Ahsoka left Sola and her parents to the new members of their family. It was heart warming to see how the family the twins belonged to, welcomed them with open arms.

But it was Obi Wan that interrupted the scene, as he called her. "Are you back on Hoth?", Ahsoka asked curiously. "Yes. And there is something I want to show you." Ahsoka frowned. "What's that?"

"Let go of every single barrier you've constructed around your mind, Ahsoka. Just for a moment. I want to share what the jedi and I have been doing lately." Ahsoka sighed. "Oh no. Another assignment?"

Obi Wan shook his head. "No. Just something I want you to know." So Ahsoka did as Obi Wan had asked and broke down everything that was shielding her mind.

Obi Wan looked deep into her eyes as the things he wanted her to feel flooded her perception. Quickly she realized what it was that he was showing her. "Anakin.", she stated, as she put everything she felt into order.

"Is this true?", she asked as she began comprehending. "Obi Wan nodded. "This is unheard of, in all of history. He surrenders to the dark side completely, but somehow it doesn't claim him."

Ahsoka said nothing for a few moments, what she felt was completely unfamiliar. "It does. It tries to consume him, it's what it does. But he resists it.", she murmured. "But he doesn't even try to.", ObI Wan stated.

Ahsoka nodded. "Then why doesn't he lose himself? The grey jedi had to train hard to resist the dark side. How is he doing it?" Obi Wan shrugged. "He surrenders completely, and also resists without problem. It's not logical."

Ahsoka smirked. "He never was logical." They were quiet for a few moments. "What exactly does the prophecy say, Obi Wan?", Ahsoka then asked. "That he will destroy the sith and bring balance to the force.", Obi Wan answered.

"It appears like it being fulfilled, no? The sith are almost extinct, only one is left. If he kills Sidious that part of the prophecy will come true. And what if the darkness in him, however it works, is the balance the prophecy refers to?"

Obi Wan stared at Ahsoka for a few moments. "It appears to make sense. But we always thought balance would be the destruction of evil, and rule of harmony. That the jedi would..."

"Be the only ones left.", Ahsoka finished his sentence. "How is the eradication of one side, to only leave the other balance, ObI Wan?", she asked. Obi Wan frowned. "But... the jedi fight for balance..."

Ahsoka snorted and interrupted him. "The jedi are the furthest from balance. They stick to the light completely, and fear everything that is not the way they know it. The sith are not very different."

Obi Wan arched a brow. "Are you a grey jedi now?", he challenged. "I'm not a jedi, am I?", Ahsoka countered hotly. "I'm sorry, you were treated unfairly...", Obi Wan began. "It was my choice to leave, Obi Wan. My choice!"

"Because of this? Because you thought the jedi were blind?" Ahsoka shrugged. "I don't know. But they didn't seem to be the order I would want to be serving." Obi Wan sighed. "I know what you mean, Ahsoka, really. But I have faith anyway."

"I will ask him how he does it.", she concluded. "I don't think he even realizes that he is doing it. Maybe the key is not caring.", he muttered. Ahsoka smirked. "That would be a dilemma, wouldn't it."

Obi Wan leaned back against something impossible to see in the hologram. "I knew his mental condition was... complicated. But this..." He seemed to be missing the right words.

"I will talk to him. Maybe he shouldn't be that close to the dark side.", she suggested. Obi Wan nodded. "But, maybe he should. We don't know, that is the point. The council is completely clueless what to believe."

Sidious was furious. None of his minions dared entering the throne room, for each of them knew that that would be their last mistake. The rebels had erased his most useful tool, along with his children, that could have been even better tools.

Obviously, the Emperor would have killed Vader sooner or later anyway, but this was to fast. He had no replacement at the moment. There were many that were ready to take his spot as second in command of the empire.

Although, at the moment, there was only a single person that Sidious was willing to consider, and that person first had to learn how to walk. It was a baby that had been taken from its family because of extraordinary force abilities.

Usually gifted children were simply executed before they could present a threat, but Sidious had kept this one for himself. If his plans of guiding the sith to power like in the ancient times, would ever come true, she would have been one of them.

He felt her anger, her rage, and she was just a baby. He couldn't even imagine how powerful she would be as a woman, and she would be loyal. He would make sure of that personally.

But now was to soon for Vader to die, Sidious had no apprentice at hand. He needed to find a new one, and quick. To many were hoping to take Vader's place.

Every time an official walked up to him, asking him to consider this one and that one as second in command, Sidious grew even more impatient. He needed someone as powerful as Vader, but such a person did not exist.

Sidious dropped onto his throne and stared outside. Somewhere, there had to be a worthy one, he only had to find him. The alternative would be waiting, and he couldn't afford the risk.

Angrily, he clenched his hands to fists, the fact that the only possible option was to young to talk. If only Mara Jade was an adult already, she would keep the empire in line.

Sidious buzzed for his general who stumbled into the room. Sidious did not turn around, but felt how terrified his servant was. "Make an announcement, general. And I want every man, woman and child in the galaxy to hear it."

"Yes, your majesty. I will make the arrangements." "Tell them, that every grown being, that is hiding because of critical midichlorian counts, will get the chance to replace Lord Vader if they come to Coruscant."

"Yes, sir. Anything else?", the general asked. "Make sure there is a possibility for every piece of scum to come here, provide transport for everyone that wants to show up. Some of them will be desperate enough to actually try."

The general bowed. "Yes, your majesty. Right away." And he hurried outside. There were enough force sensitives that actually followed the empire, that would be lured by this offer.

One of them would be strong enough to replace Vader while the others would be disposed of. Like this, Sidious would solve two problems at once, for he had always had some worries about those unmonitored sensitives.

It was a whole while later when Padmé and Anakin returned. Both of them had taken a refreshing shower, and yet Padmé was well aware of how much she was still blushing. It was Ahsoka that they saw first, she was standing in the hall, alone.

"Anakin, can I ask you something?", she began. "Obi Wan called me, and I did a bit of research..." "Not now, Ahsoka.", Anakin intercepted. "Later, alright?", he added. Ahsoka held back a slight giggle as she realized what they had been doing.

"The twins are well entertained in there.", she informed. "Take all the time you need." Anakin shot her a warning glance that was only rewarded with suppressed laughter.

Padmé opened the door and pulled Anakin with her, before he could say something. Padmé's heart made a jump as she saw how the twins were bonding with their grandparents and aunt.

"What were you doing so long? It's been hours.", Sola demanded. "A nap.", Padmé simply replied. "By the way, where are Darred and the girls? Maybe they could play with the twins."

Sola shot a sad glance to her parents. "They're down in Theed. Queen Apailana was ordered to change the appearance of the city a bit. Sidious wants to show that he is control now. He demanded huge imperial event halls and a throne room."

Padmé gasped as the image of the beautiful Theed palace covered in imperial flags sprung to her mind. "Darred was tasked with designing those constructs. He didn't have the option of declining.", Sola finished.

"Please tell me, they don't plan to break anything down. Naboo can't be transformed in the way Coruscant was. What of all our traditions, what of the gungans?" Padmé saw how Jobal cramped.

"They were enslaved, just like the wookies. Nobody, who isn't a human was spared of the empire's cruelty. Most of them are dead, only a handful survived in the labor camps." Padmé's hands clenched to fists.

"Which is the closest of these camps? We won't allow this to continue.", Anakin spoke up. Ruwee snorted. "You might have taken on Vader, but you are helpless against an army. There are hundreds of troops guarding a single camp."

"Which is nothing compared to the sith lord.", Ahsoka snapped from the door. She had entered silently. "Anakin and I could accomplish something, These can't be worse than the prison camps of the separatists in the clone wars."

"Even if you could break them out, the gungans have nowhere to return to.", Jobal sighed. "Their cities were destroyed, flooded, and sank to the bottom of the ocean." "There has to be something we can do.", Ahsoka called.

Sola rose slowly. "If you could smuggle food into the camp, without the guards noticing, less of the gungans might starve. Maybe you could even give them medical treatment, they would really need it."

Ahsoka put her hands onto her hips. "That's almost too easy. They won't notice a thing." Padmé shook her head forcefully. "It's too risky. What if they identify either of you, you're presumably dead. Especially you, Anakin."

"What if they saw me?", Ahsoka threw in. "Since the death of Vader it shouldn't matter anymore, if the Emperor knew I wasn't killed." "It would raise his suspicions.", Anakin countered.

"And it would give him hints on what really happened." "Which is?", Ruwee demanded. "I'm getting more confused every second." Padmé took the lead, making up lies at the top of her head.

"If Ahsoka had been identified when Vader was still alive, he would have come after her. Now it would be safer. And if Sidious knew Anakin was alive, he would most probably suspect him to be the killer of Vader."

Ruwee arched a brow. "Why? You said there were a few jedi alive, why would Sidious be so sure?" "Because Anakin was the only one that could have killed Vader at this point. The only one powerful enough.", Ahsoka countered.

"There was more to it than just fighting skill.", she added as a poor explanation. "Anyway, they won't see us. If at all, only from the far, then they would only report two renegade jedi, not any identities.", Anakin stated.

"Anakin, the risk...", Padmé began. "Even if they recognized us, they never put names into their reports, trust me. Only if requested or if it is one of the masters of the council. There are dozens of such alarms coming in every day, most are false."

Ruwee was eyeing Anakin suspiciously, obviously curious of the way he knew the imperial procedures. Suddenly the imperial symbol appeared in the room once again. "Twice a day?", Sola sighed, then tried to turn it off.

But nothing happened. She tried to erase the hologram again and again, but it remained. This time there was no announcer that replaced the symbol, instead there was only a voice.

"The Emperor calls out into all sectors, with a generous offer to make. All beings, with a critical midichlorian count, that have hidden from imperial justice until now, receive a second chance to serve their Emperor."

A sick feeling began crawling through Padmé as she guessed what would come next. "All of you is granted the opportunity to the honor and privilege of serving and protecting the empire if you prove to be loyal."

"Oh no...", Anakin murmured. "He wants a replacement." The voice continued. "If you decide to act on your Emperor's generosity, turn to local authorities today, that will then help to transport you."

Sola arched a brow. "No one will be naive enough to do this, right? Obviously it's a trap, and they'll be executed like all the others." "No, it's not. He needs another apprentice, it's the law.", Anakin countered.

All eyes in the room locked on him. "The law?", Ahsoka repeated slowly. "A millennia ago, a sith lord enabled the rule of two. It hasn't been shaken ever since.", he explained. "Well, what does that rule say?", Ahsoka asked.

"A sith master gets stronger and stronger apprentices until one is strong enough to kill the master and becomes the master. Then it repeats. That way, the sith as a whole grow stronger constantly. Sidious will stick to that law, no matter what."

"Then we need to stop him from training another sith!", she called out. "Or the cycle will never end.", she added. "Agreed.", Anakin confirmed. "Fighting one of them is hard enough."

"About that.", Ruwee intercepted. "How are you planning to get to him? He's the best guarded person in the galaxy.", he reminded them. Anakin said nothing for a few heartbeats, before speaking up.

"He just gave us an easy path to him.", he said and showed to the projector. "You want to play along in his cruel game?", Jobal cried. Anakin shook his head. "He would recognize me in a second, and avenge Vader.", he said.

"I'll do it.", Ahsoka said calmly. "I can't ask you to do that, Ahsoka. You might die." "I fought a war with fourteen, Anakin.", she countered. "I might have died a lot of times." "This is different.", Anakin snapped.

"Being a sith is as painful as you could possibly imagine. Both mentally and physically." "You sound like you knew.", Sola commented, not serious, trying to be sarcastic.

"I picked somethings up when I studied Vader to kill him.", Anakin said. "Sidious tortured him, Ahsoka. Countless times. You don't want to live through that."

"I will.", Ahsoka insisted. "But he thinks Vader killed me, what about that?", she asked. Anakin smirked slightly. "I forgot who I was talking to. And you might even be able to use that as an advantage."