Chapter 5: The Dark Lords

The mammoth Super Star Destroyer Executor occupied a position of deadly prominence in the Imperial Fleet. The flagship of Death Squadron, it was now joined by several ships of smaller, but no less powerful stature.

Flanking the Star Destroyers were a number of smaller TIE fighters, shuttles, and TIE bombers, several of the arriving TIEs bore distinctive red stripes on the wings, signifying the arrival of the infamous 181st.

Supreme confidence reigned in the heart of every crew member in this fleet. But something also blazed in their souls. Fear – fear of merely the sound of the familiar heavy footsteps as they echoed through the enormous ship. Crew members dreaded these footfalls and distinctive ominous breathing sounds. They would shudder whenever those sounds were heard, bringing their much feared, but much respected leader… and his tiny escort.

Towering over them in his black cloak and concealing black headgear, Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, entered the main central deck with the young girl Chi'anna Eclipse, wearing a black bodysuit with a distinctive red cloak. Many of the crew members would turn to look at the small girl, but all of them held their silence. The last time someone mentioned the small child with Vader, and made jokes at her appearance and even called her 'Vader's little girl" had had a terrible accident… somehow he fell out an open airlock.

In what seemed to be an endless moment, no sounds except those from the ship's control boards and the loud wheezes coming from the ebony figure's metal breath screen were to be heard.

As Darth Vader watched the endless array of stars, Chi'anna turned to stare daggers at the gathered Grand Admirals. Most of them respected Vader, or feared him, but only two of them had shown her any respect at all. Grand Admiral Teshik, and Grand Admiral Batch both nodded at her and accepted her as someone Vader respected and was training… the others, especially Grand Admiral Il-Raz and Grant both sneered at her presence and had even the audacity to start whispering behind her back the words "Darth Diminutive."

Vice Admiral Thrawn nodded at her, and she nodded in return. Chi'anna liked the alien Chiss. He was intelligent, kept to himself, and didn't show anyone any disrespect… even when they were insulting him to his face. She particularly despised Grant, Il-Raz and Takel, and looked forward to the day when Darth Vader ordered her to execute them for incompetence.

Nearby, she heard someone speaking. The rather kind Captain Piett rushed across the bridge of the ship, carrying a message for the squat, ugly and rather evil Admiral Ozzel, who was stationed on the bridge. Chi'anna had hated Ozzel for years, and couldn't believe that he had been chosen to command Lord Vader's personal flagship. "Sir," Piett reported. 'I think we've found something." He announced nervously, looking from Ozzel to the Dark Lord and to the Grand Admirals.

"Yes, Captain?" the admiral was a arrogant man who looked down upon anyone not above his rank.

"The report we have is only a fragment, from a probe droid in the Raxus Prime system. But it's the best lead we've had in – "

"We have thousands of probe droids searching the galaxy,' Ozzel broke in angrily. "I want proof, not leads. I don't intend to continue to chase around from one side of – "

Abruptly the figure in black approached the two and interrupted. "You found something?" Vader asked, his voice distorted by his black mask. Behind him Chi'anna kept an eye on the proceedings.

Captain Piett respectfully gazed at his master, who loomed above him like a black robed, omnipotent god. "Yes sir." Piett said slowly, choosing his words with caution. "We have visuals from fighters seen over the surface of Raxus Prime… and something else… something I do not understand."

But Vader was no longer listening to the captain. His masked face turned toward images of X-wings, Y-wings… and the blurred image of what appeared to be a…

Chi'anna giggled. "Look, someone is displacing Tusken Raiders!"

Vader's voice was the closest anyone had ever heard to rapture. "A'sharrad Het… at long last."

"My lord," Admiral Ozzel protested. "They could be smugglers – "

"That is it!" the former Jedi Knight insisted, clenching a black gloved fist. "And Skywalker is with them! Bring in the patrol ships. Grand Admirals, return to your ships, and prepare to move out! Set your course for the Raxus Prime system!' Vader turned toward an officer wearing a green uniform with matching cap. "General Veers," The Dark Lord addressed him. "Prepare your men."

As soon as Darth Vader had spoken, his men set about to launch his fearful plan.

Behind him, Chi'anna stared at the picture of the Tusken Raider. "A lost jedi… how… interesting."