Remember the roller coaster parallel? Well, hold on tight. ;)

This was not what he'd wanted. If only life were just blasted straightforward sometimes.

Tarkin hissed in annoyance as he paced his room. He'd spent the entire day working here and minding Darth Vader, waiting for some kind of response from the emperor. When he'd finally gotten his audience, it was only to find out that he would be denied. It was obvious now that Palpatine was on to him, though whether the man knew exactly how much clout Tarkin had was unclear. It didn't seem likely, though; if the emperor were aware of what Tarkin possessed, he would have probably executed him.

But now that he'd finally decided that maybe it was time to play his final move, now that he'd surrendered to his more irrational side and decided to just worry about Vader's well-being, that murglak interfered. Palpatine had primed Vader for this inevitable conflict, he'd weakened the boy's mental defenses and created this emotional turmoil and now he was just going to make it worse.

What the blazes could Tarkin do? He had a power structure, he had moffs and admirals in his pocket, plenty of fleets and a few armies, but no one would dare stand against the emperor. Anyone high enough to be a threat was also smart enough and aware enough of Palpatine's power to know better than to stand up to him. It was why Tarkin needed Vader so badly; if he could get such a powerful Force user to lead the way, Vader could handle Palpatine while Tarkin's other lackeys handled the emperor's defenders.

In other words, he couldn't make a move against the emperor. Not with Vader in the state he was in. Yet Palpatine was about to make Vader a million times worse.

Tarkin glanced at the data pad that bore the message concerning the emperor's orders. He was taking Vader to Naboo. Naboo of all places. It wasn't enough to make the boy investigate the new senator of the Chommel sector; he also had to go back to the place where he'd first grown fond of Amidala. The man was basically shoving Vader's nose into everything that was tearing him to pieces. What purpose could this possibly serve, apart from entertaining the emperor?

The worst part of it was that Palpatine had ordered Tarkin to accompany them. He'd have to watch as the boy finally just shattered. Though was it such a bad situation, or was this actually an opportunity? At least if Tarkin was joining them he could perhaps do some damage control, but that's all he would be: someone to clean up the messes, not someone to prevent them. This was so frustrating. He had to be careful, though; the only reason Palpatine would include him in this escapade would be to keep an eye on him.

Blast it all, he'd been so close. Scowling, Tarkin sat on the sofa and called his spy, who had no doubt reached Eriadu by now. When she answered, he asked, "How is the estate?"

"I just checked in with personnel. Everything is fine here, sir," his spy replied. "The gardens are doing especially well."

Tarkin stood abruptly, filled with nervous energy. "Yes, the gardens. How exactly are the gardens?"

"Most everything is growing as expected; the fruits and vegetables are ripe and available. The roses aren't quite ready yet, but the gardener says they ought to be in full bloom in about a week."

Maybe he could get Vader to Eriadu after their little torture fest on Naboo, and maybe then… well, he wasn't sure. It depended entirely upon what Palpatine did to Vader in that time.

Tarkin gritted his teeth and acknowledged his spy. "Glad to hear it. Just keep an eye on everything for me; my trip has been delayed."

"Do you need anything specific, sir?"

Killing the emperor would be nice. No, she wouldn't do that; his spy wasn't an idiot, though she was quite the miracle worker. He sighed. "No. Just make sure things run smoothly. If Intelligence calls you back, don't hesitate to return."

The spy bowed. "Of course, governor."

Tarkin cut the connection and glanced into his bedroom. Vader had long since vanished, no doubt while Tarkin was speaking to Palpatine. The boy had tidied up the bed as if he'd never been there. Just looking at the empty room made him angry again. He'd been so blasted close. He couldn't afford to wait much longer – Darth Vader couldn't afford to wait much longer.

He hoped Palpatine didn't break the boy before he could get him to Eriadu.

Obi-Wan groaned. His head pounded in protest as he sat up, and the room spun a little. Everything was blurry. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was…

Palpatine! Gasping, Obi-Wan leapt to his feet and nearly fell to the floor again as dizziness accompanied the sudden action. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to feel out in the Force, but he didn't sense any immediate danger. Had that just been a vision?

A twinge of exasperation passed through his mind. Of course it had been a vision; why the blazes would the emperor be on Ilum hunting him and Siri? And why would he say what he did about Darth Vader?

"Siri?" he whispered, slowly opening his eyes once more. He sensed her beside him, and he heard her grunt in response as she awoke as well. She seemed fine, and he was relieved to see her sit up, perfectly healthy. He glanced down at her abdomen and prodded the Force, and though he wasn't nearly as connected to the child yet as his wife, he could still sense the tiny presence pulsating almost cheerfully. He smiled, and he felt his heart soften.

"Where the blazes are we? What was that insanity all about?" Siri asked.

"I presume they were some kind of trial," he answered, and when he finally looked at their surroundings he was astonished. They were in an enormous room with a ceiling so high he almost couldn't see it. The ice glittered in the gentle glow of hundreds of large crystal growths in varying shades of blue and green. This place was amazing.

Obi-Wan examined the room in awe, and Siri finally noticed as well. Muttering a small, "Wow…" she stood beside him, a small smile on her lips.

The spell was eventually broken when Siri grabbed Obi-Wan's arm excitedly. "Come on, let's get started!"

Obi-Wan let her excitement trickle over their bond and he rushed after her, but then he paused. "Was that it, then? Are the trials over?"

Siri rolled her eyes, pulling out a small tool that would help her chisel a part of the crystal. "They'd better be over – those were heinous enough, thanks. Besides, we can't afford to sit around and wait for the next crazy showing of how screwed up you are and how to fix it – we have to get out of here before the Imperials catch on."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at her remark. "Interesting title."

"Apt, though." Siri began to chisel away when she suddenly grew pensive and turned to him. "That last one, though… with Palpatine… what did he mean? When he said we wouldn't take his apprentice away? Do you… do you think that was an actual vision? Not just a trial, but a bonafide this is going to happen vision?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I don't know."

Siri pondered the matter a little more before chiseling into the blue crystal she'd chosen once again. Obi-Wan watched her for a little while and then he followed suit, working with the same crystal growth. Eventually the two got the proper size and refined it to the correct shape and polish, though that seemed to take an eternity and Siri would sometimes pause, close her eyes, and take a deep breath to maintain her patience. Once they'd finally finished with the crystals themselves, Siri pulled out a bag that held all the materials they'd need for the hilts. The two had already reviewed and memorized schematics for proper hilt construction, so all that was left was actually piecing it together and using what was left to design the hand grip that they preferred.

Obi-Wan and Siri sat on the floor across from each other in the center of the large room. The components of their lightsabers lay scattered in a circle around their crystals, and the two closed their eyes to concentrate. Obi-Wan pictured the small pile in his mind, imagining every individual piece as he'd been instructed back on Ghanu'jivo. Then he imagined the pieces slowly floating upward, clicking into place as they were supposed to. He lifted his hands, holding them apart as if he were holding an invisible bubble where the pieces floated. The crystal rotated in the center, giving off a faint blue glow as everything slipped into place. He was so focused on this internal image that he failed to notice the tiny clicking sounds of the actual pieces doing what he was picturing until he opened his eyes to see a completed generic hilt floating lazily in front of him. He stared at it in amazement and it plopped onto the ground with the remaining superficial components. He had a few seconds to also admire Siri doing the same, her brow furrowed deeply in concentration. When she also saw the results of her work, she gave an enormous smile and snatched the lightsaber out of the air.

"This is incredible," she gasped in wonder.

Obi-Wan agreed and the two set about finishing the hilts, adding whatever would work best for the handgrips. This task was mainly done in silence, but eventually Siri spoke up. "You think we're going to Hoth after this?"

"Probably," Obi-Wan replied softly as he adjusted a piece. "I don't see any reason for Qui-Gon to keep us on Ghanu'jivo, especially when the Jedi fleet is heading to the Rebel base."

"Only half the fleet is going to the base," Siri reminded him. "But I do hope you're right; I don't think I can handle being stuck at the enclave anymore. Not when we've gotten some training and now have the proper weapon. Besides, if Qui-Gon is with us we can just keep training on Hoth."

"Why the sudden curiosity on the matter?" Obi-Wan asked, eying her suspiciously.

Siri shrugged. "I was… just thinking about that vision. I mean, it had to mean something. Maybe we won't end up fighting Palpatine himself—though it would be nice, I'm not stupid enough to think I can stand a chance against the guy. But… but maybe we will take on Vader. I mean, if the vision said we would take Darth Vader away from his master, then… maybe we kill him."

"I'm… not sure about that," Obi-Wan said hesitantly, slightly unnerved at the thought of taking Darth Vader on in a fight. He let the nervousness go, though; it wasn't as if he'd have an opportunity to enter into such a conflict. "The Jedi Masters will handle Vader."

"I guess," Siri muttered as she finally finished her hilt. "Hopefully it'll go better than last time."

Obi-Wan sighed and also completed his task, and he admired the hilt. It truly was an elegant weapon, even if he preferred not to use it. He didn't have much time to examine it, however, before Siri stood and beckoned him to follow, reminding him of their potential time limit. He agreed and rose, placing the hilt on his belt. He felt the weight of the weapon and was suddenly mindful of his new position as a Jedi Padawan. This was beyond bizarre, but it felt right.

Taking a deep breath, Obi-Wan followed his wife out of the room… before sighing in exasperation at the realization that they were hopelessly lost. Thankfully, they managed to figure out a way to the exit between arguing, sensing Qui-Gon's and Al's distant signatures in the Force, and painstakingly using the compasses provided to them. The exit was a welcome sight, though being blinded by the bright ice and frozen by the winds was not preferable.

The Force was silent of any warnings, and so the two hastily ran to the nearest snow drift, avoiding any Imperial notice. Eventually they made it back to the ship, and Siri pounded her gloved fist against the closed landing ramp. When it lowered the two hastily ran up and closed it once more, and they were greeted by Qui-Gon's proud smile and Al's excited chatter. Qui-Gon's expression reminded Obi-Wan painfully of his father, but he pushed the thought aside and recounted his tale to Al as they followed the cheerful smuggler to the lounge. Siri promised the full story once they entered hyperspace.

In the meantime, the two sat in contentment as the Invariant Beauty exited Ilum's atmosphere.

"You've done well," Qui-Gon remarked as he sat beside them and strapped himself in. "You are now official Padawans."

"Don't Padawans get one Master each?" Obi-Wan asked, not really wanting to have a different teacher.

A trace of sadness crossed the Jedi Master's features as he answered. "That was the rule, yes; it was necessary to give each student as much personalized instruction as possible. There aren't so many Knights and Masters anymore, though, so we tend to have two to three Padawans per Master."

The couple nodded, and then Siri surmised, "Are we staying with you, then? And where are we going now?"

"You will have to tolerate me, yes," Qui-Gon replied with a wry smile. "We will continue your training on Hoth."

The Force hummed with Siri's delight, and even Obi-Wan was happy with the news. It was time they reentered the fray. He thought about everything they would soon have to contend with, and he felt a trace of concern for the baby, but he knew Siri wouldn't push herself to a point where the youngling might get hurt.

"We don't have to meditate while we go to Hoth, right?" Siri suddenly asked a little tiredly. Qui-Gon raised his eyebrow, and his eyes twinkled with amusement as Siri hastily added, "Not that meditating's awful, but a break would be nice."

"I won't force any more meditation on you for now," he replied with gentle humor. "Do you have any questions about your experience?"

"We had a vision about the emperor," Obi-Wan immediately said. "He was upset about us 'taking away Darth Vader.' We… weren't sure what it meant."

Qui-Gon pondered the matter. "Curious… I cannot say what the Force was trying to convey, but through time you will understand better."

"So basically you've got nothing," Siri remarked dryly.

Qui-Gon smirked. "I never claimed to be omniscient."

"Well that's useless," was Siri's snarky retort.

"Forgive my wife, Master," Obi-Wan sighed dramatically. "It's the hormones."

Siri whirled on him as Qui-Gon subtly unstrapped himself from the couch, preparing to flee. "What?"

"Careful, Siri," Obi-Wan rebuked her gently with a smirk. "Anger is a path to the Dark Side."

"The only Dark Side you'll be seeing is the darkness of being knocked unconscious!" Siri snapped, causing Obi-Wan to laugh and snatch her hands with his own before she could smack him. Qui-Gon left the two alone as Obi-Wan calmed his seething wife.

Once they were alone Siri huffed irritably and leaned against his shoulder. "Hormones my asteroid; I've been fine, thank you."

Obi-Wan smiled, closing his eyes as he leaned his head back. "Yes, I know. You've been doing incredibly well, actually, considering the circumstances."

"You think I skipped morning sickness?" Siri asked hopefully.

"I can't be sure," Obi-Wan mumbled, growing steadily sleepier in his wife's presence; that trial had taken more out of him than he'd realized.

"Hm," Siri hummed softly. "Well, in either case, she's not being a big hassle right now."

Obi-Wan opened one eye, gazing at his wife curiously. "She?"

"It's totally a girl," Siri immediately argued, facing him. "With as stubborn as she is, dealing with all the craziness we've been through, it has to be a girl."

Obi-Wan was tempted to point out the illogical fallacies in her argument, but he figured it was safer to just agree. "As you say, dear."

Siri rolled her eyes. "Go to sleep, you useless lump."

Obi-Wan smirked and stretched out on the sofa as Siri stood to allow him more room. "As you wish."

Once he was settled and finally slipping into a peaceful slumber, Siri wandered into the cockpit. They'd entered hyperspace at least five minutes ago by now, so she was curious as to why Al hadn't come running into the lounge and demanded the story about their trip to the cave. When she entered the cockpit, she found the smuggler sitting in the pilot's seat, staring forlornly at the floor.

"What's the matter?" she asked, concerned.

Al jumped, startled, but his mood quickly grew somber once more. "Ah, it's… nothing important. Just thinking about the supply stuff. It's stressful, and the number crunching's getting me down, I guess."

Siri didn't believe him for a second; even if her intuition with the Force didn't tell her he was lying, she knew it simply because she knew him. "Oh, please. I can see you getting stressed – it's not easy supplying the Alliance. But the number crunching's getting you down? You love math."

"Yeah, I like math, but this is just arithmetic. It's boring." Al whined, but it was a halfhearted attempt to cover his tracks and they both knew it. Before Siri could call him out on it, he excitedly added, "But I found this article on HoloNet about abstract harmonic analysis, which is a subgroup of analytical mathematics, and they started talking about the Fourier transform, which breaks down signals into their base components of sinusoidal functions, and—why are you looking at me like that?"

"Sinusoidal functions?" Siri repeated blankly.

Al sighed, his excitement vanishing and he sagged in his chair. "Never mind."

Siri immediately felt guilty for inadvertently putting him down, but she still sensed that something deeper than his math discussion was bothering him. "Al, seriously, what's wrong?"

The smuggler shifted in his seat, growing even more depressed, before he finally relented. "I… I was thinking about my family while you guys were in the cave. I just left them without a trace or a goodbye or anything… I'm a terrible person. I mean, imagine what they went through when I left—hell, I don't even have to imagine it, I saw it with you and Obi-Wan when Padmé died, except it's a million times worse because I'm still alive. I… at this point… it's been ten years. Should I even go home when the war ends, assuming it ever ends? I just… if I had it my way, I'd just retire from smuggling and study math, maybe even teach it, but… it's been so long. I put my family through so much… if I were to come back now it would be like reopening the wound."

Siri watched him uncertainly, wondering how she could help, when Al suddenly realized something and hastily said, "I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up Padmé… I… Siri, I'm so sorry… if it hadn't been for me and my stupidity… if I hadn't been hurt and Qui-Gon hadn't gone looking for me…"

"Al," she interrupted him firmly. "It wasn't your fault. Don't you dare ever think it was, and don't worry about mentioning Padmé's death. It… the Jedi way is to not mourn those who have died. We will never forget Padmé… but we have to let her go. We'll always have her in our hearts, but… we have to move on."

The two were silent as they both tried to absorb the teaching, and then Siri suggested, "Why don't you send an encrypted message to your family? It doesn't even have to be from you; you can pretend it's from some friend or acquaintance of yours, just checking in to tell them that you're okay."

Al considered it, but he still seemed uncertain. "But what if I die? I couldn't put them through that again; I couldn't tell them that I'm fine and then never come home."

Just the mere suggestion of his death sent her world and emotions spiraling, and Siri hugged Al tightly in an instant. "You won't die, Al. We'll take care of you."

You can't stand to lose them. Textbook. You'll be a Sith in no time.

Siri shoved the vision's voice out of her mind and held Al more tightly. This wasn't about refusing to let go; it was about refusing to give up. There was a difference.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Al finally breathed a sigh of contentment and said, "Dang, being pregnant has made you really maternal."

Siri smacked the Zabrak on the shoulder, making Al yelp in response. Rolling her eyes, she pulled away from him and headed towards the exit. "Get back to your abstract harmonic analysis, you shaak."

Al grumbled incoherently and Siri entered the lounge once more, ignoring him. When she glanced at the sofa she saw that Obi-Wan was fast asleep. Smiling, she approached him slowly and sat on the floor beside the sofa, slipping her hand into his and watching him rest. As she basked in his soothing presence, she felt a twinge of annoyance occur at the realization:

Blast it, she really was getting maternal.

Tarkin walked briskly to Darth Vader's quarters. It was 0600 (he had gotten up extra early to ensure he could speak to the young Sith before Palpatine got to him again), but he was certain the boy was already up, assuming he had ever even gone to bed. He'd slept most of yesterday, after all, and Tarkin wasn't sure if he'd really be in the mood to sleep more.

The grand moff knocked on the apprentice's door, but after waiting almost a minute he finally let himself in. The entrance hallway, den, balcony, kitchen, and dining room were all empty, so the boy had to be upstairs. Climbing the stairs slowly, Tarkin listened for any activity, and when he called out softly, he received no reply. Was the boy even here? Tarkin dearly hoped he hadn't wandered off once more – the last thing he needed was to find the boy in another pool of blood with some hapless victim sprawled out nearby, especially when his spy wasn't there to clean up the mess.

"Milord?" Tarkin whispered once again when he reached the top of the stairs. There was still no reply. He checked the office and training room and saw that they were empty, so he finally reluctantly entered the boy's bedroom. Darth Vader sat on his bed, staring at his hands.

"I'm becoming dangerous," Vader said softly before Tarkin could speak. The grand moff furrowed his brow, wondering where this was going. "I've seen it happen… when droids have faulty programming… when operatives go on too many missions… I'm not… I'm not serving my purpose."

Here the Sith Lord paused, seemingly too tired to continue. Tarkin took a deep breath and walked towards him. "You just need a break. You need to get your bearings. The emperor threw you back into the chaos too soon."

"Master wasn't wrong," Vader shook his head. He looked at Tarkin, and when their eyes locked, he hardened his gaze. "Master is never wrong, governor. Remember that."

Was the man threatening him, or was he simply reminding him in his usual naïve manner? Somehow it seemed different… almost like he was warning him. Tarkin tried not to let the words bother him. He just mulled them over as he said, "Of course the emperor knows what he's doing, milord. It's why he killed Amidala, isn't it?"

Vader immediately looked away. At least the boy was reacting somewhat normally now; Tarkin could tolerate this far better than yesterday morning's incident. Still, he had to ask, "But if the emperor is never wrong, then why is he backtracking now and sending you to Naboo?"

The young Sith stiffened for a moment before slumping, rubbing a hand over his face tiredly. Instead of dignifying Tarkin with an answer, he simply stood and walked past the grand moff. Tarkin had to smile at that; even the boy couldn't formulate a response. It would keep him thinking, then. That was all he needed for now; the rest of his time and energy could be spent on ensuring Palpatine didn't break him any further.

Tarkin followed Vader down the stairs and to the front door. Vader paused before opening it, his hand hovering over the control for the door. Tarkin looked at him a little worriedly, wondering if he was having some sort of episode, and he gently called out to him, stepping closer. The young Sith continued to stare at the door, and then he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and lowered his hand to his side.

"Lord Vader, what's wrong?" Tarkin asked.

Vader stepped away from the door, leaning against the wall. "I can't."

"Can't? Can't what?"

"I can't," he insisted, sliding to the floor. "I can't—I'm not ready, I just… I…"

Tarkin walked over to him, wondering what was wrong; did it have to do with Naboo? That seemed fairly likely, so he said, "It'll be fine, milord. We'll go to Eriadu afterward, and I promise you, things will start making sense again, but you must trust me."

Blast it, if only he could just tell him now.

Tarkin's train of thought was interrupted when he heard the front door open. Whirling around with his hand reaching for his blaster, he was surprised to see the emperor standing in the doorway. He immediately genuflected.

"Governor Tarkin," Palpatine acknowledged silkily. "Did Lord Vader call for you?"

Great. How was he going to explain this?

"Yes."

Tarkin jumped, looking at Vader. The boy had his knees tucked under his chin, and he was staring at the emperor's boots, but Tarkin hadn't imagined it; he'd spoken up for him.

The Sith Master eyed his apprentice shrewdly. Vader never lied to the emperor, and he knew the Sith Master immediately recognized the lie for what it was; this wasn't going to end well.

"Sire, I came unannounced," Tarkin immediately said, throwing away the consequences. "I simply wanted to ensure Lord Vader was awake; I wasn't sure if yesterday's sedative would have lasting effects on him. He wouldn't answer his comlink. I believe the sedative is still leaving him a little addled."

There was little reason a sedative would influence the young Sith to lie, but it was the best excuse the grand moff could throw together in that moment.

"A sedative?" Palpatine asked with a polite smile, that smile he always used when he was playing someone. "Why did you need a sedative, apprentice?"

Tarkin shifted, trying to formulate a response, but the emperor cut him off before he could. "Now, now, governor, do let the man speak."

"I…" Vader rose unsteadily, trying to reply. Both Tarkin and Palpatine stepped forward, and in a heartbeat the boy had almost collapsed onto the floor once more. Both men reached out and grabbed an arm, and then as soon as they'd helped Vader to his feet once more, Palpatine looked pointedly at Tarkin, who immediately released his grip on the young Sith. For once the boy didn't fight; he seemed too tired for much of anything.

"Lord Vader will accompany me to the Dominator," the emperor informed him, pulling the boy closer to him subtly. "A shuttle is waiting to take you to your own ship, governor."

Tarkin paused, choosing his words carefully as he prodded the man. "I'll proceed there directly, milord. Shall I prepare the fleet for departure?"

Darth Vader took a small step back from both Tarkin and Palpatine and leaned against the wall. The emperor and grand moff eyed him briefly before Palpatine answered. "I will notify the admiral when ready, governor. Go."

Tarkin glanced at Vader, tempted for a moment to argue, but there was no point. Palpatine wouldn't concede ground in this argument, and Tarkin had already pushed the man as it was; Darth Vader tried to save his hide earlier. That in itself was telling in so many ways. The grand moff bowed, accepting a superficial defeat (though to him this was quite the opposite), and departed.

Palpatine watched him go, and then he returned his attention to Darth Vader. Throughout the boy's life the emperor had been brutal and emotionally distant. Throughout the boy's life he'd enabled Vader's coldness. Over the years Vader had demonstrated many characteristics inherited from both his parents: his father's strength in the Force and self-control, his mother's love… he'd been unendingly loyal, eternally faithful… and now he was on the precipice of finally slipping into the perfect role Palpatine had planned for him. But he had to be careful; the precipice on which the boy stood could lead to multiple dire consequences, and it was time Palpatine finally reemployed his old cautious tactics. In most scenarios these days, Palpatine had the situation in such complete control that he could do just about anything and still win, but in this particular instance, he had to be delicate. It was time to give Vader something in return for his service. After all, the boy might respond well to a change in behavior, and Palpatine had to ensure that his servant was devoid of all treacherous ideas. The Sith Master was only going to do this for the sake of forging his apprentice into the best servant in the empire. That was the only reason the man was being nice to him.

Shaking his head, Palpatine placed his hand on the boy's shoulder to get his attention. The maneuver was simple and smooth enough, and it had come far more naturally than the emperor really wanted to admit. He'd ease into the role; no sense in being too kind in the beginning. "I assume you received my message?"

"We're going to Naboo," Vader acknowledged, remaining surprisingly still besides the emperor's touch; Palpatine would have expected some sort of confusion from the action.

"I never did get to ask you about your time at Varykino," Palpatine continued smoothly, noting the boy's behavior. "You gave me your official report, but I was curious as to your personal experience. What did you think of your time with the late senator?"

The Force throbbed with a dull ache, but as time passed it grew and grew like a scab being torn and openly bleeding once more. Vader stiffened as Palpatine enjoyed the sensation, and the boy slowly pulled away from his master's touch.

"You were attached to her, weren't you?" Palpatine finally pointed out the obvious, cutting to the point. The Sith apprentice whirled around to face Palpatine, dread on his features. It was almost amusing that the boy would even think his infatuation wasn't obvious, that Palpatine somehow wouldn't notice it. To ensure that he was quite aware of what the boy had felt, he described it. "You felt alive around her. Your passions were excited when you were with her. She spoke of things you could never dream of, she awoke you to so many thoughts and sensations, and suddenly you couldn't not be around her… am I correct?"

Vader blushed deeply, and the Force cried out with shame, worry, and loathing, though whether it was directed at himself or his master was a mystery. Judging by the boy's crumbling posture, it was likely directed at himself. Palpatine took a step forward, seizing the opportunity presented to him, and he smiled in that old trustworthy manner that melted the heart of the corrupt rabble in the senate back in the days of the Republic. "Passion is your strength, my apprentice. I'm glad you finally discovered it. It is unfortunate that the senator abused your trust; you two would have made quite the powerful team, but her failure to realize this led to her betrayal of you and the Empire. Her decision led to the unraveling of so much potential, but you can still emerge all the more powerful for it. Recall her, and recall your pain – that will be your source of strength. Your hatred for her foolishness will allow you to access the Force in ways unknown to you previously."

Vader gazed at him in surprise, and Palpatine continued, feeding into the boy's vulnerability. "What you felt for the senator wasn't meaningful, but it was enough to give you a taste. Many passions are fleeting, though powerful, but the scars they leave behind are what will be your underlying strength."

His apprentice listened to him, growing more attentive as he spoke. It was so easy it was almost a joke – the boy was so unfamiliar with emotions that Palpatine could tell him his depression was actually joy and he'd believe him. Palpatine would have laughed out loud, but the small sense of peace trickling out of the boy as he finally seemed to understand what he was feeling somehow turned this joke into something serious. Vader's look of relief and wonder reached farther into his father than the man would admit, and Palpatine finally said, "I'm proud of you, my apprentice. You have accomplished much throughout your training, and you are finally becoming a true Sith Lord. Your recognition of Senator Amidala's treachery and your ability to eliminate her prove that."

The Force quivered, and for a second it felt like the entire room shook in response. Vader's eyes widened subtly, and he gazed at his master in amazement before immediately bowing. He seemed at a loss for words, but the action was enough of an indication, and Palpatine was irritated to feel a swell of warmth within himself. Sighing and pushing the moment aside, he figured he'd done enough buttering up and finally motioned to the door. "Let's go."

The two walked in silence, but Vader was practically humming with life and contentment after their conversation, though a small part of his presence was still darkened with concern, hurt, and confusion. Nevertheless, Palpatine wasn't going to play doting father any longer (he could hardly stomach it), so he let the stain remain. He turned his thoughts, instead, to Tarkin, and he was surprised to find a sizable amount of resentment towards the grand moff rather than simple amusement or irritation – suddenly the game Tarkin was playing left the Sith Master seething with anger that the man would dare touch Vader, would dare lead the boy astray. He briefly considered not even allowing Tarkin to join them on Naboo, but reason kicked in; he had to know what the man was planning, and in order to do that, he had to keep him within arm's reach. No, Tarkin would have to come along. Sighing, the Sith Master finally settled into the situation and the two boarded a shuttle heading towards the Dominator. Things were in his favor, anyway; he would ensure this vacation was quite fruitful.

Palpatine and Darth Vader were silent for the duration of the flight to the flagship. One Sith was filled with anticipation and a predatory excitement while the other was filled with wonder and a strange sense of foreboding. The Force groaned in warning, but neither paid it much mind, too distracted by their own thoughts.

Imperial Intelligence was always a creepy place to work. Odeki Rubar had known that when he took the job. It was a building filled with the most intelligent, secretive, and dangerous people in the galaxy. He constantly wondered if he would disappear one day, but he'd always put up with it and done his job; it had paid magnificently, and between his growing clout with Intelligence and his wife's position in the Science Bureau, it had secured their safety. Odeki was not the bravest man by nature, and the political climate of the galaxy had been so unstable since the Empire's formation that he'd practically been paranoid of being arrested with some ludicrous charges of treachery.

Well, perhaps not so ludicrous now.

Odeki clutched his data pad tightly to prevent his hands from trembling. Between him and his wife, she was always the one to better handle these sorts of situations.

Situations. More like suicide. But what choice did he have? He wasn't going to kill his own child for his own safety's sake.

It's been smooth so far, he tried to reason to himself, taking a calming breath and doing his best to not look nervous. His working area was a little alcove that sat at the very far back of the large complex, so he really was a nobody in a land of backstabbers, but that didn't mean he didn't have a thousand eyes watching him.

He couldn't believe he'd finally found himself in this scenario. He couldn't believe he was providing information to the Rebel Alliance. Odeki had never been a huge fan of the Empire—it wasn't like he'd had a choice in its creation, ruler, laws, or dictatorial nature—but all he'd ever heard about the Alliance was how they were terrorists who attacked civilians. Their latest crimes had been murdering about five hundred people on Naboo, as well as killing its senator. But… his wife had reminded him of his own place of work, and he knew that the Empire no doubt was forwarding its own agenda by any means necessary. Odeki wasn't naïve enough to believe everything the media said… but that didn't mean the Alliance was perfect, either. The only reason he was helping was to keep his wife and child alive…

Sighing, Odeki watched as the mouse droids rolled in one by one; it was the end of the day shift, and it was time to wipe their memories. Leaning over, he tried to look like he was doing some maintenance; no one else was in the room, but he had to put up appearances for the security cameras. A memory wipe typically was already a preprogrammed order; all he had to do was activate it remotely through his data pad. Leaning over the droids and manually pulling their memory cores out would look odd and he knew it. He figured maybe he could do this every other day and just split the information he gathered over two days so it seemed like he was doing it every day to please the Rebels. As long as he heard from his wife every night, it was fine.

After the last mouse droid puttered through, Odeki subtly slipped a small data chip that contained all the copied information into a pouch on his belt. He went about his usual business for another hour and then finally clocked out, taking a leisurely pace as he walked home. Once he finally arrived, he shivered at the emptiness of the apartment and sat on the sofa, pulling out his data pad and comlink. He would organize the data first, and then he would transmit it and call his wife.

Odeki was starving, but poring over this information made him so nervous he felt nauseous, so he forewent dinner as he sifted through data. He really only needed information pertaining to the Alliance so they could remain one step ahead of the Empire (he still couldn't believe he was doing this), but one flagged file caught his attention. It was small and it was written in code; for a message between two agents within the same building to be coded, this had to be pretty important. Odeki wasn't sure this would help the Alliance or not, but he didn't want his wife to be surrounded by people who thought he didn't do good enough work, so he included the file in his transmission. Eventually he had everything properly organized when he saw another note flagged, one that shared similar characteristics to the first. When he sorted out both files together, he started to notice patterns, and he could translate a few words: Naboo, emperor, today.

His blood froze. This… didn't sound good. And it didn't have to do with the Rebels, so he wouldn't send it. He wouldn't.

But what if it was really important?

Odeki was neither a hacker nor a programmer, but he had seen enough Intelligence jargon to at least attempt a proper translation of the two files, especially when he could compare words depending upon the context in each file. When he found a third file pertaining to the same thing, he started putting the puzzle pieces together. The first concerned a small task force going to Naboo. The second concerned the emperor taking a vacation. The third concerned ordering a fleet to Naboo. Odeki quickly sorted everything out in his mind, and he grew nervous at the result.

The emperor was going to Naboo in secret for some reason or another, with little protection, and Darth Vader was accompanying him.

This had nothing to do with the Rebels. He shouldn't send this. He wouldn't. There was no reason to. None. None.

Odeki stared at the reports, steadily growing more agitated. This wouldn't end well. If he told the Alliance… what would happen? It couldn't be that bad. They didn't want information pertaining to the emperor… maybe they'd just sort it out as useless information.

Blast it, why did he even care? It wasn't like he liked Palpatine or Darth Vader. But… what if the Alliance…?

No. He wouldn't send it. It had nothing to do with the Rebels. Nothing.

Nodding to himself, Odeki didn't add it to the file he was getting ready to send… until he found himself staring at it again. This seemed far too important to leave out… and what if the Rebels found out anyway and realized he'd withheld information? No, there was no way they could know that, right?

Oh, what difference would it make? This was obviously extremely important, and he was there to gather important information for the Alliance. Feeling his heartrate rise in near panic as he added it to the file, Odeki transmitted it through the encrypted signal and then stood and paced the room restlessly as if Intelligence would storm his apartment at that exact moment.

Al hadn't been kidding. Hoth was frigid. For some reason Siri had hoped Ilum's frozen wasteland wouldn't be recreated, but here she was, freezing her asteroid off as she disembarked The Invariant Beauty.

"Next time, we choose somewhere warm for our base of operations," Siri grumbled under her breath.

"I heard Yavin 4 was a jungle," Al whined. "Can you imagine? A jungle. It must have been so nice."

"It could be worse: the base could have no installed heating system," Qui-Gon remarked with a small smile as he caught up to them with Obi-Wan in tow.

"Don't push it," Siri rolled her eyes. "Knowing our luck, that'll actually happen."

As the others laughed or agreed, Al led them out of the hangar and into a long hallway. The ground was padded with tough mats to try and make it as even as possible, and power lines covered the walls. The chill was less intense in here, though it still seemed to cut through her layers of clothing. Eventually they entered a large room filled with monitors, consoles, and people. Siri gazed at some of the information on the monitors and saw mainly scans of the immediate area, probably to ensure that the Empire was nowhere near the planet.

"Lieutenant?"

Siri turned at Obi-Wan's surprised tone, and she immediately saw the person who caught his attention. The Salkenden lieutenant who had escorted them from Imperial Center was there, though Siri wasn't sure why. Wasn't Salkende just offering supplies? Why was one of their soldiers here?

The lieutenant—Erwyna, Siri remembered—offered a nod of acknowledgement. "Good to see that you and your wife are doing well, representative."

Siri didn't bother with the pleasantries. "We didn't expect to see you here. Is Salkende bringing troops now?"

"I'm here to check on the Alliance's status," Lt. Erwyna answered. "The warlord wishes to be kept appraised of the situation, and our usual source was supposedly busy."

Here the lieutenant looked notably at Al, who simply said, "I was helping the Rebels on another mission, but I'm back. I can let you know about—"

Al was interrupted when his comlink chimed. Everyone glanced at him, a little confused as to who could be calling him while he was at the base. When he looked at his comlink he nodded slightly. "Sorry, I have to get this to the others; information from a spy on Imperial Center."

The smuggler headed over to some individuals a few paces away, and Qui-Gon excused himself, saying he was going to meet up with the Jedi who had already arrived. Siri sighed, not wanting to do small talk with the Salkenden; the woman had been helpful and kind when they'd left Imperial Center, but she was just too worn out to put up with anyone apart from Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, or Al. Nevertheless, there was something strange about the woman this time; something the Force felt different, and Siri could have sworn it felt like an echo or ghost of Padmé was in the air. She shuddered; maybe the visions from the cave were still haunting her.

"How are affairs on Salkende?" Obi-Wan asked, ever the polite one. Siri felt a twinge of annoyance, but she let it go.

"Peaceful, finally," the lieutenant said with a small smile. "Our war has ended."

Siri grew attentive in an instant. "So your troops…?"

"Will be on standby until the warlord says otherwise." Lt. Erwyna finished for her, clasping her hands behind her back. There was a slight edge to her tone, and coupled with some sort of shift in the Force Siri surmised it was irritation. Apparently the lieutenant didn't want to join in the war against the Empire. Siri felt frustration fill within her in return, but she held it in check; Jedi weren't supposed to get angry.

Well it wasn't like she was a Master yet.

"So why couldn't your warlord just wait for Al to finish his mission if you guys have little interest in actively participating?" Siri asked, folding her arms.

The Force snapped sharply as Obi-Wan immediately grew exasperated, and he quickly said, "We really should be going; it's been a long trip, and—"

"What?"

Obi-Wan, Siri, and Lt. Erwyna jumped and immediately looked at the person who shouted out. The entire room followed suit, and they saw a group of Rebels—including Al—huddled around a console gaping at some information.

"What's wrong?" Obi-Wan asked as Qui-Gon rejoined them, also watching the group, his body tense.

"We can't let this opportunity go," one of them said to a high ranking official in the group.

"Call Bail," the man ordered, and one of the people hastened away. No one really had to time to ask any questions before the person hurried back with Bail Organa behind him.

"What's the matter, general?" the former Alderaanian senator asked.

"We just received a report from Imperial Center," the man explained. "Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader are going to Naboo for a few weeks, but the emperor wanted the trip to be covert; they're traveling light, with barely a task force to protect them. They're en route right now."

Siri felt her jaw go slack. The emperor was traveling with a task force? Normally the monster would only travel with armadas – this meant he was vulnerable!

"Sir, we should take advantage of this," the general said just as Siri came to that conclusion. "We have the Jedi on our side now, and we've got enough supplies for an assault."

Bail's eyebrows rose in alarm. "An assault? We would have to organize it immediately, leave immediately—this is too soon, we don't have enough time to properly plan for this."

"Sir, this is our only opportunity," the general insisted as everyone watched with bated breath. "I guarantee you this will be the only time that the emperor and Darth Vader will be accessible to us; they're too well protected on Imperial Center and they'll be equally well protected once they arrive on Naboo. Normally the emperor only goes somewhere if he's accompanied by multiple fleets, and that's the rare instance that he actually leaves Imperial Center."

"What about when they head back to Imperial Center from Naboo?" Bail asked. "You said they were staying there for a few weeks."

The general shook his head. "Another fleet is rendezvousing with them at the planet. He'll be too well guarded when he returns. Now is our only opportunity."

Qui-Gon stepped forward. "I can contact the Council on Ghanu'jivo; if you choose this path, we can have the remaining ships meet up with your fleet."

Bail looked from Qui-Gon to the general, growing more overwhelmed by the minute. The Jedi Master once again spoke up. "This is a dangerous risk to take, but it seems that the Force has presented us with an opportunity. Your general is correct in that the emperor rarely opens himself up to attack in this way. It might be a trap, but that seems unlikely since Intelligence is going through such efforts to hide it."

Bail locked eyes with Qui-Gon and then took a deep breath, looking at the general. "Gen. Madine, you're certain he's only with a task force?"

The officer nodded. "Yes, sir. He specifically requested that Intelligence be discreet; a task force makes it seem like routine. They don't want people to know that there are VIPs on board."

Siri felt adrenaline surge within her as she saw Bail finally sigh and nod. "Then let's get him."

The Force became electric, and everyone in the room immediately sprang into motion as the general started to shout orders. Al shuffled out of the flood of people. The lieutenant immediately headed towards the general, excited determination on her face. Siri felt the same way, but before she could follow troops out of the room, Obi-Wan grabbed her by the arm.

"Siri, we can't go," he immediately said.

Siri whirled on him. "What?!"

"Siri, you're pregnant," Obi-Wan stressed. "You can't go running into the hell that this is going to be. They're fighting Darth Vader. They're fighting the emperor."

"Don't you remember our vision from Ilum?" Siri argued, wrenching her arm out of his grip. "We're supposed to fight Vader, to defeat him!"

"We don't know if that was a vision or just part of the trial!"

"How the blazes could that be part of the trial?"

"Siri. Please." Obi-Wan nearly pleaded with her, his eyes softening with worry. "Don't be rash. Don't."

Siri felt her chest tighten at his expression, and she tried a different avenue, not wanting to put up as big a fight. "Well what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to stay here," he immediately answered. "We've only learned basic combat. Half the Jedi forces are already here – they can handle the Sith."

"We didn't join the Rebel Alliance to just sit and watch the war—we joined to help!" she shook her head desperately.

"Siri, be reasonable," Obi-Wan insisted. "It's not as if we haven't helped the Alliance. Besides, even if, by some miracle, they destroy the entire task force and everyone in it; the Empire won't fall in a day. Even if we can only spectate this fight, there will be plenty more to come. Just… please, stay here."

As if to reinforce him, Qui-Gon, who had left to contact the Jedi, reentered the room and approached them. "Padawans, you are to remain here and guard the base."

Siri felt her temper rise once again, but she tried to hold it back. "And you, Master?"

"I will accompany the second wave." He answered, and he eyed her longer than he did Obi-Wan; apparently he could sense her restlessness. "Stay here, and stay out of trouble."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan immediately acknowledged before his wife could speak.

Qui-Gon nodded and departed, and Siri felt her anger turn to desperation and depression. "We can't be this useless, Obi. We can't."

"We're not being useless," he tried to assure her, but Siri just shook her head and walked to the nearest display of the Rebel fleet. No amount of words would convince her otherwise, but she had little choice in the matter, she supposed.

Rubbing her abdomen, she sensed the presence of her youngling and muttered irritably, "You'd better be grateful. If I weren't carrying you, no amount of pleas would keep me from that fleet."

She heard her husband sigh as he walked up beside her, and they both watched with apprehension as the Rebel fleet turned and went into hyperspace.

Darth Vader had remained close to Palpatine once the fleet had gone into hyperspace, but neither had spoken since their conversation on Imperial Center. Palpatine had spent his time brooding over what to do with Tarkin once they'd arrived in the Lake Country, and he'd come up with several delightful possibilities, many of which included teaching Darth Vader the finer points of piercing into someone's mind and tearing it apart… though that would only be if the grand moff finally proved himself too much a threat to keep.

Vader paused and looked around. The boy had been doing this constantly for almost a half hour, and it was finally starting to get on Palpatine's nerves. Was the boy nervous about the trip? Probably. His earlier wonder and peacefulness had long since faded and given way to uneasiness. Sighing, the emperor faced his apprentice. "Do not be concerned about seeing Varykino, my apprentice. I'll ensure that one of your first trials is purging yourself of any lasting attachment to the place."

His apprentice shifted his weight nervously and nodded. For the longest moment he remained silent, and then he finally prompted the emperor. "Master?"

Palpatine faced him fully, surprised by his initiative. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

The emperor felt a slight jolt of surprise and apprehension wash over him, and he placed his hand on Vader's shoulder. The boy looked at him with such finality, as if he were apologizing for some fundamental failure of his, as if this were his last chance to do so. Before the emperor could say anything, Vader's eyes lit up with some sort of awareness that escaped his master, and he pulled away from the hold, marching towards a viewport. Palpatine was about to ask what was wrong when he finally registered the Force's subtle warnings that he'd been inadvertently ignoring since they left Imperial Center. The Sith Master briefly cursed himself for not noticing, but then he quickly moved on to figuring out what was the source.

The Dominator bucked harshly, accompanied by the scream of tearing metal. Both Sith fell to the ground, and the lights flickered as sparks exploded from conduits and wall panels. The Force screamed danger in all directions, and when they stood once more the viewport no longer showed hyperspace but a sizable Rebel fleet surrounding them. Shock and anger coursed through the emperor, and he grasped the hatred in full, letting it flow through him and fuel him; there was no time to worry about how the enemy had found them, only to prepare for the coming battle… especially when he immediately sensed the detestable presence of Jedi. Jedi. He thought he'd be rid of them for at least a little while after the thrashing Vader had delivered.

Darth Vader turned and started to run towards the bridge in order to take command of the situation and fight the fleet, but Palpatine grabbed his arm. With so many Jedi around and with Vader in his current state, he didn't trust the boy to handle this on his own. Besides, now that he was listening to the Force's warnings, he had an unsettling sense of foreboding in the pit of his stomach that he didn't particularly like.

The destroyer shuddered as its shields were bombarded by turbolaser fire. Fighters swarmed all around them like angry insects, and eventually alarms blared that indicated hull piercings: boarding parties.

"Let's greet our guests, Lord Vader." Palpatine said, letting the feral pleasure of the coming battle surge through him. His apprentice gathered the Force around himself and the two sensed out the intruders. It was apparent the Rebels had figured out which star destroyer was the flagship; these boarding parties consisted almost exclusively of Jedi.

This would be entertaining.

This couldn't be bloody happening.

Tarkin gripped the edge of the desk in his quarters as he gaped, staring out the viewport. How had the Rebels found them? How had they gotten a fleet? How were they even still a threat?! They'd been the last thing on Tarkin's mind since the incident with Amidala.

The grand moff felt a jolt of panic, and he rushed to the bridge of his ship, the Adjudicator. This wasn't good.

The Force was a whirlwind of chaos in the fight, filled with terror, excitement, and determination. The Rebel fleet consisted mainly of what the Jedi could provide, which barely outnumbered the Imperial task force escorting the emperor. Once the other half of the fleet arrived, they would win this battle, assuming they could survive that long.

They'd already determined that the initial wave of Jedi boarders would clear the way for the second wave, eliminating the marines so the Masters could go straight for the Sith. Mace Windu steeled himself for the coming duel; even Master Yoda himself couldn't defeat Palpatine, but the Grand Master had faced him alone all those years ago, when the blood from Order 66 had just begun to flow. Then again, Darth Vader was also aboard that destroyer. There were many unknowns, and Mace knew better than to underestimate either Sith. They'd taken all the precautions they could. This was their chance.

The pilot indicated that the ships were ready for departure. Mace boarded alongside his fellow Jedi, gripping the rail above them tightly. Most of the Jedi partaking in this battle were only Knights, but there were enough Masters to hold their own. There would be many losses today. They all knew it. Nevertheless, if it meant killing the emperor, it would be well worth the risk. The Dark Side had to fall. It would fall.

"May the Force be with us," another Jedi muttered as the ship exited the hangar.

The corpses of Imperial marines littered the floor of the hallway. Emergency lights bathed the area in blood red, and lightsabers of different shades of blue and green offset the color, buzzing through the air with efficiency and accuracy. The sound of blaster fire filled his ears, and the smell of smoke and blood was prevalent. He drank it in and smiled.

Feeling his own blood rush through his veins in anticipation, Darth Sidious grasped the Force firmly and stretched out his hands, immediately killing three Jedi in front of him with a barrage of lightning. Darth Vader leapt over the electricity, activating his blade in midair as he twisted to land behind another Jedi and cut her down. A few seconds later the young apprentice had killed two more, and Sidious flung another into the wall with bone crushing speed. He watched gleefully as blood spilled from the Jedi's skull before he moved on to his next victim. He hadn't had this much fun in years; what an exhilarating day!

There were at least a dozen Jedi still alive in the hallway. The emperor easily tossed two towards each other, making them impale each other on their blades. Vader fought three at once, slicing the legs out from under one, tossing his blade into the chest of the second, and then charging, leaping over the second, pulling out his blade whilst doing so, and bashing the hilt into the skull of the third. Sidious admired the boy's skill momentarily before another fool rushed up to him with his lightsaber in a guarded position. The Sith Lord laughed.

After quickly dispatching the pathetic idiot in front of him, Sidious watched as Vader engaged with a more experienced Knight. The two exchanged blows for a few minutes as the emperor killed the rest until Darth Vader finally finished off his foe. Just as he did so, however, more alarms blared, and the ship shook enough to knock both Sith to the ground.

Vader grabbed his comlink. "Admiral, status report."

"Sir, our shields are down! Our fighters are holding them at bay, but we're taking direct turbolaser fire!"

Vader cut the channel and looked to his master. He looked as if he was about to say something when they both sensed another onslaught of combatants. The Force surged strongly from these new Jedi, however, and Darth Sidious distinctly recognized one signature in particular: Mace Windu.

Oh, he would enjoy this.

Motioning for his apprentice to follow, Sidious headed towards the Jedi Masters, smiling. He remembered Mace Windu all too well; the Korun Master had just taken his seat on the Council when the Clone Wars had begun, and he had never trusted Palpatine simply because he mistrusted politicians. His arrogance had blinded him to the truth, just as it had for all the other Jedi – no one had assumed that Palpatine posed any threat to their precious Order. He had only been a power hungry politician to them; nothing more, nothing less.

The two Sith took the emergency hatch to the next level up, reaching it just in time to see the Jedi Masters appear at the other end of the hall. There were six of them in total, all standing together like some ridiculous band of heroes ready to vanquish their enemy. Sidious was tempted to laugh again, but this time he focused; although nothing compared to his own power, they were more formidable than the previous combatants.

Despite his more serious approach, he just couldn't stop himself. "Ah, Master Windu. It's been so long. I trust the years have treated you kindly?"

The Force rippled with anger as the Jedi became stony faced, and the Sith Master grew all the more powerful for it, grinning. "I would have loved to catch up with you earlier, but really, Master Windu, you should give a call before you decide to visit."

The Jedi Master looked grim, but his anger diminished as he banished it from himself. Such a fool; he'd fare better if he simply used it. "Your reign ends today, Sith."

Such typical drivel. The emperor almost rolled his eyes; couldn't these Jedi be more original? Oh well.

Finally drawing his lightsaber, Darth Sidious smiled at the touch of the hilt in his hands. It had been so long since he'd used it against a Jedi. Darth Vader stepped forward as well, reactivating his own blade. The Jedi all ignited their lightsabers, still in formation. A few seconds ticked by as either side sized up the other, and then the Sith Master struck first, leaping forward with unnatural nimbleness. Vader was on his heels, charging ahead as well and deflecting an attack from one of the Jedi as Sidious dug his blade into his first victim. With speed that surpassed his enemies, he pulled back in time to swing at another Master's head, but the Jedi dodged it just as Vader engaged two others at once. Windu had his full attention on Sidious, which pleased the Sith Master; he wanted to be the one to kill the man.

One of the Jedi held Vader in a lightsaber lock while the other aimed for his neck, but the young Sith dodged the attack in time. Meanwhile, Sidious parried the barrage of thrusts and stabs from the other three. He let them push him back a little simply to play with them, and Vader sent a massive wave of energy towards his own opponents, tossing them down the hall.

The two Sith steadily grew farther apart, and both battles were temporarily interrupted when turbolaser fire finally tore through the hull in their hallway. A massive hole was left in the wall, sucking atmosphere out of the area. Sidious dug his fingers into the nearest stable object and hastily sensed out his apprentice to ensure the boy hadn't been tossed into the vacuum. A few seconds later automatic emergency ray shielding appeared, but not before another shot nearly tore the hallway in half. The larger damage created a rift between either side of the hall, and the ray shields cut the Sith Master off from his apprentice.

Vader leapt to his feet immediately, seemingly unbothered by what had just happened. He took the opportunity to disarm one of the Masters and kill him while the other leapt to her feet. The two reengaged, and Sidious quickly returned his attention to his own foes. He reached out and snatched the forearm of one, watching the man convulse as electricity poured from his fingers. The man gasped and shuddered, his eyes wide with spasms, but Sidious' attack was interrupted when Windu charged forward with his lightsaber, intent on cutting off the Sith's arm. Sidious pulled away irritably and threw all three Jedi against the wall, trying to get them to hit the ray shield, but they recovered quickly and the fight continued.

Meanwhile, Darth Vader and his opponent, a Twi'lek Master named Yadara, exchanged blows faster than the eye could follow; only the bright trails of their sabers could be seen. Yadara was kept busy with the Sith apprentice's onslaught, but she wasn't elevated to the high rank of Master for nothing; she'd fought in the Clone Wars and still held all of the skill she'd possessed back then. She would not fail against an apprentice. Vader's strength surprised her, but she'd already figured the boy was far more powerful than anyone had expected; the deaths of Rahm Kota and Galen Marek attested to that.

Releasing her stress to the Force, Yadara allowed the Light Side to flow through her, arresting any thought and simply fighting. She utilized Djem So, a powerful and relatively aggressive fighting style, and she was a master at it. Apparently Darth Vader used the same technique, so she knew its exact weaknesses that she could exploit. Sliding her foot forward, she slipped her heel behind his own and pulled back, making him trip up slightly. The Sith fell on his back, but the Force swirled around Yadara like a windstorm as he tossed her away from him. The boy then leapt to his feet, but not before she threw a crate at him, nearly knocking him into the ray shield. Vader recovered quickly and charged straight towards her, using the Force to augment his speed. Finding another piece of debris, Yadara prepared to trip him up once again, knowing that footwork was the biggest strength and weakness of Djem So, but before she could do anything the Force clutched her throat, blurring her vision and making her gasp in surprise and a desperate attempt to fill her lungs with air. Closing her eyes, Yadara focused all her energy and eliminated everything from her mind but the image of the Sith apprentice in front of her. Then she swept her arm to the side, willing the Force to throw the boy towards the viewport, which, judging by the release from her throat, it did. Vader grunted from the impact, but he was quickly back on his feet, and Yadara had enough time to take a deep breath before she was locking her blade against his once more.

On the other side of the ray shields, Mace held his lightsaber parallel to the ground as the emperor released another lightning attack, successfully striking down one of Mace's fellow Jedi. The emperor laughed as he watched the Jedi fall, but Mace only grew more resilient, slowly walking towards the Sith as he parried the electrical strike. The light was blinding, but he didn't need his eyes to see, and the black hole in the Force easily pointed out where the enemy was. Mace and his remaining compatriot held strong against the Sith, and eventually Mace began to redirect the lightning towards its owner, causing the Sith Lord to quickly stop the assault and change tactics.

Charging forward, Mace aimed high for the Sith's shoulder while the man's blade was lowered, but Palpatine parried the attack, sliding his blade dangerously close to Mace's hands. The Jedi pulled back as the other Master aimed for the Sith's diaphragm, but Palpatine wasn't deterred by either opponent. Mace knew this wouldn't be an easy fight, and he knew that he alone couldn't defeat the Sith Master, but he also knew there were many more coming. If they could tire the emperor out, they would finally have the opportunity they needed, especially after they eliminated his apprentice.

Just as Palpatine started to cackle once more—arrogant lunatic that he was—three more Jedi Masters appeared. Mace allowed them to catch up before they all charged once more, some getting ahead to take the first hit while others lingered until they saw an opening. The Sith Lord deflected every blow, shoved away every blade, pushed back every attack, but his laughs had faded into a grisly expression of concentration and ferocity. At least they'd cut through his disgustingly dark humor; that meant they were finally starting to get to him. Good.

Across the hall, Yadara also received reinforcements, making Darth Vader immediately go on the defensive. He switched from Djem So to Soresu, holding back his attackers just as his master did, but one of the other two Jedi who had arrived finally got him in the arm, causing him to flinch and pull back until they had him cornered. The star destroyer shook again, making everyone stumble and allowing Vader enough time to leap over them, throwing what little debris remained in their direction. The three Masters easily avoided the projectiles, and one Jedi used the Force to pick Vader up and prevent him from going anywhere. The Force, which had been coldly surging from the youngling, finally enflamed with frustration, and Vader cried out, tearing a ceiling panel from above them and bringing it down on their heads. The Jedi scrambled out of the way, and Vader fell to the ground, reactivating his blade and running to the other end of the hall. Yadara and her compatriot pursued him, wondering what he was accomplishing in running, when she quickly realized he was trying to reunite with his master.

Vader vanished around the corner, and as Yadara followed him, the Force cried out in warning. She immediately dove forward, rolling for cover, but another Master wasn't so quick to respond to the Force's deterrent call and Vader's blade cleanly severed the Jedi's head from his shoulders. The other Jedi immediately descended upon the young Sith apprentice, and Vader was trapped again, though he was able to retaliate a little against the lone Master. Yadara quickly rejoined the fray. She slashed at his chest while the other Jedi aimed for his legs. Vader blocked her blade with his own and leapt over the other blade, and then he fell to his knees to avoid being decapitated by a counterattack from Yadara. Two more Jedi arrived just as Vader tried to roll away from them, and he panted for air as he leapt to his feet. The Force grew cold once more, but the boy's eyes burned with the most intense determination Yadara had ever seen. The Jedi surrounded him once more, but he didn't direct any attack towards them. Instead, the Sith apprentice dug his lightsaber into the nearest viewport before hastily deactivating it and gathering the Force around him as a shield and a means to toss the Jedi towards the viewport, which shattered seconds later.

Yadara grunted as debris smacked against her face, and she reached out desperately for anything to prevent her from getting thrown into space. Thankfully, she found a support strut and clung to it desperately, using the Force to augment her grip. She sensed one Jedi's life vanish, though she wasn't sure whether it was one fighting Vader or the emperor. After a few seconds the ray shield covered the viewport, allowing Yadara and the others to stand once more and catch their breath. She reached out into the Force, sensing out danger and Vader's location, and she immediately realized he'd left the hallway.

Cursing under her breath, Yadara led the charge after the apprentice.

The change in air pressure didn't affect the other end of the hallway since it was already cut off by a different shield, and Sidious didn't even have time to notice his apprentice's plight. He was a little busy with the eight Jedi Masters in front of him, after all, though they were starting to overcrowd even themselves; some would have to wait while others fought. A clumsy attempt to defeat the most powerful Sith Lord in existence, the emperor thought irritably.

Sidious eventually deactivated his blade and stretched his hands out, curling his fingers like claws. The Force obeyed his call, stiffening the muscles of all his enemies, leaving them frozen in position, moaning against the sudden power that overwhelmed them. Sidious smiled, so lost in his desire to kill them that he almost missed the Force's warning of another enemy approaching. The hum of a different lightsaber caught his attention and the Sith Master snarled as he released his prey, dodging the attack.

It was time to end this.

Sidious closed his eyes, temporarily focusing inward. He opened up his entire body to the power of the Dark Side, feeling the dams shatter as the Force poured through him. The piercing light of the Jedi in front of him dulled as if clouds overcast the entire area, and he opened his eyes, renewed and prepared to eliminate them. His rage ignited the Force, and with his power he temporarily clouded their minds, confusing some and blinding others, and then he lowered his hands slowly, throwing the Jedi to the ground and crushing them with steadily increasing pressure. Most cried out, but a few fought back, angering the Sith Lord even more. He increased his strength, he felt their agony as their bones steadily crumbled under the pressure, but still, two Jedi—Windu being one—continued to struggle against him. Seizing every ounce of his power, Sidious prepared to finally finish them off when a soft tremor in the Force pierced through his concentration in a way that didn't reach the minds of the other Jedi. His chest tightened, and he immediately knew the cause—Vader.

Releasing the Jedi and leaving them to writhe in pain, Sidious turned and rushed to find his apprentice.

On the other end of the destroyer, Darth Vader was trying to reach the escape hatch so he could cross from a level above and return to his master. Yadara, accompanied now by four other Jedi, continually slowed him down, and he spent all of his time trying to dodge their attacks rather than fight back. He'd been singed a few times, but nothing seemed to deter him for long. One Jedi threw her lightsaber while another swung for his neck, and Vader leapt in the air, twisting so his chest was parallel with the ground. One lightsaber singed the back of his hair while the other barely missed his face, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he floated for an instant between the two blades before landing and rolling away from the assailants. He managed to trip up one Jedi as he did so, but then he finally cried out in genuine pain when another Jedi not only hit the wound he'd received earlier but added another, singeing his neck slightly.

Vader fell to the ground, curling in marginally, but he quickly had to roll to the side as Yadara plunged her lightsaber into the ground where he'd been seconds ago. Another Master was ready for his maneuver and lowered his blade for the finishing blow.

Yadara's gut clenched as she sensed danger, and she called out to her fellow Masters, though not soon enough; the Jedi who had almost killed Vader was now screaming in pain as lightning tore through him. Vader gazed in astonishment for a second before leaping to his feet and killing another Jedi with a quick stab to the chest.

The Jedi reorganized themselves, grouping together and facing both Sith. Darth Vader limped for a moment, having received a lightsaber blow to the calf, but he eventually straightened out and assumed a stronger posture. Palpatine looked livid, no longer sneering as he had been before, and the Force roared around him in furious waves. The face-off was interrupted, however, by a shift in the Force, making everyone turn to see Imperial marines arriving. Only one Master turned her attention towards the marines, dispatching them quickly, while the rest reengaged the Sith as Master Windu came up behind them with more reinforcements. Yadara felt her heart pound in her chest, and she was briefly filled with hope that they might be able to tire out the Sith enough to kill them, but she pushed even that aside so she could focus all her energy on the fight. There was no emotion; there was peace.

The battle was borderline insane within seconds. One instant the Force crackled with lightning, the next with a beacon of light as a Jedi flung both Sith into each other, though Vader twisted around his master to avoid him and even managed to pummel the Jedi responsible into the ground. Three Masters took down the young apprentice, one getting him across the forehead with their hilt, but they were killed by the emperor. The Dark Side and the Light Side tangled with each other and created such friction that Yadara was fairly certain even those deaf to the Force's call could sense it. One instant the cold Dark would overwhelm them all, seeping into their blood and freezing it, and the next the Light would thaw everything and choke out the Sith's power. Neither side remained above the other for long, and though Jedi fell, the Light remained just as defiantly strong, pulsating against the Darkness seeping from Palpatine. Darth Vader, although cold, didn't seem to be adding to either side, but he seemed to draw strength from both; no matter which part of the Force was overwhelming the other in the moment of the fight, the boy was never bothered by it. When the Light Side overruled the Darkness, Palpatine would snarl with hatred and fall back, but Darth Vader was unperturbed, remaining by his master's side. When the Dark Side overruled the Light, Palpatine surged forward with sadistic glee and pride, but Vader still remained stony faced and cold, only charging when his master did so. In either case, the chaos did nothing to stop him, and even his wounds seemed to bother him less as time progressed.

And then everything changed.

Master Windu finally landed the first blow to the emperor when his blade singed the monster's wrist. Palpatine flinched and fell back, and immediately the Force sent out such a palpable pulse of emotion and power that everyone was thrown outward in a circle. Rage choked all the Jedi, acting like a molten blanket preventing them from moving, breathing, or fighting. Yadara gasped and eventually gathered her strength and resolve just as she felt the source of the shift racing towards her. She reactivated her lightsaber and parried the vicious attack, and she found herself staring at fiery yellow eyes piercing out of the visage of the young Sith apprentice. Gritting her teeth against the power of his attack, Yadara struggled as he pushed her lightsaber blade steadily closer to her own face. She clutched at the Force desperately, calming herself as best she could and allowing it flow freely through her, and it responded to her action, pushing back against the Sith. The clarity of her mind allowed her to sense something and come to a realization she hadn't quite been expecting.

Darth Vader was attached to his master.

Grunting, Yadara kicked Vader back as the other Jedi leapt to their feet and rushed towards Palpatine. Vader gasped, having been struck on one of his lacerations, but, as before, the sudden surge of the Light Side didn't slow him down like it did his master. Instead, he breathed it in and shook his head, blinking the blood out of his eyes, which had seemingly returned to their original blue color. The Light Side appeared to have cleared his head as it had Yadara's, strangely enough. However, though his anger was gone, a fierce protectiveness surged through him, urging him towards the other Jedi to defend his master. Yadara blocked him, finally getting the upper hand on this fight. His priority was Palpatine, not survival, and she could use that to her advantage. She angled herself in a way that the boy could always see his master, see the Jedi overwhelm him, and he could grow frantic, distracted, or angry as a result. It didn't take long before she'd managed to nearly knock the apprentice's lightsaber out of his hands, and she prepared to finish him off.

Just as Yadara was about to attack, the destroyer lurched so badly people crashed into each other trying to stay on their feet. The klaxons changed, growing louder and shriller. The Force seemed to lurch with the ship, and her skin tingled as she was filled with a strange nostalgia, as if she'd heard the sound before. Vader and Palpatine seemed to interpret what it meant, and the apprentice immediately rushed to his master's side as the two fled the hallway. Master Windu was on his feet in an instant, and the other Jedi followed him as they pursued the Sith.

"Master Windu?" one of the Jedi looked at him questioningly, silently asking for the reason in the Sith's sudden change in tactics.

Yadara suddenly remembered why she recognized the alarm.

"The destroyer's taken too much damage," Master Windu explained to the others. "There's no salvaging the ship; they're heading for the hangars."

Ahead of the Jedi, Vader called the admiral on his comlink but only received static in reply. He tried several other frequencies before looking to Sidious. "The bridge is gone. Shields are down. Engineering's reporting leaking of fuel cells, the engines are overheating, and the systems across the ship are either down or overloading. The ship's going to explode."

The emperor considered their predicament. Vader could pilot anything through any conditions, so their best bet was to go to the hangars and get a shuttle, leaving the Jedi to die (he'd much rather kill them himself, but that would waste time). However, they were nowhere near the hangars on this level; the escape pods were far closer. They were more vulnerable in escape pods, but judging from the screams of warning from the Force, he wasn't convinced they'd have enough time to reach the hangars – the path to the nearest shuttle would be a labyrinth of ray shielded hallways, broken turbolifts, and passages littered or even blocked by debris.

"We need to get to the escape pods," he finally said, looking sharply at his apprentice. The boy had taken quite a bit of damage, which wasn't entirely surprising; his first fight against any Jedi who weren't crazed, tortured prisoners had been barely a few weeks ago, and he'd had enough trouble dealing with them. It was a testament to his skill that he'd survived against so many Masters for so long.

His son nodded, rounding the corner and opening a panel that led to the emergency hatch, where they could climb to a different level and reach the escape pods. As he did so, he winced slightly from one of his wounds. Palpatine sensed the pain shoot through their bond, and he sensed a little bit of fear trickle through as well. What was frightening the boy? Was it the fact that he'd almost died? It didn't seem likely; Vader had never been afraid of dying. Perhaps… was he afraid that Palpatine would die? The emperor almost laughed; Darth Vader was so naïve sometimes. Palpatine would never die.

Climbing into the hatch, the emperor led his apprentice up the ladder. He prodded the Force, which was growing steadily noisier with warnings, deaths, and irritating Jedi; it was beginning to grow difficult deciphering everything, and he didn't like that. Palpatine exited the hatch at the next level and was too impatient to let Vader crawl through on his own; he grabbed the boy under his arms and pulled him out. Vader squirmed out of his father's grip as soon as he had his footing, annoying the emperor slightly; of all the times for the boy's pride to get the best of him, now wasn't the time.

"Go," Vader commanded, catching Palpatine off guard. He reactivated his blade, and the emperor immediately sensed the Jedi hot on their heels.

A brief vision flashed through his mind, a vision where he rushed down the hall and Vader remained, fought, fell… something deep in the emperor churned sickeningly, something twisted and made his breath hitch, and he fiercely grabbed his son's arm, making the boy inhale sharply from shock and pain. Dragging his apprentice behind him, Palpatine hurried down the hall, carelessly using the Force to crush the access hatch enough to make it difficult to open; that would stall the Jedi for a little while.

The hallway ended abruptly when they came upon a ray shield blocking another hull breach. Palpatine's heartrate increased with both frustration and slight anxiety as he could practically hear the seconds ticking before the ship erupted in flames. Thankfully he also noticed that some of the escape pods were still within reach. Two were available to them, just a little farther down the hall.

A sudden headache came to him as the Force warned him of impending danger, and he whirled around to see eight Jedi rushing in his direction. Everything seemed to slow down, but he still felt their time decreasing. Dread and fear took root within him, and he gazed at the escape pods one instant and the Jedi in the next. Windu was leading them, grim resolve etched into his features. He was willing to die for this. He was willing to give his life to ensure that the Sith didn't escape.

Darth Vader sensed the danger as well, and he surveyed the area just as his master had. While Palpatine remained half turned, partly facing the escape pods to his left and partly facing the Jedi to his right, Vader turned fully and faced the oncoming foes, unhooking his lightsaber from his belt. The same focus on Windu's face was reflected on Vader's, and he took a step forward, prepared to clash with all the Jedi in order to buy his master the precious time needed to escape. The pods were just in reach – all they had to do was leap in and press the launch button, they were so close…

The Force called. The destroyer rumbled. A low moan erupted from beneath them, behind them, above them, everywhere. The Dark Side trembled with terror and death. The Light Side trembled with justice. The universe halted, and Palpatine felt a chill go to his core. His soul, devoid of life, concern, or care, felt genuine fear for the first time in decades, and he panted for air. In a fraction of time—the time between one heartbeat to the next—he saw his apprentice, his son marching ahead, he felt his presence in the Force blossoming with passion, resolve, stubbornness, fear, love, and strength. The boy had such power. His life signature no longer bled as it had; it was at its zenith, it was soaring above all of them. Everything in the boy's being was focused on surviving just long enough to let his father live. The boy wasn't intending on winning the fight. Survival had never been his goal.

No.

In one instant, Palpatine grabbed his son and tossed him into the escape pod, slamming his hand on the launch button.

In the next instant, the Dominator was gone.