Chapter 1

Present Day

Admiral Jessica Darken watched as her fleet conducted war games deep in the Unknown Regions. For sixteen years, the fleet - consisting of one Super-class Star Destroyer, the Dark Force, four Imperial-class Star Destroyers, and five Victory-class Star Destroyers - had jumped from system to system there, having been placed there to keep charge on the Unknown Regions. Grand Admiral Thrawn had taken charge of the territories during the war, but after Palpatine was killed, he began his campaign and left the Unknown Regions, leaving his trusted people in charge. No where did Jessica fit into his plans, and she basically ignored him.

Except now, though, the Empire was at peace with the New Republic. Well, they were anyway. Economic and political troubles had caused the Empire to decline once again, and there was more fighting with the New Republic. Admiral Pellaeon and his forces were sticking with the New Republic, but a little known Moff named Prtruph was leading the other half of the divided Empire and fighting against Pellaeon and the New Republic. Yet, that was so far away, and no one knew about Jessica and her fleet.

Jessica sighed as she watched. She was on the Imperial Pride, the ship that was second in command, and was over seeing the crew's actions. Unlike the Dark Force, a Super Star Destroyer, the Imperial Pride was an Imperial-class Star Destroyer. She always held her flag on the Dark Force, though. It was her home. In fact, that ship was the only thing she had known as home for the past sixteen years.

She turned and walked toward a control center. As she walked to the board, she went past Captain Rallen Electra. He flashed her a smile, one that was supposed to cover up his treachery and deceit, but always failed. Yes, she knew of his treason, yet did nothing about it. Yet. She had her own plans, and in time she would carry them out, but now was not the time. To let him think that he had fooled her, she smiled back.

Unfortunately, Electra was her second in command. She would relish the day she would accuse him of treason and expose him for the coward he was. Once you reveal your plans, Electra, I will reveal mine, which fortunately don't involve you, she thought.

She looked over the shoulder of a young ensign at the control board. The Imperial-class ships Barenda and Rotana were firing upon the Dark Force. Its shields were almost at collapse. "Electra, I think I've seen enough. Send a message to Captain Darkrider. Have him meet my shuttle in the Dark Force's docking bay."

"As you wish, Admiral."

Jessica walked down the ramp of her shuttle. She looked at the only figure standing in bay: Captain Jeff Darkrider. He had dark-brown hair which was combed neatly. His eyes were an icy blue. His facial features were smooth, and he was very handsome.

Jessica smiled, rare on her behalf since she always hid her emotions. "I am somewhat . . . displeased with what the crew did today."

"Jessica," he said, formalities long past for him and her. They were best friends. And Jeff wished they were more than that. He loved her, but she was not in love with him. Jeff knew that she knew that he was in love with her, though. She did love him like a brother, though, and that counted for a lot. "You know as well as I do that being in space for sixteen years without a long vacation will make anyone restless."

"I know. It's just that . . . I don't know . . . " She said, her voice becoming almost distressed, but not quite.

"Jessica, I think you do know. We both do." She sighed and finally gave in to her plans. "But do you think the Empire wants another leader?"


Captain Rallen Electra paced nervously in his quarters on the Dark Force. His blonde hair was spiked, and his eyes were a deep brown, almost black. His Imperial uniform was neat and smooth. Few things made him nervous, yet he couldn't help but be just that as he paced. He turned his eyes toward the object that made him nervous: a holo projector.

"I told you never to contact me here," he told the person in the holo.

"Ah, yes, well, it is very important," Grand Moff Prtruph said. The Moff was a plump man, his face covered with the scars of battle. And even more so, he was in charge of half the Empire. His latest alliance - that with Electra - was desperately needed. Soon, the Dark Force Fleet would be in his hands, and he could finally crush Pellaeon and then move on to the New Republic.

"Yes, I am sure it is . . . " Electra said sarcastically.

"Have you disposed of the Admiral yet?"

"No, in time I will. I will also dispose of that meddlesome Captain Darkrider. He is loyal to the admiral and would stand by her to the death."

"Yes, I see your point. Eliminate him as well. You know, it is such a waste. The admiral is very beautiful . . . " Prtruph had acquired a taste for keeping beautiful women as his slaves. If he was ever walking down the street and saw a woman he liked, he would have her brought to him. If her family ever came looking for her, the consequences would be . . . dire. He began to think that Jessica Darken would make an excellent addition to his group. She was beautiful, and that was all that mattered.

Electra knew exactly what Prtruph was thinking and said, "No! I don't want any loose ends. Loose ends always come back to haunt someone. She will be better off dead."

"I suppose you are right. What about her powers? Is she not the--"

Electra cut him off abruptly. "I do not believe in her ways. The Force is just some ancient religion that she believes in. I've never even seen her use those so-called powers. She does not intimidate me. I will kill her. And forget about the rumors you hear about her family. It is not true. If it was, she'd be in control of the Empire now."

"Well, whatever you say, Electra. But, I can still send you out some ysalamari. If she is as powerful as they say, you will need them."

"I suppose I can make an arrangement to have some brought to one of the other ships in the fleet. Well, if that is all, I must cut this transmission short. The ship's sensors could detect it any minute."

"Ah, yes. Well, always a pleasure, Electra."

"Yes, you too." Electra then cut the transmission. It was never a pleasure to talk to Prtruph. And sometimes, Electra thought never was a dry understatement.

One thing Prtruph lacked was patience. Patience was one of Electra's virtues. And eliminating loose ends was another of his hidden virtues. Patience, though, was something he always had.

No, Electra would have patience and execute all loose ends. In time, he would kill Jessica Darken and enjoy it. And if time provided, he would kill her slowly and painfully, without rushing through it like an impatient one. And then he would engage his entire plan - one that did not include Prtruph.

Yes, there would be a new ruler for the Empire. But it would not be Prtruph. Electra smiled into a mirror in the fresher. "Emperor Electra sounds nice," he said to the only witnesses he had: the walls. He then laughed long and menacingly.

Jessica Darken walked into her quarters on the Dark Force. She immediately removed her boots and socks to walk across the cool, black neocel flooring. She sank into the carpet to her ankles. She smiled, actually enjoying that one thing about her room. She walked over to her bed, which was round and had six posts supporting a canopy of black mialitil lace. Her entire room was done in back and was so large it could easily house two large families. The Emperor had bestowed it upon her as a gift. The color black supposedly reflecting her dark side.

She was not of the dark path anymore, though. She had renounced it long ago after a strenuous inner conflict. She did not even know why she was still with the Empire. No, she did know, and had thought her reason justified. The crews of her ships were her friends. She could not stand to let them be prosecuted by the New Republic if she turned herself in. They trusted and respected her, and that was something hard to come by in the Empire. Not to mention the order and stability that was in the Empire - without murder, deceit, and all those other dark secrets the Empire had- was comforting to her. She felt that she had to have control and stability in her life. Without it, she didn't know what she would do.

She thought of the Force. She wished she could renounce it too, but she couldn't. The force to her was a curse. It had all but destroyed her family. Her family consisted of her mother, her father, and her grandmother. Together, they all lived in hiding from the Empire and its purge of Jedi. Corellia was the perfect place for them to hide, and that they did. Yet, somehow, the Emperor found out. He sent Darth Vader to hunt them out, and he succeeded. Fortunately for Jessica, she was not at home at the time. At the age of sixteen, she had more important places to be, or so they seemed to her at the time.

She returned home that night to find their apartment in ruins, and no sight of her family. Yet, the three neat piles of clothes and sabers lying on each of them told her that they were all dead. Despite wanting to give up everything they had sacrificed for her, she hurriedly packed up as much as she could and headed out. With her training as a Jedi, she knew she could survive on her own, but was afraid of it. She had to get of Corellia, though, since Vader was still looking for her. Smuggling, she thought, was the key.

Jessica was in and out of different smuggling groups until she had enough money to buy her own ship. Her false name of Katia Joablis provided her with protection. She gained quite a reputation as a smuggler and thought she would do it for the rest of her life, since the Empire showed no sign of defeat. She began to forget about everything, including the Force, as she slipped into the dark legions of smuggling.

She never had any intention of joining the Rebellion until she discovered a tiny computer chip hidden in her prized possession- her father's crimson lightsaber. The tiny chip was a holo of her mother, and told her everything that she needed to know. In it, her mother told her of her family ties. Told her that Emperor Palpatine was her grandfather.

Jessica listened as her mother's holo told her that her grandmother was a Jedi Knight and a senator in the days of the Old Republic. While serving the Senate, her grandmother fell in love with another Senator, one who had force abilities like herself. Together, they conceived a child - Jessica's mother. Her grandmother did not know she was pregnant, and blindly crossed over to the dark path to help her lover gain power in the Senate. When she did realize she was carrying a child, it was too late. Her lover had crossed over to the dark side to never return. He sought to have power of the entire galaxy.

And so her grandfather was Emperor Palpatine. Yet, she never would acknowledge him as so. He had destroyed her entire life. He had her parents murdered. He murdered his own daughter, and yet it caused him no grief. Jessica wanted to scream, but she called on the Force then to help calm her, and she finished watching the holo.

Her mother continued to give more information, but it wasn't about her. It was about Luke Skywalker, the son of Darth Vader. For some reason, all Jedi agreed that Luke Skywalker was the key to the downfall of the Empire. As her mother talked, she told Jessica that she must seek out Skywalker and protect him from the Empire until he could confront Vader.

After a long search, Jessica had finally caught up to Skywalker at Cloud City. Well, Skywalker's twin sister anyway. But, she was captured by Vader, and after a long battle, Vader defeated her. And so, after losing Skywalker, Vader then proceeded to turn her over to Palpatine.

Palpatine had given her the fleet she now had. He even gave her the title Princess Jessica. He actually showered her with affection- evil affection. Inside, though, Palpatine had his own plans. He knew that Vader intended for Skywalker to kill him so that they -as father and son- could rule the galaxy. Palpatine really intended for him and his granddaughter to rule the galaxy. Yet, to keep Jessica away from Vader, he sent her out to the Unknown Regions with the Dark Force Fleet.

After she left Coruscant with the fleet, though, she renounced her title and took on that of admiral. She did not want star systems to answer to her, only her fleet. She felt she should answer to someone, too. The crews of her fleet were those who weren't completely loyal to the Empire. He thought that her influence would be like that of himself and Darth Vader. He thought she would rule them with fear. He was wrong, however.

Captain Jeff Darkrider had brought out the light on her dark side. He was like a wake-up call. His cheeriness and devotion to her brought about the downfall of her old, dark self. At first, the chains of the Dark Side insisted that she not make friends, that she only refer to everyone as an inferior officer. But, soon, her passion for life broke through. In fact, every Friday was sabacc night. Jessica, Jeff, and some other senior officers, excluding Electra, of course, played sabacc every Friday. They drank Corellian Ale, a favorite of Jessica's that was on hand from the ship's bar, and told stories of life before they joined the Empire. The night usually ended with several drunk officers, and headaches the next morning.

Jessica flung herself down on her bed. Something was about to happen, something big. The Force gave her that much, but didn't reveal anything else. Her life was about to be turned upside down, and she couldn't prevent it. She closed her eyes and soon fell into a deep, troubled sleep.