.

Z.

That should be enough of a hook, she thought to herself and smiled. She attached the copy of a photograph she had from their time in Dathomir. The faces of the others were all blacked out and there was little to tell where he was, but the youth in Palpatine's face should be proof enough that she was not peddling fancies. It should definitely be enough to catch his attention.

As if on cue, her own attention shifted out the window as she watched a car pull up outside the building across the road. The vehicle was just as eye-catching as the building itself and she knew who was in it. She grabbed up her coffee and her files, and immediately set her phone to record video while she pretended to be looking at the folder and not paying attention.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a striking fellow in a mostly white suit, his skin as blue as her eyes and he cut a striking figure with those broad shoulders and swept back black hair. She'd seen him in the articles, though he had usually not been in the foreground.

A Chiss, by the name of Thrawn Ruodo, apparently no one could pronounce his real name and it wasn't written anywhere she could find. He was the Mayor's Deputy, and Zaiya had already added him to her list of suspects, she hoped Fives might be able to add to it. He might be able to give her a list of exactly who she needed to take out in order to weaken Palpatine's hold on this city.

A moment later a shorter man with white hair stepped out. He was clad in all black and he was… God he was so much smaller than she remembered. He looked so old now. She remembered him as an imposing dark figure of her nightmares. From this distance he seemed so… normal. She knew better. As she watched him walk up the stairs to the main City Hall building she felt a deep burning hate that bloomed in her chest. How she longed to just make him pay there and then… but no, it would be too risky that he might survive. No… he needed to lose everything first. The doors closed behind him and now all she could do was wait for a new lead.

She was certain she would not be waiting long.

Notes:

I am very pleased with this, I never thought I would write a fan fiction, let alone an AU one! But here we are! This is going to be shorter than APOD and it does indeed hane and ending, but I think it's a good story and I have worked hard on it.

As I always say, I love feedback, comments and responses. I would love to know your thoughts. As I said this one os probably going to be less regular in chapter length but instead of a huge dense chapter drom every month or so, I will give you bite sized pieces a little more regularly. I hope you enjoy!