Ahsoka Returns – Chapter 11

A pivotal episode, this is. See, you will …

Thanks to followers: Galaxydragon101, RAD092515

Chapter 11: All the Power You Need

Yavin IV, 6 ABY, 0 months, 3 days, 21 hours

Back on Yavin IV, a location that had become the informal meeting place of "The Four" – Ahsoka, Luke, Ezra, and Reema – the Force Adepts were just concluding a training session. Ahsoka thought it would be a good idea to try out new ideas for them, so as to further sharpen their abilities and to further build them together as a cohesive team. This involved two on two competitions, three on one, and even all four acting as "free agents." The Togruta had worked out a kind of scoring system – one that was further enhanced by the droid "Sara" – that utilized each person's light sabre so that various types of blows and thrusts would carry a point value. But not just offense – defense and avoidance also carried point scores.

It wasn't hard to see that the activities which required teamwork and trust were the ones where the overall scores were higher. These sessions had begun about six months prior, and though the other three were a bit skeptical at first – particularly Reema – it soon started to work well. The Four now could truly feel each other's energy and began to rely on that nearly instinctive, unspoken communication. Once the latest session had ended, they went to a local tavern that had first been established for Rebel forces personnel some five years earlier. Over ale, they discussed some ideas.

"I'm beginning to think we really could create a new version of the Jedi," Luke remarked. "It's like we are a great team and we've learned so much over these past few months." Seeing a trace of concern on Ahsoka's face (she was never very good at hiding her feelings, the others had come to realize … perhaps it was a Togruta thing), he quickly added, "But this wouldn't be the Jedi. Something better."

Ahsoka laughed. "I know. I've almost drilled it into your heads by now. And look, there were many good things about the Jedi too. We stood for peace and helped to support the Old Republic. They taught us much knowledge."

Reema, as usual, was curious. "So maybe we should support the New Republic? But there are only four of us …"

Ahsoka chuckled. "That spreads us a little thin …"

Ezra then added, "Well, Ahsoka, considering you're the only one of us who actually was a Jedi, we respect your thoughts on it."

Luke also noted, "I was in training to be one from Master Yoda, but it wasn't any more than a couple of weeks … however, I spent a few months working on learning about the Force, and when I returned to see him about completing my training, he said I didn't need any more. I thought that was a bit strange." As he finished the thought, he stared again at Ahsoka.

"I know what you mean. It's hard for me to believe you would be a true Jedi in that short a time. I was brought to Coruscant when I was three years old. This was the traditional way of Jedi training. We the younglings spent much time with Yoda."

Ezra broke in. "Yes, you explained that to me, once, when I was learning from Kanan. I was really hoping I could learn more from you … but then you … disappeared."

The tavern had mostly cleared out by this time and The Four sat together for a bit, sipping their ales, when something strange occurred.

Somewhere just outside the Galaxy, 6 ABY, 0 months, 4 days

All at once, they saw a peaceful flash of light and then, the next thing they knew, they were seated at a table in a room all in white – the floor, walls, and ceiling, along with every piece of furniture. Ahsoka glanced across at Ezra, who simply nodded. Reema, quite concerned over the sudden change, glanced at Ezra and quickly came to his side. He felt her fear and then gently stroked her dark hair. Luke was baffled by the occurrence.

"Where are we?" He looked around for a minute, then stood, as if looking for a window, or a possible way out. The others stared at him, but remained seated. Ahsoka started to realize she had been there before, but, before she could speak, the image of a figure started to take shape before their eyes. Soon it was fully formed, and both Ezra and Ahsoka knew well whom it was, but they remained silent.

Once her body had materialized, she spoke to the group in a gentle tone.

"Greetings, my friends. Madam Tano, Mister Bridger. And also to my new guests, Mister Skywalker and Miss Andujah. Welcome to the Light. I am Su. And I am most pleased that the four of you are here."

Ahsoka spoke first. "Su … I was wondering when I would see you again. I had so many questions for you …"

Su came over behind the Togruta and placed her right hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. The warmth of her touch quickly rippled through Ahsoka's entire body. Su caressed her rear lek, then continued softly.

"My child, I see you have been doing well since your return. Now your questions have been answered, perhaps?"

"Well …" she replied. "I think I have new ones. But they are hard to put into words."

Su simply nodded gently. She left Ahsoka and came over to Ezra. "And how are you feeling at this time, young friend?"

Ezra also nodded. "Quite well, Madam Su. It's good to see you again."

Su put a hand on his shoulder for a second and he soon was feeling the warmth.

Luke and Reema looked on in astonishment. They stared at Su, not sure what to make of her. She seemingly read their minds and addressed each of them in turn via subconscious projection, then turned to Luke directly.

"Young Luke. I have watched you for a long time. Your father was long troubled once he knew you were alive … and he struggled with the memory of your mother."

Luke now felt the memory of the struggle aboard the second Death Star, his battle with Vader, then the attempted electrocution by Emperor Palpatine. His eyes winced as he recalled what happened. As he gazed into Su's dark eyes, they suddenly flashed in multi-colors, but the other three did not notice. He felt he had to ask her about that time, almost two years earlier.

"Madam Su," he stammered out, not entirely sure of how to address her, but following Ezra's lead. "You know what happened?"

"Indeed," came her reply. "And many other things about it as well."

"The lightning, the pain? What happened to the Emperor?"

She had come behind him at this point. "He has had … a transformation. It continues …"

"What about my father? Or Yoda? Ben Kenobi? There are so many things I don't understand. And no one to ask. Even Ahsoka doesn't know."

Su laughed softly, then waved a hand and another chair appeared, but this one was raised up a bit, giving her the air of a monarch, sitting on a throne. As the chair took shape, The Four watched it become made entirely of what appeared to be gold, setting it apart from all the white objects in the room. Almost imperceptibly, their garments had been changed to white and were nearly without mass yet most comfortable. Ahsoka realized they were the same as the others Su had given her prior. The table the Four had been seated around then disappeared, and each of them were now seated facing the golden throne that Su was perched upon and the lady's garments had changed into multi-colors, but each of The Four saw different colors in her that matched their mood. Luke saw a greenish blue, Ezra a warm yellow, Ahsoka a deep blue, and Reema a dark red.

After what seemed like hours, Su addressed them, but one at a time.

"Luke. First, you no doubt realize your name means Light. Ahsoka, you are bringer of Light. Ezra, you are the Helper, and … Reema, you are Good Fortune, and a boundless spirit, a swift running deer."

As Su spoke, Reema's eyes were on her, seemingly in a kind of trance. She remained that way as Su asked them to form a circle. The Four rose and stood near the throne. Su's right hand joined Ahsoka's left, and the chain passed to Luke, then Reema, and finally Ezra, whose right hand joined with Su's left. Once formed, Su coursed massive energy through the circle. They all felt their hands grew progressively hotter but otherwise were in no discomfort. Su kept the circle going for almost ten minutes, then relaxed the surge and soon everyone released each other's grip.

Su then turned to each person in turn as she addressed him or her.

"Luke Skywalker, son of Anakin and Padme, grandson of Shmi. You and your sister are now the only ones left of your clan. Much will depend upon you in the days and years to come. As it will on all of you," she said, with a slight edge in her voice, looking at each face in turn. She then resumed.

"Your father was a deeply conflicted individual. I had encountered him once, long ago, when he was a small child on the same planet that you grew up on. Only he was born there, while you were left there, by the one they called Obi-Wan."

Ben … Luke thought to himself. I never knew …

"Yes, young Anakin possessed much fear … a fear that would follow him the rest of his days. Only when he saw what that would do to you – then he acted … as you are remembering now. Anakin had become convinced that pain was all the galaxy had to show him and it was that way for all of his short life."

As Su spoke of Anakin, the memories rushed forward in Ahsoka. Oh, my … I saw that too, on Malachor. He was in such great pain. All he could do was try to kill me, maybe to make it stop. But why was it necessary?

Su felt the tension in Ahsoka, and shifted her gaze to the Togruta.

"My child … I could not allow him to kill you. So I brought that Temple of Evil down on him as I pulled you away. He realized he had to escape or he would be crushed."

Ahsoka nodded, then asked, "What was that place, anyway? I still have bad memories and thoughts."

"It was a test for you, Ahsoka. To show you, yet again, how strong you truly are."

"Why did you save me?"

"Because you have so many more tests ahead of you. And I am confident you shall pass these as well."

Ahsoka simply sat, somewhat confused, but the words from Su began to sink in, leaving her with a feeling of relief.

Reema, always wanting answers, blurted out, "But who exactly are you, Madam Su."

Su smiled and turned to the young Coruscanti. "What would you like me to be? I can fill that need in you."

Reema was now thoroughly confused. "I… I … I don't know. Are you some kind of queen or empress?"

"Yes, if that is how you see me. Young Reema, do you want a queen in your life? Perhaps you will be one yourself one day."

"Seriously?"

"If it's what you want … I see many great things ahead for you. There is passion in you, a determination to survive, against any odds."

"I just did what I had to. I never really thought about it."

"So did your benefactor – the one calling himself Menoway."

"He told me to trust in the Force – and it was there every time I needed it."

By this time, Su had risen and come to stand behind Reema, who remained seated. She placed her hands on the Coruscanti's shoulders, but instead of surging more energy through her, she felt the young woman's pulse and the beating of her heart. Reema had grown tense, not sure what was happening to her. Su finally spoke, while the others were watching the exchange with interest.

"Relax, young one. Must you be in such a hurry? Your life will be long."

Reema tried to relax but found it difficult. It was rare that she shared herself with anyone – she felt it was necessary for her survival – especially one as powerful as Su. Reema squirmed a little, feeling progressively less comfortable the more Su stayed close to her. But soon, the great Lady pulled away and Reema felt a sense of relief. Su seemed to pay this no mind.

The others broke the silence. "Is there anything we should be doing?" Ezra first asked.

"What about helping the New Republic?" Luke added, while Ahsoka bided her time for a few seconds.

Su returned to her throne, and sat, calmly smiling, as if nothing ever bothered her or gave her any pause whatsoever. Ahsoka gazed at her and thought. It's as if she is telling us we have to find our way – with the Force. I think she is a person of strong Light, and I have to follow her and learn all I can. Should I be the one to lead the Galaxy? Is this what the Force is telling me? Have we defeated the evil?

Su returned Ahsoka's gaze and connected with her, mind to mind. The answers will come, my child. Continue to search, to learn, to become. Ahsoka calmly looked into Su's eyes and saw various visions, the most striking of these being the sight of a shorter woman dressed all in black and carrying a red lightsabre. The woman almost seemed to be taunting her, but it was a face Ahsoka had never seen before. She thought of asking Su about it, but then thought better. Su prefers us to let the answers come to us in our own time.

Instead, Ahsoka then asked her the following: "Madam Su, I've been thinking about why you called us all together on this occasion. Was there something you wanted to tell us, or felt that we should know?"

Su chuckled just a bit, then stood in front of her throne. "Indeed there is, my child. Dear Ahsoka, it is you in whom I have the greatest affection. The primary galaxy in this group is badly in need of guidance. The end of the previous empire – which I witnessed you and your friends here taking part in – has brought a new era of instability. By the Force, you will help to make sense out of what will come to seem like confusion. And in that confusion, many rogue actors and movements will arise … indeed, some are arising as we speak."

Ezra then asked, "Su – will the Empire try to regroup and cause more trouble? I was really hoping we could hold them off."

"Dear Ezra … look to the Force for your answers. You have all the power you need."

Luke began to feel more at ease around the mysterious Su, whom he had never heard about before. Did Yoda know of the existence of Su? If so, he never said anything about her. How about Ben, or my father ... or the other Jedi from the past? He then noticed that Su was now gazing into his eyes and soon their eyes locked onto each other. After a short silence, Su decided to address him openly, so the others could hear.

"Dear Luke … it is my pleasure to meet you directly for the first time. You are wondering about Master Yoda – who, sadly, passed away recently. I have been in contact with him from time to time, but it is a loss for the Galaxy overall. The Jedi Order – for the most part – had sound intentions, but still were drawn to the Darkness. Why, you may ask? They underestimated its power and the war exposed this."

Luke nodded, but was not fully aware of why. Yes, Ahsoka had explained the Clone War, and how some of the Jedi were corrupted by it and went against their teachings, even those who attained the rank of Master. He glanced over at the Togruta and caught her nodding in agreement. He decided to ask Su what had been on his mind for a while.

"Madam – would it be a good idea to build a new organization like the Jedi? Maybe not the same as they were, but a way of keeping the peace and preventing the Empire from returning."

Ahsoka, as expected, had reservations. "I wonder what happened to all the Jedi knowledge. I remember the holocrons in the Temple, on Coruscant. But I don't know where that all went. Because I left the Order, I never got to study them in much detail … did I miss out on what maybe I needed to know?"

Ezra, finding this topic intriguing, spoke up. "My earlier master, Kanan Jarrus, had one of those holocrons, Ahsoka, you saw some of it, there was a recording of Anakin Skywalker instructing on lightsabre techniques."

While they peppered her with questions, Su smiled and sat calmly on her throne with her hands folded. When they had stopped, with the Four waiting for her response, she remained silent for about thirty seconds.

"My dear Ahsoka, I detect something in your thought pattern. Would you mind if I share it with the group?"

The Togruta shook her head calmly, realizing that nothing could get past the mysterious lady.

"Well, then. Master Ahsoka – as I have now designated her – cautions us about reforming the now-dead Jedi Order. She seems to think its weakness caused its demise. The weakness, as she understands it, was a failure to properly value the need of people to work together. If the Jedi were merely lone warriors it was too easy for them to be destroyed one at a time – regardless of how powerful any one of them might be. Time proved her correct – even if she was viewing it with hindsight … am I correct, Master?"

Ahsoka nodded. "When this destruction took place, I was unaware of it. I came to understand it later, due to conversations I had with Master Yoda."

"How difficult that must have been for you to hear. So, once you understood the gravity of it, you came upon a different conclusion?"

"I did. But this was only a few months before I ended up with you – after facing Anakin on Malachor."

"Of course … but …" Su then stood, and called the Four to come close to her. "There is no problem starting over with a new organization. Master Ahsoka, you, due to your greater experience and wisdom, shall be the leader of the new group. You are free to name it as you alone see fit. Are you comfortable with this responsibility?"

Ahsoka stood silent for a few seconds, seemingly running it over in her mind, then answered. "I am, Madam Su."

"Very well." She turned to the others, looking them over one at a time. Only Reema seemed a little uneasy, but she told herself internally that it would be the right move. Luke, Ezra, and Reema each then nodded their assent. "Do you each pledge your loyalty to your new master?" Again they nodded. "Speak as one," Su commanded, a sharper tone to her voice being clearly distinct.

Ezra took the lead. He bowed to Ahsoka, then was down on one knee before her. Somehow, Ahsoka knew what to do. She extended her right hand, and then Ezra took it gently and kissed it. He then rose and bowed again, repeating "Master, I pledge my loyalty to you."

Luke and Reema quickly followed, as Su sternly watched. When it was done, she spoke to the group. Ahsoka was foremost, with her three followers behind her. "Luke, Ezra, Reema – you shall be your master's loyal knights, or whichever title she deems appropriate. It will be your responsibility to her and to the Galaxy as a whole. You four will see that the peace is kept and the organization that governs the Galaxy does so with integrity and honor. I will return you to the Galaxy now, in the same place you were. Are there any questions?"

Ahsoka spoke up. "Yes, Madam Su. Where are we now, exactly? And … when will I – or we – see you again?"

Su smiled. "Come with me, all." She waved a hand and suddenly they were standing on a platform of sorts, looking through what appeared to be a type of viewport. Through it, a large expanse of space could be seen, with the Galaxy stretched out before them. They could vaguely make out the various regions, from the Core to the Outer Rim, and all in between. Even the mysterious "unknown regions" and "wild space" were visible.

Ezra looked out with interest, as did Luke. "It's incredible. How far out are we?"

Su smiled. "About a hundred thousand of what you refer to as 'light years.'"

Then the view started to change as the craft they were on began to zoom in at an unimaginably rapid speed. They headed straight into the Yavin system, which became apparent as they were soon in orbit around the gas giant. The entire trip took perhaps two minutes.

Ahsoka then asked, "I'd like to see what this ship looks like from the outside. Might you have something for us?"

"Yes," Su answered, "along with many other things." A small object then flew into her right hand. It was pyramid shaped, about eight centimetres high, all in smooth, gleaming white surfaces. She then handed it to Ahsoka.

"This, everyone, is one of what you might refer to as a holocron, or data repository … everything you need for your mission will be found inside. All text has been converted to your Basic language for your convenience. You asked when I might return. That is not something I have decided on at present. Much may depend on events as they unfold. Many clues I have given you all on your visit today and more are in the holocron. Safe travels, all."

She then grasped each of their hands in turn, finishing with Ahsoka, and giving them each a small energy surge.

The Four stood together for a second, but then were suddenly back at the tavern on Yavin IV, with much to talk about.

Lianna, The City, Santhé Tower, 6 ABY, 0 months, 7 days, 11 hours

Valles Santhé – wearing a black satin pantsuit – was waiting in her office at the Santhé Tower as she expected to close a major deal, one that would put her in the driver's seat for the Galactic arms trade. The target: Kuat Drive Yards, a legendary ship builder going back several millennia. At one time, the "KDY" would have been too big for Santhé-Sienar to swallow, but with the end of the Galactic Civil War at hand, its fortunes had declined precipitously.

Along with Valles were her Division Vice Presidents; of Finance – Shraw Hillrock, of Acquisitions – Grom Decidré, and Ship Construction – Fangou Ribao. They were basically congratulating Valles on yet another coup. There was a time when most of the old hands at the company scoffed at the idea that the granddaughter of the visionary leader Kerred Santhé could truly fill the old man's shoes at age 25, but after he died some eighteen years earlier, she'd left no doubt about the matter. Valles not only drove the military and weapons business to new heights – partly by winning over the notoriously difficult Lord Vader and charming the hardnosed Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin – by gaining the trust of the Empire, she had moved Santhé Corp into new areas such as agriculture, hospitality, and health care, all of which became immensely profitable. At this point, there were few rivals left in the Galaxy to challenge her financial might.

"Valles, I just have to say – how adroit of you to realize the Empire was done, and the New Republic would soon be cutting back on arms purchases," noted Ribao. "A stroke of genius."

Decidré in Acquisitions gave a low whistle. "If someone had told me – even one year ago – that the whole place could be purchased for just one quadrillion credits, I would have told him to ease up on the spice. Just amazing."

Valles just sat, smiling and twinkling her eyes just a little. Praise was always appreciated, but she'd learned long ago from her grandfather to never take her eye off the ball, and she was nowhere near where she ultimately wanted to be. She then spoke softly.

"In business, I've learned one very important principle. Always make your opponent believe she or he has won, even after you have defeated her or him. In this case, I could have been even more hardnosed and offered say, 700 trillion, but why push it? I'm getting everything I want."

At that moment, her assistant Lasivia Borges came in, carrying an elegant robe in luxurious pink and black velvet with fur trim, which she proceeded to place over the shoulders of her boss, giving the Chairlady a most regal look.

"The guests from KDY are here, milady. Shall I show them in?"

"Yes. Wait sixty seconds, and then we shall receive them."

Lasivia curtsied and showed herself out.

When the KDY people arrived, Valles rose and greeted each one personally. First was Lira Wessex, a renowned starship designer (who had originally designed the Venator class for the Old Republic, and both the ISD and SSD for the Empire) and the widow of former Imperial Moff Denn Wessex and now the effective head of KDY. She was attired similarly to Valles, with an elegant dark blue velvet robe over a similar blue satin long gown. Lira was also a rather wealthy individual with a fortune of hundreds of trillions of credits.

"Greetings, Lira," Valles said with a smile, as her guest curtsied before her. "And welcome to Lianna."

Following Lira, were two others. First was VP of Operations, General Hiram Klyke, a burly man in his late 50s, of pale complexion, and then Lando Calrissian, who had regained control of Bespin's Cloud City after the Battle of Endor drove the remaining Imperials from the station. Lando had rebuilt the city and had made several deals that reestablished his wealth and position. He had successfully walked a fine line – maintaining his connection to Rebel heroes Leia Organa and Han Solo, while simultaneously having gained the trust of Lira and General Klyke.

Both Klyke and Calrissian bowed to Valles and kissed her right hand when it was offered. Then everyone trooped into the conference room adjoining Valles's office. Once everyone was seated, Valles rose and activated a holo projector that illustrated the terms of the merger of KYD into Santhé-Sienar and also the corporate structure of the new entity. KYD would now become the primary weapons and munitions division of Santhé-Sienar and Lira Wessex would continue to head it up, with a salary of one trillion credits per year. Lando had been able to talk himself into a lucrative consulting position with the new combined entity as Cloud City had also been merged into KYD under Santhé-Sienar, a temporary arrangement, as it would soon join Santhé Corp's Hospitality division.

Bottles of blue Corp-Sec sparkling wine were popped open, and all drank to the continued success of the combined entity. Valles now was the unquestioned queen of the whole operation and all were toasting her obsequiously, including Lira, who at one time was a determined and sometimes bitter rival during the days of Palpatine's Empire. When the meeting ended and the others had left to head for a party elsewhere in Lianna City, Valles asked Lira to remain behind, and the two women went off together into a secret room off of Valles's main office – one that contained many of the Lady's outfits and formal wear.

They stood together, at first admiring each other's attire, and then Valles grew serious.

"Lira, dear, it is indeed fortunate that you have joined me today, I was gratified that you decided to attend."

"Valles, love, you know fully well why I am here. Again, darling, you have outmaneuvered me. I remain in awe."

"But, of course, there are no hard feelings. Once you are aware of the plan, you will see the distinct advantages in it."

Lira smirked, sipping from her blue wine goblet. "I'm all ears."

"Not so fast, dear. Much of it is not ready for general consumption as of yet," Valles chuckled, and pointed to her head. "However … I can tell you this much. We will begin to dismantle some components of KYD's main operations around Kuat."

"Why would you want to do that?" Lira asked, somewhat airily.

"As you know, the general demand for these facilities is going to be drastically reduced. But, much of them will nevertheless be needed … elsewhere."

"Do tell …"

"I have commissioned two planets for this project. One in the Western Reaches, the other to the east. These will slowly be built up over the next few years."

Lira's sneer turned into a grin. "I see … and you of course wish for me to handle all of this."

Valles looked her dead in the eye. "And I should not have to tell you – this remains strictly confidential. I do not want anyone – particularly that rogue Calrissian – to learn of this."

"Whom shall I be working with?"

"A couple of holdovers from the former empire. I will be introducing them to you in the weeks to come."

"What should I do in the meantime?"

"Keep Klyke in charge on Kuat to manage the draw down. All KYD personnel are to be retained at full salary."

"But what would they be doing?"

"Leave that to me."

Lira started to get it – or at least believed she did – and she turned to look over some of the fabulous gowns that were on the various racks around them. She fingered a rich green piece lovingly.

"Would you like to borrow that for the party?" Valles laughed.

Lira nodded, acting a bit like a teenager going to her first prom.

"Very well, let's change."

Soon, the two ladies were festively attired in glittering outfits with lavish robes to cover them. They strolled out of the office together, past Lasivia's desk. Valles turned to her longtime assistant.

"We are heading to the party, dear. You can wrap up here and join us soon. If you want to borrow something from my collection, feel free."

The Dark World-ship, Elsewhere in Galaxy Group 17, 6 ABY, 0 months, 20 days

Empress Su was now wearing a resplendent black outfit that shimmered as it caught any light, and walked purposefully down a corridor in her other world-ship, the one that Ezra Bridger had spent much time on two years prior. Joining her was another woman similarly attired in black, but with a shimmery cape lined in red over her shoulders. The younger woman was in a tight body contoured 'cat-suit' that also gleamed. Su waved a hand and they both were transported elsewhere on the ship, this time in front of a portal that opened onto something resembling a sanitarium ward. Su turned to her companion in black.

"My dear Lizza, do you know why we are here now?"

"Yes, milady. To check the status of the captive."

Su laughed. "He is to be awakened today. You will see to the details."

Lizza simply nodded, then waved her hand and the portal opened. She led her master into the room after crossing a large general area, where several personnel, also attired in black jumpsuits, were performing various tasks. Each snapped to attention as Lizza and Su passed by. All remained silent. Lizza walked over to a console in the center of the room, where an attendant silently directed her to the correct menu of options. She began touching the screen in various places after signing in via her handprint. Once all settings were ready, Lizza turned around and nodded to Su.

One man came up to them, then bowed deeply. He gestured toward another door and they followed him in. There, lying on a comfortable gurney, was the figure of the recent Emperor of the Primary Galaxy of Group 17.

Su came to his bedside, then waved a hand. Slowly, the figure began to awaken and it was indeed Sheev Palpatine.

"How are you feeling, Sir?" Su asked gently.

After a few seconds, the man's vision started to return and he gazed at Su, thoroughly confused. Su said nothing, continuing to smile. He weakly fumbled for a response. Finally he managed to sputter out …

"Where … am I?"

Su replied softly. "In a safe place."

"And … who are you?"

"Sheev Palpatine, also known as Darth Sidious, surely you remember me? It was about 8 or 9 of your years ago. I visited your palace and you tried to zap me with a crude form of electric current. It didn't go so well for you."

The former emperor – looking more haggard then ever – slowly shook his head, but then stopped.

"Yeeeeessss," he hissed out. "The Empress of Everything … I thought it was a bad dream."

"I'm sure you did. But, let's try something." Su held up her left hand, and another holocron (similar to the one she gave to Ahsoka earlier, but this one was all black, like a piece of obsidian) flew into it. She placed it on the bed in front of Palpatine. "See if you can lift this simple object, if you may …"

Palpatine looked at her with squinty eyes and tried to reach out to her with the Force, but was not able to determine much. She seemed kind and gentle, but he knew that such appearances were often deceiving, having spent a lifetime practicing them himself. He reached out a hand to summon the small pyramid-shaped object, but nothing happened. He tried two more times, with the same result.

"What's the problem?" Su chuckled softly.

"I … I seem to be feeling poorly. I'm not myself."

She gazed at him, seemingly sympathetic. "What do you remember, Sheev?"

Normally, he hated to be addressed by his given name. Only old friends such as Wilhuff Tarkin or Gallius Rax could get away with that, but at this point, he was in no position to trifle with the mysterious tall woman in front of him. He searched his memory, and it started to return.

"I was teaching young Skywalker a lesson … a preparation for a lifetime of service to the Empire. Then …" he continued to grope for understanding. "I felt myself being lifted and then cast into an endless chasm. But that is all."

"Very good, sir. Are you sure there isn't anything else?"

"Positive. How long have I been … incapacitated?

"A little over two of your years. Sheev, I'm going to save you some time When Anakin Skywalker – your former apprentice, the one you renamed Darth Vader – cast you into that 'chasm' as you put it, you went through a transformation of your own. You now are the same person you were many years ago, before the one called Plagueis trained you in the Dark Arts."

Palpatine was still an intelligent individual, and he started to realize what had happened – he'd been stripped of all Force sensitivity – but was still unsure exactly how it happened. He thought it over carefully, realizing that he had plenty of time and the woman did as well.

Yes, I remember now. She … what did this woman call herself? Ah yes, Su, it was. She paid me a visit – she just appeared out of thin air … I thought I was having some kind of dream. Who can do such things in our galaxy – MY galaxy! – and she spoke to me as if I were a common person. I was going to blast her into dust, but she simply reversed my power into me. I had to break it off. A very impressive woman she is. Clearly from someplace far away from my galaxy. I can learn from her…

"Madam … Su …" he heard himself say. "You were the one, of course. So powerful you can simply strip the Force ability away from any person you wish. How might I regain my powers?"

This time, Su laughed, but it wasn't a good-natured chuckle. She held out both arms, causing her black cloak to open and expose the multi-colored brilliance of her gown underneath. A menacing cackle then broke out, which she continued for about ten seconds. Palpatine felt he was now staring at pure evil, someone capable of doing anything she wanted, at any time she wanted. Her laughing ceased and she wrapped her cloak around her once more, her earlier mild manner returning.

"Ah, Sheev …" she again said softly. "I am going to consider that carefully. There are lessons for you to learn now. One power you will be permitted. That is the ability to open this holocron."

She then presented the small, shiny, black pyramid to him. Palpatine fingered the object carefully, marveling at its seeming perfection as he felt the smooth surfaces.

"You will need to take some time to master it, but I feel certain you will. There is much about you, Sheev, that I can admire. Take your time, you aren't going anywhere. Are you hungry? Anything you would like to eat will be brought to you. We've been feeding you via intravenous methods for the past two years while you regained your strength."

He nodded, fully understanding that this was Su's world and he was just a guest. Still, he thought he might ask just one more question.

"Madam Su, might I presume …" She nodded. "Where exactly are we now?"

"Somewhere in the same group as your home galaxy. Aboard one of my world-craft. This is the Dark ship. It is always night here. But we have our own sources of light aboard. You may explore the ship later, but I prefer you remain here until more of your strength returns. You are not well, Sheev. Years and years of Dark Side Force power has made you feeble. It will take time to rebuild you."

"Very well, Madam Su. I will serve you to the best of my ability."

"I know you will, Sheev."

With that, she and Lizza turned to leave the room, while Palpatine attempted to solve the riddle of the dark holocron.

Su turned to Lizza. "Keep him under observation. The team you have assembled is doing a fine job. Compile regular status reports."

"Yes, my queen. It shall be done." Lizza curtsied, as Su grasped her hand and then disappeared.

To be continued …