Chapter III

It happened near the middle of the day and no one had even been able to contact those on the inside. The explosion that ruptured the Council Building was extremely severe by all accounts, he thought. He was currently heading to where the rescue team was stationed, roughly at the edge of ground zero. He hoped that Cal Omas was alive along with all the other dignitaries.

"Jacen Solo, it's about time you showed up. I always thought the Jedi were taught to not be slow to situations of importance," Belindi said, turning to him as he ran up to her. "I just heard after I docked my ship," he explained. She nodded absently, her eyes on the collapsed entrance to the chambers where the leaders of the Galactic Alliance met.

"Do you think you can get inside and check on the status of those trapped here?" Belindi asked. "I'll do my best," Jacen said, stepping past her and approaching one stable-looking wall. Drawing his lightsaber and turning on its blade, he reached out with the Force as he made his first cut into the structure. Behind him, Jacen could sense the impatience of the new head of Intelligence and as he finished carving an entrance he turned to face her.

"Do you have any medical supplies I can take in with me?" he asked, "Some of them may be wounded and need immediate care." Belindi passed him a small bundle, and Jacen nodded thanks. Worming his way into the room beyond the opening he'd made, the young Jedi could sense the turmoil and frustration coming from deeper within the complex.

Moving ahead, sometimes having to crawl thru narrow spaces lest he disturb whatever it was that kept the entire thing mostly intact, Jacen tried to keep his thoughts off of the reason he'd come here to begin with. Even where he had been, he had sensed the loss of contact with his uncle and mentor and had rushed to find out what had happened to him.

Instead, he had discovered that the Council Building had itself fallen victim to some destructive influence. The loss of Cal Omas and the others would be a blow to the peace they were trying to build from the shattered fragments of their galaxy and Jacen hadn't hesitated to see what he could do to help. Slowly but surely, he continued to make his way ever deeper into the damaged edifice.


His heavy tread attracted the attention of one of the crew and as the man looked up Tork caught surprise, quickly followed by anger as the emotions lit up the man's features like fireworks. "Just who do you think you are and what are you doing here?" the burly individual said, coming up and laying his hand upon the armor Tork wore. "Who do you think I am?" Tork replied, his voice a carefully crafted duplicate of the legendary Dark Lord's. "I know who you appear to be," the other said, "But that's..." "Impossible?" Tork said. Behind them, the turbolift doors opened and Moff Quirlarna walked onto the bridge.

"Is there a problem?" Valeriy said pleasantly. "Not at all," Tork said, "We are merely having a discussion. The Captain was about to remove his hand from my person." Nervously, the officer released his grip, but his eyes still probed the mask Tork now wore. "Why are you perpetuating this farce, Moff Quirlarna?" he asked as she moved over to the chair she would occupy during their departure from this system. "Choose your words carefully, Captain," the armored man said, "Lest they be your last." Valeriy smiled thinly, her gaze taking in the crew of her most loyal followers.

"It really doesn't matter how it is that I have restored one of the most powerful men in the Empire. What is important is that I have done so," the Moff said. "Don't you mean one of the basest traitors ever to sully the deck of an Imperial ship?" the Captain snarled. Tork took a step forward, his hand dropping to the fake lightsaber he wore on his belt. "Enough!" Quirlarna shouted, garnering stares from all those present.

"You know how I stand on the actions now being taking by our leaders and those of the Galactic Alliance," she said, "Through methods that shall remain secret for now, I have arranged for this man to be here. He is the clone of the last Dark Lord of the Sith, but without those memories that drove the original to kill Emperor Palpatine. He can be trusted to act in the best interests of the Empire." "I've heard all this, or something like it, before," the Captain scoffed, "I served in the Imperial Fleet when that con man dressed up as Thrawn and paraded around trying to bring half the galaxy down on our heads. I need assurances as to the identity of this person."

Time to play the part, Tork thought, tweaking the living tool his master had bestowed on him. The armored man extended a hand, throwing the creature to the deck at the Captain's feet clandestinely as he did so. Caught in its intense gravity, he was pulled to the deck. "Is that sufficient proof?" Tork said, towering over the prostrate man. "Vader! Release him!" Valeriy cried. Tork lowered his hand as the creature he'd used died and released the Captain. The bridge was hushed as he moved over to stand by the Moff. "What will we find at the coordinates you have provided me, milord?" Valeriy asked, still maintaining the pretense of his new identity.

"Why don't we just go there and find out," Tork told her. "As you wish, Lord Vader," the Moff intoned, turning to the navigational officer and handing him a data pad. "Take us out at once," Quirlarna ordered, "Maximum speed." The Star Destroyer was soon underway as Tork stood with his hands behind his back. "I hope the crew will take this as a sign that they are not to challenge your status," she said quietly as they entered hyperspace. "They know their place," he said, "If they are to accept me, I must be firm with this lot."

Valeriy nodded, sitting quietly during the remainder of their short trip. Then the Star Destroyer returned to normal space, and Tork heard audible gasps from the crew as they saw what awaited them. "Moff Quirlarna," Tork said formally, "I give you your new command, the Super Star Destroyer Finality. With it, we shall teach our foes the error of sparing our mortal enemies from the fate they richly deserve." Valeriy nodded mutely, rising and following Tork from the bridge.


Luke Skywalker awoke in pain, darkness and confusion. With no memory of how he had been dragged from his starfighter into this dark hole, the Jedi Master sat up carefully and reached out with the Force. Distantly, he felt a presence nearby and one wall slid up to reveal a well-lit area beyond. Adjusting his eyes to compensate for the glare, Luke rose and went to the door. Skywalker found himself gazing out at the nondescript surface of a planet, but he was uncertain as to just which one.

A quick examination of the exterior of the vessel he'd been in didn't illuminate him about the nature of his captors, so he made his way to the bottom of the ramp and stood upon the soil. "So, you are awake at last," a calm voice said beside him, coming from a presence he had failed to detect. As he turned in that direction, Luke saw why. The speaker was Yuuzhan Vong. "Why have you brought me here against my will?" Skywalker asked, "What have you done to my droid?" "Your abomination managed to escape," the alien told him, "We were not prepared for its resourcefulness. We did manage to prevent it from freeing you, though."

Luke nodded absently, some distant part of his mind registering the fact that the craft he'd been in wasn't the type usually favored by the invaders. "You haven't answered my first question," Luke reminded his jailer. "Our master has need of your services," the alien told him, "Follow me." The Jedi Master did so, though his hand was itching to have a lightsaber in it. Probably still in my cockpit, he realized. The Yuuzhan Vong strode along tirelessly, and Skywalker noted that this was a warrior in his prime.

Curious as to why he hadn't been immediately slain, Luke called on the Force to overcome what had been done to him as he trod quickly after the alien. There was a figure in dark robes standing at the top of the next rise, and Skywalker was certain they were headed there. Something about the man was familiar, and as he turn to face them the memory fell into place. It had been merely so long that their brief encounters had been dulled by the passage of time.

"I see that you haven't forgotten me, Master Skywalker," his host said, "Though we've never had the chance to be formally introduced. I am the last of a dying breed that is ultimately destined to lead our galaxy into a time of unprecedented peace and order. I am Darth Sival."