CHAPTER 24 -THE GREATEST WEAPON EVER BUILT

Author's note ; The Return of the Jedi Sketchbook has the Thrown Room described as being a repurposed Control Tower, so I'm going with that. It makes sense as Jerjerrod hadn't really anticipated the Emperor's arrival. (and it doesn't make sense that comic books have Palpatines's other, earlier Throne Rooms looking similar.)

DS-2

"The 'D' is for 'Deterrent,' " she once heard Grand Moff Jerjerrod correct his officers. Seeing it in person was quite another thing- looming incomplete with tendrils of structure that arced out into the void to imply the final form. Upon her shuttle's approach, the tempered communications of routine landing procedures played in sharp contrast to the inconceivably growing massiveness of the space station. Then its curvature evolved out to a flat expanse of seemingly infinite detail, filling the cockpit window.

Simply that it was a thing built, was extraordinary- a willed achievement on a scale of planets. And if the appearance of the battle station wasn't awe instilling enough, to take into account what it could do? When completed, it would thrust its massive self through hyperspace. And then, there was that other thing…

Eva and the four royal guards were the only passengers on the shuttle. She sat behind the pilots, as the body of the craft had no viewports for inexplicable reasons.

The battle station was 200 kilometers in diameter, with 500 internal levels When completed it would house 2,471,600 passengers and crew, carry 3 standard years of supplies ( 768 tractor beam projectors, 5000 Ion cannons 7500 Laser cannons, 15,000 each heavy turbolasers and standard turbolasers, and one superlaser powered by a Hypermatter reactor core.)

When she exited the shuttle, Sith box under her arm, the brilliantly lit oversized docking bay was filling with battalions of officers and troops as far as she could see. All were readying to assemble for the Emperor's arrival. There was nary a scuff on the floors. The durasteel gleamed. The Death Star even had a 'new' smell.

Grand Moff Jerjerrod pulled away from a group off officers to approach her. "Welcome aboard DS-2. It's a pleasure to see you again. I've arranged for Captain Godherdt to give you a tour, or he can take you to your quarters."

Eva scanned the bay for Vader, but he was nowhere to be seen. It was painful to realize she would just miss him. It would become excruciating in hindsight. "If he could just direct me to the Throne Room, that would be enough. Your workforce…did it come through?"

Out the large round viewport with a web-like framework, the emerald jewel of the moon of Endor loomed below. Perhaps she could finagle a trip down to the surface, a stroll through the lush forests she had read about? Eva turned and looked back at the Control Tower turned ad-hoc Throne room. They were at the north pole, one hundred stories above the surface of the Death Star.

The efficient bright lighting would need to be dimmed after the contractors and technicians left. Random wall panels were still unhinged as the wiring was finalized for the space's newly assigned function. The four Royal Guards from the shuttle were stalking about the elevated walkways which ran around the space, familiarizing themselves with the layout and running threat assessment. Beyond the throne itself, the chamber bore little resemblance to the Throne Room aboard the Eclipse. Here, the mechanical equipment was exposed in bleak, industrial design. To either side of the dais were a pair of de-commissioned duty-posts, once handling communications, damage diagnostics, and security. The eight console computer screens which fanned out around them, were dark.

Several sets of stairs had been placed in the room for no reason other than their own inconvenience. Back in the direction of the turbolift, was a narrow bridge spanning a seemingly infinite chasm. She had lingered around the edge, thoroughly sight-seeing as no later visitor would have the chance to engage. Construction dust gathered on her velvet sleeve as she slid her arm along the slender, virtually non-existent silver guard rail. Down past the surface of Death Star and lower still into its center, the main reactor glowed an eerie blue color.

Captain Godherdt explained the shaft extended a mile deep.

"Is this hole necessary?"

" 'Necessary,' no but impressive yes?"

Aloo had left her some crisis message about looking over the state of the Throne Room- was everything in perfect order? He sounded tired and was strangely indirect.

And how is this working? She ignored the askance looks as she plopped her weight onto the throne with the box on her lap, carefully clearing the distractingly low 'roof.' Like everyone of you here hasn't already done this? The seat was untypically deep and even slouched, her feet dangled above the floor. The arm controls let the chair spin round on it axis, and she absorbed the liquid sensation of the ball bearing glide. It seemed to overshoot the brakes and that would have to be looked at.

"This wasn't supposed to be a Throne Room," she spoke to Captain Godherdt.

"Yes, you are correct. It's the former command center. The staff and functions were relocated as there are redundancies. The South pole also has a command center, and eventually there will be four others about the equator. This tower was the closest to completion."

"Did the other Death Star have a throne room?" she asked.

"Not a dedicated room, but an appropriately vast chamber that could be used as such."

"You worked on it?"

"I did."

All that effort, reduced to a cloud of dust orbiting the planet Yavin. Then I guess you feel lucky to be alive. Where she only saw awe inspiring accomplishment in DS-2, to so many aboard, the new orbital station must have made a different impression altogether - a reminder of disgrace, punishment, and catastrophic life lost. How many ghosts of tragedy the rebuilding of the same weapon must have revived?

As he approached the oversized docking bay that very moment, Vader may have dwelled on his missteps in the rebel's escape from Yavin-4. He would recall crawling back from the Bantha-poo-doo storm aftermath of the destruction of DS-1, the humiliation lashed upon him by a livid Palpatine. Eva had missed it all, coming on board the very day after Palpatine had given Vader command of the Executor. The vast ship had been re-affirmation hard won.

A sense of unease ebbed in, as the lights were dimmed and the work crew vacated the Throne Room. The Rebel Alliance would surely be coming for the war moon. Any time now. Eva turned the throne back around to the large round viewport and watched the stars, a sentinel.

Waiting.

And two thousand troops in formation in the docking bay stood and waited…

With their business concluded, Palpatine dismissed the entourage which had accompanied him on the shuttle flight over; six Royal Guards, three Imperial Ruling Councilors, two Courtiers and a worn Aloo. Vader and Jerjerrod were nowhere to be seen. It had come down to the wire, and though close, DS-2 was not quite operational.

Only herself and the four Royal Guards remained in the high tower. Palpatine gestured for the box and passed her his cane in exchange. Eva didn't know why he carried it around- he didn't need it. A shield door opened in the wall to left of the throne, where she had not realized there was a door - Jerjerrod's former office, now made into a vault. Of course Palpatine would know. He had supervised the planning. She dared not take the three steps forward to fully view the inside of the space.

On his way out, Palpatine destroyed the door's controls with a spray of blue-violet lightening from his fingertips. Simply by the proximity, it sent static up Eva's arms and made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. When he saw her jump, Palpatine smiled. He was so tempted to give her a more personal demonstration.

Her eyes lowered as Palpatine made slow time over to his throne. "Mind your head," Eva whispered while he seated himself.

From the oversized viewport, the Emperor watched the fleet of star destroyers massing. He motioned her closer and returned his keen eyes back to the vista. "Do you see that ship, the forth one there to the left? It is your namesake the Slayer." The menacing association made him snicker to himself. "And there is your Lacerate."

Eva looked to it. Honestly, she couldn't tell one Star Destroyer from another.

"You were so inexperienced at the command Vader assigned, I suppose we should count ourselves lucky to get it back in one piece… But you were worth our while. In addition to being a personality I can tolerate. The accountant from Arda-2 has done quite well for herself." His voice lowered, "You're not afraid of me anymore."

Not like before. But it was essentially true.

"It's alright. It gets old."

They watched in silence as three more Destroyers deaccelerated from hyperspace in the far distance. She hadn't yet been dismissed, and wondered why she was being kept there. "Grand Moff Jerjerrod hasn't received the manpower he needed to have this station operational." And then she hung back, waiting for Palpatine to fill the void. But silence settled and he hadn't taken the bait. Jerjerrod's admission in the docking bay had put her in a difficult position. She went on, "Jerjerrod said that even before landing here, Lord Vader dismissed a quarter of workforce because they were slaves." And then Jerjerrod had told her, 'I had no idea ethics weighed so heavily on him.'

Palpatine's tone was curt, "I know." But as he next spoke, his voice was surprisingly flat. "When will Lord Vader learn, my wishes are more important than his?" In reality, Palpatine didn't care a mynock's ass about slaves, or no slaves. Vader would push and make up for his preferences. Of course Palpatine wanted his war moon complete. But more remarkable still, he simply wanted Jerjerrod to converse with her.