Chapter 4

Darth Vader sat up straight in bed, gasping for air.

He tried to forget what he saw. He tried to push it to the back of his mind, but the image remained. Padme', his only love, screaming in pain. It was the worst nightmare he had ever experienced…his wife dying in childbirth.

Vader got off the bed and slipped on a black cloak, walking onto the balcony. The night air soothed his pains, but not by much. The Sith put his head in hands, trying to forget about the vision. She had screamed and cried and died. The images would not fade. He heard her footsteps as Padme' slowly walked out onto the balcony.

"Vader? What's wrong?" she asked silently.

Vader did not reply. He didn't know how to reply.

After a few minutes had passed, he spoke.

"It was like the dreams I had of my mother. Except…they were of you."

She said nothing for a while, and then replied.

"You had dreams about me. Right. So what?"

He sighed uncomfortably.

"It's not as simple as that! You…were dying. You will die in childbirth." He said, voice barely above a whisper.

Padme' stood silent.

She said, "How are you so sure?"

Vader turned towards her, eyes full of concern, and said, "I just am." He then embraced her, holding her close, never wanting to let go.

A long silence overtook them, as they hugged, husband and wife. He tried to console her.

"But don't you worry! I will do anything, anything to save you from this fate harm you! I will find out a way to save you, and then we can live as we should!" he promised, and embraced her once more.

"Anything…"

Darth Maul and Count Dooku watched silently as their master, Darth Sidious, Supreme Ruler of the Sith, scanned the Count's report on recent events. Including the matter of Jedi Master Obi-Wan. Dooku stared uncomfortably around the room. Sidious' quarters were rarely used by anyone besides the Dark Lord, and its chill spread shivers throughout Tyranus' spine.

Sidious glanced at Maul and Dooku.

"This…report. How was it obtained?"

Maul replied, "The greed of certain Senators is insatiable, milord. All of them have a price."

Sidious said nothing, and pressed a button, ending the holo-report.

"This bill the Emperor has released, the once concerning his control of the Sith, it will be passed?"

Maul repeated, "They all have a price."

The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed.

"His goal in doing this is unclear. What does Kenobi hope to achieve? With power over the Counsel, he could disband the entire Sith Order!"

Dooku's brow furrowed.

"Surely you do not believe that is his intention, Master!" the Count spoke.

Maul said sourly, "Kenobi's intentions are meaningless. This possible Jedi spy's intentions could be to destroy us."

"But that could mean…" Dooku speculated, "That this entire war has been a lie! A simple ruse to distract us from our enemies' real goal! The destruction of the Sith!"

"Enough!" yelled Sidious, "Enough! We don't need idle possibilities! We need proof of this theory!"

"There may not be enough time for proof. We must be ready for action." Maul imparted.

"You speak truthfully, Maul, but next time you should be so wise as to not defy your betters." Sidious sneered.

Maul bowed respectfully.

Tyranus asked tentatively, "By action you mean…disposing…of the Emperor?"

The Sith Master nodded, saying "Indeed you are right. Should that fool Kenobi dare defy us, we must be ready to terminate him and place a new Emperor, a weak minded one. One easy to control."

"Still," Maul countered, "We're speaking in "ifs" and "buts". We should not get ahead of ourselves, least of all with a matter as delicate as this."

Dooku nodded.

"I agree," said the Count, "We should take this slow. I suggest we work hard on discovering, who the spy is, not what he will do."

Maul shook his head and said, "No! That will just give the Jedi more time to plot! They will seize an advantage!"

"They already have the advantage of secrecy, Maul!" responded Tyranus, "We cannot simply rush into this! We uncover the spy, and we will uncover the Jedi!"

"Silence!" roared Sidious, "You fools do not see that there is more then two ways to handle this situation!"

Tyranus and Maul quieted down, listening to their master.

"Kenobi has said it himself: When we destroy Grievous, we destroy this war. We all know the "emergency powers" he has lapped up! And we all know the promises that he would give them up when the war is at its end! So we should put our efforts into finding Grievous! Then, when that insufferable general is destroyed, should our fair Emperor not give up his powers, and use them to harm our Order, we will then take action."

Maul was about to say something, and then shut his mouth.

Dooku said, "Excellent plan, Master. So simple…yet so complicated. One query, though: Who shall be the one to dispose of Grievous?"

"That, Tyranus," Sidious growled, "Will be decided when it's needed. Let's keep our minds on the now."

General Grievous stood silently, staring out the massive view-port of his new ship, Sith's Bane. He was on the Rebel's secret base on Utapau, watching the main Rebel leaders entering their ships, about to launch into orbit and go to the new base on Mustafar. He watched as the commanders filed slowly into their ships, making sure nothing was left behind. The cyborg commander noticed, however, that one such ship was unoccupied. The ship of Nute Gunray.

The frail Nemoidian was standing in the doorway, knocking on the wall.

"What do you want, Nute?" spat the General.

The alien coughed and walked slowly towards the cyborg.

"Greetings, General. I hope all is as it should be and su-"

"Spare me the petty talk, Gunray. You must be here for something. Please indulge me, and I will do my best to help you."

Nute coughed again.

"Straight to the point! I like that!"

"My patience, however long it may be, is wearing thin, Nute."

The Nemoidian said, "Right…um, is this change of location necessary? Utapau seems safe enough, and the time it takes to transport us to Mustafar could be well spent building our defenses here!"

"You have my personal assurance," Grievous said, patting Gunray's shoulder, "That the base on Mustafar is strong enough to withstand the Sith themselves."

Nute nodded unhappily.

"I know your word is trustworthy…but the escapade this war has led me into has bankrupted the Trade Federation!"

Grievous led the Nemoidian slowly out the door.

"Your money will be returned in time, Nute. Think of it like this: are a couple thousand credits worth an eternity of galactic peace?"

Nute shook his head.

"Of course not. I will see you in time, Gunray." Finished Grievous, and shut the door of the ship.

He walked back into the control room, was about halfway to his seat when a voice ringed about the room.

"General? You have an incoming holo from Master Obi-Wan. Should I put it on?"

"Yes! Put him on immediately!"

The cyborg General kneeled in front of a holo-display, and the towering image of Obi-Wan soon appeared.

"Greetings, fair General! Have you moved the Rebel leaders successfully to Mustafar?" The voice of Obi-Wan was filled with static, but Grievous clearly made it out.

"Yes, Master. They will be gone within minutes."

"Excellent. But now more personal matters are at hand: The evil Sith are hunting you now. You must be ready for who they send."

"Understood."

"Good. I am led to believe that you shall be facing Count Dooku again."

"And Vader, milord?" asked the General.

"No. He will be…busy with more important matters."

Grievous wondered what could be more important then his own capture, but decided to ask later. But a different question had been nagging at him…

"Yes, Master. Erm, if I may be so bold, milord…why didn't you let me terminate Emperor Kenobi on the Justice's Hand? I'm not one to kill aimlessly, but Kenobi is pure evil."

"He will be destroyed when the time is right, General. He hasn't expired his usefulness… yet. The war's end is nigh, and soon the galaxy will be at peace."

"I see." Said the cyborg, "Master Windu would have appreciated this."

There was a pause.

"Indeed…his sacrifice in the name of justice will never be forgotten. But he would want us keeping our minds in the present, not in the past."

The General said, "Of course, Master. One final question, however…how exactly do you intend to defeat the Sith?"

Obi-Wan laughed and said, "You'll see when you meet my new apprentice…"

Darth Vader paced hurriedly through the halls of the Sith Temple. He had searched everywhere…but Tyranus could not be found. He needed the old man…as much as he loathed him.

It would be dangerous, of course. But Vader needed to find out a way to save Padme'…and that meant asking the Count about ancient Sith holocrons. Ones that might hold the knowledge to save Padme.

He had spoken to Sidious about the premonition. He remembered entering his Master's icy cold quarters, and he remembered standing while the Dark Lord sat down in a cold, hard seat.

Luckily, Sidious hadn't asked questions. He simply sat as Vader said:

"I have had…a vision of sorts. They are…worrying, Master."

His Master didn't move and instead said quietly.

"Visions? Premonitions? Signs of strength…one should use the knowledge of the future to manipulate the present. Your visions…they are of death?"

Vader had barely nodded.

"I see," the Dark Lord had responded. "Death of enemies…or allies?"

The Chosen One muttered, "Allies…"

"I see", Sidious repeated, "Fear of loss is a weakling's game. Let go these petty feelings of caring! If one dies, they were too weak to defend themselves in the first place. The weak deserve their fate."

Vader had said, "But surely Master, there has to be some way to save people from destiny!"

Sidious had scowled and ushered the Chosen One out. Just before he slammed the door shut, he looked at Vader and spoke.

"You can't save people from destiny, nor should you want to. But to manipulate destiny is another matter indeed. Don't let fate go about as it would. Bend it, twist it, force it to your liking, and your wildest hopes are will become reality."

And now Vader was here, waiting for that old fool Tyranus to show so he could ask him if there was a way to stop death. He looked beyond the exit to the temple, to the landing deck. There was the Count! He was talking to and Imperial Royal Guard, standing next to the Emperor's shuttle. Vader raced outside, and then slowed to a walk near Dooku. He stood still as Tyranus finished up his conversation, and then walked over to his counterpart.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Chosen one himself, deciding to grace us with his presence! Oh please, great one, send me your blessings!" Dooku pleaded sarcastically.

Vader furrowed his brow and asked, "What seems to be the problem with you, old coot?"

"Oh nothing," Dooku shrugged, "Only the fact that you didn't show up for the Outer Rim report! While I was stuck in some stuffy old room, you were off doing important business! Pray tell, what great tragedy had befallen you? What trouble did you have to quell?"

Vader flushed and searched for a believable lie.

"I was…otherwise engaged."

Dooku laughed a sarcastic laugh, "Oh, of course! Otherwise engaged! Otherwise engaged with some Cantina bimbo, I wager."

Vader decided to fight fire with fire. "You speak as if we are married, old man. Is that your fantasy?"

Dooku spun around on his heels and announced, "You wish, boy. Now come along, the Emperor awaits you."

"What?" asked Vader.

With a sigh, Dooku explained.

"Kenobi has requested your presence. I suggest you hurry up, as he has been waiting for quite a bit."

"But what would the Emperor want with me?"

"How should I know?" Dooku said angrily, "But before you go, I must request something."

Now it was Vader's turn to sigh angrily.

"What do you want, old man?"

"Be wary of the Emperor," Tyranus said in a whisper, "Relations between him and us Sith are stressed. He may be overly cautious… you should be too."

And with that, the Count walked off in the direction of the Temple.

Vader sighed and entered the shuttle. The ride to the Emperor's palace was brief, which the Chosen One was glad for. The Imperial Royal Guards were…strange. Their minds were virtually unreadable, which Vader did not like. As they arrived, the Sith's sense of uncomfort only deepened. The palace seemed unaccountably new…as if it shone in a different light. The Guards led him into the office of the Emperor, and Vader walked slowly towards the large, heavily cushioned char on which Kenobi rested.

"Darth Vader…welcome. Please, take a seat." Said the Emperor's voice, as his hand motioned towards another overly comfortable seat. Vader took his place next to Kenobi, and waited for the Emperor to speak. Kenobi looked angrily out the massive viewport in front of him.

"Would you look what those Rebel scum have done? They have tarnished the city…my city! They all must be destroyed!"

Vader nodded and said, "Of course, milord. The Rebels will burn for their misdeeds towards the Empire. The Sith will make sure of it."

Kenobi nodded slowly, saying "Yes…that brings me to another matter: The Sith."

Vader's hand slowly went down to his lightsaber.

"Don't worry, boy. Do not be alarmed."

The Chosen One obeyed, raising his hand back up.

"Exactly," Kenobi grinned, "Do you think I would ever do something to make you angry?"

"No…sir."

"Have I ever?"

"No."

"And I never will. I realize your potential, Vader. I know it in my soul that you are destined for great things. You are the strongest of the Sith…and the most fearless. Frankly, it's disgusting that those fools on the Counsel haven't granted you a spot yet."

"They aren't fools," Vader said slowly, "Though I do find it odd that I have not been accepted as a Sith Master."

"Precisely! Do you know why this is so?" asked the Emperor.

"I suppose they think me too young and arrogant." Admitted Vader.

"Bah, hearsay. The true reason they keep you off the Counsel is because they fear you."

Vader said, "I find that highly unlikely, milord. Master Sidious fears nothing."

But even as he said these words, Vader knew there was truth in what the Emperor said. And he quite liked the idea of the Masters fearing him.

"That's what they want you to think," Kenobi chuckled, "You are younger, stronger, faster, better! They fear you because you're stronger then all of the Masters put together. Simple as."

"What you speak holds truth, sir…" Vader agreed.

"But that is beside the point," Kenobi said, "The reason I have brought you here is because I have my own fears. I am beginning to fear the Sith themselves! And not in the normal sense!"

Vader laughed and said, "Surely you don't think we are against you! We Sith know better then to do that, sir. What you think is simply nonsense!"

The Emperor shuddered and said, "So you may think. They keep pushing for control. They keep stealing authority from me, bit by bit. Soon they will have enough power to overthrow me entirely! They don't trust me anymore…they want a new patsy in office, one they can control. They are...untrustworthy."

Vader smiled grimly and said, "Frankly sir, they say the same of you!"

"Oh, well yes. I have no doubt of that. They all want me gone. They know I'm on to their plot, and they want me dead. They're always covered in mystery, and in recent years they are becoming more and more paranoid. Fighting unknown enemies…"

"Unknown?" asked Vader, "The Jedi, sir! We are fighting the Jedi!"

"Oh really?" retorted Kenobi, "The Jedi? What Jedi are left? They are destroyed, and soon I will be too."

"But, Obi-Wan…"

"Oh yes, of course. How could I have forgotten the Jedi spy! The enemy in the highest levels of politics! Now doesn't that sound a bit too convenient? Ob-Wan is a lie created by the Sith Masters to give them and excuse to harass me!"

"I highly doubt th-" Vader stuttered.

"Of course you do. You were taught that way. Just as you were taught that the Jedi are evil. I ask you, is this "Master Obi-Wan" fellow really that bad? What exactly did he do that was so wrong? Hmm?"

"The Jedi are our mortal enemies! We must-"

"Spare me. Do you even know what the Jedi did to make you enemies?"

"Well, no bu-"

"My point exactly! They are similar to the Sith in everyway. You both, for example, seek the protection of others."

"Now that's not true!" Vader said, stressed, "We Sith care for no one but ourselves!"

"Really? Then why exactly am I not dead?" Kenobi asked.

"Well…"

"Hmm?"

"I…don't know, exactly."

"Of course! That's because the Masters don't want me dead! They seek my protection!"

Vader said nothing.

"Now here's a hypothetical: Let's say Obi-Wan walks through that door right this instant. If I managed to stop you from killing him, you know what I'd do?"

"No…"

"I would ask him if he could give me the power to destroy the Rebels and let me control the galaxy!"

"Wha…?"

"And if he could, I would give him a scotch and we'd talk it out!"

"You can't be serious…" Vader managed to say.

"Well, not entirely. But you understand my point. I would do anything to control the galaxy! And you would too, I wager!

Vader nodded slowly.

"Exactly. I want this Empire to thrive. But to do that, I need eyes and ears in the Sith. I need a trustworthy friend to tell me if the Sith plan to overthrow me. That friend is you, Vader."

"I don't understand." Said the Chosen One.

"I'm asking you to be my personal representative on the Sith Counsel."

Silence.

Vader said, "Me?"

Kenobi laughed and said, "Why not? You are the only Sith I can trust. I need you to tell me anything suspicious the Sith plan."

Vader sat back, taking it in. Him…a Master. Master Vader. He liked the sound of it. But being on the Counsel meant nothing.

All that mattered was Padme', and the powers to save her.

Powers only a Sith Master could learn.

"I…I do not know what to say sir…this is beyond a gift. But surely the Sith won't accept this. They elect their own Masters."

Kenobi closed his eyes and motioned towards the door.

"They'll understand. Once I…explain it to them…"