Ahsoka, Shaak and the Second Empire – Chapter 2: Renewal

Opening Note: In this second installment of Volume Two, we have a lot of groundwork to lay, as there are many characters that come into play here.

Chapter 2: Renewal

Coruscant – 1 ABY, 4 days

It was two days later. Anakin Skywalker had arisen early, leaving his beloved Maris still in bed. He had scheduled an important appointment for later that morning and wanted to make the right impression going into the meeting. He was planning to see none other than Grand General Tagge of the Imperial military – who was still holding the same title that former Emperor Palpatine had appointed him to shortly after the destruction of the first Death Star.

Anakin had been briefed by Empress Shaak about the importance of learning which of the military leaders she could trust to carry out her agenda. But she left it open to him how to go about doing that, which he actually preferred. As he headed out of the apartment that he and Maris were living in on Coruscant, in the posh Republika 1000 block, the former Darth Vader walked to the terrace just outside their door. He pulled out his com device and summoned a speeder, which soon arrived. It had no driver but was programmed to go wherever the customer needed to go. Anakin headed off to the new Imperial government area of the city, about 5 km away. As he arrived at a Defense Ministry block, he dismounted the speeder, then stopped to check his look in the reflective window before he headed inside.

Anakin Skywalker was now 42 years old, still reasonably youthful, but hardly the impetuous young man he was at the time he became Darth Vader. The years in the suit and helmet had taken their toll, but, thanks to a nearly miraculous reconstruction job by Shaak Ti, he began to resemble a facsimile of his old self. A recent hair transplant (from his own DNA and fashioned in a laboratory on Coruscant) had been completed and he was happy with the results. On this day, the former Dark Lord still had some overtones of the Sith as he wore dark clothing and carried a serious expression on his countenance. He also carried a lightsabre on his belt. As he turned to head inside, Anakin gave himself a smirk – a reminder of long-ago days. I'm still me …

Tagge was waiting for him in the conference room as Anakin strode in. He stood to face the former Lord Vader, then bowed respectfully. Anakin did not return the bow, but merely gestured to the general as he took a seat.

"So, you wished to meet with me, Master Skywalker?" The general ventured, remembering the proper form of address.

Anakin nodded. "I see we have come full circle." He paused for effect. "You now report to me again."

The general started to say something, but Anakin raised a hand, indicating he had more to say. His cadence was deliberate, much like it had been when he was Vader, though his voice was now more of a baritone rather than the deep bass he'd had behind the mask.

"Let me get straight to business. The Empress has tasked me with initial determination of which members of the Imperial command can be trusted. Perhaps you would care to explain why you merit her trust …"

Tagge swallowed hard, but managed to get his footing.

"Because, Master, I serve the Empire, as always. I would be most pleased to inform Her Majesty that I am completely loyal to her."

Anakin nodded. "The reports I have received show loyalty among those who report up to you. If there was any opportunity for them to state otherwise, they would have done so by now. So, for the time being, you are safe."

"I am gratified, sir."

"General, you should be looking for a royal invitation soon. When the Empress returns to Coruscant, she will be convening a meeting of the high command. Everyone must attend, no exceptions."

"I will be there. Greatly looking forward to meeting with Her Majesty."

Tagge hoped that he had shown the proper amount of enthusiasm and deference. Anakin got up to leave, and the general rose respectfully. On his way out, Anakin remarked. "If you happen to see Admiral Sloane and Admiral Rax, tell them I wish to meet with them as well. Master Brood will be accompanying me."

Tagge nodded. "One thing, Master Skywalker. Will the Grand Vizier also be meeting with us?"

Anakin shook his head. "Not that I am aware of. The Empress has asked that Master Brood and I attend to all of the military matters. Lady Santhé is primarily concerned with the Imperial Administration."

"Very good, sir. Thank you for the clarification."

As Anakin left the room, Tagge thought it over. Well, that went about as well as could be expected. At least I will have the chance to meet Empress Shaak. We are all rather curious as to what she may be like. One thing is for sure. Anakin Skywalker is quite different from Lord Vader, although he is a little stiff. Still, it's a welcome change. He gives the impression that if we do our jobs, he will put in a good word for us with the Crown. Old man Palpatine was at least predictable, if rather hard to deal with. She can't be worse than that …

Tagge gave a soft laugh as he left the room. He wanted to at least find Gallius Rax and tell him what he might expect.

On the way out, Anakin happened to run into Admiral Rae Sloane. Seeing as how she did not immediately recognize him, he addressed her directly.

"Admiral Sloane?"

She looked up, a bit startled as she had lost her train of thought. Soon, she realized who it was.

"Good morning, Master Skywalker, sir. Did you want to see me?"

Anakin nodded. "Yes. We will need about 15 minutes."

He gestured at what appeared to be an empty conference room. It was already clear in her mind that Master Skywalker would prefer to skip formalities and move right to the matter at hand. She actually preferred that as she considered herself the consummate professional. Since her childhood, Rae had great respect for any organization that could maintain order. She had seen what a lack of that could do on her home world, and it made for a dangerous environment. The Empire represented peace and order to her and she was greatly looking forward to serving under the new galactic ruler.

As they sat down, Anakin opened the discussion.

"Admiral Rae Sloane, recently promoted from Vice Admiral, do I have that correct?"

"You do, sir."

Anakin let his mind return to an earlier episode in his life as Darth Vader.

"I seem to recall when you were a young lieutenant, serving aboard the Star Destroyer Defiance. Your quick thinking saved the ship from certain destruction, as the captain had plotted to send us into a star. Does this sound familiar?"

She smiled. "Indeed it does, sir. A good example of my service to the Empire."

Anakin chuckled. "Let me ask you a question, Admiral. How do you feel about our new Empress?"

She answered quickly, yet made it seem natural. "I am greatly looking forward to serving under her, sir."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"I just have a good feeling about her. I watched her coronation carefully. She has a look in her eyes that tells me I can trust her to do the job well. In addition, I admire her sentiments to ensure the Galaxy has justice and her desire to crack down on the syndicates. I am ready to do my part for her."

Anakin shrugged. "Noble sentiments, Admiral." He took a breath, then gazed intently at Sloane. "You will soon have the chance to tell her in person."

Sloane perked up noticeably. "Oh?"

"Yes, Empress Shaak will soon be holding a meeting for all of the top Imperial brass."

"I am greatly looking forward to that, sir."

"Very well, that is all. You will be informed as to the time and place."

With that, Anakin left the room. Rae was now feeling even more hopeful and knew that her chance to speak with Shaak directly was a golden opportunity. She reviewed her thoughts: This could be my chance to someday serve as a Grand Admiral. The Empress will soon know of my dedication to her. She will be a great leader and we are privileged to serve her directly. But there are those who would stand in my way – and I think I know who some of those people are. The destruction of the Death Star removed much of the old command, but it also opened the door for some very unscrupulous types that vied for the Emperor's attention. I must keep my eyes wide open.

Coruscant – 1 ABY, 9 days

Another five days passed.

Ahsoka was in her suite at Republika awaiting word from the local spaceport. She had asked to be informed immediately once her fiancé Tri'ku Je'har of Almania had gotten in. The day of their wedding was fast approaching and they had much to discuss. Tri'ku had spent some time on his home world seeing to some local matters. They had wanted his input about how the change in power on Coruscant would affect them. He basically explained that things would certainly not be any worse, and gave them a generally upbeat assessment of Shaak Ti and her plans for the Galaxy. After a banquet in his honor – after all, he was soon to be marrying the Galaxy's Crown Princess – Tri'ku left via his private shuttle for Coruscant to join his beloved.

Once he had landed, the staff director at the Republika Spaceport contacted Ahsoka.

"Your highness, good news. Your guest's shuttle has landed."

"Thank you very much," Ahsoka replied, then contacted Tri'ku.

"I'm here, love … really been missing you." She said, somewhat seductively.

He was cheered to immediately hear from his wife-to-be. "Can't wait!"

A speeder ferried him over to her apartment block and she stood on the platform, waiting patiently. Despite Ahsoka's position as Galactic royalty, for the most part, no one bothered her as the people that could afford to live in this part of town were prosperous and successful and not that impressed by her status. Still, there were always occasional well-wishers, whom she felt she had to personally respond to as they greeted her. Before her fiancé arrived, a human couple stopped to say hello.

"Princess Ahsoka?" the man asked.

Ahsoka's lekku brightened a little, as normally happened when she showed any emotion. "Yes. Glad to meet you," she said, in what had become a sort of auto-pilot manner. She extended her right hand and both of the strangers bent over to kiss it. They said goodbye to her and walked away, somewhat excitedly.

A few minutes later, Tri'ku appeared and got out of the speeder, which then took off (it ran via self-piloting mechanism). The two of them hugged excitedly and walked back into Ahsoka's apartment building. As they got on the elevator, they shared a quick kiss before it arrived at the level of her suite. As they walked into the apartment, Tri'ku went to the bar area and found some Almanian whiskey.

"I knew you still had it," he said happily.

"I brought it just for you … some of my stuff is still back on Felucia."

As they settled down together on the sectional sofa, they kissed again, then kicked back.

"So what's the timeline looking like for the wedding?" he asked.

"Still on schedule … Valles asked me about that yesterday."

"Okay …"

"But, here's what. I thought we would take a trip to Shili together. Maybe even see if Shaak is still there."

"I didn't realize she went. Must've been quiet about it."

"You've got to try their restaurant. The real Togruta barbeque. And … we're going to meet my brother."

"Aha … that should be interesting."

After some light banter, they ordered some room service food and consumed it quietly. Soon they went off to bed, having missed each other's company greatly. But it was as good as ever …

In the morning, they packed for the trip to Shili. "So how are we going to get there?" Tri'ku asked. "Did they give you a royal ship or anything? I'd prefer to go in the Corvala Dawn … if it's all the same to you."

"I'd like that, actually. Still not used to this princess gig. Good thing I had R8-ND fly it here."

Tri'ku smiled and they grasped each others' hands.

"Yeah, I'm not sure what it will be like after the wedding. Will I have some kind of royal title too?"

Ahsoka thought about it for a couple of seconds. "You know … I never talked to anyone about that. Maybe it's up to you." She nodded her head sharply as she finished that response.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I need to think about it."

"No hurry," she smiled. "Whatever you want to do is all right with me. Our relationship is the key."

They kissed again after that, then she headed for the door, where they were met by her two Togruta maidens, Kama and Rasa.

"Your highness, we are here to inform you that your ship is now ready and cleared for departure. We have also contacted your brother on Shili, Mr. Mako'ta Tano. He is looking most forward to your arrival."

"Thank you," Ahsoka smiled at the both of them. "I would like you to come with us. Our luggage is ready. Have you also made arrangements for us at a hotel in Corvala?"

"We have, your highness. They are looking forward to serving you."

Ahsoka stopped to consider the implications of returning to the planet of her birth, but this time as the Crown Princess of the Galaxy. Just amazing, in every sense of the word. She also remembered those dreams she'd had almost three years earlier, the ones where she was being honored as the Empress, and Shaak was the one crowning her. Well, that part was backwards – I was the one putting the crown on Shaak – or was it? Maybe someday Shaak would decide to step down and make me the Empress … At that point, she snapped out of the trance and turned to Rasa and Kama.

"Excellent, my children." Ahsoka had never had loyal servants before, so she wasn't sure how to address them.

They curtsied to her, then asked, "Shall we go to the ship and prepare for you and Mr. Je'har's arrival?" Ahsoka nodded, and the two curtsied again and left.

"They seem like very efficient servants," Tri'ku remarked, and again, his fiancé just nodded. He glanced at her, and asked, "are you OK, dear?"

Ahsoka again had to snap out of her trance-like state, and quickly covered.

"Yes, yes … of course I am. I'm sorry. Just a lot on my mind right now. I need to get off this planet. I have too many memories here. I'm starting to regret ever leaving Felucia. Returning to Almania would even be better, although I know it's winter there right now. But I know I can't go back. You understand, right?"

Tri'ku took her in his arms and held her tightly. "I do. So much has happened to you. But I will stay with you now. Lean on me, dear, as much as you need to."

She remained quiet, then smiled and they released each others' embrace. "Let's get going," she simply said.

They stepped out of the apartment and a speeder was there awaiting them. It quickly brought them to the spaceport, right up to the bay where Corvala Dawn, newly washed and polished, was gleaming and ready for their trip. As they walked toward it, Rasa emerged and showed them aboard.

"Would you like to take the helm, your highness?" She asked quietly.

Ahsoka shook her head. "Please handle everything with R8. We will be in the lounge."

"Very good, madam." Rasa curtsied and went to the bridge. Soon the ship had launched and cleared Coruscanti orbit. The jump to hyperspace came soon after and they were on their way to the Togruta home world, a three hour voyage.

As Ahsoka and Tri'ku settled in together, cuddling in the lounge, he asked, "do your servants have the Force?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact … but they are relatively unschooled."

"Hmm, you know … it seems a large number of Togruta are Force-sensitive. However did they evade the Empire during Palpatine's reign?"

"That's something I am still trying to understand myself. I know for the most part they were very careful."

"But Palpatine had to be able to detect it, no?"

"You would think. But Shaak said he never got around to visiting the planet."

"Wow … a most fortunate set of circumstances, wouldn't you say?"

Ahsoka simply nodded, then she changed the subject.

"I had a nice time together with Maris a few days ago."

"Yes? What did you two do together?"

"We booked a training room and went at it hard, like the old days. Then a great time relaxing afterwards, with a spa and massage. I really needed it."

Tri'ku smiled. "I'm happy for you. How is Maris feeling these days?"

"She seems fine. I know she's very much in love with Anakin. But she seemed a little concerned about me. I had to cover, saying I was just a little out of sorts."

"How was your sabre technique … a little rusty?"

"A little, but nothing that more work couldn't fix. But how often is the Crown Princess expected to engage in sabre combat?"

Tri'ku chuckled. "A fair point. Say, we haven't talked about your apprentices. How is that going?"

"Quietly. I don't even know where Reema is right now. Hedala and Luke are together of course. He popped the question and now they are planning a wedding too, but it will be after ours."

He scoffed, quietly. "Reema. I know she's been a concern of yours for a while now. Is she someone you can really trust?"

Ahsoka gave him a look of mild anguish. "I just can't tell. She's been cooperative recently. I don't feel like she has to always check in with me, though. The old master and apprentice relationship of the Order is surely different now that we all have new roles as part of the Empire – Shaak's Empire."

"Yeah … I can see that. This is all going to take some getting used to."

In transit to Felucia (home world of The Order) – 1 ABY, 10 days

Valles Santhé was enjoying a relaxing bath in her private suite aboard her extravagant yacht, Belladonna. She'd had a busy couple of weeks on Coruscant, scurrying around endlessly as she crafted the new Imperial Administration for Empress Shaak. There were so many personalities involved and egos to stroke, while at the same time continuing to project her own air of authority over everything. A key factor was ensuring that everyone other than herself had limited access to the Empress, and Shaak herself was seemingly pleased with this setup thus far. But it was also clear that no one, even Valles herself, knew how the "old lady" actually operated, and what her thought processes were.

There was a general feeling among the various Imperial Ministries that, in the end, Shaak was little different from Palpatine. She was mysterious, inscrutable, and possessing vast and truly frightening powers. Her display of some of that during the coronation and the long celebration following it gave them a taste of it. She could seemingly make it rain or shine simply by willing it to be so and do it all with thrilling pyrotechnics. Although these demonstrations were met with enthusiastic approval by the general population, they were quiet worrisome among the officialdom. Valles used this situation as a way of cementing her role as Imperial Chief of Staff and Grand Vizier. It was almost as if she could somehow "protect" them from Shaak if need be. At least, so they thought, and Valles was content to let them do so.

Truly remarkable, all of this is, she thought, enjoying greatly the chance to clear her head and get away from the capital for a bit. But what is the old lady up to? She gave me very little to go on, other than she planned a quiet trip to Shili. I know this much, however. To better understand Shaak, I have to take a trip back to Felucia. She was on that planet for a long time and there are likely many clues I can uncover. Fortunately, I feel I have her Force signature – at least, her usual one – so she won't be able to sneak up on me. But just one mistake is all it would take for her to have a much better appreciation of who I am, and this would be catastrophic.

Valles arose from her bath, and her valet entered to assist her, drying her and attending to her hair, while wrapping her in a luxurious robe that quickly soaked up any remaining moisture from her skin. Lady Santhé greatly enjoyed the finer things in life and took the time to savor them.

"Thank you, dear …" she said with a broad smile.

"Will the Lady require anything before bed?" Asked the valet, a girl of about 22 years of age, with dark hair like her employer. She was from the industrial world of Corellia, and like many from that planet, greatly enjoyed the privilege of not having to live there. Being valet to such an important person as Valles was a dream job for most young women in the Galaxy.

"I'm fine." Valles replied as she stepped into her slippers while the valet accompanied her into the bedroom, then left her to herself. Valles took off the bathrobe and stepped into a black satin nightgown that shimmered much like her luxurious locks that descended almost a full metre. She stepped in front of the mirror to admire herself, jerking her head slightly and causing her hair to flip around a bit, as the light played off of it. Her smile broadened as she thought, that's better. My power is truly something to behold. Of course, Valles's idea of "power" also had to do with her attractiveness as a woman. This always helped to open doors when she was younger and discovered that most men were favorably disposed toward helping her.

Valles reveled in her own self-awareness, something she had been taught to do by her mother as a young girl growing up on Lianna, her home world and a place that her family before her had transformed into the "perfect" planet, a world where the climate and weather were completely engineered as the environment was kept in a pristine condition. All waste and pollution were recycled and used to grow crops and keep a balance. As Valles rose to the top of her family business, the Santhé-Sienar Corporation, she had assumed power over everything on Lianna and fully owned about 25% of what was a very valuable planet. She was treated as royalty there, although she sought no formal title and wore no crown or other outward sign of authority. Her financial and business power was a direct function of her amazing brain. She finished her formal schooling quite early in life and then started to master the family firm as her grandfather realized she would be able to run it at an early age. By the time Valles was just 22, she had become the de facto CEO of the company, and she soon set about dominating the affairs of her home world. Few were able to compete with her as she just steamrolled over everyone – but she always did it with a smile on her face and had few enemies. She had learned early that the best way to win was to let your opponent also believe she or he had won – at least something. Now 37, Valles Santhé was adored by some, but respected by all, including the new occupant of the Imperial throne, Shaak Ti.

When Valles awoke the next morning, her ship was in orbit around Felucia. Her pretense for visiting the planet was to look in on the development of the new urban area that had been created in the past few months. This area also included a palace for the Empress as Felucia had been Shaak's home for almost twenty years and she was still quite fond of it. As her shuttle brought her down to the surface, she could readily observe that "Felucia City" was really taking shape. When she touched down, the spaceport attendants assisted her as she checked out a speeder. She wanted to take a quick tour by herself to get a feel for things – at least, that was her cover story.

At first, she toured the streets of the city, all polished and looking much as they might on Lianna. The Santhé-Sienar imprint was in evidence everywhere, and the new palace shone brightly with its golden gates and sweeping architecture that featured many curved surfaces. Most walls and floors were clad in a similar pinkish marble compound – a light yet durable combination of elements that had originally been developed for use in starship armor. The Empress's love for pink and green dominated the color scheme and the palace seemed like a replica of the one that had been constructed on the remade planet of Avalonia – the former Malachor. Valles decided to closer inspect the palace, so she parked the speeder and walked inside. She was recognized immediately and given a repulsor bench that was exceedingly comfortable to tour the halls of the building. Quite suitable for Shaak, she thought as she then visited what were to be the Empress's private apartments. An adjoining suite had been built for the use of the Crown Princess. Valles thought fondly of her new friend Ahsoka and could picture the princess enjoying it with her soon-to-be husband.

She soon left the palace and then took the speeder toward the wooded area outside of the city. Valles remembered visiting this area for the first time a few months ago, before the Battle of Hoth that culminated in the end of Palpatine's reign as Emperor. This area was also beginning to undergo some transformation, as the droid factory built by Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra had greatly expanded. When she came upon each structure, Valles carefully scanned it with the Force until she came upon a series of hangars where spacecraft were stored. Some of these were TIE Defender series fighters which had been constructed by Santhé-Sienar to fill Shaak's order for use in the battle, but she also soon located the private vessel of the Empress, the starship Intrepid V. As she started to scan it from outside, someone came up on her. She turned around and was confronted by Knight of the Order Xendar Silkaw.

"Lady Santhé. An honor to see you. Was there anything you needed?"

Valles turned to him and smiled. "I see not all members of the Order have relocated to Coruscant."

Xendar smiled, slightly. "No, my lady. The Empress has left Knight Lumoxa and me in charge of Order operations on Felucia. Frehya handles relations in the new city area, while I am responsible for the outlying areas, including our original buildings."

Valles gazed into his eyes for second – scanning him surreptitiously via the Force – then smiled again. "I am certain that Knight Lumoxa is doing a fine job. I might wish to meet with her later … as for now, can you tell me about the starship located in this hangar? It was the Empress's personal craft, am I correct?"

"Yes. The Grand Master … Her Majesty the Empress, left specific instructions that it was not to be disturbed without her express permission."

Valles pondered the situation for a few seconds, then, without missing a beat, noted, "Well, we wouldn't want Her Majesty's wishes to be violated. But I had heard this was a very special ship, with capabilities beyond that of nearly every personal craft in the Galaxy."

Xendar knew better than to continue this conversation much further. Disobeying a direct order from Shaak was not the way to further one's career in the Order.

"I cannot comment, my lady."

"I understand. Just doing your job and following orders. Shaak is fortunate to have such loyalty. Just so you know, however, Her Majesty places her utmost confidence in me. You may find – in the future – that having a mutually beneficial relationship will be most useful." She turned and climbed back on her speeder. "Good day, sir."

As she left him behind, she carefully scanned to see if he was following her. Satisfied that he was not, she slowed her vehicle and started observing the territory carefully. She soon came upon a rather curious sight. Valles found herself staring at an area that looked very much out of place with the surrounding terrain. All the plant life (and presumably animal life as well) was essentially dead, the green having turned to black, with sections of ground looking as though they had been completely scorched or obliterated. How curious. I'm not entirely sure, but I suspect this is the Empress's handiwork. But why? Very interesting. I doubt Knight Silkaw or Knight Lumoxa will be forthcoming with any details, either.

Valles turned the speeder around and continued to explore. Eventually, she came upon the facilities used by the Order, such as the Assembly Hall and the bunkhouse. She also located what had been Shaak's personal residence, a tidy cottage which had been carefully landscaped. The home gave off a searing Force signature, which took Valles by surprise at first, but she quickly reconciled it to her understanding. My Lady, indeed you are powerful – I could easily fall in love with you as I have such respect for all that you have accomplished. But that is not my purpose. She continued to mull things over while sitting in the speeder quietly. Another figure approached on foot, a dark-haired and middle-aged woman who wore boots and a dark green tunic over her leggings. Valles realized it was Knight of the Order Frehya Lumoxa.

Frehya, quickly spotting Valles, thought for a few seconds. Valles Santhé … this seems odd, that she would be here alone. Doesn't she have much work to attend to as the Galaxy's Grand Vizier? The Knight hailed her.

"Hello, Lady Santhé. What brings you to our world and to our humble forest?"

Valles turned around to acknowledge her, and smiled.

"Ah, Knight Lumoxa. It is a pleasure. How have you been?"

"I am well, my lady. Was there something I might assist you with?"

Valles paused a second, then gazed into Frehya's eyes directly and pierced her for a split-second.

"As a matter of fact … there is. Would you mind explaining to me the continued operations of the Order on this planet? Her Majesty had not had time to brief me."

Frehya, feeling a strange sensation that she could not pinpoint, also paused, then answered.

"What exactly would you like to know?"

Valles smiled. "The usual things. Numbers of personnel, your planned activities, how much of a footprint on the planet you wish to have. We are still in the process of transforming the planet. Knight Silkaw indicated that you were coordinating most of that effort."

Frehya felt a bit uneasy. Why does she need to know such things? Shaak likely won't want me divulging much, even to Valles. She tried to steer the conversation away from the Order and its plans.

"I am not at liberty to discuss much regarding the Order. Master Brood and Master Skywalker have been given day-to-day authority over our group. Any details I might provide would need to be authorized by them. But I can discuss our continued development of Felucia City. Were you planning to stay on Felucia for a time? I can ensure your suite at the hotel is available for the Lady."

Valles nodded, continuing to smile. "You are nothing if not a loyal officer to your empress and her immediate subordinates and that is to be commended." Knowing she would not get much out of Frehya, Valles decided to indulge her a little, feeling that the more time she spent with the Knight might show some weak spots that could be probed.

"Knight Lumoxa, indeed I would like to stay for a night at my suite on the 21st level of the Felucia City Hotel. Can you see that it is made ready?"

"Assuredly, my lady. Shall I ride with you back to the City?"

Valles chuckled. "Hop on, Miss Frehya."

The two sped away.

Coruscant – ground level – 1 ABY, 10 days

Deep in the bowels of Coruscant, far from the Republika 1000 block and the new Imperial Palace and Government Center, a dark complexioned man of older age was awaiting the arrival of a contact. He stood on the street waiting for her and for the most part, few wanted to bother or trouble the man as he was of sufficient size and wore a look of malice on his face. Clearly, he had seen many things over his 73 years of life, but he was still in good physical condition and could handle a blaster with the best of them.

Soon enough, the lady appeared, wearing a dark cloak over something like a skin-tight cat-suit, also in black. Her raven hair descended about halfway down her back, but she was not terribly attractive as her face was somewhat disfigured and she seemed to have a seemingly permanent sneer. Her eyes, though, had the sickly yellow look of the Sith. Seeing him, she gestured to an alley-way and he followed. When they came to a halt, she spoke.

"So, Mister Menoway, do you have what I was looking for?"

He nodded, then opened his coat and pulled out a small crystal, one with a pinkish hue. Saying nothing, he handed it to her. She looked it over.

"Can you perhaps get more of these?"

"Not around here. This one was hard enough. Do you have my payment?"

She pulled out a satchel from inside her cloak, opened it, and gave him a couple of credit chips. Eyeing them for a second, he seemed satisfied and put the money in his pocket.

He smiled. "Nice doing business with you, madam … Lizza, was it?"

She gave him a crooked smile. "And you, sir. We will meet again …"

Lizza turned and swirled her cloak as she left the alley and disappeared into the Coruscanti depths. Menoway counted his credits and headed for his local watering hole.

Coruscant, high levels – 1 ABY, 10 days

Elsewhere in town, Luke Skywalker and Hedala Fardi were sitting down to dinner with Reema Andujah. They were at an upscale restaurant that featured elegantly-prepared fare for discerning tastes. Luke was at this time a rising Padawan in the Order, and he had come up as an apprentice to Ahsoka Tano shortly after he had decided to leave his home on Tatooine and join the rebellion against the Empire. After the first Death Star had been destroyed in a joint action between Shaak, Ahsoka and himself, he happily threw his lot in with Ahsoka as his first mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, perished on the Death Star during an encounter with Darth Vader – who of course was later revealed to Luke as his father, Anakin Skywalker.

Hedala Fardi was the daughter of a smuggling family that lived on the Outer Rim world of Thabeska. Discovered by Ahsoka to be Force-sensitive at age 4, Hedala kept her abilities a secret as best she could while Ahsoka would visit to look in on her. When Hedala turned 13, Ahsoka returned to Thabeska and met with her father Reza Fardi. They decided it would be best for Hedala to go to Alderaan so as to better hide her Force sensitivity from Imperial agents such as the Inquisitorium. Some eight years later, Ahsoka and Hedala would reunite on Alderaan, where Hedala was reintroduced to Ahsoka by Princess Leia Organa.

Hedala had been working in the Royal House of Organa as an intern in Queen Breha's court and she jumped at the chance to work and learn under Ahsoka as a young woman in her early 20s. She and Luke eventually found themselves working together in Ahsoka's employ and gradually began to have feelings for each other. They made a striking couple, with Hedala's flowing blonde locks and bright emerald eyes making her an object of desire for many young men, while Luke possessed the same magnetic charm that his father had shown a generation earlier. Shortly before Shaak's ascension to the Throne, Luke asked Hedala to marry him and she agreed.

Reema Andujah was a Force-sensitive orphan that grew up in the rough-and-tumble atmosphere of the Coruscanti underground. She was not accustomed to trusting very many people as she feared what might happen to her, but one day her Force abilities were detected by onetime Jedi Padawan Jin-lo Rayce and Reema found herself with the chance to train and become someone important. Things started looking up for her when Shaak and Ahsoka visited Chandrila and saw her training with the others in a group of inexperienced Force adepts called the Agents of Ossus. Reema soon became a Padawan of the Order and her progress was swift with Maris Brood as her master. Shaak also was impressed with her and she was soon on the fast track to becoming a Knight and a full-fledged Member of the Order.

More recently, Reema found herself transplanted with Ahsoka as her new master and she found herself working alongside Hedala. She resisted this at first and was resentful of Ahsoka, whom she felt had overstepped and forced Maris to go along with the decision. As Shaak ascended the throne of the Galaxy, Reema found herself making the acquaintance of Valles Santhé, and the two struck up a friendship, with Valles revealing her true identity as a Dark Side Force adept and one with great power. Reema felt gratified to meet someone who truly seemed to care about her. So this particular evening saw Reema happy to break bread with Hedala and Luke and she found herself being outwardly supportive of their forthcoming wedding. After finishing the meal, Reema asked for the server to bring a bottle of an intoxicating liquor to their table, along with three small glasses. She proceeded to pour a small amount into each and then asked for a toast.

"To Luke … and my good friend, Hedala. May you always know happiness together."

The three raised their glasses into the center and clinked. Luke took a small sip of the beverage and found it rather strong.

"What … is this … Reema?"

The Coruscanti laughed. "A small treat from our home … to you for a celebration. To partake of the Detanka is a privilege usually only for the rich and powerful. Long ago, it was a dream of mine to someday raise a glass in joyful celebration with my friends."

Hedala sipped some and found it delicious. "If I have too much of this, my head won't be able to think straight …"

She turned to Reema and smiled. "Thank you very much, my friend, for sharing with us your custom and this amazing beverage."

Reema beamed. "My sincere pleasure, Knight Fardi."

Hedala continued. "I think you will soon become a Knight as well. I will give Maris and Ahsoka my recommendation."

"Thank you, Hedala. That means a lot to me."

"Could I ask you one thing? It's been bothering me a little."

"Go ahead."

"Reema, a while back, when we had a duel together back on Felucia, you insisted on checking the intensity levels in the training sabres. I had the feeling you didn't trust me, and that was troubling. Why did you do that?"

Reema sighed for a second, then her look brightened. "It was not that I suspected anything from you, Hedala. You are a woman of honor, I can see that. But this was a custom I first learned from Master Jin-lo when I joined the Agents of Ossus. We always checked our sabres to show good faith toward our opponents, because these were also our team members. It was a way of building trust."

Hedala nodded slightly. "I see. In a way, that makes sense. Reema, forgive me for being suspicious of you. We should work together. It will be my honor to stand next to you."

Reema stood and motioned for Hedala to come close. The two then embraced tightly.

"You are forgiven, Knight Hedala," she said with a chuckle.

"In fact, I would like to ask you to be my maid of honor at my wedding."

Reema blushed slightly. "Seriously? I would be most pleased to be there and stand up for you."

She turned to Luke, who had also risen and came to stand next to his fiancé. "You are doing quite well, to marry such a lady as this." Reema picked up her glass again. "A toast to Luke and Hedala – may they have a wonderful life, and always be together."

Luke nodded. "Don't I know it!"

All three clinked glasses, then sat down. Fueled by the Detanka, they continued to converse long into the night.

Author's note:

We just have a little more catching up to do, but the aim here was to establish the general atmosphere of the story to start and pick up where the first volume ended. At the same time, to introduce some new elements. I apologize for not having this up quickly but I expect to have more time to devote to it this month.

Some details have been modified to reflect the events in the Shaak and Maris story, involving Hedala's back story.