A Galaxy In Turmoil
Chi'anna Eclipse watched helplessly as Lord Vader was placed in his hyperbaric chamber with his personal medical droids. The Executor was in hyperspace heading towards Coruscant... but Chi didnt care anymore. All that mattered to her was that Darth Vader was healed...He was the only connection she had to a real family, and she would protect him with her own life if necessary. Admiral Piett was doing his best to ascertain how badly the battle was going for the Empire, but nearly every communications signal was being jammed. The Empire was at war with itself... and it looked like there would be no end in the near future.
--
Admiral Thrawn smiled as his friend Grand Inquisitor Kael stepped up beside him on the bridge of his flagship. He studied the battle and watched as strangely designed TIE fighters traded blasts with his own ships, bringing his fleet in closer to engage the traitor fleets attempting to take over the Kuat Drive yards.
Kael nodded at Thrawn, and turned to study the battle. "Looks like you'll be facing a few of your old compatriots, Admiral."
Thrawn smiled at that. "If its any of my compatriots in the Grand Admiralcy.. then this is going to be a very short battle." he turned to look at the holographic display of the battlefield, and sat in silence for a few moments. "Launch our shuttles... all of them... tell them to arm their missiles, and fire at this ships bridge." He pointed at one Star Destroyer in particular. "I want their bridge shields to flare... if its who I think it is.. and Im sure it is... then he will panic and fall back behind these ships here." He pointed at two other ships closer to the battle. "...opening a way for our own ships to split their forces."
Kael saw the way the battle would play out, and grinned. "We should watch out. Seems General Mohc has given these traitors access to his Dark Troopers. One of them attacked me on the station."
Thrawn nodded. "General Mohc, Admiral Zaarin, and even JAG Micah.. I recognize some of the TIE designs outside... it appears they are attempting a coup."
Kael sighed. "Then there will be infighting amongst all of the major Imperial bodies... Stormtrooper forces, Space Navy... and even the Inquisitorius... Even the Emperor might be in danger."
--
Emperor Palpatine watched as men died barely three feet away from him without batting an eye. He took another sip from his glass of water, and smiled. His royal guards were doing well, protecting him... even at the cost of their own lives. But that was their job. He turned to face the one Royal Guard that hadnt join the battle... Carnor Jax stood staring at him intently.. "Are you ready?" Palpatine asked over the din of battle.
"Yes, my lord." Carnor Jax said. In the battle, a Royal Guard named Kir Kanos heard the strange exchange, and stabbed through a stormtrooper as he turned to see what was happening...
"Then do your duty." Emperor Palpatine said, sitting back in his throne.
"As you wish, my lord." Carnor Jax said... stepping forward quickly, and stabbing Emperor Palpatine through the heart with a single stab of his vibro-staff.
"NOOOO!" Kir Kanos screamed, flipping over the battle around him to get to his beloved Emperor.. who looked down at him with a soft smile... and then died.
"What have you done!" Kir screamed as he slashed at Carnor Jax, who intercepted his blow with a clang of his own blade.
"I have done my duty." Carnor answered.
--
On the planet Byss, Emperor's Hand Mara Jade sat crosslegged in the Emperor's private chambers. She was waiting for the signal to begin her solemn duty. It came a moment later as she felt the Emperor's passing through the Force. She stood up, and faced the line of clone tubes holding the future of the Empire...there were a dozen in all.
All of them were young, barely 18... and all of them had the face of Palpatine.
She closed her eyes and opened herself to the Force... sending out the signal that she had been trained to focus, calling out for Palpatine's Dark Side spirit... which even now was on its way to Byss. She would bring Palpatine's Force Spirit here, and he would take one of the young clone bodies as his own... finding his own unique form of immortality.
No one else in the galaxy knew of this plan, only Mara Jade and Emperor Palpatine. Palpatine would allow the Empire... and its enemies.. to believe he was dead... for a time.
Until he returned to lay waste to his enemies
--
Grand Admiral Zaarin smiled as he turned to his co-conspirators as he recieved confirmation on his communicator. "That was Trachta... he's witnessed it himself... Emperor Palpatine is dead!"