The Imperial Palace:
A clerk walks on her own down a hallway. Out from the shadows, Amidala quickly steps out and grabs hold of the clerk and strangles her as she pulls the clerk out of eyesight. Amidala steps back out into the hallway shortly after, now dressed as the clerk, and moves on.
A hatch in the floor slowly gets pushed aside and Obi-Wan peeks up. When the coast is clear, he and Ahsoka climb up, close the hatch and sneak through the corridors. They hide when Imperial staff and droids move in other parts of the palace close to them.
Amidala enters the large hall that once was used to teach younglings. She walks into the maze of workstations and consoles, passing dozens of Imperial officers and staff and droids of every kind. She gets close to an elevated platform in the middle of the large room where several high ranking officers overlook graphs and holograms and maps. One of them is Grand Moff Tarkin!
Tarkin is standing up. "Inform Thrawn that he will make due with the resources he has been given. He will destroy the unionists and then move on to the Zahn Commonwealth. Inform the admiral that if he is unable to expand the Empires borders on schedule and with the troops available, I will find and admiral who can."
"Yes, sir" one of the Moff's reply.
After that, Tarkin and several high ranking officers leave. Amidala looks around and kneels down and places a detonator-charge where it is out of sight.
Elsewhere, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka sneak out onto a catwalk, high above a large hall. Looking down, they see Imperial technicians and droids surrounding a large data-bank, exposed beneath the floor, the surrounding sections of the old temple removed as if the data-bank had been excavated.
"Looks like they found the old vault" Ahsoka says as they look on.
"Yes" Obi-Wan nods. "But they have not accessed its information."
"Nor will we, by the looks of it" Ahsoka says. "How will we reach it?"
Obi-Wan studies the scene. "Come" he then says and they walk across the catwalk.
Elsewhere, Amidala is stilled dressed like the clerk. She now follows the group of officers and their aides through the palace. Tarkin is at the front of the small group of high profile officers.
Tarkin glances over his shoulder at the others. "If this attack happens, as the Emperor believes, then have troops on stand-by to arrest any senator that even hints at commiting treason."
The Veiled Viper:
Commander Boork walks up to Darth Vader, Vader standing by a viewport and looking out at the stars.
"Lord Vader, I believe we might have found something of importance."
Vader turns. "What is it?"
"A councilor-ship left the mining-station where we caught up to Amidala's marauder, my lord. It was carrying a delegation from Alderaan, returning from a diplomatic mission to the Outer Rim to ensure stability in the outskirts of the Empire. We have indications that a ship similar to Amidala's might have visited Alderaan not long ago. There could be a connection."
"Alderaan?" Vader says. "They are pacifists, commander. They are peaceful and foolish. They would not dare challenge the Empire."
Boork carefully defends his position. "My lord, I believe this lead is worth following. Duke Organa was a prominent senator during the Republic. He opposed the creation of the Empire. And he was one of the most succesful Moff's that served in the Clone Wars. Duke Organa fits the profile of a potential traitor."
"The duke was placed under survaillance only moments after the Emperors coronation" Vader reminds Boork. "Duke Organa retired from the senate and resigned as Moff the moment his daughter was born. He is an old man, weak and foolish, content on living on his peaceful world, far away from troubles and adversaries. The people of Alderaan are no threat to the Empire."
"But allow me to…"
Vader turns to look straight at Boork and Boork turns silent, afraid to say another word.
"We will not waste resources on an old man living on a planet that is unable to defend itself" Vader then says. "Captain Amidala has allied herself with a Jedi. That is your only concern, commander. Find Amidala. Find the Jedi."
"Yes, my lord."
The Data-Vault, the Imperial Palace:
The Imperial technicians and droids are hard at work trying to figure out how to gain access to the information within the large, towering data-bank hidden in the floor of the old temple. All of a sudden, all lights go out and everything turns dark. Noises of droids and people getting thrown across the room and taken out echo all around. When the lights turn back on, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are the only ones standing, everyone else and all droids in lying in heaps.
"We have not much time" Ahsoka points out.
"Not to worry" Obi-Wan says as he steps up to the data-vault and begins to use its controls. "We have all the time that we need."
Hangarbay, the Palace:
Elsewhere, in a great hangarbay, the Emperor and his retinue are walking towards their Lambda shuttle. The Emperor stops and closes his eyes to focus.
"Kenobi" the Emperor then says. He turns to look at an officer in his retinue. "Send in everyone, general. Do not underestimate this foe."
"Yes, your highness" the general says and bows his head before he turns and heads back.
The Emperors shuttle leaves the hangarbay and gets escorted by four TIE Vigilant ( as described by EC Henry on Youtube, having found these obscure TIE's flying in the background of Ep6 and invented his own explenation for their existance ).
The Imperial Palace:
Tarkin and the others walk through the palace when an officers hurries up to them.
"Grand Moff, sir" the officer says and salutes. "The Emperor informs you that the palace has been infiltrated by a Jedi Knight. It is General Kenobi, sir."
Amidala listens as she steps in behind a bulkhead. Tarkin is surprised by the news.
"General Kenobi?" Tarkin says and turns to his officers and staff. "Lock everything down. Not a ship is allowed to leave the planet."
"Yes, sir!"
The Data-vault:
Obi-Wan retrieves a hard-drive looking thing from the data-vault and hands it to Ahsoka.
"There you go, young padawan. The location of the Karagash outpost and six others. It should be more than enough to help your cause."
"Thank you, master Kenobi" Ahsoka says.
"I will not provide you with more" Obi-Wan continues. "We are out of time."
Obi-Wan then places two detonator-charges on the vault and activates them. He then walks over to a droid and reaches around its back and flips a switch, reactivating it. The droid gets back on its feet and looks straight at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan ignites his lightsaber.
"Jedi" the droid says.
Obi-Wan cuts it down with a single strike.
Ahsoka is confused. "What was that good for?"
"Distraction, padawan" Obi-Wan explains. "They will now send their troops here, allowing us to move freely elsewere. Come on."
The two former Jedi's hurry to leave the large chamber.
To be continued…
