"Now, how do you propose we proceed from here?" Piett asks.

"Well, you've already called off your guards," Padmé suggests. "Perhaps we could make it look as though Vader has overpowered you. That would make it believable for him to take over your vessel."

I nod. "Yes, that would work," I agree. "We could make it look as though I'm taking you back to the rest of the fleet as my prisoner."

"I think that would work," Piett agrees. "You would not need to continue with your charade once aboard the Endeavour, Anakin," he continues. "My crew is made up entirely of officers and men who are rebel sympathizers. They will be only too happy to serve Anakin Skywalker and his allies."

"Perfect," Padmé says with a smile. "You can be rid of that dreadful suit while aboard."

"Well, I suppose," I tell her. "We still have to be careful, though. We're not in the clear yet, Padmé."

"No, far from it," Piett adds. "You still have Kastellan to contend with."

"You were about to tell me about him," I remember. "You said that it was he who told you that I was in fact not Darth Vader. How did he know?"

"I'm not certain," replies Piett. "In fact, I'm not even certain that he's certain. He made the suggestion to me, knowing that I was already disgruntled with the Empire. I told him that I would go to Naboo to check out his story, to see if there was any truth to it."

"Have you contacted him since you found out the truth?" Padmé asks anxiously.

"No," Piett replies. "I haven't had the chance. I will send him a message though, since he is expecting to hear from me. I will tell him that his theory was wrong, that there was no truth to the rumors. That will, hopefully, put him off the scent."

"For a while," I put in. "I don't have any delusions that I can keep up this charade for long. You found out, after all; it's only a matter of time before others do too. That is why we must put the next phase of the plan into effect as soon as possible."

"And what is that?" asks Piett.

"You won't believe it," I tell him with a smile. I proceed to tell him about the last will and testament of Palpatine and how I was named as his heir and successor.

"Emperor Vader," he says with a smile. "Is that what we have to look forward to?"

I laugh. "Well, not for long, I assure you. As soon as I have made the changes I want, I plan to have a miraculous change of heart and become Anakin Skywalker once again. By then the empire will no longer exist. At least, that's the plan."

"The best laid plans…" Piett replies wryly. "It should be interesting, at any rate."

The three of us make our way to the bridge, where I make a big show of bullying Piett around. He plays the part well, with just the right amount of acrimony.

"I am taking command of the Endeavour," I inform Pendergan. "I will not allow this traitor to escape again," I add, giving Piett a look.

"Do you require any assistance, my lord?" Pendergan asks. "Any one of my men would be happy to serve you."

The thought of taking Piett's nephew with us crosses my mind; but I'm not certain of his loyalties. Does he know what happened to his grandmother? I wonder. I feel certain that his outrage would match his uncle's if he did. Still, I can not be sure that he will take our side, and cannot risk chance that he would betray my secret.

"No," I tell him. "I am confident that there shall be no further dissention. Will there, Admiral?" I ask Piett.

He merely shakes his head.

"Good," I announce. "Then let us be off. Pendergan, rendezvous back with the Intimidator. We shall meet you there."

"Understood my lord," Pendergan replies. "Have a safe journey."

I leave the bridge with Padmé and Piett, and head for the hangar bay. There we meet with the men who had accompanied Piett on the second shuttle that the Aggressor had failed to detect until the ambush was upon us. We board the shuttle and in a few moments are headed for the Endeavour.

Upon disembarking the shuttle, we are met in the hangar by a small group of clones and an officer. He looks surprised to see me, as I am still dressed as Vader, and I feel the tension level of the men rise as I descend the ramp.

"Relax," Piett orders his officer. "Lord Vader is on our side," he tells he man. "He is no longer an agent of the Empire, and has become Anakin Skywalker once again."

The officer steps up to me. "Still looks like Vader to me," he comments.

"Appearances are often deceiving, Captain," I tell him.

He looks me up and down, still unconvinced. "How do we know for sure, Admiral? He could be an Imperial spy."

Padmé snorts derisively. "He's a spy for the Alliance!" she tells him impatiently. "How effective a spy would he make fro the Empire? He's hardly inconspicuous."

"And who is this?" the captain asks, frowning at Padmé. "And why is she so impertinent?"

"I'm Padmé Skywalker," she retorts before either Piett or I can reply. "His wife," she adds, linking her arm through mine.

"Vader has a wife?" he asks incredulously. "Now I know this man is an imposter. Malz, what were you thinking letting them on board?"

"Richardson, calm yourself," PIett responds, putting a hand up to stem further outbursts. "I served with Darth Vader for many years. I also know that he has turned away from the Dark Side, and has become Anakin Skywalker again, the man he was many years ago, before the emperor destroyed him and turned him into the monster we know as Vader. This man you see before you is Anakin Skywalker; I have seen his face with my own eyes. He is the man we saw in the records from Naboo."

Richardson is starting to calm down, but is still not sure.

"Do you trust me or not?" Piett asks him finally. "Because if you don't, then I don't know how this alliance between us can continue."

Richardson considers Piett's words for a moment before responding. "You know I trust you," he responds glumly. "That isn't the issue."

"But it is," Piett returns. "If you trust me you'll trust that I would never do anything to jeopardize this mission. Anakin Skywalker is as determined as we are to destroy the Empire. With him on our side, as well as his allies in the Rebel Alliance, we can do it, Richardson. Without him, we're nothing but a group of discontented defectors who don't stand a chance."

Richardson looks back at me, and I can sense that Piett's words have affected him. Perhaps I can convince him.

"Help me with this, Padmé," I ask her as I remove the helmet from my head. She takes it from my hands. I reach behind me to unfasten the mask as Richardson watches in amazement. I pull it from my face and look back at Richardson whose eyes are wide with astonishment.

"You are Anakin Skywalker," he gasps.

"Yes, I know," I tell him. "Now will you believe I'm on your side?"

He nods. "I'm sorry," he says, addressing Piett. "I was wrong to question you the way I did."

"I understand your loyalty to the cause," Piett responds. "We have all sacrificed much for it. I dare say that Anakin has sacrificed a great deal as well to get to this point, including putting his own life in peril on more than one occasion."

Richardson nods. "Yes, I'm sure he has," he replies, turning back to me.

"I remember your face," he says, his tone now one of awe. "I…I remember seeing it on the holonet when I was a boy. You were the greatest Jedi knight, the best pilot in the galaxy, and a brilliant warrior."

Padmé looks up at me with pride. "He still is," she says with a smile.

"Well, now that we have all this unpleasantness out of the way," puts in Piett at this point. "Perhaps we should get to the bridge and decide upon our next course of action."

"Agreed," I reply. "Lead the way, Admiral."